True kingdom radicals are not the people who stand outside of abortion clinics holding signs that condemn people. True radicals are not those who do things for show so that everyone can look at them and say "that is just a bunch of radicals". When we say the word "radical" you almost think of that type of person, and although they do a service in kingdom work, they are not the radicals. John the Baptist was a radical, he would preach repeantance, he was a herald to the ministry of Jesus. Jesus sought those who were hungry for healing, he preached to the brokenhearted and to the lowly. That was radical. "If I can get into the best clubs, hang out with the richest people, drive the nicest cars, make the most money, be the best at what I do", there is nothing radical about that. People all over desire to have that, and honestly most people would jump at the chance to be seen and recognized for who they are and how great they are.
When you see someone that is truly radical, you probably would not recognize it. While John the Baptist was out preaching repeantance and heralding the gospel, everyone else was in the synagouge or they were at religious feasts looking for answers where there were none, looking to man and not to God, because these guys were well dressed.
Someone who is radical for Jesus does not have to go out and show the sinner the picket sign saying "you are going to burn in hell", that is suffering them to come unto Jesus. Those people consider themselves radicals for their ideals. Faith is not in that picket sign and you will see why:
Luke 18:1-8 :
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
What was it that caused justice? what gave birth to it here? No one was outside picketing this womans cause, the woman was going before her judge on her own. She had a cause and she was not radical for man, she was radical for God, what He had shown her was right. There would be so fewer struggles in your life if you could get to the point where you no longer care what man has to say about it, that you hear what agrees with what the Father has already said of Himself. We always go to man, we seek to fit in, to belong to a group and to have a social club. But radicalism for Jesus is "I will not move until He moves, I will not say what He did not say, I will not do what He has not told me to do". Go to those places, the bars, the clubs, the abortion clinics, whatever it is that you feel called to do. Instead of sitting outside with a picket sign, have you tried praying over them? That is real faith, you know that you can make a person feel bad about what they are doing if you can show them a sign that has condemnation on it, or tell them that they will go to hell. But you may not see your prayers go answered. Hate the sin to the point that you can say "I would die to see a sinner saved" and then die to the flesh and it's lusts, there you will see fruit.
Where we get in trouble is in that we do not understand God is as Who He says He is, we understand Him as Who man says He is. We listen to the sermon, and get hurt because the pastor or whomever said something that offended or made us feel confused, so we ran away or we felt betrayed and said "Oh what is the point", when we needed to come before His presence and let His love draw out all that is needed to be worked on. We can not back down. Putting yourself in the picket line does not bring you to a point of loving God. Is it bringing people closer to Jesus?or is it heaping up condemnation.
We are not selling salvation like we would sell cars and we do not have a quota to meet. We are not tricking people into loving Jesus based on guilt, or emotion. Our mission is to be a light, and where there is a light the lost will be attracted to it. We have to see it that way. Jesus said "suffer not the little children to come unto me", that does not just go for children. It goes for those who don't know better, or those who have not been told better, or those who have not heard HIS voice. We can not bring them closer to Jesus by making them feel bad about what they do, yes some conviction is involved but that is the work of the Lord.
The most powerful things are things that can not be tamed by any man. We have a vision of doing that hard work and saying "well no one could tame that horse but me" we have dreams of being that amazing. But we are the ones that are the untameable. God is the only one that can tame us, if we are being tamed by man into acting a certain way, that is not radical. The most powerful things, are things that can only be tamed by God. No man came to John and told Him to eat locusts and honey and wear camel skin so that people would look and say "what a radical he is" God told John that. God tamed him into radicalism. See it is not the same here with God. Man tames things into quiet sheep like submission, and yes we are the sheep of His pastor, but God gave us a personality for a reason. We are not to be sheeple. We do not have to listen to the doctrine of man, or theology of angels even!
Galatians 1:8 -
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
That which was preached was the gospel, and that which has changed your life is the gospel. The gospel is the testimony of Christ, and the testimony of Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy, and the Spirit of prophecy speaks only what the Lord speaks, does only what the Lord does. Jesus looked to heal the broken hearted! Or have you not read that? Jesus came to heal the sick, or did you not get that? We have that mission, we have that aim and that goal, it is not found in theology, or doctrine, it is found in purpose. Radicals do what the Lord has told them, even if they heard Him say it only once long ago. They do not need to hear it again, when it comes from the Lord it is His will for you and His desire. Radicals do what Jesus did because they know they are lambs being lead to the slaughter, they are fuel for the fire. Stop worrying about the how to respond to the arguments of an unbelieving world, what they need is to see the fire in the lowly. Those who are great in their own eyes, have to have their mindsets changed, but radicals know they are lowly in the eyes of man, so they are great in the eyes of God. We have to pray for them first, then we can deal with the bondage and the deceits they are living under. We have to pray and pour our hearts out over the lost and then let the Lord do His work on them. If not then we are just "selling cars", getting people saved to reach this quota. That is not our God. Pray, and you will see people saved, pray and you will see lives truly changed. Pray and you will see women with unborn babies suddenly change their minds at the door because believe it or not, the grace of God is still enough for them. How were you saved? When I truly gave my life to the Lord, I was not in a church service, and I was not listening to some preacher, the grace of God was right there for me. "By grace we have been saved" our prayer should be for mercy, and then grace to save the lost. Mercy for the sins that cover a nation, mercy that comes from our thankfulness that we have been taken from the pain and death we were living in, and grace to produce genuine love through salvation.
Ezekiel 33:11
11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
That is what should be said. "The Lord does not desire that you should perish! You know in what ways you are being wicked! He wants you to have life!!!!!!". It says "As I live", as the Lord lives and gives life , He does not desire to see anyone perish. His grace is enough even for the lowliest of sinners. Your presence with prayer is more powerful than the picket sign! Prayer will work more miracles, prayer will reach more people, prayer has no boundaries or borders or any civil restrictions on where and when and how you can preach and protest! They can take away your freedom to meet in the park and talk to everyone about Jesus, they can take prayer out of schools and tell kids that they don't have to stand for the national anthem, and they can try to suppress talking about Jesus, while giving freedom of speech rights to people who will say vile and perverse things, but they can not take the prayer away from your hearts, they can not take away your cries to God the Father for Justice! It is truly perverse when people are willing to talk about perverted, violent and hateful things with each other without offense, yet we can't talk about Jesus.
We declare justice for our nation, justice for those who have cried out for so long, we declare justice in our schools and justice in the streets, outside of bars and dark places, we declare that God is real and we declare Jesus reigns. Nothing can take that away from us.
Other nations, other people have fought for this kind of freedom, but have not gotten it. God has given us this freedom because we honored Him in our struggles, and the word says "He will honor those who honor Him". But what have we now? Our people take this freedom for granted and like all the others throughout history who turned their backs on God, it will not go well for us. Education, and pretentiousness will not keep us safe from it. Education is important, but we have turned into people who are "too intelligent for God", it has become common thought "those who believe in Him are ignorant", and those that don't accept this modern agenda of social progresivism are all intolerable people. We have become so lost. We don't even know where we came from anymore, history is becoming so convoluted. There are two nations of people, one that is serving the Lord and one that is not. The Lord has said that the older will serve the younger, not the older in age but the older in mentality. Those who honor Him are honored, He will restore your youth like the eagles if you honor Him. We will mount up on eagles wings despite the muck ad the mire. Rise up radicals, you are the young!
So far the picket signs and protests have not worked, and the only fruit that has come of it is hate. We need to pray that we can get through with love, setting predjudices aside and reaching the heart of man. We are aiming for the heart, not the head. "Love covers over a mulitude of sins" hate and anger just spawn more sin. But love conquers all.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Stand up and recieve!
God wants you to get your feet wet. Take a little toe and just dip it in the water, feel how "the water is just fine". God never said to Joshua "Hey Josh, let me tell you what, you want to go into the promised land?" Josh says "Oh yeah Lord" and did the Lord say "well, just pull out the lawn chairs, kick back relax here next to the Jordan and wait for the water to dry up", where would the miracle be in that? How could anyone ever say "I have seen the miracle working power of God" when they were kicked back on lawn chairs next to the brink of the Jordan, sipping on lemonade, waiting for a miracle? What warriors would do that? I can say that I have seen, felt, experienced, and witnessed in others the miracle working power of God because our feet were wet.
In Joshua 3 the Lord said "Now these priests have got to place their feet in the Jordan and then the waters will part" They had to get out there! You see how it should be? "We worked a miracle, hand i hand with our God!" now it can be reproduced. Reproduction of God's will can never be reproduced in you until you first walk in obedience. The miracles can never happen for you, and you can not experience the blessings of intimacy with the Father until you first learn to be obedient.
Ephesians 1:4- "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,". You can read on if you like, but what the Lord is trying to get across to us, "You do not have to love me any more. You can not. I want to love you more! Come close to me, be obedient and come close to me, I got all this love for you and I want to pour it out on you". We keep trying to love Him more, there are conferences and books "How to love God more" there are sermons in multitide and teachings in quantums on this subject. The whole point of God's love, is that we can not love Him enough. We re not in ourselves the source of love, we are not God's love, we represent God's love. It was a relief to me when I first heard that! How many times have you agonized over how you don't think you love God enough? And you prayed and you fasted and you cried out and He taught you to love Him. How did He do that? He didn't say "Ok now if you act like you love me, then you love me" no, it says "before Him in love".
Have you ever been to court? Or watched court television shows? What happens? You stand before a judge and receive your sentence or you get justice, that is what happens, you get what you deserve, or you make sure someone else gets what they deserve. We can now go to John 3:16. Look at this in a new light, stop looking at it the way you used to, trust me there is a mindset there that needs to be changed. God could have judged us Gentiles and non-Gentiles ALL GUILTY. But He didn't, He can not deny Himself. You can read that in 1 Timothy, "He is faithful for He can not deny Himself". God is love, you have heard that you have heard song after song about it. But how has it made you feel? Are you left in the dark? Are you saying you are blessed when in actuality you can not see anything to be so happy about? "Before Him in love" God's judgement on us was love. He poured HIS love out on us, we can only return it to Him. God is the source of love, so if we stand before Him it is to receive that love, that is His judgement.
Why have we received such harsh treatment in life? Why are there still people who call themselves "agnostic"? Maybe it is because they have not met you. That's right, we all say "they just need Jesus" and take a look at yourself. You and I , we are Jesus! OH no that is not blasphemy, look at Galatians 4:19. Remember when Jesus said "no one who has a lamp hides it in under a shade so no one can see it? Let your light shine out to all of man." Jesus also said " I am the light of the world". In the world, what is in us can not be seen except with an x-ray. We could look for a little statue, or an apparition of the face of Jesus in out rib cage, but that is not what Paul meant in Galatians 4:19. If Christ is formed in you, it is so that He can be reproduced in others. We are Christ. I don't care how you want to word that so you are comfortable with it, but that is Who you are here, whether or not you like it. You are Christ. God has always chosen to use man as His vessels. He says "get your feet wet, then you can cross" some were chosen for the fire, some were tortured and stoned (with rocks get your head out of the gutter) and some were crucified and imprisoned because of the gospel.
We should be ashamed. We do not have to do that so we can "love Him more" there is no "I need to love Him more" we need to let Him love us more. I go back to my statement, that is why there are so many agnostics in this world who have still not come to terms with their salvation. There will be no comfort there because it is not about being comfortable, it is not about rationalizing or domesticating or digesting it. There is not bodily function for it. There is no proper interpretation that can bring you closer. A book can inspire you, this blog entry can inspire you, but it is not the source. Have you read "Purpose Driven life"? ok then you should tell me about it, I'm sure it's good. But I know my purpose regardless of whether or not I read that book, who showed me my purpose? "I found that out when I put my feet in the water" oh Jesus. He is all over that, that is what you should be saying. Stop saying "I need to find my purpose" and you can say " I found out when I put my feet on the water"OH Jesus. You got out of the boat and you looked into your Saviors eyes and you knew, you just knew that was it for you. There is no turning back this time, not this time. Maybe Peter had to turn back, but you don't have to! Listen don't read that story as "oh my, if I get out of the boat and onto the water, I am just going to fail like Peter did, so why bother?" NO that is not what you should be saying! You should be rejoicing because you know that Jesus died so that you could RUN on the water, you can DANCE on the water! "OH Lord if that is You! I want to get out of this boat and go dancing with You on that water, I want to go NOW" . It is time. Get your feet wet, testify how the waters were parted. Testify how He loves you so much that even though these trials are constantly coming at you, you know that there is breakthrough afterwards. There is nothing more discouraging to the others around you than to hear you say "Man, I am just going through it" all mopping around sad and angry and hurt because you are learning something. Pick you head up and hold it high! Keep your eyes upon the sky! Oh Jesus, we need to get our feet wet.
That water will never part until you stand up and receive! Throw the lawn chairs away, take off the blindfold and say to the water "Stand up so I can receive!"
Jesus Reigns.
In Joshua 3 the Lord said "Now these priests have got to place their feet in the Jordan and then the waters will part" They had to get out there! You see how it should be? "We worked a miracle, hand i hand with our God!" now it can be reproduced. Reproduction of God's will can never be reproduced in you until you first walk in obedience. The miracles can never happen for you, and you can not experience the blessings of intimacy with the Father until you first learn to be obedient.
Ephesians 1:4- "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,". You can read on if you like, but what the Lord is trying to get across to us, "You do not have to love me any more. You can not. I want to love you more! Come close to me, be obedient and come close to me, I got all this love for you and I want to pour it out on you". We keep trying to love Him more, there are conferences and books "How to love God more" there are sermons in multitide and teachings in quantums on this subject. The whole point of God's love, is that we can not love Him enough. We re not in ourselves the source of love, we are not God's love, we represent God's love. It was a relief to me when I first heard that! How many times have you agonized over how you don't think you love God enough? And you prayed and you fasted and you cried out and He taught you to love Him. How did He do that? He didn't say "Ok now if you act like you love me, then you love me" no, it says "before Him in love".
Have you ever been to court? Or watched court television shows? What happens? You stand before a judge and receive your sentence or you get justice, that is what happens, you get what you deserve, or you make sure someone else gets what they deserve. We can now go to John 3:16. Look at this in a new light, stop looking at it the way you used to, trust me there is a mindset there that needs to be changed. God could have judged us Gentiles and non-Gentiles ALL GUILTY. But He didn't, He can not deny Himself. You can read that in 1 Timothy, "He is faithful for He can not deny Himself". God is love, you have heard that you have heard song after song about it. But how has it made you feel? Are you left in the dark? Are you saying you are blessed when in actuality you can not see anything to be so happy about? "Before Him in love" God's judgement on us was love. He poured HIS love out on us, we can only return it to Him. God is the source of love, so if we stand before Him it is to receive that love, that is His judgement.
Why have we received such harsh treatment in life? Why are there still people who call themselves "agnostic"? Maybe it is because they have not met you. That's right, we all say "they just need Jesus" and take a look at yourself. You and I , we are Jesus! OH no that is not blasphemy, look at Galatians 4:19. Remember when Jesus said "no one who has a lamp hides it in under a shade so no one can see it? Let your light shine out to all of man." Jesus also said " I am the light of the world". In the world, what is in us can not be seen except with an x-ray. We could look for a little statue, or an apparition of the face of Jesus in out rib cage, but that is not what Paul meant in Galatians 4:19. If Christ is formed in you, it is so that He can be reproduced in others. We are Christ. I don't care how you want to word that so you are comfortable with it, but that is Who you are here, whether or not you like it. You are Christ. God has always chosen to use man as His vessels. He says "get your feet wet, then you can cross" some were chosen for the fire, some were tortured and stoned (with rocks get your head out of the gutter) and some were crucified and imprisoned because of the gospel.
We should be ashamed. We do not have to do that so we can "love Him more" there is no "I need to love Him more" we need to let Him love us more. I go back to my statement, that is why there are so many agnostics in this world who have still not come to terms with their salvation. There will be no comfort there because it is not about being comfortable, it is not about rationalizing or domesticating or digesting it. There is not bodily function for it. There is no proper interpretation that can bring you closer. A book can inspire you, this blog entry can inspire you, but it is not the source. Have you read "Purpose Driven life"? ok then you should tell me about it, I'm sure it's good. But I know my purpose regardless of whether or not I read that book, who showed me my purpose? "I found that out when I put my feet in the water" oh Jesus. He is all over that, that is what you should be saying. Stop saying "I need to find my purpose" and you can say " I found out when I put my feet on the water"OH Jesus. You got out of the boat and you looked into your Saviors eyes and you knew, you just knew that was it for you. There is no turning back this time, not this time. Maybe Peter had to turn back, but you don't have to! Listen don't read that story as "oh my, if I get out of the boat and onto the water, I am just going to fail like Peter did, so why bother?" NO that is not what you should be saying! You should be rejoicing because you know that Jesus died so that you could RUN on the water, you can DANCE on the water! "OH Lord if that is You! I want to get out of this boat and go dancing with You on that water, I want to go NOW" . It is time. Get your feet wet, testify how the waters were parted. Testify how He loves you so much that even though these trials are constantly coming at you, you know that there is breakthrough afterwards. There is nothing more discouraging to the others around you than to hear you say "Man, I am just going through it" all mopping around sad and angry and hurt because you are learning something. Pick you head up and hold it high! Keep your eyes upon the sky! Oh Jesus, we need to get our feet wet.
That water will never part until you stand up and receive! Throw the lawn chairs away, take off the blindfold and say to the water "Stand up so I can receive!"
Jesus Reigns.
Monday, June 6, 2011
How often we have trembled
Have you ever had a desire that you trembled for?
So much that you almost fell down where you stand?
So much that it was like it came pressing down on you
From God's almighty hand
This is your word Lord! And I have covenanted myself to it
Your will is my will I will not fear
Therefore I tremble at Your word
It is You Who keep me from stumbling
"Come on son, daughter, did you think I would not take care of you?"
"Do you think I did not hear you? ( I listen to your heart) You believed
my words and I made it so
Like fire from Heaven
and thunder from down below
The word of God will never loose it's power
Now that there are seeds to sow.
He has held me even though I can't stop trembling
He has kept me from stumbling even though
my knees buckle beneath the weight
He has provided an escape even when there seems
to be no hope
In my desperation I have run to Him
I shook in anticipation and trembled at His word
The day of Christ will come, that day will arise even for the most sinful of creatures, for the lowliest of souls.
When was the last time you were so shook up over something you went all "Elvis Presley" saying "uh-huh, I'm all shook up" When was the last time something caused you to tremble in anticipation that would not be quenched until you got the answers? And how often does the word of God become that answer.
Isaiah 66:2- But on this one I will look, On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit who TREMBLES at my word"
What about these times when we were excited for a concert? There is just an energy, isn't there? When we are in the way, when we are waiting in line to get in, standing and waiting with the radicals and the first timers, talking about our respect for the artist. This is the same excitement that God wants to generate within you everyday. He wants to cultivate an intense anticipation for His word in you to the point where you are shaking just to hear it. You are a radical.
The world says God won't, God can't, God isn't, or God isn't doing that anymore. But we know, He is, He can, and He does!
Jude 24- Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy."
Joy unshakable though we waver and stutter and stumble sometimes that joy can not be shaken can not be taken. And though we stumble we will not stay down. "My God is more that enough" you say, and you should believe it! "My God provides all my needs" and you need to always see it. "My God He looks after me!" and He wants to show it! He wants to show you how mighty He is and that there is nothing you can't handle cause He fights for you! Joshua said to the Israelites "What have you to be worried about? Do what needs to be done! ONE of you guys puts 1000 of your enemies to flight because our God is mighty and He fights for you!" There is no fear in love, perfect love casts it all out,let go of that which you fear, let go of these concerns and things that you hold onto almost as some sort of identifier of who you are or something you fall back on because you can not fathom that you can deal with the full pressure of it. Do not hold onto these ridiculous schemes and thoughts that maybe just maybe you can have that past again! They are dead and gone! It is in God's hands now!This perfect love that comes from Him casts out all fear, and keeps you locked up in His embrace no matter how hard you might try to fight the truth.
1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you",Rejoice! These might be the only words that you need to hear, but if there is still that doubt that "But what about that time I..." it says " But God is faithful Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able" Stop all of that "but what about how I messed up" God forgives and then He forgets, there is no memory bank of it once it has been forgiven it is gone for good there is no turning back! He is not reminding you of them, it is not perfect love that makes you hold onto guilt and therefore fear over what you might be able to do or how messed up you are or whatever prison that kind of fear and torment has had us in. See the blood of Jesus already tore all of those walls down and removed them entirely from any sort of existence. It is not God Who keeps reminding you of your sins and error, and to make you feel like you have to shed your own blood over the wrong you might have done. That is not God.
Oh thank You Lord! You will keep us from what harms us if we can just trust in You! If we can just put our hope in you, we will not stumble, we will not stay down. You can't keep us down! The world might try to suppress you, might try to make you feel like a fool for the gospel and believing in a Man Who has been dead for 2000 years and will never return. It might get to the point of oppression and finger pointing, the second you open your mouth you might only have the gospel of Jesus to talk about! But what the world needs now is not "love" faux love that does not stick around or take care of you, love that is fear of that person leaving or that thing leaving. That comfort blanket that you used to drag around when you were a child left a long time ago and what you need now is not another source of comfort other that the One Who will never leave you nor forsake you! You are so important to Him that time stopped just so He could see you saved, that complete and total death happened just to see you come back to life! Darkness enveloped Him so you could have light, death and fear eclipsed Him so now you have a way out of everyday temptations, demons and devils tormented at Him so that you could stand strong when they trip you up!
Thank you Jesus, even when all hope is gone, even when all the problems and fears mount up to take us into darkness and fear, even when the shadow envelopes and seems to try to consume us at every turn, and every step we make there are those that wish us harm and death, even when we think we have had all that we can stand, we are broken and trembling at Your word!
Malachi 4:2-
2 But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
We have nothing left to fear if we have put our trust in Him.
So much that you almost fell down where you stand?
So much that it was like it came pressing down on you
From God's almighty hand
This is your word Lord! And I have covenanted myself to it
Your will is my will I will not fear
Therefore I tremble at Your word
It is You Who keep me from stumbling
"Come on son, daughter, did you think I would not take care of you?"
"Do you think I did not hear you? ( I listen to your heart) You believed
my words and I made it so
Like fire from Heaven
and thunder from down below
The word of God will never loose it's power
Now that there are seeds to sow.
He has held me even though I can't stop trembling
He has kept me from stumbling even though
my knees buckle beneath the weight
He has provided an escape even when there seems
to be no hope
In my desperation I have run to Him
I shook in anticipation and trembled at His word
The day of Christ will come, that day will arise even for the most sinful of creatures, for the lowliest of souls.
When was the last time you were so shook up over something you went all "Elvis Presley" saying "uh-huh, I'm all shook up" When was the last time something caused you to tremble in anticipation that would not be quenched until you got the answers? And how often does the word of God become that answer.
Isaiah 66:2- But on this one I will look, On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit who TREMBLES at my word"
What about these times when we were excited for a concert? There is just an energy, isn't there? When we are in the way, when we are waiting in line to get in, standing and waiting with the radicals and the first timers, talking about our respect for the artist. This is the same excitement that God wants to generate within you everyday. He wants to cultivate an intense anticipation for His word in you to the point where you are shaking just to hear it. You are a radical.
The world says God won't, God can't, God isn't, or God isn't doing that anymore. But we know, He is, He can, and He does!
Jude 24- Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy."
Joy unshakable though we waver and stutter and stumble sometimes that joy can not be shaken can not be taken. And though we stumble we will not stay down. "My God is more that enough" you say, and you should believe it! "My God provides all my needs" and you need to always see it. "My God He looks after me!" and He wants to show it! He wants to show you how mighty He is and that there is nothing you can't handle cause He fights for you! Joshua said to the Israelites "What have you to be worried about? Do what needs to be done! ONE of you guys puts 1000 of your enemies to flight because our God is mighty and He fights for you!" There is no fear in love, perfect love casts it all out,let go of that which you fear, let go of these concerns and things that you hold onto almost as some sort of identifier of who you are or something you fall back on because you can not fathom that you can deal with the full pressure of it. Do not hold onto these ridiculous schemes and thoughts that maybe just maybe you can have that past again! They are dead and gone! It is in God's hands now!This perfect love that comes from Him casts out all fear, and keeps you locked up in His embrace no matter how hard you might try to fight the truth.
1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you",Rejoice! These might be the only words that you need to hear, but if there is still that doubt that "But what about that time I..." it says " But God is faithful Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able" Stop all of that "but what about how I messed up" God forgives and then He forgets, there is no memory bank of it once it has been forgiven it is gone for good there is no turning back! He is not reminding you of them, it is not perfect love that makes you hold onto guilt and therefore fear over what you might be able to do or how messed up you are or whatever prison that kind of fear and torment has had us in. See the blood of Jesus already tore all of those walls down and removed them entirely from any sort of existence. It is not God Who keeps reminding you of your sins and error, and to make you feel like you have to shed your own blood over the wrong you might have done. That is not God.
Oh thank You Lord! You will keep us from what harms us if we can just trust in You! If we can just put our hope in you, we will not stumble, we will not stay down. You can't keep us down! The world might try to suppress you, might try to make you feel like a fool for the gospel and believing in a Man Who has been dead for 2000 years and will never return. It might get to the point of oppression and finger pointing, the second you open your mouth you might only have the gospel of Jesus to talk about! But what the world needs now is not "love" faux love that does not stick around or take care of you, love that is fear of that person leaving or that thing leaving. That comfort blanket that you used to drag around when you were a child left a long time ago and what you need now is not another source of comfort other that the One Who will never leave you nor forsake you! You are so important to Him that time stopped just so He could see you saved, that complete and total death happened just to see you come back to life! Darkness enveloped Him so you could have light, death and fear eclipsed Him so now you have a way out of everyday temptations, demons and devils tormented at Him so that you could stand strong when they trip you up!
Thank you Jesus, even when all hope is gone, even when all the problems and fears mount up to take us into darkness and fear, even when the shadow envelopes and seems to try to consume us at every turn, and every step we make there are those that wish us harm and death, even when we think we have had all that we can stand, we are broken and trembling at Your word!
Malachi 4:2-
2 But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
We have nothing left to fear if we have put our trust in Him.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Knowing His thoughts for you
Saturate our minds with Your thoughts oh God. This has been something the Spirit has been saying to me lately, I can not got through a day without Him reminding me of this, that we can know His thoughts. The word of God reads "For I know the thoughts I think toward you", what are those thoughts? I can see now why so many struggle with this for the thoughts of the Lord are not our thoughts, they are not our way of doing things we like to function in practicality and functionality instead of doing things God's way, the way Jesus showed us to. I really like what Oswald Chambers said about this kind of faith in his writings, you can read it here:
http://utmost.org/yes%e2%80%94-but/
We have heard many times, that will of God is that none should perish but that all should be saved, that goes both ways. The word of God is certainly a two edged sword, even Christians need to remember this. That it is not just a one day one time one place deal and then we can get comfortable and happy sitting around doing nothing, this process is daily. I will say again the words that Paul used in this case that are quite possibly the most powerfully profound words ever spoken of in regards to a relationship with Jesus "I die Daily" 1 Corinthians 15:31. Paul is speaking about risking His life to draw near unto God that means forsaking everything one might hold dear for the greatest gift of all, abundant life in Christ Jesus but there is a price for a daily revelation of dying to the flesh. We are living sacrifices and our purpose is to praise God but also to know His thoughts. Adam and God walked in the cool of the garden, and what do you suppose they were doing? They were conversing, God was visible to Adam and there was no struggle to see Him or to hear His words spoken of clear as daylight and brighter than all the stars.
The struggle is that when we hear God speak to us and say what He thinks it might seem to much and we do not want to give up things we hold dear for the knowledge of Christ, "They changed the image of the incorruptible God into an image made corruptible like man", "Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie" this mentality is hard to break and it is not seen as a problem to most people. But we do not have to live that way anymore and this is where it starts that we should give up those things that we worship and let go of those things that keep up from knowing His thoughts! We can never get to the place where we have true fellowship with Him holding onto the created things.
I wrote recently that we will be discussing the deeper things of God, and I feel that the most important thing to know is the thoughts He has for us are being spoken everyday, He shows us in the little things because anything else would be too much for us to handle. Jeremiah 30:21 says " Their leader shall come from among them, and I will cause him to draw near to me, and He shall approach me, for who would dare risk his life to approach me?" Brothers and sisters, we have not been brought to death yet for the gospel, we have been persecuted but we are not abandoned and no matter what happens all around us we have been given the foreknowledge that we can know Christ that we can know the thoughts that God has for us because Christ already gave up His portion so that we could have it here. Praise Jesus.
http://utmost.org/yes%e2%80%94-but/
We have heard many times, that will of God is that none should perish but that all should be saved, that goes both ways. The word of God is certainly a two edged sword, even Christians need to remember this. That it is not just a one day one time one place deal and then we can get comfortable and happy sitting around doing nothing, this process is daily. I will say again the words that Paul used in this case that are quite possibly the most powerfully profound words ever spoken of in regards to a relationship with Jesus "I die Daily" 1 Corinthians 15:31. Paul is speaking about risking His life to draw near unto God that means forsaking everything one might hold dear for the greatest gift of all, abundant life in Christ Jesus but there is a price for a daily revelation of dying to the flesh. We are living sacrifices and our purpose is to praise God but also to know His thoughts. Adam and God walked in the cool of the garden, and what do you suppose they were doing? They were conversing, God was visible to Adam and there was no struggle to see Him or to hear His words spoken of clear as daylight and brighter than all the stars.
The struggle is that when we hear God speak to us and say what He thinks it might seem to much and we do not want to give up things we hold dear for the knowledge of Christ, "They changed the image of the incorruptible God into an image made corruptible like man", "Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie" this mentality is hard to break and it is not seen as a problem to most people. But we do not have to live that way anymore and this is where it starts that we should give up those things that we worship and let go of those things that keep up from knowing His thoughts! We can never get to the place where we have true fellowship with Him holding onto the created things.
I wrote recently that we will be discussing the deeper things of God, and I feel that the most important thing to know is the thoughts He has for us are being spoken everyday, He shows us in the little things because anything else would be too much for us to handle. Jeremiah 30:21 says " Their leader shall come from among them, and I will cause him to draw near to me, and He shall approach me, for who would dare risk his life to approach me?" Brothers and sisters, we have not been brought to death yet for the gospel, we have been persecuted but we are not abandoned and no matter what happens all around us we have been given the foreknowledge that we can know Christ that we can know the thoughts that God has for us because Christ already gave up His portion so that we could have it here. Praise Jesus.
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