The Voice Revisited

Another Re-post.

[In this post I mentioned something about a  little"happy dance."  Just so you'll know, on my previous blog I often included a link for a fun dance video at the end.]

Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Voice

Currently, there's a show on TV in the United States called The Voice.  Contestants vie to be chosen by one of the judges to be a part of their team.  If chosen, they will be mentored and taught by a star judge (of their choosing), but the irony is, that even though they've been chosen, they could still lose their spot on the team.  Eventually all are eliminated but 1 contestant who wins the title of  "The Voice."   The interesting part of the show is this:  when the contestants sing for the first time hoping for a spot on one of the teams,  the judges can't see the contestants, but only hear their voice.   If a judge chooses someone for his team, he hits a buzzer and the chair he occupies turns around so he can see who he, or she, has chosen.

This is very similar to what happened to Adam and Eve.  They heard a voice,  chose it over the one they knew, and it was only after having chosen a stranger's voice and following it, were their eyes opened to the one whom they had chosen. 

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, it's good to be aware of the enemy's tactics, because what worked in the beginning still works today to seduce us into following strange voices-and there are many-and often it's much later before we discover the consequences of those choices.  Now briefly, I will share a bit more concerning the effects of what happened since mankind became more accustomed to hearing the accuser's voice once we were separated from our relationship with the Father, our Creator and source of Life.

Notice Adam's response when God  asked if he'd eaten from the forbidden tree, 

Gen. 3:12  KJV

11 .... Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Most often we've been taught that Adam  blamed  Eve for what happened,  but is  that  what he really did?
No.  He clearly blames God for his behavior!  Because God gave him the woman,  Adam blames Him! Never mind that God originally gave Adam the command to have authority over the Garden to keep it, actually over everything He created.  I share this because it is the Number One tactic Satan still uses against mankind.  He still speaks, accusing God for everything, and  man in our natural state hearing the deceiver's voice in many ways and by numerous means, bombarded by it over the years, has come into agreement with the evil one.  That is his modus operandi!  He started  by accusing God of lying to Adam and Eve when he told them they surely would not die, but their eyes would be opened and they would be as God!  The fog of seduction, lies, lust and deception which is what and who the deceiver IS came in with his presence, accompanied the accusation and rested on them.  Once Adam and Eve heard it without resisting it, the lie took root, and again, the rest is history.

I believe that Eve when questioned by God concerning her actions, at least answered more forthrightly:

Gen. 3:13  KJV

And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

 The Hebrew word  *"beguile" in this verse comes from a root meaning to lead astray; mentally, to delude; morally, to seduce.  I believe her answer was true to what actually happened to her, and we've usually only heard that she blamed the serpent, but she actually admitted to being seduced by him.  Since then, it probably has been easier for women to be deceived in our natural state,  that's what I've always heard in religious circles, however it is only part of the story--but when confronted with the Truth, I believe it is also easier for women to agree with it, which can lead to repentance.

Now that this has been written,  the question remains:  Who and what are we listening to?  The natural man in his fallen state hears and gives heed to natural things, such as what we've experienced, what we've been told, the thoughts that assail our minds without considering the source from which they come, even inanimate objects- the things we see speak to us, the things we read speak to us, pains in our bodies speak to us and on and on and on.   But  God Himself took on the form of a man in order to quicken and make alive our spirits once again,  by bearing the consequences of the fall of man taking on and overcoming death itself in all its forms.  Jesus, the One who was always with Him even as God decided to create man, (Gen 1:26a And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: KJV) volunteered for the job.  He came into the world recreated in the image of man and overcame the curse through his life and his death-all  in complete obedience to God's way of doing things- and because of this, death was overcome and could not hold Him!  He chose to become sin for us without sinning Himself.  What we could not do, He did for us....and if we  hear  the truth and choose to receive the payment He made for us, even as death came into Adam's and Eve's spirits and all those born thereafter, so will The Life Of God come into our spirit and we will be born again, made alive in our spirit by the power of the Holy Spirit.  With this act of believing and receiving,  we are made right  with God by receiving the gift of Jesus' rightness.  Thus we are re-connected to our Father, Creator and our God.  Now we can use our recreated spiritual ears to hear God's voice,  as He  not only walks with us in the "cool of the day" but every moment of our lives.  Through this divine re-connection we can be mentored and instructed  by His Spirit who will lead us into all Truth, and  unlike the TV show, The Voice, we all can be the Winner!  The only thing we have to do is to believe and receive for ourselves.  God gives us a choice, though it's available to all, He won't force us to choose Him, but He strongly desires all to do so!....like any good parent desires the best for their children!

This is the beginning of the "good part" I mentioned in a previous blog.  The unity of the Three in One that God is: though three, He's One Unified Being and that's how He created man to be also-though 3 distinct parts, all functioned in unity like God and with God.  This was lost with the fall leaving mankind destined to live according to his senses, his sensual nature, with soul and body calling the shots, rather than the spirit which is still the divine order.  Jesus  made the way for the breath of lives to be restored to man when the spirit of man is born again and made alive In Him when we receive Him.  Though our spirits are made alive all at once when we receive Him, the transformation of our minds and bodies is a  process which takes time. Once we see the need and have a greater understanding of what it means to have an undivided heart, we can begin to cooperate with God's way of doing things enabling us to proceed faster.

Learning more about His provision for us is the expected direction following blogs will take....so more Really Good News is on the way!  

 And maybe later,  we can even enjoy another little happy dance just for fun!

*Strong's Number H5377

...and the journey continues (still)

It certainly has been a while since my last post, but hopefully I'll be here more often now.  It seems a good time to start again with a post from my previous blog.  So here it is:

Saturday, August 24, 2013

...and the journey continues

Since I've been writing on the subject of an undivided heart, it's no surprise to me that I've seen--ever so much more--the need for realignment in not just a few areas of my own heart via the voice of the Spirit and the Word.  I wanted to put an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence, but the truth is that what was just "said" is a matter of fact, not a surprise.   It's kind of like taking a bath or eating, just because we had a bath or ate a meal in the past doesn't mean we won't need to do it again--over, and over.   But one good thing about it is that we don't have to eat all day long, and surprisingly, not nearly as much as some of us do at times (myself for certain), nor do we need to stay in the tub or the shower all day long to get the job done!  Note the exclamation mark.   That's something to be excited about.  Really.  But we all know that eating is  not only necessary and beneficial,  it can also be a very pleasant experience-unless it's one of those times when we have to eat something we don't like but we do because it's good for us.   Same with a bath or shower.   Sometimes we might feel just way too tired to go to the effort, but it's so much better if we do, especially if we have something on us that might take extra effort to wash off, say paint or grease, something like that.  Other times a nice long shower or bath is just wonderful, very relaxing and soothing to the body and soul. 

So it is with looking into some of the areas we need to see about ourselves as we choose to go through the transformation/realignment process.  There are varying degrees of both joy and pain as we see ourselves as we really are, but the rewards of  healing, strength and peace gained outweigh all the cost of having gone on yet another journey.  Again, we don't have to go, our Heavenly Father won't force anything on us, but if we're willing He will take us where we need to go in the best way possible and in perfect timing. 

He who created us knows exactly how to unify and "fix" us so we can operate and function in the manner in which each of us was uniquely designed.  We'll always have room for improvement or a little overhaul from time to time, but He's the One who's perfected and provided the way and means for us all.  Just think about it.  If our computers, and just about everything else we own, are in continuous need of up-dates,  how much more are we in need of being up-dated by our heavenly Father and Creator?

In keeping with this theme, I'm including a new selection from Rising--a little collection of poetry I wrote in days gone by--as well as re-posting one.  Each has something to say about the process I've briefly described here.  

The first one follows:

                                               

                                                

                                                                              P 

                                                          Sliding  U

                                                It seems to be impossible,

                                                  to do such a wonderful thing!

                                                But when the Lord is healing,

                                                  that’s the natural nature of things.

                                                You start out by sliding--

                                                   going on d

                                                                      o

                                                                        w

                                                                            n. 

                                                  It’s true!

                                                But when the work is finished,

                                                                                                          !

                                                                                                       u

                                                                                                     o

                                                 you’ll find a bigger, better  y

                                                                                                                    AJBB   1979

And the re-post:

Soul’s Rest

Ah, rest indeed is needed-

a time for quiet repose-

to hear the voice of gladness

speak gently with its prose.

To give the gift of freedom-

as soothing as the dew-

on parched flowers’ kingdom,

a gift from God to you.

So err not soul in sleeping,

just rest in gentle love;

the Light for your life’s keeping

flows freely from above.

                                                   

                                                                                    AJBB June 1977

And the really, really very Good and Great News is:  We don't have to be in charge of it!!!  Did I hear someone say, "Yay God!"?