Living in the End Times

By Hazel Holland

God Dwells Within Us Now

By Hazel Holland

 We who believe in Him are now a new creation!

Our struggle as Christians is against something called the FLESH, but it is not against our old nature. The whole point of the gospel is that Jesus Christ has made each of us who believe in Him into a new person. We are a new creation!  The old has gone and the new has come! Our old sinful nature was crucified with Christ and in its place God has given us a new spirit.  We have received a new heart!  This is where God dwells within us now... in our new heart/spirit.

Yes, we still fight our flesh and sin, but our sinful nature has been removed. Our new identity now is saint NOT sinner!  Although our flesh still wants us to gain identity from our soul (mind, emotions and will) or our body (physical being and appearance), our new identity comes from our new heart/spirit... our new identity in Jesus Christ!

As Christians we now choose to walk after the flesh or after the Spirit. But walking after the Spirit is what God has designed for us to do, because walking after the flesh will never satisfy the longings of our new heart that He has given us!

The identity we build in the flesh is nothing compared to knowing our real identity in Jesus Christ! God intends for us to grow in the same way we first received Christ... through believing and depending on His finished work on the cross, and allowing the Spirit of God to be our Life!  God's way is so simple and beautiful... Jesus plus nothing!♥

Love Always Protects Our Hearts!

By Hazel Holland

God's love always protects our hearts!

It breaks my heart to see so many believers in Christian forums taking warnings of judgment that were given to ancient Israel and applying them to America today!  I'm sure that they believe this is what God desires that they do.  But is this God's heart, or is this happening because of what we have been taught growing up in the church?

The problem, as I see it, is that in taking warnings of judgment that were given to ancient Israel and using them to bring a message of warning to America today, we nullify the new covenant gospel.  All judgement and wrath for sin and disobedience to the Law were placed upon God's Son on the cross... instead of being placed upon us.  

As a result of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins the old covenant was fulfilled, and thus became obsolete after He died.  Now we live under a new covenant that is not a repeat of the old.  It is a much better covenant that was made between the Father and the Son on our behalf. 

Therefore, we must no longer hang on to any old covenant teachings and continue to use them to try and explain what is happening in the world today. All old covenant teachings must be re-interpreted in the light of the new covenant gospel.  If we don't see Old Testament scripture through the lens of the cross, we will distort and misrepresent God's heart!

Jesus is now God's final Word to us.  His heart was laid bare on the cross so that we could see His heart of love for all people, and know that God is not the One who is bringing His wrath upon anyone because it has already been placed upon His Son.  We have already been forgiven in Christ for our past, present and future sins.  It's finished!

Yes, God allows bad things to happen as a result of sin in men's hearts, but He isn't the One who is bringing the bad stuff.  He wants to protect our hearts because He loves us.  A  Father's love always protects!

That's why God wants to let us know that the pain and suffering that happens to all of us is a result of living in a sinful world. But He assures us that He will be with us as we go through difficult times, and He will use it to uniquely qualify us for the future that He has already planned for us in Him.

I believe that every grueling experience that we go through in life is God preparing us for our purpose in life. Yes, even the bad things that happen to us which the enemy uses to try and destroy our life's purpose, God lovingly uses to build us up...

That's because God's ultimate purpose is to protect our hearts because He loves us.  But we, more often than not, would rather He protect our flesh.  Somehow we seem to forget that our flesh is temporary and will one day pass away.  But our hearts that God has renewed by His Spirit are eternal and will be with Him forever! ♥

Such Raging Love!

By Hazel Holland

God is awakening within each one of His children a desire for greater intimacy with Him.  He is calling us to come into His presence so that we can dance with Him upon the waves of difficulty and the fears and disappointments in our lives.  

I know at times I’m tempted to turn away from that call to intimacy with Him, because I don’t want to face my "stuff."  I just can't bear the thought of facing my own shortcomings, failures and deferred hopes and dreams…  So I say, "No, God, not today.  Not right now.  Some other time I'll come away with You!"

But God invites us to come to Him anyway in the midst of the storm we are facing.  He invites us to come to Him now as He comes striding towards us on the turbulent “water”.  He invites us to leave the safety of the "boat" we are clinging to, and do something that we know we can never do in the natural. He invites us to join Him to walk on the waves because He wants us to trust in the strength of His love.

Not only that, but He invites us to dance with Him on the mountains of fear that seem to easily overwhelm us.  He invites us to trust Him to take care of us while we supernaturally walk on “water”. He will support us as we keep our eyes focused on Him, and not the tidal wave of fear that seems ready to swallow us up at any moment.

He reminds us that we are always at the center of His heart. We are the apple of His eye and the focus of His utmost care.  His greatest suffering was also His greatest joy, because the cross released the power of His resurrection love.  And that love gave birth to us.  We are His priceless pearl whom He wants to be with Him forever!

“Jesus, we want to know more fully the fellowship of your sufferings and the power of your resurrection.  We want to know on a deeper level the kind of love that rages in your heart for us... for each one of your children.  We want to join You in intercession for a world that doesn’t yet know the One whom our souls long for. 

Father, you help us to understand that when the "north wind blows" and we cower and hide, our failures are not fatal.  You help us to understand the unconditional nature of Your love for us through our weaknesses.  We want to be smitten and undone by Your love, Lord, so that we can become carriers of the glory of Your love and resurrection power to your children everywhere."

Link: I AM Will Calm Your Sea

He Opened My Closed Heart

By Hazel Holland

"I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me." Matthew 25:45

The other day on my way to work, I stopped by the gas station to fill up because I noticed that my car was running on low.  As I opened the door, I was not only very focused on the tutoring lessons I was going to teach that afternoon, but I was also feeling very relieved that today I had given myself enough time so that I wouldn't have to rush to get to my first student on time.

Before I could get fully out of the car, I was startled by a stranger who approached me from behind.  She apologetically asked me if I could please help her with gas for her SUV that was parked at the pump right behind me.

"I'm sorry!  I didn't mean to make you jump," she offered.  I'm not homeless!" she continued.  "I can pay you back if you give me your cell phone number.  It's just that I need to get my aunt to the hospital in Fontana for some important tests and my credit card is being rejected..."

There she was, right up in my face, and I was supposed to decide if she was legitimate or not, right?  I noticed the children in the back seat of her SUV, and her aunt watching me from the passenger seat with her left arm wrapped in a bandage.

As I moved toward the gas pump beside her van, I silently prayed for wisdom as to know how to respond to this stranger's need.  "How much gas should I put in, Lord?"

Just as I was about to use my debit card, I changed my mind and handed her a five dollar bill instead.  "Hope this helps!" I offered weakly.  She thanked me warmly, then walked into the gas station to pay the attendant, and I proceeded to use my card to fill up my tank.

Although my back was towards her I could hear the gas going into her car.  It didn't take very long.  Five dollars doesn't go very far these days.

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit confronted me with my closed heart!  In an instant I knew that I was turning my back on Him.  Yes, I had given this stranger a poultry five dollars for gas so as to appease my conscience, but had I really listened to her heart... and even more importantly had I really listened to God's heart... for her?  Or had my fear of possibly being taken advantage of caused me to "wash my hands" of further responsibility?

Immediately I came to my senses when I heard her gas pump click.  I knew she was done...but my five dollars would never get her aunt to the hospital in Fontana!  Abruptly I stopped filling up my tank as the price reached $20.

"God, how much more money should I give her?" I pleaded.  At once I sensed a witness in my spirit and knew I was to offer her another ten.  So I reached into my car for the money, and turned to face her just as she was about to get back in her SUV.

"No, wait!  Here's another ten dollars" I offered.  "I'm so sorry for having closed my heart towards you just now!  Please, forgive me!" I sobbed.  "Although I'm a Christian, my heart was not open towards you because I was preoccupied with getting to work on time..." 

Now I was the one who was taking her by surprise.  "No!  No!  That's alright!  Are you sure you want to do this?  I can pay you back if you give me your cell phone number."  She smiled and hugged me tightly as the tears rolled down my face.

"No, you don't need to pay me back.  This is my gift to you.  Now you're be able to make it to the hospital," I stammered.

"Yes!  Yes!  Thank you so very much!" she warmly responded.  Then she turned around and walked back into the gas station to pay the attendant...again.

Before I got back into my car, the aunt who had been watching this whole scenario from inside the SUV mouthed, "Thank you!" and "God bless you for what you did...!"

As I got back into my car, it really didn't matter that my gas tank was only half full, because God's Spirit had filled up my love tank to overflowing!  Although my heart had been momentarily closed to the needs of a stranger, God's Spirit had healed my fear and set my heart free!

See original link to this painting: Lover and His Beloved

Failsafe Power!

By Hazel Holland

Do you remember the power crisis in California on that hot Saturday afternoon, August 10, 1996, when thousands of people in nine western states, including parts of Canada and Mexico lost power for many hours?  I do.

Two days after that power crisis the local newspapers tried to assure us that next time there was a power shortage the power system managers would determine who should receive power, and who should be cut off so that another complete blackout could be avoided in the Western power grid.  

“There are islands of power within the darkness” was how one newspaper article described this power failure.  Another commentary stated: "It is impossible to build an entirely failsafe system.” 

Since electricity is something we are all very much dependent upon, it caused quite a stir to have our natural source of power cut off for such a long period of time.  In fact the newspapers warned us that outages will become more common in the future as increased competition changes the face of the power industry.

As is often the case, what happens in the physical realm often parallels what God is doing in the spiritual realm.  So what is God saying to His children through His Spirit in regard to His Power System?  How does He determine who should receive power and who should be cut off?  In the natural realm we are told that it is impossible to build an entirely failsafe system.  How about in the realm of the Spirit?  

God’s Power System

Over the years many of us in the body of Christ have tried to "help" God manage His Power System by trying to control the work of the Holy Spirit.  We have wanted to make changes in the way He ran His Power Grid because we felt uncomfortable with the way He chose to distribute His power.  So, at times, we decided to depend on our own source of spiritual power rather than His, and wondered why we found ourselves in darkness. 

But God assures us that those who live by the Spirit will have no shortage of Holy Spirit power. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

As we stay connected to Him, we are connected to His failsafe system.  Although man’s source of power has failed, and will continue to fail, God’s Power Grid will never become overloaded because of our excessive use of it during dry seasons of spiritual drought.  We will never be cut off.  For this reason we can rest in Him 24/7 knowing that His power will never fail us.

Since God is for us, "nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom.8:39).  As long as we stay plugged into Him, we have all the power of the Spirit that we need.  

Our God is at work making sure His "customers" receive all the power they need.  In fact, God has marked His customers with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing their inheritance until their redemption (Ephesians 1:13).

In view of the fact that we are called to be the light of the world—“islands of power” that will illuminate the darkness around us, let us let the Treasure that we each carry in our earthen vessels shine forth—Jesus Christ’s’ agape love.  

He is the Light that lights up every man.  He is the love that the world is waiting to see.  Yes, we are called to be His fingers of light pointing the way to the heart of the Father that is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.

See:   Islands of Power

God has a "Yes-face!"

By Hazel Holland

One day Thomas Jefferson and some of his friends were riding on horseback cross-country. They came to a stream that was flooded and had to cross it. At the water's edge was a man who was traveling on foot, obviously waiting for someone to help him across the swollen stream.

He waited at the edge until several of the party crossed and then asked the President to help him across. Jefferson took him on the back of his horse and carried him across the stream. On the other side, one of the men asked, "Tell me, why did you select the President for this favor?" The man answered, "I didn't know he was the President. All I know is that on some faces is written the answer 'no' and on some the answer 'yes.' His face said 'yes!' "

Here's what I want you to know today: God has a yes-face!  When you confess your sins to Him He is faithful and just to forgive you.  He removes your guilt and your sins from you forever! 

"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (1 John 1:9).   

"He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12).

(My thoughts after reading devotional from Grace Mail.)

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