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The Hope of Glory

November 14, 2014 by zgardener

I AM CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of Glory. The one who walks beside you, holding you by your hand, is the same One who lives within you. This is a deep, unfathomable mystery. You and I are intertwined in an intimacy involving every fiber of your being. The Light of My Presence shines within you, as well as upon you. I am in you, and you are in Me; therefore, nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from Me!

As you sit quietly in My Presence, your awareness of My Life within you is heightened. This produces the joy of the Lord, which is your strength. I, the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Me, so that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 42:6     “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. “

Romans 15:13 AMP      May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing {through the experience of your faith} that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

God’s consciousness exists in each of us (the light of god’s presence shining within us). 

God’s consciousness informs each of us (shining upon us). 

God’s consciousness fills each of us (producing peace and joy for the Lord, which is your strength).

God’s consciousness flows from us (bubbling over with hope).

Our role is to increase our awareness of God within us. We do this by communing quietly with God. This gives us the joy of hope and from it, the strength to persevere. Then we are trust God so our hope will bubble over and our spirit will reflect God’s strength and joy upon others.

God’s presence in the real world is within us, shining upon us, flowing from us and inseparable from us.

In Hope of glory,

Z gardener

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THERE IS A TIME OF ABUNDANCE

November 13, 2014 by zgardener

THERE IS A TIME OF ABUNDANCE in your life. Your cup runneth over with blessings. After plodding uphill for many weeks, you are now traipsing through lush meadows drenched in warm sunshine. I want you to enjoy to the full this time of ease and refreshment. I delight in providing it for you.

Sometimes My children hesitate to receive My good gifts with open hands. Feelings of false guilt creep in, telling them they don’t deserve to be so richly blessed. This is nonsense-thinking, because no one deserves anything from Me. My kingdom is not about earning and deserving; it’s about believing and receiving.

When a child of Mine balks at accepting My gifts, I am deeply grieved. When you receive My abundant blessings with a grateful heart, I rejoice. My pleasure in giving and your pleasure in receiving flow together in joyous harmony.

Psalm 23:5 KJV    Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

John 3:16       “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Luke 11:9-10          “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Romans 8:32          He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

Believe and receive overflowing blessings. That is the joyous promise in God’s call and our faith response. On the other hand, if our response to God’s call is not to believe, or to embrace doubt or to second guess God’s will, then any abundance that comes to us would likely be to our detriment. Why, because we are left to our own devices, limited wisdom and sensory limitations.

 Unlike God, our ability is limited. We only see darkly, while God sees and knows all. And when we do respond to God’s call with faith, then we can embrace his overflowing abundance with joy and a clear conscience. It will be for our best good, and no evil shall overcome us.

 Come to Eden; believe and bask in the unbridled joy of God’s limitless love and protection. It will bring joy to each of us and to God.

 Z gardener

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LIVE FIRST AND FOREMOST in My Presence

November 12, 2014 by zgardener

LIVE FIRST AND FOREMOST in My Presence.

Gradually you will become more aware of Me than of people and places around you. This awareness will not detract from your relationship with others. Instead, it will increase your ability to give love and encouragement to them. My peace will permeate your words and demeanor.

You will be active in the world, yet one step removed from it. You will not be easily shaken, because My enveloping Presence buffers the blow of problems.

This is the path I have set before you. As you follow wholeheartedly, you experience abundant Life and Peace.

Psalm 89:15-16    Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exalt in your righteousness.

Psalm 16:8    I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

2 Peter 1:2    Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God in Jesus our Lord.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

As we focus on God, his peace manifests itself through our words and demeanor while our ability to love and encourage grows.

 Unshaken and shielded from life’s blows, we experience overflowing life and peace.

 Following God with all our heart, we find the path to Eden, here and forever.

 Amen,

Z gardener

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WALK WITH ME

November 11, 2014 by zgardener

WALK WITH ME in the freedom of forgiveness. The path we follow together is sometimes steep and slippery. If you carry a burden of guilt on your back, you are more likely to stumble and fall.  At your request, I will remove the heavy load from you and bury it at the foot of the cross. When I unburden you, you are undeniably free! 

Stand up straight and tall in My Presence, so that no one can place more burdens on your back. Look into My Face and feel the warmth of My Love-Light shining upon you. It is this unconditional Love that frees you from both fears and sins. 

Spend time basking in the Light of My Presence. As you come to know Me more, and more intimately, you grow increasingly free.

Psalm 68:18    Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

1 John 1:7-9    But if the walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 4:18    There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

Request that guilt be lifted, stand tall and straight, look to God, feel the warmth of unconditional love and bask in God’s light; free from fear and sin. Then walk with God as Eden is increasingly revealed.

Just a closer walk,

Z gardener

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THERE IS A MIGHTY BATTLE

November 10, 2014 by zgardener

THERE IS A MIGHTY BATTLE going on for your mind. Heaven and earth intersect in your mind; the tugs of both spheres influence your thinking. I created you with the capacity to experience foretastes of heaven. When you shut out the world and focus on My Presence, you can enjoy sitting with Me in heavenly realms. This is an incredible privilege reserved for precious ones who belong to Me and seek My Face. Your greatest strength is your desire to spend time communing with Me. As you concentrate on Me, My Spirit fills your mind with life and peace.

The world exerts a downward pull on your thoughts. Media bombard you with greed, lust and cynicism. When you face these things, pray for protection and discernment. Stay in continual communication with Me whenever you walk through the wastelands of this world. Refuse to worry, because this form of worldliness will weigh you down and block awareness of My Presence. Stay alert, recognizing the battle being waged against your mind. Look forward to an eternity of strife-free living, reserved for you in heaven.

Ephesians 2:6    And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:6    The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.

1 John 2:15, 17    Do not love the world or anything in the world….the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

These things bear repeating; stay in communion with God, refuse to worry and stay alert. 

Make no mistake, there is a battle going on within each of us for our will. We must be alert and aware of the enemy’s attacks so we can be prepared and turn to God for help. There is no time, or benefit from worrying in the midst of battle (or any other time), in fact it is harmful, dangerous and may be fatal. It also indicates an uncertainty of faith. We must stay in communication with our leader in this battle and in all of life. No army or any individual can be fully effective if they are cut off from their leader.

If we do these things, then our mind will manifest the perfect intersection between Heaven and earth. This intersection is called Eden. And we can live in these heavenly realms of joy, peace and love; even in the midst of battle.

Tasting Heaven,

Z gardener

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RELAX IN MY EVERLASTING ARMS

November 7, 2014 by zgardener

RELAX IN MY EVERLASTING ARMS. Your weakness is an opportunity to grow strong in awareness of My Almighty Presence. When your energy fails you, Do not look inward and lament the lack you find there. Look to Me in My sufficiency; rejoice in my radiant riches that are abundantly available to help you. 

Go gently through this day, leaning on Me and enjoying My Presence. Thank Me for your neediness, which is building trust-bonds between us. If you look back on your journey thus far, you can see that days of extreme weakness have been some of your most precious times. Memories of these days are richly interwoven with golden strands of My intimate Presence.

Deuteronomy 33:27    The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, “Destroy him!”

Psalm 27:13-14    I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

As much as human culture and nature detest weakness, it is only when we have exhausted our human ability and been humbled to the point of submission, do we find true communion with God. It is one of the reasons that we suffer, because suffering drives us away from our selves and toward God. The direction that drive takes is usually down on our knees.

The good news is that our suffering and weakness are not for naught. They teach us all the traits we must develop if we are to live in the Eden that God created for us. Then we can even rejoice in our weakness and pain.

Relaxing,

Z gardener

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SEEK TO PLEASE ME

November 5, 2014 by zgardener

SEEK TO PLEASE ME above all else. Let that goal be your focal point as you go through this day. Such a mind-set will protect you from scattering your energy to the winds. The free will I bestowed on you comes with awesome responsibility. Each day presents you with choice after choice. Many of these decisions you ignore and thus make by default. Without a focal point to guide you, your can easily lost your way. That’s why it is so important to stay in communication with Me, living in thankful awareness of My Presence.

You inhabit a fallen, disjointed world, where things are constantly unraveling around the edges. Only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled too.

Matthew 6:33    But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

John 8:29    The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.

Colossians 3:23-24    Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive and inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

If we focus on the presence of God and seek to please him (do his will), then everything we need will be supplied to ensure our joy and peace. This is not easy, but the reward is infinite.

Staying focused,

Z gardener

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EVERY TIME

November 4, 2014 by zgardener

EVERY TIME something thwarts your plans or desires, use that as a reminder to communicate with me. This practice has several benefits. The first is obvious. Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our relationship. 

Another benefit is that disappointments, instead of dragging you down, are transformed into opportunities for good. This transformation removes the sting from difficult circumstances, making it possible to be joyful in the midst of adversity.

Begin by practicing this discipline in all the little disappointments of daily life. It is often these minor setbacks that draw you away from My Presence. When you reframe setbacks as opportunities, you find that you gain much more than you have lost. 

It is only after much training that you can accept major losses in this positive way. But it is possible to attain the prospective of the apostle Paul, who wrote: Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, I consider everything I once treasured to be as insignificant as rubbish.

Colossians 4:2        Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Philippians 3:7-8   But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

This is how defeat is swallowed up in victory. Turning to God, and turning things over to God, gives us the ability to see the blessings hidden in pain and to turn them into opportunities and victories. Regardless of the circumstances, God can and will turn any circumstance into a cause for joy and celebration.

This peace is not immediate and the ability to live this way takes practice, commitment to God and discipline. But practiced consistently, it is the key to “rejoicing in all things”.Isn’t that what peace really is?

In peace,

Z gardener

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YOU WILL NOT FIND MY PEACE

November 3, 2014 by zgardener

YOU WILL NOT FIND MY PEACE by engaging in excessive planning: attempting to control what will happen to you in the future. That is a commonly practiced form of unbelief. When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp; yet it always eludes you. Just when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion.

I did not design the human mind to figure out the future. That is beyond your capability. I crafted your mind for continual communication with Me. Bring Me all your needs, your hopes and fears. Commit everything into my care. Turn from the path of planning to the path of peace.

1 Peter 5:6-7    Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Proverbs 16:9    In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Psalm 37:5 NKJV    Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

While we humans do need to plan and set goals in our lives, these things will not bring us peace. They may quieten our anxiety about the future with false security that we have it covered. However, it is only in following God’s plans that we open the door to true peace. 

If we make our plans according to God’s will, and subject to those plans to accommodate God’s guidance, then they can be helpful exercises that serves to bring us some comfort. However, comfort in the moment is not peace.

True peace can only be found in sublimating our will and our plans to God’s. Then we can see the Eden God created for us and live in it in peace, joy and hope each day.

Christ’s peace to you,

Z gardener

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I DESIGNED YOU

October 30, 2014 by zgardener

I DESIGNED YOU to live in union with Me. This union does not negate who you are; it actually makes you more fully yourself. When you try to live independently of Me, you experience emptiness and dissatisfaction. You may gain the whole world and yet lose everything that really counts.

Find fulfillment through living close to Me, yielding to my purposes for you. Though I may lead you along paths that feel alien to you, trust that I know what I am doing. If you follow Me wholeheartedly, you will discover facets of yourself that were previously hidden. I know you intimately—far better than you know yourself. In union with Me, you are complete. In closeness to Me, you are transformed more and more into the one I designed you to be.

Mark 8:36    

Psalm 139:13-16    

2 Corinthians 3:17-18    

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

Think of humans as remote controlled airplane kits. God designed us to fly. Yet, unless the plane is assembled according to the maker’s instructions, operated according to the plane’s specifications and powered by the proper energy, it will never fly as it was created to fly.

We are designed to fly; created to be one with God; ready to be assembled into that which God created us to be. When we follow God’s plan, we become the creatures God intended us to be. Then we will discover the real us and the real Eden that God created for us.

Learning to fly,

Z gardener

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