THE PRIZE

 

I am taking time with God alone and He is giving me a message.

I started with a Prayer.

My father who art in heaven hallowed your name

Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Lord as things transpire here on earth,

Help me to interpret things with your heavenly wisdom. What is the best questions I should ask of you

Father right now? Why is this happening? No, but what are you using this all for. Transforming and training me to go down your path and your ways. My desire is to please you Father. Your love is perfect. Why review this past again? I have glanced at this past with much prayer and consideration.  Laying down at the cross, the orphan spirit, the abandoned child, the rejection. I am aware Father that your perfect love is what we need, your zoe life,  substance, peace here in life. No human beings can give me happiness. Seeking you to be my perfect abba Father. 

As I prayed this I hear in my head “Press on for the prize”, I look for the verses by following the word “prize”  the verses in 1 Corinthians 9 come to mind.  Paul talks about preaching the gospel as his primary matter of existence. Verse 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24-27 Running for the prize. Being qualified. Paul gives us direction as how to deal with the past.

The explanation of righteousness and everything in the past, losing all things. Verse 8- “I consider them “Rubbish”, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Col. 3:13-“Brothers (sisters) I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do :  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!

 ONE THING…here it is again. Pressing forward.

I am armored in the Lord Jesus Christ. Asking him what now. 

My soul is satisfied in Christ alone. I reconciled to Christ when I was 26. My mission was to raise my children in the word and that the Holy Spirit would lead them, for them to live for Christ and He will direct our paths when we trust in Him. No friend, husband, wife, cousin, aunt, step-sister, child, co-workers, animals, neighbor can do that. NO ONE.

Anyone who puts things before Christ will struggle.

What’s next…

I am waiting on the Lord.

 I remember when my mom died. I was kneeling on a stone path on a rural road and crying, really God this is the end of the story. Really no manifestation of healing for my mom on earth. It’s all happening in heaven? Crying. I called a friend that prayed  over me and said, “Lord we grieve differently, do not let the spirit of grief come over her. Let your spirit come and comfort her now.” I stopped crying and realized this truth. Our home does not reside here on earth. It is in heaven. Glory! Glory be my mom stands in glory with the glorious King Jesus!

People do not satisfy, but we give that job over to Christ and join in His work. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Eph. 2:10

Letting the process go…giving it to Christ Jesus at the foot of the cross…waiting on Him…being still….

 

Elaine

COURAGE? 2022

 

My word for 2021 was JOY! God in divine ways showed me that would be the word and he gave me a fresh message that confirmed over and over that would be the word for the past year. He even brought me to a point where I got a lovely puppy named JOY!

 

Now in this season he started showing me courage. It all started with the revelation from the word. Jesus said, “Be of good cheer or take courage”! When He revealed himself to the disciples in Mark 6:50. He took them from feeding the 5000 to saying, “get immediately in the boat.”  He removed them fast from going over (processing it over with those around) the miracle with the crowd where the reactions could have been all over the place. He wanted them removed. He had them get in a boat assuring them to go to other side. 

Immediately has emphasis in the Greek. Jesus the one who promises us peace did not take them to a peaceful situation. He took them to a STORM! They were terrified. They needed to remember the miracle that just occurred. Jesus was always in the business of discipling. Stretching them. Teaching them. Training them. He cared about their hearts. He saw that hearts. “Their hearts were hardened.”  

As we look throughout the Bible Moses, Joseph, Esther, Ruth…to name a few, had to have COURAGE=be of good cheer to get through tough times. We today must take the word as truth and not change it, progressively reinterpret it, rewrite it to fit our lifestyles. So dangerous. We must take courage and stand up for truth. We go through things and it brings us to be courageous. In 2022 the word is courage. I keep asking the Lord is that the word confirm it. It started rereading the boat story, to the example of faith Fathers (rereading their stories) to last night a conservative news corespondent blurted out very boldly, “Where is our courage? We need to have courage! He said, “The fraternal twin of courage is faith!”  I can’t make this stuff up. I watch, wait, listen for God to reveal what we must know. 

The other thing God is showing me is the Greek word “life” is Zoe. In 2022 we strongly must remember that we need zoe life. John 10:10. The thief came to steal and destroy, (Jesus did not come to steal, destroy) he came that we may have Zoe life, and have it abundantly. The first Adam was born with Zoe life and he gave it away by taking from the tree of knowledge. From that day forward all things God said would point to the return of Zoe life through Jesus Christ death and resurrection. Zoe life is all encompassing Jesus teachings, time, healing, forgiveness, and eternal hope. 

To live is to grow in His Zoe life. 

So I say at Christmas and celebrating New Year  we lift our glass and say, “Be of good cheer (courage), Zoe life in 2022”!

Love how God works. He is faithful to show himself true. 

Beware our hard copy bibles will be essential in the future. Because men  and women are trying to take out or rewrite what doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Explain it away with a narrative of cultural ancient context that will change the original narrative, of marriage, family, sin, salvation (many ways to heaven), control, virgin birth and heaven and hell. 

A women wrote me her article of courage on a day when I was being challenged. I needed courage. It was so timely. I heard in my head only the words of Jesus. Be of good cheer, courage! I couldn't think other thoughts but what I needed to be courageous. I had a peace that passes all understanding go through a tough time.

You are a women of the word. I remember a way the word JOY was confirmed. I was at church on January 3 rd. Walking around at a all church time of prayer where you find someone and you pray for each other a girl approached me and said she felt led to pray over me, I said “Oh I am Elaine and she said my name is JOY!” Lol! God is good!! I cried. I was humbled to tears and prayer! I can’t make this up. 

I believe more moments of courage will come. It will be a reminder of peace.