A Tree of Life

I've been listening to worship music this afternoon. Just kinda meditating and reflecting while doing housework. A scripture came to mind that I've been reflecting on lately..."Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." ~ Proverbs 13:12. I, like many others I'm sure, have been able to quote the first part of this scripture for a long time. It wasn't until recently that I began to focus on the entire thing. This was brought to my attention by Bill Johnson. He is the Pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, CA. He is my favorite teacher to listen to, besides my own Pastor Bob Petersen. In fact, Pastor Bob has used this scripture recently in his sermons. So, I got a clear picture of this scripture today. I think, anyway. It fits where I'm at. We absolutely have to have hope. When we finally get to the place where we can feel like we've finally plugged into our "destiny" so to speak, that's when it becomes a tree of life. Not saying we have all our ducks in a row, or all the details worked out, or we've "arrived." But truly plug into what God has called ME to be. The picture I got today was from the movie, "Avatar." I thought of how they literally connected with the hometree. We've got to be continually fused into our "dance" with God. That's another place I've come to lately...feeling like I'm dancing "with" God...in step with Him...thinking how He thinks...anticipating "our" next move. I've learned the dance. I'm not waiting to be invited on the dance floor. I'm not getting my toes stepped on as much anymore. I take time each day to learn His steps and it flows naturally. It feels good. Continually knowing He's my source of hope. I'm never without it.

Dimensional Living

Let's start this with a visual. Who remembers Super Mario Brothers? Now, even young people should know what I'm talking about here because the game is available for the wii. In fact, it gets played at our house. Think about that game and how it compares to new technology video games. That world was only two dimensional. The character could only go forward, backward, up or down. He couldn't move to the left or the right. He was confined. I've used the term, "taking God out of the box," for a long time now. Too often "religion" confines Him to it's idea of what He should look like. Especially with it's rules and regulations. But now God has shown me a new level of this train of thought.

A couple of weeks ago at our prayer meeting, Pastor Bob was attempting to put into words what God was showing him. I've also heard this from some other areas of ministry that I study from. A new era of a "new wine skin," a new level, etc... I've heard this year God is turning up the heat and we have to find a new level of grace to get us to where He's taking us. Pastor Bob was trying to describe that even our most recent knowledge and teachings will soon seem "old."

God brought to my remembrance something that I've been learning about dimensions. Chuck Missler is a teacher that I listen to sometimes and has really opened my mind up to understand some basic things. Many scientists believe we live in a world that has at least 10 dimensions. We can relate up to 3D, but beyond that we have a hard time comprehending things. 4D can be described...and I even watched a series of videos last week to stretch my brain and work on comprehending that 4th dimension. Picture a 2D world trying to comprehend a 3D object. It's like putting a cube through a flat piece of paper and visualizing what you can actually see of that cube as it comes through the 2D world. You can only see a piece of it at a time...and that shape changes as it gets closer or farther away.

I hope you're following me. Now I see in the spiritual realm a picture of what that looks like. Just as technology has advanced in this natural world...so God is taking us on a journey in the spiritual world. Things in the past that will seem "old" won't actually go away. They are a piece of the puzzle. The only piece many of us have been able to see up til now. As God can get us to move out of seeing only in 2D...He can move us on to 3D...and 4D...and so on. And each level is not changed by an addition factor, or even a multiplication factor, but exponentially. (Exponential is a word God showed me to describe an explosion of sorts that Pastor Bob saw after the beginning of the year. It all ties together.)

The Bible says in Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. God doesn't change. But how much of Him can we really see? I believe the Bride of Christ will be without blemish....and we will see God's glory on this earth. Such a glorious time to be living in! My prayer is for God to take me higher. Expand my vision. Not only to be able to take him out of the "box," but to take him out of the "hypercube."

Thank you, Pastor Bob, for encouraging me to write this down. :)