Tag: Joy

Skykingdom #2 / Winged Life

Path Without End
Pure Wisdom

Welcome to another episode of Skykingdom. Who are those drawn to a life above it all? Who are those drawn to a life of wing and not lustful flesh? Except the Father draw us to these things, unless the Lord builds the house we labor in vain. As we seek more Holy Spirit, the Father draws us more to Himself. Please read Skykingdom #1 if you hope to truly understand this series we have begun.

Even as the parable of the Ten Virgins, a teaching Jesus gave about when he comes back! A teaching about the Rapture, when Jesus comes back not for all Christians, but for his Bride! It is she who lives a winged life! It is she who can soar away with Him because she has gained her wings! Those who live grounded in the earth shall be left behind! They will remain grounded in the dirt! Learn this winged life now, while Holy Spirit is here to teach and empower us!

“Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.” (Matt. 25: 2-5)

“And while they were going to buy (oil), the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.” (Matt. 25: 10)

The problem here is a failure to wake up and follow Jesus. I find many Christians asleep in their cozy earthly bed and they do not want to be bothered with a winged life of rising above. Spiritual disciplines are too much for them. And I understand that lazy and foolish spirit of death. How often have I heard if you want to live well in your old age, you got to keep moving!

My body lies to me every morning! That bed feels so good! My body says, “I’m still tired. I can’t move. This feels so good. You can’t wake up. You will be a zombie.” But you know what? About 10-15 minutes after forcing myself to get up, I find those were all lies! And now I feel good! And I’m so glad I got out of bed because I want to live my life! I can’t live the life I want to live if I’m asleep!

Our spirit man is the same way. It tells us we’re too tired. I can’t move. I can’t pray and offer up my spiritual practices unto God. I can’t follow Jesus where he is calling me. I’m a zombie. But guess what? If you force yourself to wake up, get out of that spiritual bed, begin mounting up with the wings as the eagle as we taught in Skykingdom #1, and tap into a life that flows, and life that soars more and flaps less, you will come alive and be so glad you did! A supernatural walk will be yours! A winged life will be your new norm!

Keeping it short today, in hopes you will read #1. In the rapture, God’s faithful people will take wing and the unfaithful will remain grounded. Is it possible those who are taken are the ones who were already living a winged life in Christ? Let us be ready. WAKE UP!

Cast off your cozy covers of spiritual laziness and that evil spirit of death and get moving! Stretch those wings! Spread your wings and soar! Show someone the life of Jesus today! It only happens when God’s anointing empowers us, and that, my friend, is a winged life. It’s the life God has called us to on the other side of IMPOSSIBLE.

Wisdom dictates…?

The Glow of Slow – 1/16/19

Path Without End

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And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brothers to the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come here also.  (Acts 17:6)

In my journal today I began considering the beauty of slow. For some odd reason the calendar I bought for this year has a theme of “sloths”. I was attracted to it. They say the sloth spends most of its time seeing the world upside down, so much so that even their fur grows in the wrong direction! Can you believe that?

Well…I feel I identify with the sloth in many ways. I too, see the world upside down. If the unbelievers were saying the Apostles were turning the world upside down, then it was already upside down and they were turning it right side up! I don’t fit this world, nor do I fit the modern church, but my journal today are some thoughts concerning the flow of slow. I hope you enjoy.

Journal > I love the flow of my simple days. So far growing old has been mostly enjoyable, the chance to slow down. The glow of slow. Would a sloth be considered lazy? They seem happy. They meet their own needs. They live like forty years! The jungle is their home and they don’t ask for hand-outs. They live in their design and are very content in that. I’ve never seen a sloth trying to be a dog, monkey, or anything other than who they are. No personality complex. A picture of focus , peace, and contentment.

I don’t want to be lazy, but I do want to live in spirit, not flesh. The flow of slow. I’m convinced God drives in the slow lane. Most people cannot afford to slow down or their debt will catch up with them. What is that old saying? In the jungle the slowest gazelle gets eaten, and a lion who can no longer run will starve. So every day the sun rises, you must be ready to run. But that’s the animal kingdom, not man. Made in the image of God, there are other ways, mostly made possible by spirit. Unfortunately, we who consider ourself the hunter, often end up the hunted, by our debts! Who’s hunting who? Don’t you dare slow down, or they will catch you.

The flesh will certainly have you living like an animal if you let it. When I think of the “slow flow” I think of a peaceful river rather than raging rapids. Jesus lived in the flow. He was a master of it. I never see him panic or rush. Even when Lazarus was dying he did not drop everything in a panic and run to save the day. He stayed in Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus DID.

I don’t have to live like an animal, but so many do. When I see the hungry look in people’s eyes, what they lust for, I see the jungle. When I see the stress in their eyes and in their actions. When I hear the fight or flight in their words. When I see them popping pills to cope, it is the jungle. These people are trapped in man-made jungles, but God intended man to live in gardens. Yes, gardens. You remember Eden, right?

I’ve gone to Central Park in New York City three different times. It is so strange to see that patch of a garden in the midst of such a huge man-made jungle. That park is as a jewel set in ugly concrete. People flock to it to save their sanity and feed their soul. Man’s desire for beauty and peace is easily seen, even in a city of predators

In the jungle to capture something it must be hunted, pounced upon, chased; and only the strong and smart survive. New York City is full of such predators. They do not see the absurdity of the contrast. They pride themselves on being hungry, a hunter, a predator. They go to the park to prepare themself for another hunt. The measure of success is all that matters. In the documentary called “The Minimalist”, one of the two guys was disgusted with the fact he sold cell phones to children, in order to be successful. He had had an awakening, but many live in denial of what they do, what they have become.

But is “contentment” captured by way of a chase? Is contentment really that hard a thing to capture? Can it be captured in the pounce? Or is that why so few people have it? Is it captured only after the rat race has burned us out and wised us up? Is it caught or simply embraced? Like trying to grab something in water. Come at it too fast and it moves farther away, always just out of reach.

Hhmmm, I can see I want to write more on this. So I will end for now, with a picture of a turtle. My wife loves turtles, so much so I have given her the name of “Turtle Faith Lady”. We’re about to start some renovating of our small house. She has the theme of ocean and turtles as our main room, so I told her today that I get one room to have a theme of the sloth. We shall see what room that shall be? Possibly bathroom. But trees and shades of green will likely spring forth in some room of this house. LOL. More coming soon, this is Grandpa White Feather signing off.

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Is there something about moving slow that tends to a long life? How old do jackrabbits live?

The Fight of “No Fight”

Path Without End

bible-sword-of-the-spirit “Proper Balance” – Continued.

Why are you fighting? 

I thought you surrendered?

You will never understand the “Balance of God” if you don’t actually understand “Surrender”. You say, but of course I understand what it means to surrender.  Do you? Your actions, and your lifestyle say otherwise. We can deny them all we want, but they prove us guilty. It takes real skill, real training, real changing, real transforming, real power from God to master “The Fight of No Fight”. But once you do, the world becomes your harvest field. So much opportunity! The white path, fields white unto harvest!

Our Bible speaks of being a warrior. It speaks of a battle. It speaks of fighting. It speaks of swords, shields, armor, battlefields, but how are these battles fought? What kind of warrior is God creating?

God is creating a warrior, a son, a priest, a disciple, a student, a child who understands the power of God, and how the universe actually works. First of all, we have to get past what we see with our eyes. Now just think about that one challenge alone. How hard is it for us to look not at what is seen…but focus on the invisible? This warrior fights with a blindfold over his eyes! He fights from his heart and his spirit! He fights from what God tells him is true! He learns to sense with his soul, and to “surrender” completely to the will of God, whatever that means.

For me today, I’m feeling led to change-up the normal way of this site for however long God leads me to do so. Our subject is the “God Balance”. Until God leads me otherwise, expect short but “regular” messages shot out, perhaps even almost daily. I hope you catch them all.

But for today… think about this “Fight of No Fight”. And think about the challenge of fighting blindfolded. Think about what true surrender means, and even though 100% surrender may be impossible for me, if I am honest with myself, where would I judge my surrender level to be? Do I even know what the “God Balance Surrender” looks like?

One last thought, we are “engaged” to be married to Christ. The “marriage” has not happened yet. Marriage is about becoming ONE with someone because of a great LOVE you have for that person. Like a river becoming one with the ocean, the river loses its identity into the greater. Are you ready to lose YOUR identity? Are you ready to take the last name of another? Have you surrendered? Then why the fight?

God has an “identity” meant for you. It is an identity in harmony with his son. This person has great balance, peace, joy, love, simplicity, and serenity. Are you ready to learn to be that person? For if we are not even willing to learn, if we are not even willing to try, then what kind of love, what kind of engagement is this? It is not an engagement likely leading to the marriage.

Jesus is coming back for a Bride without spot or blemish, washed in his blood, and totally in love with Him, and His ways. May God’s Holy Spirit enable us to —- Seek first the Kingdom of God.

Practice His Presence this day, and flow. Don’t flap. SOAR. Surrender to the powerful Wind currents of God’s eternal soul. Let Him breathe on you, all day long.

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We’re talking about the Wind.

Path Without End

20180606_124330  In the story of “Flapless” there is a relationship that develops between a raven and a wren. Now a wren is a very small bird, but this wren’s name is “GOLIATH”, because he “THINKS BIG”.

Can you imagine a little wren with the name Goliath? He got that name because he had a habit of thinking outside the normal box. His ideas were considered BIG, and someone named him Goliath because of his thoughts, not his physical size. (And let me say, the Bible is thinking outside the normal box. If your mind has truly been renewed to have the mind of Christ, then the world will consider your thinking abnormal.)

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So Goliath eventually asks the question, “If the Wind is ‘All-Knowing’, then why do I fight the Wind?” He then explains to Flapless, who cannot fly, how he uses his wings to fly faster, or contrary to the Wind in some way. Rather than simply being happy to ride the Wind, he uses his wings to add something that would not be there if he simply rode the Wind. Goliath begins to question the wisdom of that, and what it would mean if he simply rode the Wind?

Ever feel like this?

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“They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with the wings of the eagle, they shall run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.” (Does the above picture look like someone who is waiting upon the Lord? Unfortunately, I know people who look just like that and claim they live Isaiah 40:31) 

God’s Word is supernatural and He offers us a way of living based on love, joy, and peace; not run, race, and take anxiety pills. Our problem is, we refuse to learn. We refuse to change. We refuse to trust Him completely. Surrender to His will. So far, we have proven ourself to be unteachable. But where do we learn such things as these?

Well… believe it or not, your Bible really does teach all this, but also God has called His teachers to inspire students. If you know no other teacher saying these things, then you have found one here, but are you teachable?

Again, in the movie, “The Shack”, the person playing the part of Jesus asked the question, “Am I like those who claim to be Christians?” The obvious answer was NO. And as I study the life of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels, I do not see someone who ever gets in a rush, or stressed, or worried about money, or what people think about him. I never see Jesus looking like the above picture. Not when his friend Lazarus was dying, nor when Jesus himself was about to die. Sure, he struggled for a short time at what he was facing, but he went to prayer, and he restored his peace. There is some flapping required to mount up, but the flapping most people are doing is not to mount up in their spirit man, and does not lead to walking in the Spirit.

I am convinced Jesus is not the least bit concerned about the “number” of his followers, and he has not put that responsibility on us either. What he is concerned about is the spiritual growth in his followers. The Great Commission still says to make “Disciples” of all nations. The Bible still says “the Lord” added to the Church those who should be saved. (Not man.) Paul still wrote that we can water and sow, “but God” gives the increase. Many times Jesus said very hard things, revealing he was more concerned about spiritual growth, than the number of those who followed. He was about “Disciples”, not followers, or a fan club. Now who are those who wait upon the Lord? Those who mount up with the wings of the eagle to ride, to soar upon the Wind.

image1Everyday I find I have to do some flapping in order to “mount up”. But once I am charged in the Holy Spirit, now I am tuned in to soar. Every day I practice the 3 P’s of my Priesthood > “Praise, Prayer, and Promises”. The two wings and the tail feathers of the eagle. This is the practice of my Priesthood in Christ, and this is wisdom.

God is concerned about how the church is raising His spiritual children. What do we consider creating Disciples? God will hold us accountable more for the spiritual growth of His body rather than the numerical growth. Today a church can appear to be very successful based on numbers, but again, what did Jesus do? And what hath God said?

Are we afraid to go back to the early church fathers and learn from them? How far have we drifted from those things Polycarp fought for as a Disciple of the Apostle John? Have we studied how he fought against the coming Catholic influence, of which after he was gone, the Catholic church took over? Is all you know is that we Protestants eventually rebelled and came out of the harlot Roman church? But did we really go back to Polycarp and everything Jesus showed us, or are we still contaminated with many worldly ways? Why are we avoiding such knowledge? To remain intentionally ignorant is not innocence. 

ARE WE TEACHABLE? It does require some effort on your part. I have tried to make it as easy as possible in this blog site, by simply going back to the beginning and reading the journey. There are voices in the wilderness calling to those who are true disciples, teachable, a strong desire to learn, change, grow. It’s not about numbers. Jesus said narrow is the gate to life, and “few” there be who find it. “Few” is a “relative” term. Based on the number of all who have been born, those “few” are still a lot of people. BUT…are we one of those few? Have we proven ourself teachable? Have our actions shown we care enough to study diligently, as God hath said?

Again, we are talking about the Wind here at Path Without End.

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 UNLESS A SEED FALL TO THE GROUND AND DIE, IT ABIDES ALONE. THERE IS NO RELEASE OF THE SPIRIT WITHOUT SOME DEATH TO THE FLESH.

Love Upward & Outward #2

Path Without End

20180414_100445  “Two or more adults required”, is what the directions said. (Maybe I should say the directions WARNED!)

My wife decided we needed a wheel barrel in order to properly work our garden area, and I believe she is right, but did it have to be so difficult? “Some assembly required?” Our continuing saga of creating a beautiful place to “Slow Down, and Hear God”, Turtle Gardens. Nobody said it would be easy. And neither is loving upward and outward. In fact, two or more adults are required!

First of all, even though children seem to have a leg up when it comes to faith, let me be quick to say it requires an adult to have the “self-control” to properly love. Many are the flaws and imperfections we all bring to the common table. There will always be plenty of things to get upset and in a huff about, if that is what we are prone to do. And believe me, human nature is prone. Spiritual maturity is required to love others as ourself.

I see the creating of these Turtle Gardens as a physical picture of a spiritual path. It is my hope to reveal living lessons in picture form of the life God has called us to. Love involves two or more. It’s not about you! Death works in us so life can be born in others! That’s how love works. It’s a garden requiring much attention, but the beauty of it, and the peace of it, fills our life with such wonder and awe from day to day! Wow! It’s hard to explain. God makes it work. Another God paradox.

I have mentioned in earlier articles a home that was the victim of a drive-by shooting in which some 40 bullets were shot into this house. A one year old little girl was hit and died. I heard this on the news and thought how terrible. I did not know till someone called me that I knew the grandma, whose house it also was that was attacked. I’m planning an article soon showing a “Turtle Box” from our “Turtle Gardens” concept, that I just spent two days putting together. An old wood box became this:

It has a message of slow down and hear God on the side panels. More pictures will come in next article, but there is a lot of pain on planet earth, and we who claim to know the love of God, need to find real ways of showing it. It’s my prayer this flower box will open a door for me to talk with the grandma about God. We had some small conversations at work, but there needs to be much more. There is a “Table” our Lord invites us to. A Table I hope to sit at with her, and perhaps share some pain, and a cup of coffee. Table Ministry.

The body of Christ is too full of selfish children acting like children, and having very little adult action of true sacrifice to reach the world and create disciples in a real way. Ask yourself, how many have you “discipled”? Go ye and make disciples of all nations? Our Lord discipled more at Tables, than Temples.

There are no short cuts to discipleship. Perhaps that is why we see so little of it these days. In our “hurry up” and instant society, we have lost patience for the hard work and sacrifice of true disciple making.

In getting back to the wheel barrel, which is today’s lesson, my wife and I had some good quality time together as we struggled with the assembling of this thing. I had seen her trying to do it herself as I was digging out dirt for a screened in porch. I did not really want to stop what “I” was doing to enter what she was doing. But when she read me what the directions said about “two or more required”, I realized I needed to, and I’m very glad I did. It was the most fun I had that day.

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My wife, whom I have given the Indian name of “Grandma Turtle Faith Lady”, was so very proud of her wheel barrel as she wore her Wonder Woman shirt that day. You can see in this picture the joy in her smile, and even in her eyes. That look is priceless.

For a short time we were basking in the glow of success. The wheel barrel was together and working great! It was going to make our garden so much easier to create. However, this is planet earth, and it didn’t take long for some of the “earth curse” to try and upset the glow of our hard earned achievement.

As she was backing her way out of the surrounding construction work, you guessed it, she was in for a tumble! Grandma Turtle Faith Lady was about to go down! Hard!

In a split second her look of joy suddenly became fear, as the back of her heel struck a log while moving backwards, as it is hard to see, she instantly found herself falling! Making matters worse, the log lay beside a pile of pointy limbs! Thank the Lord she did not get impaled! But she did get a small cut and a very hard landing jarring every bone in her body. She was in pain. Planet earth had managed to do it again. Like coffee; bitter and sweet.

My first thought was get to her and is she alright? My second thought was get a picture for the blog site which she refused at threat of my own death. Needles to say, I have no picture to show you. So I helped her painfully and slowly rise from the ground.

I often compare life to coffee; bitter and sweet. Let’s enjoy a good cup of coffee together. We all experience bitter and sweet on planet earth, but together we can turn it into a cup of coffee around a “Table of God”, and help each other find our way through another day on our way to those pearly gates. I know we’re in no hurry to get there, but that is our eventual destination, so might as well encourage each other along the way. Turtle Gardens continue: “In progress.”

20180413_164247So this is Grandpa White Feather, “Fellowship of the White Path”, still building Tipi Retreat and also Turtle Gardens, in hopes of encouraging one and all to “Slow Down and Hear God, especially if you’re pulling a wheel barrel and walking backwards. Right, Turtle Faith Lady? (i.e. Wonder Woman.)

“The Christian Mystic” Part V

Path Without End

20171117_161659 I invite you on this journey with me, of the Christian Mystic. I’m not sure how far this will take us? I freely admit I am learning as we go, therefore, some things I may say in this beginning, may change as we learn and grow on this journey. So far I am completely intrigued with glimpses of things I have seen!

Here is my understanding at this point. When you study a Christian Mystic it helps to prepare yourself for material that may be more like the Book of Song of Solomon, than anything else in your Bible. I don’t think anyone would argue that it takes an advanced soul to fully understand and enjoy the Song of Solomon. And anyone who can read and learn such things is climbing a mountain well worth the time, effort, and training to climb. Once the top has been reached, you gain a perspective that can be gained no other way. The perspective and the experience of the climb changes you in very spiritually positive ways.

I have four books I’m reading at this time which pertain to Christian Mysticism. One book was written by a lady who wrote these words:

“The liberated soul loses her name in the One through Whom and in Whom she merges; just as a river reaching the sea loses identity with which it flowed through many countries to arrive at this destination. Now it is in the sea; and here it rest without labour.”

Because of the book this lady wrote, she was arrested, jailed, put on trial, asked to recant her book or be burned at a stake. She refused to recant what she believed and was burned alive at a stake until dead. She is one who will be spoken of more as we make this journey together. Her book that brought her painful death, which I bought, is entitled: “The Mirror of Simple Souls”.

Another way of preparing yourself is by combining 3 scriptures. (Please remember these are my own interpretations I have made based on my current understanding.) So we are going to add 1+1+1=3. Here we go.

#1 > “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1)

#2 > “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Phil. 2:13)

#3 > “For in him we live and move and exist.” (Acts 17:28)

All this, and more, = CHRISTIAN MYSTIC.

Romans 12:1 + Philippians 2:13 + Acts 17:28 = C.M.

That is quite an equation and only the beginning of an understanding that can take you into very deep places, some of which you may decide does not fit your understanding of scriptures, but also some who do take you to higher places than you have ever known. Finding the right mystic may also be a part of the journey. Some you may agree with more than others.

I’m feeling led to share a thought of my own in these articles, that I believe fits well with our subject of study. I believe we can all look deep into God’s mirror  and find new ways of expressing little understood spiritual truths. Anyone who loves doing that has the tendencies of a CM. Here’s my thought, in brief. >

Hebrews chapter 4 speaks of a “REST” that is reserved for the people of God, and this REST does not have to be future, but can be NOW. Jesus invited all those who are weary and heavy laden to come unto him and he would give them REST. The Sabbath is supposed to be a day of REST in which God ceased from “his own works”. If we cease from “our own works” and live in the works of God, we enter a sacred and supernatural REST. If we stay in our own works, then we are living in the “#6”, the six working days of the week. But if we enter the Sabbath of God’s works, and live in the 7th day, we live in the “#7”! I call this “Living in the 7th Day”. I abbreviate it: “L7D”.

6 is the number of man, and 666 is the Mark of the Beast. A life of living in the 6 leads to a life of 666. But if we enter the Sabbath God is offering us, and live in the “7”, we enter a supernatural life of faith that I believe these mystics also speak of. I have seen this and taught it for some time. And yes, as I started exploring these mystics, I realized I may have had family I have not been aware of. Maybe you might discover the same thing?

Also note that the quote from our mystic lady not yet named, spoke of a REST at the end of the quote. A REST the river knows after losing itself in the sea. How very interesting. I love it.

And so we have begun our journey into the exploration of Mysticism to see if it might be something we want more of, or… that’s not for me. Hope you enjoy.

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