Seeing is not believing

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" John 11:40 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." John 20:27 ***Greetings to all reading from the Commenthon! Welcome to my transparent world! Feel free to read others and if so moved subscribe to hear more transparent thoughts! My writings are not every day or even every week but they are from the heart and as He leads so I pray they will help someone else as well!*** ...::::::UPDATE::::... ****We have not only remained in the house but our rent is paid and cut almost in half!! Praising the Father before the storm was over was key!! I would have never made in my small boat of faith without Him!!***** This old antage of "seeing is believing" is quite the mistake! I have "seen" a lot of things unfold and yet still take a turn and something totally different come out of it. Take for example the caterpillar. It starts out grubby, some smaller than others, some hairier or fuzzier. But nevertheless, you never imagine that a caterpillar can fit into the tiny cocoons they do, not to ignore if you figure that the beautifully and enormously winged butterflies would come out of that very same cocoon! But they do! And what about ants? Somebody please tell me you imagined they could pick up a carcass by themselves triple their size and even when you saw it you were not amazed! Of course you can't say that! Because you were! Seeing is not believing! Today has been a rough day for me. I tossed and fought back doubt with everything I had and yet the prayers that were lifted for my family and by my family still seemed to fall on deaf ears. It seems that our prayers are for naught. But are they? I realized I'm still focusing on seeing the miracle more than believing in GOD for it! The first Scripture struck me hard. To be Martha at that very moment.... How bloodshot and flushed her face must have been! Jesus had just told her that she would see God's glory yet when He went about performing the miracle, she doubted. Notably so, as her brother's body would have smelled but she missed what was said to her in her grief. "But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'" John 11:4. Did you catch it? I didn't until a few moments ago. I've read it before and because the real focus in this chapter is the raising of Lazurus, I've never caught this morsel before! It does remind me of the peace the Disciples were given right before they were caught in an angry storming sea. Remember that? Of course, everyone does. But who remembers what Jesus said before the storm?  "Let us go across to the other side." (v 35). Again, did you catch that?? He was letting them know whatever they were about to go through, they would get through it TO THE OTHER SIDE!!! That just sent chills down my spine typing it!!  I don't know what you are going through, where your faith is or how it's gonna turn out for you, but I can tell you about me. I can tell you that my faith is at an all time low right now. I needed $744 today for rent to stop a previous eviction and it didn't come, at least not to my knowledge. I got a call from my landlord's office saying I could come in first thing in the morning to pay. That's grace and I'm thankful for it. I don't know what that means or how the money will come but He has already told me through Jeremiah 42:10-16 that I would remain. It's shaky right now, I'm angry and really don't wanna hear to many more "I'm praying for you's" but I'm so thankful for those He has sent my way! I am going to the other side and I only have to hold on until we get there, stormy waters or not. And the same is said of you. Hold on to His Word. If He could sleep peacefully with all that was going on then, then so can I. And if our GOD, Who said He will supply our EVERY need, told us to go to the other side, then we will make it there. GOD, you know our restless hearts. You know our situations. You know that doubt and unbelief are pining for our attention. Thank You for being our Rock, thank You for being that example we need when the waters turn against us. LORD, tonight as we sleep as peaceful as You did under the ship, instead of calming the sea, would you do a miracle for us. Many of us need healing or financial blessings or just... peace. Thank You for being that Provider that never fails. In Jesus name. Amen! Tonight, meditate on  and pray Psalm 5 for our situations. You pray for mine and I will pray for yours. You can leave me a message and know that I will lift you up. Oh, and the second verse? That was simply the way GOD chose to tell me, and you, to stop doubting. Blessings, and good rest tonight.

Transparent Unbelief

Transparent Unbelief

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" -Matthew 14:26-31 

Okay so let me first explain my BC addiction/ fear of ghosts. When I was about 6 or 7, we lived in the Philippines. The base we were on was filled with stories of ghouls, goblins, ghost, vampires and demons. I can remember even the school I was at participated in this nonsense of telling ghost stories to us kids. I believe that's where my spirit of fear was conceived. It was also where my love/ hate relationship with the unknown began. For every story that scared me, I needed to know more. I needed to get to "the bottom" of it and see if I could see "it". I remember imagining a story that I had watched earlier with our house girl that even further warped my young mind. It was of a barrel that you could jump in and it had fish in it and.... apparently no end. To the seeing eye, one could only see the bottom of this barrel that held fish to buy. But for those who wanted more, it was a doorway to another time. There were monsters in the movie, what kind I don't remember, and the flashes of it I have in my head now are so ridiculous you would've thought the movie was a Filipino version of Disney's  Fantasia (my dad swears that the director had to be on acid while making that cartoon... and I tend to agree). I also remember another time of being told yet another local horror tale right before bed. I don't remember how long it took me to fall asleep but I do remember that I thought I woke up to my bed shaking like crazy and jumped straight out to go to my parents room! You'll be happy to know I have since renounces all of that mess and even though my desire to see what new horror movies are about, I won't watch because I know that all made now are doorways. 

When the Disciples saw this figure walking on water, they freaked out as much as any of us would have. I mean we weren't talking about shallow water where you couldn't see ones feet but their ankles were visible. This was the Sea of Galilee!! How I would've gone from frightened near death to in awe and instant worship at the point of realization that this was my Lord and Savior walking in this huge body of water which was, I'm sure 50ft or more deep! How magnificent is HE!!

But, the Bible is also clear about there appearance of ghosts. There are several verses, including this one, that mention seeing, thinking of seeing and hearing ghosts. But when I think of the power of my JESUS, NOTHING stands more powerful than He!!

Well that brings me to my first vision, in plain sight. On my way to church for a prayer service last Friday evening, I was in full worship, music loud and me singing! I pulled into the parking lot to see a truck in the middle of the street and slowed down to see if anyone was in there. As I turned back to look straight, there was a car in front of me (All normal things). It happened to be a woman that I knew from church once I got closer, and as I parked, I watched her go in the building but not before quickly turning her head my way. Everything after that was routine and a powerful prayer session. So much so that I hadn't really paid too much attention that I hadn't seen this woman. I thought perhaps she was somewhere else in the building. Things didn't turn odd for me until another sister in Christ came to me to ask if this certain woman frequented the Ignite prayer worship. I said yes and told her she was there somewhere. To make a long story short, another woman told us she wasn't there. That's when I started to freak out. Two other women got into the same conversation with us and after it was determined that, in fact, she was NOT present that night, we learned of her recent suffering and decided right then to pray. It was nothing short of GOD that did that! I still dwell in that "in plain sight" vision I had of her waking upright and turning her neck (she had bulging disks the day before) while going to praise her LORD!

My recent stint with this has even more so turned my unbelief into belief! I have to admit, I would pray certain things as led by God and then not believe it was possible. Have you ever done this? Unbelief is a bondage to keep you from experiencing God's lovingkindness, grace, mercy and blessings. It is the very same, age old trick of the devil that kept Adam and Eve from being who God had created them to be. The serpent asked in Genesis, "Did God really say, 'you must not eat of any tree in this garden?" A tricky seed of doubt quickly turns to unbelief when left unattended. The serpent misinterpreted, on purpose of course, what God commanded and even though Eve KNEW what God said, by even entertaining the liar, she made room for that seed of doubt. 

There is someone suffering from a battle with doubt and unbelief. There is someone who is losing that battle. Please know that we are all there at one point. I was not too long ago. But if you hold on, He will bring you out even if He has to carry you! In mark 5:36, Jesus comforts a man who has just been told his daughter, whom he came to Jesus to ask to heal her, had died. Jesus COMFORTED him!! He does care!! But The Alpha and Omega did not stop there! He then commanded this man ever so gently, I believe, to "only believe." I extend that release for you today dear ones. "Do not fear, (which is where doubt and unbelief stem from) only believe." 

Father, thank You for that vision to remind me of who You are. Thank You for bringing me out of my temporary jail of depression. Lord, I stand in the gap of all who read this and are going through that same battle, asking themselves and You the same questions I did. Comfort them, Lord and help them believe. Be that gentle voice guiding them back to You, Holy Spirit. Pour great hope into their spirits as they sleep and when they toss and turn, give them rest. Let them know, remind us that You are still on the Throne and you will never leave not forsake us. In Jesus mighty name. Amen!

Transparent Bag Lady

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden (burdened), and I will give you rest. Matt 11:28 (ESV)

My mom is frequently called the “Bag Lady” at her jobs. Whenever I pick her up it takes a good couple of minutes for her to get situated and in the car because she has so many bags. I often wonder, and I think have even asked a few times what she needs all the bags for. I don’t remember the answer she has given but I gather that the reason could be so she doesn’t forget anything, she brings everything. And yet she still forgets the simple things like her lunch or tags or even keys for work once. But what I noticed the other day is that she reaches out to my kids to help her or if I am in the house for me to grab a bag or two. I do so, sometimes begrudgingly, but only because I can see ways she can condense her need for these bags.

Isn’t that just the opposite of Jesus? He says to us, “Come to me, ALL who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” All we have to do is come! I love that He is not just calling some of us, or the church folk who are always decked out, or the leaders of the church, or even the crazy radical people who get out of their comfort zone quickly to meet someone at the door of God. No, He is calling for everyone. I quickly say that I believe it’s because those of us who know Him intimately can be ministered too and those who don’t know Him can get to know Him while He cares for them. Those who don’t know anything of Him can be introduced and leave with a new friend that sticks closer than any brother! I love that He cares for us just that much… but doesn’t stop there! He also gives us much needed rest when we enter His presence. How many friends or family can you say from the very minute you walked into their presence you felt lighter and much needed rest until you left? Only God can do that for us!

I started talking about my mom and her many bags she carries for a reason. When I have my kids with me to pick her up, they automatically go to her door or into her office to help her with her bags. She sometimes calls for them to help but they are usually already on the way in. There are even sometimes I go in and grab bags I know she is going to take with her, and this takes her by surprise because I don’t say anything, just grab them. What’s my point? God will do the same. We don’t have to ask Him to come and grab bags from us all the time. There are times that He will relieve us even before we cry out for help. And in the times that it’s necessary that we ask Him, it’s usually to help cultivate our communication skills with Him. He also doesn’t want us to just assume, “Oh God’s got it!” in times when we should be crying out. How great is our God!

My questions are what are the bags you need to release and which do you tend to hold on to? Are you going into His presence or just standing at the door waiting for some doorman to come grab the bags for you? And do you recognize when He does take some baggage from you whether you ask or not? Let’s spend a week in His presence, not His doorway, so that we can experience this bag free living He has in store for us! Come to Him!!

Lord, thank You for being an on time God who gives rest to the weary. Just as we say or form our lips to say I can’t take it, You step in and give us much needed rest from our burdens. Lord, I ask that for each person who reads this, You would give them that much needed rest. Whether it is from stress, unemployment, worry, doubt, bills, unproductive relationships, broken hearts, sickness, or whatever their burdens are, that You would give them rest. Allow them to taste and see that You are good. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!