Holy Spirit

God in a Box

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Susie Stewart

You have Him wrapped up tight, don’t you?

In a box

of your own design

of your own size

of your own weight, height, depth.

He fits, doesn’t He?

Fits in your constraining box.

Of course He must fit, right?

He must fit, because you get to choose….

When to bring Him out,

when to acknowledge Him,

when to worship Him,

when to listen to Him,

when to take advantage of His power.

As if He were a genie

at your beckon call.

It is surreal to try and imagine

GOD in a box.

If there ever was anyone who didn’t fit

in a box

it is Him.

But we try to do it, don’t we?

We try to just bring Him out of that box

on Sunday

when we are afraid

when life is caving in

when we walk through the valley of the shadow…

What would we do…

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Love That Lasts

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Has there been love in your life

that didn’t last?

 

It would seem that covenant

secured your love

 

but it wasted away

and crumbled to apathy and regret?

 

And it made you wonder

whether there was such a thing

 

as forever love?

 

Your heart grew cold

to love

 

And why wouldn’t God

be just like all the rest?

 

BUT HE ISN’T

 

He is the only one

who keeps His covenants

 

and can be trusted

with your heart

 

Jesus,

Groom,

fills empty hearts

 

with relationship

with Himself

 

He holds tender hearts

with care

 

and mends the deep places

that ache

 

But in order to KNOW

this love

 

you must take His hand

and walk forward in love

 

promised

and surrendered

 

to Love that lasts

 

Love that is not

like the rest

 

– Susie Stewart

 

For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is His name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.

– Isaiah 54:5 (NLT)

 

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things He does for me.
He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The Lord gives righteousness
    and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

He revealed His character to Moses
    and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
    nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
    He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to His children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.
For He knows how weak we are;
    He remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
    like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
    as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
    with those who fear Him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
    of those who are faithful to his covenant,
    of those who obey His commandments!

The Lord has made the heavens His throne;
    from there He rules over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels,
    you mighty ones who carry out His plans,
    listening for each of His commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
    who serve Him and do His will!
Praise the Lord, everything He has created,
    everything in all His kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

– Psalm 103 (NLT)

 

…He will say to them, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.”

– Jeremiah 31:3 (NET)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

 

Emotion Gone Wild

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

We were not meant to be slaves

to our emotions

 

but rather

 

surrenders of those emotions,

subjecting them to God’s authority

 

These raw and beautiful feelings

are an important part of experiencing life

 

and they are one of God’s gifts

to our hearts

 

but they are not meat to rule

our minds

 

Sadness

happiness

joy

anger…

 

they all express

life here in this

broken

and beautiful

world

 

And we aren’t to look at them

as bad

 

when the negative emotions come,

 

but allowing them to rule

in a dominant way

 

 

makes us out to be

victims

out-of-control

helpless….

 

and

we

are

NOT

 

We, my brothers and sisters,

are Holy Spirit influenced

 

and not emotion driven

 

Our feelings and emotions allow expression

but they are not in charge

 

of who we are

 

We take feelings that threaten to overtake us

into captivity by His Divine mind

and heart

 

and we rest

and submit

and offer

 

every bit of ourselves,

which includes emotion,

 

to HIM

 

We are not meant to stay stuck

in anger

or sadness

or worry

or even grief

 

but are meant to experience

unexplainable peace

 

when they threaten

to overtake

 

We allow the emotion to express,

but not take us over

 

and certainly not cause us

to sin

 

Surrendered emotion

under God’s authority,

 

captive to His love, joy, and peace

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them.

– Proverbs 29:11 (GW)

 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

–  Philippians 4:6,7 (NLT)

 

Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.

– Romans 12:2 (VOICE)

 

A time to cry, a time to laugh; a time to mourn, a time to dance;

– Ecclesiastes 3:4 (VOICE)

 

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

– Ephesians 4:26,27 (MSG)

 

You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit.

– 2 Timothy 1:7 (VOICE)

 

Jesus wept.

– John 11:35 (NIV)

 

…we take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 10:5 (GW)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

 

 

Christmas Week – The Cast: Joseph

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

We were pledged to one other,

Mary and I

 

and we longed for the day

when we would be man and wife

 

I loved her,

this young girl with dark eyes

 

and a heart full of God

 

Mary was my faithful betrothed,

she was the one I could trust

 

until one day…

 

She came to me

and, with trembling voice,

told me she was with child

 

and my heart broke in two

 

It was beyond my comprehension

that she would make this choice

 

this choice with so many consequences…

 

but my love for her

eclipsed my anger and disappointment

 

I planned to break our engagement,

a divorce of sorts,

 

so as not to embarrass

or shame the woman I loved

 

But God has a way

of stopping us just in time,

sometimes

 

and I heard from Him

in an unimaginable way!

 

One of God’s magnificent angels

visited me in a dream!

 

He told me not to be afraid

to take Mary as my wife

 

and that the baby growing in her

was placed there by the Holy Spirit!

 

The angel said that it would be a boy

and that I was to name Him Jesus!

 

because He would save His people

from their sins

 

As soon as I awoke

I was on my way

 

I ran immediately to my betrothed

and shared with her my love

 

and the beautiful message

she already knew in her heart

 

We would endure

the ridicule

the scorn

the gossip

the accusations

 

TOGETHER

 

for we knew that no matter what,

God was for us

 

I committed to her, and to God,

that we would not truly become husband and wife

 

in every sense of the word

until our son was born

 

But to everyone else

she became my wife

 

We traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem,

for I was of the house of David

 

and there our son was born,

ours and God’s

 

I wanted so much more for my small family

but because of the census, so many people flocked to this town

 

and my precious son was born

and laid in an animal’s trough

 

for there was no space for us

in a decent room

 

Surroundings aside,

I could not take my eyes off of this miracle child

 

and I could not have been more joyful

or more proud of this boy

 

who was not of my seed,

for God was with us

 

And I would dedicate myself

to raise this Divine Son along with His siblings

 

in a way honoring

the deity He was

and is

and is to come

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement  quietly.

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet:

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

 

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

 
– Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT)

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

– Luke 2:1-7 (NLT)

 

 

Trial Perspective

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You are right in the middle of it,

and it is painful

 

It hurts

and it pulls downward

 

Your trial threatens

your heart

your mind

your faith

 

But friend

look UP

 

Recognize what is happening

 

This time

this moment

this circumstance

 

God wants to use it!

 

Please don’t miss that

 

Your growth

your strengthening

your unexplainable peace

 

is yours for the taking

 

Don’t turn your back

on the One who blessed you

with easier times

 

He is close

 

And His Spirit-help is there

for those who turn their eyes to Him

 

HE

is your strength

is your peace

is your joy

 

IS the One who feels the deepest

about your situation

 

He is kind, you see

 

Walk with HIM

when you need Him most

 

and KNOW

God-strength

in the middle of it all

 

– Susie Stewart

 

In his kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.

– 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)

 

If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!

– Proverbs 24:10 (NIV)

 

Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.  If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.

– James 1:2-5 (VOICE)

 

We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

– Romans 8:28 (VOICE)

 

You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You,
        for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You.
     So trust in the Eternal One forever,
        for He is like a great Rock—strong, stable, trustworthy, and lasting.

– Isaiah 26:3,4 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Tough & Tender

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

The heart

 

is a curious

and beautiful

and complex

thing

 

With our hearts we feel the depths

and the heights

 

and all that is between

 

It is the core,

and it is to be guarded

 

But how do we guard it

without becoming calloused?

 

And how do we sense

without becoming overly-sensitive?

 

How is it that we can be strong of heart,

and at the same time

tender-hearted?

 

All in christ

always

 

All in Christ

 

 

And it all begins

 

with a heart

surrendered

to Jesus

 

Only He can bring strength

and tenderness

to co-exist within us

 

Allowing His Words to penetrate

any hardness of heart

 

we let Him soften

the callouses

 

As we become tender to His Spirit

 

our softness and sensitivity toward people

will grow deep

and beautiful

and sincere

 

Forgiveness and grace

will flow

and heal

and bless

 

Then there is His strength

welling up

 

We allow His Words

and His presence

to strengthen

our weakness

 

We believe HIM

and take our thoughts captive to His Spirit

 

We are strong in Him!

We KNOW that He is God!

 

Strength of heart develops

when our focus is on HIS strength

in us

 

not our own

 

And we let His peace

RULE in our hearts

 

Let it rule

 

Which means surrender to His will

and trusting Him

with everything

 

Strength

and tenderness

can live in the same heart

 

through Christ,

the strongest

and most tender

 

Loving with quiet goodness,

fighting for us

with all passion

and strength

 

 

~ Susie Stewart

 

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

– Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

 

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

– Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

– Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

– Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

 

So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

– James 4:7-9 (MSG)

 

They won’t be afraid of bad news; their hearts are steady because they trust the Lord.

– Psalm 112:7 (NCV)

 

I have pursued You with my whole heart; do not let me stray from Your commands.

– Psalm 119:10 (VOICE)

 

Don’t put on a show just because they are looking (as if you were a people pleaser); but as a slave of the Anointed, do the will of God from your heart.

– Ephesians 6:6 (VOICE)

 

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

– Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

 

Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

– Matthew 11:29 (NIV)

 

I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

– Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

 

A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

– Proverbs 14:30 (AMPC)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Spirit Walk

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

Holy Spirit

guide my mind and heart

this day

 

May I not heed

pop culture’s grasp

emotion’s wave

accolade’s hold

comfort’s woo

distraction’s tug

 

 

the wisdom of this world

or the lies of the enemy

 

May I follow You

wherever that leads me

 

confident in my trustworthy God

who sees the big picture

from eternity’s standpoint

 

Holy Spirit

lead on

into my unknown day

 

known by You

alone

 

– Susie Stewart

 

So now, where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the skilled debater, the best of your time? Step up, if you dare. Hasn’t God made fools out of those who count on the wisdom of this rebellious, broken world?

– 1 Corinthians 1:20 (VOICE)

 

When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, He was full of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit led Him away from the cities and towns and out into the desert.

– Luke 4:1 (VOICE)

 

If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children.

– Romans 8:14 (VOICE)

 

Now since we have chosen to walk with the Spirit, let’s keep each step in perfect sync with God’s Spirit.

– Galatians 5:25 (VOICE)

 

But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

– Mark 13:11 (VOICE)

 

The Spirit of truth will come and guide you in all truth. He will not speak His own words to you; He will speak what He hears, revealing to you the things to come and bringing glory to Me. The Spirit has unlimited access to Me, to all that I possess and know, just as everything the Father has is Mine. That is the reason I am confident He will care for My own and reveal the path to you.

– John 16:13 (VOICE)

 

But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I’m completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won’t be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.

– Acts 20:22-24 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

A River Flows Through It

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

An outward focus

is as a river flowing

 

unobstructed

moving

living

 

from a heart

listening to the Spirit

 

An inward focus

is as a black hole

 

dark

still

backward

 

from a heart imploding on itself

 

And it is obvious

when you speak to someone

 

which one they are

and where their focus is

 

Do people come away from talking to you

feeling heard?

Valued?

Seen?

 

Or do they come away from talking to you

knowing a whole lot

about you

with a little more of you

on the side?

 

Our Jesus

Savior

King

God

 

focused outward

 

Time with His Father prioritized,

He went to the masses

 

and He Healed them

with His hands and His words

 

Selflessness

Humility

and attentiveness

come from the character of God

 

And we become more of this

when we allow Him to do His inward work

 

 

looking to Him

and focusing outward

 

– Susie Stewart

 

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted Him high and honored Him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that He is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

– Philippians 1:1-11 (MSG)

 

On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took His stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in Me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

– John 7:37-39 (MSG)

 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

– Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

 

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

— 1 Peter 3:8 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Self-Examination

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

May I be a follower

who examines myself 

more than I examine others

 

May my eyes be on You, God,

with Spirit-led reflection

on how I’m doing

as your follower

 

For I want to hear You, Lord,

when You are calling for change

and growth

and turning

 

I don’t want self-obsessed introspection

designed to tear me down

 

I will avoid my own voice of self-degradation

originating with the father of lies

 

The only voice I want to hear

is Yours,

loving

and for my good

 

I want to examine my own heart

by Your Spirit

so that I take my stand against the devil’s schemes

 

and so that I may repent

of all that is against You

and Your plan for me

 

and turn my face

to the Light

and the Truth

 

Help me, Jesus,

examine myself

in Your way

 

leading me closer to You

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t possibly do otherwise.

We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.

– 2 Corinthians 13:5-9 (MSG)

 

If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.

– James 1:23-25 (CEV)

 

Don’t take this opportunity to think you are better than those who slip because you aren’t; then you become the fool and deceive even yourself. Examine your own works so that if you are proud, it will be because of your own accomplishments and not someone else’s.  Each person has his or her own burden to bear and story to write.

– Galatians 6:3-5 (VOICE)

 

Now let’s search out our thoughts and ways and return to the Eternal.

– Lamentations 3:40 (VOICE)

 

As your spiritual teacher I give this piece of advice to each one of you. Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all. For just as you have many members in one physical body and those members differ in their functions, so we, though many in number, compose one body in Christ and are all members of one another. Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision. If it is serving others let us concentrate on our service; if it is teaching let us give all we have to our teaching; and if our gift be the stimulating of the faith of others let us set ourselves to it. Let the man who is called to give, give freely; let the man who wields authority think of his responsibility; and let the man who feels sympathy for his fellows act cheerfully.

– Romans 12:3-8 (PHILLIPS)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Flexibility

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

We who have Light

dwelling in us

 

of all people

 

we should be the most flexible

 

Pliable

bendable

unhardened

 

toward God

and people

 

For when we follow our Savior

He takes us places

 

where stiff cannot dwell

 

The free-flowing Spirit of God

needs to breathe through us

 

And this requires flexibility

 

to things unknown

to changes in schedule

to people unreached

 

Flexibility is a Spirit of God walk

in an uncertain world

 

It is love

when unexpected

 

It is Yes

when No is probable

 

It is the joy of the Lord

encompassing

all relationships

and circumstances

 

Live unbreakably pliable

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”

– James 4:13-15 (MSG)

 

As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together.

– Ephesians 4:1-3 (VOICE)

 

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed Him.

– Mark 1:16-18 (NLT)

 

Photo by Andy Stewart