The question stands before us in the court: “What is your pleasure?” Before we come to a decision, there are a few points of evidence we must look at.

Let us view the definitions of “pleasure” which I see as a “sure plea”.

Pleasure definitions:
*A feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment
*Enjoyment and entertainment, contrasted with things done out of necessity
*An event or activity from which one derives enjoyment
*Sensual gratification
*Used or intended for entertainment rather than business
*Give sexual enjoyment or satisfaction to
*Derive enjoyment from

Origin:
Late Middle English: from Old French plaisir ‘to please’ (used as a noun). The second syllable was altered under the influence of abstract nouns ending in -ure, such as measure

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/pleasure

Our minds just went through a journey to reveal what is in our hearts. Here’s a clue…🤗…Whatever is in our minds (thoughts, ideas, wishes, etc.) is a window to our hearts and vice versa…🤯 🙃 🤪. That previous sentence can be seen in various ways and spoken in multiple languages (liking, clicking, sharing, etc. can also be viewed as a language).

Matthew 12:31-37 – “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Take it as far as you need and desire to. [Taste of honey in my mouth as I looked up the definition of “desire”. Revelation 10:8-11]

There is one main theme I see in the definitions of ‘pleasure’; joy. Whatever brings us joy is our pleasure.

Esther 1:8 – In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure. (NKJV)

The drinking was carried on in accordance with the law; no one was compelled [to drink], for the king had directed each official of his household to comply with each guest’s wishes. (AMP)

Exodus 12:4 – And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb.

Ezekiel 18:31-32 – Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

Ezekiel 33:10-11 – “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

2 Peter 3:8-9 – But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Luke 12:33-34 – “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Acts 10:9-16 – The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
[now ponder what else happened to Peter 3 times: what a rabbit trail]

Hebrews 10:11-18 – And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

When we say something is our ‘guilty pleasure’ we are declaring and proclaiming and claiming the following: that which brings us joy (whatever it is) is a charge of guilt against us. Another way I see it is that we are measuring that thing in opposition to our core belief (wherever it may be in that time of space). If we have searched out the truth of something and truly do not feel guilty about it, stop calling it and believing it as if it is guilty. If it is something that has a verdict of guilty against your personal inner core belief system, work it out to remove it (in other words: put the work in to put it back where it belongs in order to move on-talking to myself also through these). Once the guilt is removed there is no longer anything for us to be accused with or judged by. Also, if we come to a majority consensus (con=with + senses) on what truly is “guilty”, then our external environment can begin to match our internal which decreases our confusion and allows us to be free.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 – Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The joys of the world (did you start singing it in your head too?) have been in a place of constant battle throughout existence. As each battle is fought and won, new discovered or rediscovered joys come under attack but the original intention is always the same. One thing I am finally beginning to understand is . . .

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 – For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

How far are you willing to go?

John 10:10 – The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

2 Chronicles 16:9-10 – For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.

Daniel 12:4-7 – “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” 7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

Revelation 10:1-7 – I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

Revelation 19:9-10 – Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Whatever we desire to hold onto or to remove is how our journey is determined. I am by no means perfect but I have faith and believe in the One who is; Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach). It is the Lord and He only who knows what is truly in each and every one of our hearts. The journey through Him is worth every heartache, heartbreak, and pain that we have ever encountered, are encountering, and will encounter if we continue to put the work in for our search for Absolute Truth. It is through His Sacrifice for the whole world that cleanses us, purifies, us, sanctifies us, and much more. If we don’t ask the questions for ourselves, how can we ever find the answers. The devouring of joy in our lives and in our worlds is a part of the upheaval we are all witnessing one way or another. The emotional pain and total confusion that exists and continually goes through peaks and valleys is a mixture of our collective hearts and minds. God is calling everyone to make some difficult choices.

There has never before been a time of such access of information than now to help us make those choices.

Matthew 18:18 – “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

If you have read this entire writing, I personally thank you and commend you. Writing is a gift placed in me but it took ALL of me being connected to get it to this point. There is a reason why our Lord is The Son of God AND The Son Of Man. Through Him both worlds are connected to whatever level each of us desire to see. He is our ladder that allows us to ascend and descend between world because He is King of both. He is our example of how to be who we are destined to be.

If you have chosen to click any or all of the additional within this writing, you have already far excelled in your original purpose and design. There will always come a time (and another time, and another time, and another) where what is in our hearts will be tested. The question in those times (especially if we are believers of The Word of God) should be “what is our god” meaning what is it that has our heart gripped. As we seek out answers more and more, the more that becomes revealed to us and the more free we become. As we become more free the more issues we are able to put under our feet (stand over or overcome). Things take place over us, God will require us to give to Him. Though it may not be an evil or wicked thing we may have to put some things down for a time because our God is a jealous God for our sakes. Sometimes He will say it is ok for us to have it back and sometimes not. Everyone’s individual journey is different because we all have a process to go through. Only God knows and understands what is in our hearts and it is through our seeking and asking that He, by Holy Spirit, shows us what is in our hearts. It is He, by Holy Spirit combined with the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that cleanses us.

Luke 2:49-52 – And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. 51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was [m]subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

When we come to a place where we can see what our Lord has done, is doing, and continues to do, only then can we begin to say . . .

John 5:19-23 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

It is important to know that it is not through our natural eyes that we can see (have vision) but through our supernatural (spiritual eyes). As we are baptized in water and fire we then become born again for all eternity unto everlasting which is only a beginning. He sees everything; for He is Yahweh (Adonai)(God Almighty).

-Alicia R. Shipe-