DANCE OF FIRE

I wrote the content on this blog with sincere and holy intentions with the knowledge that I had at the time... We live, learn and amend...as errors are exposed and more truths are revealed...

Only GOD is perfect. It's vital that you seek the Lord to expose any errors that you've embraced. Please ask Him to expose any areas of darkness to you and for what is necessary to do to dispossess what's NOT of truth.

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POETRY: DANCE OF FIRE

Flames of fire dance joyfully as dreams of fervor conjure up images of red hot passion for the gusto of life.

Sizzle, spark, explode -

Fireballs light up the sky. Wow! a thunder flash with a clap -

The flames are vivid with the awesome glow of orange colors blended with yellow highlights that accent the blaze.

This display is the bomb torched with a rocket plan. Such rapture has lit our fire. We are dynamite on this journey.

Come on fire, fall on us. Pour your liquid potency. Ignite our souls that we may be engulfed with magnified intensity.

Blow up our hearts. Dance with us....

Sandra

Copyright 2010

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

SCRIPTURE JOY, AND WE ALL NEED TO CHANGE


Sandra

Near cherry blossoms
in Washington, DC


Greetings -

Scriptures are from the King James Bible.

Philippians 3:12-14

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We all need to change - sinners and Christians.  Of course, sinners need salvation and to accept JESUS as Savior, and to choose to obey the Word of GOD.  We, Christians, need to change, as well.  Recently, I heard a pastor express that some Christians are born-again but they are NOT holy.  I believe that, often, Christians are the butt of jokes in mainstream society because holiness is NOT a lifestyle for many people who profess Christ as their Lord and Savior.  If holiness is steadfastly on display, the results will be more respect and reverence for GOD. 

Certainly, holiness, in demonstration, brings on persecution.  But it is one thing to be mocked for righteousness sake.  It is quite another thing to be mocked for unrighteousness sake.   

Herod had John the Baptist killed because John was holy.  Even though Herod had John killed, the Bible states in Mark 6:20, "For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly."  

In the book of  Exodus, as wicked as king Pharaoh was, he knew that Moses was holy.  In the book of 1 Samuel, it reveals that Saul knew that David was holy.  It says in 1 Samuel 18:12, 14, 15, "And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.  And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.  Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him."  And 2 Samuel 3:1 says, "Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker."  Clearly, our Lord is with those who are holy.

In the book of Daniel, king Darius knew that Daniel was holy.  He was "sore displeased," and could not sleep because he had had Daniel placed in the den of lions.  Daniel 6:14, 18 states, "Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.  Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him." 

In Daniel 3, king Nebuchadnezzar knew that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were holy.   He made a decree in Daniel 3:29.  It states, "Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the GOD of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other GOD that can deliver after this sort."  And Daniel 3:30 states that the king promoted the three men with the furnace testimony.  Specifically, it states, "Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province Babylon."  Babylon was the region of their captivity!  Our GOD is NOT limited by our placements or our circumstances.

Are we holy enough to be recognized as such?  Do we steadfastly shine as Moses did in Exodus 34:30?  It says, "And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone;..."  As I shared in a previous post, when I lived in Tampa, a crack addict said that she saw an aura on me.  Also, when in Tampa, I rode the bus the second time with a man when he said to me, "I see JESUS all over you."  I didn't mention those accounts to boast of me, but to boast of the power of our Lord when we steadfastly and utterly yield to His will.  When we are holy, heathen and Christians KNOW it.  We can glory in tribulations when they come as a result of our holiness.  Romans 5:3 states, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:..." 

Holiness is an ongoing process.  If we don't continue to move ahead in our Lord, we become "stuck on stupid."  The other day I said to our Lord, "I need to change."  He will lead as to how that needs to develop. 

Yes, we help sinners, but we should remain mindful that sinners help us, as well.  Some of them are kinder and more generous than some Christians.  Numerous sinners volunteer, and serve others.  Overall, do enough Christians serve others?  Or do we do more to serve ourselves in the safe and comfortable confines of our homes and church buildings?  Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."  Do we sufficiently fulfil that law of Christ? 

I feel pity for sinners who don't know our Lord, and pray regularly for their salvation.  Increasingly, though, I feel pity for, and pray for those Christians who have been born-again for years yet choose to be carnal.  The result of such choices is that, for the most part, those Christians are spiritually unprofitable and dead.  Romans 8:6 says, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."  Their unwise choices to be about death means that the best of GOD is unavailable to them.  How pitiful is that?

We all need to change - sinners and Christians.  We need to help each other.  There are lessons that we gain from sinners and there are lessons that they gain from us.  We all have valuable contributions to make from our pool of experiences.  We shouldn't outright dismiss the knowledge and wisdom bases of sinners just because they don't know our Lord.  GOD has deposited valuable talents and gifts in ALL of His creations.  When I lived in a homeless shelter, our Lord allowed me to learn from drug addicts and alcoholics, and He allowed them to learn from me.  I am grateful for their deposits into my character base.  Please know that I don't promote being friends with the world.  That is biblically unsound.  I do heartily promote that we seek our Lord for discernment in how to lovingly and wisely engage with others - sinners and saints.  

We all need to change.  For the glory of GOD, what changes do we need to make in our attitudes, and lifestyles?  How can we better serve our Lord, and others?  Love must be a core ingredient - without love, we are nothing.  

We must evolve.  None of us has arrived.  We are all students and teachers.  We won't truly arrive unless we do the will of our Lord, and when we exit this earth to arrive in heaven.  Until then, we must evolve to become better and better with a steadfast aim for the BEST.  That can only be successfully done with GOD as our FIRST LOVE.  

Why settle...when the optimum is attainable?

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Sandra

Written Tuesday April 5, 2011 

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25 comments:

  1. SCRIPTURE JOY, AND WE ALL NEED TO CHANGE.

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  2. God must be speaking to His people about them being holy. I used such scripture in my blog today, and I've read it in others, too. When He is getting a message out, so plain and clear, we need to pay close attention to it. The scripture He sent me today (1 Peter 1:14-19) tells us we are to be holy because He is, and outlines why. I do not know for what He is preparing us, but we need to be holy in preparation. (PS: I really like the new photo of you and the cherry blossoms. I've always wanted to make the trip to DC to see that sight - thanks for sharing it with us)

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  3. Great photograph of you and the blossoms. God bless.

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  4. Greetings -

    Thank you for visiting and commenting.

    @Grammy Blick -

    How interesting that recently holiness is a focus on various blogs.

    You expressed, "I do not know for what He is preparing us, but we need to be holy in preparation."

    I wholly agree, Grammy Blick.

    Thank you for those scripture citations. I will look them up later today. And I will also visit your blog to read your holiness post.

    I appreciate your compliment about my photo. I took numerous photos of the cherry blossoms. They will be posted soon. Also, this Friday April 9th, I have plans to post 7 UPS QUIZUPS.

    @Clint
    Thank you for the compliment.

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  5. Greetings Dakota -

    Thank you for visiting and commenting.

    You are certainly welcome here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Sandra,
    I love this post. So many times people profess faith in Christ, bet baptized, yet are not change. Many feel their sin is not a big deal. This breaks my heart. Our salvation is not a license to sin or fire insurance.

    May the Lord bless you,
    Ken

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  7. Hi Ken -

    Glad you love the post. You are so right on with your statement, "Our salvation is not a license to sin or fire insurance."

    How true, Ken - how true.

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  8. "Holiness unto the Lord".

    Sandra, those are the words that have been firmly imprinted in my mind from being a youngster in my church. Those words were displayed on the wall above the head of the Pastor and could be seen by the congregation as He preached in the Pulpit.

    Where is the reverence and respect for God, these days and where is the fear of the Lord.

    We dreaded those words as youngsters, but my heart yearns for them now.

    God Bless, great post, and it is so nice to see more pictures of you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love the photo, and the thoughtful post.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Greetings -

    Thank you for visiting and commenting.

    @Carole
    I love that "Holiness unto the Lord" was displayed on the wall above the head of the Pastor and could be seen by the congregation as he preached in the pulpit. Yes, Carole, I love that placement.

    You asked a good question, "Where is the reverence and respect for God, these days and where is the fear of the Lord."

    My belief is that we are now in a "season" where GOD'S judgments are going to manifest more. HE SHALL BRING more people into the fear of the Lord. His judgments will CERTAINLY get their attention.

    The Word of GOD states in Galatians 6:7 - KJV, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked:..."

    Thank you for your compliments, Carole.

    @Susie
    Thank you, Susie.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sandra,
    Good post! I love how you said, "stuck on stupid"
    I get "stuck on stupid" and I need to give myself a shake to rid the slumber. We need to wake up for the time is short and really we all will want to be ready when Jesus returns.

    Blessings,
    <><

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, Sandra:
    Wonderful scriptures on holiness and I like what you mentioned about love being a core ingredient. What a neat pic of you by the cherry blossoms. Wish I could be there with you!

    Love,
    Mary

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  13. Greetings -

    Thank you for visiting and commenting.

    @Child of God
    Glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, I have had my share of being "stuck on stupid"...

    You're right...the time is shorter...

    In kingdom quarters, the only thing the devil is running is - out of time.

    We are safe in the arms of our Lord, and according to His Words in Psalm 91, among other places in the Holy Bible.

    @Saleslady371
    It is vital that we remember that without love, we are nothing...

    Glad you liked the photo...thank you for the compliment.

    ReplyDelete
  14. God has been speaking to me
    on holiness as well. Great Post!
    I like to invite you to follow my blog.

    John

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sandra I simply loved the following statement: "Why settle...when the optimum is attainable?" Can I use it? :-)

    Holiness is a given in my book. The Lord said, Be ye holy as I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15, 16) and "without holiness, no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).
    It's sad, no grave that so many believers (and I believe a lot has to do with what is being taught in many churches and the signs of the times) prey upon the grace and love of God and forget that judgment is coming and that to the house of God first.

    Holiness means separate, to separate ourselves unto God. He said for us to come out from among them - the world. We are a holy nation, (a separate, called out people) to show forth the glory of God. We can't do that looking, acting, walking, talking and entertaining like the world.

    "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter. 2:9). Hallelujah!!!!

    Thanks Sandra for your post.

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  16. Thank you for your comments on my blog JOHN THREESIXTEEN. I enjoyed reading your blog and have added myself as a follower. God Bless You.

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  17. Greetings -

    Thank you for visiting and commenting.

    @John
    You are certainly welcome here.

    Yes, we all need to aim steadfastly for holiness.

    Glad you liked the post.

    @Beverly
    Sure - you can use it.

    You expressed a bunch that struck me heartily.
    In particular, of deep impact to me,

    "...without holiness, no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).

    "...and love of God and forget that judgment is coming and that to the house of God first.

    "Holiness means separate,... We can't do that looking, acting, walking, talking and entertaining like the world..."

    A hearty Amen, and jubliant praise to the truth of God that you stated here.

    @JT
    You are certainly welcome.

    Glad you enjoyed reading here.

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  18. The Bride of Christ - the cherry blossoms WOW! We are endeavoring to become like Jesus - we cannot do that without choosing to be holy and make pure choices - sometimes we do and sometimes we slip up but it is an "ongoing, one foot in front of the other" process and He will take us by the hand and lead us if we choose to allow Him to do just that! Thank you Jesus!

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  19. Good, good post, Sandra. The last few weeks I've realized that my faith muscles are a little flabby. So, I need to work out - I need to change. Striving to be holy on my own, will never work - and it won't work if I try to fight the enemy in my own power, either.

    And I really like how you pointed out that God can use ALL things, including nonbelievers, to shape and mold us. His ultimate purpose is our character, and sometimes that character is best shaped outside the Body...

    Enjoyed this -

    (And I LOVED the picture of you! You just always make me smile - and in this picture, I really saw your mom's expression on your face! You are beautiful...)

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  20. Greetings -

    Thank you for visiting and commenting.

    @Marijo
    I love that you expressed, "We are endeavoring to become like Jesus - we cannot do that without choosing to be holy and make pure choices -."

    Yes, Marijo, it is so essential to be pure before our Lord. That so delights Him...

    @Sharon
    Glad you enjoyed the post.

    We all need spiritual muscle toning, and when we indulge accordingly, the results are impressive. May we keep working out with the Lord of lords and King of kings - all for His glory!

    Thank you for the compliment, and the reference to my mom. She is a pearl WITH our Lord...

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  21. I think "Lord change me" is my most often prayed prayer! Thanks once again for a wonderful, insightful post!

    Blessings!!!

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  22. Hi Mining for Diamonds -

    That is a prayer that is wise and helpful for all of us to pray...

    You are certainly welcome.

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  23. Great post, and a very timely subject. I like the passages you used to bring the points out. We certainly need to get the message of holiness back into our local churches. As Christians, we have not arrived. We need God to continue to do a work on us, even after we have met Him and have become a new creation. God's ultimate calling for us is to attain "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4: 13).

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  24. Hi Pastor Frank -

    Thank you for visiting and commenting.

    You expressed, "We certainly need to get the message of holiness back into our local churches.

    "God's ultimate calling for us is to attain "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4: 13)."

    A hearty Amen to those messages, Pastor Frank.

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  25. Amen! We all need to be changing. We need to be working to become more Christlike, but we must also be sharing the Gospel of Christ so that others can know Him also. The more Christlike be become the more holy.

    ReplyDelete

Greetings -

Thank you for visiting and commenting. It is my pleasure to read from your heart places. We are all students and teachers and I so enjoy, precious people, the beneficial engagements with you.