Prospering the Soul

Everyone wants to prosper his or her soul.  They purchase things to try to prosper their soul, they travel to try to prosper their soul, they make personal connections with others, they eat things to try to prosper their soul, exercise, practice religions and/or precepts, work hard accumulating successes and even drink, do drugs and party - thinking they will somehow prosper their soul.  And though some of these are good things, they will never satisfy the yearning soul.  What they thought would satisfy soon lacks it’s “luster” and they are once again looking for something or someone else to satisfy their soul. 

Strangely they avoid or skip and/or neglect the very "One" that is suppose to prosper their soul.    

David wrote,

“The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1 NIV)

Wow! What a thought! Lacking nothing…

WHERE THE LACK BEGAN

Before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they “lacked nothing”… except maybe clothing. :) 
Their souls were “satisfied”.  And in them was this empowering glory of light that prospered their soul.

Their soul prospered in the things of God.  Gratitude, serenity, peace, love, hope, wisdom, mercy, grace, and goodness super-naturally manifested in their life.

BUT once they ate the forbidden fruit we notice right away a sudden spiritual deficiency. (Genesis 3)  Contempt, fear, anxiety, pride, anger, blame, rudeness filled their mouths as they brought forth of what now suddenly polluted and filled their hearts.  The music of their souls was suddenly darkened by sin.  The strong internal compass that once pointed due north to God’s love was now malfunctioning.  What spiritually protected their souls was stripped from them.  Sin was then free to taint their thoughts and reality.  This sickness and disease did not just affect them but their offspring… us.

They not only have to leave their home, the Garden of Eden because of disobeying God, but in a big sense lost their spiritual home as well to their soul.  The good pleasant sustaining reality they had lived in was now gone.   

We are all born with this spiritual deficiency.  Our reality is skewed…  We lack the very ONE who prospers and satisfies the soul.  We are born with this immense need for the reality of God’s love. 

In short, God created us to be reliant on Him and without Him... the soul is certain not only to not prosper but spiritually deteriorate. 

Think for minute ... How many times have we tried to control, fix, and deliver ourselves by "our means only to end up serving things and dark emotions instead of being delivered from the those things by God.  We make things and emotions gods over our soul then turning to THE DELIVER of our soul.

We get hurt by someone so we turned to revenge, anger, and hate.   We wanted to stop being addicted to one substance so we exchange it for another substance.  We get on antidepressants to cover up our symptoms depression never dealing with the root reason(s) for why we are depressed... and the list goes on and on and on....   

JESUS IS THE ANSWER

 BUT HERE is the good news …

The Word of God says, Jesus himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases. (Note Matthew 8:17)

Through faith in Jesus Christ we can walk in what Adam and Eve lost.  We can be cured from the curse of Adam and Eve.

Jesus came not only to save us from hell but also to deliver us from the mindset of bondage....

The word of God says, "WHEN HE (Jesus) ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." Ephesians 4:8

Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11

We can grow and mature (prosper) in the “knowing” of God’s love. We can know where our spiritual home is for our soul that leads the our heart and mind.  That is something Adam and Eve lost.
 

 It’s only in surrendering our life to Jesus Christ, can God take down the blinding and deafening deficiency in our life and we can partake in the prospering unlimited goodness God wants and intends to enrich and clothe our soul.
  

Often limited and trapped by our own understanding, God tells us not to depend on our own understanding but seek Him and reverence Him above all things and he will give us health and vitality.  (Proverbs 3:5-8)

THE HEART AND SPIRIT
Spiritual health and vitality (the capacity to mature and endure) are vital in our soul prospering and they are also dependent upon the condition of heart and spirit in which a person lives.
    

In the book of Ezekiel, God says,

If we stop looking to “things/idols” to prosper the soul and turn and give our life to Him, He will put a new spirit within us and take away the undiscerning heart of stone and give us a tender heart instead.  He will give us a heart that receives and acknowledges and feels the good prosperous things of God in our life.

For “God blesses those who realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3

And one of my personal favorites:

        "God blesses those whose hearts are pure for they will see God." Matthew 5:8
 
God is the only one who can make our heart pure, we obviously can't.  When we have this transformed heart and God’s spirit living in us, our soul should not only prosper but God’s goodness and glory should be seen in our life.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

KNOWLEDGE
Man has a lot of knowledge but the type of knowledge I am talking about is “LIVING” personal knowledge that God has put in each believer in Christ Jesus.  It isn’t something we have learned by rote but knowledge that dwells in the soul of the believer.  It’s “personal” knowledge that God, is at work in our life.   This living knowledge not only prospers our soul but also enables us to persevere in the challenges of this life.

John writes: “Beloved, I pray you prosper concerning all things and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2

HEALTH
There is that word “health” again.   This word “health” in the concordance means:

Health of the “soul”: to be sound, to be well, to be in good health

1.     Christians who opinions are free from any mixture of error (like our understanding and erroneous doctrine.)

2.     Christians who keep the graces and are strong in faith (caused by a dependence and trust in God.) 
 

What emanates from us when we trust in things and/or ourselves and not God?  What happens when those things fail?  What emanates from us when we trust God and trust in what God’s word says?

PERSEVERANCE

James writes, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4

Perseverance doesn’t happen by itself.  It needs us to draw close and surrender to God, so God can empower our daily lives.  

Our plans maybe to accomplish a great many things but what does it matter if our soul doesn’t prosper in God?  I mean… one day we are going to have to leave behind all our worldly ventures and accomplishments… what then?  Did we take the time to know God? Did we give your life to God? Have Him become the patron of our soul?  If not then God isn’t our God at all and our soul really has what… nothing?  What a waste.  God gave us free will to trust HIM or not.  The choice is ours but God does have plans for us if we only turn to HIM.

“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

God is the one who prospers us as an individual, a husband and wife, a family, a church and the entire body of Christ. 

HE doesn't want us to live lacking.... 
 

So the question is, are you going to allow God to prosper your soul?    Do you want to see God work in your life?  Do you want to see and know God?  Did you want to live beyond how you are living now with peace, hope, love, grace, joy, maturing in faith, wisdom and mercy?  Then what is stopping you?  

Take that step and give your life to Jesus Christ.  It will be the first of many greatest steps in allowing God to prosper your soul. 

If you are feeling the Holy Spirit drawing you with this message- it is your opportunity right now.  Don't waste anymore of your precious time.

Call on Jesus with your own sincere words and heart.  Tell Him the truth- if you are scared or uncertain, tell him that.  He won't mind.  It's not like He doesn't know already.  I remember feeling if I gave my life to the Lord I would no longer have any control over my life.  I thought I would be like some kind of puppet.  But that was not at all true but a lie from the pit of hell to keep me stuck and pinned down and keep my soul from prospering.   The plain fact is- do you have any real control over today or tomorrow?  No.  So why not give your life to God who can empower and prosper your soul with HIS love.  

Jesus said. "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 11:29-30

Take some time now... and if God is speaking to you, give your life to him and receive the prosperity your soul as been looking for in Jesus Christ. 
 
God Bless

MORE THEN I CAN BE

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MORE THEN I CAN BE

Rolf U. Lovland wrote: “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; you raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; you raise me up… to more then I can be.”

WHO can raise us to more then I can be?  GOD of course but how often do we fail to grasp this?

WHO builds you up?   ARE they the temporary things in life or GOD?     

The wick of “this” life is only so long… and what footprint will last in a world that will one day come to nothing?  Can you build upon something that will become nothing?

“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.” ISAIAH 65:17

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.” REVELATION 21:1

God wants to raise us up to more then we thought possible… in HIM!

Ever felt anxiety, depressed, oppressed, worried, fearful, inadequate, spiritually hungry and thirsty?  

WHERE was your focus? Was it on the temporary?  What mental theme “music” was playing in your day?  Who’s shoulders did you place that enormous weight or burden?  

Was the day being “colored in” by what you understand, perceived, judged, and even felt?  Where was the emphasis on?  Why the bias?  What tainted and grayed your skies?

WHO is the BUILDER?

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:1-2

Ever ask, “Where is that enormous immoveable foundation that my life is suppose to be standing on?”  Nothing has changed- God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow so why do I feel the way I do?  You look at the structure that surrounds you.  You have stacked every bail of hay and nailed every board and put stucco on the outside.   You even thatched the roof.   You did this!  But…. but why isn’t there more of this sense of accomplishment and pride in your work?  Why isn’t this any encouragement to you? Shouldn’t this boost your esteem?   It is then when your eyes fall to the trim along the floor you remember.  The trim is made of the purest gold.  It was the finest work in the entire the house.  It wasn’t you doing the work there but GOD doing this work through you.  It was a relationship and partnership with GOD that did this…   You stand and look a bit at all you have built.  A glowing smile then emerges on your face as you utter these words, “Yes, indeed it is time for some changes.  GOD will you help me?” 

Then as if there was no time to waste a curious wind comes…. It carries away the thatched roof and then simultaneously all four walls are taken away as well.  The only two things that are left is the foundation that he stood you upon when you came to Christ and the fine golden trim. 

Jesus, the architect of heaven and earth then comes.  He smiles and says, “Come let’s continue to build something lasting together.”

Is it a fortress? Is it a villa?  Is it high tower?  You never know unless you build with him….  But the more important question that needs to be seated firmly in our soul and consciousness is, “Is our life ours or HIS?”  Do we labor in vain thinking it’s ours?”

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.  If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.  1 Corinthians 3:12-15

God the Creator does not grow tired and weary but we do.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” ISAIAH 40:28

Jesus said,  “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

REST FOR OUR SOULS IN THE EVERLASTING

Nothing is more “stabilizing” to our soul then our relationship with our everlasting GOD, JESUS CHRIST.  For the “things” of this life are only temporary but GOD is CONSTANT and FOREVER!

Rest for our soul comes when we “switch” yokes or understandings -realizing in whom we truly belong.  We stop yielding to our own understandings and what the world wants to oppress and impress upon us to yield to God’s Holy Spirit who wants us to realize and come to the “satisfying” reality in HIM. 

Our limited understanding and the world’s corruption constantly yanks us this way and that way by whatever comes and goes but by submitting to God there is no tide of in and out just peace.    

Temptations are those tides in the sea of understanding.  They are not just lusts of the flesh but also things that tempt us to fear, have anxiety, doubt, and give into oppression and peer pressure.  They are things that want to take God’s rightful seat in our hearts, minds, and souls.

James 1:6 speaks of this “... Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”   

But I believe these things meant for evil also help us- they secure what was weak -building a stronger taller wall.  They dig a deeper divide.  They cause us to put less emphasis on the things of this life and more on GOD.  They give us a stronger deeper confident resolve in GOD.      

So knowing this, we strive to let go and let God, we strive to put our trust in God over our own understandings and what is happening around us in the great hope of becoming all that God wants us to become…

I don’t know about you but I can be hard on myself.  I don’t know if it is deserved or undeserved but I do know this one thing…. free from me is good for me. 

The Spirit of GOD allows us to be free from our worst critic, our most harsh observer, and overbearing judge- ourselves.  He allows us to see how great God’s grace is and allows us to be empowered by that grace realizing where life is meant to be lived.              

People are constantly looking for the way, the truth and a life to be satisfied, to be fulfilled, to be free, to be healed, to be content, to be more then just a stuffed suitcase with no where to go.  They are looking to be more then they can be.

JESUS says point blank:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” JOHN 14:6

JESUS was the one who created you and I.  So being made by HIM, how could we ever be satisfied without HIM?  How could we ever feel comforted and encouraged without HIM?  How could we ever feel secure without Him?  How could we be something more then we think of ourselves without Him?

I have asked this question (probably more then once), “What is the purpose of this life?”  And the answer I receive is, “To know God.”   I believe and know that without God we are just a bunch of souls wandering around in the dark and there is no point.  

BUT seeing that JESUS holds LIFE and IS LIFE itself really changes our perceptive on life.

LIFE was always supposed to be a RELATIONSHIP with GOD.   Life is a relationship with JESUS, the EVERLASTING God.

HOW DEAR TO YOU HOLD YOUR LIFE?

“But I do not consider my life in any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” ACTS 20:24

Sometimes we can hold our life with such a tight grip…  But if we realized whom really holds our life we might just find life more abundantly.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

The thief wants to convince us of what exactly?  Why doesn’t he want us to let go and let God?  Why doesn’t he want us pry our fingers loose from our life?  What does the thief, Satan, have to lose?  What greater confidence can we find in GOD if we do this? What ministry do we have to gain?    

Everyday it is a decision to let the SPIRIT have control or the FLESH.  It’s as if within ourselves we have a green meadow and before us a great horse.   The SPIRIT represents the great horse.  The SPIRIT is wild compared to our understanding but he was meant for us to ride.   It is our decision to either walk away or get on.  Hopefully everyday is a “ride” day for you.  But it seems that before we ride the wild stallion we sit and wait in the green lush grass.  The wild horse with no bridle or reigns then comes seeing our submitted way and we respectfully get on.  

Sometimes it’s a casual ride seeing and noticing things we had never seen/thought before, sometimes it’s experiencing to new heights, sometimes it’s riding behind a veil of deeper truths and sometimes it’s a ride in total abandonment.

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.”  Zachariah 4:6

IS GOD OUR INFLUENCER? 

Is life only good depending on what day it is, when the sun is shining, your health is good and you have money in your pockets to spend?   OR is life good because you know GOD is with you?  

2 Corinthians 12:10 says “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

The Apostle Paul was physically a prisoner because of his faith in Christ Jesus yet prison life and punishment and torture were just “symptoms” or “conditions of this life.  They weren’t who he was for he was a Child of GOD. 

What earthly temporary things do you allow to be influencers over your life focus- stopping you from being all that GOD wants to help you to be?  God wants us to realize the FULLNESS of life in HIM regardless of the circumstances.

What things do you allow to manipulate you?     

I had a friend die of an incurable form of cancer that slowly shut down her body yet while she was here she said, “life was good” not because of her circumstances but because she continually felt the reassuring presence of God despite all the painful difficulties.

We think life is in our circumstances or conditions but is it? 

May GOD help us abide in a trusting confident relationship in HIM that we may sail over crippling and debilitating understandings that make us feel less then how GOD sees us and created us to be.  

Psalm 18:18 says “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.”

WE are GOD’s children if we have given our life to JESUS CHRIST.  The world loves to label people but as a child of GOD- circumstances, troubles and calamities can have no ownership over us.  Remember where your names are written and are registered. 

“But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven." LUKE 10:20

REVELATION 3:5 ”The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Our names may mean nothing in this world but they mean something where it matters most.

Saved From All Things Mortal Part 4

THE DAY

Recently I had a dream where the world was cheering on “death” not knowing death was in disguise.   

Can you see “this great dragon-the ancient serpent, called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-….”? (Revelation 12:9)

We can see the evidence of his works and influence and confusion. Unmistakably the days are evil.
 

“Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and declared war against the rest of her children- all who keep God’s commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus.” Revelation 12:17.
 

We see the woman (Israel) in these days.  We see the rest of her children, those of Judeo Christian faith labeled as haters and old fashioned, and close minded because we believe in what God has said and believe Jesus is the only way to heaven.

We see there is only a narrow door in which we can pass through into heaven, which is Jesus Christ, but the rest of world believes in a highway to heaven but that board road leads straight to hell.  

Jesus said,  “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." Matthew 7:13-14

Why do you think it is difficult?  We live in a world that thrives on values and understandings that are the opposite of God.  We see what the liberal world calls “progress” but it isn't "progress" but leads to slavery and condemnation of people's souls.
 
Who is greater? Who has the most influence?  The one who is the world? Our flesh? Or the one who's Spirit that live in us?

Who redeems our days in the end?  What will deem them of any worth?

Surely it is not ourselves or the one who is the world.  For it is only by Holy Spirit is their life, peace, assurance and redeeming fruit.   We can't control what happens in the world but we can walk in the path of the goodness of God seeing and submitting to our need in Him..  

We see the darkness but imagine if you and I still walked in the darkness and evil of this world?  Let us use the darkness as a thorny hedge to keep us on course.  And when we see no path to walk let us sit, seek and listen until God comes along side and leads our us beside instances of calming waters and green pastures.

  

Let us remember God the Father has kept perfect count of each second knowing that exact moment He will send His Son, the day when we, the believers of Christ, will be transformed from our mortal bodies of Adam to immortal bodies of Christ.  And the nagging of this earthly body will be swallowed up in death and we will finally be rid of all the weaknesses of the flesh FOREVER!

Let us remember God has made it possible to be saved from all things related to the mortal even death.

1 Corinthians 15:48-58 “Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.  What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.  Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

Amen! Amen! Amen!

Saved From All Things Mortal Part 3

It is difficult for us to even imagine the original mindset God gave Adam and Eve because of the familiarity of the former mindset and daily exposure of this world.

  

Maybe this might help.  I don’t know the inspiration of the Vulcan species in the fictional universe of Star Trek but imagine being a Vulcan in the world of humans.  Vulcans strive to live by reason and logic with no emphasis on the emotional or fleshly desire.  How would you perceive human understanding and logic if you were a Vulcan?   What would a Vulcan base “human” logic upon?  They might not even see “human” logic as even logical because of where the logic comes from. 
 

Some still confused and manipulated and pulled by the opinions of the world might construe that this inherited knowledge from Adam and Eve as “sound” but what kind of wisdom is that?  Is it wisdom to take the word of man over the word of God? You want to place your life in a man’s hand or God’s hand?  Which one gives you eternal life?  Which one returns to the earth as dust?

The body was never designed to be the source of guidance and leading of one’s life.  If the body had been, God would have designed the body to use the knowledge of good and evil in a “productive” manner and not how it immediately became and has become… perverse in every way.

In taking the sentiment from J.R.R. Tolkien about the ring and I translate it to the flesh.

“Understand, my friend. I would use the flesh from a desire to do good… but through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.”

The knowledge of good and evil within humanity has turned everything upside down and sideways.   Take just the simple desired principle of love in this day and age.  How does the world define love? Is love defined the same way God defines love?
 

God defines love as this: “Love is patient and kind, not jealous, boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.  It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

How does the world define love?  Is it in those things listed?  Do people expect those things from others but not the other way around to give?  Do they really believe in commitment? Is love just a friendship with benefits?  Does love include in sickness?  Does love include “poorer”?   Does it include loss? Does it continually bring up the past? Does it keep score? Is it jealous and untrustworthy?  Does it compete and compare? Is it selfish/self serving? Is love just when it’s convenient? Is love for the selected few or everyone?  Is love based only on physical pleasure?  Is love materialistic?  Is love conditional? 
     

Feet solely standing on “the knowledge of good and evil in the human understanding has brought a great deal of irrational thinking into this world and even the church.  False teachers are popping up all over the place.  It has brought a lot of devastation to souls and loss into the world.  The pile of irrational thinking is so immense it has become a tower and monument of the foolishness of man.  A great pile of litter to be burned.  AND the further things go in this world of corrupt thinking the more foolishness and dangerous and hostile to the things of God. 

It comes down to this truth.  God was always to be the one guiding and directing the human vessel.   

Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Romans says, “When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.  They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.  They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents.  They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving.  They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway.  And worst yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” (1:28-32)

The soul controlled and yoked by flesh is condemned because the works of the flesh end in death/hell. The soul controlled and yoked by the flesh seeks to be commended by the temporal things of this life not by God.

Romans 5:18-19
“Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation of all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.  For just as through disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

Adam and Eve brought death to the human race but Jesus brought life and eternal life in heaven for those who choose to trust in Him.  They are made righteous by Jesus’ obedience to the God Father.   Jesus, Alpha and Omega-the beginning and end, makes right what Adam made wrong.  Jesus is a life-giving Spirit.(1 Corinthians 15:45)

Romans 8:5-8 
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”

I find life is a journey that one wishes had constant puppet strings tied to the fingers of God.  I find as a Christian, when one doesn’t abide in the Spirit of Christ, the flesh goes right off to war. 

Galatians 5:17-18
“The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law.”

The heart, if not transfixed on God, goes digging like some undisciplined bloodhound under gravestones we had purposefully stayed away from.   It puts its nose where it doesn’t belong. It digs up the past.  It comes back and accuses us of intentions we hadn’t thought of.  It brings us burdens in which we were never meant to carry.  It even tries to persuade us to sit on prideful thoughts like a fool.  The flesh loves to crown us in our circumstances, failures and shortcomings and have its court jester point and make fun.  Thank God he took what had been harden, stubborn, foolish, and arrogant and changes it into something we might call “good”. Thank God he uses what is imperfect to show it’s not us… but Him.  Thank God he is greater then our hearts.

“For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.” 1 John 3:20-21

And I suspect we all fall into using candlelight instead of what our house is now wired to as Christians.  We all see dimly at times forgetting we have a source of sight within us that is better then what our eyes can comprehend, see and perceive.  We let the eyes haze and drape shadowy themes over the soul… we let the ears play uninspiring soundtracks into our day -yes, the Spirit is willing but the body is weak. 
 

I have never honestly thought of it this way, but the Spirit showed me that when we are not guided/directed by the Holy Spirit -the sinful nature of the flesh/body goes after the changed Christian heart (Ezekiel 11:19).  It’s like a person who has had an organ transplant and has to take anti rejection medication so the organ isn’t rejected but in the Christian’s case the anti-rejection medication for the changed heart is the Spirit of Christ.  The Spirit of Christ keeps the changed heart empowered for it can no longer be empowered by the flesh or the things of this world but God Himself who has unlimited resources to inspire and build sole confidence in Him.   

SOUL NEED PART 1

THE SOUL NEED/KEEPING YOUR FEET

It is a dark thing to take hold of one’s life, to try to measure it and compare it, comprehend it’s worth and purpose, to weigh it, and how empty and confusing we see it.  But how often do we do such things? As if we hold the ballpoint pen of life in our human hands and we are the author and finisher of our life.  For no one knows for certain what will come of the day or when the physical death will come.

 

Our mind, making the “human” eye the master, makes the heart heavy, burdensome and it slips into slippery slopes of torturous thoughts and imaginations making us symptomatic to things that may not even be true or come into being.
   

And after repeatedly consorting with the word of God and the Spirit, we always find these are things were never meant for us to carry but how often do we allow them to latch on and squeeze binding us like slave.
   

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1

I do understand how the soul is deep… it is like throwing a torch into a chasm and never finding its bottom.  It is like asking those deep questions of the heart and seemly only hearing the echoes of the questions taunt back.  Clearly the soul “continually” needs something greater then itself to guide and fill it.

It doesn’t need the philosophy of men and every opinion under the sun.  It needs truth and a spirit that reveals the truth in all the different and deepening aspects of the truth, for even what is perceived is not always the truth.

Jesus Christ, LORD and Savior said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-15

When God declares something through the Spirit, he wants us trust in it, to take to heart, to rely upon it and even speak it over our lives. 

“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul:  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Sure goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

When we only look to ourselves, we might as well muzzle the wings of the butterfly, bondage the eyes with a blindfold, spin and spin until we lose all sense of equilibrium and fill the muscles of the heart with lead.  We might as well believe everything; every human opinion has spoken about us- good or bad.  We might as well put an emphasis on all the circumstances and situations that have ever happened in our life even though the sun set long ago over those hills and seas. 
  

And if the struggles we now face are embraced with those same old eyes – what hope is there?  What ignorance…sorrow… and drudgery follows?

Where does the unmindful eye end up? 

The LORD himself said, “The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23

We seem to forget,

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’”  Lamentations 3:22-24

Not only do we forget to apprehend these Godly principles in our life continually by relying on the Spirit of God but apply them to other people’s life as well. NOTE: James 3, Matthew 7:1-5.  

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 

We lose heart and fail to enter His rest because we don’t submit and humble ourselves to God.    

“So we see that they were not allowed to enter his rest because of their unbelief.” Hebrews 3:19

Unbelief stems fro the natural eye, the understandings of self a heart that is ruled by the flesh.  It comes from putting confidence in the flesh.  It comes from lack of focus/trust in God.

I am reminded of a smoker who resorts to the nicotine of a cigarette or a drinker who consumes alcohol to relieve stress.  What are the results of turning to those destructive things again and again?  What results when we don’t look to God?  Aren’t those results just a foolish? Aren’t those just as poisoning and damaging?  Some of you know what I am talking about when I say, “Who needs an enemy when you have yourself?”
 

Noteworthy: Besides Satan uses as his persuasions, the lack of or the abundance of worldly possessions or ideals to suck us in.  He wants us to be stuck in the wisdom of world.  He doesn’t want us to be set free and built up in the wisdom of God and His love. Scriptures: 1 John 2:15-17, James 3:13-18, Proverbs 4:27  

I find the issues and naggings of life easily ambush the soul but those who turn to and are immersed in the presence of God have a life of goodness.

“Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

God/Jesus who created us made it certain that His Spirit would fit us PERFECTLY.  He made certain that when we would “heed” His Spirit, He would fill the soul’s need. 

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Romans 13:14

“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have not confidence in the flesh,” Philippians 3:4

The flesh’s first instinct is to take things into it’s own hands INSTEAD of submitting to God and turning the situation over to God.  Which causes us to worry, fret, have anxiety, become frustrated, depressed, etc…. In other words the flesh antagonizes the soul.  But when we submit to God, it causes the Spirit of God to override the flesh’s knee-jerk reactions and keeps our soul from being swept away with whatever comes.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5