~STORMS~

This is for everyone who has gone through a loss... I just lost two loved ones in the last six weeks... And now I am thinking of those who lost their loved ones in these recent tornados... In the storms of life ~ keep breathing.... Love~Tracy

~LOGOS~

OH MY GOSH, I LOVE HIS WORD AND I LOVE HOW HE CAN AND WILL ANSWER THROUGH IT!! I literally feel like I am high right now because of what I found!! Yay, Thank You Lord!!!!!!!!

I have been wondering and reading and asking the Lord about healing... The word says that He healed everyone that He encountered, except for when He went to His hometown. It says that He couldn't heal very many because of their unbelief... Matthew 13:54-58: He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does He get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?" Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, His mother, and His brothers--James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All His sisters live right here among us. Where did He learn all these things?" And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him. Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in His own hometown and among His own family." And so He did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

So as I have been talking to the Lord about healing, I have been thinking on people who have been healed and haven't... I have walked in both of those shoes and one very recently... I tell Him that I believe as much as I can or even understand, so what is the deal... I know that part of the answer is: true intimacy with Him... But, I think I came across another part of the answer this morning... I was reading in Matthew, but I will use some of the same story out of Mark. I like how they both tell the story...

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13)

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

10 The disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

**Ok, I have read this before, many times, but there is something that I NEVER SAW... He tells them that the secrets to the kingdom of heaven has been given to them {the disciples} but not to the other people that He was talking to... The disciples are given the secrets {understanding}... So Jesus says, "whoever has will be given more, whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away... MEANING: whoever has understanding will be given more, and whoever does not, it will be taken away... That does not seem fair, especially if you don't understand!!! But then I saw the reason why they do not have understanding in the next few verses.

vs. 14b: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

{{Why don't they hear and why don't they see?? The next verse gives the answers...}}

vs, 15: "For this people’s heart has become calloused;

The rest of the verse says: ~they hardly hear with their ears, and (they) have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts and turn {{which means repent}}, and I would heal them.

I think it is sooooooooo interesting that Jesus all of the sudden brings healing into this whole conversation.. What in the world?? So, then I wondered, "how did the people's hearts become calloused?" Jesus gives the answer in the meaning of the sower.. {I will use both Matthew & Mark's account at different times because one might explain or give clearer picture to what Jesus was saying.}

Matthew 13:18: Listen to what the parable of the sower means: vs.19: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches it away what was sown in his heart. {{then Jesus gives an explanation of the ground that the seed is sown. (the ground is our hearts & condition of them) that is how the enemy can take the seed of the word away.}}

vs. 19b: This is the seed sown along the path.

vs. 20: The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. vs. 21: But since he has no root, he last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. {{notice that trouble and persecution come because of the word.. Not sure how the trouble and persecution come, it could be that the person hears the truth, but lets others talk him out of that truth or cause him to doubt the word, or give him a hard time because he believes... He has not no root in the word, so he is not able to stand, so he quickly falls away... so the enemy is able to steal the seed...}}

vs. 22: The one who received the seed that feel among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

{{ I like the way Mark says i}}t: v. 19: but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. {{again the enemy can steal the word from us, making it not work for us, because of all the things we worry about in this life.. **that is one I struggle with**... the enemy can also steal it because we can be deceived by riches and the desire to get/buy things.... so, the answer is coming to Him instead of using "retail therapy" to try and fill that void.}}

{{I like how Mark conveys the last part of the parable.} v. 20: Others like the seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." {{the key to the people with the good soil is, they hear the word AND ACCEPT IT (they believe it & understand it. Why, because their hearts aren't calloused, they haven't closed their eyes, & ears... There roots go down deep in the word, so persecution and trouble may come, but they aren't swayed. Worries may come and money may come and go, but they know Who they can go to and focus on, but they are not swayed)..}}

These are things that popped into my head and that the word says to me, and that I am saying to myself: {Will I close my eyes and ears or will I hear and accept?}

{Jesus is the only way.} 1 John 2:23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. ~ close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT & ACCEPT IT...

{Love your enemies.} Matthew 5:43-44:43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT & ACCEPT IT...

{{He is the Lord that heals you.}} 3 John 1:2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. Exodus 15:26b: "For I am the LORD who heals you." ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT AND ACCEPT IT...

Luke 6:37-38:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT AND ACCEPT IT...

Mark 16:16-18: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR AND ACCEPT IT...

Could you imagine what would happen if we totally surrendered and totally believed Him and the word... Became doers and not hearers only... Hmmmmm....

Blessings, Peace & Courage to you!

Love,

Tracy

SOS Searching for the Silver Lining!!!

Wow, is all I have to say about the last month and a half... It is like my whole world went crazy, and not sure even where to start, but figured blogging would be a good and healing way to do it...

I have learned sooooooooooooooooo many things about myself, the Lord and others....

So, I will be popping in to share on a regular basis, once I figure out where to start! :-)

I know that the Lord is good and He is faithful!!

I hope all is well in blogging land!!

Blessings to all of you!!