Photoshopped...

Ever wonder what’s going on in people’s minds?

Are you curious to go even deeper and wonder what’s in a person’s heart or Soul even?

What are they carrying, thinking, or replaying within?

Nowadays there are so many who place their heads down in their devices instead of looking up and watching where they are going, there’s so much distraction everywhere and today you don’t even need to leave your home to find it. All one has to do now is look down and their phone will sweep them away for hours, later when they come to so much time has gone by and they’ve missed the qualities of life God brings; peace, self-control, being satisfied at every turn in our lives because the One that holds us loves beyond measure, the One that protects, heals, and is always there saves us and the One that provides all comfort and grace that fulfills every fiber of our being even our Souls within, our God does that and without distraction it’s a yearning.

This is a two - part encouraging word…

Part One: Matthew 23:25-28 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. When Matthew writes about such things being clean and unclean, he’s talking about the way we are put together, when our heart is right and the thing’s we do on a regular basis are honoring God, no matter if its in front of others or behind closed doors? Are we representing His kingdom well? Have you been cleansed from the inside out or do you photoshop yourself to look good? (remember, man looks on the outward appearance while God looks at the heart, so who are you trying to impress). We all have issues from time to time, things come up and we need to work through them, there are times where we may fail the first time but when it comes around again, we can learn from our failure and do better next time. God will never condemn you the enemy does that, but God will discipline those He loves and He will hate the sin but never the person – Jesus died on the cross for every Soul, even those who, don’t always get it right. But we need to try so when you sit with the Lord ask Him to help you be cleansed from the inside out and if there is any sin hidden in the shadows of yourself ask Him to reveal it so you can be whole and healed completely by the One who loves you most our Lord. There is no use keeping anything from the Lord – He knows all and sees all, besides who better to share your deepest darkest than with the One who knows already, He is all we need Him to be: redeemer, deliver, safe keeper, all knowing, restorer, miracle worker, He is our I Am.

The truth shall set you free. Knowing the truth in whom you belong to and knowing the truths inside of you – you dig them out and become free. Your only as clean as what is in you… when the unclean becomes unveiled from within your cleansed even deeper. It has taken me a long, long time to understand myself – so who do I go to for insight, my Heavenly Father, it used to be a broken record soundtrack of all the wrongs done to me in my life and then after that maddening escapade the record would turn over and the pity party would start… ever been there? Eventually I noticed this was a corrupt pattern and the enemy had me right where he wanted me, dwelling in the past and soaking up its despair just to be beat up all over again, it wasn’t until realizing I was equipped with more than I ever gave myself credit for and the beauty of it all is that I don’t deserve the credit nor want it.  When my Jesus went to the cross for me, He went for everything I stood for and comparing to Him it wasn’t much until I laid down my whole self and my whole life at His feet picked up my cross and followed closely behind Him what a great leader and the greatest mentor anyone could ever ask for. My life turned right side up from its upside - down ways and since knowing who to go to first my broken record pity partying ways stop and instead of photoshopping myself to look good on the outside (mine usually included wearing a hat to hide under) I look up and ask God to go within revealing anything that doesn’t belong and it looks don’t matter anymore my Soul, heart, mind, body and being matter the most. (I say since in a present way of sharing because we need to humble ourselves everyday for the Spirit is willing but our flesh is weak and it poses a constant struggle to continually do the right thing).

Part One’s closing thoughts… When I met Jesus there were many inside disguises going on my thoughts, actions, heart, some selfish ambitions, my flesh felt safest leading the way and butting heads with the goodness of God’s Spirit within me. Choices that were based on impulse were now being reverted to Holy Spirit and there were new ways to handle situations that came up and as I learned more and more about God and His character that was where I leaned in to no longer perform but to be accepted as who I am rather than photoshop flaws that He says don’t exsist. I have grown and deeply revere the Lord so I want to set an example of Him when I walk into a room and those who know me really know I’m not all that good at a photoshopped look anyway – I am open, honest, raw when I share in a safe environment, passionate, deep, caring, and I could go on but the point is I used to always wear protective armor to shut others out and my photoshop couldn’t always been seen. What does your photoshop look like in a way that needs to be cleansed from the inside out, is it similar to mine where the naked eye can’t see it but there are those lurking debris floating around on the inside, if so its okay to ask the Lord to reveal anything thing that doesn’t please Him or belong to you because He will care for you heal you cleanse you deeper than you can remove the things that keep you from a closer deeper connection with your Heavenly Father and that’s the truth every time I ask for a Lord cleanse He uproots something I never knew was there and I gain  more awaeness of Him His precence and fall deeper in love with Him all over again. Its really neat because the way God loves is everlasting and we have short supply so when this cleanse takes place and brings me closer I never knew I could love more than I have already and when I can love beyond I love from His supply and not my own and then I have more to share and it becomes not so hard to love those our flesh doesn’t think deserve to be loved. Everyone deserves love and love is meant to be shared remember it’s the principalities of the unseen world that don’t deserve it so be careful not to get caught up in moments too fast where you can’t take a second to realize.

Okay let’s get back on track…

Part Two: Being purified in Gods fire – hmm… ever pray this prayer?

This is a great place to really truly lay yourself down at Jesus’ feet and go through the Holy Fire of the Lord, each time I have done this the outcome is unspoken words of becoming satisfied form the inside out it’s a process a journey can be a wilderness or a mountain sometimes tough but always, always, always, truly a reawakening of oneself to new closeness with the Lord.

Zechariah 13:9 This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call upon my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”  

Remember Gods Word stands always. We need to utilize it in our day to day lives, if He’s refining and purifying the ancient Jews in Zechariah than don’t you think there is an importance to ask for the Lord to be purifying us today too? In this part 2 section are you true to yourself and are you true to God, ask yourself and the ask God, pray for refining, pray for purification you’ll be glad you did.

In closing enhance your natural beauty don’t cover yourself to look like someone you’re not because God never made you that way, embrace who you are and since beauty comes from within – who are you? Kind, compassionate, gentle, loving, merciful, slow to anger, comforting, these are only some of the qualities of our Lord there is a never ending list of the goodness of God and this is where our minds should be full and this is where our hearts should run overflowing, our ways should be His ways and honestly when you go through the Lords cleanse and become purified and refined in His Holy Fire you will be renewed and refreshed and reestablished in Him for Him and through Him because His Holy Spirit lives in you be like your Heavenly Father instead of living in a photoshopped world where everything is in its place and nothing is wrong because you look clean on the outside that’s what people want to see, but God wants you just as you are when you’re vulnerable, having an ugly cry, scared, a complete mess and more however you need to be – be that with Him and allow His ways to cleanse and beautify you from the inside out soon you’ll begin to see a sheen around you and a glow on  you, people will notice and ask what you have been doing different, if you’ve been exercising, eating better etc. and maybe since you’ll be fully feeling better from the inside out you will walk more or eat better but that glow will be Gods face upon you, what a beautiful way to look, embraced by God embracing yourself because you embrace the One who made you and walking in alinement with Him you’ll be less interested in photoshopping and more interested in exampling your true self seeing who you are through His eyes.

When your right within there’s no need for a performance - based mentality, especially with God.

Thank You Heavenly Father for Your deep cleanse within so that I can be truly clean inside I want to honor You and so I humble myself for Your glory, I pray others will do the same. Help us all to want to walk through Your Holy Fire to be complete by You, purify us and refine us the way You want it so that it is done properly and nothing goes unnoticed. You are Lord and Lord of all knowing so I trust You to be the One who sets the fire that will consume all that doesn’t belong I pray every Saint is open to a deep cleansing / purifying blessing and we can all humble ourselves to know when we need to lay down our lives again and again. I pray we can all realize this to be a daily offering of ourselves because day to day we can get caught up in world ways and not even know so I pray Lord, You’ll, bring it to our attention when we lack. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.