God made man from the dust of the earth: What will you make out of that dust? 

I woke up this morning pondering my state of being along with the word that God gave me in the middle of the night… a word that had been given to me a few times before. I knew “leiba centurion” referred to love and to the faith that the centurion had… even an “authority” not limited by time or distance that God desires us to have as well. I realized however, there was something more that I was to understand and when I asked the Lord “what” that was, the face of a relative was brought before me.

Afterwards during a time of meditation, I thought about why it was that I did not have FULLNESS of joy. Yes, I have joy when I realize the nearness of the Lord and that He speaks to me, loves me and watches over me. I also have joy in writing, praying, loving family, friends, and doing other things, so why is it that when I wake up in the morning that instead of great cheer bursting out of me, I have this feeling I can’t fully describe. As I think about the scripture that states a merry heart is a sign of a good heart, conviction comes to me that this is not the constant state of my heart. I believe the answer as to why is being shown to me now: “DUSTY” is the name of that family member I mentioned and it’s my attitude toward him and others like him that our Lord is putting His finger on. I believe that until we’re FULL of love, we’re going to have the feeling I can’t describe that indicates something is missing. He wants me to be a “lieba centurion” for him and for others, and to be honest with you, I, and all the members of my family, except my son, have preferred not to think of Dusty, much less embrace him in our hearts.

So why has my son “Kip,” embraced him and not us, eh? I have written much about the importance of names, so first I want to point out that “Dusty” is a nickname. One of his given names means “nobleman” and “obedient,” which is what God designed him to be, NOT the devil’s meat. No wonder with a name like “Dusty,” the devil has had major rule over him since he was a little guy. When there’s a name that’s not like God’s nature, that name will be changed and you and I can have a part in this by calling forth the things that are not as though they are.

My son’s name is “Oliver Rex” which means “peaceful king” and he has lived his name except for many years ago when the swat team came barging through his apartment in the middle of the night looking for Dusty. Yikes! Dusty’s parents also lost their peace as well when their home had been bombarded with shotgun bullets by a thug gang that wanted to take out their son. In spite of Dusty stealing my son’s credit card, causing a scary visit by the swat team and doing many other terrible things, my son loved him and still does. While Kip wisely won’t allow the one not YET a nobleman to come into his house, he is there for him heart-wise and long-distance on the phone.

In my younger days when I thought I could help anyone and everyone because I had Christ in me, my husband and I tried to help Dusty and it was very costly and disastrous for us. Thankfully since then, I’ve learned we can only help those God directs us to WHEN it’s the right time. Jesus did only those things our Father showed Him to do and for most of us, it’s taken a long while to stop being presumptuous thinking WE can save people. There is ONE thing though, that we are always to do and that is to pray for people… yes, to be “leiba centurions.” I have not faithfully prayed for Dusty in more than a casual way and I confess that I have not prayed heartfelt prayers for others in my life who I viewed as probable bringers of the next swat team. I’m sure you know a few of them too, eh?

Two evenings ago, the word I had in the middle of the night from God was “Priestly-Bride” and in the morning “lowly one” came. Don’t you know that THIS is the calling of EVERY one of us? Dusty’s given name Thomas, has the inherent meaning of “twin” with a spiritual connotation of “divinely preserved.” Truly, the “Great Preserver” will watch over and keep Dusty as He was the One who gave him his name. We are all like twins of flesh and spirit with our flesh having nothing good in it, but oh, the grace and mercy of God toward us! I believe that Thomas will be made new and live out his other name of a nobleman on that day of restoration of all things. Hallelujah! His fleshly nature and ours will be no more and the “Priestly Bride” will have had her part in Thomas’s salvation. So it’s time my brethren, to do something about dust, even what God did with the first “Adam dust man.”

It’s time to make GOLD!”