God Brings the Moral

Photo by Jeff Johnson

God has always given us the opportunity to walk with Him, in His ways- which are Life or choose a lifestyle of death that ends in the destruction of the soul.

We often don’t think about how our thoughts -control our actions or how they help us to receive help and guidance from God or not. 

God is only a thought away but it’s amazing how far that empowering thought can be from us at times if we aren't including God in our thoughts.

Vinegar by itself does nothing in a bottle but put some baking soda in with it and watch that mixture overflow the confines of that bottle.  We are like that vinegar and God is like that baking soda- alone our thoughts stay stagnant but with God we grow past the confinements of our understanding.

King David wrote, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever…”
  

Jesus said, “He that believes in me, as the scriptures says, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Ever felt on edge, wary, fickle, frail, frustrated, burdened?  I have….

At times we can be our worst enemy.

So for those times, I have asked God to help me write some things down to help me regain and stand in the balancing rhythm of God’s presence, bringing moral -“LIFE” to my soul.

Jesus said to love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength (ability) but the only way I have found to have this “ability” is to surrender my heart to God in all matters of life which fits well with the words from book Zechariah.

“It is not by force nor by strength, but my Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.

In other words, “Let go…”

The Apostle Paul learned it’s not by one’s strength or sure determination but an acceptance of “ones weakness” that allows God’s power to rest upon them… “For my grace is sufficient.”
(Repeat sentence if it hasn't sunken in.)

As I reflected on these passages written by Paul, I have gotten a sense of freedom and a certain contentment- he didn’t try to wrestle everything but had God use what came as an opportunity for God to show himself stronger and brighter and mightier then the circumstance.

Paul was driven to practice the art of losing the part of “himself” that hindered him from experiencing the liberating fullness of Christ.  In Paul’s mind, the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ and the promises that came with those things could not be out done- so knowing this he surrendered his “hindering life” for Jesus’ sake.

Do you remember Jesus saying, "to find life one must lose it for his sake"?

I find this “losing” of ones self is a continuous thing- and I have found that the “tender responsive heart” is handicapped from God’s leading and greatness in our life when we close ranks on ourselves -by accepting schemes and ideas that tire, wear, mundane, burden, assume and think we are in some kind of control.  For WHERE is the renewing power of the Spirit of Christ going to work and move if the space God wants to use is already taken up by our own faulty understanding?

2 Corinthians says, “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalt itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
 

When we do this "we make room" to receive the necessary things from the Spirit to make the soul abound and overcome.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In being reminded of our supernatural birth in Christ Jesus to now- it is vital that our created souls be continuously "yoked" to the Spirit.  For our souls were specifically created to experience a fulfilling life in the Spirit of God.

Colossians says, “Put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” 

We know the new self is created by the Spirit of God.  We need this engagement of the Holy Spirit daily or we may suffer a very shortsighted, drab existence, hindered not only by our understanding but whatever might come.  The things of life are no different then what anyone else goes through but it’s in WHO you and I focus in that gives moral to our soul.

With God- he helps us unfold and fold our thoughts in a godly manner.

Knowing Jesus’ Lordship over our lives gives us this settling affect in our soul- strengthening our inner man like tapping the weakening bubbles out of a substance.

In art school I often saw the havoc of air bubbles in ceramic pieces- causing vessels and pieces to shatter and crack in the firing process.

It is not different in us… God is the potter, he is the author and finisher of our faith- and he knows what “air bubbles’ to rid us of so we will make it through the firing process of this life.  Knowing this we look to Him to strengthen the inner man.

Psalms says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Galatians says, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

2 Peter says “As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need to for living a godly life.  He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!  And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises.  He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you and caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.”

Doubt can even become evil for not addressed.  That is why it’s important not only to believe but ask God to help us overcome our doubt... so that the edginess, worry, fickle, frail, frustration and burden will not reign over our hearts but God who brings moral.

Like a commander bringing moral to his soldiers before battle… this is what Jesus wants to do for us daily.  That we may “not” go out in the world with some kind of dread but go out with cheer and vigor and hope!

“For if God is for us, who can be against us?”         

Relentless 2

In the movie, Tomorrowland, there was a quote I appreciated but without changing the meaning, I am going to exchange the word "wolves" with "spirits".

There are two spirits who are always fighting. One is darkness and despair. The other is light and hope. The question is… which spirit wins?
 
... The one you feed.

 

What would the difference be, in our life, if we continually laid aside the things that weigh us down and entangle us? What would it show the world, about WHO is your Lord?

Hebrews 12:1-3 says:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

What kinds of things can we lay aside?

·      We can lay aside this perverse world- all it approves, all it encourages, all it hates, all it denies, all it strikes at, resorts to, conspires, fights for and tries to hide.

“We do not fight flesh and blood but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” 

·      We can lay aside the enemy.  Satan hates God and those who represent God and those formed in the image of God.  Satan often uses what he hates to destroy what he hates.   Satan is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy.   He is the father of all lies and deception.  He has an enchanted tongue -manipulative, slippery and dangerous.  He loves to draw us in for a fight but when he comes soliciting a response ask Jesus “Will you get that?”  

But if you take the bait, and find yourself down on the mat of this life and Satan starts counting down… remember he is not the refereeing official of your life but God is.  And by God’s amazing mercy and grace, get up because He who is in you is greater then he who is the world.  

Remember Jesus has won the fight for us- now we just have to finish the race and we aren’t even to do that alone.

·      We can lay aside circumstances of life, the false illusions of what the world calls life, and the burdens of this life that so easily tires us.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

·      We can lay aside the subtle things that cause us to inadvertently step down from the ROCK that gave us LIFE and LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY.  Stay alert of precarious rickety ladders of consciousness that set the mind in motion to themes of bleak, mundane, barren, hopeless outlooks. Watch out for fears, anxieties, imaginations, ideals of productivity, human philosophy, and unsatisfying self-filling prophecy that gets the best of us.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Jeremiah 1:9

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 2 Corinthians 10:5

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
 
  ·   And finally lay aside the sin.  Don’t travel down sins tempting highway, seek Jesus who was tempted by never sinned.  Ask God to show you a way out.  

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Sin leads to death… Sin steals our joy, peace, hope… it separates us from living in the power of God, which gives us life.  Shame and guilt of sin keeps us from speaking the truth to others and if we do speak it, it feels false because of conviction of sin.  When we sin our mindset is tarnish and our reputation is hurt and even destroyed.
 

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:9

But undeservedly, there is renewal and strengthening of one’s soul when one genuinely confesses their sin to God and seeks Him for forgiveness because Jesus, who is paid for our unrighteous, separates us from the burdens of our sinfulness that we may learn from our mistakes, remain hopeful and finish the race.

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12

So let me ask again ... What would the difference be, in our life, if we let go of these things that weigh us down and entangle us?  What would say about the LORD of our life? Would they aid in helping you remain in God's relentless Spirit?

Is Praying For Yourself Selfish?

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I find it odd- this philosophy that it is selfish to pray for one’s self.  In fact last night as I put my head down on my pillow this philosophy was still on my mind.   It did not sit right in my soul.   In my mind I saw it as thorny stem.

I could be misunderstanding the perspective of such teaching but prayer- is it not communication with the LORD who is to be the source of our LIFE?   To deny communication and help from the LORD is to deny LIFE itself from living within us.

As I write this word comes:

“Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”  Colossians 2:8   

The Lord is my strength and that is why I pray for myself, for without Him I am lost within myself and the things of this world can easily overwhelm me.

I am reminded of the Lord’s Prayer.

Jesus says: “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

God is gives me the daily spiritual bread to sustain my faith- like I said before- a living word not a religious word.

In what manner is one praying for one's self- selfish? I am not praying to be materially rich however I am praying to be spiritually rich in Him.  For the things of this life never satisfy but God who is boundless never ceases to amaze me and He will BE forever as those things of this life will disappear and vanish. 

I pray for myself on a daily -sometimes even on an hourly basis.  I pray that God transform my thinking that I may live as God intended.   I pray for God's liberating will to work in my life.   Is this selfish or is this surrendering to God to allow Spirit and truth to live in me?

I do not think praying for yourself in this manner is selfish.   For if one strives only in the flesh and prays in the flesh and lives accordingly to flesh...  can they see their obvious need for God?  Where is the Spirit working in our life if we do not pray for ourselves to be refreshed, encouraged, inspired by God?  I believe to pray in this manner (for refreshing, encouragement, inspiration, guidance, etc) is to deny our fleshly understanding and agree and consent with God’s will for our life.  In deed how refreshing it is just to think about prayer in this life giving way.  Now think about how a refreshed, encouraged, inspired soul behaves?  It is a light that is put on a stand.  It is a city on a hill.   It is salty.  It is a soul of beatitudes living in us!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&version=NLT 

Thank you Lord that you are doing all these things in my soul this day! In Jesus Name Amen.

Prayer does changes things but it first starts with the one who prays.

AND IN DOING, - Spirit and Truth

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-->Jesus said, “But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth.  The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” John 4:23

So what does this mean to you to worship God in Spirit and truth?

One of the ways to help us define what is living in Spirit and truth is to see what God considers the opposite of living and worshiping God in Spirit and truth is. 

“And the Lord said, ‘Because the people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,” Isaiah 29:13-14

“They fear the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.  To this day they do according to the earlier customs; they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD command the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel.” 2 Kings 17:33-34

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…” 2 Timothy 3:5

“Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:7

So living and worshiping God in Spirit and truth is NOT:

1.             Head knowledge alone.

2.            Religious tradition

3.             Repetitious prayers or words.  

4.             A complacent or false love for God.

5.             Denying the Holy Spirit in one’s life.

6.             Disregarding a personal relationship with the True and Living GOD.

7.             (What did the Spirit point out to you in these scriptures?)

Spirit and truth.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Think…. This ever-growing revelation of Jesus being “the way, the truth and the life” didn’t come until the Holy Spirit came upon us and resided within us.

For the truth to become “active” in our soul the Holy Spirit must make it “living” in our soul.  For instance scriptures on a page are just words until God’s Spirit awakens them in our soul with meaning, insight, assurance, confidence and ability.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13

Do we hear God?  Do we hear God some of the time?  How much do we hear God?

We shut off God by denying him within our daily lives either consciously or unintentionally.  We can get carried away in daily tasks that we leave God behind instead of Him having him central amongst the tasks of life.  We tend to follow the path of least resistance (our own humanness) if we aren’t mindful, and that path is our ignorance, imagination, our insecurities, our pride, our perceptions, our feeling, our routines, our order of things, our orthodox reasoning, our experiences and even those we surround ourselves by.  We limit God when we think we have God all figured out and know it all.  We shut God off when we think we know His Word in all its richness and fullness.  We shut God off when we think we have “arrived” in some kind of spiritual self-sufficiency.  In such cases God’s Spirit becomes minimized, dormant, and even irrelevant in our lives.

I love this these verse...

“Lift up your heads, O gates!  And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” Psalm 23:7

How of often does our human intellect and understanding become gates separating us from God?  Where we try to figure out everything on our own.  I find even in the best of intentions in seeking or pursuing God in our ways, we miss God because it’s about us and not us surrendering us to God.  But God’s word says, “Lift up your heads, O gates and be lifted up- that the King of Glory may come in!”      

If we build and base our day on just our self what do you have in the end? Have we gained any greater mindset or heart? Has our relationship with God grown?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead fear the LORD and turn your back on evil.  Then you will gain renewed health and vitality.” Proverbs 3:5

For as long as I have lived I have never known anyone to gain renewed health and vitality in themselves.   How could anyone gain renewed health and vitality without living in Spirit and truth of God?  How could anyone the catch the fire of God when God isn’t allowed in any and all aspects? For this LIFE giving principle of trusting in the LORD and not depending on our own understanding makes us persist and endure in all things!  It’s where we cease and where God’s loving, comforting and encouraging Spirit takes over!

I am reminded of what Jesus said to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2

“I know all the things you do.  I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance.  I know you don’t tolerate evil people.  You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not.  You have discovered they are liars.  You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.  But I have this complaint against you.  You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!  Look how far you have fallen from you first love!  Turn back to me again and work as you did at first.  If you don’t, I will remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” Revelation 2: 2-5   

For those who have ever fallen in love, I want you to think on what it meant and felt like to be “in love”. What was that glow?  What was that want to be near that person?  How you threw yourself at that person with a special trust.  You seemed to want to do just about anything for that special person of the opposite sex.  It was no burden or hassle at all.  You seem to be almost floating…  You seem to have this renewed health and vitality about you, did you not as you walked in this unexplainable thing called “love”.  Now put God in that place… Do you see this?.

A. W. Tower wrote: “Behind the veil is God, that God after Whom the world, with strange inconsistency, has felt, ‘If haply they might find Him.’ He has discovered Himself to some extent in nature, but more perfectly in the Incarnation; now He waits to show Himself in ravishing fullness to the humble of soul and the pure in heart.  The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of his Presence.  The instant cure of the most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us.  This would lift us out of our pitiful narrowness and cause our hearts to be enlarged.  This would burn away the impurities from our lives as the bugs and fungi were burned away by the fire that dwelt in the bush.”

Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37

How quickly we dismiss such words out of familiarity not realizing they are the key out of cage of ourselves and everything else that chips and nags at us.  We don’t necessary see them as what we are to build and pour our life into but just orders and commands.  But God gives us these words to liberate us from the monotony of close-minded themes that keep us captive within the world’s ideals and ourselves.   Instead God says, “Come to ME, LOVE ME with all your heart soul and mind and I will show you what it means to LIVE.  Take a moment to think how this pertains to living Spirit and truth.

God wants us to develop, grow, endure and mature in the supernatural grace and the glorious unfolding of His daily invigorating love.

Paul writes with great and humbling admiration:

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you might inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into God’s marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s peoples should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and the power that comes from God.  Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.” Ephesians 3:16-20

I don’t know about you but my soul says, “Wow!”  Staying in Spirit and truth, which is to stay in the ‘knowing of God’s love’ brings about the fullness of life and the power that comes from being in His Love.

Is this an easy task? Of course not, for the things of self, love to be our obstacle.   They like to barge to the front of the line and make their demands and in the process redirect our focus away from God.

As A.W. Tozer so eloquently points out, “Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us.  It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by mere instruction.” 

Realizing this we must make a personal effort to live a circumcised life in Spirit in order to enjoy the encompassing elements of God.  For we were meant to have such a wonderful outlook as Paul speaks yet many times we find ourselves settling for far less.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

How many times has Christ Jesus overcome for us and shown us His goodness?  Why has he continually made a way where their seems to be no way?  Why has he kept the path clear for us?  This path we love to discover and walk upon but somehow… forget throughout our day.  But Jesus calls to us… Can you hear Him? “Let me be LORD OVER ALL THINGS!”

Isaiah 55:8-9 “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD.  “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”

Is this not REFRESHING!!!  God’s thoughts and ways are HIGHER then our thoughts and ways!  Some may ask, “Why is this a good thing?”  This is a good thing because we who have been born-again in Christ Jesus can live in, by HIS SPIRIT, in God’s thoughts and ways. We can be in-tuned with God.

“Who can know the LORD’s thoughts?  Who knows enough to teach him? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16

This morning’s scripture verse reads,

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to the Him;  He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.”  Proverbs 16:3

And this is what the Spirit said to me, “Your thoughts of the day’s tasks are transformed when you give and entrust them to the Lord and they become satisfying and liberated because they are in His will which is perfect, pleasing and good for the soul.”

You don’t just see natural contexts of life but in the contexts of life you walk in the spiritual contexts as well -instead of just the tendencies or leanings of our selves.

As we digest these things, “What is established and success in God’s eyes?”  Is it being materially rich? I don’t remember my Jesus ever being materially rich.  And I have seen many who are materially rich who are yet unsatisfied.  So that is not being established or a success in God’s eyes.  Is it having a degree?  Did Jesus have a degree?  How about the completion of many tasks and worldly successes?  We can complete many tasks yet still feel unsatisfied…  God has shown me what is established and a success is those things God put’s His hands to.  It’s allowing God to work in us as his holy priest.

“And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple.  What’s more you are God’s holy priest, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that pleas him because of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

What is established and a success is how we go about those tasks in life by His Spirit.  I am reminded that everyone’s life’s work will be tested by fire.   Are we doing those tasks in the ways and thoughts of God (Spirit and truth) or are we doing them with burden, only as obligation, self-sufficiency, self-promotion, egotism, etc?  These things neglect the Spirit’s love, counsel and encouragement and without the Spirit there is no “edible” fruit to partake from for us or anyone else.  For the good fruit is our witness of God working in us and manifesting Himself in us.

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Here there is no conflict with the law.” Galatians 5:22-23

“If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Galatians 5:25

“But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law- the law that sets you free- and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:25

Anyone can accomplish something but it’s in how we accomplish that something that matters most to God.

GOD who inspired the words, “We walk by faith not by sight,” wants to graciously bestow upon us a new perspective daily and hourly.  A perspective only He can give.   No wonder why the Word of God states nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Note Romans 8:39

  Acts 17:28 says “For in Him we live, and move and have our being; as also certain of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”

Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.…” John 15:4

To quietly and humbly surrender to the Spirit and truth is to pass through the veil of our stumbling and burdening understanding and have every need… want… thirst… hunger… thought … circumstance… and experience to be “spoken to” and satisfied!

“And God spoke ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.” Genesis 1:3

God wants us to know that in Him we lack nothing….

Romans 8:37 says… “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

I find in many experiences in life we find ourselves out of our league.  We live in this world but we are not of this world.   Most of us are aware of our moment-by-moment need and if we are cognoscenti of WHO can hold and carry us and encourage us through our need we are the most lucky and blessed individuals on the planet. 

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

And it becomes overwhelmingly clear we can’t have this unless we give our life to the son- Jesus Christ, who is God’s most greatest gift of love.

 ^“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:9-19

As I was writing the early parts of these pages a song came on.  I don’t think this was by accident.  Here are the lyrics to “You are my Vision”

You are my vision, O King of my heart
Nothing else satisfies, only You Lord
You are my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Your presence my light

You are my wisdom, You are my true word
I ever with You, and You with me Lord
You're my great Father, and I'm Your true son
You dwell inside me, together we're one

You are my battle-shield, sword for the fight
You are my dignity, You're my delight
You're my soul's shelter and You're my high tower
Come raise me heavenward, O power of my power

I don't want riches or man's empty praise
You're my inheritance, now and always
You and You only, the first in my heart
High king of Heaven, my treasure You are

High king of Heaven, when victory's won
May I reach Heaven's joy, O bright Heaven's Son
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all

 

Jesus said, “But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth.  The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” John 4:23

SOUL NEED PART 2

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TO FORGET ONE’S SELF

What is it that a man has a hard time letting go of one’s self? What is he afraid of?  Is he afraid of his own Maker?  Is he afraid of the very thing God created him for? Is he afraid he isn’t good enough?  Is he afraid of some kind of control he thinks he has being taken away? Is he afraid of having to do something he won't enjoy?
 
What does he think he will miss out on?  I find the very freedom we think we have is an only a mere illusion to keep us captive so we don't see our doomed fate until it is too late.   

Yes, this illusion of freedom- set in the confines of worldly wisdom only condemns the soul, enslaves the soul to the desires of the flesh, and holds us captive to a life that wasn't planned or designed for us.   It’s only when we come to our senses by the grace and mercy of God and give our stunted life to God, God waters it and puts light on it and it begins to grow.  All things become new.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Ezekiel 36:26 says “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”

  

God is always continuing to make things new in our life. He is refining our faith and encouraging us in our faith.  Does this mean things are always at bliss or we are “perfect” and we are immune to the feelings such as weary, apprehensiveness, anxiousness? Of course not!  But these temporary things make us realize where our focus has gone and where it needs to be put back onto.  

  

Recently I saw a book entitled, “The Freedom of Self-forgetfulness”

Don’t you wish you could leave self at the curb for the garbage man to come pick up and never see it again? 

Since we can’t get rid of self this only reinforces our need for God.  We never out grow or become so mature that we can handle life without God’s help and assurance.  We are called “Children of God” for a reason.  Children need assurance from their Heavenly Father.  And this great and mighty assurance helps us overcome the insecurities of ourselves and the conformities of this world.  Truly the freedom from self is humbling ourselves as children before our Heavenly Father in all the instances of life- certain and uncertain.  It awakens us to how our error of thinking to God's wisdom or ways of understanding.

Freedom of self is the love of God working in our life.  We leave the wisdom of the world to live in the life freeing wisdom of God.

 Ephesians 3: 17-19 says, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

This love overrides one’s own feelings that can be so easily swayed.   You don’t keep the light that is living in you captive to the flesh instead you let it live through you.  It is practicing and striving and surrendering to the presence and will of God then falling to self and every persuasive argument the world wants to oppress you by or philosophy of "It is all good."    

God teaches us to “die to self.”

   

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit.  He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”       John 12:24-25

Forgetting self in God helps us live and discover the reason for this life: That we might know GOD more deeply. Live as an instrument for God.  Finding what it means to live in the perfect will of God. 

Jesus said “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” Matthew 10:39

“I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Romans 12:1-2