~In Quietness and Confidence~

Actually, this is a photo from a postcard that my friend in Germany sent me...It's a birthday card!
But as I was writing today, isn't this what we feel like we've been handed in life at times...Something that was supposed to be all good and wonderful, and instead, we get a mouthful of gravel...or a surprise plate of glop straight from the pit of hell itself. As we can tell, this poor little woman isn't too happy about her "Happy Birthday" cake....Life went terribly wrong!

And that's what happens to us. There are just those times in life that we're just plain knocked sideways into the next dimension or slam dunked in our now; whether it be a circumstance in which we find ourselves (an accident, death of a loved one, job situation)....or in dealing with people (misunderstandings or an all out frontal assault by the enemy of our soul). It happened then....It happens now....It will happen again....for we know that when the enemy came against Jesus, he left Him (Matt. 4:11), but then we know that the enemy returned at later times - especially when he thought he'd won by crucifying the Lord.

We know from Job 1:6 that Satan came before the Lord to present himself among the sons of God. And we read that the Lord asked Satan, v. 7 "From where do you come?" Then reading further in v. 8 the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?"

It is from then on that Satan takes Job's property and his children, but we also know that God told him (Satan) that he could not take Job's life. (v. 12)

Trouble....It's a reality of living on this earth. It is a reality of our lives as Christians. One such event for me personally, was the receipt of an item that was totally unexpected. A slew of accusations fired hailstones into my heart...WHAM!...And momentarily I found myself spinning sideways...feeling off balance...threatened....Where to go from here?

These are the times we've all experienced...but what do we do with them?

The Lord gives us His Word for these times of trouble which pursue us, but do not overtake us.

Let me share with you what He's shown me so often, that your heart will be encouraged as well. He knows that we need His tender reminders. He knows our situation....He understands....He sees it all....and He will take care of it. And all we need to do is our part...to nestle under the shadow of His wing. (Ps. 91:1)

Be Comforted Beloved with His Word:

Isaiah 30:15 "For thus said the Lord God...In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength.."

Psalm 46:10-11 "Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause and calmly think of that].

Psalm 58:11 "Men will say, Surely there is a reward for the [uncompromisingly] righteous; surely there is a God Who judges on the earth."

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation - whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration, but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted!] For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

Romans 8:37 "Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us."

In closing, precious ones....if you've been going through a trial....rest in Him right now....He has you covered....He will take care of your situation. Rest...Abide...Snuggle in....Be at peace....

God wastes none of our experiences in life or our trials~ And as Job, may we be able to say that our spiritual eye sees Him through this even more than we did before. (Job 42:5 "I had heard of You [only] by the hering of the ear, but now my [spiritual] eye sees You.") The Apostle Paul wrote it this way in Ephesians 1:17 "[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him."

Love always - in Him Who gave His life as a ransom for our salvation and our peace~

Crista
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com/

Of Gnats and Camels or His Love?

Happy New Year and snowy greetings from our corner of the world in Michigan! We received a lovely, blanketing of Lake Michigan precipitation over the past two days....known as "lake effect snow" ~Well, Christmas break is over and I'm "back in the saddle" again....teaching piano and desiring to write more.

For those of you who'd like to keep in touch via Facebook, I now have a Dinner with the King FB page. Just look it up and send me a Friend Request.

During this break, it has given me time to ponder and seek the Lord about some issues...one of which seems to be the "heated" discussions that often happen between Christians regarding interpretation of scripture, various prophecies...who said what...what they meant....Letting the hairs on the back of our neck rise over this issue or that issue...and then taking the sword - either directly or indirectly to wound another member of The Body of Christ. It happens locally...it happens globally.

As I've come before Him to sit...and be quiet...and inquire....He helped me to understand even more the essence of His love...and that being the foundation of His commandments....to love the Lord, Our God, with all our heart, mind, soul and body and to love our neighbor as our self...for the law has been fulfilled in Christ and we have only one law now to fulfill and that is the law of Love. (James 2:8)

It was during this time of "pondering" that the words of the Apostle Paul resounded deep within....and I could hear him saying, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside." (1 Cor. 13:11)....and then I heard him write: "And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody)." (1 Cor. 13:2)

It's as if I hear the Apostle Paul saying, (my interpretation): "You know, there was a time that I had to be right...at the expense of the other person...but even though I knew I was right...that was not the core issue. The core issue was how I loved that person. I'm getting older, and I realize that being right isn't as important as loving...for that is the more excellent way...not on my insistence that I'm right. I'm older, and my body is wearing out. I don't have the energy I once had. Now I want to use my energy to do what is important before the Lord...and that is to love others....and I encourage you all to do the same. Don't sweat the small stuff....Let it go and let God."

And to emphasize His point, the Holy Spirit brought up the following scripture - repeatedly, from Matthew 23:24 "You blind guides, filtering out a gnat and gulping down a camel!" And isn't that what can so easily happen? We get so caught up in what so and so said, or this thing or that thing, that we forget that we are called to love each other.

I'm getting older...and feeling it....arthritis pain is my constant companion...
Pain does things to us that other things don't...It causes us to evaluate what is important in life and what isn't...It causes us prioritize and "downsize" the unnecessary issues of life....It causes us to think "How do I want to be remembered when I am gone?"...."What will be the most important when I'm standing face to face with the Lord, Himself on Judgment Day?" Next to my salvation in Christ...what is truly THE MOST important issue? Will it be that I was right about the interpretation of a certain scripture or issue....
or will it be that insofar as it was possible, I sought to live in peace with all men...that I sought to minister unto the least of these...Will men see my good works before them so that they would thank the Lord - even when they don't understand yet Who He is?

Please understand that I am not advocating checking our brains at the curb and promoting sin. God forbid! But there is a way to deal with issues that leave a person's heart intact. For it is a kind word of honey that will be received more than one of pure vinegar.

Many years ago, a Sister in the Lord sent me what she believed to be the word of the Lord to me. It came at a time when we were going through much personal grief in the death of a dear family member. I was crushed deeply and could not understand why the Lord would send me such a hurtful word. What the Lord helped me to understand is that a bruised reed, He will not break; whose word do I value more?...His or man's?...and He says in Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me."

I have often said that persecution comes more from within the church than from without...because so often, those who are doing the persecuting think that they are doing the Lord a service to speak harshly against another Brother or Sister. But we know this should not be so.~ (1 John 2)

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Tim. 2:24-25 "And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it]."

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ....may we all determine in our hearts to allow His love to live and reign in our hearts this year in greater measure.
When there is an "issue"...take it to Him....and leave it with Him knowing that in quietness and confidence, He is our strength. (Isaiah 30:15) We will never agree in all matters with all the Brethren...that is just life...and that is just people.

But when we are in Christ, Beloved let us love one another, for love covers a multitude of sins; that we may have boldness in the day of judgment...

In closing...
"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment (charge, injunction) we have from Him; that he who loves God must love his brother [believer] also." (1 John 4:20-21)

Ephesians 1:10 (Amplified) "[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and comsummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth." v. 12 "So that we who first hoped in Christ [who put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!"

Much love always, in Christ,
Crista
http://dinnerwiththeking.blogspot.com

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/