Are you an Orange or a Navel?

I have been reading and studying a book by Neil Anderson called Victory over the Darkness. I am going through it with my mentor. Fabulous book to read. I can't seem to get off this one couple of paragraphs and it has inspired me to dig into some scriptures and really understand this truth of being a new creation in Christ.

Let me first say that when I initially read the comparision of a navel and orange (which I will explain) I asked myself, "wow, am I an orange or a navel?" I know the answer now, but I will challenge you to ask yourself the same question.

You see, Paul says that "You were formely darkness, but now you are light in the Lord"
(Eph 5:8) The question comes, "are we both light and darkness?"

2Cor 5:17 says "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old things passed away; behold a new thing has come."

We can't be partly new and partly old then, right. As a Christian, we can't have two natures, right?

The story goes on to explain how an orange tree is planted and it bears fruit. Physically, it is the color orange, it is round, it has a certain texture and sweetness, and it has seeds. All physical signs that it is an orange. Later, the branches are cut and they are grafted....a new root coming out from the branch....from that grows the deliciously sweet and juicy navel. Navels have the same physical features of oranges, they come from the same rootstock~ But it is definately not the same fruit~ in fact, if I understand correctly, the oranges on these trees are bitter.

The navel orange grows above the graft...it is a new creation from the orange. Its a seperate nature. Oranges can pass as a navel...until its opened up and the seeds are exposed and it is tasted and its much sweeter...not bitter. We taste it's sweetness. It has a sweet aroma....Scripture says to Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8)

Some things may look good, beautiful, sweet, but when surveyed and "tasted" and examined~we find it isn't authentic...its an orange...not a navel! Imposter! There is an old saying, If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be a duck. I say NO. Its not necessarily a navel orange....just because it looks like one, it has to be examined...this new creation. We will know by its fruit...break it open, taste it. The Bible says we will be recognized by our fruit. If we are in the vine (Jesus) and grafted in, (which in my limited knowlege is the opposite of pruning. pruning is cutting away, and grafting is adding on) we will bear fruit of the Father, have His aroma. The navel came from being grafted.... We will be grafted.

The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control, and faithfulness. (Gal 5:22) Matt 7:16 says "you will know them by their fruits and a good tree only produces good fruit and a bad tree only produces bad fruit. Not everyone who says Lord Lord will enter the kindom of heaven."

Me thinks that there are some fruits out there who may be:

1. Oranges trying to act like navels. Imposters. Trying to sneak in with the navels....

2. Oranges out there who really think they are navels...but they aren't....

Matt 7:22 says, "many will say on that day, Lord we prophesied, cast out demons, and performed many miracles (we were navels...) and God said, I never knew you"

People, its not about works...we can't be oranges and act like a navel. We aren't foolin anyone....

Then, there are some navels out there...

3. They are really navels...new creations....who have maybe fallen into the wrong basket....They are mixed up with the oranges and begin acting like the oranges....and take on the character of oranges. ...They forget who they are and that they are a new creation. They don't know they are a new creation in Christ....

So many of us today are either oranges or navels...We are oranges who look nice with all our packaging, but open us up and examine us a little deeper, taste, smell...and our bitterness is exposed. Others, are navels, who don't remember we are free, we are new, we are saints, not sinners....SAINTS...grafted in by Christ...and we continue to identify ourselves as oranges....

People, lets get in the right basket with the navels...We are free! We are Saints, hemmed in, and a new creation, from the Light! We are sweet, we have been pruned and refined, or maybe we are going through the pruning process now....it hurts...but we will come out as a sweet navel....we will carry the aroma pleasing to the Lord.

See this You Tube link on Grafting, it’s wonderful when you think of how we are grafted to Christ! A wonderful lesson! Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EwtyO16dFg

So there it is...are you an orange, or a navel? Think about it.

The Shrinking Lizard!

So, I know you are all wondering what in the world does a lizard have to do with anything! Well, that is what I thought this morning as I awoke to a very weird and very real dream!

In my dream, I am at a big gathering of people. Some of the people I recognized, and many, I think I knew in my dream, but not in real life. But there were lots of people around. At the party, this lizard came out of nowhere and attacked my foot. It was a big lizard too! Like one of those kimono dragon kinds. Well, this lizard had the mouth of a snake and he was on my foot. It hurt! I was looking around asking people to help me and no one was paying any attention to me at all....just carrying on with their conversations! The lizard continued to get his mouth around more and more of my foot.....kinda like a snake does when it is eating a rodent.....

Well finally, I shook that thing off of me and ran. In my dream, I just ran outside to where the other people were. Well, a moment later, that darn lizard came after me....going for my hand this time. Same thing....I asked for help. No one payed any attention. It was trying to take my whole hand in its mouth again, but I shook him off again and got away.

Well, the lizard came after me a little while later that lizard found me again and it came for my foot, but it was smaller and couldn't get my entire foot. I shook it off, and again it came after me at my hand. Well, finally, this lizard came at me, but it was very small by now, and it could only get my toe. Still, it freaked me out and I kept calling for help from it and no one helped. Then, I finally shook it off of me and then I woke up!

I just laid in bed thinking, "What in the world?"

Well, before I give my interpretation of this dream, I need to reflect on the last few days of my walk.

Just recently, in an effort to carry out what I believe is an assignment from God, I have become burdened like never before, even to the point of feeling that heaviness in my spirit. Some call it oppression....I felt that last night and began talking to Michael about it. I feel like God has gifted me with several passions. One being to pray for others. I feel like He has provided me with many different opportunities to be His hands and feet. A friend gently reminded me this week to be prepared for the enemy to attack. That Satan does not like what is going on with me and that he will try to pull out all the stops to distract me, and to hinder me. I knew he was right. I didn't think it would be in me feeling sooooo burdened last night that it stole my joy. Everything going on in the world right now politically, really got me down. It was such a huge weight and even a fear. Michael reminded me gently. I do believe God wants me to pray over all of it and that is why he gave me the burden. But if I am so focused on the burden in itself......and the negativity of the burden, how can I be effective in being His hands and feet? My eyes are distracted by the burden and I forget about the loving Father's solutions. I forget his Love. I forget his compassion. I forget Him in my efforts to please him......Sometimes, I just need to quiet myself and be still. I am reminded of my once very powerful chain of legalism, and critical spirit, and negativity.

I, once again, need to repent. I let it ever so sneakily slip in. You know, if Satan cant come in the front door, he will try the back. If he can't get in the back door, he will try to find a little crack to sliver in through....and usually, then, we don't even know he has gotten in.....I am so thankful I recognized it before it became comfortable. The distractions are different for each person.

Many things distract me....one being the Internet. I get on and can't get off....It tends to take me in other directions spiraling out and my thoughts and emotions can become critical and negative. I begin to judge. I hate it when that happens. But, thankfully, I was able to pray, repent...receive HIS forgiveness, forgive myself, and "shake it off"

So, my dream came in the early morning hours of my previous revelation. The Devil, he came at me. A giant lizard....trying to impair or even take away my hands and feet. The same hands and feet that I was serving God with. No one could help me. Truly, no one can help me in this kind of spiritual battle. It is between me and God, and me relying on God to help me. That is why no one helped me. That is why I was alone in it. But, I did shake him off. Just like in real life, I shake that enemy off me. Then, when the enemy comes at me again, I am stronger in my faith, I am able to know how to free myself through God's word, and prayer......and again, I shake it off. By now, that Devil gets smaller and smaller. His stronghold in my life gets less and less.

The more experience I have "shakin him off" through my prayer time, and through taking up my sword of the spirit through scripture.....the more victorious I become in getting that evil spirit off of me! Eventually, that stronghold will no longer have ANY power over me! He has shrunken down and is powerless over me! O Happy DAY! I am FREE! Free of critical spirit, judgemental spirit, negativity...... Once we lick that stronghold, the greatest news is that we now have more power and authority when we recognize it and pray over it in other people's lives. That is a Good Word! I want more power and authority over the enemy...that is for sure!

But, I am a realist. I know that Devil is gonna come after me in another way. I have to be on guard. I need to put on my armor. The Full Armor of God! Every day. More on His Armor another time.

I guess the big moral of this story is this. Are you putting on your armor? Do you even know if that lizard has come in to your house? If so, do you wanna get him out? If not, ask God to help you discern the areas in your life that you need to "shake it off" I pray you will. See my other posting on how to pray on the Spiritual Armor of God.

I do hope I get a better night's sleep tonight.

Blessings,

Shelli