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Lay it Down

 

"We must be willing to lay down all that we have in order to receive all that we want." 

 -Apostle Ron

 

The Lord came to me with His arms filled with all that I had asked for.  He gestured to me to take the gifts, but I had no room in my arms to carry them.   I held many things that I cherished and some things I did not.  I struggled and toiled to carry the weight of my load.  I said, "Lord I have no room in my arms and even if I did am not strong enough to carry all these things."  Then He looked at me with love in His eyes, smiled and said, “You must lay down all that you have in order to receive all that I want for you.”

As we ask for what we want we must also consider the cost.  It is a matter of fact that in order to bring in the new we must in turn be ready to give up some of the old.  In doing so we are making room, preparing space and making ready for the product of our manifestations.

Whether it is in regards to relationships, careers or just about anything else we must clear out our closets to make room for a new wardrobe.  How can we stand strong asking for the things that we want while still clinging to what we do not want?  We must be confident in order to move forward in faith.  When we refuse we become anchored in transition.  We are frozen in space and unable to summon the necessary energy which will enable the facilitation of the manifestation.  In fact we are preventing the appearance of what we want by holding on to what we don’t want.

Often it is our fear that holds us back.  We want something to fall back on in case we don’t have what it takes to make it over the mountain.  In this we are envisioning the possibility of failure and directing energy in two opposing directions and will go nowhere.  Perhaps we begin to question all that we are and relish in all that we were.  In this situation we must understand that we are created in the image of God.  The Creator of all things has given us the ability to create.  We have been given the authority as custodians of this earthly realm.  When we become fearful of worldly things we lose our faith in the Supernatural.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:7 (New International Version)   The presence of unholy fear in our lives will cause us to question our abilities and the abilities of God to intervene in our lives.  Worry is sin in that it shows lack of faith and a misunderstanding of our connection to God.  In reality we can ask in the name of Jesus all that we need and it shall be given to us.  The only catch is that we must believe.

As the children of God we should expect our requests that line up with the Word, to be manifested.  While we develop further in Christ we will reach new heights in our abilities.  This I refer to as our graduation in Spirit and the point of the absolute connection to Him.  In becoming as Christ we have graduated to sons and daughters of God.

In this we are now confident in all areas of our lives.  We ask and manifest through our prayers and visions.  The Holy Spirit comes into us and gives us messages, assignments and comfort.  It is a Christ consciousness.  We have no room for envy, grudges or egocentricities in our lives.  Our purpose is to go forth and serve the Lord to the best of our abilities.  This is our purpose and passion.  Here we put Gods needs above our own and move forward in selflessness in our ascension.

Selflessness is a very powerful characteristic of the sons and daughters of God.  The actions that stem from them will often have powerful and unexpected effects on those who are touched by them.  Acts which we produced solely from the heart and only for the intent of goodness can produce eternal seeds of grace.

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Matthew 13:8 (New International Version)

 

I recall one recent example of this in my own life.  Several weeks ago I was at church and decided to buy a coffee after the service.  The cost of the coffee was one dollar per cup.  I recognized that it was for a good cause and decided to buy coffees anonymously for the next nine people who wanted a cup.

Three weeks had passed since that service.  I noticed a friend of mine in the lobby of the church who had been working with the parking ministry all morning and was just getting ready to do the same for the second service.  I offered to buy him a cup of coffee, but he said “No thanks, I don’t drink Coffee.” So I headed over to the cart on my own.

While ordering my coffee I was told that it was all taken care of.  As a matter of fact so was the cup of coffee for the guy who stood next to me.  You see, those nine seeds that I planted brought forth many more seeds.  Several people out of the nine I bought coffee for three weeks early decided to do the same for others.  Now people are doing it every week and more and more are getting on board with it.  Seeds planted in good soil bring forth fruit very quickly.

It is the little things we do from the heart that make all the differences in the world.  Selfless acts produce the greatest results.  By touching the hearts of others we inspire them to do the same.  Just think of how much more we are capable of.  Who said one person can’t make a difference? 

And there are distinctive varieties of operation [of working to accomplish things], but it is the same God Who inspires and energizes them all in all.

1 Corinthians 12:6 (Amplified Bible)

Success

What is success really all about?  Are you successful?  Am I successful?  Well, I am that I am.  The only answer comes from God and the Spirit within us.  Success is really about being All we are created to be.

Many of us have been brainwashed into believing at an early age that success’ come in some very limited forms.  Doctor, Lawyer or Stock Broker is the career paths most of our parents would have chosen for us if they could have.  Who knows if we would have done any better?  Many of us have dreamed of being a sports hero, singing star or a famous author.  The real question is not if these choices would have been right or wrong for us, but why we would chose?

Did we arrive at the decision to become a doctor because of our overwhelming need to solve the negative elements of the human condition?  Perhaps we looked at being a lawyer as a way to solve intolerable social injustice?  Maybe we felt that if we could only assist people early enough in their lives to develop a proper portfolio than they would not have to rely on their social security and thus thought to become a Stock Broker?  These are all very honorable reasons grounded in a passion for doing what is right. 

What of the child who aspires to become famous for the sake of fame?  Could he/she find a way to use this to the advantage of others?  I’m certain they could.  It happens all the time.  Famous athletes, musicians, actors and authors donate huge sums of money and at the very least vast amounts of their time towards many worthy causes.  Yet, this is rarely the reason one aspires to delve into these career paths whole heartedly.

The truth of the matter is that much of our choices in following a career path have been initiated by an unquenchable need to be seen as more than we think we are, to yearn for what we think we don’t and to have the things we only think we want.  We bought into the advertising and are being seduced by the most deceptive marketing plan of all time.  In this we have inadvertently turned from God and towards the idols gods of the day.  We have given up success for what we have been shown success to be.

Do I have your attention? 

So many of us today continue to follow the mirage and ignore the oasis.  We sit by so eloquently sipping the sand instead of dropping our cup deep into the well.  We chose what we have been taught is the finest of sparkling water over the essence of all the there is.  If only we would put down the illusion and realize that only the living water can quench an infinite thirst.

Money, power and fame have sucked us into an unreality.  We have been given a key that unlocks no lock.  Years, decades and centuries of influence from worldly sources have taught us to poke our paddle deep into the river and make our way to the top as fast as we can.  Guess what, many have struggled their entire lives to get to that place, some have even found their way by doing everything they thought they should do to get there.  They struggled, toiled and sold their souls for an empty box adorned with a beautiful ribbon.

There is no guarantee that every box adorned with a pretty ribbon will contain the same gift. (Ron Ash)

You see, not everyone is meant to have the same thing.  We must look inside ourselves in order to find our own special gift.  The secret is in the inner mans ability to recognize ones passion.  This is the system created within us that allows us to be who we are created to be.  With this comes joy and timeless endeavors.  If that sounds like happiness to you than you now truly understand the nature of success.

Success cannot be gauged by money, property, cars or clothes.  It is a measure of the I Am, that I Am.  Within us all is the special talent that will enable us to initiate the first steps in His plan for us.  It is here that we begin our journey towards Our ultimate destiny.

These other distractions are placed in front of us to slow us down.  Absent of sustenance they will never truly be able to hold our attention for more than a few short months.  This is the absolute irony which I relate to the sipping of the sand.  The more we drink the thirstier we get.

How many times in our lives have we yearned for a material possession?  We thought if only I could have this I know I will be happy.  Perhaps we sacrifice by saving.  Maybe we compromise our ethics in some way.  Finally, after all is said and done we hold the idol ever so dearly.  “Wait until they see me in this!”  Ah ha!  What we were looking for was part envy and part pride.  In not truly understanding our relationship with God we chose these idols as our foster parents.  We let things tell us and others that we are as good as they are.

The entire scenario kinds of reminds me of fishing with a lure.  When I was a kid on the pond I seldom had live bait available to me.  Periodically my mom would buy me a few new lures as my older ones were wearing out.  The thing about a good lure is that you can catch many fish with it cast after cast.  The fish just don’t know the difference between the lure and the real thing.  They put all their energy into chasing that lure and get nothing in return.  One of two things will happen when the fish gets tricked; they get thrown back hungry or get taken back and eaten.

In all fairness I have to say that it is ok to own nice things as long as you don’t allow them to own you.   Understand that the happiness derived from them is temporal.  I guarantee you that that dream car you’re driving today will feel just like the car you traded in within a few short months.  Watch out!  You don’t want to get reeled in by another lure.

Last night I mentioned to my wife an incident that took place several years ago.  I was in my final years of high school and was working on figuring out what I wanted to study in college.  I have always had a talent for being very insightful and as long as I can remember people were always talking to me about the issues which troubled them.  Somehow, absent of advice, they always felt better after talking to me.  The funny thing is this made me feel elated.  I would get people stopping at my table in the cafeteria during lunch, coming by my house after school and more than a few late night calls that always started with, “Ron, can we talk?”  I remember those nights well; barely awake with the phone hand set as my pillow.  I never minded though.  Something about it all just filled me up.

One day my dad came to me and asked, “Have you decided what you’re going to be when you grow up?”  Although I did not appreciate his choice of words; what teenager would?  I told him that I wanted to be a psychologist.  “Oh know that’s all we need!”  Perhaps he figured he may be subject to constant analysis, so he adamantly rejected my decision.  He continued, “Why don’t you go into advertising.  I have a friend in Boston who will give you a job right when you get out starting at six figures.”

Be careful parents.  You have an incredible power of influence over your children.  Use it the right way.  Even when my father gives me advice today I take it into serious consideration.  In this case I went for it hook, line and sinker.  His dream became mine, but it never materialized.  It was not part of God’s plan.

Parental influence is an incredible tool for manipulating the current of the ocean in which our children swim.  I am reminded of an automobile accident when I was in as a teen.  The memory of a 1974 Chevrolet Impala crossing the yellow line and hitting my tiny sports car head on will be etched in my mind forever.  Who knew that people drive drunk on Sunday mornings?  The most prominent thing was that big chrome grille forcing me closer and closer to the side walk.  It was crash, poof, crash and my car catapulted backwards into a telephone poll.  Flames were shooting out of the engine and my door was jammed shut.  Suddenly I gained strength that I never knew I had and forced it open, got out and went to the nearest house for help.  My first thought was to get some water to put the fire out, but the closest thing I had was a tea kettle given to me by the Old Portuguese women who answered the door.

Talk about being angry with that driver.  I just had some major repair work done on my car only the day before.  Now it was totaled.  Even worse was that the drunk driver had no insurance and it was not even his car.  As my mom attempted to explain this all to me I grew even angrier.

“Mom, he better pay for my car!” I exclaimed repeatedly.  It just wasn’t right.  She then explained to me that she talked to the attorney and was told that the only thing we could do was attach the drivers pay.  “Good” I said.  “He deserves it!”  That is when my mom responded with a few words that looking back today contributed more to my character than every text book I read in college.  “You wouldn’t want someone to do that to you Ronnie.”

Well, let me get back to my point.  We all know what we love to do.  It is our passion and our gift from God.  This is success and we must never let anyone tell us different.  This is the true reality of our being.  All other things are just going to leave us hungry, thirsty and wanting more.  Remember one very important thing.  It is never too late to dip our cup into the well.

 

Disrespect

A very interesting question was posed today.  A woman asked, “What is the most disrespectful thing someone could do?  One woman replied, “Spitting on me!  That would be just cause for murder.”  I offered them a new way of looking at that.  I said, “Isn’t it funny how when the saliva is on the inside it is not offensive, yet the moment it comes out it becomes abhorrent and despicable.”  I don’t think that went over to well as I consider the lack of response.

What is the most disrespectful thing someone can do to us?  It is to think that what they did could actually hurt us while knowing that we are children of God.  As such we are under the most ultimate protection.  To think that someone would actually think that they could bring us down with a quarter teaspoon of saliva is ridiculous.

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

(Luke 10:19 King James Version) 

You see, we can only really be hurt by what we allow to hurt us.  In empathy we see the weakness in those we perceive as the attacker.  These things are often done by those who lack self esteem.  On the outside they carry on a facade of strength and power, but on the inside they are as a lost child in the amusement park.

 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

(Matthew 5:44 King James Version)

For it is in this weakness that we see their fear and in fear there is no peace.  Absent of peace there exists no faith, hope or love.  In this we have seen that the one who persecutes us is the one who is truly persecuted.

God’s respect trumps all others!

As we seek respect of man we lose the respect of God.  These little insignificant things are merely attempts to separate us from our Father.  They are lies that the Devil has planted in the hearts of man for the sole purpose of manipulating the hearts and minds of the righteous. 

What are these hurt feelings that we experience in this type of situation?  Are we now feeling less than the one who afflicted us or is it that we have detached ourselves from Spirit?  Could it be that we have unintentionally subjected ourselves to pride?  The answer is obvious.

Disrespect is an absence of respect.  How could we lack respect when our Father in heaven deems us to be so valuable?  Think about this carefully.  Not only are we his children, but He gave up his only begotten son Jesus for us.  Do we think God would ever consider this if we were not worthy of His utmost respect? 

I do recall a very painful experience during my childhood that I have never spoken of since then.  I believe I was about nine or ten years old.  Several of my friends and I were playing around at Peter Randal State Park which abutted our neighborhood.  There were several large rock formations which created a multitude of small caverns which were accompanied by several small streams.  It was an awesome place to play and explore.

As I stood at the bottom of the cavern I began to feel a hot stream which poured over my head and back.  Soon after I heard a series of laughs a she grins from my classmate Stephen and my cousin Stephen.  It would seem that my cousin, being of a weak mind, was easily manipulated by the other boy via a dare no doubt, to urinate all over me from high up on the rocks.

I was devastated!  It was the most disgusting, demeaning and disrespectful thing that ever happened to me up to that time.  The smell and stickiness of the urine set my entire body into a frozen state.  My muscles stiffened and joints locked.  The whole walk home was with limited movement and constant tears.

So what was the worst thing about this situation?  Was it the issues of the unsanitary nature of the resulting action or was it the insensitivity associated with the act itself?  Well as I walked through the door and told my mom what had happened she saw to it that I was cleaned up first.  I recall the cringing of every muscle in my face as she slid the urine covered sweater over my head as well as the cleansing hot water that poured over my rigid body shortly after.  My body could be washed and my clothing would be laundered, but what of my heart, soul and spirit? 

Back then, as a child, I was not capable of the logical thoughts and skilled empathy that I have been so gifted with today.  I was devastated!  It made me feel like I was worth so much less than everyone else.  This is especially true since it was at the hand of someone I loved so much.

My cousin and I spent more time together than we spent with our own siblings.  You see, we were only eleven months apart in age.  Our home was diagonally across from each other.  We could talk to each other from bedroom to bedroom through two paper cups and some string.  We rode bikes together, fished together, watched Saturday morning cartoons together and hung out most every day.  We were like brothers.

So what happened in this situation?  What caused this terrible thoughtless act to be perpetrated by one child onto another?  As I look back now it all makes perfect sense.  Cousin Steve had just lost his father to Hotchkiss Disease.  The first week or so after the funeral we confided with each other often about his death.  It was a very sad and complicated time for the both of us.  We would sit in the woods outside of the school yard just watching the other kids through the classroom windows.  We were on the outside looking in.  Both of us were out of school because of Steve’s father’s death.

I can only speculate on what could have happened.  Perhaps we spent too much time together and once things returned to normal in my life they were still chaotic in his.  Most likely he had some serious anger and resentment issues as he looked at my family, which seemed whole, and his which seemed to be quickly falling apart.  Jealousy, anger and frustration were probably a few of the emotions that contributed to his unruly act.  In a desperate need to be liked, loved or respected he acted on a dare which was posed to him by someone who was having family problems of his own.  Maybe this is where they reached the bond which spawned this painful incident?

Whatever it was it was quickly forgotten.  After the long hot shower and a much needed rest I got out of bed, brushed my teeth and headed over to Stephen’s house to eat Coco Puffs and watch the Bugs Bunny Show the next morning.  We never spoke about the incident again.

It was my choice to both hold the grudge and carry all of that pain around until my knees buckled and my back gave out or just to set it down and walk away from it.  I chose the latter and was able to continue to accumulate better, happier and more enjoyable experiences with my cousin over the years.  I needed to put down what I did not want in order to make room for what I wanted; more fun today and more memories for tomorrow.

"We must be willing to lay down all that we have in order to receive all that we want." 

 ( Ron Ash)

Now if a nine year old child can do it without committing murder as vengeance shouldn’t we be able to step back from the situation and really see what is at the root of the perceived attack on our egos?  We all know the answer.  I guarantee that when we strip off the costume of pain and protection that perpetuated our villain we will see the scared, freighted and jealous child beneath.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 18:4 New International Version)