The Transition Shawl

Transition: movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, to another; CHANGE.

On yesterday while fulfilling my Prayer Room service hours I was passed the message below by Anita Hensley, my Native American, Mohican friend who also made the “transition shawl.” I was told to take the shawl home for a while and use it in prayer if I wanted to. Of course, I wanted too…you all know me…I love tools and this would prove to be one.

My meditation began with my wrapping the “transition shawl” around my shoulders and thinking that I would read of the time when the glory of the Lord filled the temple and the priests could not stand to minister. Unbeknown to me this was a divine set up by Holy Spirit. While searching for the passage I came upon Exodus 40:34-38

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

In reading these verses Holy Spirit reminded me of my recent post “Direct My Heart into Your Love” about the new wine being put in new wineskin. The fact that these scriptures speak of how the cloud (glory/presence/spirit) of God was settled (upon) the tabernacle and that the tabernacle was “filled” with the glory (spirit-presence) reveals the desire of God (Spirit being upon and within) to do the same with us, the earthly tabernacle. As I pondered this the divine set-up began to unfold. I found myself thinking of how the Israelites had so many signs and wonders done amongst them, so much evidence that God was for them yet they fell into such unbelief that it caused there to be a veil placed upon their hearts-minds in knowing their God. Then the blow was struck, CONVICTION. For months I have sought after a sign from the Lord as to whether or not I had made the right decision to move here. For months I have battled the demons of doubt and unbelief in spite of the many signs that the Lord has given to assure me of His hand being not only upon this move but my life. Oh, how I have cried rivers (really rivers of tears) night after night, day after day over having stepped out of the boat to follow the Lord. Then another blow of CONVICTION – John 20:29 was given and I was told that if the Israelites failure to believe and acknowledge God’s favor and goodness towards them for 40 years led to their being snared by doubt and unbelief how much more could this happen to me if I did not step out of this place and walk this journey by faith.

 

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Conviction had done its job and now I was broken and repentant. Afterwards, God’s loving-kindness began to lift me out of the valley of CONVICTION and REPENTANCE to the banqueting table. I was told to now place the shawl over my head and read aloud certain passages from Psalm 91 and the entire book of Ruth. In Psalm 91 Holy Spirit highlighted what I call the “I will’s of God” so I prayed them back to the Father. But the most awesome event of all while feasting at the table was the reading of the book of Ruth.  I have read this book often during the 28 years of my “being” saved and each time the Lord reveals something that I had not seen before. Here I am sitting-covered in a “transition shawl” and in verse 15 of chapter 3 it reads:

15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.

Now, I am weeping again but not in despair but in sheer joy of how the Lord favors me and has determined to show me His great love. At this point in the story Ruth is about to have another transition in her life take place. One of her transitions was her choosing to leave her people and follow Naomi back to Bethlehem. Once she is in Bethlehem she remains faithful to her mother-in-law and does exactly as she is told and goes and gleans whatever is left behind by the shearers of the field so that the two of them will have food.  In her obedience and love for Naomi she has placed herself in the position for another transition to take place (by faith) at the feet of Boaz; a transition that would place her in the lineage of Jesus (Matt 1:5).

Of course, I removed the shawl and held it out to receive by faith all that “Boaz,” my redeemer, (Jesus) has for me knowing that as Ruth; He has so much more in store. One day those of you who are walking with me and those of you watching me travel along this journey will also share in my joy as those who shared in the joy of Naomi when the Lord restored and blessed her through Ruth & Boaz.

Until He Returns…..

~Timbra

Direct My Heart into Your Love

One of the many illustrations that Jesus used when answering questions of those who were either troubled with His way of doing things or merely trying to catch Him in a fault was the illustration of the new wine & new wineskins.  Though this illustration came about in regards to “fasting” what has captured my attention is the statement that Jesus made when He said “new wine is ­put in new wineskins.”

Mat 9:17 Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; else the wineskins burst, and the wine runs out, and the wineskins perish. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved together.

 Although Jesus is using an illustration to explain to John’s disciples why His disciples were not fasting at that time; I am of the impression that He is also speaking of something beyond mere fasting. This something more is the indwelling Holy Spirit (new wine) within the new man-new creation (new wineskin). There is much said and / or written on the subject of the promise of the Father whereby the “Holy Spirit is poured out upon us” - Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17 and though this is good there is more. Understanding the importance of the Spirit of God being upon and within is vitally important to the new man / new creation. God has faithfully kept His word and “poured” out His Spirit not only on the day of Pentecost but many today have experienced this outpouring yet I see why Jesus also made the statement of not putting new wine in old wineskins. When we fail to understand the need for the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence and merely experience the outpouring of the Spirit we can easily end up operating as psychics, palm readers, false prophets, false teachers, and more.  The outpouring of Holy Spirit is an “anointing” with power and the enemy knows this and this is why he would love for us to remain blind to our need for the indwelling work of the Spirit of God within us. The purpose of Holy Spirit being put (new wine) within us is to keep us from perishing and becoming prey for the enemy which is what he desires. We know that God calls those things that be not as though they are –Rom 4:17 and we also know that God says old things have passed away and behold all things have been made new – 2Cor 5:17 but there is still a transformation process needed (Rom 12:1) along with the working out of our salvation until the day we die or Jesus returns. The good news is that God has promised to not only pour out His Spirit but to put His Spirit in us.

 Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will remove the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,

Eze 36:27  And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and do them.

 Jas 4:5  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"?

Holy Spirit has been given to do more than give us experiences of the presence of God coming upon our flesh, He has also been sent to help us.  The Spirit of God within me is my only hope of staying on course, on the path of righteousness. Having the Spirit of God within me convicting me of my sins, giving me understanding, wisdom, counsel, knowledge and revelation of God and His ways keeps me rooted in the love of God. I can settle for fleeting moments of experiencing the anointing upon me or I can live in continuous communion with God through His Spirit resulting in an overflow of the anointing and becoming clothed with His presence (which is what I am pursuing). The Spirit of God dwelling on the inside of me gives me direct access to the mind of God for it is written “  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” – 1 Cor 2:9-12.  God gives us the freedom to choose whether or not we will give Him lordship of our lives and yield to the work of the Spirit within us or we can be lord of our own lives and exploit His anointing for sheer pleasurable experiences. Only by and through the work of the Holy Spirit within me will I be able to do that which the Lord has purposed in His heart for me to do before time began. Only by and through the work of the Holy Spirit within me will I become a whole hearted lover of the Son of God. Oh, that you, Holy Spirit would work the work of the Lord in me and cause my heart to be DIRECTED into the love of God and the patience of Christ.

2Thess 3:5

 I pray Father God that you would consider me new wineskin and put new wine within me...and take me from glory to glory…

Knowing God’s mind is… knowing God’s heart…knowing God’s heart is knowing God’s mind…..

Until He Returns

Timbra