" The Breaking Process Part III

Mark 14:3

     And while He (Jesus) was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

Let's talk a little about this word "Broken" in this scripture.  There is a good "Brokenness" and there is a bad "Brokenness".  We know that the "Brokenness" that the enemy tries to bring into our lives is meant to destroy us through oppression, depression, verbal and physical abuse, hurts, grief and low self esteem.  The enemy comes to shatter our hopes and dreams with lies and words of hopelessness so we give up.  His assignment is to "Breakdown" our will so we think we haven't any power or strength to rise above the "Brokenness" of our lives.

The dictionary says that when something has been "Broken", that object that once was a whole becomes split apart, fragmented and incomplete. 

But the positive side of being "Broken" is what the Holy Spirit wants to do in us.  He wants to take us through a developmental process that can only come through our "Brokenness".  He wants us to be "Broken" before Him but not in a negative way. He wants us to be contrite and humble before Him and allow Him to "Breakthrough" the "Veil of the Limitations" in our lives.  He wants to "Breakthrough" all of the limits we have put on God and on ourselves.  He wants to "Breakthrough" all the lies that we have believed about ourselves that say we're not worthy or good enough.  He wants to "Breakthrough the Veil" of hurt, rejection, anger, mistrust, failures, disappointments, abandonment, pride, fears and whatever it is that is holding us back and keeping us bottled up and closed to Him and others.

Let me explain to you what I mean by the words "Veil of Limitations".  A veil is a covering that can be used as a curtain for hiding, for disguising something or for obscuring (meaning something that is fuzzy and not clear) one thing from another.  It can also be used to cover over something so as to hide it and your intention is to deliberately ignore it because it hurts to much and you're not willing to get to the root of the problem.

We know about the veil that was in the temple and that it not only was a "Veil of Separation" between God and the people, but it also symbolized a "Veil of Limitation".  This veil represented a type of Christ's body, because according to scripture the veil was supernaturally torn into when Christ died on the cross therefore granting us instant access to God.  So all of the sin that once separated us from God was now broken through and a way open so we could enter into the presence of God without any limitations.  The only limitations that we now have are because we put limitations either on ourselves or on God.

Think about it.  What is a "Limitation?".  It is a restriction that we have imposed upon ourselves or allowed others to impose on us that binds us to the past and are unable to get past or breakthrough.  It can be a restricted flaw that keeps us at a disadvantage or keeps us in a weakened state.  We end up focusing on our imperfections, shortcomings, the weaknesses of our character, faults, failures and our past.  When we focus on what we think is a limitation in our life we give it power and allow it to set limits on what we think we can't do, how far we can go and those limitations keep us from thinking and functioning in a healthy way.

All of us as believers have gone through seasons of  "Testings and Breaking" in different areas of our lives.  Some of us are now having to face the consequences for our actions and have blamed God and not faced the truth. We have lost hope and our faith that God could and would pull us out of our situation and change our circumstances. We can't see through all the darkness of despair because the enemy has blinded our minds with confusion and fear. 

Beloved, I am here to tell you that God cares and He knows right where you are.  He hasn't forgotten you nor will He ever forsake you.  I want to encourage you today to stand fast and stand strong because in due season if you faint not, He will bring you through.  Even thought what you are going through seems to be more than you can bear, please remember that this is all part of the process and that He will work everything out for your good and for His glory.

If you need prayer, please write your prayer request in the comments area.  It would be an honor to pray for you.

Blessings,

Elma Garlock

" The Breaking Process Part II"

     Mark 14:3

          And while He (Jesus) was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure Nard and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 

     This Alabaster vial contained a perfume know as Nard or Spikenard that was one of the most costly perfumes that anyone could possess during that time of biblical history.  History also tells us that the oil from this perfume was also used as a healing oil for the body, a palliative care that could be taken to help relieve pain and ease the transition from life to death and also used as one of the ingredients the priests used in the Holy anointing oil for the temple.

     Let's look at this word "Costly" and what it means:  Expensive and valuable, but another facet or meaning of this word that I want to bring out is, if something is valuable enough to you, important or a priority there will always be involved a great deal of effort, time and sacrifice on your part to accomplish or show just how valuable something or someone is.

     And this is exactly what she did, she lavished her love on Jesus and she gave Him her most valuable possession and didn't hold anything back.  Let me ask you a question?  Are you willing to give to Jesus that valuable possession that you possess?  And what is this that you possess that He wants?  Your love and your worship.  So when we lavish something on someone the dictionary says that:  We are giving in excess to the point of being extravagant.  This is how Jesus wants us to worship Him, to love Him and pour ourselves out to Him and hold nothing back.  He wants us to surrender to Him, put our faith and trust in Him and not to hold anything or any part of us from Him.

     This woman with the alabaster vial could have only poured a few drops on Jesus because it was the custom of that day to pour only a few drops of perfume on the head of a guest when they arrived at a house or when they sat down to a meal.  As Jesus reclined there during the meal at Simon's home it was not just a few drops that she poured on His head, it was the whole vial....she gave extravagantly all that she had.

     We know that the anointings that were applied to Jesus body were symbolic acts that were to help in the preparation of His soon death and in the burial process that He would experience in a matter of hours.  This woman didn't even realize how her act of love was so timed and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Even those that were with Jesus that night in Simon's home and those that followed Him understand the depth of what He would soon endure. In a matter of hours He would die so He could accomplish and make available for us,(through the death of His flesh that was to be in the natural), so the way could be opened for us in the spirit.

     Not only did Jesus break through the veil of His flesh that limited Him as it does us, but on the day of His resurrection it was at that moment in time and eternity that He broke through the "Realm of the flesh" and into the "Realm of the Spirit".  He stepped out of death (the flesh) and into life.  And so because of that unselfish act of love that Jesus accomplished for us in His death, He made it possible for us to "Breakthrough the veil of our flesh".  The flesh with all of it limitations that have affected the way we think, act, respond and begin to walk in "Freedom" and "Victory".

     These limitations are not only our fleshly nature that wants to control, but they are areas in our thought life, our hearts and wounds of the soul that have been veiled by the enemy.  The acts of sin and the weaknesses of the flesh have caused us to be limited in certain areas of our lives and we're not able to grow or mature into the character of Christ.

     And so in the same way that Christ has poured out the Holy Spirit on us, we are to pour out to others from the overflow of the Spirit with words of encouragement, hope, healing, restoration, deliverance and speak words of life to those who are going through the "Breaking Process". 

Blessings

Next week Part III



    

"The Breaking Process" Part 1

In Mark 14:3 tells us:

     Verse 3:  And while He (Jesus) was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

     Today we are going to focus in on specific words that will help you understand what the Holy Spirit wants do in our lives today and the "Breaking Process" that must take place in order for us to "Progress" in every area of our lives.

     We're all familiar with the word "Process" and it's interesting to note that this word comes from the word "Pro" meaning:  forward. 

     The dictionary gives us the meaning of "Process" as a series of acts or changes, a moving forward especially as part of a progression or development.  So in order for any "Progress" to take place, there first has to be a submitting to that "Breaking Process".

     The scripture tells us that this woman possessed an alabaster vial of perfume.  What is a  vial?  A vial is a container that is used to store liquid in and sealed for freshness until it is needed.  But what happens to the content within that vial?  It becomes confined, restricted and limited as long as it is seal up and remains in that container.  In other words, it can't do anything, it can't accomplish anything and it certainly cant go anywhere.  It is stuck there until the seal is broken and the content is allowed to escape and flow.

     During this time of history there were two types of minerals that a master sculpture would use to make a vial with.

1.  One was made from a hard white marble that was very hard and non translucent.
2.  And the other was a mineral called Gypsum that was pure white, translucent and
      pliable work with.

     When a master sculpture wants to create a vessel he chooses a piece of mineral that to us looks like any ordinary rock that you or I might just throw away, because it hasn't been shaped or formed yet.  It's very rough and dirty to look at on the outside, but to him he can see beyond what the natural eye sees and is able to see it's potential and that it can be formed into a beautiful vessel so it can be used for his purpose.

      Jesus is the master builder and this is exactly what He is doing in our lives today.  He is chipping away at the hardness of our hearts and digging deep in order to get to the treasure that is within us. He is forming us, molding us and shaping us into those vessels of honor. 

     What we see and man sees is not what God sees.  That person that we see on the outside with it's rough exterior and still has it's flaws and failures has within them the ability to be all that God has created, purposed and destined them to be.  


    

"Your Destiny & Purpose"

Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified version)

    

     For we are God's (own) handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, (born anew) that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time), that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live).

     What does the word "Destiny" mean?  Websters dictionary says that it is a person's preordained future, beforehand ordain, to order, create and produce.  God has predestined beforehand by divine decree not only that we should be born anew by the spirit of God, but that we should do the good works which He has called us and uniquely placed us in the world to do for this time and season of our lives.

     God has carved out and prepared ahead of time a path for each and every one of us to take that will lead us to our "Destiny", but your path to "Destiny" can only be walked by you.  Always remember that He is walking with you and that He will never leave you , forsake you and He will make your path clear.  He loves you!

In Ephesians 1:11 (Amplified Version) it also tells us:

     In Him we also were made (God's) heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen) and appointed beforehand in accordance with His purpose, who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His (own) will.
    
     Beloved, God has a "Purpose" for your life and this is the reason why He created you, chose you, appointed you and the reason why you exist.  He has an intended goal for you and only you can accomplish this task.  He has deposited in you gifts and talents that are even now being refined and developed for His glory.

     I want to encourage all of you today to be in agreement with the word of God and know that He is working out His counsel and design in your lives.  He has great thing in store for you if you will continue to trust Him and keep you're focus on the path that He has set before you. 

Blessings
Elma Garlock