Returning to His glorious presence! In His presence is fullness of joy. Have you ever been around someone who often would bring a damper into conversations? When we are dwelling in the brightness of Jesus their impact is minimal. The loveliness of Jesus is more overwhelming- He consumes all darkness. When we drink - it is one gulp at a time. But it fills us and we can drink as much as we desire. "You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows. So why would I fear the future? For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I'll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!"
Psalms 23:5-6 The Passion Translation
MY KEYS
His sensible wife said...
Judges 13:(AMPC) 21 The Angel of the Lord did not appear again to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the Angel of the Lord.
22 And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
23 But his [sensible] wife said to him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a cereal offering from our hands, nor have shown us all these things or now have announced such things as these.
24 And the woman [in due time] bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew and the Lord blessed him.
When the Lord speaks to us or obviously reveals himself, why do we reason about our conclusions. We must be careful to watch our thinking. The reasoning of Manoah was dangerous amd could have taking them out of obedience allowing some kind of imagination come against them. The Amplified described Manoah's wife as 'sensible.'
If the Lord were pleased to kill us... So logical and yet if we allow those thoughts come they can thwart our complete simple trust and obedience.
Manoah wanted to see the 'man.' For him perhaps the experience of an encounter from an angel actually distracted him from the message. As he thought about, wondered about, what had just happened he was about to miss the message just delivered.
The angel came to his wife twice. Maybe God knew she would get it right. Simple trust, yes she was amazed and impacted, but she received exactly what she was told.
We should write down and rehearse what God has said. No more or no less.
Linda Livengood
Revival Reports from Doorkeepers (Facebook page)
Process Of Transforming is also the Sustaining of Personal Revival
Seeking God is like the process a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. The caterpillar struggles through the process until the breakthrough. It continues by spreading pollen. Eating the blossoms that gave the pollen. The purpose of the struggle, the whole process does not stop until it's life is over.
What the caterpillar does is natural. He doesn't resist building a cocoon. It is who he is and what he does. It is the process of what he is destined to be. In a sense we are revival just as soon as we commit our lives to Jesus.
There is a natural hunger to know our creator. Yet to find Him and to be transformed to be like Him is a struggle. There are dangers on the way to steal and destroy your chances of revival or sustaining what God has and is doing in our life.
There is a supernatural battle for our soul. There is a full blown battle to stop any godly transformation. Distractions here will sometimes seem more real and more satisfying than the seeking after something we can't see. But if we seek the Lord we are promised we will find Him.
Learning to pray, or communicate with God can be a struggle. There is a powerful character in the Bible. We are told of Daniel because he learned to hang in there. He believed if he continued to pray God would do what He promised. Daniel prayed 21 days - he pushed and struggled thru the battle, all the way through the process.
Jesus told parables (stories to help illustrate His point). In the parable of the lost coin they swept every inch until they found it. The seeking took diligent effort. They did not quite.
It is not that God doesn't think we are good enough. The seeking is necessary for our existence to be with Him to be like Him.
There are signs, indications when we need to step up the seeking. Our worship might lack effort or passion. Prayer may become slack. When we recognize it is time to step up the seeking, we continue on into the transformations He deals with us about.
We need both personal and community transformation. For either and both, it is in the seeking that comes fresh life. We expect the 'revivals' we schedule (a series of services) and plan for them to be blasts of God's presence and miracles. We schedule 'revival' services and then hope they are enough to keep us on fire or to relight the fire. The passion for continuing to seek the fire will always seem to wane. It becomes clear we need the struggle. We might call it perseverance or diligence.
Being transformed from living for this world, to living for heaven is the struggle. The fire that transforms needs to be stoked or re-lite over and over. Even though we see the weakness of relying on the scheduled 'revival' blasts, there is huge evidence without the struggle of those times of seeking revival does seriously wane. Scheduling those times to seek God are crucial in transforming our life here in order to live life here or for there - Heaven.
Linda Livengood
Revival Reports from Doorkeepers (Facebook)
No one should seek their own good
23,000 of them died
"We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
1 Corinthians 10:8-13 NIV
The trafficked areas of NZ have these broad white stripes across the road for pedestrians to cross. Theoretically you need not worry about stepping into these paths meant for safety. The pedestrians have the 'right-of-way.' Sometimes there are red and white posts and a light at the top to alert those driving vehicles to prepare them to slow down. If there are no pedestrians the vehicles are not required to stop.
Now this is a win win for pedestrian and traffic flow as long as everyone is alert and complies. But if an unaware foreign driver, or one who is distracted does not notice the crossing it can be very dangerous.
Scripture is 66 books to help us understand there are consequences when the spirit and flesh do not flow together. We can choose to ignore, or disbelieve, or rebel against what is outlined for all of us to conduct ourselves. Or we can make adjustments to our behavior and find there are guidelines that are good for all of us.
""I have the right to do anything," you say—but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."
1 Corinthians 10:23-24
Linda Livengood
Revival Reports from Doorkeepers (Facebook page)
Sustaining Revival
Process Of Transforming is Also the Sustaining of Revival
Seeking God is like the process a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. The caterpillar struggles through the process until the breakthrough. It continues by spreading pollen. Eating the blossoms that gave the pollen. The purpose of the struggle, the whole process does not stop until it's life is over.
What the caterpillar does is natural. He doesn't resist building a cocoon. It is who he is and what he does. It is the process of what he is destined to be. In a sense we are revival just as soon as we commit our lives to Jesus.
There is a natural hunger to know our creator. Yet to find Him and to be transformed to be like Him is a struggle. There are dangers on the way to steal and destroy your chances of revival or sustaining what God has and is doing in our life.
There is a supernatural battle for our soul. There is a full blown battle to stop any godly transformation. Distractions here will sometimes seem more real and more satisfying than the seeking after something we can't see. But if we seek the Lord we are promised we will find Him.
Learning to pray, or communicate with God can be a struggle. There is a powerful character in the Bible. We are told of Daniel because he learned to hang in there. He believed if he continued to pray God would do what He promised. Daniel prayed 21 days - he pushed and struggled thru the battle, all the way through the process.
Jesus told parables (stories to help illustrate His point). In the parable of the lost coin they swept every inch until they found it. The seeking took diligent effort. They did not quite.
It is not that God doesn't think we are good enough. The seeking is necessary for our existence to be with Him to be like Him.
There are signs, indications when we need to step up the seeking. Our worship might lack effort or passion. Prayer may become slack. When we recognize it is time to step up the seeking, we continue on into the transformations He deals with us about.
We need both personal and community transformation. For either and both, it is in the seeking that comes fresh life. We expect the 'revivals' we schedule (a series of services) and plan for them to be blasts of God's presence and miracles. We schedule 'revival' services and then hope they are enough to keep us on fire or to relight the fire. The passion for continuing to seek the fire will always seem to wane. It becomes clear we need the struggle. We might call it perseverance or diligence.
Being transformed from living for this world, to living for heaven is the struggle. The fire that transforms needs to be stoked or re-lite over and over. Even though we see the weakness of relying on the scheduled 'revival' blasts, there is huge evidence without the struggle of those times of seeking revival does seriously wane. Scheduling those times to seek God are crucial in transforming our life here in order to live life here or for there - Heaven.
Linda Livengood
lindamikliven@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/lindamikliven
http://theywillworshiphim.blogspot.com
mikelivengoodministries.com
lindamikliven@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/lindamikliven
http://theywillworshiphim.blogspot.com
mikelivengoodministries.com
doorkeepersnewzealand.org
Revival Reports from Doorkeepers (Facebook page)
Revival Reports from Doorkeepers (Facebook page)
Keep Going
KEEP GOING - DON'T GET STUCK
KNOW WHERE YOUR HELP COMES FROM
Our help is in the Lord. We need Him! We are not sufficient to make it in our own. Independence will leave us stuck. When we lose the wonder of His help, should we ever start thinking our effort is enough. God may just leave us there until we wake up and find out we are not getting anywhere.
STAY UN-OFFENDABLE
Forgiveness is about letting offense go. When we forgive it abolishes the consequences of a wreck that threatens to stop us. It is not about forgetting it is about forgiving. Forgiving is a choice that always works.
IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU
Refuse enjoying a victim mentality. Start remembering where we have been. Remember how far we have come. Remember what Jesus has done for us. Remember what we deserve - hell. Agree with the devil's accusations and he can not win. Make no excuse for our faults, humble ourself and repent. This is the opposite of being a victim.
IT IS ABOUT ETERNITY
Remember where we are going. Think about eternity. This world is temporary. What is troubling us will not last forever. Live for eternity not for this life. Let the things in this world grow dim. Spend more time with Jesus.
EVERLASTING GRACE
Be assured of the undying grace and love of the one who knows us best. He knows our good and bad and ugly and still loves us. He never fails to love us. He is the faithful one. He never changes.
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Linda Livengood
Revival Reports from Doorkeepers (Facebook page)
Ferocity of the Velocity
Jul 27, 2015
Trying to describe standing in the middle of a small roundabout. I am feeling the intimidating force of the vehicles as they keep moving all about me. There is no break in traffic to allow the possibility of navigating through or beyond where I am. I am required to just stand there.
As I am describing this feeling, Michael, my husband, responds with the word 'vortex.'
I said 'yes!' Yet neither of us really quite understood. Pondering on the concept of vortex I felt the Lord say, 'I am the vortex.'
Many of those we love are experiencing very challenging times. Some are battling spiritually, for others it is physical and emotional. It is huge, threatening circumstances for others.
We have a responsibility to share the burden of others.
The Bible tells us to pray always. While these burdens are not to overwhelm us they do require us to constantly stand and Wait, patiently and attentively.
Then I looked up the definition of vortex: a mass of spinning air, liquid, etc., that pulls things into its center
1 : something that resembles a whirlpool <the hellish vortex of battle >
2 a : a mass of fluid (as a liquid) with a whirling or circular motion that tends to form a cavity or vacuum in the center of the circle and to draw toward this cavity or vacuum bodies subject to its action; especially : whirlpool, eddy
b : a region within a body of fluid in which the fluid elements have an angular velocity
Then I looked up the definition of Velocity:
1 a : quickness of motion : speed
b : rapidity of movement
c : speed imparted to something
2 : the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time : the derivative of position with respect to time
3 a : rate of occurrence or action : rapidity
b : rate of turnover
God is all around us and knows each situation well. Nothing is out of His sight or out of His control. John Kilpatrick says, 'Everything is Father filtered!'
Recently I've often returned to the thought of abiding in Him. Abiding is a great concept, even if standing in a vortex is not the most comfortable place to be abiding. When we are challenged with ferocity of the velocity we can trust Him.
He draws us and stays with us. It doesn't matter how out of control it seems. When it is a hellish battle He is the safe place. Much like the eye of a tornado which can be quite peaceful, He will be the center. When we don't know where or when to go or what to do we can just hang there. Stay focused on Him and let Him be the center.
He helps us stand in the midst of the commotion, the timings, shiftings, the pain, and the changing of positions. He holds us steady all the time and every time. He knows when we need to be still and when it is safe to move. When action on our part is needed, or required He makes the way. He is the best guide to take us straight through.
In Midwestern Illinois we need a physical shelter to go to during a storm. In this sheltered place It is strongly recommended we keep a battery charged light, and/or candles and matches; a battery powered device to listen to weather reports; and perhaps a small supply of food and drink. To be comfortable we might have a chair, or blanket and pillow.
Then we just wait. Prepared to see in the dark we listen for the warnings and information from a source who monitors the storm. Thankfully this helps us know much about the storm. It is a protective, preventive system that has kept us through many a storm.
Inside the shelter We may fret and worry about the danger looming. But ultimately we must keep waiting, staying in that safe place, listening, and trusting the directions we are being given. It is very important. It has probably saved our lives more than once.
There are always more stormy seasons than we want. We don't know how many there will be or long they will last. We don't know what the velocity of the storm will be. We do know God is faithful to be there all the way through.
In the ferocity of the velocity it can be a challenge to hear the voice we need. The voice is high above, yet so near, and deep inside. If you find yourself in a vortex needing a physical healing, a spiritual encounter, or facing overwhelming circumstances let me say this loud and clear - God is with you!
Linda Livengood
Trying to describe standing in the middle of a small roundabout. I am feeling the intimidating force of the vehicles as they keep moving all about me. There is no break in traffic to allow the possibility of navigating through or beyond where I am. I am required to just stand there.
As I am describing this feeling, Michael, my husband, responds with the word 'vortex.'
I said 'yes!' Yet neither of us really quite understood. Pondering on the concept of vortex I felt the Lord say, 'I am the vortex.'
Many of those we love are experiencing very challenging times. Some are battling spiritually, for others it is physical and emotional. It is huge, threatening circumstances for others.
We have a responsibility to share the burden of others.
The Bible tells us to pray always. While these burdens are not to overwhelm us they do require us to constantly stand and Wait, patiently and attentively.
Then I looked up the definition of vortex: a mass of spinning air, liquid, etc., that pulls things into its center
1 : something that resembles a whirlpool <the hellish vortex of battle >
2 a : a mass of fluid (as a liquid) with a whirling or circular motion that tends to form a cavity or vacuum in the center of the circle and to draw toward this cavity or vacuum bodies subject to its action; especially : whirlpool, eddy
b : a region within a body of fluid in which the fluid elements have an angular velocity
Then I looked up the definition of Velocity:
1 a : quickness of motion : speed
b : rapidity of movement
c : speed imparted to something
2 : the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time : the derivative of position with respect to time
3 a : rate of occurrence or action : rapidity
b : rate of turnover
God is all around us and knows each situation well. Nothing is out of His sight or out of His control. John Kilpatrick says, 'Everything is Father filtered!'
Recently I've often returned to the thought of abiding in Him. Abiding is a great concept, even if standing in a vortex is not the most comfortable place to be abiding. When we are challenged with ferocity of the velocity we can trust Him.
He draws us and stays with us. It doesn't matter how out of control it seems. When it is a hellish battle He is the safe place. Much like the eye of a tornado which can be quite peaceful, He will be the center. When we don't know where or when to go or what to do we can just hang there. Stay focused on Him and let Him be the center.
He helps us stand in the midst of the commotion, the timings, shiftings, the pain, and the changing of positions. He holds us steady all the time and every time. He knows when we need to be still and when it is safe to move. When action on our part is needed, or required He makes the way. He is the best guide to take us straight through.
In Midwestern Illinois we need a physical shelter to go to during a storm. In this sheltered place It is strongly recommended we keep a battery charged light, and/or candles and matches; a battery powered device to listen to weather reports; and perhaps a small supply of food and drink. To be comfortable we might have a chair, or blanket and pillow.
Then we just wait. Prepared to see in the dark we listen for the warnings and information from a source who monitors the storm. Thankfully this helps us know much about the storm. It is a protective, preventive system that has kept us through many a storm.
Inside the shelter We may fret and worry about the danger looming. But ultimately we must keep waiting, staying in that safe place, listening, and trusting the directions we are being given. It is very important. It has probably saved our lives more than once.
There are always more stormy seasons than we want. We don't know how many there will be or long they will last. We don't know what the velocity of the storm will be. We do know God is faithful to be there all the way through.
In the ferocity of the velocity it can be a challenge to hear the voice we need. The voice is high above, yet so near, and deep inside. If you find yourself in a vortex needing a physical healing, a spiritual encounter, or facing overwhelming circumstances let me say this loud and clear - God is with you!
Linda Livengood
Revival Reports from Doorkeepers (Facebook page)
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