Old Dog IV
Muddy Waters
July 3, 2000:
It has been an ”interesting” week, and I say that with tongue firmly in cheek. Long ago in the school of hard knocks I learned a strange lesson that revolved around an ancient Chinese Curse…”May you live in ”interesting times”.” To a western mindset the ‘idea’ of ‘interesting’ is ”good”. It implies things like fun, adventure, and excitement. If I can borrow a line from Captain James T. Kirk “to boldly go where no man has gone before”. That is the essence of “excitement”, of ”novelty” and ”FUN”. But that is only if you “crave” things like novelty and variation. In simple words, those who seek “interesting” quite often are addicted to “entertainment”…..”HOOKED ON THE MOMENTARY EVENT”.
Funny thought, isn’t it. The idea people might be ”living” for ”feelings”. But most are and they yearn for ”their fix” like any ‘junky’. Now I have nothing ‘against’ “junkies”. I know they are people sick and in need of treatment from a competent PRACTITIONER. The best there is available 24/ 7/ 52. HIS NAME IS Y’SHUA.
Today there are people addicted to “holy ghost goose bumps”, ”falling out”, looking for the phenomenal like “gold dust” and ”feathers” falling from the ceiling. According to THE GREAT PHYSICIAN these are the prime symptoms of severe
“MANIFESTATION ADDICTION”. When I was given this I really had to question it and was answered that it was a spiritual variation of two syndromes that are becoming popular in America today. “Munchausen Syndrome and ”Munchausen by Proxy”. Personally I thought this was amazing, but right along the line of other RHEMA from the past. Like “spiritual sodomy” and ”spiritual adultery” they fit tightly into the reality that the ”evils” in this world will have a ”counterpart” spiritually. Heart Disease, Lung Disease, Cancer, AIDS, Liver Disease, Kidney Disease, are all present realities that manifest a spiritual counterpart in the “corporate body” as implied in Ephesians where all the ”saved” makes up one body….with KING JESUS as the HEAD. Diagnostically said body, or at least that in North America, is showing strange symptoms.
Many prophets are speaking of changes and alterations ahead for us. There are some who speak of these as “interesting” and imply excitement and diversity. For there sake I remember the line both my Grandfathers quoted from their experience of being in the TRENCHES in France when under attack and artillery barrages were falling on them. “FOR WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE, MAY WE BE TRULY GRATEFUL.
The Chinese would agree for their idea of ”interesting” could be better comprehended if we think in the ‘terms’ of ”catastrophic”, “seismic, ”devastating, ”shattering”. What is shattered is their “world” by the fickle finger of ”change”.
Now “CHANGE” is a spiritually “”HOT”” topic. Often it has a positive spiritual spin to it. But should we be “boldly seeking” it like Captain Kirk and the good ship Enterprise? ”Looking for adventure, and whatever comes our way”….is part of THE AMERICAN MINDSET…the desire for THE THRILL of THE MOMENT. Now if JESUS had sung about “LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE….AND WHATEVER COMES YOUR WAY…” I probably wouldn’t care what is coming, and what will happen to anyone but me. The problem is that line is from the chorus of Steppenwolf’s greatest hit…”BORN TO BE WILD”. On the other hand there was a ‘song’ long ago that went…
Amos 5:18
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. (KJV)
It has a wonderful melody…but it asks a probing question…what do you really desire? Do you really know what you are seeking for, raving for. Are you really “ADDICTED TO JESUS” (which is a great song by Carmen) or are you getting too many fun feelings from the counterfeit to care whether you have THE REAL DEAL.
I had to ask…JESUS thinks you need a wake up call out there, all you in THE MEADOW. All sheep can hear HIS VOICE but HIS WORDS have no meaning. It is the plight of a Christianity that is built on tiny bits and pieces of HIS WORD and tons of “STUFF” from man. The problem is how do I touch HIS SHEEP and REBELLIOUS CHILDREN without bruising the worn down and battered saints trying to serve against all odds. So I asked and saw an “old vision” of a basin of MUDDY WATER…. and a remembrance of an “interesting time” a year ago. In this remembrance THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT brought back the ‘crushing pain’ one of HIS SERVANTS had when certain ”brethren turned their backs to THE HOLY ONE and opened their mouths and let their tongues flow with accusations, indictments, condemnations, and curses. This one servant felt violated, defiled, and abused….by “family” within THE HOUSE. In that moment THE HOLY ONE…BLESS HIS NAME…showed me a basin with filthy, MUDDY WATER. And, BLESS HIS NAME, the UNDERSTANDING of it, and the WISDOM to bring comfort.
This servant was a basin of MUDDY WATER. Water gets dirty when you spend yourself serving THE MASTER washing the feet of HIS GUESTS, your ”brethren…fellow ”servants”. Now among those you stooped down and did your duty in TRUE LOVE of THE MASTER were also hypocrites and false brethren. It was not your call who may come in and who may not FOR THE MASTER DECLARED an OPEN DOOR….any could enter. The fact that ”some” came looking for offense, for reasons to lay charges against the servant goes ”with the territory”. For this reason they saw the MUDDY WATER and called you ”defiled”….of ”THE ENEMY”. What is funny, in their own minds they are absolutely correct, CHILD OF GOD. You are the enemy to all who serve the serpent, who follow angels of light and trust their own minds and do what is right in their own eyes.
For Children THE WATER IS JESUS…the ONE WHO BORE OUR SIN AND SHAME. OF COURSE HIS WATER IS MUDDY….or it should be if you are diligently “washing feet”. All you have to do is throw the MUDDY WATER into THE RIVER and fill again WITH LIVING WATER that flows from you. For you children are HIS VESSELS…doing HIS WORK…a vessel that pleases HIM. Not because you are cute and look nice on the shelf, but because you are used to do what pleases HIM.
Now a short word for the “fools” who like to play offended. You know yourselves as THE RIGHTEOUS…in your own beady little eyes and hard cold hearts. Most of you are striving for places to sit and names in the world as it is without much regard towards the KINGDOM to Come. I call you ”fools” for in your heart you say there is no GOD, except the one you made for yourself. There was a time were I would cry out a warning and call you to repent….but no more. For you see to you who knew HIM and tasted HIM and were partakers of HIS GRACE and MOST HOLY SPIRIT only to turn away after your own lusts and desires THE DOOR IS CLOSED. FOR GOOD. No longer will you enter into HIS HOUSE…ABUSE HIS SERVANTS…DEFILE HIS HABITATION… MOCK HIS HOSPITALITY. HIS CITY is now closed to you and your evil and perverse ways. You scorned HIS GRACE and ignored HIS MERCY. AND YOU HAD THE GALL TO TOUCH AND HARM HIS SERVANTS. You had THE WORD and THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT. You have no excuse… THE DOORS ARE CLOSED…THE GATES ARE BARRED….HE WHO SITS ON THE THRONE OF HEAVEN LAUGHS. HE NOW PLACES HIS GATEKEEPERS AT HIS GATES. TO THE DOOR OF HIS PAVILION STANDS A DOORKEEPER WHO YEARNS ONLY FOR THE MASTER’S PLEASURE. And he takes no bribes……for he knows where his treasures are….
selahâ€
shemuel…the ‘old dog’