Cultivating a Life God Desires

I have not jumped in with typed thought of the journey that Ann from Holy Experience has been bringing us through – I read her blog as it pops into my Google Reader. Ready to take a deep breath and quiet moment to ponder what she shares. Her raw versions of a life lived – for glory or shame, for better or worse, inspires me to be more open here about my own thoughts.  A couple of weeks ago she shared this post - about the Easter People. I invite you to click over and read it – it is about Mark 16 – the latter part –

“And these signs will accompany those who believe:
In my name they will drive out demons;
they will speak in new tongues;
they will pick up snakes with their hands;
and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all.”

She shares her open discussion with what this could mean for us today – And – Quite Honestly – I had never given this verse much thought – except to roll my eyes at the accounts of people who would try this physically – and DIE – trying to “prove” they were believers.

I read her article – and it REALLY struck a chord with me, and as God would have it – that morning we were to all get in the car to drive to Salem.  I was mulling over the text in my mind, then remembering that my little bible was in the back seat, I asked Nathan to read the verses out loud and have Jon and Nathan tell me what they thought they meant.

Would you believe that they said the same things that Anne said? It was chilling. How simple and sweet, how gently He guides us through our children. Hubby got to give a few examples of how he has Picked up Snakes with his Hands, How he Drinks the Deadly Poison, and how It has Not Hurt Him.The boys followed through with examples of their own.  I was driving, trying not to get emotional, since driving in the rain with tears really never turns out well . . . .

Anne’s Question Today – is How do you Cultivate the Life God Desires?

We are practicing daily – the using of the Lord’s name – to drive out the demons.  Fear. Pride. Selfishness. Doubt. Thoughts.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, King James (or)

”and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.”Good News 2 Cor 10:5

Instead of shielding the boys from those who proclaim to know truth, which differs from Christ – we can show them, talk through, allow the Holy Spirit to be the Holy Spirit in their lives.   As Lil Jon goes to sleep at night, fearful that he will have a cavity – and he asks me for the 3rd time if he brushed enough, we remember – outloud – that this is not how Jesus would want our thoughts to wander before sleep. And we make a list of thankfulness for the day – and cast out the imaginations – in His Glorious Name – Jesus, Yeshua, Savior, Friend.

We walk with Him, day by day, each thought leading to what He wants us to do – it is hard to pick out a single moment of Cultivating the Life  that God Desires. I would pray, as spring comes, that we will continue with the weeding, the fertilizing, and the watering – but knowing that the Growth is out of our control – that the fruit only comes through the Holy Spirit. We are just willing to grow where we are planted. :) Willingness -