Recently, a brother in Christ made a comment to me about religion and faith that has been sitting on my mind a lot lately. In fact every time I sit down to write it's all I think about. This brother wrote about how he was not religious, he said he was a Christian and that he was a follower of Jesus alone, not religion or it's man made rules. This made total sense to me because I feel the same way, but I know many would be confused about the statement. Many do not know the difference between practicing religion and having a relationship with God, this was the mistake of the Pharisees also.
Pharisees were very well taught in the laws and practices of their people, they knew the traditions and scriptures extremely well and were prideful of this. They believed that this knowledge and keeping the traditions of their fore-fathers made them more righteous than others. The Pharisees would point out when others transgressed the laws or traditions in judgment of them, like they did to the disciples of Yeshua in Mark 7:5, this was done in an attempt to display the unrighteousness of Jesus's company and discredit the disciples (also Matthew 15:1-2). The Pharisees believed that with all their knowledge and religious practices that they were pleasing to God and man. They thought they were righteous and that they could identify the Messiah when He came, they thought they knew what they were looking for, but when Jesus stood before them they could not identify Him as the Christ (Messiah). This was because they had the knowledge about the prophecies and kept the religious practices but they didn't have a relationship with God. They didn't know God as Abraham and Moses did, they didn't seek Him intimately so they couldn't recognize God's voice in Yeshua. They didn't serve God in their religious practices but instead served themselves and the traditions of their elders to appear righteous and holy before others. I can think of no better example of this than the one Yeshua used in response to their accusations against His disciples found at Matthew 15:3-9 and Mark 15:6-13. Religion is the traditions of man, it is superficial and not from the heart, and not what God wants.
What is faith then if it is not the rules and traditions of man, what is it that God wants? He wants our hearts, He wants total surrender to His will and our obedience, and He wants our love for Him to reach out and touch others for His glory. He wants us to love others as He has loved us (John 13:34). God's true religion is not of actions or works alone but with faith and a devoted loving heart that results in actions (Ephesians 2:8-9,Galatians 2:16; James 2:18 ). God wants us to do the right thing because we love Him, not because it is expected and we have to. Faith in God should be and is like the loving relationship between family, with love and trust as the driving force behind all of our actions and interactions. God wants us to come to Him personally, seeking Him with all we have, so we can spend eternity with Him, so we are spared from death and it's torments. God wants us to honor Him first, worshipping Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), that is what is pleasing to God and that is a faith relationship not religion.
Romans 1:17
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Galatians 2:16
Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
What is Seeking God?
The other day I had a conversation with someone that brought to my attention something I had forgotten since I learned and understood it. It was that some people who believe in God don't know that there is a difference between seeking the Lord and praying just to ask for things. This conversation reminded me that many people, including myself at one point, get stuck after a while and frustrated when their prayers aren't answered. It reminded me of how I used to pray often, and read little, then get angry at God that He didn't respond to me, and how that changed dramatically after I genuinely started seeking Him and made God my first priority. So today I would like to share some of my conversation with this person in hopes it will bring clarity and understanding to the differences.
This person I spoke to explained to me in the course of our conversation that they were feeling frustrated with the Lord because they prayed a lot and never got answers. They said they felt like God wasn't listening, like He had turned away from them. I know that God will allow us to go through dry seasons, but I also know He is always listening too, even when He isn't answering. So I reassured this person of that before asking them what exactly they were doing to seek the Lord. They gave me a funny look and responded 'I just told you, I'm praying a lot. I ask Him everyday for stuff, to show up in my life and be part of it. But He never does.' I had to stop them then, and asked if they read their bible, they said they used to but not really anymore. I understood then what happened, why they weren't getting answers because I had been there too and found out I was completely the one at fault for this. While praying is great, and definitely part of seeking the Lord, it is just that part of how you seek Him.
I asked them to think back to when they were dating, when they were forming a relationship with someone they were interested in and asked them if when they were dating they spoke only of themselves, their wants, their needs, and neglected to find out about the other person or did they pursue information about them as well, was there the desire for wanting to know them closer, to know more about them. They looked at me confused and said, 'I tried to find out about them, I wanted to know them intimately to have a close relationship.' I nodded getting the answer I expected and continued 'so you sought out the information you wanted, you were seeking them to know them better, not just talking about yourself?' They then saw what I was getting at, and replied with, 'it's different with God though, I don't hear His voice or get dreams, I don't get the answers I want.' And I totally see why they responded that way, so I took them back to the dating scenario again. I asked them if they would answer the calls or messages of a person who said they were interested in them but spoke only of themselves instead, they answered 'no, I would feel like they were only interested in themselves and didn't care about me,' this time I could see in their eyes they got it, they understood. To know God, to hear Him you must be seeking Him with your whole heart, devoting time and energy to getting to know His heart just as you would anyone else who you wanted to be in a relationship with. It is the time we spend in the Word that gives us that opportunity, it is thru His Word that we learn to recognize His voice, and form a loving relationship with Him. We have to read the bible to know God, to have a relationship with Him, that is seeking the Lord, it's that simple.
Now I want you to ask yourself and be honest are you seeking the Lord or just asking for the things He can provide? Are you putting in the effort to get to know Him, to search out His heart or are you complaining to Him? Are you showing Him you care and love Him by reading His Word and getting to know Him better, or are you just going through the motions of religion and mistaking selfish prayers for a relationship? Be blessed in Jesus name.
1 Chronicles 16:11
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Psalm 14:2
The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
Psalm 27:8
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Psalm 119:10
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
Amos 5:4
For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
This person I spoke to explained to me in the course of our conversation that they were feeling frustrated with the Lord because they prayed a lot and never got answers. They said they felt like God wasn't listening, like He had turned away from them. I know that God will allow us to go through dry seasons, but I also know He is always listening too, even when He isn't answering. So I reassured this person of that before asking them what exactly they were doing to seek the Lord. They gave me a funny look and responded 'I just told you, I'm praying a lot. I ask Him everyday for stuff, to show up in my life and be part of it. But He never does.' I had to stop them then, and asked if they read their bible, they said they used to but not really anymore. I understood then what happened, why they weren't getting answers because I had been there too and found out I was completely the one at fault for this. While praying is great, and definitely part of seeking the Lord, it is just that part of how you seek Him.
I asked them to think back to when they were dating, when they were forming a relationship with someone they were interested in and asked them if when they were dating they spoke only of themselves, their wants, their needs, and neglected to find out about the other person or did they pursue information about them as well, was there the desire for wanting to know them closer, to know more about them. They looked at me confused and said, 'I tried to find out about them, I wanted to know them intimately to have a close relationship.' I nodded getting the answer I expected and continued 'so you sought out the information you wanted, you were seeking them to know them better, not just talking about yourself?' They then saw what I was getting at, and replied with, 'it's different with God though, I don't hear His voice or get dreams, I don't get the answers I want.' And I totally see why they responded that way, so I took them back to the dating scenario again. I asked them if they would answer the calls or messages of a person who said they were interested in them but spoke only of themselves instead, they answered 'no, I would feel like they were only interested in themselves and didn't care about me,' this time I could see in their eyes they got it, they understood. To know God, to hear Him you must be seeking Him with your whole heart, devoting time and energy to getting to know His heart just as you would anyone else who you wanted to be in a relationship with. It is the time we spend in the Word that gives us that opportunity, it is thru His Word that we learn to recognize His voice, and form a loving relationship with Him. We have to read the bible to know God, to have a relationship with Him, that is seeking the Lord, it's that simple.
Now I want you to ask yourself and be honest are you seeking the Lord or just asking for the things He can provide? Are you putting in the effort to get to know Him, to search out His heart or are you complaining to Him? Are you showing Him you care and love Him by reading His Word and getting to know Him better, or are you just going through the motions of religion and mistaking selfish prayers for a relationship? Be blessed in Jesus name.
1 Chronicles 16:11
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Psalm 14:2
The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
Psalm 27:8
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Psalm 119:10
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
Amos 5:4
For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Monday, April 27, 2015
The Lord Loves Obedience
Currently I am reading 1 Samuel and as I was reading this morning, 1 Samuel 15:22 stood out to me, it reads "and Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey, is better then sacrifice: and to hearken then the fat of rams." This stood out to me because I think it made it pretty clear what the Lord really wanted from us then, and still does now, it is our obedience. He wants us to show our love for Him by keeping His commands(John 14:15), by doing the things He ask of us and following His plan for our life. By being obedient to the Lord's voice, and to His laws we are showing our love for Him and worshipping Him by our actions. Obedience is important to the Lord, because when we are obedient to His Word we can overcome this wicked world and escape death, it is because of His love for us that He desires we obey.
The word 'obedience' is something that we hate to hear, this is something we desire in others but hate to actually do. We want our children, our pets, (sometimes even our spouses) our students, or our employees to listen to us and follow the rules we set in place. We want the environment to be safe and happy for all, so we make rules. We want them to show us respect by doing as we ask, we want to know they care by showing us this respect, but we as a society hate to follow the rules. This is something that I am still having trouble with at times, learning obedience can be hard in a culture that teaches you to always question authority. We love and celebrate rebellion and nonconformity, we encourage it really, and while I will agree it is not always a good thing to go with the crowd, that there are some laws that I think shouldn't exist, I understand there are reasons behind the laws, reasons that they are in place, and mostly it's for our protection. This is certainly the case with God's laws, each one of them is meant to spare us from death, because sin is a death sentence, but His laws and surrender to Him lead to eternal life.
Now having said all that and explained that it is an act of love and worship to be obedient to the Lord, I must remind you to not let that discourage you. The Lord knows it is impossible for us to be obedient to Him all the time, He knows it is part of the fallen man to rebel, He has seen us do it over and over again throughout the history of time. This is why Yeshua paid for our sins. This is why the Holy Spirit now resides in the heart of God's children. Through the blood of the Messiah we have been justified to God, cleaned and redeemed; and with the Holy Spirit we have a force helping and guiding us on the path of righteousness, an inner voice, a witness that lovingly leads us to obey. Be blessed and obedient my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Psalm 19:9
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.
Psalm 119:138
The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.
Psalms 119:144
Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live.
John 14:15-21
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
The word 'obedience' is something that we hate to hear, this is something we desire in others but hate to actually do. We want our children, our pets, (sometimes even our spouses) our students, or our employees to listen to us and follow the rules we set in place. We want the environment to be safe and happy for all, so we make rules. We want them to show us respect by doing as we ask, we want to know they care by showing us this respect, but we as a society hate to follow the rules. This is something that I am still having trouble with at times, learning obedience can be hard in a culture that teaches you to always question authority. We love and celebrate rebellion and nonconformity, we encourage it really, and while I will agree it is not always a good thing to go with the crowd, that there are some laws that I think shouldn't exist, I understand there are reasons behind the laws, reasons that they are in place, and mostly it's for our protection. This is certainly the case with God's laws, each one of them is meant to spare us from death, because sin is a death sentence, but His laws and surrender to Him lead to eternal life.
Now having said all that and explained that it is an act of love and worship to be obedient to the Lord, I must remind you to not let that discourage you. The Lord knows it is impossible for us to be obedient to Him all the time, He knows it is part of the fallen man to rebel, He has seen us do it over and over again throughout the history of time. This is why Yeshua paid for our sins. This is why the Holy Spirit now resides in the heart of God's children. Through the blood of the Messiah we have been justified to God, cleaned and redeemed; and with the Holy Spirit we have a force helping and guiding us on the path of righteousness, an inner voice, a witness that lovingly leads us to obey. Be blessed and obedient my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Psalm 19:9
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.
Psalm 119:138
The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.
Psalms 119:144
Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live.
John 14:15-21
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Friday, April 24, 2015
Look to Jesus
I suppose doing what I do, writing this blog, it should be no surprise that people often come to me with questions about God, faith, and spirituality. People come to me asking for prayer and advice, and I am honored by this, I hope I serve them and the Lord well on these occasions. I have been called prophet and apostle by some, but I claim no such thing nor has the Lord given it to me to claim. As far as I am concerned I am just servicing the Lord where I am and doing His will to the best ability I have with His help. Truth be told, I am no more special than you, nothing that I have can't be given to you as well, all you have to do is ask and serve Him dutifully with your whole heart.
I'm writing this today as a reminder to us all to not go following after anyone but Christ. While it is a sincere pleasure to me to serve others, answering questions, praying, and helping them gain understanding no one should be looking to me for all the answers, no one should be blindly following every word I say, please check me against scripture, make sure in your heart and mind that I am correct, because I'm human and make mistakes too. And this goes beyond just me, we should be checking anyone we receive teaching from, because we know there are deceptive spirits disguising themselves as children of light (2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Matthew 7:15-20).
It is important that we get the truth from the Truth, that we are filling ourselves up daily on the manna He has provided to us. That means we need to be in the Word daily, the only way to know the Truth is to be reading and meditating on it daily (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 119:15) then we will know how to identify the false teachers, corrupted teachings, and straight out blasphemy. But if you are not in the Word then you are allowing yourselves to become vulnerable to the widespread deception of the day, and let me assure I don't use the word 'widespread' lightly, the more time I spend with the Lord the more I know this world is disgustingly deceived.
This message is important and I hope you take it to your heart, look to no one but Yeshua, follow only Him. Of course we can seek counsel and support on issues from those brother and sisters of faith who may be more spiritually advanced or gifted in some area, but we are not to get in the habit of seeking them over God. He is our Counselor, our Healer, our Provider, our Teacher, our Father, our all in all, He is the alpha and the omega, to seek anyone above Him, or outside of Him, is to head down the wide road of destruction. Be blessed.
Proverbs 4:20-22
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
I'm writing this today as a reminder to us all to not go following after anyone but Christ. While it is a sincere pleasure to me to serve others, answering questions, praying, and helping them gain understanding no one should be looking to me for all the answers, no one should be blindly following every word I say, please check me against scripture, make sure in your heart and mind that I am correct, because I'm human and make mistakes too. And this goes beyond just me, we should be checking anyone we receive teaching from, because we know there are deceptive spirits disguising themselves as children of light (2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Matthew 7:15-20).
It is important that we get the truth from the Truth, that we are filling ourselves up daily on the manna He has provided to us. That means we need to be in the Word daily, the only way to know the Truth is to be reading and meditating on it daily (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 119:15) then we will know how to identify the false teachers, corrupted teachings, and straight out blasphemy. But if you are not in the Word then you are allowing yourselves to become vulnerable to the widespread deception of the day, and let me assure I don't use the word 'widespread' lightly, the more time I spend with the Lord the more I know this world is disgustingly deceived.
This message is important and I hope you take it to your heart, look to no one but Yeshua, follow only Him. Of course we can seek counsel and support on issues from those brother and sisters of faith who may be more spiritually advanced or gifted in some area, but we are not to get in the habit of seeking them over God. He is our Counselor, our Healer, our Provider, our Teacher, our Father, our all in all, He is the alpha and the omega, to seek anyone above Him, or outside of Him, is to head down the wide road of destruction. Be blessed.
Proverbs 4:20-22
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Matthew 24:24
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Correction is a Blessing
We all get out of obedience sometimes, we all fail at doing as we are told on occasion, sometimes without even realizing it. That was the situation with yesterday's post. I had thought before that, that I was being obedient, I hadn't seen where I had failed. But then correction came through a brother in Christ. God had orchestrated a situation between him and I that opened my eyes as we worked through it and I prayed for clarity to understand our misunderstanding. Soon I was shown where I had gone wrong in the past, and the mistake that had taken place. I thank the Lord for causing this brother to correct me, even if it was over a misunderstanding, because his words were exactly what I needed to get back in obedience to the Lord.
This whole situation again reminds me how much our Father loves us, because the Bible says that God corrects those He loves (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6). I know some people would look at that statement and ask how correction is proof of love and honestly it is because He does it for our benefit, to keep us from unwittingly going astray, just like a loving parent does for their child. If you truly love someone you want to keep them from harm or death, God corrects us so we don't die, so our souls aren't condemned. I needed correction but I was too blind and stubborn to realize it, I honestly didn't even realize that I had been disobedient. So, God used this brother to get my attention and see my error.
Now, a day later I can see clearly the ways God had been trying to get my attention to post that dream all along, before any of this happened. First there was the original word He laid on my heart. Then God kept reminding what He wanted me to do, He kept sending me that dream, awake and asleep it would replay in my mind. I just didn't understand why, I couldn't see that sharing that dream would help anyone, so I wrote on other topics instead. Then I went through about 3 days of writers block. I tried and tried but could not write anything that felt right, the dream continued to play in my mind though and I continued to brush it aside, instead wasting three days as I struggled to break out of the block and ended up re-posting old blogs instead. Then came the correction from the brother.
It was really upsetting at first, I'm not going to lie. It hurts to be corrected, especially from some one whom you respect, but the pain that comes from that correction is often a good thing because the lesson then sticks out in our memory and helps us to avoid the same trap in the future. This brother did me a huge service in correcting me, as I meditated on his words and prayed for clarity God answered me. The revelations I received made my heart repentant, and caused me to do what I wasn't doing before and I posted the dream. Since then there has been a change, the dream stopped hounding me, and I feel closer to the Lord. Now, I am rejoicing in the correction and am grateful to be in right standing with my Father again. Thank you brother for the correction, thank you Father for sending him to do so!
Today, I wanted to share the whole correction process with you, and my heart about it. I wanted you to see how easy it is to make this kind of mistake in hopes you could learn from it and avoid that mistake yourself. But I also wanted you to see God's love in it, I wanted you to see how correction is truly a blessing. It isn't comfortable, but it is necessary from time to time to grow us in to who we are meant to be. Be blessed.
Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Proverbs 15:32
Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
Proverbs 29:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
James 5:19-20
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
This whole situation again reminds me how much our Father loves us, because the Bible says that God corrects those He loves (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6). I know some people would look at that statement and ask how correction is proof of love and honestly it is because He does it for our benefit, to keep us from unwittingly going astray, just like a loving parent does for their child. If you truly love someone you want to keep them from harm or death, God corrects us so we don't die, so our souls aren't condemned. I needed correction but I was too blind and stubborn to realize it, I honestly didn't even realize that I had been disobedient. So, God used this brother to get my attention and see my error.
Now, a day later I can see clearly the ways God had been trying to get my attention to post that dream all along, before any of this happened. First there was the original word He laid on my heart. Then God kept reminding what He wanted me to do, He kept sending me that dream, awake and asleep it would replay in my mind. I just didn't understand why, I couldn't see that sharing that dream would help anyone, so I wrote on other topics instead. Then I went through about 3 days of writers block. I tried and tried but could not write anything that felt right, the dream continued to play in my mind though and I continued to brush it aside, instead wasting three days as I struggled to break out of the block and ended up re-posting old blogs instead. Then came the correction from the brother.
It was really upsetting at first, I'm not going to lie. It hurts to be corrected, especially from some one whom you respect, but the pain that comes from that correction is often a good thing because the lesson then sticks out in our memory and helps us to avoid the same trap in the future. This brother did me a huge service in correcting me, as I meditated on his words and prayed for clarity God answered me. The revelations I received made my heart repentant, and caused me to do what I wasn't doing before and I posted the dream. Since then there has been a change, the dream stopped hounding me, and I feel closer to the Lord. Now, I am rejoicing in the correction and am grateful to be in right standing with my Father again. Thank you brother for the correction, thank you Father for sending him to do so!
Today, I wanted to share the whole correction process with you, and my heart about it. I wanted you to see how easy it is to make this kind of mistake in hopes you could learn from it and avoid that mistake yourself. But I also wanted you to see God's love in it, I wanted you to see how correction is truly a blessing. It isn't comfortable, but it is necessary from time to time to grow us in to who we are meant to be. Be blessed.
Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Proverbs 15:32
Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
Proverbs 29:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
James 5:19-20
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
An Unconveintial Testimony - The Repeating Dream
A while back I shared a word with several communities here on google that I felt the Lord placing on my heart, the word was to speak now, that now was the time to share our secret testimonies. That as we shared with each other divine connections in the body would be revealed. I shared this word in obedience, but did not myself act on it. In this I sinned, and the Lord has corrected me for it. Now, with a repentant heart I will share with you what I was too afraid to share before, a dream I have had repeatedly since childhood. Please understand that I am not sharing this for any motive or reason other than to be obedient to God. I don't know or understand how this dream relates to the word I was given except that I have kept it secret from most, I don't know how it could or would help anyone else. But I don't have to, I just have to be obedient and let go of the fear that has been stopping me. So here I go, forgive me for what may not make sense to anyone else.
I am standing on a busy street, it's crowded with people and there is a lot of shouting around me and commotion. I realize that this is not a modern city street, the city around me is old, and dusty with sand, it is an ancient city, the people are not dressed modern either, but in the style I associated with the Biblical times. An urgency rises up in my heart as the shouting becomes clear to me 'Kill him!" they scream. Hearing the words I know exactly what is happening and my heart responds with the cry 'My Lord! My God, my Savior!' Suddenly I know I must get to Calvary. I push thru the crowd, my heart pounding in my ears as I try my hardest to get to Him, I have to see Him. I finally make my way through to the crowd and get to the top of Calvary. I see them, the crosses standing tall with the condemned, innocent and guilty alike hanging there to die. I hear Yeshua's voice as He calls out to His Father, 'why have you forsaken me?' And our eyes meet. I see the blood and sweat on His face, and the torment in His eyes, pain that I know I am responsible for, the knowledge that He is doing this for me, suffering for me, drills deep into my heart. Then I wake up with my heart racing, a little disoriented, and motivated to serve.
The dream is always the same, never changing. I have believed and still do that this dream relates to what I am doing in life, pushing thru to see the man on Calvary, to see Jesus. Pushing through the chaos around me to seek Him and be in His presence, even for just a moment. I hope if I managed to do anything at all, other than entertain you at my expense, that it was to get you to take the chance and do the same. Share your story and experiences with others, this is how we lift each other up, this is how people know they have hope or can overcome the obstacles ahead, it is through your testimony. I know this wasn't a conventional post, or a conventional testimony, but I hope it blessed you anyway. To God be the glory, forever and ever, amen.
Psalm 71:15-18
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
Psalm 107:1-2
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
Mark 5:19
And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
1 John 5:11
And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
2 Timothy 1:6-10
Revelation 12:11
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
I am standing on a busy street, it's crowded with people and there is a lot of shouting around me and commotion. I realize that this is not a modern city street, the city around me is old, and dusty with sand, it is an ancient city, the people are not dressed modern either, but in the style I associated with the Biblical times. An urgency rises up in my heart as the shouting becomes clear to me 'Kill him!" they scream. Hearing the words I know exactly what is happening and my heart responds with the cry 'My Lord! My God, my Savior!' Suddenly I know I must get to Calvary. I push thru the crowd, my heart pounding in my ears as I try my hardest to get to Him, I have to see Him. I finally make my way through to the crowd and get to the top of Calvary. I see them, the crosses standing tall with the condemned, innocent and guilty alike hanging there to die. I hear Yeshua's voice as He calls out to His Father, 'why have you forsaken me?' And our eyes meet. I see the blood and sweat on His face, and the torment in His eyes, pain that I know I am responsible for, the knowledge that He is doing this for me, suffering for me, drills deep into my heart. Then I wake up with my heart racing, a little disoriented, and motivated to serve.
The dream is always the same, never changing. I have believed and still do that this dream relates to what I am doing in life, pushing thru to see the man on Calvary, to see Jesus. Pushing through the chaos around me to seek Him and be in His presence, even for just a moment. I hope if I managed to do anything at all, other than entertain you at my expense, that it was to get you to take the chance and do the same. Share your story and experiences with others, this is how we lift each other up, this is how people know they have hope or can overcome the obstacles ahead, it is through your testimony. I know this wasn't a conventional post, or a conventional testimony, but I hope it blessed you anyway. To God be the glory, forever and ever, amen.
Psalm 71:15-18
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
Psalm 107:1-2
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
Mark 5:19
And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
1 John 5:11
And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
2 Timothy 1:6-10
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Revelation 12:11
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Seek Ye First
This title obviously comes from Matthew 6:33 which reads (KJV) "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." What things was Jesus talking about? In verse 6:31 it says "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" So it sounds like God is saying that if we put Him first, seek after Him and His righteousness before all else that we don't need to worry, that He will provide for us, but is this true? I used to ask myself that, I used to wonder, but I don't anymore because I know it is truth, God has proven it to me.
I decided to write this post today because recently I have ended up discussing this verse and the idea of seeking God above all else several times with people struggling in their faith. Some told me about their worries or just asked for prayer and some asked how to get closer to God, or how to rebuild a past relationship with Him. My answer to them all was Matthew 6:33; why? Because it is a simple truth, easy to read, easy to understand, but I have to admit that it's hard to execute because the flesh will try to distract you. What do I mean? It is easy enough to say you believe that God will provide but it's hard to live it, to live like you believe it is true and it's even harder to really seek Him above all else, above all things and people. I said I believed it long before I actually did, I said He was first, long before I actually acted that way, my mind accepted the truth but the truth was not yet in me. I didn't spend time with Him, I didn't really know God, and so when that little voice would chime in and say things to make me doubt, I couldn't argue.
Then my world flipped upside down and I started to seek the Lord in desperation to be fixed. I became vulnerable to Him, allowing Him to have all my weakness and brokenness, I started to make Him a priority in my life, making time for His word everyday, spending time with Him in prayer whenever I could. I started devouring devotionals never feeling like I could get enough of His spirit. My life started to change. As I sought the Lord and His will over my life, I started to see His provisions. My cabinets have gone from barely anything to so full we have to rearrange every time we grocery shop. We went from below the poverty line to slightly above, and soon from renters to homeowners. When we have car trouble parts that can't be found appear, repairs that could cost as much as another used car, are a forth of the cost. These are a just a few of the examples I could share about what God has done in providing for us but none of this happened until I made God and His will first. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness."
As I began to see and acknowledge His gifts, His provisions, I read this verse with new eyes, I understood that seeking Him and His righteousness first is what made the difference, and by doing it I had nothing to worry about. The more I meditated on that thought the less I worried, as I worried less, I trusted more, and the more I trusted the stronger my relationship with the Lord became. I discovered that by seeking the Lord, by serving Him and trying to live a life that reflected Jesus's life, the things I need come to me, showing up just on time. And this truth is open to you too, it is not prosperity as some teach, but real provision and blessings through the Lord, and its dependent on you seeking Him!
Psalm 34:10
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Proverbs 10:3
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
Proverbs 28:9
If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.
Colossians 3:1
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
1 Timothy 4:8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
I decided to write this post today because recently I have ended up discussing this verse and the idea of seeking God above all else several times with people struggling in their faith. Some told me about their worries or just asked for prayer and some asked how to get closer to God, or how to rebuild a past relationship with Him. My answer to them all was Matthew 6:33; why? Because it is a simple truth, easy to read, easy to understand, but I have to admit that it's hard to execute because the flesh will try to distract you. What do I mean? It is easy enough to say you believe that God will provide but it's hard to live it, to live like you believe it is true and it's even harder to really seek Him above all else, above all things and people. I said I believed it long before I actually did, I said He was first, long before I actually acted that way, my mind accepted the truth but the truth was not yet in me. I didn't spend time with Him, I didn't really know God, and so when that little voice would chime in and say things to make me doubt, I couldn't argue.
Then my world flipped upside down and I started to seek the Lord in desperation to be fixed. I became vulnerable to Him, allowing Him to have all my weakness and brokenness, I started to make Him a priority in my life, making time for His word everyday, spending time with Him in prayer whenever I could. I started devouring devotionals never feeling like I could get enough of His spirit. My life started to change. As I sought the Lord and His will over my life, I started to see His provisions. My cabinets have gone from barely anything to so full we have to rearrange every time we grocery shop. We went from below the poverty line to slightly above, and soon from renters to homeowners. When we have car trouble parts that can't be found appear, repairs that could cost as much as another used car, are a forth of the cost. These are a just a few of the examples I could share about what God has done in providing for us but none of this happened until I made God and His will first. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness."
As I began to see and acknowledge His gifts, His provisions, I read this verse with new eyes, I understood that seeking Him and His righteousness first is what made the difference, and by doing it I had nothing to worry about. The more I meditated on that thought the less I worried, as I worried less, I trusted more, and the more I trusted the stronger my relationship with the Lord became. I discovered that by seeking the Lord, by serving Him and trying to live a life that reflected Jesus's life, the things I need come to me, showing up just on time. And this truth is open to you too, it is not prosperity as some teach, but real provision and blessings through the Lord, and its dependent on you seeking Him!
Psalm 34:10
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Proverbs 10:3
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
Proverbs 28:9
If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.
Colossians 3:1
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
1 Timothy 4:8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
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