Grapes are a wonderful thing, fruit of the vine, supplied with life from the branches, showered with the rain and warmed by the sun drawing nutrients from the earth. They embody the sweetness and joy of our creator and our fellowship with Him. They require, like us, much care and attention to grow to the fullness of their potential. They are brought to the point of perfection and then given over to the wine press.

Just like the grapes there comes crushing and bruising time to us all. Life on this earth, circumstances and rubbing elbows with others brings moments which test our faith. Even to the point of despair and doubting our call and walk before the Lord. This time of walking through ,what can feel like, the valley of the shadow of death will bring out the true nature underneath all the facades. That trauma tends to lead us to separate from the pain in one way or another. It’s as though our very life blood has been drained out.

Then comes the time of hiding away, the being set aside to become wine. To become what our Papa intended all along, an intoxicating fragrance of His very life on this earth for others to see. The fermentation process slowly works on the grape juice to convert it to a completely new thing. It illustrates how we bottle things up and hold them inside where they can ferment into something precious. At the same time, we can possibly fester into vinegar if we don’t watch the path we take. Just as the wine master must take care over his barrels and bottles turning them regularly and keeping them in the proper environment. So Papa watches over us in this process protecting and providing for our every need in the hidden place.

It is in the mystery of the cellar where we step in His Word, soak in His presence, rest in His bosom and grow into the fullness of who He has for us. As such we are prepared for the revealing of His Sons and Daughters who will bring forth His Kingdom on this earth. Do not despise the time in the barrel but know that the new wine which emerges will be poured out on all and bring in the glorious Day of the Lord. Prepare to be poured out when the vintage is ready, that day is soon approaching.

What is our job as followers of Yeshua? To rest in His protective sheepfold. To abide in the shelter under His wing . It’s not about striving or working we must live out of a place of rest.

This is a huge struggle for us in this world of deadlines expectations and busyness. Accomplishments and schedules are such a cruel task master, pulling on our psyche constantly.

What’s the first thing Papa does in Ps 23? He makes me lie down in green pastures. What do sheep do? The rest in the assurance that the shepherd is watching over them and they are safe fro all danger. How do we know where to go or what to do? His still small voice and guiding hand show us the way.

Striving and stressing over the future is never His plan for us in fact it is seen as disobedience!  For how much does our worry bring about positive resolutions?  Isn’t worry actually worship (dwelling on and rehearsing) of the potential bad things which may happen?  No we are not to worry about anything because our Father is watching over us and providing for us just like the birds of the field.

“Peace, be still”, are frequent words of Jesus and many angels to startled or scared men in the Word.

Peace, be at rest.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/114/psa.23.1-3.nkjv

Do you know that the battle is over? That the case is closed? That we are free indeed from the accusations of the enemy?

We are fighting a battle with a shadow enemy. His power is only granted by our agreement with his lies. In reality, the victory of the cross and the resurrection annihilated any claims the accuser can launch against us. His only “power” is his ability to lead us into lies and deny the truth.

There is not really any open case pending on a docket anywhere, because as Jesus declared on the cross it is finished. The slate is empty. The rebellion of the ages has been quelled. We are merely believing the lie that it is still raging with its own strength.

The only energy left behind the visible rebellion has been granted by men of the earth. Jesus stripped the enemy of all authority and power he’d gained from Adam in Eden. The rebellion is fully subject to the reign of the King of Kings and His followers.

So remain strong in the Lord and the power of His might because the enemy remains under our feet!

“So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the “law” of sin and death. For God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature. Yet God sent us his Son in human form to identify with human weakness. Clothed with humanity, God’s Son gave his body to be the sin-offering so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin. So now every righteous requirement of the law can be fulfilled through the Anointed One living his life in us. And we are free to live, not according to our flesh, but by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit!”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-4‬ ‭TPT‬‬
https://www.bible.com/1849/rom.8.1-4.tpt

We live in a reality which is multidimensional, we are here in the physical “seen” world while at the same time we are in the spiritual “unseen” world. The entire universe, all of reality, is held together by the Word, the very substance of our existence is contained and sustained in the Word of Yahweh.

Yes, there’s a veil which separates the seen and unseen but Yeshua tore it from top to bottom and made a way for us to pass freely in and out. In truth, we are always in both worlds and only need to step through that veil. It is now so thin as to be effectively open all the time. Redeeming that path for fellowship to all who believe was the whole point.

Many have known of this open portal or narrow way but the rein of rationalism has clouded our perception yes even blinded our eyes. It has been relegated to the mystics and shunned as something sinister because it can’t be scientifically proven. Yet quantum physics has bridged a perceived gap between man’s systems of order and the woo woo of the “other side”. There are indeed things which cannot be explained on a purely physical basis which science is just beginning to see.

It is much easier by faith, to take Yahweh at His word that we are both physical and spirit, in fact dwelling in that dual reality from our very beginnings. Stepping back and forth should be normal not unusual, expected not surprising. After all it is all through the Bible and we are living in that same reality as the saints of old. All our progress and scientific knowledge cannot nullify the truth of the Creator, it only serves as proof of His reality.

21st century life is always about instant, now, quick….

It has accelerated even beyond the frenzy on the 20th

Even our recreation is something we rush to

We flit from one avocation to another hobby never truly enjoying them

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So to, our approach to Papa is forced into some timeframe formula

So many chapters a day, so many minutes in prayer

What has happened to lavishing our time and energy on Him

Sometimes we have experienced “extended worship” in special services, but that’s not the norm.

–

Is it this flesh suit which overwhelms our true senses of the spirit?

Is is the rush of daily obligations and pressing schedules?

Why do we stop up our ears when He calls to us to join Him?

Is it really the best decision to follow the urgencies of life and ignore the wooing call of the Holy Spirit?

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There is no hurry with our Papa

We are always welcome in His presence

So rushing in is never a problem

However, It is always best to linger there

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We speak of soaking in His presence, what is it?

Tea bags soak to release their wonderful flavors

We soak in mineral baths to absorb the healing essence

Fabric is soaked in dye to take on the nature of the dye

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Our best time spent is soaking in His company

Resting against His chest hearing His heartbeat

Listening to His whispers of love and comfort

Lingering in His fragrance enfolded in sheer bliss

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I heard recently that we should follow these three guidelines when we are with Papa:

Speak slowly

Listen Slowly

Leave Slowly

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Never forget that He is with us always, as we are the temple of the Lord

What is real? Is it our present sensory world? Sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell…… Is it just that which can be sensed with the physical perceptions? Or is this all an illusion? A matrix of present reality to which we are bound in this mortal flesh. We all know down in our knower that there is more to life than just this physical realm.

Some rebel against that innate knowledge and proclaim that there is nothing spiritual. Others dive deep into the spiritual without regard to it’s source or true identity. How shall we then live? Here and now and in preparation for what may come at our last physical breath? If we do not deny the internal knowing of the spirit world then we must seek answers to how it relates to us now.

Seriously, We have all experienced glimpses into the realm of the spirit and have given these events various names; dreams, visions, DejaVu, visitations, encounters, raptures, ecstasies. Some beautiful beyond comprehension others terrifying beyond words.

There is indeed a fascination with the spiritual and the world beyond this physical plain. Man has devised many legends about the world beyond and built many systems to work our way into that world. Either a way to join the gods in their bliss or simply a way to understand the workings of that ethereal realm.

Where does it all come together? Do all roads get you to the same glorious destination. Is there one path which is better? All religious systems go back to some requirement to assuage the wrath of a deity or group of competing deities. Who somehow represent good and evil.

The resulting sacrificial system that came into being over the millennia is so engrained in our collective psyche that no other system makes “sense” to our mind and all “just” legal systems operate the same way. Do “good” and you’ll be OK, break the laws and you’ll pay the penalty.

So the one true Creator of us all, had to abolish this mindset and poured out His love on the whole world to accomplish it. He chose to work inside our most refined, twisted, sacrificial system to annihilate that idea once and for all. He came down here himself as a son of man and fulfilled requirements of that system for our benefit. At which time he totally rendered it null and void.

With no wall of separation left, He welcomes us into His family with open arms. Our only “obligation” is to realize His overwhelming love and join in the celebration. That celebration IS the reality we long for and it is available now.

It is impossible to Resist His all consuming Love

Where can we hide from the love of Papa in Yeshua

He was the perfect representation of Papa in the earth

Neither life nor death, height or depth, angels or demons. Nothing that can separate us from His all consuming love.

He split time and sent His only Son down here to show us how deep and wide and limitless is His love

Breaking through all religious preconceptions and “rules” to overwhelm us with His desire to reconcile mankind back to Himself.

Shattering the wall between Jew and Gentile, obliterating the idea that some men are more holy than others.

Resulting in one new man called into His family through the fulfillment and abolishment of religion and all its systems.

The world says, you can’t make someone love you. But the demonstration of love on the cross will draw all men to Yeshua and there the revelation of the cross is irresistible.

“Who could ever separate us from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish his love toward us. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love, even though it is written: All day long we face death threats for your sake, God. We are considered to be nothing more than sheep to be slaughtered! Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything! So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!”

Romans 8:35-39 TPT

https://www.bible.com/1849/rom.8.35-39.tpt

I am the wick, consumed with his praise and worship

Drawing on the oil of the Spirit

Blazing with His marvelous beauty

Sending up fragrant worship in the smoke of His glory

I remain lit with the fire from His presence

Yet must be maintained,

filled continually with the oil of His love

Trimmed of my spent works

Always in Him alive with His life

Shining forth His light as only I can

Joining with His sons to manifest His love in the earth

“An undeserved curse will be powerless to harm you. It may flutter over you like a bird, but it will find no place to land.” Proverbs 26:2 TPT. https://www.bible.com/1849/pro.26.2.tpt

This verse only speaks of undeserved curses. It doesn’t explain what to do about “deserved”curses. In truth, it makes no difference to the believer. If we are in the light, as He is in the light, then there are no deserved or undeserved curses standing against us any more.

Jesus became the curse for us and nailed all those curses to the tree. So they fall under “it is finished”, and don’t need our works to be annulled.

Being grafted into the living vine supplied by His life force we are above any and all curses. Regardless of the generational roots or ties to others all has been plunged beneath the crimson flow of His blood that ran down the cross to the mercy seat.

The Gospel is a faith issue. Will you stand on the truth that Jesus finished the work of Salvation before the beginning of time and step into His marvelous grace? Or will you continue to strive to “work out your salvation” on the treadmill of works. The choice is yours, striving to qualify for some religious goal to prove yourself worthy of His love or falling into His open arms of grace resting on the finished work of Jesus.

If we have to finish the work of our salvation by completing some list of righteous acts then where is the good news in that. It is merely following another religious system trying to claw it’s way into heaven or nirvana by our effort. The Grace of the Gospel is truly not just good news but the best news ever. It defies all logic and human understanding because it is fueled by God’s impossible love for us. The fact that it is humanly “too good to be true” is the whole point, it has nothing to do with human efforts and everything to do with our transcendent God. His sovereign interruption of time to release us from the tyranny of Religion settled the matter. It is by grace we are saved not of works.