Our soul has windows that need continual care and cleansing by the Word & Spirit of God. By maintaining these windows we can see from God’s perspective and live in life with grace and freedom.

No Place For Offense

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart…

Psalms 24:3-4

Before we can move into that most intimate and high place with God we must be willing to make our hands and heart clean. The world is filled with opportunities for offense. Relationships always have the potential to present a challenge and an opportunity to overcome. It takes a humble heart to walk in relationship with others over the distance of time. There is no other way to be victorious in our lives but to walk in simple love and overflow with the grace of God for one another.

In Christ we have lost our lives and found His. When we have truly lost our lives there is no real place for offense. Offenses will always come but we don’t have to be offended.

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

John 14:30

There was nothing that Jesus had in common with the devil. There was nothing that the enemy could latch on to. Jesus did not take offense even though He had ample opportunities. We lost our rights to be offended when we became His people. Part of the mature life is to walk without offense and release only blessing with our lips. We are dead with Christ. When He died, we died. On the cross Jesus forgave knowing that those who willingly put Him on the cross still did not really know what they were doing. It is the same with all who are under the influence of the enemy. They don’t know what they are doing. It is by the grace of God working in our lives that we are able to say the same thing in our circumstances. We do not set aside the grace of God because Christ died so that we may truly live. Part of the living is dying to our rights of what we think we deserve.

Clean The Windows

Deception begins with a bitter heart that has been offended. The spirit of rejection takes hold of an individual because of an offense that has come through a bad experience. The spirit of anger takes root with murderous intent. Jesus said that if we are angry in our hearts without a “cause” there is no difference between that and murder.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…

Matt 5:21-22

We need to put out the fire of unsanctified anger immediately or else it can grow into something much more damaging. There is a hatred of sin, a holy anger against wickedness that we need that keeps us from compromise. (Jude 23) But a root of bitterness from rejection, wounds and offense defiles many. Those who have been rejected get angry easily and become bitter over very small things. This opens the door to deception because people begin to interpret things through a dirty window, not seeing a clear picture of how things really are. It is the pride of man that causes one to think that they are better than another and have the “edge” saying “I would never do that”. If it were not for the grace of God we would all be up the creek without a paddle. It is His grace that sustains us and keeps us in a good place. As long as we trust in His strength and not our own, casting our cares and concerns upon Him, we can stay clean forgiving from the heart with sincerity knowing that we are no better than anyone else. This keeps the windows of our hearts clean so that we can have God’s perspective on things being filled with His mercy, grace and love.

The Cross

Just as Jesus took up His cross so we also have a price to pay in laying down our lives to follow His ways. Our tongue is the most powerful instrument that we have. We can speak life or death with the tongue. We should harness the power of the tongue for good, for God and for the grace of God to be released through us. When we speak life we can cut off the strategies of the enemy over our lives and the lives of others. Decree a thing and it shall be established. Speak to the mountain and it shall be removed. In terms of our engagements in relationships we should be using this powerful instrument invested in our beings to bring healing and life by being quick to have mercy forgiving always.

There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

Proverbs 12:18

The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer is a great prayer to pray everyday. If I need a quick connection to the Throne of God this prayer covers all the bases and keeps the heart in the right place. God not only wants us to ascend to the Hill of the Lord but also wants us to live in the reality of the high places with Him for that is where are seated. He has paid the price that we can live there.

Allow the Lord to infuse you with His pure wisdom from above that is peaceable and filled with His love and grace.