I hope and pray You are all doing well!

My family has been, for the past few weeks, under very great pressure. Today we received another portion of bad news. My sister Madli found out that her baby (she is 4 months pregnant) has severe malfunctions - her intestines are completely missing, her liver is in her chest and her heart is not beating properly. So, they have to induce the birth with the help of medications and take the baby out. It is the second time for her. 1,5 years ago she was expecting twin girls and she lost them on the 5th month. It is very hard for her and the father.

Please, please lift Madli and Hendrik up in Your prayers. Lets ask the Lord to supernaturally comfort and strengthen them and bring them out stronger from this ordeal. They are not saved yet, so, please pray that they would not blame God in this. Please pray for the rest of our unsaved family too for comfort and to not blame God in this. Please pray for my mom and me (Christians in our family) for strength and wisdom in this situation and to really support them at this time.

Thank You so much for being there for us! We are deeply grateful for each of Your prayers.

Have You ever looked at the faces of God's people and seen the peace there? From time to time I see someone who has very special peace written all over him/her. This peace is so beautiful to look at. It makes the peace-carrier radiant. Literally.

I never before thought about the two kinds of peace the Bible talks about: peace with God and peace of God. When we come to the Lord, we receive the peace with God. We no longer are separated from God... we have peace with Him. Romans 5:1 talks about this kind of peace, saying, "Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."

"We have the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy, peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The peace with God is achieved by coming to the Lord, receiving Jesus in our hearts and accepting the justification through faith. It gives us great peace to know that from now on our eternity is secured. We are all right! We are safe. This is the first stage of peace... but God does not stop here, He has more for us. He wants us to be filled with His peace... to have the peace of God.

There are many times more people who are the carriers of the peace with God than those who actually have the peace of God infilling them. It is easier to achieve the peace with God... while it takes time to achieve the peace of God. Yet, it is available for every single born again believer.

There is NO peace apart from God. Hebrews 13:20 calls God, along with tens of other verses in the Bible, "the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace]".

John 14:27 contains one of the most beautiful & powerful promises in the Word of God. Jesus, speaking deep comforting words to us, says, "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you." Jesus has something the world will never have - peace. He desires every one of us to be filled with this powerful force... yes, peace truly is a powerful force! It makes us immovable, strong, steady, firm in our faith.

Next, Jesus exhorts us to not allow our peace be stolen. He lets us know exactly what are the robbers of peace. He stresses, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"

So, the robbers of peace are agitation, fear, worry, intimidation, fear of man, unsettledness... or in one word FEAR. Fear steals the peace of God from our hearts. Sometimes we fear but we give a different name to it... may be because then it doesn't seem like fear.

What can free us from fear - ALL fear? The Love of God. We all know 1 John 4:18 by heart, "There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!"

Where do we find the "love that turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror"? From God. For God is Love (1 John 4:8). When we spend time with God, we are being filled with peace and love. Especially the Word of God - His unbreakable promises - fill us with peace and faith, strength and joy. John 1:1 tells us that, "In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself."

The Word of God and God are one and the same. So, if "love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror", so does the Word of God. The more time we spend in the Word of God, the more we are being filled with the peace of God. Especially taking time to meditate on the promises of God, fills us with peace beyond understanding.

Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:9 to, "Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you." Verses preceding this exhortation let us know what he calls us to practice:

verse 4: "Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!" Paul could not stress strongly enough the importance of rejoicing in the Lord ALWAYS. For "the joy of the Lord is our strength and stronghold." (Neh.8:10) The weaker we feel, the more we have the need to rejoice, to gladden ourselves in the Lord. It fills us with strength and uplifts our faith.

verse 6: "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God." Paul knew we could live without any fret and anxiety... and he is calling us to live this way. He is calling us to bring all our fears, worries, pains, anxieties, bitterness... and whatever else is eating on us, to the Lord, lay it down at the cross and let it go... and then lift up our prayers to the Lord, with thanksgiving, allowing Him to move on our behalf.

And, we are promised to be filled with the peace of God. Verse 7 promises, "And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Awesome promise! We can be so full of peace right in the midst of a very troubling situation... because we have surrendered our fears and worries and doubts to the Lord, trusting in Him. Also, we are taking the time to rejoice and be glad in the Lord, giving thanks to Him for the answers to our prayers before we actually receive them... knowing beyond the shadow of doubt that when we obey His Word, He will bless us!

Peace truly is one of the most powerful and wonderful gifts Lord has bestowed on us. Peace is what sets us completely apart from the world... for there is no peace apart from God. God is the God of Peace. All peace comes from Him alone. All security and safety is in Him. So, every time we enter the presence of God, we are receiving a fresh filling of peace. We do lose peace during our days in the midst of the world. So, every day we need to be filled anew. Every day we need to stop the speed and fall down on our knees to seek the Lord, Who fills us with peace.

We desperately need the peace, for the Word tells us that God's peace is what should lead us when making decisions. Colossians 3:15 calls us to, "let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]."

All questions that arise in our minds should be settled by the presence of the sweet peace, complete soul harmony... or the lack of it. No peace means red light - we should stop! Peace of God means green light - we can proceed! Not understanding what we feel, means wait. Often, when we are in a pressing situation, others may try to force us to make a decision... but we will have to wait. Gosh, I do know how hard it can be. We sense others "breathing down our necks", putting pressure on us to make up our minds, but unless we sense clear peace or the lack of it, we have to wait. God will show us the way if we honor Him by waiting for His answer. He will.

In this verse too, we are called to "be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]." Being led by the Spirit of God has a lot to do with praise and thanksgiving and rejoicing. It will strengthen us and keep us in the peace of God... even while waiting for the clear direction. Especially during the times of pressure, praise and thanksgiving and rejoicing keep us steady, strong and firm, immovable in the Lord. They will keep us traveling down the right road. They will keep us from getting lost. Even during the times when we feel we already have got lost, it is the praise and thanksgiving and rejoicing in the Lord that will lead us back on the right track.

So, when under pressure, we should wait for the peace to settle in our hearts, and not go the way that seems right to us. Proverbs 16:25 contains a strong warning for us in this matter, saying, "There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death." We need to wait for the Lord and allow Him to fill us with peace that should lead us to make the next step. Another powerful warning for us, to not run ahead of God or fix things our way, is in Isaiah 30:15-17, "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not, and you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that] one thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill."

It seemed right and good for the Israelites to go and ask for help from others than God. So, they did what seemed right to them, and it brought them death. Had they waited a bit longer, to achieve complete peace in order to hear God's counsel, they would have come out on top. It is the same with us. At times we are under immense pressure to move one way or another, but, if we do not have the peace of God leading us, we should wait. It might seem like we are losing time or wasting time, the truth is, we are saving ourselves a lot of trouble.

God is waiting patiently in the sidelines. He can't speak to us unless we are filled with peace. He can't lead us when we are anxious and fearful. And yet He is ready to move. Isaiah 30:18 says, "And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you." He is impatient. He wants to move on our behalf. He so desires to bless us and to do good to us. He so loves us. But, His hands are tied for we are not moving in faith, we are moving in fear and anxiety. He has to get us to the place of peace in order to be able to help us.

So, lets come to the longing Father Who is so impatient to bless us and pour His goodness upon us. Lets satisfy His longing heart by returning to Him and resting in Him. It is our salvation in EVERY situation. In quietness and in trusting confidence is our strength. Lets wait for Him and allow Him to fill us with peace beyond understanding. His peace is our guide in making decisions. We should be so sensitive to His Spirit that as soon as we lose the peace, we return to Him and receive the refilling of His peace... that once again puts us on the right track.

God honors our waiting. He has proved it again and again in my life. When I have taken time to wait upon Him, He has filled me with renewed power and strength and I have been able to do everything that needed to be done... and do it fast and well. He promised us in Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired."

Lets keep our eyes on Him... and be radiant! "They shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for, and expect Me." (Is.49:23)

Many, many blessings and peace beyond understanding to You,

I remember, years ago, hearing a preacher say that Jews believed that where there was no joy in a person, the Holy Spirit was not present. I was completely shocked! I thought, this can't be true... there are a lot of Christians walking around with no joy! But, I'm starting to believe the Jews are right.

For quite a few weeks the Lord has brought to my mind Joy as the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 says, "But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is joy (gladness)..."

Psalm 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore."

So, no joy, no presence of the Holy Spirit! Sounds pretty harsh... but His gentle and sensitive personality cannot stay in a temple that is full of grief, worry, sadness, sorrow, fear... . Luckily, we do not have to sit around and wait for joy to come, we can stand up and start rejoicing right where we are... and this is exactly what we should do. Rejoicing brings us back into the presence of God. Ezra, encouraging the Israelites during a very adverse and difficult time, exhorted them, "be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold." (Neh.8:10)

Joy does not come from the world, so its no use for us to go seeking for some worldly entertainment in order to fill this void in our hearts. If we want joy, which also means the presence of the Holy One, we should go to the Word of God. Jeremiah understood it, saying, "Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart." (Jer.15:16)

One thing that truly opened up to me last night, while meditating on the verses about Joy, was: we have been given the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which the Word of God calls the Good News! Good News! Then it hit me: how on earth can we be sad and worried, when we have been given GOOD NEWS! We better get into the good news and stop all the bad news that want to barge in. The Good News should be standing at the gate of our minds, telling each portion of incoming bad news, no, not here. Only good news allowed.

The book of Acts talks about the Good News being preached to the gentiles. When the Word was brought to them, there was great joy and rejoicing. Acts 13:48 tells us, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified (praised and gave thanks for) the Word of God." Acts 15:31 says, "And when they read it, the people rejoiced at the consolation and encouragement [it brought them]."

The gentiles got the message! They understood that the Word of God was the answer to their problems. They apprehended that they no longer had to live in defeat. Now they were in possession of great treasure. Just like the psalmist, in Psalm 119:162, so they too rejoiced at God's Word as those who had found great spoil. The Good News brought them freedom from fear, freedom from bondage. They no longer were victims. They had become victorious!

We were given the Word a long time ago, and often we no longer rejoice in the Good News. But, it is time to get back into the Word and allow it to encourage and comfort us, filling us with joy. I know we all have our daily problems and cares, and especially because of them, we need to take some time to unload to Him, then put all of our attention on Him and just seek Him... it will surely fill us with JOY!

Psalm 40:16 says, "Let all those that seek and require You rejoice and be glad in You!"

Psalm 70:4: "May all those who seek, inquire of and for You, and require You [as their vital need] rejoice and be glad in You!"

Psalm 105:3: "Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity]."

What a clear message! Taking our eyes off of our hardships and problems and putting them on the One Who has got all the answers, fills us with joy. Sadly, we often forget it. We see the problem in front of our eyes and instead of taking our eyes off of it, we keep them on it... which in turn allows the problem to grow, until, if not checked, becomes a real giant... at least in our minds. God has shown us the way to fix our problems - give them over to Him and then rejoice in His answer and help.

Over and over again, in the Word, we are exhorted to rejoice in our sufferings and trials... not for them, but in them. Rejoicing in our sufferings is, at times, the only way for us to keep sane... staying in living contact with the Lord. Those are the times we need the strength of the Lord more than anything. We also need His guidance and wisdom. If we give in to sorrow and worry and fear, we grieve the Holy Spirit and He has to leave... and with Him goes also our comfort and strength and wisdom. So, lets not become slack, it is the time to rejoice!

Psalmist, having firmly made up his mind, declared, "I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy and steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction, You have taken note of my life's distresses." (Ps. 31:7) ...God does see our distresses and pains, and He cares.

Isaiah gives us good counsel in 25:9: "It shall be said in that day, Behold our God upon Whom we have waited and hoped, that He might save us! This is the Lord, we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." ...we do need to wait for God's salvation in difficult situations, instead of trying to fix things our own way. When we take time to rejoice in His salvation before we actually experience it, we express our faith...and the Word promises that we receive everything from the Lord through our faith. Rejoicing is a powerful way to express our faith...and also build our faith if we do not yet have it for our particular situation.

Romans 5:3 exhorts us, "Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance." ...we can rejoice and exult in our troubles for we know, from the promises of God, that when we hope in Him, He will bring out our good from every situation (Rom.8:28).

One of the most beautiful portions of Scripture is in Habakkuk. I love the conversation between the Lord and Habakkuk. The prophet talks to God and then waits for Him to answer. Such communion made him strong. He learned to trust God. So, in 3:17,18 he declares, "Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, Yet I WILL rejoice in the Lord; I WILL exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!"

Everything is crumbling around him, yet Habakkuk rejoices. Though, he does not rejoice because everything is falling apart, he rejoices in the midst of it, he rejoices in the Lord. He has been talking to God, pouring out his concerns and worries to Him, and God has strengthened him and given him promises of help. He has the knowing in his heart that regardless of how things look, all is well, so, he rejoices, declaring, "The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!"

I think his words are so beautiful. Hey, we can make those words our words. We can say to the Lord: Lord, You are my Strength! Lord, You are my personal bravery, and my invincible army! You make my feet like hinds' feet and You make me walk - not stand still in terror, but to walk - and make spiritual progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering or responsibility.

If You are presently going through "the valley of the shadow of death", there is an amazing promise just for You. You can find it in Jeremiah 31:13. It says, "For I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice after their sorrow." Hold on to this promise. Shout it back to the Lord. He loves it.

So, lets, "Be happy [in our faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always)!" (1 Thess 5:16), knowing that, "The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped." (Psalm 28:7) ...what hope we have!

Many, many blessings and great Joy to You,

Valentine's Day is knocking on the door. It is quite impossible to not notice it. Shop windows everywhere are decorated with hearts (cards or candy or toys... or just plastic stuff) that have once again been pulled out from the bottom shelves or tucked-away boxes and are now adorning every previously vacant spot. Although, like every other beautiful holiday, Valentine's Day has also been so commercialized... I still like it! I think it is wonderful to have one day a year that is completely dedicated to LOVE. Hey, we can never have enough of it. And, I am not talking about romantic love only.

In Estonia we celebrate Valentine's Day also as a Friendship day, so, no one is left out. Even those who do not have a sweet-heart are fully included in this beautiful day, dedicated to Love. We send cards to all our treasured friends and family members. We prepare little delightful gifts to one another and of course, we indulge in sweet stuff. So, please, if You do not have a sweet-heart, do not feel left out on this day. You too can adopt Valentine's Day as a Friendship day. Invite Your best friends over and prepare something sweet BUT healthy for them... so You can truly enjoy. Make it special... and remember, “We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.” (from Mary Lou's HPAC newsletter)

I have picked out some delicious, mouth-watering, yet, completely healthy recipes for You. We can enjoy sweet stuff without killing ourselves with unhealthy ingredients. The first recipe is the one I am going to prepare. The second recipe is so easy, even men can combine those healthful ingredients, creating a low-calorie delight to their sweet-hearts or friends. The third recipe is for those who love to bake... and the fourth one can easily be boxed and made into a lovely gift.

But, before I move on to the recipes, here is a site where You can get ideas for a home-made card: http://www.bisous.biz/catalog/layout_1_cards.htm A very simple card idea that I have used very often myself, is to pick a bloom of a flower, flatten it and place it between sheets of paper (or newspaper). Put some books on it as a press and leave for a couple of days. When it is dry, glue the bloom on a plain card. Now all You need are beautiful words and the card is ready. Bless Your sweet-heart with something that You have made Yourself.

Now, on to the healthy, sweet, mouth-watering recipes for the Valentine's:

Healthy Chocolate Pudding Inspired by The Great American Detox Diet, by Alex Jamieson (Rodale Press, 2005).

After the indulgence of the holidays, we may still want sweets, but we need to be mindful of our health and our waistlines. This seemingly decadent dessert actually gets its sweetness from dates and figs rather than refined sugar, and it boasts a lot of luscious chocolate pleasure.

Ingredients:

10 dates, pitted and cut into quarters
10 dried figs, cut into quarters (stems removed)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons raw nut butter, such as almond, cashew, or peanut
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups water

1. In a blender or food processor, place the dates, figs, cocoa, nut butter, vanilla, and 1 cup of water and pulse until just beginning to blend.

2. Slowly add water as you continue to pulse, until the mixture is creamy, smooth, and the desired consistency.

Serves 5 to 6.

Good-for-You Chocolate Mousse by Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen (Inner Traditions, 2001).

It's ridiculously easy to make, and it tastes so wonderful, it's hard to believe it's good for you, too.

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek-style yogurt (any yogurt has healthy probiotics, but the Greek kind is extra-thick and creamy)

Organic fair-trade cocoa powder, to taste (lots of antioxidants here; we used about a tablespoon, but some of you may prefer it stronger)

Maple syrup, to taste (a natural sweetener that is better for you than refined sugar; about 2 tablespoons, but let your sweet tooth be your guide)

Optional toppings: Walnuts, dark chocolate shavings, a dollop of plain yogurt, thawed frozen raspberries.

Simply mix the ingredients together, spoon into pretty glasses, top with optional toppings (or leave it nude) and enjoy.

Serves 2.

Lemon Custard Cakes inspired by a recipe in Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

These amazing confections burst in your mouth like sunshine with their bright sweet-citrus taste. The combination of lemon and tender custardy cake makes a dessert that feels like Spring.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons grated lemon zest (basically the zest from 1 organic lemon)
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Butter for custard cups

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil while preheating oven to 350F. Lightly butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place them in a deep baking dish lined with a kitchen towel.

2. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until light, then whisk in the flour. Add lemon zest and juice gradually, whisking to combine, then whisk in the milk.

3. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites with the salt until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture, using a whisk.

4. Evenly divide the batter among the buttered custard cups. Place the baking pan in the oven and then fill the pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until custard cakes are golden brown and puffed. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 6.

Date Nut Truffles inspired by Vegetarian Times Magazine.

These mouth-watering little treats are so delicious, the grateful recipients will never guess how healthy they are! Made with almonds, dates, and coconut flakes, these lower-in-fat-and-sugar morsels will disappear in no time. Date Nut Truffles make a lovely dessert, gift, or potluck offering.
>P>Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
2 cups pitted dates
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute

1. Cover dates with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Drain dates, reserving 1 tablespoon of the water. Puree dates and reserved liquid in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until light brown, 3 or 4 minutes.

3. Place pureed dates in a bowl and add the almonds, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir well to combine.

4. Place the coconut flakes on a plate. Combine cocoa, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a bowl.

5. Shape the date mixture into 1-inch balls, roll in coconut mixture, and then in cocoa mixture.

Helpful hints: The truffles will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or for 2 months in the freezer.

May You have the most wonderful Valentine's/Friendship Day ever! ...and remember:

"Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8) ...so, give, be a blessing, and You in turn, will be blessed!

It happened to me again! I kept reading those verses day after day, until this morning I was hit with a revelation: hey, its the Holy Spirit Who is talking here! I mean, it was right in front of my nose all this time... I just did not notice it. I wouldn't have noticed it even if it was painted in red... and in bold... and highlighted. No wonder we are constantly exhorted to meditate on the Word of God... not just read it.

The Holy Spirit is literally pleading with us to not harden our hearts to His voice. You know, I have come to believe that we actually do it daily - harden our hearts to His voice... one way or another. Yes, we do it unconsciously, but still, we have no excuse, for we have the Word of God - warning us, teaching us, exhorting us, leading us.

A few days ago I had yet another one of my "aha" moments while reading "The Sensitivity of the Spirit" by R.T.Kendall. He actually brought an answer to something that I mentioned a few emails back, when I shared about times when I thought I was being led by the Spirit of God, though later finding out that by no means had I been led by the Spirit of God... and yet about other times when I was completely oblivious to being led by the Spirit of God, only later finding out that I truly had been.

When I thought I was being led by the Spirit of God, what in reality happened, I was going by my subjective feelings rather than by the objective Word of God. R.T.Kendall says, "Feelings can be so deceptive. They are the product of all our wishes, fears, prejudices and past experiences. We may develop a "sixth sense" of what is right and wrong that can be very misleading. Even worse, we can truly be led of the Holy Spirit one day and think we are the next - and be wrong." (Kendall's emphasis)

Kendall continues, talking about the time Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem for home (Luke 2), thinking Jesus was in their company when instead, He had stayed behind in Jerusalem, saying, "Joseph and Mary walked toward Nazareth without Jesus and felt good about it because they hadn't missed Him yet. They allowed their feelings to dictate their actions. We often do the same, letting our feelings govern us and thus avoiding the hard sayings of Jesus." How true! Hey, I'm starting to get it!

Kendall also says, "Our subjective feelings - more commonly known as our comfort zones - may camouflage as God's voice." Allow me to share something that hopefully makes his point more clear. It is from my book "Healing Plants & Healing Promises"...that I still am working on... gosh, trying to hone it to perfection!

"When a child is born into this world, it has no ability to think. The child is totally open to everything that is happening around it. It is like a sponge, absorbing its surroundings, other people’s words and attitudes. It receives everything and records it in its spirit/heart as the truth. That is how its human personality is developed. What a child sees happening in his home, what he hears his parents and other people around him talking about, whether he is encouraged or discouraged, whether he is loved or unloved is all recorded in his spirit. The first six years of a child’s life are the years of true learning. He asks many questions and the answers he receives from the grown-ups in his life he records in his spirit/heart. He then perceives those answers as the truth. In reality, what he hears and sees is often far from the truth, but he perceives those things as the truth, and out of those “truths” his personality is formed. When a child learns to think, he starts viewing and translating everything through the truth that has been recorded in his spirit. By this time his personality has already been formed, and now it can only be changed through changing the recording in his spirit. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”"

The Holy Spirit basically says the same in Hebrews 3:10b, grieving, "They always err and are led astray in their hearts". He next explains WHY we err and are led astray. It is because "they have not perceived or recognized My ways and become progressively better and more experimentally and intimately acquainted with them."

We can be led by the Spirit of God in some areas of our lives, while living a lie in another. We may have truly surrendered some areas of our lives to the Lord, while still trying to maintain control in others. Or, we may have renewed our minds in some areas of our lives, having the Truth in our hearts, while still living according to the old recordings in our hearts in other areas of our lives. Consequently, we can be led by the Spirit of God in one area, while walking in darkness in another.

For example, we may have understood that in order to do well financially, we need to tithe. So, we tithe and are increasing financially... while at the same time, we do not believe in supernatural healing. May be we grew up in a church where we were taught that God punished us through sickness, or that the supernatural healing had passed away - which both are far from the Truth. So, we are increasing financially while decreasing in our health. We are actually grieving the Holy Spirit in the area of supernatural healing... for we do not believe the Truth of the Word of God.

The Holy Spirit warns us in verse 12, "[Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the Living God." By not believing certain portions of the Word or ignoring the parts we do not yet understand or those that seem too harsh to us, we are actually turning away from the Living God. How could we expect to be led by His Spirit then?

Next, we are told what we need to do in order to be led by the Spirit of God, "But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamour of his sin may play on him]."

We need to renew our minds with the Word of God EVERY DAY. There is sin all around us. It is so easy to go along with the world's ways... and yet, God is calling us to be set apart for Him. The sins people are committing are often clothed in glamorous garments and very tempting, but the Truth is, every sin will eventually lead to death... and we may well have death in some areas of our lives. Every area of our lives that is not surrendered to the Lord and being renewed, may well be the area of death. We can ask the Spirit though, to reveal those areas to us and help them get renewed, thus starting to enjoy life and light in every corner and nook.

This chapter really is about the grieving Holy Spirit. He said it once, then rephrased it, and now, in verse 15 He pleads with us again, "Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them]. For who were they who heard and yet were rebellious and provoked [Him]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?"

The desert times are the times when we are moving from slavery to freedom. The Israelites provoked God to anger with their rebellion and whims and wishes and complaints. God was leading them towards their Promised Land. The Word says that it would have taken them 11 days to get there... yet, by refusing to learn to renew their minds and learn to trust God and His promises, it took them 40 years to get there. Plus, the whole rebellious, worldly-minded generation died in the desert. They never reached their Promised Land... for they refused to believe God and trust His ways.

Psalm 139 says that God has written down every day of our lives in His Book (which does not mean that every day we live is what He has put ready for us), Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows the plans He has for us. He has the plan to bring each of us to our Promised Land... but until we stay in rebellion, refusing to trust Him, refusing to exchange our wrong ways of thinking and acting for the Truth, He just moves aside, allowing us to move on without Him. God allowed Mary and Joseph to move on without Jesus. They thought they knew Him and His ways. They expected to be right... yet, they lost Jesus. How much easier can we lose Jesus!

Unless we exchange the wrong recordings in our hearts for the Truth, unless we daily take the time to renew our minds, we can't expect to be led by the Spirit of God at all times. The Spirit truly is pleading with us, listen to Me, learn to know Me, obey My ways and I will lead you to your Promised Land. He means it. He is ready... whenever we are ready. There is a Promised Land ready for You and for me. The Lord is waiting on us to lead us there.

Many, many blessings to You,

The Lord spoke this verse into my heart a few months ago. I wrote it down and have taken time to meditate on it. Some years ago I bought a diary where I started to write down the verses that ministered to my heart at any certain time, adding the date to each verse. This has helped me to learn to understand better where the Lord is leading me to and what He is trying to teach me at any given time.

Now, when the Lord is leading me deeper into the matter of being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, this verse has become more clear and alive to me. I was thinking of WHAT was the ONE thing that could help us to more clearly make a difference between being led by our own flesh or being led by the Spirit of God... and I realized this verse was the answer: when our motives and goals are to please the Father, we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

I believe we all have done it - I most certainly have... more than a few times! - taken a Scripture and defended my wrong actions, trying to prove them right. Well, if I want to be led by the Spirit of God, I can no longer do it! I mean, sure, I am able to prove myself right, BUT, what is my motive? Am I doing something that pleases the Father? Seeking MY righteousness is definitely not pleasing the Father. Gosh, how strong my flesh can be at times, pulling me back into the old ways.

The Word repeatedly tells us to "habitually" follow the Holy Spirit:

"For if you live according to [the dictates of the flesh, you will surely die, but if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever." (Rom.8:13)

"But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)." (Gal.5:16)

"And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him." (1 John 3:22)

Well, this means that we will have to first develop the habit of being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. It was very sobering to me to learn HOW sensitive the Holy Spirit really is. I still am thinking how I had acted - not even consciously doing it - thinking that when I got mad at someone or received offence, the next moment I could again be led by the Holy Spirit... even when I had not dealt with or got over the fruits of my hot temper. The truth is, though, that unless I deal with my negative response, I won't be led by the Spirit of God. Unless I forgive, set things right and achieve back the peace, I won't be led by the Holy Spirit.

I was trying to deceive myself again today. Someone said something to me that offended me. I thought, right, I forgive that person and I will forget the whole thing. Did it work? No! Sure, if I was really developed in the spirit, I would have been able to just decide to forgive and move on... but, I couldn't. So, I had to be honest with myself and with the Lord. I had to admit that I had received a good portion of offence... ...and receiving offence, according to 1 Corinthians 13:5 is erring against Love. "Love takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]."

On top of everything, the other person did not even try to offend me... but taking offense was my response AND choice. So, I had to ask for God's help to deal with it. I was so sensitive in this particular area. I knew it was wrong... but I also knew I was not able to deal with it and get over it in my own strength and power.

Thank God, John 14:16 says, talking about the Holy Spirit, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever."

So, I asked the Holy Spirit to be my Comforter - to heal the hurt in my heart and make me whole again. I also asked for the Spirit to come into our relationship and heal it. He answered both of my prayers.

It was a "small" thing... but unless I dealt with it, it would have become huge. Pastor Jim Cymbala has said something real good about small stuff. He said, Don't worry about bringing small things to God, for with God everything is small!

I think it is worth remembering. We should bring everything to God and ask for His help to deal with things and with people in a way that would help us to not grieve the Holy Spirit nor quench the Holy Spirit. When we continually train to become strong in our weakness, then at one point we won't need to ask for the Spirit's help to deal with a situation, we will be able to habitually act right... but until then, we need His help. Joseph Medlicott Scriven's (1819-1886) worship song's lyrics also are really good:

God asks us to learn to become sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. He asks us to habitually follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. At times it means to bring "small" stuff to Him... at times it means asking for His help to do the right thing. Yes, we have laws and regulations in the Word. We are to keep them as our blessings depend on them. BUT, God does not ask us to keep the law in our own strength nor power. God is asking us to learn to live with the Holy Spirit by our side (inside of us) at all times - being conscious of Him, respecting Him, adjusting to Him, being sensitive to His promptings & obeying them.

R.T.Kendall says in his book "The Sensitivity of the Spirit", "How often do we welcome Him? For one thing, tell Him! 'Holy Spirit, I welcome You.' Do this. Tell Him He is most welcome. Doing this is, in my opinion, virtually the first thing we must utter to God every single morning of our lives."

I am learning to daily pray, Holy Spirit, I love You, I need You today. Please come and be my teacher. Please teach me how to be a good temple for You. Help me to learn to know You. Help me to adjust to You. Help me to live so that I please the Father.

I believe that if our motivation is to please the Father, like was Jesus' motivation, the Holy Spirit will not leave us on our own. Yes, there will be times when we feel like acting exactly the opposite to pleasing the Lord, but if our hearts are right, desiring to please the Lord, we will be quick to ask the Holy Spirit's help to act right in each situation.

There is an enormous difference between trying to keep the Law in order to not displease or anger the Father... or keeping the Law out of our love and passion for the Father. When we love God and our motivating factor is always our passion and our love for Him, we obey Him out of love and not out of ordinance. Consequently, our level of purity, holiness and obedience is much higher. We do everything out of our love for the Father and this immensely lifts the level of our service. This is what pleases the Father and makes us sensitive to His Spirit.

1 John 4:8 says that God is Love, so, when our motivation is always our love for the Father, we are on the same wave-length with the Spirit. When we step out of love, by biting someone's head off or getting offended or whatever else does not please the Father, we can immediately turn to the Holy Spirit, asking for His help to quickly set things right, achieving His peace in our hearts and thus continuing to be led by Him.

I didn't quite understand the prayer in Psalm 51:11 before, "Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me." ...I am starting to understand it now. The Father has blessed us with His Spirit, to make our lives easier... but we will have to become sensitive to Him and to His personality, consulting Him in all things. He deserves our respect and attention.

"Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]." (1 Cor.6:19-20)

Lets respect the Heavenly Companion we have been blessed with, lets become sensitive to His personality, lets obey His promptings... and we will live peaceful, successful and blessed lives.

Many, many blessings to You,