A Warning: Dream and Interpretation

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine (Connie Arney) shared the following dream that she'd had six years ago and asked if perhaps the Lord would give the interpretation as she'd been pondering this dream and had never received the interpretation. (The number six is significant, because it is the number of man/the flesh and reveals the prophetic nature of the Lord's message.)

I asked her for a copy of the dream, but by this time, Connie wasn't even sure if she'd written it down, much less find it in her journal....She told me that when she looked for it, the dream just "fell open in her lap". Praise God!

I'd written down her dream and was considering sending it on to another prophetically gifted friend..and went to bed; leaving my prayer before Him. In the morning when I sat down to have my time with Him, unexpectedly, He said, "Crista, I will give you the interpretation."

Connie wrote: I looked in my journal [skimpy as it is] and low and behold the dream was there. . . . .

We once owned a black lab [Katie] who loved to swim, jump off the dock with the kids, and retrieve to the shoreline anything thrown out into the lake for her [she would never bring anything to us--she had her own ideas].

The dream -

Katie was out in the water, not as far as to the end of the dock, when I threw a tennis ball for her to retrieve. She was fairly near shoreline--just far enough that she couldn't touch bottom. Katie was out a little further than where the ball landed and she took a couple strokes and grabbed for the ball when it suddenly sank [tennis balls don't sink]. I think she had the ball in her mouth for a second but then she grabbed for it again. She dove for the ball and never came up. I was in shock because she never came up for air or struggled and that she and the ball disappeared so fast. We searched the shoreline of the lake and asked neighbors if Katie washed up on their shoreline and there never was any sign of her ever again.

In the dream the way the ball sank seemed to be significant. It bobbed for just a second when it first hit the water but then sank so fast as Katie grabbed for it. I remember thinking in the dream, it was odd that I had a tennis ball and where did a tennis ball come from--maybe that was the wrong kind of ball to throw in the lake. And then Katie never coming up again as she was but a short distance out in the water when in reality labs are known for being water dogs, great swimmers--how could this be.

Interpretation received from the Lord 12/20/10 at 7:00 AM, EST.

"Crista, I will give you the interpretation....

Katie, her beloved - in this case represents My Beloved....All seemed safe - not too deep in the water....representing those who are in Christ, but not too deep...the dock nearby for safety...but docks are made out of wood. She was playing and running on the sand.

This represents those of My Beloved who think they are able to run on the doctrines of men (sand) and experience no consequences. All seems safe - a dock - but it is wooden - and I tell you the Truth, wood, hay and stubble shall be burned.

A tennis ball is not supposed to sink - but it represents those doctrines of men which are devised to be "played with" by My Church, but I tell you the Truth they shall return back to the pit of hell from which they came; for they come from the father of lies in the abyss.

As a dog returns to its own vomit, so does My Church who profess to be Mine return to their sins; thinking that I do not see - thinking that I Am not a jealous God; thinking that I condone promiscuity, homosexuality, gossip, slander, back-biting and the like; playing with My Word to promote their own selfish, perverted agendas.

But I tell you the Truth, they are lost and their lives spent on foolish pleasures shall be to their demise. It is not that I desire them to be lost - but it is that they prefer their play toy, their foolish idols to Me. They have been given over to a reprobate mind and are now lost dogs. There was a time they walked in the Light, but their hearts preferred the doctrines of men to The Truth of My Word and Who I Am.

I have said that he who is not for Me is against Me. Pastors today want to play with My Word and portray Me as Only Someone to make you feel good - Someone to bounce you up and down on My knee.

Yes, I love you with an everlasting love, but it is My desire that You present Me in the fullness of Who I AM.

I AM HOLY!

I AM HOLY!

I AM HOLY!

For I tell you the Truth, the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction and discipline. (Prov. 1:7, Amplified)

I tell you Truth, the role of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness and judgment (John 16:8) But I tell you the Truth, man has made Me into His image and it will bring many to ruin for only that which is built upon Christ shall last.

For Beware, the towers of Babel shall fall. Did I not tell say that judgment shall begin first in the house of God? (1 Peter 4:17-18 "For the time [has arrived] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel) of God? And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the godless and wicked?)

For I tell you the Truth, the time is NOW!

For I Am bringing My judgment upon the whore mongers. Pray that their souls will be saved."

Those of you who know me personally, know that primarily the Lord gives me words of encouragement. But there are times the Lord issues warnings and we do well to be wise and heed His warnings. This is not a game as some might assume it to be (indicated by the dog playing with the ball).

I heard someone say that a professing Christian that he knew was still justified before God even though this man was involved in fornication with prostitutes.

Church, God has never given us a license to sin in His Word! There is a penalty for sin and that penalty is death.

I commit to you that The Church today - especially in America is need of The Fire of God to purge the false doctrines of hell out of her!

Oh...that The Church would return to the holiness of God...Oh that we would be jealous for His Holiness and His Righteousness to abound!

Anyone can wear a T-shirt and a cap and a cross and paste a bumper sticker on their car...and sing, dance, raise their arms during worship...but it is what we do in our day to day lives that reveals the fullness of who we are in Christ and our relationship to Him...

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ writes the following in Chapter 1:27 "External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world."

Abba Father, I come before You in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. My heart is open before You. I stand naked before You in all things...heart, word, deed and motive. Lord, search me and know me, and see if there be any wicked way in me. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Forgive me, Father. Empower me, I pray, with Your Holy Spirit to live a life which is holy and pleasing to You.

Ever yours in Christ,

Serving Him by serving others~

Crista Simmons

http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/

Sticks and Stones....And God's Loving Faithfulness to Heal

Today's post is extra long...You may want to copy & paste...or just sit with your cup of coffee...because this has to do with something we all face from time to time...The agony of words or actions of someone else which has caused us great pain....for ultimately we have to decide what we will do with it...As Christians, we are to be obedient to God's Word to bless our enemies and to forgive our debtors as we ask Him to forgive us. And by the power of His Blood, we do this in faith and obedience to His Word and out of our love for Him. Yet there are those times that we feel so shattered, that there seems to be no way to heal from it all. We're left reeling and feel like an egg which someone threw against the wall...just a blob at the bottom....Let me encourage you, that His healing is available and He will console those of us who mourn from the pain, and give us His beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Is. 61:3)...for He knows our frame and that He made us from dust. (Ps. 103:14)...For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:15-16) These ARE His promises and He is not a man that He should lie.

I have been seeking the Lord earnestly for the past month about these heart hurdles that just were not healing within...and wrote in my journal yesterday morning: "The greatest battles in life come not from without, but from within. My greatest battles are personal. they come from the self-doubt and anxiety over personal issues. They are those experiences that feel like rusty nails driven into my heart...grinding, twisting themselves into gnawing, festering sores that just don't go away. My issue is that I accept them as the truth about who I am; allowing the words and behavior of others to define who I am before God and myself....ultimately, I allow the enemy full reign in defining who I am, rather than trusting and believing who I am in Christ.

And then a few hours later, my niece had posted the following on Facebook: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words....well, words will hurt me deeply, causing great emotional, mental, and psychological damage leading to a lowered self-esteem and a severe decrease in overall efficiency."....Proverbs 12:18 says it this way: "There is one who speaks like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health."....And I am going to say that it is not only words, but actions...or lack thereof...which also cause a piercing of the heart....We're left with a pile of ashes...dust caked in our mouth...and emotional blood spurting out of every orifice.

I tried as best I could to cope...telling myself that I was OK...continuing to push; much like the Little Engine that Could..."I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."....Until just this past week, the Lord revealed to me the house of cards that I'd constructed to keep myself going...how I'd really turned away from Him...and He lovingly and gently blew my "house down"...whoosh....
For unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. (Ps. 127:1)...and I was laboring in vain. I had discussed it in confidence with a couple friends...but my agony continued.
I had resorted to familiar coping mechanisms which were "comfortable" in time of anguish of soul.

It's easier now to look at this and to understand how I got so far down this road. It's easier now to identify the lies of the enemy, but at the time, the blur seemed to be the reality....For in my heart of hearts, which God just revealed to me a couple of days ago, I had thought that God had passed me by and that I just wasn't good enough for Him....WHAM! Satan whispered in my ear. "See, you're not even good enough for God....".....The piercings from this situation led to my internalizing that even God had rejected me, and that I'd never be emotionally healed enough to minister to others. I had unconsciously determined that God Himself wanted to hurt me and I pulled away from Him - which is a natural, neurological response to pain, but it was not the truth of Who He Is and what was happening.

It is not unusual for traumatic events in the present to still crash headlong into events which happened in our past...thus "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" (PTSD)....It's easier now, today, to identify the lies of the enemy, but at the time, the blur seemed to be the reality. It is much like mixing paint in a gallon sized can...At first we are able to recognize two separate colors, but the more the paint is stirred and mixed, the less we can differentiate the two...until finally, the two become one. This is the desired result for a can of paint, but not for us!....It occurs when our trauma triggers a neurological response for our body, mind and emotions to come back into balance after it receives the "tilt" signal...and it is an unconscious response to regain a sense of safety and balance, and we do that by reverting to our old ways of coping. The problem is that these "coping" mechanisms oftentimes keep us in bondage and vulnerable to the lies of the enemy, and then they become strongholds in our life.

Many years ago while still in counseling and the Lord revealing deep wounds from my past and then healing them, He helped me to understand that the emotional wounding of our past is in many ways like having been in a severe car accident. We go to the hospital for repair to the body for the damage done to it. The major, visible repairs are done. But it is not uncommon for particles of glass to come to the surface after being embedded for many years due their depth, location and size. Some of the remnants just had to "work themselves out"....And this is what happens over time in our emotional recovery from the past...bit by bit the Lord reveals and heals. So it is that at times...past and present smoosh into one. And even when the don't, current events can just leave us tottering at best to hang onto some semblance of emotional stability.

But as we return to the Lord in faith, He will reveal the pain and strongholds within our hearts which hold us captive - to be set free...for he whom the Son sets free is free indeed. His Word says that we shall know the Truth and the Truth (Jesus) shall set us free; for Jesus is the way, THE TRUTH, and the life. For it is only when we allow the Holy Spirit to help us face the truth about what is really in our heart, and the pigpen of the enemy's lies and where we've been feasting...are we then able to come out and come back to the Father; allowing His Love to heal us and make us whole. (Luke 15:16-24) In essence, we return to feast at His table; to dine and sup with Him (Rev. 3:20), instead of returning as a dog returns to its own vomit. (Prov. 26:11)

For it is Satan's goal to have us doubt God and to turn from Him. The enemy comes to pound us deeper into despair with lies from the pit of hell..."You know, you're never going to be able to minister...You're a loser...You know the scriptures, but you're not applying them...God doesn't love you...He loves (-----) more than you, because see what they're doing and you're not? They are a better Christian than you...In fact, you're so stupid, you're believing my lies about you."...We could go on and on with the fears and doubts that Satan hurls at us to stop us at the door of His greatest plans for us....And I truly believe this is why....Satan knows the Lord's plans to defeat him through us! So, when he comes against us...he's actually showing us God's plans for our life...plans for good and not for evil - plans to give us a future and a hope....plans to defeat the enemy who fights against the Kingdom of God.

We are able to walk with Jesus...on His path of righteousness...on His path of emotional well-being...toward the brighter tomorrow that He has for us. (Ps. 23:3b, Jer. 29:11-14) He will bring to light that which is in darkness to lift us out of the miry clay, because he who promised is faithful and true. A bruised reed He will not break. His mercies are new every morning. His compassions, they fail not. And there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:1) We are more than conquerors through Christ and nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. God is love and there is no fear in love....for if God be for us, who can be against us. (These are all scriptures that I trust you are able to find...if not, please contact me.)

Let me share a personal experience with you from my piano studio....As a piano instructor, it is my responsibility to lovingly correct and disciple my students....There is a great vulnerability in playing piano...What will others think of me?...What does my teacher think about me?...What do I think about me?...I don't play as good as so and so....And one little girl sadly lamented about two years ago, "I'm not very good."....By the way, you should hear her now!
What do they really want? Loving acceptance...even when they need correction...They want to hear "Well done! Bravo!...just like we want to hear "Well done good and faithful servant", when we go Home. We want to know from our Heavenly Father, that no matter what, He loves us and we are special in His sight...and that He's there for us...even when we stumble and fall.....So, I decided to "take a break" from teaching so to speak...to just sit back and listen. I've asked my students to play their favorite piece of the week for me...and then I've said, "You know, I so enjoyed listening to you play this piece. Would you please play it for me once more...just so I can enjoy hearing you play it again...because you did such an outstanding job!"....Their faces beam with pride.

So come with me now, to the place where we hear Jesus speak lovingly and tenderly to our hearts with all compassion, mercy, long-suffering and gentleness of heart...."My precious little lamb, I've been looking for you...for you were lost for a little while in your wanderings. But know this for sure, I have not passed you by. I have wonderful things in store for you that you cannot see at this moment. I am calling you back to My heart...I know you've been deeply wounded. But I want you to know that everything you experience on this earth, I've felt and experienced, too. They pierced my head with thorns; they spit on Me; they ripped My beard off My face; they left Me in the Garden of Gethsemane alone to pray while they slept and I asked them to watch with me for only an hour. Was that too much to ask? They called me crazy and said I had a demon; My own fleshly family was ashamed of Me; they gave me a kiss and sent Me to My death...I understand. In this, I was wounded for your healing. I understand. My child, I love you with an everlasting love. I have never left you nor forsaken you; even in your darkest hour. I am by your side always; more than you realize. I promised to never leave you as an orphan, but to comfort you in your affliction and deliver you. Come to Me, My child, with your heart's heavy burden and I will give you rest for you soul." (Matt. 11:28-30)

In closing, may I pray with you as we come before Him together...."Oh Lord, I am so very sorry that I turned from You all this time during my pain and anguish. Forgive me, Lord, for how I ultimately blamed Your for my hurt. Forgive me for how I turned my back on You. Lord, by Your Blood, by faith, I forgive those who have hurt me, and I ask You to bless them, Lord. Help me, Lord. I can't get over this heart hurdle by myself, but You can get me there. I lay my heart at the foot of Your Cross for Your healing. I am willing to give You my bitterness and my pain. I ask You to reveal and heal those areas of my heart that await Your healing as only You can do. I look to You, Jesus, the Glory and Lifter of my head...My Redeemer...My Friend...the Lover of my soul. And Lord, I thank You that You will bring Your Glory to this situation. Amen."

~Back with Him....He will do the rest....

Tenderly and lovingly yours,
Crista
CMSimmons52@aol.com
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/

His Grace and Beyond Our Beyond

In seeking the Lord about His direction for some issues that have surfaced over that past couple weeks, I have been drawn to this verse from Psalm 123:2 "Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy and loving-kindness for us." (Amplified Version)

So it was that this morning while entering the date in my journal, I began to ponder 10/5/10....Well, 5 is the number of grace...and 10 is a double of 5....So I wrote: Double Grace/Grace/Double Grace....

Then the Lord began to speak with all tenderness and gentleness.....

"My Child, have I not said that My Garce is sufficient for thee? In that what is impossible for you to accomplish on your own, I will do in My Time, My Way, My Power. Just look to Me, My Love; The Author and Finisher of your faith; the Glory and Lifter of your head; the Bright and Morningstar; The Way, The Truth, The Life. I AM.

For I tell you the truth, what you do not yet see, I do. And I will take you there as you continue steadfastly...to persevere and trust Me.

O how I love you with an everlasting love. You are Mine and I AM yours. You have Me with you at all times; for I never leave you nor forsake you. You have nothing to fear. I care for My own - yes, even when the winds blow.

Have I not said that I shelter thee under the shadow of My wing? My wing is full of My love, tenderness, mercy and grace.

Come to Me all ye who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest for your soul for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

For trust Me in this: I see beyond your beyond. When you look out - you see an end point, but there is no end point with Me....only eternity; for I see beyond your beyond.

May your heart and soul be encouraged. This is the day which the Lord has made; I shall rejoice and be glad in it.
Ever yours in His love, mercy and grace~
Crista Simmons
http://www.dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/

I AM SHAKING ALL THAT CAN BE SHOOK

This prophetic word from the Lord came to me in February, which I originally posted on Open Heaven....It is now being posted here for others to be able to reference it. Many in the Body of Christ are experiencing this process in some way, shape of form....
No matter what we're experiencing, He Who Promised IS Faithful and True....and He uses all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.


2/28/2010
I AM SHAKING ALL THAT CAN BE SHOOK
Crista Simmons
I AM shaking all the can be shook. The earthquakes, the events occurring in My Body -
I AM shaking all that can be shook.

Did I not tell you this would happen? (Heb. 12:26-29, 1 Peter 4:17-19) And yet you think that you are exempt; that this is some strange thing happening to you. I tell you the truth, my true prophets have already gone through this time of testing and you esteemed them not; but I have. I saw their suffering in the wilderness. I was there with my prophets in their gardens of Gethsemane…many times over they have been to My Garden of Suffering. Yet, in My Garden is My stream in the desert; for I Who Promised AM Faithful and True. (Is. 58:11) I never leave you nor forsake you. (Heb. 13:5)

I Am telling you, the earthquakes in the natural are a manifestation of My shaking in the spirit realm. I told you that it would first begin in My House. Unless you go through the shaking yourself, how will you lead the unbeliever through their time of shaking?

How will you teach them to trust Me in the shaking yet to come if you, yourself, do not learn to trust Me even deeper in your own shaking? For I tell you the truth, I Am shaking you to your own nakedness in that you let go of all that is not of Me, and you will have a clearer, deeper knowledge of Me. (For My People perish for lack of knowledge.)

Remember when Peter and Silas were in prison? I brought the earthquake to open the jail cells, and I set them free. (Acts 16:25-26) That is what I Am doing, My Beloved. I Am Is Shaking you loose! I Am exposing and uprooting the foundations upon which you stood that were not of Me, so that when you get through all this, you’ll proclaim, There is Only One on Whom I stand - JESUS CHRIST - MY ROCK!”

Beloved, you cannot stand on your positions in life. You cannot stand on your rank or bank account or the things I’ve allowed you to have over the years. No Beloved. I Am stripping you bare that you stand on Me and Me, Alone.

Why do I allow the fire? To purge away the chaff and the dross. To purify and cleanse you even more than you are now. Remember that I Am in the fire with you as I was with the three Hebrew young men. (Daniel 3:19-28) Remember also that I allowed the fire to be intensified seven times hotter, but it did not singe a hair upon their heads…and there was one who appeared as the Son of Man in there with them. I have not left you nor forsaken you, Beloved. All of this is for your own good and for My glory. For have I not said that all thing work together for good to those who love Me and are called according to My purpose?

I shall never leave you nor forsake you; for I love you with an everlasting love - with a love that goes deeper than your deepest trial. Try Me in this and see if I Am not deeper still. Deeper than your deepest perceived need. I Am deeper still. I AM YOUR DEEPEST NEED.

Beloved, I AM the plumb line by which everything else is measured. (Zech. 4:8-10)
It is I who established the very foundations of the earth. It is I Who said, “Upon this Rock shall I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Unless the Lord builds the House, they that labor, labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1) So in your desire to build My House, I Am shaking loose everything which is not of Me so that what is left is pure Rock. I have said that My House shall be a House of Prayer. I AM THE LORD, and I change not. My Word is from everlasting to everlasting.

Do not be surprised at the fiery trial which you are now experiencing, but rejoice in
My Glory which shall be revealed and rejoice that you are partaking of My sufferings.
(1 Peter 4:12-13, Romans 8:17-18)

As I allowed Satan to try Job (Job 1:6-12), so do I allow the trials to draw you deeper into Me. I Am the cleft in the Rock. Hide in Me, Beloved. (Song of Solomon 2:14)

Come to Me all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28-30)
Come, My Love. Come and find Me Deeper Still. (Job 42:5, Rom.8:18-39, Eph. 3:16-21)

~Crista Simmons: CMSimmons52@aol.com
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/

Your comments are welcome and encouraged, however they are moderated before being posted. This blog entry may be shared as long as it is shared in it's entirety. Freely have I received...freely do I give. 　
　

The Power of His Word

The early morning air hangs still and heavy with perceptible humidity like Spanish moss dripping from Carolina trees. Sure, I could have the A/C running, but just needed a break so as to open a few windows and listen to God's birdies and the accompanying summer sounds of the Cicadas rustling their wings in August's symphonic phrasing of Michigan bug life.

Nestling into my "spot" on the couch and positioning my coffee onto the combination book and lamp stand next to me, my mind wandered back to this past Sunday's service at the nursing home. The dining room where we meet was awash with various expressions....as usual. The Lord had given me two special scriptures about the Holy Spirit for the service this day. And I preached and spoke as He led me to speak.....but yet.....it seemed to my natural mind that it did absolutely nothing to produce any type of visual change in the expressions of the residents with us that day. And I will tell you, the enemy is right there to hiss in my ear that I may as well give up and stay home....(The enemy always reveals God's plans whenever he does this.)

So...I'm sitting here pondering...wanting with all my heart to see the manifestations of physical healing in the nursing home residents....It's been 7 years now since He gave me the vision for the nursing home residents....physically healed and ministering to others for spiritual, emotional and physical healing....The vision, as yet, unfulfilled in the natural....But for His promise that nothing is impossible with Him and at the appointed time, at the time of life, that which looks dead in the natural (as dead as Sarah's womb) will come alive with His life....And this is where the proverbial rubber meets the road, because we all have a hope, a dream, that ONLY GOD is able to fulfill...in His Time...for His Glory and Praise....to work all things together for good toward those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

How well we know the agony of sifting through the shards of brokenness to see if there is any hope left at all to what we thought would be....I tell you that underneath all our broken dreams and broken hearts is Jesus...broken and poured out for us....underneath is all is Jesus...for underneath are His everlasting arms....and He knows our frailties.

Speaking to Jesus, I sit before Him and ache this question forth from my heart of hearts, "Lord, Your Word says that by Your stripes we are healed. I just don't understand....I don't understand.....".....and my heart drifted off into tears as I continued to reflect upon those precious faces....The tortuous, serpentine churning of multiple "whys" began to froth and foam....

And then, as softly and gently as a golden orange and black Monarch landing upon a wild iris, the Lord spoke, "Crista, Stay true to My Word and I will do the work. It is My Word - alive and active which does the work - Yes, indeed, it is a mystery -
But it is My Word - both logos (written) and rhema (spoken) which perform My work as I purpose. It is I Who send forth My Word to do the work."

And I realize how easy it is to wander into the land of flesh....thinking...believing that it's about me...us, when it is about Him and what He's doing and has promised He WILL do....

Perhaps you are in need of these scriptures as much as I am today. Let your heart be encouraged in His Word, His power, His strength, His purpose, His promises....totally in Him.

Isaiah 55:10-11 "For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart."

Hebrews 6:10 "For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do."

Mark 4:26-28 "And He said, 'The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, and then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases - he knows not how. The earth produces [acting] by itself - first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.' "

God bless you, dear heart~ God bless you~
"Lord, I ask You to encourage someones heart today who reads Your Word. May Your Spirit quicken and bring life to their weary heart as only You are able....for Your Word says, "Not by might nor power, but by My Spirit." Lord, You are the Glory and Lifter of our heads....And thank You, Lord for how You will answer this prayer for Your People this day....for no matter what, Hope HAS A NAME....and HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR....and You Who promised IS Faithful and True...our very present help in time of trouble....Amen and Amen."

Tenderly and ever your Sister in Christ,
Crista

Your comments are welcome and encouraged, however they are moderated before being posted. This blog entry may be shared as long as it is shared in it's entirety. Freely have I received...freely do I give. Crista Simmons http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/

He IS Our Help in Time of Trouble~

Tuesday morning hit with a solid thud in my heart. No joy...no purpose...no desire for nothing...just the awareness of the black pit of blackness....I picked up my journal to write my thoughts after shuffling around to make coffee and settling into my spot on the couch with some semblance of being awake. But, who cared?.......My eyes drifted to the fog hanging over the field in back of our house; stuck like muck on bare feet....going nowhere....just still and heavy....like my heart.

I've been through multiple trials over many a year....But this one from the enemy had hit like a blitzkrieg....and I was just so exhausted from surgery and recovery and other battles. I wrote in my journal, "Lord, it's been almost 2 months since surgery and You feel so far away...everyone seems so far away...."....and my mind drifted....looking up...."God, Help!", was all I could choke out.
"Crista, I never leave you nor forsake you....Even in your darkest hours. I AM STILL here with you."
I continued to journal...talking to God on paper...."I'm crying out to You for help in the midst of the choking sea billows of things which I do not understand. I cry to You for help! ~Today is a black day and even the clouds cover the sun."
Scriptures began to surface from the deepest parts of my soul.....Isaiah 50:10 "Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God."
Hebrews 13:5b 'For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." And I turned to Heb. 13:5 and began reading.....

But it was Heb. 13:6 that really caught my attention...."The Lord is my helper; I will not fear...." (Hang with me here...because these are exactly the kinds of situations where we know in our heads, and have heard it before....but now becomes a deeper reality/revelation in our heart....and you have these times just like I do...because we're all made out of dust!)

I read further...the definition of Helper in my Bible's Word Wealth:
helper: boethos (bah-ay-thoss); Strong's #998 From boe, "a cry for help." and theo, "to run." Boethos is one who comes running when we cry for help. The word describes the Lord as poised and ready to rush to the relief of His oppressed children when they shout for His assistance."....Hope began to rise through the dense, oppresive fog of my soul like a lone, smoldering campfire on a bitter cold, cloudless, starry night....a thin, wispy thread weaving it's way heavenward....barely discernable...but yet there....seeming to carry His Name to His Throne..."Jesus"....not of my own strength...but His...ascending boldly to His Throne of Grace in time of my need....."Not by might, nor power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. (Zech 4:6b)

I cannot sit here and tell you the fog lifted....No....I sat and cried....poured out my soul as a drink offering to Him who knew the failure and hopelessness I was experiencing....My tears were my food that morning.....

And then...within the hour....my phone rang....Caller ID....my precious Sister in Christ...but I didn't want to answer it....I didn't want to talk...to anyone. It wasn't personal....It was the blackness of my heart...."Lord, what do I do?" "Call her back."

One ring...."Hello? Oh, it's you!...Praise You, Jesus!"....She pressed gently, "Are you feeling like nothing's worth it and you just want to give up?" ....I could only by a whimper and blubber out my confirmation to what the Holy Spirit had already told her....but this was enough confirmation for the Holy Spirit to launch her into all out spiritual battle on my behalf. It was His Spirit interceding for me...through her....Time stood still....as He revealed one thing after another that was attacking...and He led her to take His Word and slash the enemy's plan and purpose.
And then, He spoke as My Father...loving...tenderly....affirming....

Dear and precious child of The Most High God...He Who never slumbers nor sleeps, watches over us, to care for us...and Jesus sits at the right hand of God The Father, ever to make intercession for His saints....for He Who is in us IS greater than he who is in the world. If God be for me, who can be against me.

It is truly when we can do nothing, but look up to the hills from whence cometh our strength...that we truly know it is nothing of our own doing, but His...because He loves us...and it is His Promise to never, ever, no not ever, leave us nor forsake us....and as He tells us in the parable of the Good Samaritan....He is there...to care and tend to our needs when we are unable to care for ourself. He does this without condemnation, for there is now therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

I will leave you with this list of scriptures to encourage your heart today and I pray His Holy Spirit reach you and touch you and comfort you in the way that only He can do. The battle is truly the Lord's and He IS mighty in battle...for He and He Alone gets all the glory, honor and praise. To Him be the Glory, great things He hath done....and continues to do....for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Praise be to God!

Hebrews 13:5-6, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 121:1-2, Isaiah 50:10, I John 4:4, Hebrews 4:15-16,
I Timothy 2:13, Isaiah 42:3, John 14:18

Be blessed in Christ Jesus~
Love always,
Crista

All comments to these blog postings are moderated before being allowed to be posted.
(This entry may be shared as long as it is shared in it's entirety.
Freely have I received...freely do I give. http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/)

Off the Back Burner

Dear Blog Friends,
Forgive me for not writing over these past couple months, but there was a serious physical situation for which I needed fairly emergent surgery. I am doing well now in my recuperation and (I think) not feeling quite so fuzzy brained from anesthesia and pain meds.

God is stirring my heart to begin writing again and through a very precious Sister in Christ, He's confirmed some other things to me....one of which is continuing to press on with this blog.
I don't know about you, but "going through stuff" often takes me to a point of re-evaluation...
And at the point He was stirring my heart to write....and I was praying about even continuing....
He sent His encouraging word through a dear Sister.

I don't know about you...but for me....I get to the point of asking, "Is this really worth it?"...whether I'm deciding how often to dust and mop the floors (cough, cough....)...or taking that extra trip to the grocery store...or writing....Whatever it may be. Evaluation is a really good thing when done rightly before the Lord. He understands when we ask Him, "Lord, do You want me to continue with ________(fill in the blank)?" For He IS Faithful, merciful, kind and compassionate....and He WILL give us His answer as we wait upon Him.

So, it's time....Time to get off the back burner and back to the front lines....
He's stirring my heart....and I await His further direction.....These past couple months have been a deeper revelation of His abiding love and mercies - which are new every morning...from everlasting to everlasting.
Much love and blessings always,
Crista

Strait Paths on the Piano Bench

Many in the Body of Christ are going through trials and hot fires right now....What we can trust is His Word which says that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. And one of His purposes is to kill the King Uzziahs in our lives; to remove the Baals from our mouths; to take us down the narrowing path (strait and compressed); to shake us loose from the things of this world, so that we will see Him high and lifted up....we will repent and cry out..."Lord, I am a wo/man of unclean lips! Forgive me!"..."Lord, not my will be done, but Thy will be done." And then we will go...not for man's glory, but for His Glory...and we shall go unto the least of these....stripped naked of our own glory...to go to the naked - for His Glory....That we pant for Him as the deer pants for water...to go to the thirsty and give them a cup of cold water in His name....to the One Who hung on the Cross...in His final moments....uttering in languished agony.....

~"I thirst."

Do we see Him now?....Do we hear Him now?

(Isaiah 6:1-8, Is. 58:6-10, Hosea 2:14-17, 2 Chron. 7:14-16, Matt. 7:14, Job 42:5-6, Matt. 25:40, Is. 53:2-3, Is. 64:6, John 15:1)

“My Piano Bench Lesson”

By Crista Simmons
Revised: May 7, 2008

Prayers of desperation ripped from my soul. Tears flooded my living room carpet by day and my pillow by night. It was the summer of 2002; one of the most difficult trial times of my life. I had just emerged from and emotionally ripping trial with my oldest son. The Lord had showed me that I had to totally let go. Now it was time to totally let go again in another arena and to learn something new. Like Job, I wasn’t sure I had recovered from my last “experience” to face yet another trial so quickly. I could still feel myself choking and vomiting on the sea water from my last thrust into the ocean of life, and my fingers had just barely taken hold of the raft.

By nature, I am self-directed and a “doing” oriented person. My hobby is gardening and my career is teaching piano. I was still single at the time. And in this trial the Lord used my love of gardening and vocation to teach me in greater depth about His desire for my relationship with Him. I’d been reading “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson. In this super packed little book, Bruce describes the stages through which the Lord takes us in His work to produce more fruit in our lives. On page 71, he writes, “Did you know that growers prune their vineyards more intensively as the vines age?” He quotes a horticultural bulletin which stated that the vine’s ability to produce growth increases each year, but without intensive pruning, the plant weakens and its crop diminishes. Mature branches must be pruned hard to achieve maximum results. I began to reflect on my own gardening tools and their uses.

Pruning. There are different levels and tools. Scissors for the little stalks; nothing too tough or woody, but soft and pliable. Hand pruners for trimming thicker, more woody stalks and stems like rose bushes. And there are the Loppers. It takes two hands and upper arm strength to utilize these.

Pruning. The Lord had been snipping away at my twigs for years, but now He no longer used the scissors or hand pruner. He’d gotten out the BIG loppers for this one! I could now hear and feel the CRUNCH of my branches. I felt like my stretch marks were about to rupture.
Yes, my flesh was rupturing. Not a pretty sight, but necessary to advance in the Kingdom, because God loves us too much to leave us where we are. I’d finished reading Bruce’s book. Now it was time to take stock. Sin can cause pain. Walking in obedience can cause pain. Not too encouraging at the time. Yet that is a fact in our walk with the Lord. To go higher in the Spirit, He calls us deeper. And going deeper involves more cutting of the flesh. We have to be cut, gutted out, boiled and fired in the kiln. It is our choice. To whom will be bow? Flesh or Spirit?
I knew from reading and prayer that my pain was a result of walking in obedience. And now, the Lord was allowing this situation to grow me more fully in Him. I remember standing at my kitchen counter and literally begging Him to tie my flesh to the horns of the altar. I knew that if I didn’t get through this test, I would face the same test, and I didn’t want to go around this mountain again!

I was now at the Red Sea financially. I had six weeks to go until I started full-time work again. All my resources were gone. I’d been in similar places before this, but there always seemed to
be a light shining from somewhere within the tunnel. But now, dark turned to pitch. I had remained faithful in my tithes and offering over the years, however not always my first fruits. The Lord had been dealing with me about his issue. It seemed every time I turned around, there was I Kings 17 again!!! I knew what he was asking me to do. Let go! But did I really trust Him?
Trust…always the bottom line issue with me in my relationship with Him. I knew His love, grace, mercy and strength had carried me through many major trials in my life: adoption, sexual abuse, job loss, suicidal depressions, divorce, a sinful relationship and selling my home. But now, single, self-employed and less than $50 to my name, a late car payment, and many more bills that I did not even have money to consider paying. On July 24th, I wrote in my journal, “I am in a season of mature pruning; about values and identity. God is good, and God will work this out for my good. God is good, and He is good all the time.”
　
Then the Lord interrupted my thoughts. “Crista. Do you really believe this? Not yet. Not yet in your heart. This is the point I want to bring you to know that you know that you know for your own life. You encourage others; now encourage your own spirit in My goodness for you. See how I want to have you believe this for yourself - in your own spirit. There’s been a hole in your spirit that I want to heal. I want to pour out My mercy and grace upon you. I don’t just wish you well, drive by your house and wave as man does. I come to your door, and I want you to ask Me in with you. Invite Me in, and I will come in and be with you. I want you to know more than you do that My goodness is for you, but I had to deal with your unbelief first so you’d be ready to listen. Listen to Me.

It’s like this: As you give pictures and phrases to your students, so do I to you. Sometimes your students cry when you lovingly correct them. So do you when I correct you. But what happens when your student lets you sit on the bench with them? WOW! A solo becomes a duet! An OK becomes a Breakthrough! That’s what I so desire with you. Invite Me to sit on your bench with you, and we’ll have a “WOW!! It’s one thing to stand beside your student instructing them; it’s quite another to sit on the bench with them. There’s chemistry in sharing the bench! Think about the enjoyment when the chemistry is right for playing a duet. That’s what I’m talking about - ONLY GREATER! GREATER MEASURE! GREATER ABUNDANCE!"

Then I saw myself sitting on a piano bench. Jesus came over to me. As He stood beside me, I was crying. I didn’t understand. I was scared and hurting. Then I looked at Him. He asked me if He could sit beside me. I nodded. I felt Him slide onto the bench next to me. His love surround me in a freshness and fullness that lifted me above my circumstances. And then I knew. This whole financial pruning issue was about my relationship with Him. It was about an opportunity for even greater intimacy than we’d had previously.

It was no longer about “doing”, because there wasn’t anything left “to do”. Now it was about being. Resting. Abiding. Just being together, because we love each other and enjoy each other’s company. It was about turning a super solo into an incredible duet. A WOW! Duet for both participants and listeners. He wanted me to choose Him in deeper measure than I had done previously. He wanted me to see His hand in the process.

“Secrets of the Vine” became transformed by the “Secrets of the Bench”. Abide. Rest. Wait.
Intimacy. Join together. Harmony. Synchrony. A love song played out by The Master Composer, Himself, and His Bride.

“Deep calls unto deep…and in the night, His song shall be with me.” (Psalm 42:7-8)
Dear Jesus,
Please come sit with me
On the piano bench today;
So we can be close
And play a fabulous duet -
Together.”
Love always,
Crista

All comments to these blog postings are moderated before being allowed to be posted.

(This entry may be shared as long as it is shared in it's entirety. Freely have I received...freely do I give. Blessings always, Crista Simmons http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/)

Of Barren Deserts, Red Seas, Sarah's Wombs, Lazarus Tombs and His Resurrection Power

Isaiah 54:1 (Amplified) "Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For the [spiritual] children of the desolate one will be more than the children of the married wife," says the Lord."

How many times have we stood and faced the barren deserts, Red Seas, Lazarus tomb or empty wombs of our lives? Lost dreams....lost children....lost health...lost relationships....wondering if our unfulfilled visions were from God, Himself, which seem as elusive as trying to catch dry dust swirling over desert sands....miles and miles of sand....miles and miles of dust....and we persevere....one foot...then the other...."Lord, Thy will be done, on earth, in my life, through me, as it is in Heaven,"....and all the while, spitting the grit out of our dry mouth which eventually makes it way up our nose and down our windpipe...coating our mouth....and sticking to the roof of our mouth.

It seems almost incomprehensible in today's charismatic, electronic fast lane that God would leave us in a desert, wasteland situation for more than a minute, much less orchestrate the whole thing for His Purpose! Who dares to preach such a sermon today? Take him/her outside the camp and stone them! What a heretic! What a shameful blight upon the pentecostal/charismatic world to which we've become accustomed on TV and in our own communities.

It has become inconceivable that Our very God Who gave us His vision will allow the very death of it; seemingly to rub our faces in its death along the way. Isn't this what He did with the news of Lazarus? John 11:6 "So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.".....TWO MORE DAYS! Lazarus lay dying, and Jesus stayed two more days! How absurd! And Martha in so many words, told Him so....v. 21 "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

What emotions do you think surged through Martha? If it were me, I'd be thinking, "Why did You allow this to happen? What is wrong with us/me that You healed everyone else, but when I sent word to You that Lazarus, Whom You love is dying, You don't come running, or command the sickness to leave him, but You waited....And now Lazarus is dead! TOTALLY STONE DEAD! In fact, he's now so dead, he stinks! His flesh has rotted off his body by now.

And so God allows it to happen...the death and humiliation of the very vision God gave us. Jesus hung bare naked and barren on the Cross, and in His barrenness and humiliation and total separation from God, hung the Hope of all time....the Hope for all eternity for the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation and restoration to God, Himself for all lost humanity who would accept Him and believe upon Him.

Miles of desert sand in our lives....heaped up along the road....symbolic of desert and death; yet it is in the desert where we truly find Him as we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of death. It is here where the Valley of Achor becomes The Door of Hope...and through it all, He takes the Baals from our mouth. (Hosea 2:14-17)

God took Esther through 12 months of preparation before He ultimately escorted her before the throne of the king...the inner chamber of his presence. For there is something about the desert and the stripping which removes the Baals from our mouths. Who do we quote most? Scripture or someone else? Who's name do we hear coming out of our own mouths? God's or someone else? God will allow the stripping.....God will do the stripping....And if we don't see Him allowing the work to be done...then we have not stopped to turn and see why the bush is burning and not being consumed....The potter's wheel....Tying our flesh to the horns of the altar so it won't crawl away....

What we need to comprehend is that it is God, Himself, in all His Glory and Splendor and Love, Who allows the total death and humiliation of a thing before He brings His resurrection power to it where He will get the total glory. For unless this thing can be verified as dead...no breath...no life...no movement...and the flesh rotting off of it....and now it stinks....there can be no resurrection power.

For if there is no death, man/flesh will ultimately take the glory that he did something very spiritual to make this thing happen...."I fasted"...."I prayed three hours a day"....."I laid my hands on so and so and they got better."....."I went to this conference where so and so preached...and oh man!"....."I did this....I did that....and isn't it wonderful what I did?"......And we may or may not throw a morsel of praise in God's direction.

Yes, we're able to maneuver God in there someplace, but when that thing is put into Sarah's womb or the tomb of Lazarus, and it is so barren that there is no hope of life, or so dead that it stinks, then He will come and speak, "Lazarus, Come forth!" For then and only then is there Only One Reason; God Himself. It had nothing to do with the flesh of man - all our best intentions and formulas and best efforts to pray and fast fall flat on a gritty desert floor in the barrenness of Sarah's womb. And when that happens, we have a choice. We will either choose as Job's wife suggested that we curse God and die...or like Job, we'll profess that "Though He slay me; yet will I trust Him; yet will I praise Him; yet will I look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of my faith." As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.

We see Martha, standing outside her brother's tomb, grieving....Jesus instructs them to remove the stone. Martha, in essence, questions Jesus' instructions and politely reminds Him that He's nuts..."Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days!" And Jesus turns to her, gently asking, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?"

Oh, it is difficult to accept that God allows death and humiliation to a thing, purpose or plan before he can bring His resurrection power to it. For resurrection power to be visible to raise that thing, there must be total, complete, irreversible death by any other means...other than His Spirit. Dead is D-E-A-D....Dead. No hope in anything, but God. Jesus, Who walks with us through the Valley of the Shadow of Death....showing us that He is The Way....He is The Door of Hope.

He Who hung on the Cross for us in abject totally, naked humiliation before all humanity, spirits and creation....allowed humiliation to nail Him to the Cross. As a result, it is His resurrection power, the power which raised Jesus from the dead, that He sends today by His Spirit to bring His Glory to our own personal barren wombs and the Lazarus tombs of society.

Jesus never told Lazarus that he had to have faith. No. He told Martha that if she would believe, she would see the Glory of God....and Lazarus walked out of that tomb...a whole man!

Do we truly have the stomach for that kind of move of God? Do we have the spiritual stomach to watch Him allow death to that thing and then stand there as Martha and hear Him encourage us that if we believe that we'll see His Glory? Do we have the intestinal fortitude to persevere through the desert? Can we look upon Him who had absolutely no comeliness in His lifeless, naked humiliation and see His resurrection power?

For I tell you the truth, it is far easier to get people to co-labor with a program than an impossibility of God, because impossibilities have death and failure written all over them and there are not too many who have the spiritual or emotional stomach for that kind of thing anymore despite our well-meaning intentions and filthy self-righteous rags.

Do we have the stomach to look unto the societal vagrants and misfits and see Jesus, Himself? Can we look at the demented, with slimy drool pooling on their stained sweatshirts and see Jesus? (For whatever we do unto those least esteemed by society we have done unto Him.) Can we understand that that which is uncomely and uninviting and putrid and humiliating is the very place to which He calls us to find Him?

For this is the exact place where we shall see His Glory and resurrection power....It is His promise...that out of the barrenness shall flow His multiplication....His Glory....

O that our hearts would cry out as the Apostle Paul as recorded in Philippians 2:8-10 (Amplified)

v. 8 "Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly'. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One).

v. 9 And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that {genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.

v. 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of Hies Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death...."

1. "Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter;

I am the clay

Mould me and make me

After Thy will,

While I am waiting,

Yielded and still."

4. "Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being

Absolute sway!

Fill with Thy Spirit

Till all shall see

Christ only, always,

Living in me!"

Geo. C. Stebbins

Crista M. Simmons

http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com

The Spirit of Travail - video by Leonard Ravenhill

“The Spirit of Travail” is a sermon by Leonard Ravenhill. It is an hour in length.

Turn everything off…and listen. It has stopped me in my tracks this morning.

What is it that we truly desire in our heart of hearts with God? Do we really want Him to transform us into the image of Christ? Oh that we mature in Christ.

Romans 8:17 “and if children, then heirs -heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.“

Galatians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

Oh, that we would repent in sackcloth and ashes....God, Have Your Way in me that this vessel would glorify You and Your Kingdom Glory and Purpose shine through me this day....Lord, Do whatever it takes to take me wherever you want to take me. Take me to The Cross of Christ that I might arise to thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

I pray you are blessed.
Love always,
Crista
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn1c0OUQots&feature=fvw

Crista Simmons (cmsimmons52@aol.com)
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/l/LifeCareMin/
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com
http://restingbesidestillwaters.com
http://www.openheaven.com
May be reprinted only in it's exactness. Freely have we received. Freely do we give.

Will You Go After the One?

The other morning as I sat with the Lord, He expressed His burden and His heart for the lost.
O, that we may have ears to hear and hearts and feet and mouths that will be obedient to His bidding~

Will You Go After the One?
Luke 15:3-7 "So He spoke this parable to them, saying: What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost! I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentence."

I tell you the truth, I gave you this parable so you would know My heart for that one little sheep who is lost. A sheep that is lost will lie down helplessly and refuse to budge. This is why I put it on My shoulders. I lift it up out of the miry pit. I lift it up out of briars which have it so ensnared. I lift it out of the realms of darkness.

Did I not say that whatsoever you do unto the least of these, those least esteemed by society, that you have done it unto Me? (Matthew 25:40)

Did I not say that pure and undefiled religion before God is visiting orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world? (James 1:27) Beloved, who are the orphans? Those without mother or father; those who do not know Me as Abba Daddy; those who've been cast out by society and even by My Church. For verily I say unto you that I, Myself, will receive those who have been forsaken by mother and father. (Psalms 27;10)

Beloved, if you are truly Mine, you will love as I have loved you and do love you now. For I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3) Love the lost, Beloved. Love the lost. Seek them with My whole heart.

For while you were yet dead in sin, I loved you and died for you that you may live. Pursue the lost, Beloved. With My love, pursue the lost.

In the same manner in which you judge another shall it be measured back to you.
For I tell you the truth, freely have you received...freely give.

Beloved, love as I Am love, and in so doing you shall have boldness in the day of judgement. (1 John 4:17)

Crista Simmons (cmsimmons52@aol.com)
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/l/LifeCareMin/
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com
http://restingbesidestillwaters.com
http://www.openheaven.com
May be reprinted only in it's exactness. Freely have we received. Freely do we give.

THERE IS A CHANGING OF THE GUARD

THERE IS A CHANGING OF THE GUARD!
This past Sunday while changing my clothes after church, the Lord spoke and said, “There is a changing of the guard! The old is gone, the new is come.” (Is. 43:18-19)

“I’m changing leadership and bringing forth the new guard - not because the old guard did a bad job, but now it is time to bring forth the new with renewed and fresh anointing for all I have in store. This new guard; birthed of The Spirit - not by might nor power, but by My Spirit. Birthed for such a time as this.

Let me say that everyone has their place in My Body. All are precious in My sight. But I Am speaking specifically to leadership - those whom I’ve called and anointed to lead - clothed in My robes of righteousness to lead in this final hour. These leaders shall be clothed in meekness and humility; gentleness and love. They will have My Shepherd’s heart; yet be bold as a lion. Out of their meekness, mercy, gentleness, love, compassion, humility and kindness they extend to others; especially to the lost and the least esteemed of society, they shall be ministering unto Me - for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

What is holiness and righteousness? It is loving as I Am Love. Yes, I call you to be set apart; to be set apart from the world - to love your enemies, to bless those who curse you, to love the lost - for how will they know unless you show them My love?

Remember those to whom I said were white-washed tombs were also the very ones over whom I wept - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem.

On the Cross I asked The Father to forgive them for they knew not what they did. I said this to show you the Way of perfect love which casts out all fear. I spoke this out loud so you would hear and know The Way of Love; My Way.

You know that I was as a Lamb led to slaughter and opened not My mouth. But on the Cross, I cried out. I cried out, “Father! Father! Why have You forsaken Me?” I know what it is like to feel forsaken, and I tell you the Truth, I shall never ever, no not ever, leave you or forsake you. There is no pit too deep that I am not deeper still.

I cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And I cried out, “It is finished.” I had shown you THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. For My Way is the Way of the Cross. Lay it all down for the sake of your enemies. Love and forgive as you have seen Me do. Bless your enemies, I say. Bless them - for by so doing, you do not know who shall be compelled to come to Me and be saved from the pit of hell. My Children, love not only in word and tongue, but in deed and in truth.

These are the leaders I am raising up today - The ones who’ve been the least esteemed, because they know My love for the lost. They have been forgiven much, and they extend My love, mercy, forgiveness and redemption to a lost and dieing world. They have My Shepherd’s heart to go out and find the one who is lost, so that which is lost shall be found. And Beloved, I tell you the truth, there are so many who are Mine who are lost right now. Wandering aimlessly….hurt and wounded. It is My love, My compassion and My mercy which shall bind up their wounds as The Balm of Gilead.

Yes, I AM changing the guard to those who walk in My Love. Beloved, I love you with an everlasting love, and I desire no man be lost, but all come to repentance and restoration to Me. But how will they know unless they hear and experience Me through My Body? I tell you, My People perish for lack of true knowledge of Me as Redeemer and the Lover of their soul.

O Beloved, I AM changing the guard to those who love out of a pure heart for:
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God;
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God;
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth;
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy;
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.

Crista Simmons (cmsimmons52@aol.com)
LifeCare Ministries and Healing Centers
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/l/LifeCareMin/
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com
http://restingbesidestillwaters.blogspot.com
http://www.openheaven.com
Richland, Michigan, USA
May be reprinted only in it's exactness. Freely have we received. Freely do we give.

I Shall Fill Your Cup to Overflowing

This morning as I sat with the Lord sipping my almond flavored coffee containing the chocolate sweetener that I enjoy so much, the Lord said simply: "I SHALL FILL YOUR CUP TO OVERFLOWING".

For over the past two mornings as I've sat with Him, savoring my morning cup of java with my eyes closed, He's given me the same vision and accompanying sensation....As I held my cup in my hands and lifted it to my lips, I could see His silver cup that He held to my lips...Jesus held His cup and lifted it to my mouth...containing His wine....and oh, the soothing, life-giving, renewing sensation that accompanied this vision...from the time my lips touched the rip of my cup...His cup....to the warm, oily flow of His wine through my mouth, down my espophagus and into my stomach...and into my veins...flowing...like the oil which flowed down over the beard of Aaron in Psalm 133. It looked like deep, burgandy/red wine, but felt like warm oil; bringing His soothing refreshment.

And as I sit to write this morning....the words from the following hymn fill my heart~

Fill My Cup, Lord
Words and Music by Richard Blanshard
John 4:14"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy:
And then I heard my Savior speaking:
"Draw from my well that never shall run dry".
Chorus ;
Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!
There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasures earthly things afford;
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.
Chorus:
Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

May you be blessed, dear one, by the following scriptures:
Psalm 23:5b "...You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over."
Psalm 133 "Behold, how good and how pleaseant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body]. It is like the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessings, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].
Psalm 119:57 "You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to keep Your words."

Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him], shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired."
Isaiah 55:1 "Wait and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessings]."
Isaiah 58:10-11 "And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall yur light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday. And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall become like a spring of water whose waters fail not."

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good - not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne."
Matthew 13:12 "For whoever has [spiritual knowledge], to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance...."

Luke 6:38 "Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you."

John 7:38 "He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.

Crista Simmons mailto:CMSimmons52@aol.com)
LifeCare Ministries and Healing Centers
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/l/LifeCareMin/
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com
Richland, Michigan, USA
May be reprinted only in it's exactness. Freely have we received. Freely do we give.

His Encouragement - His Promises

Sometimes we all just need encouragement don't we? Me, too~

My heart was so blessed by what the Lord shared with my friend Becky,

that I pray you are equally blessed.

Only the Lord knows what each one of us faces...day to day...and all the dry, dusty deserts we've crossed by His Spirit...and the tempests He's taken us through...

I don't know what you're dealing with in your life,

but I know the things I've been through in mine lately...

and the Lord's word and encouragement through Becky made me cry....

There are two postings...so please be sure to read through to the end.

From His heart to yours~

Love always,

Crista

Psalm 30:5 "...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

I AM About To Give You Your Portion
By Becky Porter

As you align with My will, you will begin to see My blessings unfold in your life.

Rejoice, for your deliverance is at hand. I have some mountain peaks for you to climb, and I will be waiting for you at the top, with flag in hand, proclaiming your victory and rejoicing with you for all that you have accomplished and overcome.

You have had much sadness and sorrow in your life, but I am about to give you beauty for ashes and joy instead of mourning and praise instead of heaviness. The mountains in your life will become as plains – I will level all that stands in your way. Rejoice, for your heart’s desires are about to unfold – ALL of them! Begin again, anew and afresh – a new page in life. Turn the page and don’t look back - old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.

When a car’s tires are out of alignment it affects many other parts of the car and causes it not to function at its best – things rattle and shake that are not supposed to, you may want to go one direction, but your car pulls in the opposite direction, so you are constantly battling to get it to stay in a straight line, your tires will wear unevenly, and your driving experience is just not as pleasant as it once was, but once things are brought back into alignment, everything flows and functions smoothly, just like it is supposed to, and once again it becomes a joyful experience to drive your car.

I am going to bring some things back into alignment in your life that have been misaligned. It is similar to when a person goes to a chiropractor for an adjustment when their neck and spine are out of alignment. The adjustment causes everything to once again function properly - nerves are no longer pinched and the pain ceases. When a chiropractic adjustment is first made there is often some temporary pain and discomfort for a day or two, and then you soon notice that all of the pain is gone and you feel wonderful again. Know that any temporary pain you may experience will be well worth it for the health and wholeness that await you on the other side of the adjustment and realignment.

I am about to take you on the adventure of your life. Enjoy the ride, for we will be traveling together and we are going to cover a lot of territory in a short amount of time. A year from now when you look back, you will be amazed at how far you have come in such a short time, for your life is going to look quite different than it does now.

I hear the Lord saying, “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

Isaiah 30:15 NKJV

For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “ In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength."

I am giving you revelation that you need. I am revealing things that you need to complete your journey and to help others complete theirs. There is much more to come, so buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the ride, for we are going to see many things on this journey – it will be like going on a safari – you will see all kinds of things you have never seen – it will be a very enlightening and enjoyable experience and you will learn MUCH along the way!

You are in a season of restoration and harvest. I am restoring all that the locusts and canker worm have eaten in your life, and I am going to open the windows of heaven and pour abundant blessings in, upon, and through your life. You will be as a never ending fountain of blessings for others to drink at – a well that will never run dry – for it is My Living Waters that sustain you and cause you to be a place where others can be nurtured and sustained. Keep loving them through Me, keep looking at them through My eyes and see the finished product, not where they are at right now. Love them to wholeness - don’t give up on them, no, never, never give up.

I will reveal the secret and hidden things to you – things that will astonish, mesmerize, and amaze you - nuggets of truth that I have hidden in My Word that you have never seen before – all will be laid bare as I make it known to you.

Your season of suffering has come to an end. It is time to rejoice for I am about to give you your portion – your long awaited portion that you have looked for and sought after and wondered if you would ever see – you will - you will! Even now I am clearing the path before you and moving rocks and boulders out of your way. Doors that have stood staunchly closed and frozen in place will suddenly swing wide for I have oiled them with My glory for this appointed time and season of your life. Countless lives will be touched, healed, delivered and set free as I do my work in, and through you. Get ready, for you are about to be launched into your destiny at full throttle.

Don’t look back – the past is the past - leave it there - it is dead and gone – you are entering into a new season of your life. The past is full of dead men’s bones, but the future I have for you is full of life and abundance - My Living Waters are full of life, liberty, health, wealth, and provision.

You will see things in your lifetime that you never dreamed would be possible, but you will be living it and experiencing it, and it will be YOUR life. Watch, as I unfold My Kingdom before you. Watch!

I have given you the keys of My Kingdom. Place the key in the lock before you and watch the door spring open – it has been waiting for you to place the key in the lock, and all of heaven will be rejoicing as you enter this next door I am about to open for you. One step at a time, one day at a time - let Me guide you every step of the way. Be in tune with Me and be in step with Me. Obey Me when I prompt you – don’t miss any opportunity I present before you. As you step into sync and timing with Me, you will be amazed at how everything falls into place so perfectly and smoothly, just like a syncopated clock or a beautifully choreographed and orchestrated Waltz. Let My music (the music of heaven), move you into new territories and domains, and take dominion, for I have given you all power and authority over the enemy. Use the keys of the Kingdom to walk in My power and authority. I have placed the enemy under your feet – walk in it and live it – it will serve you well - remember, you do not stand alone – I stand with you.

Isaiah 61:3 NKJV - To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Luke 10:19 NKJV - Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Joel 2:25 NKJV - So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Luke 3:5-6 NKJV - Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Becky Porter - lovetoencourage@yahoo.com

February 10, 2010

My Long Awaited Promises Are Coming
By Becky Porter

Do you hear the rumbling? Do you feel the shaking? Things are beginning to shift and unfold all around you. Soon you will catch a glimpse of My long awaited promises coming into view, just like the first signs of life that come forth when a newly sprouted seed pushes its fresh green sprouts through the hard ground. It can also be compared to a woman giving birth who has been in labor for many hours and has been pushing and pushing, when suddenly she feels a great sense of relief when her baby’s head finally comes forth because the most difficult part is over, and the rest of the birthing process is very quick and easy as the baby is born moments after this occurs.

You have pushed and pushed until you felt you had no strength left, but your pushing will soon be rewarded when the beautiful, healthy baby arrives. Your baby will be sure to let you know it has arrived as it takes it’s first breath on it’s own and it’s first cry can clearly be heard. As with any new baby, there is some clean up required before the full beauty can be seen, and then it’s beautiful, fresh, soft and new baby skin is revealed, and a person can see all of the intricate, delicate, and wondrous parts of that baby, knitted together and functioning in perfection as God created it to do! And as any new mother knows - when her baby arrives she is required to spend quite a bit of time tending to her new baby, nurturing it, watching over it and taking care of it, but also enjoying the process of watching it grow and mature. As time goes on the baby becomes more and more self-sufficient and is able to do more on it's own, and it does not require as much attention, and eventually that baby grows to full maturity and becomes a fully functioning adult that can take care of itself.

Know that I am well pleased with you, and I say “Job well done!” Thank you for your obedience and sacrifice, and for putting My needs and the needs of others before your own. Your obedience and sacrifice are going to pay off in ways that you cannot imagine, and ways that will far surpass your deepest heart’s desires. Many are coming to stand with you – you will not stand alone. I am bringing many like-minded warriors and servants to stand with you. You will have more helping hands than you know what to do with, just like the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends of a new mother step in to help her with all of her newly acquired responsibilities. I will supply your needs even before you ask. You are entering into a “time warp.” Suddenly things are going to pick up speed, and what took months and years to complete in times past, will now take days and weeks, and what took days and weeks, will now take seconds and minutes. You will be surprised and amazed at how easy things are about to become, and at how much will be accomplished in a very short amount of time.

Rejoice, for your heart’s desires are about to unfold! Shout, for I have given you the city!
I hear these words: “God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Becky Porter - email: lovetoencourage@yahoo.com
More prophetic words by Becky may be accessed at:

http://www.openheaven.com/

Voice of Prophecy button

Crista Simmons
LifeCare Ministries and Healing Centers
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/l/LifeCareMin/
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com
Richland, Michigan, USA
May be reprinted only in it's exactness. Freely have we received. Freely do we give.