SHULAMITE PODCAST

To know God as our Strength ~ physically, emotionally, spiritually ~ is our deepest need. We believe we must be strong and the opposite is true. Dependence on God takes us into the kingdom. The kingdom belongs to the poor and to those who will become childlike. God undertakes reducing us to the weakness of a little child by bringing the Cross to free us from the soulish strength that actually defeats us.

A new booklet by Martha Kilpatrick is soon to be released on Amazon Kindle to be used with Kindles or the Kindle App. John sees that it contains fresh new insight, relevant for our times. The startling thing is that believers are not automatically inside the kingdom. The Bible makes it clear that there is a cost and a choice to enter the kingdom of God with all its rich provision. The primary requirement is that we become as little children, dependent utterly on our Father.

Do we really want an authentic life? It IS our choice. Mostly we lie to get love. Our door of freedom in God's love is actually just beyond our dread of being known. When we leave the lie, we will have no need of the false self. There is no such thing as being hidden anyway, so we might as well just BE who we are. Vicki attests to the fact that God will send people into our lives to save us from the mess we make.

Spontaneity can only come from inner security and the greatest source of our primal need is God's love. Vicki sees that His love breaks the wall we build around our hearts. Only God's love enables us to just BE. Jealousy comes from a heart deprived and imprisoned. Vicki Harris, as a teacher of at-risk children, shares her experience of their extreme deprivation. God is able and we are to be vessels of His love.

Still chatting with Vicki Harris in Florida: "When we grasp at something another has, we become a lie and everything we express is therefore a lie." Our response to people is not sincere or spontaneous and that is why we literally become a LIE. We are merely living a drama with a mask. The heart has to be the place of secret honesty. Then we are open and real.

This podcast is an enlightening conversation with Vicki Harris, who hosted a conference in Palm Coast, Florida. She shares her personal insights in response to the podcast about jealousy called "The Green Eye" Episode #339. John begins by saying: "People who are in the extreme of jealousy are recreating themselves into their own image. It's not allowing God to develop and cultivate our own individual identity." Vicki Harris says,"When you create yourself, you are making a persona. The revelation of Christ in us is our character. When I am telling Him that He has insufficiently made me, I have judged Him!"

In our heart, we must be honest with and responsible for, the thoughts and choices we are secretly thinking. "Discontent is the platform on which jealousy is built." God is called a jealous God. He wants to be our Source and entire desire. John sees jealousy is a prison that blocks you from your true self. In the end, God's sovereignty overcomes the destruction from envy and uses it for our good.

Jealousy is dangerous for the one who is jealous and the one who is the object. It comes in many forms: hate, flattery, rejection, illness, loss, division. God has to identify what is behind our suffering. At times it is jealousy that brings all kinds of curses. Envy starts simply as discontent and if left unconfessed, becomes a monster that devours others.

Jesus was not killed because of His claim to be the Son of God. Scripture says that He was killed from envy. Jealousy is a sin we take lightly. Yet it is the very nature of the enemy who was jealous of God Himself! It is the most satan-like attribute and the reason Satan was thrown out of heaven. Martha shares a life experience of being set free of jealousy. John has insight into what a person loses who is taken by that principality. It all begins with discontent.

John responds to a commenter about last week's podcast. He answered through a post on GetalongwithGod.com and recounted our unique visit through the Vatican Museum. What seems on the surface to be a simple tour through the museum, turns out to be an object lesson from the Lord. Listen to what we learned about singleness of focus and interaction with the Lord.

We disciples were given a mandate by Jesus' prayer: "Thy kingdom come." Our going and doing will bring the kingdom down to earth in actual presence. When Jesus is our Lord, then we bring His kingdom wherever we go, because we belong to the King! We experienced, through our Vatican guide, the sensation of being in a bubble of protection and ease, in the midst of crowds and chaos. It seemed to illustrate the covering presence of Christ's Kingdom which protects us in ways we barely recognize.

The Holy Spirit was teaching us so much as we traveled through Austria and Italy. Through museums and cathedrals, ancient cities and castles, we were truly in the world of man's achievements. Over it all, John was seeing the futility of the wealth and grandiosity, but at the same time, the perfection of God's sovereignty. All that 'is,' no matter what, is under His dominion. Whether good or bad, all things will serve Him in the end.

How great and huge and determined is God's love toward us! His love is mercy, dominion and power. God gave us an adventure in our trip to Italy and Austria but in this time He also touched our loves other than Him. When we give God our small yes to His love, His love proves to be all-encompassing. He will undertake and secure our love for Himself. It is like the book of Hosea says "I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord."

As we traveled through Europe (Italy and Austria) we experienced the purposes of God through our daily steps. We were being guided to occasions beyond our understanding or knowledge. What appeared as common movement through a trip amazingly revealed itself as the plan and steps of the Lord.

Carole is grateful that God's love and need for us is greater than our need for Him! His powerful determination to have us is stronger than ours to have Him. Helen Whaley writes: "There is no "I" in love, there's Love." Every story is Christ's Love Story. . . of pursuit and passion and capture!