Atmosphere of Heaven

The Holy Spirit brings with Him the atmosphere of Heaven. I want to live in the atmosphere of Heaven. So, what is the atmosphere of Heaven? Heaven is full of:

• Joy
• Peace - Jesus said, "My peace I leave with you...not as the world gives..."
• Love - the core of God is love and so is the core of every creature He has created. He is creating us into His image
• Hope - every creature in heaven is full of hope and lives in hope
• Faith - "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith doesn't just hope, though it is hopeful, it believes God to be all He is
• Light - The Lord is the light the citizens of heaven enjoy
• Music- jubilant celebrations, worshipful songs that exalt the Lord and His mighty acts
• Fragrant
• Humility - the 24 elders throw down their crowns before the Throne of God, bow down, giving praise to Jesus
• Fear and awe of God
• Praise and worship - active, participants, no performances, no spectators.
• God and His glory, Jesus the Lamb of God, the Holy Spirit

May we be filled with your Glory, Lord, and experience Heaven's atmosphere!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XZarrFpjg8

Marrow of the Soul

The Holy Spirit asked me as I woke up this morning at 4:30 am "What is the marrow of the soul?"

We know the marrow of the body rejuvenates the whole body by reproducing healthy red blood cells that replace the old and dying ones, thereby bringing health and life to the whole body: bones, cells, organs, skin, blood, tissues, etc. This rejuvenation to the body makes it much more alive, building up vital defenses from diseases. If the marrow is not functioning properly or is weakened by disease, it will kill the body eventually. That's why when someone is very ill, say with cancer, they undergo blood transfusions with the hope that the new blood will generate life in the cells to overcome cancer which is bringing death to the cells and body through the disease. Some people even go through the more radical procedure of a bone marrow transplant, insuring the best possible opportunity for survival.

The Holy Spirit answered the question He asked me: "The Word of God is the marrow of the soul, for it is the Living Word."

God's Word is life and health to our whole person from the inside out. It is the Living Waters we drink in; His Word is life-giving. When we saturate ourselves with Him and His Word and allow it to take root - go deep - we are doing an infusion, bringing life and health to our soul which affects our whole being.

Listen to this song "Word of God Speak" by MercyMe, and read His Word today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JK_6osCH74

Spirit-Filled Walk

I have been praying to learn the ways of the Holy Spirit. It has been interesting to consider those who walked with the power of the Holy Spirit. Below is what a person looks like who walks in the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit. This person. . .

1. Fears God and walks in awe of Him, and not man.

2. Loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

3. Walks in holiness: the Holy Spirit will not tolerate any positions that move this person backwards. They will live consecrated as a holy habitation of His Spirit mind, body and soul with no compromise.

4. Guards his tongue: speaks what the Father tells him; full of praises to God; does not speak about God's children negatively.

5. Radical in obedience: Obeys the leading of the Holy Spirit without hesitation or delay.

6. Loves God's people passionately: Seeks what God wants to do in them; functions as an intercessor on behalf of God's people as one who lives close to the heart of the Lord.

7. Disciplines his body: His body is subject to him now, and not a slave. The body is consecrated for holy purposes as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, this person will not seek that which defiles the body or mind with intemperance.

8. Walks in and manifests the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit: The power and anointing of God is strong on this person through their ministry gifts.

9. Is not rich with possessions, but is rich and possesses all things. God is his inheritance; the Holy Spirit his greatest treasure (i.e., Moses had no earthly possessions or land to speak of, nor Paul or Jesus, etc).

10. Kingdom-Focused: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," is the way this person lives. He is full time in kingdom business, pursuing the leading of the Holy Spirit.

11. Lives in the perpetual environment and atmosphere of heaven: Lives with the fruits of the Spirit evident in his life.

12. Is marked by humility

13. Is a friend of God: The Holy Spirit confides in this person ("God confided in Samuel...1Sam. 9:15). Through words of knowledge, prophecy, dreams, visions, and God tells the secrets of His heart about the purposes for the world, kings, men that He has determined (i.e., Daniel). The Holy Spirit leads us then in intercession for wisdom on how to disseminate the message of God.

Here is a great song of dedication for more of the Lord in our lives. May we all seek the fire of the Holy Spirit upon our lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg2kCAiB1Kw

From Me, to God, With Love

Last night as I was reading the Genesis, I considered Eve - just after God created her and prior to the presentation to Adam. It could have been quite awhile before God brought Eve to Adam. . .Scripture does not say. It was this period of time that I considered the exchange that might have gone on - from the first moment of Eve recognizing her Creator and the first moment of her own consciousness.

So, Eve awakens, looks upwards, and the first One she sees is her Creator and LORD hovering over her, His beauty taking her breath away. Exploring her surroundings she inquires "What is this?" and "What is that?"

As Eve begins to take it all in - surveying the breathtaking garden-residence - praise erupts within her and she asks --

"What can I give You in thanks?"

What did she have? As she looks around attempting to give God something - not unlike a very small child expressing his simple heart of love, joy and contentment to his father and mother - Eve would have taken whatever was nearby perhaps and fashioned something creative to give to God - as a gift. I believe God puts even these ideas in our hearts, knowing what would please and satisfy him.

Because we are uniquely made (right down to our fingerprings being proof of our uniqueness!), then our life in its fullness and everything we do in His name is special and unique. This alone should satisfy us to know that God created us to offer our own personal gift. That is why jealousy over someone else's gift is so wrong, because though we could carbon copy someone else's gift or offering we saw them give to God, it will be wrong - perhaps unreceived by God even. We must give to God that which is uniquely created out of our own hearts of thanksgiving and fully expresses --

"from me, to God, with love."

My children were very creative and very expressive and they often gave me special "gifts" in their early years. Each drawing and homemade gift from my young children were exceptionally different and uniquely identifyable in style, content, and their maturity level at that time in their lives.

The same is true of us as we grow and walk with the Lord, and each gift we offer to God is received by Him according to our maturity in Him. And, the success of our lives (our gift offered) cannot to be measured by others successes!

Back to Eve . . . she asks God, "What do you want me to do??" He answered her "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love Adam [your neighbor] as yourself." God may have then explained to her the role of "help-mate." Marriage is really a partnership - a oneness - in the image of the perfect Godhead union: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Likewise, Adam, Eve, and the Holy Spirit would be a one-ness of union in perfect love. Eve was to be in union with her Creator, loving him perfectly. Adam was to be in union with His Creator, loving him perfectly. God was giving Eve to Adam and they would both love God and be in perfect union with God. Well, we know how long that worked out . . .

At some point, following the rib surgery, Eve was presented to her help-mate Adam by God Himself. But, before that moment, Eve may have developed her personal relationship with God Himself, and then with Adam . . . in proper order.

From the intimate relationship with their Creator and LORD that they both enjoyed separately, they related to one another purely, unashamed.

Jesus has restored that union with us as was originally intended. "Father, make them one as we are one . . ." And praise erupts within my heart and today I asked him "What can I give you?"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIFBABlogmo