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All in the Process

Our God is a jealous God and continually seeks to draw His beloved closer to him in intimacy, reminding us that we cannot just ally ourselves with anyone.

Walking with Christ closely will often cause us to walk alone and many will not understand us as there will be some offended by our silence and these shall pressure us in their attempt to lead us to abide with them.

It isn’t easy when you love people and have a lot of compassion.  There is a balance we must have by keeping God first, including keeping Him first before people in need.

There are many needs and the poor will always be among us but that relationship you develop and have with The LORD is of utmost importance before anything; no matter how important the need may be.

Be NOT hasty and miss the way.  Our God is a jealous God and continually seeks to draw His beloved closer to him in intimacy, reminding us that we cannot just ally ourselves with anyone.

As we grow in grace and maturity in Christ, who we use to hang out with or attend, may not affect us with good anymore.  Jealousy is as cruel as the grave!

There will be those we know that will try to sabotage our efforts for good in our lives.  There will come a day and time when HE will not allow us to live on others’ words or experiences.

He wants us to learn to keep Him first and foremost so to be influenced by Him.

Being committed and influenced by The LORD and not man will cause people to falsely think and accuse you of being prideful and aloof, or in their insecurity, they will think you believe you are better than they are.

When you commit totally to Christ and determine to mature in the faith, there will be those who once hung on and hung out with you; these will turn on you.

You would have never fathomed they would turn on you becoming an enemy of the cross you carry and becoming your worse critic.

The majority of times, it is because of jealousy.  They don’t want to see you progressing and advancing without them but yet they fail to see the cost of the cross that they must walk in and it is not elementary and not everybody can walk where you walk.

They don’t see the cost and price tag!  They see the blessings and benefits and think they are entitled to your blessings and your presence.  Watch your purse, wallet, and billfold! T here are no short cuts or an easier way.

Remember what Joseph went through before he became second in leadership only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt.

Joseph went through the revelations, then the process to prepare him to lead . Joseph ended up in a pit by his own brothers, Potiphar’s house, prison, and the Palace.

It took him years and he suffered much.  Joseph could not have learned the way of the leader until he was humbled, broken, and in prison for something he never did.

And even in the darkest times, he was being prepared.  We are prepared through trial and don’t let anyone tell you aren’t.  There are many false doctrines that press the issue that we won’t suffer.  Don’t buy into it!

There are always struggles in growth! There is a struggle for growth even in dark places that we fail to realize.  We start growing once we are conceived until our dying day!

When God promotes and advances, everyone around our lives will know it.  However, we must understand that no matter how long these trials continue to come, we still have a destiny!

God is at work through it all and knows us better than ourselves, yet it still causes bad repercussions among those who are insecure and jealous.

Progress and advancement come from The LORD.  Not everyone will be happy with your promotion to transformation, courage, with boldness.

Anytime a leader is born through much travail and prepared very well through years of being tried, tested, and seasoned, yet many who thought they knew you don’t see you for who you are!

They have no idea as to what process you went through to get you to where you are today.  We are ALL in a process, all on various levels and time does tell all things.

Leaders in the body must face this fact that people will not be happy with them.  Stop chasing foxes that spoil the vine and not the furry kind!

Let the people think what they will!  Quit trying with much effort in attempting to put out demonic fires motivated by jealousy!

You will lose so much time!  You are bigger than that!  Move forward and forget those things which are behind!  You have nothing to prove to anyone!

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,”   Philippians 3:7-14 KJV.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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Let the Winds Blow!

You are not able to change others, but you can change you, with diligence and fortitude.

We must learn from our mistakes, or we will continue to repeat them over and over.

Forgive them, release them and let it all go and move forward.  It is extremely important to learn to forgive yourself.

You are not able to change others, but you can change you, with diligence and fortitude.

Forgive yourself and release your situations to God and refocus on practicing His presence and the study His Word.

We can’t erase our mistakes, but we can learn from them.  God uses everything in our lives, even our mistakes as well.

When you come through all of this, you will be so much stronger and able to see into the lives of others with such greater depth of delivering compassion with grace.

We all must learn to ride out the storms of life, but when we are victorious in in the midst of turmoil, we shall develop a greater peace in the midst of storms.

While in writing, The LORD spoke within me and said, “Measure in Millibars.”  Then I saw the image of a Hurricane from above.

I learned that a Millibar in Barometric Pressure is the standard measurement for atmospheric pressure.

God impressed upon me that He will not give us more than we can bear, but will provide a way of escape, so we can bear it.

Pressures of life happen to all of us.  How we deal with those pressures develop us as we learn to yield to the process of the Holy Spirits lessons.

The LORD also indicated that when the “pressure” gets low in our lives, it attracts storms to develop.  The enemy waits in lurch for any opening and in every weakness.

God is faithful by giving us plenty of warnings and advisories through his Holy Prophets for they are the eye of the body of Christ that carry the vision and interpret what the Spirit of The LORD is speaking to the churches.

God takes us through storms spiritually also to strengthen our resolve so that we learn to master riding out the winds instead of being blown off course and spun out by the winds.

God’s intention is that we remain prepared and learn to hear heaven’s advisory to know the location, how intense and where it is coming from.

Remember that there is an eye to every major storm.  The greatest pressure comes right before the break through into the eye of that storm.

Beloved, press in and hold your course and you shall break through into peace.  Don’t give in to the winds that wish to ride you; YOU ride them!

Be not blown away by every wind of doctrine and man’s plan or you will go into a tail spin.  Stay on course and keep pressing forward into the storm.

You are made for the storm, for you are the storm!  We shall learn to prophetically ride the winds instead of them riding us.

Break through the turmoil surrounding you beloved, and press in!  Yes, you will feel it and it won’t be comfortable, the winds will blow against you strong, but realize the greater one lives within you!

God wants you to be victorious through every storm and trial!

This storm is like transitioning “Labor” pains, you must get into the rhythm with each cycle to go with each pain instead of fighting the process.

You cannot fight the winds, you will get worn out and tossed around.  You must learn to flow with the process and not lose your peace.

As I was writing, I saw a vision of a coconut tree and it was being blown almost ¾ the way over in one direction and every palm branch and every coconut was blown away.

The tree survived, though stripped of its fruit and palm leaves, but the tree roots were very deep.  Though the winds blow great, the roots grow deep and strong.

The tree was pliable and did not break from the winds, even as we too must be pliable and bend with the winds.

Though the tree was stripped, it stood because it was grounded deep.  When winds are strong it may seem like you will break, but the testing and trial will prove you!

God knows where you are but he wants you to see where you are.

“Surely The LORD GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets,”   Amos 3:7 KJV.

The Eye wall of the hurricane is the most devastating region.  When the eye begins to shrink in size, it means the Hurricane is intensifying.

The most damaging winds, intense raining, and hail is found just outside the eye wall.  Highly organized storms have a smaller eye which indicates greater intensity.

Inside the eye of a hurricane, there is no rain and winds are calm and there is peace and sun light.

Yes, we truly can ride the storms that come our way.  No matter where we are in our circumstances and storms of life, though all around us seems swirling and dark, we truly can have peace and light.

Yes, God provided Goshen for the Israelites and it does not matter how dark the night, for God has a place in the midst of judgment, for the people of God.

Yes, Jesus has provided peace in the midst of the storm but it is found by pressing through storms into the presence of God.

We must learn to practice HIS presence and keep our focus in HIM.  For in HIM He abides and desires that we learn to develop as we press past the most intense winds into the peaceful eye of the storm, that no ill effects can keep us.

Stay true and hang on to God’s promises!  You shall develop and break forth into a deeper dimension of strength and faith in the midst of storm.

Godly counsel comes from the education that has been formed through our experience from the depths of sentiment of great grace and mercy.

I see transitioning and you shall be established among God’s chosen people that will be strength to you and provide divine counsel!

LET THE WINDS BLOW!

“And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.  And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.  Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island,”   Acts 27:9-26 KJV.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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There’s a Time to Let Go!

Those who love The LORD with all their heart, have counted the cost, having picked up their cross to follow Him!

Those who love The LORD with all their heart, have counted the cost, having picked up their cross to follow Him.

The chasm has become much deeper and further apart yet one can see with greater clarity from a far distance those whom you labored over, investing your love, determination and time; choking back the tears and grief at the revelation of seeing the cost of their unbelief.

Troubled by the thoughts as to why a person who met perfect love, could possibly turn away knowingly and willingly in such a final stroke, as one who would sign a final testament note.

To finally comprehend and see the overwhelming revelation of their understanding, that God won’t go against free will and free choice.

He gives the right to choose to each of us.  Each one will stand before God facing the ramifications of influence and their rights and choices they made.

He is a God of Justice, Mercy, and Judgment and as a just God, He is slow to anger and rich in mercy.

However, no man, no matter how eloquent, no matter how compassionate, no matter how desperately determined to stand in the gap for others can only go so far.  God won’t violate freedom of choice.

“Behold therefore the kindness and severity of God,”   Romans 11:22 KJV.

Those who are mature, know how to weigh things in the balance of God’s Word.  For we know Him both as Lion and the Lamb, Grace and Union, Thy Rod and Thy Staff.

“So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock.  Then I took two staffs and one “Grace” or Favor and the other “Union”, and I pastured the flock,”   Zechariah 11:7 NIV.

Free will and free choice trumps all interventions.  God will not intervene once that choice is made.

God gave us the gift of free will and free choice and God will not interfere by standing in the way of those God given choices.

If God will not take away free will and free choice, who are we to think we can make them choose?

Rizpah stood in the gap for her dead sons and desperately kept the buzzards away, but her sons were still dead.  There is a time to let go,  (2 Samuel 21:10)

“And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before The LORD.  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”  Genesis 18:22-25 KJV.

Shall not the judge of the whole earth do right?

Job offered burnt offerings for each of his children to be sure that if his children violated, sinned, or cursed God in their hearts, that Job was motivated by fear by getting involved in making sure his adult children had been covered by sacrificing.  Job said, “The thing I greatly feared came upon me.”

There is a time to let go.  It isn’t easy, but we love dearly and have agonized over those who have clearly turned away from God, and it is hard, and often a process to totally release them into the hands of God.

A lot of times we get in the way of the hand of God seeking to work on those we love, and as long as we fight our battles, God cannot.

We cannot be responsible for others even those in our own lives and family that we labor over intensely.

Yes, we pray and labor intensely seeking God to forgive them, but there comes a time that it must come from within and it must be their decision.

It is agonizing to slowly watch those we have closely known, to choose to follow the wide way that leads to destruction.  There is a time to let go.

“And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually,”   Job 1:5 KJV.

“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came,”   Job 3:25-26 KJV.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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Gone With the Wind!

There is a process that must happen when the season and set time is fulfilled.

There is a process that must happen when the season and set time is fulfilled.

It happens that the restraints of our lives that had grown up all intertwined within, must come to the threshing floor.

The chaff and wheat must be winnowed as one.  For it is during this process of refinement that the transformations and the lessons are revealed.

The chaff is only the byproduct that is to be released once the maturation comes of time and season.

The process of changing begins with the chaff and its outward appearance.  Through the winnowing and being tossed up over and over with circumstances and you may feel completely out of control, but it is in this raw process that the releasing of the husk and all the byproducts are finally separate so that
the true grain may appear.

The stubborn chaff being tossed up into the air over and over is also felt by the true grain.  For in the time of separation what was intertwined must be a combined effort to separate and release what isn’t seemly and what is worthless.

The winnowing process separates the grain, stalk, and husk.  To winnow the grain, the pieces of the crop just threshed are thrown it up into the air.  The wind blew the light pieces of chaff while the grain, which was heavier, fell almost straight back down.

As the winnowing continues, the chaff blows and the wind sweeps it away to never been seen again.

By being the weightiness of the kernel of wheat we are thrown up in the process but the true grain will fall to the ground of the threshing floor.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail”   Luke 22:31-32.

The illustration was clear.  Just as wheat is winnowed and sifted in a sieve, Satan demanded to be able to pressure Peter until things surfaced in his life.

Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail and that no chaff would remain, as the true grain of Peter was revealed.

May we remember also that The LORD has prayed for us too, and that this process must happen for the revealing of the true grain, the true believer and those things that are unnecessary in our lives.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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