Fresh Bread
      # 3

SPEAK TO THE ELEMENTS
in
(the midst of your storm)

Good Morning Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
      Where does “fear” come from anyway, Lord? Other than the devil, of course. “Unwarranted fear comes from past experiences.”, the Holy Spirit showed me. “Strong FAITH can also come from past experiences.”
      As a child, I loved the rain; to run and play in it, hear it dripping on a tin roof. The family gathered closer than usual inside our home. As an adult, I continued to love the rain…freshness, sweetness, and often followed by a rainbow.
      But after two major floods, nearly destroying my house, I was no longer excited by the noise of thunder and the flashes of lightening.
      Now I enjoy a soft, gentle rain. There is peace for me in a soft gentle rain…but the loud cracks of thunder this morning were like threats of the enemy, that the floods would come again…forcing me out of my home…running to a hill top, watching things destroyed…cleaning out the mood later and trying to restore what I could.
       Using our little picture today, I held out my left hand toward SIN in a BOX, who chose to threaten and intimidate me. I chose to REACH into the FULLNESS of God in me and take authority over the weather and the fear.
       My first reaction had been in the natural: unplug the computer, get a flash light, let the dog in the house. First the natural, then the Spiritual (I Corinthians 15:46 ). My body (flesh) was trained to do this. But my spirit was also been trained where to find Peace…the in the Presence of my Lord.
      “Too Loud, Lord,” I thought. “This loud noise is offensive to my ears…and would like to rob my peace…much like a radio or television that is blaring. By Your Power, Father, I choose to reach in to Your FULLNESS and turn down the volume.”
      As Moses went out of the city of Pharaoh , and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth…so can we. (Exodus 9:33).
      As Christ spoke to the winds and the waves and said, “Be Still”, so can we because He abides in FULLNESS in us. We are God’s SEED and His SEED remains in us…to the FULL.
      This is another weapon for the end-times. Taking authority over the natural elements…restoring order and peace.

      I was taught another lesson this morning of Christ in me, the hope of Glory. Everywhere we look, the Lord is constantly teaching us something about Himself. He uses the natural as examples to teach the Spiritual.
      Banjo, my blue heeler, is resting now quietly on the floor beside my bed as I write. Banjo seldom wants to come in the house, but when he hears the loud thunder and sees the lightening and heavy rain, he wants to be near me. You see, Banjo went through the last big flood with me and he remembers the roaring waters, the sounds of huge trees snapping, and the thunder and lightning. Even a small amount of rain can worry Banjo. Otherwise he is a very brave, adventurous dog.
      In fact, today he had been somewhere he shouldn’t have been and smelled awful. I thought about NOT letting him in the house. But he was so frightened and looked so pleading, that I knew I must let him in…smelly or not. Just like our Lord accepts us when He says, “He who comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” [Smelly or not].
      I couldn’t decide if Banjo was wanting to be near me to protect me, or if he wanted me to protect him. But, we turned out to be a blessing to each other.
      There are many lessons I could learn from Banjo’s presence…like I was never afraid as long as I was protecting someone else. Like my children when they were small and their dad was out of town.
      Now, I felt the similar blessing as I became more concerned about Banjo’s fears and making him fell safe, than I did my own.
      Banjo is now breathing quietly and peace has returned to his body (flesh) as the loud noises are gone and only a few drops of rain. Then I lifted my left hand in a “stop” position to SIN in a BOX and my right hand up towards Heaven with the reminder to always “Lift Jesus Higher”.