Take Out the Trickster

 

I so wanted a white top hat and a lady magician but this will suffice. I thought of the Halloween parties I have thrown for children, I let them wear costumes, some that were inappropriate, but the Lord knew I didn’t have all my wisdom up front, back then and then to the extreme, some parents were dressing them as Bible characters in little pillowcases that looked like tow sacks on slim, blonde 5 yr. and 3 yr. olds. I fell somewhere in the middle. And I was asking, who are you supposed to be?

I knew people who would never participate in Halloween at all, out of fear or just their own beliefs. And those who carried it overboard to church. Just like having an Easter basket, there was a man who would not let his children participate, yet he never married their mother until their daughter was seven. I do believe that over the years churches incorporated pagan traditions in to Christian activities in an effort to stem the revelry or the tricksters, and make it more about treats and candy. My dentist used to ask people to drop it off at her office, rather than indulge cavities.

As an adult, I had to rethink many things. Having the Holy Spirit and gifts to discern is most helpful. I think that since children play in the streets of heaven, He wants them to have fun. It is the responsibility of the parent to teach them right and wrong, that stories are just stories, however there are bad people who do bad things. Watching Snow White the other day made me see that the good and evil seemed obvious to people back then, her sweet voice and forest creatures that followed her, against the backdrop of a beautiful but evil queen, it is not hard to discern.

Yet, many movies and shows blur those lines, making the walking dead fashionable. The gorier the better it would appear, but there is a line between fun and fear, and practices that should not be indulged in to keep away demonicedevices and traps set by the enemy. All saint’s day, the day of the dead, we are to celebrate life, not death.

If you miss out on a costume or candy, a neighborhood full of parents and children together for a night enjoying good clean fun, you miss part of being a child. The closer a family is the better. Just be careful what or who you dress up as and what you read and watch and listen to. There are subtle messages, and blatant ones of violence. The Bible itself is full of stories that are horrendous.

If the Holy Spirit leads you to cleanse your house of something that is wrong, do it. You can anoint your home with oil as a believer and take out any presence that is unwelcome or causes strife and arguing. Things that are associated with the occult or memorialize evil should go. If it cause you temptation or sin, get rid of it. Movies, books or CD’s. The Holy Spirit will help you discern as a believer, if you don’t have His power and authority working for you, ask Him. He will lead you.

There are elements of a fallen world and the original curse in everything. Jesus broke it and we are covered by His blood and grace, but we should not take His mercy and sacrifice for granted and enter enemy territory and play his games. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, so let’s have a Hallowed Eve of fun and fellowship, lots of ladybugs and bees and butterflies will walk around, cowgirls and boys with no weapons. Even superheros with super powers, but none greater than Jesus. Jesus brought him to naught, let’s do the same taking back fun and family in Jesus name.

We have no need to celebrate death, Jesus overcame it! Let’s celebrate Jesus! Celebrate life and life more abundantly! Angels guard you and keep you safe, Father, send your presence over you people to protect them, and push back the dark of the enemy. You created the night and called it good. Have fun and stay safe, and take the deceiver, trickster out of your treat. Rebecca Jones / Rhett Wesley Unsplash

 

You See Broken, You Need Rest.

 

You see broken, you need rest. I see whole. You see puzzle pieces scattered. I see the big picture. You see the past and present, I see the future I planned for you. You see faded dreams and I see new thing, see I’m doing them now and you can’t believe it!

You see pain, lies and hurt, all you’ve suffered at your own bad decisions, your own hands and at the hands of others. You see blame or blame me. I don’t blame you, if you are my child, you walk in white before with clean hands and a pure heart if you are obedient and doing your best to yield to my Holy Spirit. You see injustice, but I AM a just God.

You see the loser, the lost, the broken hearted. I see the champion, the found, the pure in heart. You see the way as rocky but I will make it straight not crooked or stony. You see barrenness and I see bounty.

I see my Son in you, the question is do you? Do others? My Spirit knows you better than you know yourself. Those little things you never thought I noticed about you, the secret longings of your heart. I put them in there, when I birthed you from the womb.

I was knitting you together there, before that you were in heaven with me waiting to be born, I set you there, planned your arrival, rejoiced over you with singing, danced the day you were born.

So you see my anguish at unbelief in a loving Father? You see why I find abortion an abomination, why I wanted marriage to be secure and intimate between one man and woman and I AM to be the head of the house. See my disappointment? Life so fragile, is snuffed out by the enemy at every turn, because some don’t know me, refuse to listen, or are careless and casual about life and accept anything but my best.

Intolerance, indifference, life is a vapor, a fleeting and fragile spirit is in you and without my love and protection, you are vulnerable, easy prey for the wicked one.

You see hate but I AM love. You experience fear, but I AM the Lion of Judah. You see now, I see eternity. You see sickness and disease, I see healing. You see mental anguish, Jesus wore your crown of thorns.

You see burdens, I AM your rest. You see confusion I AM you Peace. You see sadness, I can anoint you with the oil of joy. You taste bitterness, my words are as sweet as honey, and I AM a man who cannot lie by the blood of my Son and the Holy Communion, my promises. Taste and see that I AM good. If the well of your soul runs dry, I Am Living Water. You should never thirst.

You see broken, I see mended. You cry about scars when I would wipe the memory away with joy. And even if you abide in me and I in you, and you see life, I see life more abundantly.  Look at yourself again my child, what do you see? What is your reflection? Look into the glass, the water. Is your image clear? It can be? I am the Lord who heals you, I inscribed you in my palm through the nails in Jesus hands.

Why are you worried? Why are you afraid? Why don’t you see yourself as dear to me as Jesus, do you not know hard it was to look away from that cross? I gave Him for you, now rest. Fall asleep in my love and wake refreshed. I gave up my beloved Son to accept you into the beloved.

Sweetness, Himself, died for you. An innocent Lamb of God. You were created in my image, you should be like Jesus, all different yet the same, not being controlled but let allowing the Holy Spirit to control the things you can not, what do you see? Sin or shame. I turned my back on Jesus for that, What do you see? I see Jesus looking back at me through your eyes, a perfect sacrifice. When I look at you, I remember my Son, He took you place, will you remember that?

What do you see? I see you in My Rest. Rebecca Jones, but I think God wouldn’t mind if I said He wrote this. I pray that my 31 Days of Rest has Blessed you, thank you Crystal Stine and everyone for allowing me to participate again this year. Unsplash photo…Esther Weigardt, thanks. Please enjoy this wonderful video.

Is Even Your Rest Weary?

 

Is even your rest weary? A Daughter of the King should be resting in His love and favor. The fact that we labor for His rest is not cause for us to be weary. I have found myself weary in well doing, trying to give to those who cannot or will not receive. It is easy to minister His love and grace to fellow believers for the most part, however, there are those who are not as receptive to the things of the Spirit.

As I said, laboring for His rest should not be a struggle. The one who suffered and died for us struggled with a cross upon His shoulder along a cruel path, after a horrible night in the garden and scourging, still facing crucifixion. So does He want us to stuggle? No, He loves us. Traditional religion teaches that.

Jesus knew we would have trials, He said so. But we are to overcome by Him and through Him. We are crucified with Him. We overcome by His blood and our testimony.  Jesus never intended for us to be beaten and scourged. He took our place.

That being said, we are the ones with shame and guilt and unworthiness, even after He’s rested on His throne. Jesus bore all that. This is something that really bothered me as a believer, I suffered under religious teaching and kept condemning myself. Jesus never did. I did, I allowed it to happen. I won’t again. Jesus made a real sacrifice and deals with real problems. He heals real hearts that are broken. Restores real souls.

So if even your rest is weary, you sleep but toss and turn or wake up tired, you are restless and have trouble turning off the day or looking toward the next one, or next week. You’re still weary. I have had my eyeballs so swollen and red, you would not believe it. I was under an attack of the enemy on health four years ago, and sleeping only a few hours here and there was horrible and life threatening.

Knowing the Jesus I know, I should never have had to endure that but I had to discern His Word and decide for myself. Don’t put yourself through hell! Jesus paid the price for you. You are His beloved. Turn off what you have to, tune out what you have to and even lose the people who are dragging you down if you can. I’m not saying to just leave your family, but make changes. Of course, I would never want anyone in abusive situation.

Worries keep you awake, give them to Jesus. Thoughts, turn your face toward His. Seek the Holy Spirit in prayer, pray in the Spirit if you can, ask for His gifts. They are powerful against an enemy who would rob of us our rest and make us feel unworthy, anxious and guilty, who condemns us on all sides, when Jesus will not.

I pray you receive His rest today. Seek it, read the Word, labor for it but don’t struggle, you are precious to Him, and you are a Daughter of the King, now rest in His love and finished work on the cross. Let Him reign from His throne and you from your heavenly seat with Him. Rest, reign, and never be weary in well doing. Is even your rest weary? Let His rest overwhelm you. Rebecca Jones

 

Endowed With Power To Rest

 

It’s not hard to imagine the love of God through our gentle Lord Jesus as soft and tender as a butterfly wing or an evening breeze. That’s how the Holy Spirit touches you with light and love, how He draws you to Jesus, convicts of sin, but never continues to condemn.

It is a bit more difficult until you study the gifts to see that love go from extraordinary tenderness to power on high. Power that comes from on high, the anointing that cloaks us with His righteousness.

We receive power after the Holy Spirit comes on us, just as the disciples did when they tarried on them. Jesus had already breathed on them and they had a measure of faith. Everyone does, but it will grow. When the Upper Room was filled with tongues of fire and power, they were there together, praying in one accord or agreement.

That is certainly how you recieve the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as a subsequent experience to salvation. I realize some do not believe this and won’t argue the point. But if you really want to know Jesus intimately and walk in power of over the enemy, you should ask. I do believe it should be taught and received at once, together. It is really hard for some people to accept that as Jesus said, traditions of men are making prayer of no effect.

We are called to be chosen sons and daughters and walk in His light. We should be shining with His countenance and drawing people to Jesus, not running them off. I am so conservative you would not believe it but I am not the judge of others, only in a righteous manner, the Lord discerns good and evil. I can not be self righteous, though some might believe that, no, far from it. I thought I was so unworthy, though I wasn’t a big sinner.

I do not advocate sin in any way. There is a difference between the punishment Jesus took for us and the consequences of your actions. Suppose you were a career criminal, and you get to know what I refer to as ” the jailhouse Jesus.” You get out, go back. You either never really believed or never accepted His gift of no condemnation and let Him change you. I don’t think any of us are capable of changing very much, or we would not need the Lord. Now suppose the career criminal is broken hearted at the scrifice on the cross, He accepts the loving Jesus and redeems his time in studying the Word, people notice the change right away, and he is paroled after a couple of years instead of ten. That’s God looking at a heart. He is like Hagar said, the God who sees.

He sees through all the pretense. He seen many actors. There may be some that are easily fooled by sporatic times of less arguing, not so much strife. But He sees deep into the heart. He doesn’t care if your jeans are designer, He cares that you heart is pure. He doesn’t care about hair color, or skin color, He cares about the color of your heart and robes you in righteous white.

None of us will ever live up to being righteous except through Him. Power, yes we are endowed with power, and it doesn’t have to come in a large gathering of people in agreement, that’s one way, but it can be just you and Jesus agreeing , that’s power enough. maybe you find yourself on the edge today finding no rest, seeking peace and finding none well you need to know Jesus is there and He is the power that forgives, heals and delivers. He is greater than anything we may face. But if you look at the problem, you are are not looking at Him as the solution. It will wear you down and out. Ask Him for the power of His Spirit before it is too late and the soul is gone, even if you are a believer, there a places the mind wanders and never returns. Don’t accept conformity, you don’t just lose your memory with age, you don’t have to live defeated and depressed.

A depleted girl is a defeated girl and the Holy Spirit is a source that can never be depleted or defeated. He is power, like a lightning striking your soul and gentleness as soft as te dove. Please always seek medical help and take medicines but trust in Him enough and want to change badly enough, and He will help you.

Close any doors to the enemy. Watch what you do, see and say. Be careful of your entertainment choices, if all you see is sin and ugly, you can become it. If you see Jesus, and His love, if you look into the eyes of love, you can be like HIm too, powerful, but beautiful. Rebecca Jones / pixabay

Rest For The Bride

Many people are asleep today in the church unaware of the Lord’s Imminent Return. He would not have us to be ignorant of that fact, but there is also a rest for the bride. When Rebekah came to marry a man she’s never met, he was older, well established and provided security for her, even though she was well taken care of at home.

She was able to pass the servants and draw water for Eliezer’s camels, and showed a willing heart. She was able to light off a camel and run to meet her husband. All because she believed the promise of his love and that she was chosen by God. She was able to love someone she’d never seen. Just as we are drawn to love Jesus whom we had not seen.

So we as women, accepted and believed a promise of salvation from our spiritual beloved and joined Him as a part of His beloved bride the church. Rebekah was probably not worried at all about her finances, she knew Isaac had made provisions for her. He sent her many gifts. And she accepted them.

This is amusing having my name here, but we are all Rebekahs, fair and a virgin. It is the way all women start out. Whether you are a virgin, long married, or need to repent. He sees your heart and He forgives, so you are still a virgin in a manner of speaking. That’s why I encourage women to wait for the right husband, He will show you and send him.

She was beautiful, the name Rebekah means captivating. Surely, Isaac was not disappointed. And neither was she, even if he was little older, the Bible says he loved her. Now I know everyone will not necessarily marry someone older. Good husbands should be good providers, moral and love you, no matter their age. Women desire security, they should not have to want or worry. If it is for true love, the May/December romance is a blessing.

I hope you se the comparison to Jesus, He loved us, prepared for us, gave us many gifts and security. We are beautiful to Him and He is to us. He provided rest to Rebekah, the beloved bride. He provided it for us. He has made provision for all the church. We just have to accept that proposal, believe in that love, though we may not see our promises yet.

Rebekah rested with Isaac, though she had sons and turmoil and deceived him later on. The marriage was beautiful one planned by  God, the other things in their lives were disobedience and bad decisions.

We can rest with the Lord, safe secure. The rested bride, not asleep, not being devoured by the wicked one, we are to be alert and on guard against an enemy attack, but we can even rest in that knowing Jesus is by our side.

He gives His beloved bride sleep, rest. For He doesn’t need to. He has rested from the cross. God from creation. It does no good to stay up late or get up early and worry. Psalm 127:2 Our beloved Jesus call us to His rest. Rebecca Jones /Tim Stagge

Soul Restful

It really takes the Lord to rest our soul, and we have to allow Him. God doesn’t need permission to bless us, but our own ways and thoughts are not nearly as high. That’s why we need to depend on the Holy Spirit to help us slow down. Relax, rest, refresh.

I realize some of my post may sound the same but I can not reiterate it enough, how important this is. Faith is simply believing something you don’t see, but your hope must not be merely, ” Well, I hope so. ” Your hope is expectant. Anticipating the birth of God’s promise. And love is the greatest of all. It takes all three.

Fear and doubt will try to creep in, the enemy will come after a believer’s promise, be it health or blessing. It is our goal to limit and disable the attack by speaking God’s Word and walking in the Spirit. We should not limit God, who can do far above our prayers.

We have the mind of Christ but we don’t always use it, even the crucified flesh will rule if your spirit does not. You have to take a step back, let the Holy Spirit guide you, follow love and desire spiritual gives. Then you can prophesy over you life and others. You may not see some come to fruition, as some remain in doubt or won’t receive His love because they are feeling unworthy, or any number of reasons.

The Holy Spirit bypasses your mind, a part of the soul, to help you pray in the Spirit. If you do not, and want a powerful gift, just ask. He gives the Holy Spirit freely, as all gifts are. People are often thrown by ministries asking for donations and there is a time to sow. But you can not buy His love, healing or a miracle. You can’t be good enough, smart enough, or do enough good. It doesn’t work that way.

We labor to enter His rest willingly, because we love Him and He us, that’s why we get anything, not because we are worthy of good or faithful or tithe. I used to worry so much that I was doing something wrong. I was taught wrong. Anything we get is because He is good, and because He loves us and recognizes faith.

He is the God of peace. He wants us to rest. Not to weary in well doing, heavily burdened, in fear, worry, doubt, anxiety, they’re not rest. Submit to the Holy Spirit and rest. You’ll still get things done, and if they fall by the way, they are not as important to you as you thought, and certainly not God, nothing is more important as His beloved. Let Him rest your soul, and enjoy His gift of rest. It will be soul restful. Rebecca Jones

Heart Notes

A Goth girl holding a Sacred Heart of Jesus fits the profile for heart notes, to use a friend’s phrase, we all want to walk before Him in white. So how does this help us to rest? This verse explains it.  Pour out your heart to God, for He is our refuge. Psalm 22:8

And that is what we need to do, if we keep journals, write blogs or even prayers. Anything that will pour out our hearts to Him will bring us His rest. A few years ago, I recall buying these little cloth pouches tied with ribbons called prayer pockets. My mother and I would put prayers in, some were answered but I know the enemy attacked some. A major one was that she did not have cancer.

You can slip little notes into a Bible, but they might fall out. You could try to find an alabaster box. Mine has bath powder in it, but whatever you would like, set aside a way to make some heart notes. Pour out our heart, cry if you must. Sometimes, we just have to let our broken self spill out.

Other times, it is a sacred heart moment as you worship the Lord in public or in a prayer closet. Tears of love and joy flow and He will one day wipe them all. He sends us encouragement everyday, a smile, a rainbow. I get butterflies, real ones.

If I need a heart note, maybe God does too. So let’s write Him one. Maybe some else needs one, that one person who encourages you, a special teacher or counselor or minister, that best friend or your husband who is patient with you as you shoe shop.

Who do you know that needs a heart note or for that matter a Jesus hug? Having a Pinterest board lets me send out lots of encouragement with short messages and pictures. God is creative and He created us to be, so let’s find special ways to show Him and others how much we love them.

As we all grow in faith and grace, let us not forget to reach back to help a sister. We should all be closer as we close in on heaven. We should be walking so close to Jesus that that glory blinds and binds the enemy. He’s the perfect one whose beauty never fades, who loves me enough to forgive me and keep letting me writing my heart notes and encourage believers to let Him walk beside them in white. Rebecca Jones

 

For The Rest of My Life

 

Oh, to be loved by my Jesus. To live in His rest the rest of my life is an obtainable goal. I will have to be sure of what He would have me do. I don’t have to worry because He has already made a way. I have done my best to be an obedient daughter.

He would not want me to worry. There is a reason for the 365 fear nots in the Bible, we need one every day. One a day like a vitamin. It must be part of our daily bread we should pray for. Jesus made it clear that we are to take it a day at a time, because He is our manna from heaven. The manna in the wilderness only lasted a day until there was the Sabbath. We are to be walking in the Sabbath Rest, because God finished creation, and rested. Jesus was crucified and resurrected and rested.

The Israelites would not enter. Hebrews 4 makes it plain that we should enter and remain there, Jesus was careful to use the word remain in regard to love, remain in joy, remain in peace. To do this, we have to remain in His rest by believing that He is true to His Word. He was and is the Word, the Great I AM.

He doesn’t lie, make mistakes, nor is He afraid. He doesn’t fail. And best of all His love is eternal, everlasting, He will not leave nor forsake us, ever. While He sees a bigger picture, we can take it day by day and seek His plans for us. It takes prayer, some fasting, He made that easier for me, too.

I always tell my mother that if you love someone, you will make their life easier not harder. That’s what Jesus would love to do. So let’s follow His life plan and get some rest from the weariness and heavy laden church we have become. While I had had others disagree about Him making it easier, I truly believe He does, or else He suffered a lot for nothing and now we do too.

I heard of a woman with a vision of a sleeping bride, it was a long time back and may have reference to the Jews. Of course, this is just my opinion.  I think some may have taken it mean the literal church being asleep as to His return and that it needed to wake up. That also may be true.

But as I was resting and thinking about this I was reminded of Psalm 127: 2. You know it really does no good to get  up early or stay up late. He loves His beloved and let’s her sleep or rest. Rebecca Jones /

His Rest Is Heaven On Earth

I’ve already written about how a good night’s rest is helpful, and how the Holy Spirit helps to guard your heart. Or garden it as the case may be, He uproots weeds and sows the seeds of love and waters them. You face people a different way, they see Jesus in you. But there are still those who will attempt to break that peaceful rest off of you.

Once you have labored to have it, don’t let go. He’ll hold you tighter. Release the cares of the world, lust for other things, the deceitfulness of riches, and you will see amazing lightness and healing come over you. Sickness and disease are so related to these things, snares and distractions from the promises of God.

Don’t work yourself ill or worse, God will take care of you, the enemy would say no or try to get you onto finances. But God gets to do wonders, create miracles. He can do far above what ask or we think, it’s important to think like Him, speak like Him, trust in Him. Even Jesus had to rely on the Father.

I can tell you that I run into doubt and unbelief everyday. Worry and struggling was killing me. Literally. I was careful what I said about healing. I confessed it, I believed it. But waiting for it was the wrong thing to do.

Look at it another way. Jesus paid the price on the cross. He saw His work as finished. If you begin to take a different point of view. He sees you healed, delivered and whole. So see yourself the same, even if you are on medicine, immobile, or terminal or in some kind of sinful lifestyle or addiction, just see yourself the way Jesus does.

You have to ask Him in as Lord and surrender you life, ask for His Spirit. He will help you, the more you see yourself differently. You will start to act differently. Take a step, put down that drink, say what the hay. Potty mouths are not the only bad words. There are many disparaging ones. Sow His Word into your heart and spirit, read it, write it, study it, think on good things. Phillipians 4:8

Jesus sees struggles. He is easily touched by our infirmities. But He is not mocked or deceived. That’s why people who start a journey with Jesus will fail miserably if they rely on their own ideas, morality or minimal prayer and Bible knowledge.

If you had given up heaven and your life in such a brutal way, wouldn’t you demand respect, command attention? Wouldn’t you want your children, obedient, well and joyful, wouldn’t you want them to rest peacefully and sing praises to you?

Wouldn’t you want someone to love you? Not for what you did, but just because they wanted to? Not for fear of punishment or just to steer clear of hell and the devil.

So just love Him. He has already done His part our is is just to believe and receive and walk in it. His peace is rest. And His rest is peace. And that rest is heaven on earth. Rebecca Jones

Enter His Rest

For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,'” even though this rest has been ready since He made the world. Hebrews 4:3 Now, this is a sad verse. They didn’t get in.

But thankfully, God is love and slow to anger and when He sent Jesus, it gave us another chance to rest, to labor for it and to enter it. He knew what we would face before we did and prepared a way, through the terrible ordeal of the Son. That sacrifice is always amazing to me.

And there are so many that fail to follow Him and receive that love, there are still mockers and scoffers and even highly intelligent people are deceived by the enemy and swayed to believe there is no God. Heaven and hell are real places and the mockers will find out one way or another.

So many are not finding rest, in their home life and with their children, in marriages, in the workplace and corporate world. Not in sports or celebrities in the music world or movies. The enemy has degraded society to the point of immorality that almost anything goes. And yet, God is loving, full of grace, holding His hand out in the last moments before His return.

He is asking us to rest, rest from the heavy burdens and trials and all the ills and aches that have beset us. He loves the loveable, and He loves the unloveable. I have been patient with people, many people and I find myself becoming less so. The more I sow His love, the more some resist. God’s patience will run out someday, and like the Israelites, they will not have entered His rest and may not be entering heaven. Rebecca Jones