Spirit

Encouragement from the Scriptures necessary for spiritual wellness.

What’s In Your Hand? My Story.

by ladypbwiggins

This is my story about how and why I became an Independent Distributor for Young Living Essential Oils. Below the video is the link to Young Living Essential Oils. I invite you to listen to my story and invest in your wellness.

The link is https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/new-start?sponsorid=18686493&enrollerid=18686493&isocountrycode=US&culture=en-US&type=member

This links to me. It will ask you what kind of member you want to be. Retail or Wholesale. Wholesale requires purchasing a kit. Cost range from $45+. The Premium kit is $165. This is the best value. The benefit to becoming a wholesale member is the 24% discount and opportunity to become a Business Builder. It will ask you information to build your account to make your purchase. You have the opportunity to view the product catalogue and choose from every category. Make your purchase directly from them and delivery is made directly to you. Come on and join the YL family.

LOVE?

by ladypbwiggins

What did Y’shua mean?

Matthew 22:35-40 (KJV)
35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38  This is the first and great commandment.
39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This word is used so freely to describe such a wide range of emotions. We say “I love you” just to be nice sometimes without thinking of the depth of feelings the other person may believe it to mean. In the scripture above the word is translated from the Greek word agapeo which is defined in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance as “to love in a social and moral sense.” What does that mean? Comparing it to brotherly love, phileo, agapeo is an deliberate, intellectual act of the will that embraces duty, propriety and principle. In other words, it is not based on feelings but is a choice. As Y’shua states above, we are to love God with all our heart, our soul and our mind. Love the Lord your God with all your thoughts and feelings, your breath, and your deep thought (understanding).

That makes clear HOW I am to love but what does the word love mean?Going back to Deuteronomy 6:5 that Y’shua was quoting the word love is defined as ‘to have affection for.” That seems easy. I can have affection for God and for you. However, it goes so much deeper than that. It has to be an “all” kind of love. My entire being expresses love for my God. It’s ALL encompassing; my very lifestyle. That my friend affects how I love you or myself. Paul, a scholar of the Law, summarizes Yahweh’s instructions on the lifestyle of the Israelites and Y’shua’s teachings in the following text.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (ESV)
4  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. …….1
13  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I deliberately, and intellectually choose to LOVE.

Y’shua’s Gospel

by ladypbwiggins

We would do Well to Remember!

One day I decided to study the gospels, you know, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with the purpose of determining the gospel message according to Y’shua (Jesus). We have so many people telling us what the gospel is in sermon, song, or behavior. Their versions have just gotten so anti-everything, except what I can get for “me”. Now I am not new to the scriptures but I wanted a fresh look. I set aside everything I knew or thought I knew and approached the investigation with fresh eyes.
The question I wanted answered was “what is the gospel according to Y’shua?”  Remember He had not died and resurrected, so that could not be His gospel.
Also, why were the religious leaders so angry with Him? You would think they’d be supportive after He read Isaiah in the synagogue. After all, they had been, supposedly, awaiting with great expectation the Messiah”s appearance on the scene.

I noticed that Y’shua challenged the practices of the religious leaders with his every act and word. The religious leaders prayed in public so everyone could observe their piety. But where was the submission to Yahweh? Y’shua taught his disciples not to pray like the Pharisees who had a semblance of holiness. He taught them to respect and yield to Yahweh’s sovereignty when they prayed. They wanted the law to be obeyed without compassion for the person. He taught obedience to the law wrapped in love. Take the women caught in adultery. The law said both the man and the woman should be stoned but only the woman was brought before him. He did not condone the woman’s behavior. Instead, He asked her where are your accusers. He did not condemn her, instead he showed her compassion and to sin no more. His response also cast a light on their hypocrisy and disobedience. He who has no sin cast the first stone. We would do well to remember.

I could go on but I will stop here with examples. It is my opinion that HIS GOSPEL, HIS GOOD NEWS was
1. Freedom from legalism, religiosity,selective judgement, man-made traditions
2. Freedom to love their God, themselves and their neighbors.

Yes, Yahweh’s law was to be obeyed. Yes, Yahweh’s messages through the prophets were to be listened to. Y’shua reminded them that the law and the prophets hung on the commandment to love God (Yahweh) and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Matthew 22:35-40 (KJV)
35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38  This is the first and great commandment.
39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

In everything He said and did, Yahweh’s Love was the why. His expression or example of righteous Love is the how. Love in all circumstances was His message; His GOSPEL; HIS GOOD NEWS.

We would do well to remember what is most important.

LOVE!

Not My Job

by ladypbwiggins

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (ESV)
12  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
13  God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

It seems we do the opposite. We spend so much time condemning people who don’t believe what we believe. We spend so little time calling out the wrong done by those inside the church. We excuse or justify. I guess we are afraid our mess will be exposed.

Well, I have just set you free from what is not your job. God will judge those on the outside of our beliefs if they are to be judged at all. We should focus on “in the house.”

If we do this we will become a light on a hill, instead of the oppressors of God’s greatest creation, mankind.

My Prayer for USA Christians

by ladypbwiggins

During my study of Daniel, I took special note of his prayer for Israel in Chapter 9. It struck me as quite appropriate for the Christians in the USA at this time in history. Here is my adaptation. Here is my prayer. If you pray and if you love this country, I ask you to join me in praying this prayer for it.

To the Catholic and Protestant Church and those who claim to follow Y’shua’s teachings.

O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who keep His commandment, we have sinned and committed iniquity (crookedness) we have done wickedly ( are wrong and caused to be wrong) and rebelled, even by departing from your precepts (commands) and judgments (sentences). Neither have we heeded your servants who are rightly teaching your Word, who earnestly spoke in your name.

O Lord, righteousness belongs to you but shame of face to us. We have been unfaithful to you.

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or God, to walk in His ways which He set before us. Yes all the church has transgressed. We have not made our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.

O Lord according to all your righteousness, I pray, let your anger and your fury be turned away from us who claim to be yours. Now God hear my prayer. Cause your face to shine on me, on us because our hearts are desolate.

O my God, please hear, please see us. I am not worthy to be heard or seen but Father you are merciful.

Please Forgive Us Your Children.

Please Forgive Us who are Called by Your Name.

Looking in Daniel’s Mirror

by ladypbwiggins

Every new year many churches participate in some version of Daniel’s fast. This year my church was no different but my fast was. I lead a plant-based dietary lifestyle so I had to sacrifice or do something different. I chose to fast from social media and devote that time to studying the man, Daniel. I thought there would be a long lists of lessons about his character but he was so consistent in his behavior that it is a short but powerful list.

Daniel reminded me what my God favors.

  1. Prayer
  2. Unwavering Commitment to God even into death
  3. Unquestioned loyalty to God and friends
  4. Humility
  5. Continual Prayer
  6. Confidence in God
  7. Care and concern for others
  8. PRAYER

God responded with favor, wisdom and power.

I, now, stand facing this mirror.

The Long Way ‘Round

by ladypbwiggins

Sometimes I find myself questioning God about Carl’s healing. I know without a doubt that he answered my prayer that fateful night quickly and clearly. He confirmed it every step of the way in the hospitals and rehab through nurses, speech therapists and Carl’s progress. Yet, here we are almost 4 years later and there are still areas that are not completely healed. The brain trauma due to a lack of oxygen caused by the several episodes of ventricular tachycardia still affects his memory sometimes. He says it’s like being in a fog and when it clears he remembers. I guess I didn’t think it would take this long. I asked God why was it taking so long? Was I doing something to slow down the progress?

One day while reading Exodus, I believe I received my answer. In Exodus 13:17,18 God says He led the people along the path of the Red Sea rather than the short route through the Wilderness of Sin because the wilderness took them through the land of the Philistines. The Philistines were large in size and proficient in war.

So it happened, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearer; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war [that is, that there will be war], and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea; the sons of Israel went up in battle array (orderly ranks, marching formation) out of the land of Egypt.

EXODUS 13:17‭-‬18 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/exo.13.17-18.AMP

It jumped off the page. He didn’t choose the shortest route. They were not ready for what they might encounter. Think about it. They had not needed to war for 430 years. Egypt handled that. He took them the long way so that they could learn.

  • Learn Him and His ways;
  • Learn how to strategize;
  • Learn how to fight;
  • Learn to be His nation

More questions. What had I not learned? I realized maybe it wasn’t about me. Maybe there was more for Carl to learn; maybe for us to learn together. Hmmm…

Thank you Lord for “the long way ’round.”

A Second Touch

by ladypbwiggins

This morning my bible study covered the account of Y’shua (Jesus) healing a blind man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26). The man’s friends begged  Yshua to heal him. Y’shua took the blind man by the hand and led him outside of the village. He spat on his eyes and then touched them. He asked him if he could see anything. The man said I see people but they look like trees walking. Y’shua then touched him again. It is reported after the second touch the blind man’s sight was restored and he could see all things clearly.

In my humanness, my first reaction was to him spitting in his eyes. I have a real serious issue with people spitting on me. But putting that aside, I wondered why a second touch needed. I know He was powerful enough to heal on the first touch. He had done it before. That question lingered in my mind through the rest of the study.  A second touch was required to complete the healing. Why? Was it the man’s lack of faith? Was it the disciple’s lack of faith and understanding? Was it necessary to teach that sometimes a process is needed for healing? Was it to teach the disciples the difference in seeing and seeing clearly? In light of the disciples’ lack of understanding about the Pharisee’s leaven, maybe Y’shua had to show them how blind they were and that they had a need to see clearly and that He was the source of that clarity. Hmm.

Some of you know my husband and I went through a horrendous year in 2015. I was faced with his death. While the EMTs worked to resuscitate him, I prayed, LORD if it is his time, take him because I don’t want him to suffer but if it isn’t, please heal him completely. As soon as I finished my request, he began to breath. I believe that was God’s answer that He would heal him completely. When he left the house he was breathing on his own. Here we are almost a year since he came home from rehab for the third time. He has made tremendous progress but he is not completely healed. He is walking with a cane and his memory is still shaky. I have asked God why hasn’t he healed him completely yet?  Why hasn’t He restored him to good health mentally and physically? What are we not doing that we should be doing? What do we need to see clearly? To what am I blind? Could it be that a second touch is needed?

LORD, I pray that you touch us again with your healing hands. I ask that you restore Carl’s body and mind to be better than before. We believe you allowed him to stay here because you still had a job for him to do. Touch me and teach me what you desire of me. LORD give us a second touch.

Do you need a second touch?

The Tradition of Men

by ladypbwiggins

Have we laid aside the commandments of God for the traditions of men? This was Y’shua’s main complaint against the Pharisees.  Do we care more about what our particular denomination says rather than what God says? Even the non-denominational churches have traditions. Do we care more about our evangelical conservative view than the views of God? What are we teaching the world about the God we say we serve? Have we become like the Pharisees of old? Are we the Pharisees of the present? What would God say about us? I challenge you to examine yourselves to determine if you have laid aside God’s commandments or maybe are selective in the one’s you obey for the traditions of men.

Mark 6

6  He answered and said to them,

“Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

7  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8  “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men–the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

9  He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

Just something to think about.

The bold is mine.

The Kingdom is At Hand?

by ladypbwiggins

For a long time  some terms used in the Bible puzzled me. This is one of them. From a Christian perspective I knew or thought it was referring to the presence of Jesus the Christ but John the Baptist was not a Christian. Christ wasn’t even a Christian. They were both of Hebrew birth, Jews. They both went to synagogue, read  or heard the scrolls read, learned the Torah and the Prophets. So what did this term mean to them? I have read some theologians thoughts that they were referring to Daniel’s prophecy regarding the kingdom that was eternal that would destroy all human kingdoms. I can imagine in light of Roman oppression this would be, certainly be something the Jewish nation would be looking forward to.

I did  a word study, of course, and this is my understanding of the phrase. The reign or rules of God is here. You would think that would not be necessary to say to a group of people whose very national existence is based on the rules of God. Apparently something was missing. Just like many of us today, we know the rules of our beliefs but we do not apply the rules in our daily lives. We pick and choose what we want to obey and then get mad at God when we don’t get what we want or things don’t work out as we planned. So it seems, Y’shua came to teach how to truly live the rules so that God rules. If this were not so, would John have preached, Repent or Reform? Would Yshua have said Repent or Reform? Some things needed to change.

This declaration simply states for me that God is in charge and if we claim to be His, then His rules need to be lived daily. Yshua the Living Word of God showed the difference between what the Pharisees and Priest taught and lived and what God intended.

So change your way of thinking (Repent) for the rule of God is here.

Here, right now.

Live accordingly.