Caught Aroma of Christ this weekend....... Over Here Asking Five Questions

I am still reeling from Beth Moore's Session 4 of Esther last Tuesday in Houston and intro of Breaking Free and then on top of all of that I went to Beth Moore's live studio tapings at James Robison's LOI this weekend. I am so desperate for a word from my wooing God. The digital camera was on nighttime so the above pic is ethereal of Bev, Beth, Christie & Holly--- but I promise you we were all awake at every word. And the Elvis photo was totally out of this world when he sang to Beth "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"--you know that oldie which floored the Moore girl, literally. I will long remember this week and the one-liners that linger... I wanted to share with you what lingers in my mind and heart from the five talks she gave this weekend which will become multiple tv segments, Wednesdays with Beth. Seven hours of Beth is like a very thirsty soul of mine drinking out of a fire hydrant---I got enough to taste and quench my thirst but missed a powerful lot, I'm sure, while I was being drenched with God. It was such a privilege to share this weekend with my blogging siestas, Holly from crownlaiddown and Christie...I met them in person...humble Holly has such childlike faith and such a praying heart. Christie knows what it means to take courage.

I am so "curved in on myself" in my pain and my God has so showed up to give me release not relief---still in the midst of hard times but, oh my, Luke 24:45 sums it up---my precious Father is opening my mind to understand the Scriptures a teenitsy bit more than ever.

The following thoughts are what lingers on my heart after listening to Beth teach for seven solid straight hours this weekend. Oh my! I hope I can do justice to what I heard. She opens her mouth and God fills it with Himself. Psalm 81:10. Tune in to LIFE TODAY Wednesdays with Beth and you'll be so moved by the beautiful God in this woman. I caught the fragrance of our precious Jesus II Cor. 2:14 from this intriguing life wrapped around the Mind and Heart of her God. And I am over here in Benbrook asking myself five questions tonight in response to her five talks... Am I driven by comfort or driven by Christ? What on earth do I do when I face trials today? When was the last time I repented? What words of forgiveness can I FED EX to my God's Hand? What drives me to my knees today? God has used this servant of the Word of God to bring me to Himself and I am so grateful to Him. This long post really ends here and the rest are the notes from each of those questions that gripped me. It's really for me to save and savor. Thanks so much for reading my blog. Just like you, I long to find Him ... and it's people like this beautiful lady who lead me to look into my heart and allow my merciful Lord to deal with the core of my heart. Five Questions to wonder about this stormy night in Benbrook. Five Questions to ask in the days and months and years to come, Lord willing.

Talk #1 – “Comfort”
Am I driven by comfort or driven by Christ?…compelled by the love of Christ,.II Cor. 5:13. I thought I lost my right mind March 15, 2006 but God lifted my head Psalm 3:3 and stood me up Rev 1:17,18 and He came all over me. Beth has put words to what happened to me in past 18 months---I’m not crazy…I’m crazy for Christ…out of my right mind for my beautiful Christ. Yes, I am! Beth shared Lam. 1:2. It was my story---bitter tears burned down my body; there was no one to comfort me. My beautiful God picked me up and compelled me with the Beauty of his Boundless Face. “Look into suffering” but don’t let my pain define me; don't let my story define me….it is my beautiful Lover who defines me and I can no longer be driven for my own comfort, nor for the removal of my pain, but for the release of my sovereign God…my Author who has orchestrated even this…either we are driven by comfort or driven by my crucified Christ...

Talk #2 – “Praise”
What on earth do I do when I face trials and tears?
“We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us and we do not know what to do but our eyes are upon You.” I Chron 20:12 “Have faith…the battle is the Lord’s.” “Keep your face up.” “Plant your feet in the battlefield…for you are a Divine Participant." “Pick up praise as your weapon. Praise with a loud voice. Every time you pray, the enemy has to listen.”
“The Spirit of my Sovereign Lord is all over me and He has sent me to bestow a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isa. 61:2 That verse is what the gracious God in Beth has done for me as I reflect on this past year doing Beth Moore bible studies.

Talk #3 – “Living Forgiving"
When was the last time I repented?
“Learn to not let offenses stick to me” (wait til you hear the Velcro roller story!)
“Empowered by God to not let an offense stick”
“It is our glory to overlook the offense”
“Take the plank out of your own eye” Luke 6:41
"Grace people with your words"
“If you see yourself under the Law, you put others under it too.”
“You know me God Psa 139:1---isn't that just amazing---we are safe with God…you know me so test me.” Psalm 139: 23
“You want something but you don’t get it cause of the desires that battle within you.” James 4: 1,2...
This talk so spoke to me about my ongoing repentance...when was the last time you repented?

Talk #4 – "Forgive”
What words of forgiveness can I "send forth" by FED EX to my God's Hand?
“Some thoughts can’t escape us for 25 years—you live with it every day.” And sometimes I think it is the absence of the thought, the absence of fear that is victory and not so...
“Each heart knows its own bitterness.” Prov. 14:10
“Devastation leads to isolation.”
“There is only One who reads our heart from the inside out.”
“Let God do it---“not relief but Release."
“Strongholds II Cor 10: 3-5 are exalted thought processes.”
“I must forgive others in the sight of Christ in order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are aware of his schemes.”
“Don’t miss the grace of your God.” Heb. 12
Beth read from her book When Godly People do Ungodly Things about the woman who married beneath herself. Beth is right, that story awakens us with the force of a tidal wave because the one in the story who beats his chest for God to have mercy on him---that husband found rest for his sin-sick soul. Just like the Son of David---“have mercy on me, my God.” But the self-righteous wife in the story made herself a dangerous transgressor in thinking she had never sinned against her family like her husband did.
Matthew 18:34, 35 so gripped me…”unless you forgive your brother this is how your heavenly Father will treat each of you---He will turn you over to be tortured.” It’s not okay with God to be unforgiving.
“Pray the Lord’s Prayer….forgive.” “Aphiemi” means send it forth to God…Fed Ex it to His Hand.” “We were meant to live a supernatural life.” “We know something we would have never known cause we made a decision to cooperate with a miracle.” “See what you despise in yourself and find the mercy of God."
Beth told a powerful story of standing alone at her father’s grave. She layed down every offense, buried it there in the grave. She stood up a grateful child, drenched in God, let it be done.

Talk #5 – “Thorn in the Flesh”
What drives me to my knees today?
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh.” II Cor. 12:7
“The knowledge of secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you.” Matt. 13:11. Eyes see. Ears hear. Affected by His Presence. Something happens I can’t describe to a Spirit at Rest. Suddenly, I sense something is gonna be all right.
“I'll show Myself to you.” John 14:21
“He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Luke 24:45 and collect the parts of the puzzle of your life. Keep on asking Eph. 1:17 for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to know Him better.
II Cor. 12:4 – he heard inexpressible things…something happened I can’t describe
Thorn in flesh pops our inflated ego’s. Conceit means hyperairo---to exalt ourselves.
Desperation is a strange gift. What keeps you connected with God? What drives me to my knees? Nothing like knowing God is on me. Isa. 61:1
Jer. 45:5 – do not seek great things for yourself.
You can do what you think you cannot because God’s power is on you.
I will never make it without God, He is an IV needle in my veins.
His Grace is sufficient; can’t separate grace and prayer.
Save us from sin; save us from self.
Great revelation...Not self elevation.
I don’t want revelation to cause me to be full of myself.
Beth shared how she never conquered fear of speaking…yes, it's true God doesn't give us a spirit of fear….but he can send spirits to torment us…
God’s grace is sufficient; Power is perfected in weakness. II Cor 12: 9,10 for the all surpassing power is in jars of clay.
Exodus 40:34 showed up as a powerful Presence of our present God. Our providential God is pitching the Tent of His Presence looking for humble ground. The word was made flesh---tabernacled among us. Oh my!

Beth asked the live studio audience what God spoke to them at the end of the five talks and this is what they said:
there is victory in praise
living forgiving
be humbled by right thing
pop the balloon of thorn in flesh
bitterness is poison
move out of my comfort zone
praise when i don't know what to do
humility in marriage
He is going to come
Christian women have power
the battle is not yours
silence means Sabbath
purposes not painful
you are part of His plunder
His calling is greater than our comfort
perceive and receive
turn up the volume of praise
double coated grace & love

Thank you my most loved God for sending this servant to me this year to get me back on my feet cause when we are down before you, our Master our Maker, only You can stand us back up again. No man can do that. It's you. And you used this servant to do that for me and I cannot thank You enough my ever-present, precious, powerful Prince of Peace. You have given and are giving rest for my weary worried sin-sick soul. And I know something tonight that I didn't know before...I have something tonight, I haven't had before.