I heard the Spirit say - " Isolation: Degradation or Consecration "? 

He told me there are two kinds of Isolation  - one from the Lord, one from the enemy. There are times and seasons in our lives when The Lord will draw us aside into the wilderness to spend time alone with Him. This is meant to consecrate us. "Consecration" means "The action of making or declaring something (or someone) sacred". "Sacred" basically means "connected with God" - so when, like Jesus, we are "led up of the Spirit into the wilderness", it is, it can be, a wonderful time of (re)connecting with the Lord  - or reestablishing Him as the Lord of our hearts - of reentering a place of intimacy with Him  - of stripping away all the trappings of the flesh (lust, pride, greed) - it should be a place of brokenness and weeping, both tears of repentance and tears of joy.

At other times  - it is the enemy's intention to isolate us: to get us alone so he can more easily do what he always desires to do  - steal (our souls), kill (our bodies) and destroy (our spirits). When the enemy has isolated us from our support group, from fellow members of the Body Jesus has put in our lives to love us and care for us - then we will get attacked with all kinds of spirits: depression,  lonliness, suicidal thoughts,  unbelief, lust, envy, pride, jealousy  - hate, and on and on  - we're being degraded. "Degrade" means "to treat or regard someone with contempt or disrespect  - the enemy is degrading us and he wants us to degrade others  - and most of all, degrade The Lord.  It is the exact opposite of the Lord's most gracious Holy Spirit who loves, encourages, and respects us.

Part two soon

 People sitting in churches week after week who never share the Gospel (and i don't mean inviting people to church  -  that's not the Gospel) are like kings and queens sitting in their palaces  - ignoring the beggar at the gate, hoarding their wealth while refusing to share with the meek, the poor, the weak  - it's the sin of gluttony  - feasting each Sunday on a meal they share only with each other  - a feast that demands to be given away, to the least, the lost  - those who can't pay the cost, their poor brothers and sisters and strangers.  They feast on God's love and His word, listening to his word over and over again while many haven't heard it once.

 The story of David and Goliath from the perspective of one of Goliath's brothers:

David and Goliath! David and Goliath! That's all I ever hear! Why isn't it ever Goliath and David? Hmmm? Well, I'm sure you've heard all the propoganda  - about how some pipsqueak named David (not even a soldier!) slew my innocent brother Goliath   - well I'm here to tell you  - Lies! Lies! Lies! You've got it all wrong! My brother never said all those terrible things you think he did  - he simply invited those Israelites to sit down for tea! They thought he said "fight me" but he really said "nice tea"!  Sure, they said, look who's providing the tea, you want to poison us, but David heard "fight me. Our mommy taught us manners! So when that sneaky little pipsqueak acted like he accepted my brother's offer to tea, my brother let his guard down  - did I say sneaky? David approached my brother with no sword or shield! Could my brother tell he had a weapon? I mean really! The nerve of some people! Who fights with a slingshot? That scrawny runt killed my brother before he knew what was happening! Of all the tricky, underhanded tactics! Those conniving Israelites! So learn our lesson  - DON'T EVER INVITE AN ISRAELITE OVER FOR TEA!!!

 I really like the title song from the movie "Singing in the Rain". The exuberance and joy he expresses, singing and dancing in the rain, after just one goodnight kiss from his lover, is wonderful. 

Though it's only a movie's ideal of how true love should make us feel, i think it captures what it's like to really be in love. Even after twenty seven years i still get chills running through my body when my wife kisses me a certain way. I still get weak and a bit breathless.

I want to respond to God's love for me that way. I want to be so deeply in love with Him, i don't care what the weather's like outside,  i hardly notice.  Storm or sunshine,  my joy is unabated. I want to be so in love  - I'll dance and sing in public for the great joy inside me. Sing loud, not caring who sees or hears. I love thosr videos of people who start singing  and dancing in the middle of a crowded mall. This is how i want my love for God to be  - very public, very open. I don't want to carry on a clandestine,  secret love affair with him, where I only express my love hor him in private or at a special "service"  for believers who only express their love of God to each other. I remember when I was first born again, less than a week old. I announced to my class at the Brown Institute for radio and television broadcasting in Ft. Lauderdale Florida that I had been born again ( thanks Scott Hollister!) Afterwards,  my instructor pulled me aside privately and told me he too was a Christian.  I had no idea! Nothing he'd ever done or said gave any indication he knew The Lord, and he would not publicly confess Christ before men (and students), only privately.  Perhaps he believed,  as the manner of some is, that his religion is a private matter, not to be discussed publicly.  Well, not I, no sir! I want the whole world to know who the lover of my soul is! I want them too, to know God. Love him ir hate him, they'll know he's real, to me anyway.  I'm not ashamed of him, or my relationship with him, in the slightest. I want to be an open epistle,  read of all men  - not a closed book, only opened and read once a week on Sundays. 

 At this gloaming, I pause to reflect,

  as if holding, momentarily,  my soul's breath.

  Ruminating on the day's events,

  as night invites me 'neath her weil,

  cool and soothing  - I finally exhale. 

Yet my soul most responds

         to the dawn:

  The doves gently coo,

  just outside my window. 

  The light slowly advances....

  like a lover's touch

  it entrances 

  and calms me

  with it's tranquility...

It's good to see and know

 The Morning Star's first glow....

  neither rising quickly or slow...

  Taking it's own time, as royalty should...

As I gaze upon

this new dawn  -

Behold, it is good!

The air, cool and crisp,

I love days

  that begin like this!