Outside the camp

I removed this from my blog because I had received correction for what I had written prior to Thanksgiving. It was something that I needed to pray through and seek some guidance. This morning I felt like God said, share, be one of the One in a million.

When I finished reading from Hebrews earlier this week, the wording "outside the camp" just leapt off the page at me. When I think of modern day (our society today) terms for camp, I think of a gathering of people that have done so for enjoyment. Camp perhaps meaning a clique or your buddies, perhaps even family. Today camp doesn't always mean Believer's. With thinking of modern day terms, not BIBLICAL TERMS FOR CAMP, God reminded me that it is good to be "outside of the camp" when it comes to the worlds way of thinking.

Here is the scripture that I had found myself pondering over: Hebrews 13:11-14 NLT; "11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come."

I knew that in the scriptures "camp" meant the 12 tribes of Israel, I just didn't explain that because I was headed a different direction. To be placed outside of the camp in scripture was due to sin, to be un-clean. You can read about this in the Old Testament in the book of Exodus. I'm sorry that I didn't paint a clearer picture and for those that have read this, I pray that you will forgive me. It is never my point to add to God's Holy Word. I was trying to pen my thoughts of what I still feel that God was revealing to my heart, for my walk with Him in today's world. That there are times that He is calling me to remove myself from "camp" due to its unhealthiness, which can cause me to be tainted with sin and uncleanliness.

Father God, Thank You for the TRUTH of Your Word. The power that it provides to encourage us to be like Jesus, going outside the camp and bearing the disgrace by having done so. Because You have called us to be like You, You have called us to follow after You even when that means to move outside of the camp. Obedience is costly and yet blessedly rich. Father, equip us today, tomorrow and for eternity to be strong IN YOU looking forward to the home yet to come. With more love in my heart for You than ever before. Amen.

Written with love here at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda

Silver

"Miss Yolanda, did you know that I have a frog and a fish at home? And we are gonna get a bigger aquarium?" I replied, "No Sweetie, I didn't. What kind of a fish do you have?" My sweet little girlfriend said, "It is a golden fish, and its name is Silver." "Sweetie, who named your goldfish, Silver?" "I DID!" she answered with a huge grin across her face.

Yep, that was the conversation that I had today with one of my little girlfriends at church that I love so much. This evening, God brought that back to my mind and I heard Him in my spirit say, "That is how I am. What the world sees and what I call you are two different things. The world wants to throw those I love away, but I see your heart and I see GOOD."

I love the purity of little ones and I love that MY GOD is PURE and He is GOOD!

Father, Thank You for beautiful reminders of You through the little children. Thank You that You see good and You see so much that the world never even catches a glimpse of as they are looking at the outside but You...You are all about the inside. I want to be like You Lord. I do. Amen.

Simple lesson that packs a punch! Lovingly, Yolanda at Higher Grounds

Faulty reception

For a couple of weeks now we have been having the strangest problem with the electrical outlet in our bathroom. The left hand side of the sink will not run my blow dryer but all other electrical appliances absolutely work in this very same outlet. Yet my blow dryer works just fine on the right side of the sink in a different receptacle. It is about to drive me crazy because both my Man and I cannot figure this out. It truly does not make sense.

This morning God reminded me of this as a visual that I personally need to make sure that I am plugged in to the correct receptacle myself. The One, God Himself, that is LIFE giving!! Not the enemy that is faulty, crafty, and looks like he is the way to go. The choice to feed into the enemies hand will only later find oneself/myself totally not plugged in and not working (living) correctly.

Perhaps you are like me in my current season of needing to make sure that I STAY plugged in to the One that gives life as well as causes me to make wiser decisions. That equips me to stand against the enemy of my soul. Then I would like to encourage you with a scripture that I fell in love with yesterday from the New Living Translation.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 "Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love."

The enemy desires to intimidate you and I. He shoots straight at our hearts and often times does damage because our hearts are our command or control centers. Our hearts are sensitive and is where our feelings live. Paul encouraged me deeply yesterday and on into today to be on guard, to stand true to what I believe, to be courageous and strong , as well as to do everything with love.

Father, thank You for placing a new desire with-in me this morning for intimacy with You. I am thankful for the visual of the faulty reception in my bathroom to remind me that if I'm not careful, that I too can have a faulty reception and be found eating out of the devils hands. Lord, You are my greatest joy and You alone are my hope. May I be found trusting in You alone, as well as a heart and mind for obedience to You. Father, here I am. I love You Lord and I praise You in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Desiring a strong connection with the True Receptor here at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda

Do you ever have sad moments?

Girlfriends and Guy friends,

This morning I am having a sad moment in the midst of being so thankful and filling up on the JOY OF THE LORD. Do you ever do that as well? If so, would you be willing to share?

As I was reading in Romans chapter 11 with the subtitle being: God's Mercy Is for Everyone, I became sad and prayerful.

In my ponderings I must share that I'm so thankful His mercy is for everyone. I know that is a true statement. God has poured out lavishly upon me with His mercy and I know that the Word of God is true from beginning to end. Chapter 11 vs 25b NLT "Some of the Jews have hard hearts, but this will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ."

Father, It saddens me so that my family as gentiles have hard hearts. I so desire that they would know the JOY OF THE LORD and rely upon Him in a very personal way. My desire for them is not RELIGION but truly a RELATIONSHIP. It isn't only about Sunday morning, or when one feels like it. Relationship and truly being a Christian is all about inhaling and exhaling Jesus Christ. I truly believe that Your desire for my family is that they know You as well, Father. I am grateful that my heart was melted and that I reached out for God's Mercy, Your Mercy Father. I ask that my family would be found doing the same. In Christ's precious Name, Amen.

Prayerfully here at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda

Or don't you care?

"Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" Romans 2:4 NLT from Biblegateway. In the translation I have it reads, "Or don't you care?".

Does this mean nothing to you? Hmmmm.....don't you care?

The Lord really spoke to my heart about this because He has been wonderfully kind, tolerant and patient with me. He isn't asking me about my Brothers and Sisters, He is asking me about MYSELF!

Father, I pray that my life actions and thoughts display that I do care. I pray that what You have done for me and in me does mean something, it means the world to me. You Father mean the world to me. That my heart has been changed and that the change causes me to seek Your praise God, not others. That my eyes will be found on my own actions and not others. Lord, that You would say, Yes, Yolanda does care, I mean something to her. In Christ's name, Amen.

Lovingly as I desire the Higher Grounds,
Yolanda

Awaken me, Lord, awaken me

From my journal this morning as of 11/2/09:

Father, I don't want to be a fake. I also do not want to be the 5 virgins that have no oil, nor the 9 lepers found not giving thanks. Lord, awaken my soul, awaken me Lord.

There are times that I can sit with my journal and my heart pours out, things get written that I had no idea was tucked inside of me. This happened to be one of those mornings. I wanted to see if there was a scripture that had the word awaken in it. I had no idea, and I almost always get blown away when I do this, because God confirms what I sense that He has spoken in my soul.

Psalm 57:7-8 Amplified:

7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody.
8Awake, my glory (my inner self); awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [I will awaken the dawn]!

Instantly I said, devil out of here, you are the one placing these doubts in my head. I am a child of the King, I am CONFIDENT of this. My heart will remain STEADFAST, I WILL SING AND MAKE MELODY. My heart is fixed ON GOD. Awaken my inner self (soul), O Father, as Only YOU can do, awaken me Lord. In Jesus' beautiful name, Amen.

May our hearts be awakened and found fixed on God as we climb to Higher Grounds,
Yolanda

PS: I realized also after having written this that we sang a song yesterday that I didn't know in our services that had the word, awake in the lyrics. If I find out the name of the song, I'll post it.