Tag: Humility

“Fully inhale your dream and completely exhale manifestation of it.” T.F. Hodge

Facing-Reality-A-Tough-One-For-Sprint
23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.
Galatians 3:23-29

The Walk of the Bride in the Kingdom of God has reached a plateau. There is a transition phase on the horizon as we have moved from the inner work of prayer and purification of the 1st 5 beauty treatments to the outer workings found in the remaining 5 tenets, such as the Mind of Christ, humility, etc. It is how we will manifest what has been initiated through our obedience to Christ in us. I am excited to discover what is up ahead and I will return to these writings once I understand how these things should be conveyed.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
2 Corinthians 3:18

“By Myself I can do nothing.”

The Walk of the Bride in the Kingdom of God is continuously unfolding. It is as if each step taken opens to more and more of Him; that is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory.
These tenets or beauty treatments were inspired from studying the Book of Esther in the Holy Bible. The tenets are:

Prayer, Praise, Purity, Practicing the Presence of God, Beauty of Holiness
Mind of Christ, Humility, Giving, Trust, Consistency

In earlier posts, the tenets were described individually, to be walked out in our daily lives. As I have often said, I am walking it out as I go, along with you, Precious Reader! I believe The Lord has inspired this “Walk” to help us to grow in intimacy with Him so that we might increase in every area of our lives! This is His desire for all of His children but I perceive this specific inspiration is particularly for His daughters. The tenet concepts are for all, but the “feel” is female.

What about Beauty inside Out?
This theme is perhaps the foundation of what we are experiencing in this walk. Beauty is in Christ. It is to be complete in Him. Beauty inside; more of Him = Beauty inside and out!

“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted”! John 15:7 NLT

Let this Mind be in you!

Mind-of-Christ
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit?
Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2 NLT

“Fasting is the greatest remedy– the physician within” Philippus Paracelsus

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:3

Beauty Inside Out

Originally, my endeavors in fasting were out of the need to go before The Lord in prayer as I had been taught as a child, growing up in the Catholic faith. I came upon the “Beauty” benefits of fasting by accident. As I began to study on the Book of Esther, I felt compelled to fast and pray for understanding. Having studied various types of fasting methods, I knew that the traditional Water fast would not work for me initially. Like most people in western society, my diet was full of junk food, caffeine, and prepared foods, aka “T.V. dinners”. Juice Fasting was the best alternative to jumpstart the process and still have the benefits of detoxifying the body.
Fasting with natural fruit and vegetable juices provides vitamins and energy while your digestive enzymes work to rid the body of waste and congestion.
The Natural Health Techniques website is a useful resource.
http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquesjuice_fasting.htm

“Make up can only make you pretty on the outside, but it doesn’t help if you are ugly on the inside. Unless you eat the makeup”. Audrey Hepburn

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Walking as the Bride in the Kingdom of God

Beauty Inside Out

As the United States of America and expatriates everywhere prepare for the Thanksgiving Feast, it seems an opportune time to discuss a very important Beauty secret for the Walk of the Bride; fasting.
Fasting has many spiritual and physical benefits. When used in conjunction with prayer it is a powerful combination with equally powerful results. Our Heroine, Queen Esther and her maidens found the power of fasting to be useful. This is demonstrated by her decision to fast and pray before approaching King Xerxes without an invitation.

….. do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” EST: 4; 16 NIV

Why fast? Fasting redirects our attention. Fasting gives us the opportunity to put our flesh under subjection, to take our focus off of self-centered desires and pleasing our appetites. However this aspect of fasting is not what this post is about. According to the latest medical research:
Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as “remarkable”. Although fasting diets have been criticized by nutritionists for being unhealthy, new research suggests starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection.
Scientists at the University of Southern California say the discovery could be particularly beneficial for people suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients on chemotherapy. It could also help the elderly whose immune system becomes less effective as they age, making it harder for them to fight off even common diseases. The researchers say fasting “flips a regenerative switch” which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system.
Knapton, S. (2014 June), Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system The Telegraph UK,
Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10878625/Fasting-for-three-days-can-regenerate-entire-immune-system-study-finds.html

With the New Year on the horizon, a Better You is usually one of the many resolutions we aspire to achieve. In the coming weeks, Beauty inside out will be our focus.

We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

All Aboard!

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Consistency

Over the past couple of weeks, I have noticed an increase in search visits regarding consistency. Interestingly, I have been in prayer about this aspect of the path in recent days.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit is moving in this area.

For in him [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.17 He is before all things and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16-17

Consistency is that which strengthens our faith. It is as we walk this path daily, moment by moment, that we are knit together in Christ, as the Bride, advancing in the things of God. Consistently praying, praising, pursuing purity and practicing His presence; it is cultivating the seeds planted in the spirit. As a practitioner, I have noticed how a lack of consistency in one area impacts all. If I pray on again, off again because I am so busy with life, I find life becomes busier. As I become overwhelmed with the busy-ness, I’m too frustrated to be thankful and nothing seems quite praiseworthy. If I am striving, without praise, it is so much easier to snap off than speak peacefully and the pursuit of purity is like trying to untangle string. Get the picture?

The idea is to be aware, keeping tabs on where you are in your inner life. Something as random as stomping your toe on the way out of the house is a good signal that you may need to check where you are. There is a reason behind the pain in your throbbing toe. You don’t stomp your toe every day, do you? If so, an intervention is pending!
Take a day off or at least a few hours and have a spiritual retreat.
Remove yourself from noise, clutter, anything that could distract your peace.
Take this time to get your Soul Train back on its rails!
Where have you been missing it? Who or what has you off course?

No Cross, No Crown!

After proclaiming the Message in Derbe and establishing a strong core of disciples, they retraced their steps to Lystra, then Iconium, and then Antioch, putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn’t be easy: “Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times.”
Acts 14:21-22

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful people lay hold of it!

The Cosmos is within us!

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First, I would like to thank you for visiting. My writing is pointless without readers to receive the message.

The Walk of the Bride in the Kingdom of God consists of 10 tenets: Prayer, Praise, Purity , Practicing the Presence of God, the Beauty of Holiness, Humility, Giving, Singleness of Mind/the Mind of Christ, Consistency and Trust. We have briefly explored each Beauty treatment and I sincerely hope you have been experiencing the many benefits. Clearly these are spiritual exercises that require action, allowing us to observe our experience from the inside out. Hmmm, am I really mixing Christianity with Quantum Physics? Yes! We have previously explored the nature of the brain during prayer and it was enlightening from a scientific point of view. Now let us consider the nature of the observer and the world around us.

In Quantum Physics, things act or react based on whether or not they are being looked at or focused on.
It is attention or intention that produces results.

I am not a physicist. Nonetheless, I believe this perspective helps us understand Christ consciousness. The Bridegroom who will come for the Bride without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:27) is WONDERFUL and GLORIOUS. Moreover, the Bride accepting and receiving the Bridegroom is in itself Christ consciousness. This is the ultimate reality. It is the engine behind “ Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father”(John 14:12).
The Apostle Paul says, “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

The spiritual is above and beyond the natural flesh and blood world. We do not want to miss this reality as we walk as the Bride. It is the Spirit that gives life; to our hopes, our dreams, in the here and now. Too deep? Maybe, but look at it again. What do you see?

Faith is believing what we do not see and the reward for this kind of faith is to see what we believe
Saint Augustine

“It’s hard to be humble, when you’re as great as I am”

Humility is an attitude of the heart.
Our attention to Prayer, Praise, Practicing the Presence of God, and the Beauty of Holiness prepares our hearts to be humble. Although you are redeemed (purchased by the Blood of Christ) and walking in newness of life, do not forget The Lord.

And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
Colossians 3:12

In the Book of Esther, God is never mentioned but His providence is ever present. Esther had a heart for God from her childhood. It was Esther’s humble spirit that caused Hegai, the keeper of the women, to favor her above the other maidens. Imagine what it must have been like to be in a competition with hundreds of women for a chance to become Queen. Better yet, imagine being in a competition with hundreds of women at a shoe sale! Typically, the ‘lady’ gloves are replaced with boxing gloves and the quiet spirit goes out the window.

“Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you” 1st Peter5:6

It was Esther’s commitment to the preparation that led to her success.