Clearing the Stream

27 Aug 2014 2 Comments

by Rod & Rose in Rose, Uncategorized Tags: , ,


Stream “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1.9

What does “strong and courageous” look like? What is the picture that pops into your brain? Is it a person that keeps silent, holds their chin up and moves about their day pretending that no one can see behind the pasted-on smile and half-hearted laughter?

Has someone hurt you recently? Has something happened that caused your inner world to crash? There is no denying that betrayal hurts. We get that kicked-in-the-gut kind of feeling that hurts like the worse symptoms of the stomach flu. So now who do we turn to? Who can we trust?

I don’t think Papa God wants us to “fake it till we make.” I believe there is a time and a place to process all the pain that we feel when we’ve been hurt or damaged. But it is important to keep moving…go beyond the processing.  If we are serious about wanting our soul…that “stream of life” to be in unison with the ONE who created it…to be clean and pure, free flowing and free, then we must continue tending the stream.

I recently had to go back to recreate a scenario that has to be examined by others in order for a decision to be made. It was an arduous process; one that took me back to a time that was incredibly disconcerting. As I uncovered the past and dug under the “rocks,” so to speak, I felt the ugliness resurface of what once was. It wasn’t just the ugliness of the circumstances, or the ramifications that are being realized even now, but also the ugliness of the emotions that I remember all too well that once again caused my gut to wrench.

And in this process, almost on a daily basis, I had to self-examine. I had to ask myself, “What is the motive of my heart?”  It’s easy to get caught on the emotional roller coaster of the “old memories” and allow them to take you down the road that leads to the pit of disgust and self-pity. The challenge is not only to remember clearly what happened. The bigger challenge is to remember the healing that happened since then and embrace the positive rather than the negative.

I had to ask God to allow me to see the individuals involved through His lenses and not my own. And yet… I had to lay out the truth in a way that may cause some discomfort, not just for me, but for others. I have found that discomfort is sometimes necessary. It gets us moving. It gets us out of the well-worn ruts of complacency and allows us to see the boulders and debris in our own “stream.” We need discomfort in order to keep moving…in order to learn from our past and make better and wiser decisions.

“The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” ~ Proverbs 18.10

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” ~ Psalm 91.4

“Papa God, help me – help us – to see the debris in our stream in a way that will cause us to look at others with compassion and understanding. Help us to lay down anything that would get in the way of Your work in our lives. Pour mercy and grace into our day, and let us demonstrate Your mercy and grace to others throughout our day. Let it be You that takes the lead. In Jesus name – Amen.”

In His Strong Love,

Rose

Our Audacious God

20 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by Rod & Rose in Holy Libido: The Book Tags: , , , , , , , ,


burning bush (2)In order to triumph over the beguiling charm of the Enemy, our attention needs to be laser-focused on our Creator. We need to know that God has stacked the deck of life in our favor.

And we need to open our minds to grasp a bit of the audacity of God.

Moses had an encounter with God that disrupted his life—in an epic way. You can read the fascinating story found in the third chapter of Exodus. God attracted Moses’ attention by an angelic apparition in the form of a bush in the desert. Moses was looking after a herd of sheep when he caught sight of the strange phenomenon. The bush captured Moses’ attention because it burned without being consumed. Where I live in New Mexico, we have tumbleweeds everywhere. I occasionally entertain myself by lighting them on fire. Poof—and they’re gone!

But there was no “poof” to God’s bush. As Moses ventured toward the bush to get a closer look, a voice told him to take off his sandals. Unbeknownst to Moses, he had entered a holy place in the desert.

That’s when Moses encountered the audacity of God.

And that’s when Moses got his assignment to lead God’s people out of Egyptian captivity. Naturally, he wanted to gain a better understanding of who was commissioning him to undertake such an epic task, so Moses asked who he should say sent him. The answer: “I AM WHO I AM.” There was no need for further explanation.

The essence of our Creator is beyond what we can comprehend with our limited one hundred billion neurons, give or take a few. Our brains possess enormous power to conceive and believe, but only to the extent of our innate potential, and we do not have the potential to fully understand or explain God.

Human logic is incapable of explaining divine truth.

It seems reasonable to assume the Creator will always be superior to the created. We are allowed to understand some things about him, but not everything. Fortunately, we are allowed to know everything about him we need to know. And again, his knowledge infinitely supersedes our own, so whatever he reveals to us is enough. Actually, it’s perfect.

Our Creator defies human explanation. He said so himself (remember, we’re talking about an audacious God): “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts’” ~Isaiah 55:8–9 NASB

(Excerpt from Holy Libido http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Libido-ebook/dp/B00DL7NXM6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379680524&sr=8-1&keywords=holy+libido<a href=

Passing Through The Valley of Dry Bones!

28 Jul 2013 1 Comment

by Rod & Rose in Rose Tags: , , , , , , , ,


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THE WORD: “This vision message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming – it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.”  (Habakkuk 2:3 – The Message)

I’ve been going through a dry spell…through a parched, desolate desert, metaphorically speaking. My movement forward at times seemingly futile. Yet something within me….a divinely apportioned angst…is my barometer that reminds me it is necessary to continue on my journey. And so I trek through the valley of dry bones…listening to the lifeless rattling sound they make as I walk amongst them.  (Ezekiel 37:1-2)

One thing I’ve learned, as I reflect back on my journey thus far, is that it’s right smack dab in the middle of my valleys where, time after time, my heart has been re-awakened! It has always been in the midst of a dry desert storm that I come to a vivid realization of my desperate need for Papa God, not only as my Savior, but also as my LORD! It is there…as He walks alongside me…that He whispers in my ear, hold on to My promises!

It is there…right smack in the middle of the valley…that He quickens His Spirit within me, and breathes life back into my dry bones! It is there that the brilliance of His majesty is demonstrated and my heart resounds with uncontainable gladness! It is there that I rejoice and praise my Papa God with such clarity of heart, mind and soul! Yes…it is in the midst of the valley that my bones come alive…the tendons and the strength once again rise up and dance in adulation!  (Ezekiel 37:5-14)

The dry spell is broken and the vision awaits me! It aches for the coming – it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, I will wait because it’s on its way. It will come right on time! His timing is perfect.  For now I will do what my Lord requires of me. I will continue to prophesy over the valley…I will sing the psalms of ascent and continue to take the steps that are necessary to reach the destination appointed just for me.

I will pray with confidence the prayer to succeed as a servant of my Holy KING!

If you find yourself in the middle of a valley, look up! Lift your eyes to the heavens! See the glory of His face and allow Him to lift you up under His wing! Take refuge in His strength! He is the Alpha and Omega, Creator of all things! He delights in you and has placed a perfect angst inside your heart that cannot be extinguished!

So pilgrim…pray the prayer of Nehemiah with me: Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

May our Papa God embrace you on your journey…today and always!

In His strong love ~ rose

Prayer….Access to the Source of Power!

17 Jan 2013 3 Comments

by Rod & Rose in Rose Tags: , ,


prayer time“Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective – My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” ~ James 5:16, 19-20

There is power in prayer! It is not that prayer itself is powerful, but it’s the ACCESS we have to the ONE who has the power! When Christ sacrificed His life on Calvary’s cross, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom, symbolizing that we now have direct access to God…in Jesus’ name. That is why Jesus said: “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” ~ John 16:23-24 NLT

Did we get that? It is in Jesus’ name that we must present our prayers to our Heavenly Father! What a privilege and a gift HE has given us! He sacrificed His very life so that we can have ACCESS to our CREATOR! He overcame the world so that we might experience a joyfully abundant life!

But first, before we take our requests before Papa God we must put into practice the act of forgiveness. We must harbor no hatred in our hearts towards anyone. This is not an option; it is a command from the One who forgave our very own sins unconditionally. How can we do less! In Mark 11:25 we’re told, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in Heaven will forgive your sins too.” And in 1 John 1:9 we read, “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” When we exercise genuine forgiveness, God is receptive to our prayers! We must let go of the past. We must forgive in order for His Spirit to flow freely within us, and to be in-step with our Savior Jesus Christ!

In John 15:23, Jesus gives the command: “Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” What a privilege to be called the Master’s friend! Let’s not waste a minute of His time. Let it be a time to treasure.

Secondly, when we pray we must be mindful of our motives. God knows our heart’s intentions. In Proverbs 16:2 we read, “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.” And in Proverbs 20:27 we read, “The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.” Again in Jeremiah 17:10: “But I the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards according to what their actions deserve.”

There are two verses in Scripture that speak volumes to me each time I read them. The first is in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” This is my heart’s desire…to have Papa God right smack in the middle of my business! I want Him to search me…to test me…and to purge any foul and unholy thing that is displeasing to Him. I want integrity to be the word God uses when He describes my character…as in 1 Chronicles 29:17, “I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.” I know I’m not perfect, but my heart’s desire is to be the woman that God originally designed me to be! I will falter and stumble from time to time, but I know that I have a patient and merciful Father. His grace is my sufficiency.

Lastly….remember that prayer is a SACRED action! It blows my mind to think of all the prayers that must be going up to Him at once. His omnipresence…His Holy presence everywhere all the time…is unfathomable!

So with all this being said, the next time you and I spend time with Papa God, let us value it like priceless treasure. Let’s not fill it with mindless, selfish chatter. Instead, let us come before Him with a humble, reverent spirit. Remember…He isn’t interested in our eloquence; He is interested in the sincerity of our heart.

“Papa God, and so it is that I ask not just for me, but also for my family and friends…please search our hearts and remove any foul thing that may be impeding our communion with you. Help us to forgive those who have sinned against us and help us to ask forgiveness of those that we may have offended. Above all else Papa, whatever the requests or the praises we are presenting…in all things we ask that your perfect will be done, in JESUS’ name I pray – Amen!”

Surrender your will for His….IN HIS STRONG LOVE ~ rose

God Interlock…

20 May 2012 2 Comments

by Rod & Rose in Authentic Life by Rod Tags: , , , ,


What if we had a “God Interlock” system in our lives so we would not be able to get started with our daily activities until God has breathed Himself into us through His inspired Word!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

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