"For God’s purpose through Jesus Christ is to deify the nature of men..."
I read this in a John G. Lake book that my wonderful Aunt and Uncle let me borrow. :) I thought the language was pretty striking -- not only here, but throughout much of the book. It got me thinking, is this true? Why is it true?
The Trinity spoke words of love and said, "Let Us make man in our own image" (Genesis 1:26). Adam and Eve were in the element of God, yet they forgot who they were and then blew it.
So also it has been written: "The first man Adam became into a living soul; the last Adam into a life-giving spirit." ~1 Corinthians 15:45
Jesus made up for what Adam lost. He overcompensated for it! He inhabits those who love Him and pull them up to an otherwise unapproachable God. God chose to make Himself available. He chose to open us up to His love.
Yes, one of God's purposes has been to "deify the nature of men" (in my opinion, at least). But the fruit of this truth does not lead us to self; it leads us to God! He's been so merciful. He's been so good. He's called us to this elevated life, not because of anything we've done, but because of His faithfulness (Romans 9:12).
Having ourselves been redeemed in nature means we can fellowship with God. It's all about Him, and He's all about us. Hopefully we're all about Him in response! Sometimes with great revelation comes the need for great thankfulness. We'll see. It's been an interesting and electrifiying book so far.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Gateway Drugs?
I've been hearing a lot about the supposed dangers of "gateway drugs" recently. Actually, gateway everything...gateway animals like chickens, gateway plants such as tomatoes, etc. Huh.
Recently we had some friends over and there was a discussion on this topic (drugs, not chickens). And they were saying that marijuana, or cannabis, is one of (several?) initial "gateway drugs" that would inevitably lead to worse things. I disagree, though that's not the major point here.
So, I got to thinking about it...what would qualify as a gateway drug? And which of these supposed drugs, if any, pushes us down the slipper slope to harder stuff like heroin, cocaine, or meth?
If we were to look at this question objectively, we'd see that cannabis wouldn't be the first "drug" we're exposed to. How far back do we really want to go? Back to the beginning?
For example, marijuana couldn't be the foremost gateway drug out there. Many people try alcohol and liquor before they try smoking weed. So, do we want to say that vodka or beer or wine inevitably leads to "worse" stuff? Objectively, we need to go back further.
Let's stereotype caffeine as the first gateway drug out there -- that is, the first inherently addictive substance that many people get into. Coffee? Is coffee the problem? Probably not, as kids typically spend years drinking soda before they get hooked on coffee. So, is caffeine the problem? Or is it the HFCS or artificial colors in soda? We might be led to suspect that soda is the problem. No, actually, it's probably the sugar. Actually, it's probably the MSG that's in all your kid's favorite snacks.
We could take this whole line of thinking way back. Maybe the pleasure babies get as they drink their Mother's breast milk is the problem. Maybe that initial endorphin trigger sets up these babies to be dependent on mind altering "drugs" for the rest of their life. Is that really how it works?
Can you see where the projection of this faulty mindset of criminalizing natural substances like beer or cannabis leads us? It's an attack both on the gifts of God and the way He intentionally programmed humanity. Many Christians are stuck in a Greek-oriented philosophy that stemmed from guys like Plato and Aristotle -- not from Messiah or the Scriptures. Many Christians are under the enslaving illusion that the spiritual world is good and the natural world is bad. That's Gnosticism, not Christianity.
The point I'm trying to make is that there are "gateway drugs" everywhere. We're exposed to them at virtually all ages at virtually all points in our life. Cannabis is not the problem; it's no more at fault in creating heroin addictions than Cheetos or red wine.
Maybe, just maybe, people were designed for pleasure! Maybe pleasure is a good thing. Maybe the Creator of all these wonderful substances, whatever they are (with the exception of synthetic chemicals and drugs), created them to be a blessing to us and not a snare or perceived temptation. Maybe it's not the food or drink or herb or tincture that that goes into a person's body that's the problem (Matthew 15:11).
I like wine. I like hard root beer. I like these cute little tropical drinks Vanessa makes me with sparkling soda and mango vodka. But I'm not addicted to them (1 Cor. 6:12). They don't distract me from God. They actually inspire me to give thanks to God (1 Tim. 4:4)!
The thing that safeguards us is not the avoidance of this or that potentially addictive substance (Colossians 1:21). Messiah set you free from those kinds of rules, if you'll believe it.
The thing that keeps us away from any sort of addiction is an addiction and fixation with God. You were made for pleasure, emotional highs, ecstatic experiences and bliss (Hebrews 9:11). And all of these things flow out from Him. You can't really get bored with the Creator. And if you think you can, you're putting unscriptural limitations on Him!
"You make known to me the path of life; in your Presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~Psalm 16:11
To have God is to know He has you (Song of Songs 6:3). To have a love for God is to have true pleasure. He is your only authentic gateway drug and the realm you must enter into (Matthew 7:13-14); once you taste Jesus, you can't go back (Psalm 34:8)(Ephesians 1:13)! You're free to love Him and let everything else flow out from that. To paraphrase St. Augustine:
"Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved."
Recently we had some friends over and there was a discussion on this topic (drugs, not chickens). And they were saying that marijuana, or cannabis, is one of (several?) initial "gateway drugs" that would inevitably lead to worse things. I disagree, though that's not the major point here.
So, I got to thinking about it...what would qualify as a gateway drug? And which of these supposed drugs, if any, pushes us down the slipper slope to harder stuff like heroin, cocaine, or meth?
If we were to look at this question objectively, we'd see that cannabis wouldn't be the first "drug" we're exposed to. How far back do we really want to go? Back to the beginning?
For example, marijuana couldn't be the foremost gateway drug out there. Many people try alcohol and liquor before they try smoking weed. So, do we want to say that vodka or beer or wine inevitably leads to "worse" stuff? Objectively, we need to go back further.
Let's stereotype caffeine as the first gateway drug out there -- that is, the first inherently addictive substance that many people get into. Coffee? Is coffee the problem? Probably not, as kids typically spend years drinking soda before they get hooked on coffee. So, is caffeine the problem? Or is it the HFCS or artificial colors in soda? We might be led to suspect that soda is the problem. No, actually, it's probably the sugar. Actually, it's probably the MSG that's in all your kid's favorite snacks.
We could take this whole line of thinking way back. Maybe the pleasure babies get as they drink their Mother's breast milk is the problem. Maybe that initial endorphin trigger sets up these babies to be dependent on mind altering "drugs" for the rest of their life. Is that really how it works?
Can you see where the projection of this faulty mindset of criminalizing natural substances like beer or cannabis leads us? It's an attack both on the gifts of God and the way He intentionally programmed humanity. Many Christians are stuck in a Greek-oriented philosophy that stemmed from guys like Plato and Aristotle -- not from Messiah or the Scriptures. Many Christians are under the enslaving illusion that the spiritual world is good and the natural world is bad. That's Gnosticism, not Christianity.
The point I'm trying to make is that there are "gateway drugs" everywhere. We're exposed to them at virtually all ages at virtually all points in our life. Cannabis is not the problem; it's no more at fault in creating heroin addictions than Cheetos or red wine.
Maybe, just maybe, people were designed for pleasure! Maybe pleasure is a good thing. Maybe the Creator of all these wonderful substances, whatever they are (with the exception of synthetic chemicals and drugs), created them to be a blessing to us and not a snare or perceived temptation. Maybe it's not the food or drink or herb or tincture that that goes into a person's body that's the problem (Matthew 15:11).
I like wine. I like hard root beer. I like these cute little tropical drinks Vanessa makes me with sparkling soda and mango vodka. But I'm not addicted to them (1 Cor. 6:12). They don't distract me from God. They actually inspire me to give thanks to God (1 Tim. 4:4)!
The thing that safeguards us is not the avoidance of this or that potentially addictive substance (Colossians 1:21). Messiah set you free from those kinds of rules, if you'll believe it.
The thing that keeps us away from any sort of addiction is an addiction and fixation with God. You were made for pleasure, emotional highs, ecstatic experiences and bliss (Hebrews 9:11). And all of these things flow out from Him. You can't really get bored with the Creator. And if you think you can, you're putting unscriptural limitations on Him!
"You make known to me the path of life; in your Presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~Psalm 16:11
To have God is to know He has you (Song of Songs 6:3). To have a love for God is to have true pleasure. He is your only authentic gateway drug and the realm you must enter into (Matthew 7:13-14); once you taste Jesus, you can't go back (Psalm 34:8)(Ephesians 1:13)! You're free to love Him and let everything else flow out from that. To paraphrase St. Augustine:
"Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved."
Sunday, February 21, 2016
A Peculiar People
God was showing me some interesting stuff today. It's been hard to represent Christ here in Maine, and that has affected a lack of boldness on my part. But the Holy Spirit's been showing me a way out: humor.
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"
1 Peter 2:9
See, as a Christian, it's OK to be different. We are supposed to be different! And once we realize that death to self has already occurred (Col. 3:3) and get past the fears induced by self-preservation (which is really just rooted in selfishness), it becomes FUN to be different!
It's nice to know that we're chosen, but how do we react to this truth? The second half of the above verse says that God's purpose in election is this:
...that we should hew forth the praises of Him who called us into true life.
No matter where we are or who we're around, we're called to proclaim His goodness, His Marvelous Light. We're called to appear to others as different, as strange, as unorthodox, as weird, as peculiar! You can expect that not everyone will understand you (John 1:5)-- but that's OK!
God was showing me today that it's fun to break free from societal norms. It's fun to have Him put you on display (1 Cor. 4:9). It's fun to be made a spectacle and object of attention that emanates otherworldly. It's basically like living out inside joke that just you and the Holy Spirit are in on. Doesn't that sound fun?
The key to realizing all this is union with Messiah (John 15:2 and context). We were made for more than an average life; we were made for more than superficial material gain or arbitrarily scheduled schedules. The Holy Spirit cannot be contained by our own purposes or plans (Isaiah 55:9). The Holy Spirit delights in being radical (Proverbs 8:31), and so can you!
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"
1 Peter 2:9
See, as a Christian, it's OK to be different. We are supposed to be different! And once we realize that death to self has already occurred (Col. 3:3) and get past the fears induced by self-preservation (which is really just rooted in selfishness), it becomes FUN to be different!
It's nice to know that we're chosen, but how do we react to this truth? The second half of the above verse says that God's purpose in election is this:
...that we should hew forth the praises of Him who called us into true life.
No matter where we are or who we're around, we're called to proclaim His goodness, His Marvelous Light. We're called to appear to others as different, as strange, as unorthodox, as weird, as peculiar! You can expect that not everyone will understand you (John 1:5)-- but that's OK!
God was showing me today that it's fun to break free from societal norms. It's fun to have Him put you on display (1 Cor. 4:9). It's fun to be made a spectacle and object of attention that emanates otherworldly. It's basically like living out inside joke that just you and the Holy Spirit are in on. Doesn't that sound fun?
The key to realizing all this is union with Messiah (John 15:2 and context). We were made for more than an average life; we were made for more than superficial material gain or arbitrarily scheduled schedules. The Holy Spirit cannot be contained by our own purposes or plans (Isaiah 55:9). The Holy Spirit delights in being radical (Proverbs 8:31), and so can you!
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Obligations
"Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do..."
~Romans 8:12
Today I've been looking over my own life and realizing that I do more things than I should under the power of obligation. Meaning I feel obligated to do mundane, day to day stuff...instead of feeling freedom, I've been feeling pressured to compulsively perform.
The truth in Christ though, is that there is no obligatory work. There is no obligation to sin and mess up; you've been set free from sin! You don't have to do it anymore. Sin is not your nature. Why not? Well, look at the preceding verses and you'll see that it's because Christ is in you. And His work in you overcame the world and all of it's sin along with it.
The only obligatory work we need to do is believe. We must believe at all times; we must not fall out of faith. Paul instructed the Corinthians to inspect themselves, by their fruit, to determine if they really believed. Having the faith of God is important. It's His faith that binds us together and raises us with Him.
The only obligation we have is to enter His rest. Many Christians miss this -- the book of Hebrews says that so did the Ancient Israelites. And until we really believe, there will be warfare, there will be ups and down, and there will be very difficult points. It's in focusing on Him that these kinds of battles are won.
"...For if you live according to flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
~Romans 8:13
The only way to stay in belief is to remain in the Spirit. If you set up your tent with God, if you give Him your heart, He'll give you His feelings towards you and inspire you to trust Him. It's the Holy Spirit who inspires belief and points us towards Yahshua, the Son of God.
When we believe, we pave the way for the reality of God to become greater, in our lives, than anything else. Our activities get drowned out. Our attentions and distractions get forgotten. Our obligations get burned away. We don't have to do a thing but believe in what Messiah's done!
This is a belief that will make you joyful and give you energy. It will quicken and electrify your physical bodies. It will cause you to do stuff because you want to...not because you're scared of man. There will be no fears and no thoughts of feelings in the things you do, because you've made God the most important thing.
The only obligation we have is to live for God. And living for God flows out of belief in His goodness and love! The only fight we fight is the fight of faith. And when faith comes, we are no longer supervised and micromanaged by the law. We are free to do everything, or free to do nothing! The nature of self-worth through what you're doing will be gone; you'll be set free from yourself. It feels good to follow God; it feels good to have a light burden and have Hims simplify your life.
~Romans 8:12
Today I've been looking over my own life and realizing that I do more things than I should under the power of obligation. Meaning I feel obligated to do mundane, day to day stuff...instead of feeling freedom, I've been feeling pressured to compulsively perform.
The truth in Christ though, is that there is no obligatory work. There is no obligation to sin and mess up; you've been set free from sin! You don't have to do it anymore. Sin is not your nature. Why not? Well, look at the preceding verses and you'll see that it's because Christ is in you. And His work in you overcame the world and all of it's sin along with it.
The only obligatory work we need to do is believe. We must believe at all times; we must not fall out of faith. Paul instructed the Corinthians to inspect themselves, by their fruit, to determine if they really believed. Having the faith of God is important. It's His faith that binds us together and raises us with Him.
The only obligation we have is to enter His rest. Many Christians miss this -- the book of Hebrews says that so did the Ancient Israelites. And until we really believe, there will be warfare, there will be ups and down, and there will be very difficult points. It's in focusing on Him that these kinds of battles are won.
"...For if you live according to flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
~Romans 8:13
When we believe, we pave the way for the reality of God to become greater, in our lives, than anything else. Our activities get drowned out. Our attentions and distractions get forgotten. Our obligations get burned away. We don't have to do a thing but believe in what Messiah's done!
This is a belief that will make you joyful and give you energy. It will quicken and electrify your physical bodies. It will cause you to do stuff because you want to...not because you're scared of man. There will be no fears and no thoughts of feelings in the things you do, because you've made God the most important thing.
The only obligation we have is to live for God. And living for God flows out of belief in His goodness and love! The only fight we fight is the fight of faith. And when faith comes, we are no longer supervised and micromanaged by the law. We are free to do everything, or free to do nothing! The nature of self-worth through what you're doing will be gone; you'll be set free from yourself. It feels good to follow God; it feels good to have a light burden and have Hims simplify your life.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Dream: The Glory of God or the Glory of man?
I had a dream last night where I was in a nice church...one of the many "seeker friendly" churches out there nowadays. (Just so you know, I love these kinds of places! Every time I've went to them, the Holy Spirit ministers to me. But I think God wants to purify our motives...)
So, back to this church, there was some sort of youth ministry going on, and everyone was singing and worshiping and acting all excited. Something wasn't quite right, though.
There was a hardness to the worship that caught me off guard. The musicians on stage were having fun -- and not necessarily in a good way. They were going through the motions, trading out the worship of our Father for a show (2 Tim. 3:5). There was some egotism evident there. It was really sad. Vanessa and I were sitting up near the front, and I was watching these people, many of them my age, singing along with the band and just going through the motions, also.
This significance of all this was heightened because of how it contrasted what God was doing with me. I felt such Love; I felt so much of Yahweh's presence. I became pretty overwhelmed, and sorta just slumped over in my chair and kept checking out this scene. There was one teenage girl in particular that I felt bad for. I could tell that her heart just wasn't in it; though she was doing some stuff right, she was missing out on the power of the Spirit.
The rest of the teens in the church were much the same. I longed to tell them that it could be better. I longed to tell them that they were falling short of the party. I wanted to say, hey, God has a better way for you than this...but I just didn't have the words. Plus, I was plastered to my chair under the weight of His glory and probably couldn't have moved a muscle even if I wanted to. In retrospect, I think God put me into that symbolic scenario simply so I could observe
Sadly, this whole "let's go to church and not really love on God" mentality is something I've also seen played out in real life. It's tragic to see people so close but yet so far. People who sit there listening like they're watching a realllllyyy boring TV show or something. Their hearts have not been awakened -- a veil of sadness is still there (2 Cor. 3:14). They've never tried really seeking Him, and consequently have never realized that He's already been found (Proverbs 8:17).
Guys, God is fun! He's a wonderfully burning Love (Song of Songs); He's incredibly powerful. He's worthy of your fear (Psalms 119:120), He's worthy of your admiration and worship. There is an ecstasy of divine exchange that comes with loving Him (John 3:30).
"God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." ~John 4:24
So, back to this church, there was some sort of youth ministry going on, and everyone was singing and worshiping and acting all excited. Something wasn't quite right, though.
There was a hardness to the worship that caught me off guard. The musicians on stage were having fun -- and not necessarily in a good way. They were going through the motions, trading out the worship of our Father for a show (2 Tim. 3:5). There was some egotism evident there. It was really sad. Vanessa and I were sitting up near the front, and I was watching these people, many of them my age, singing along with the band and just going through the motions, also.
This significance of all this was heightened because of how it contrasted what God was doing with me. I felt such Love; I felt so much of Yahweh's presence. I became pretty overwhelmed, and sorta just slumped over in my chair and kept checking out this scene. There was one teenage girl in particular that I felt bad for. I could tell that her heart just wasn't in it; though she was doing some stuff right, she was missing out on the power of the Spirit.
The rest of the teens in the church were much the same. I longed to tell them that it could be better. I longed to tell them that they were falling short of the party. I wanted to say, hey, God has a better way for you than this...but I just didn't have the words. Plus, I was plastered to my chair under the weight of His glory and probably couldn't have moved a muscle even if I wanted to. In retrospect, I think God put me into that symbolic scenario simply so I could observe
Sadly, this whole "let's go to church and not really love on God" mentality is something I've also seen played out in real life. It's tragic to see people so close but yet so far. People who sit there listening like they're watching a realllllyyy boring TV show or something. Their hearts have not been awakened -- a veil of sadness is still there (2 Cor. 3:14). They've never tried really seeking Him, and consequently have never realized that He's already been found (Proverbs 8:17).
Guys, God is fun! He's a wonderfully burning Love (Song of Songs); He's incredibly powerful. He's worthy of your fear (Psalms 119:120), He's worthy of your admiration and worship. There is an ecstasy of divine exchange that comes with loving Him (John 3:30).
"God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." ~John 4:24
Monday, February 15, 2016
Faith and Trust
Faith sees the future as a moment of God's action seamlessly being woven into the present. Faith is a past tense thing. Faith is believing that God is going to catch you up to where He eventually has you.
But really, faith is trust! Faith and trust go hand in hand. Trust overcomes fear and insecurity. Trust acknowledges our Heavenly Father's goodness in all things. Trust allows the Comforter to do one of His many jobs and comfort us! Below is an excerpt on this subject by Smith Wigglesworth:
"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:23, 24)
These are days when we need to have our faith strengthened, when we need to know God. God has designed that the just shall live by faith. Any man can be changed by faith, no matter how he may be fettered. I know that God's word is sufficient. One word from Him can change a nation. His word is from everlasting to everlasting. It is through the entrance of this everlasting Word, this incorruptible seed, that we are born again, and come into this wonderful salvation. Man cannot live by bread alone, but must live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. This is the food of faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
Everywhere men are trying to discredit the Bible and take from it all the miraculous. One preacher says, "Well, you know, Jesus arranged beforehand to have that colt tied where it was, and for the men to say just what they did." I tell you God can arrange everything without going near. He can plan for you, and when He plans for you, all is peace. All things are possible if you will believe.
But really, faith is trust! Faith and trust go hand in hand. Trust overcomes fear and insecurity. Trust acknowledges our Heavenly Father's goodness in all things. Trust allows the Comforter to do one of His many jobs and comfort us! Below is an excerpt on this subject by Smith Wigglesworth:
"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:23, 24)
These are days when we need to have our faith strengthened, when we need to know God. God has designed that the just shall live by faith. Any man can be changed by faith, no matter how he may be fettered. I know that God's word is sufficient. One word from Him can change a nation. His word is from everlasting to everlasting. It is through the entrance of this everlasting Word, this incorruptible seed, that we are born again, and come into this wonderful salvation. Man cannot live by bread alone, but must live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. This is the food of faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
Everywhere men are trying to discredit the Bible and take from it all the miraculous. One preacher says, "Well, you know, Jesus arranged beforehand to have that colt tied where it was, and for the men to say just what they did." I tell you God can arrange everything without going near. He can plan for you, and when He plans for you, all is peace. All things are possible if you will believe.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
My Valentine
My love for Vanessa grows all the times it seems -- just when I think admiration can't get any deeper, stronger, or sweeter, it does. She's awesome!!!
I'm realizing that my love for her, though, is only effective as an extension of my love for God. My love for her is only fulfilled if I can see God in her. Deep calls to deep (Psalms 42:7).
There is a greater love here, though:
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
~1 John 4:10
I'm His valentine, before I'm hers. Isn't that interesting? I've been coming into a realization that every believer is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25). And just today, a friend of mine told me about an interesting Christian book called "God's Wife".
I mess up often...so often. I think back to a recent situation and realize that I could've loved more; I could've cared more, I could've thought about good things more. I could've given my time for something that really mattered. But there is a willingness to forget that comes with forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12). Sometimes, it's time to move on. On to how our Heavenly Father unconditionally sees us...
"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; And there is no blemish in you."
~Song of Solomon 4:7
This is the true, whether we as believers really believe it or not. This is true, whether I fully experience it or not. This is true, in spite of my real and perceived flaws. This is a truth that compels us, by Love, to keep pressing ahead! God belongs to you, and you belong to Him. Happy Valentine's day!
I'm realizing that my love for her, though, is only effective as an extension of my love for God. My love for her is only fulfilled if I can see God in her. Deep calls to deep (Psalms 42:7).
There is a greater love here, though:
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
~1 John 4:10
I'm His valentine, before I'm hers. Isn't that interesting? I've been coming into a realization that every believer is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25). And just today, a friend of mine told me about an interesting Christian book called "God's Wife".
I mess up often...so often. I think back to a recent situation and realize that I could've loved more; I could've cared more, I could've thought about good things more. I could've given my time for something that really mattered. But there is a willingness to forget that comes with forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12). Sometimes, it's time to move on. On to how our Heavenly Father unconditionally sees us...
"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; And there is no blemish in you."
~Song of Solomon 4:7
This is the true, whether we as believers really believe it or not. This is true, whether I fully experience it or not. This is true, in spite of my real and perceived flaws. This is a truth that compels us, by Love, to keep pressing ahead! God belongs to you, and you belong to Him. Happy Valentine's day!
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
How to never be Annoyed
Wherever God is, there's peace. So why does it sometimes (oftentimes?) not seem like it?
The key in all this is realizing that God is everywhere, all the time; in everything, for every reason. That's what brings peace. Peace like a river is where it's at (Isaiah 66:12)! Peace like an all consuming fire works too (Hebrews 12:29).
The thing is, you can view anything as annoying if you work at it. But when we see all events, whether they appear good or bad, in the light of Messiah, we can get past minor annoyances. When every inconvenient thing is drowned out by His light, we can remain in peace.
If you lose your peace, that's OK. We all do; we're only human. There's grace for that.
On the other hand, never forget that God has in mind something more. Paul criticized the Corinthians for acting like "mere humans" (1 Corinthians 3:3). There's something about our inner Divinity -- not ours, but His -- that wants to swallow up the negative aspects of our outward humanity (1 Cor. 15:54). And that something, of course, is the burning, cleansing nature of the Ruach, the Holy Spirit.
You're not who you used to be; you're not who you don't want to be (Romans 7:15). You're who Jesus wants you to be (Ephesians 1:4). And really, that's who you want to be, too! You never have to get annoyed. You never have to do anything that's not convenient (Romans 1:28); you have the mind of Christ! He has your best interests in mind. He holds the keys to freedom and peace.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Works of Righteousness?
Or works for righteousness? There is a subtle, but very important difference.
"This living flame of love is so untouchable, so unquenchable, that it is virtually impossible for us to ever draw near without being consumed. This is why it is ultimately necessary that God Himself becomes our righteousness. We are incapable of reaching that place of purity and perfection which He requires of our own accord. And so Christ must positionally become our "right living" so that we can freely enter the love of God." ~John Crowder
"This living flame of love is so untouchable, so unquenchable, that it is virtually impossible for us to ever draw near without being consumed. This is why it is ultimately necessary that God Himself becomes our righteousness. We are incapable of reaching that place of purity and perfection which He requires of our own accord. And so Christ must positionally become our "right living" so that we can freely enter the love of God." ~John Crowder
This has been a theme that's really been impressed on me in the last couple weeks. I've been holed up at home, cleaning, organizing, sweeping, building, planting, vacuuming...you get it. But there's been a lot of seemingly 'mundane' activities going on. How to stay content?
Remember that Yahweh has gifted us fruit that remains (John 15:16). And this fruit of peace, love and joy is found in His son. It's found in focusing on Jesus.
To 'do' works of righteousness, you need to abide. And to abide in divine Love, you need to believe. That's why Jesus stated that the work of God could be boiled down to the effort of believing. If we fall out of communion and try to earn our own righteousness, then we've fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). We've started to work for something we already have. How crazy is that?
God wants us to be working into a labor of love. He wants us to have such a divine sense of purpose in our lives that even sweeping the floor is fun. There is a pleasure found in partnering with Him in even the smallest task. You life may look pretty similar to that of an unbeliever. The difference is that you are a friend of God within your mind (Colossians 1:21)! The difference is that your joy can always be complete (John 15:11).
Having your heart fixed on God, overwhelmed in Him, is enough to call the Glory down. Staying in the Love of God is a training process, and we've got out entire lives to fully learn it (Luke 6:40). I know I mess up sometimes. But even our own failures ultimately point us to a greater reality, which is the limitless, immeasurable, too-good-to-be-true grace that we must be reminded to rely upon.
"For we are Yahweh's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Yahsua Messiah, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." ~Ephesians 2:10
Monday, February 1, 2016
A Heavy-Handed Elohim?
A few days ago, I saw a vision of God's hand on me. His hand came down from heaven, and just rested on me. A tree sprang up out of this experience, and that tree remained rooted within the weight (The Glory ) of our Heavenly Father. That's what glory means, literally -- weight. It has also been translated as honor, bosom, and goodness (Strong's Hebrew). That's what God's presence embodies.
This vision surprised me, in a good way. I figured out that He was showing me that His hand upon me would eventually bring about good fruit. This message has been confirmed bunches of times since then; I've heard teaches on the topic and been stumbling upon verses about it.
"This is what Yahweh says to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people..." Isaiah 8:11
If God has been hovering over you recently, be thankful! He releases an atmosphere of discipline over those He loves, when it's needed (Hebrews 12:6). He protects you and forces His covering of protection upon you. With grace of course! Sometimes God makes us press into Him, just so we can (re) realize that He's always been pressing into us.
The hand of God keeps us secure in spiritual warfare. It takes us away from the enemy; it makes us resist the devil (James 4:7). This time is a time of testing, sure, but it too shall pass.
It's important to carry with you the realization that God is there. He's over you; He's invaded your spirit, He's made you His. He's at your right hand and in your heart. He wants to overwhelm you with His presence. He wants to give you more glory, more weight, than you can handle. He will pressure you to change. He'll do it gently, but it's still pressure. It's still glory. It's still the beautiful drawing in of the Holy Spirit.
This vision surprised me, in a good way. I figured out that He was showing me that His hand upon me would eventually bring about good fruit. This message has been confirmed bunches of times since then; I've heard teaches on the topic and been stumbling upon verses about it.
"This is what Yahweh says to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people..." Isaiah 8:11
If God has been hovering over you recently, be thankful! He releases an atmosphere of discipline over those He loves, when it's needed (Hebrews 12:6). He protects you and forces His covering of protection upon you. With grace of course! Sometimes God makes us press into Him, just so we can (re) realize that He's always been pressing into us.
The hand of God keeps us secure in spiritual warfare. It takes us away from the enemy; it makes us resist the devil (James 4:7). This time is a time of testing, sure, but it too shall pass.
It's important to carry with you the realization that God is there. He's over you; He's invaded your spirit, He's made you His. He's at your right hand and in your heart. He wants to overwhelm you with His presence. He wants to give you more glory, more weight, than you can handle. He will pressure you to change. He'll do it gently, but it's still pressure. It's still glory. It's still the beautiful drawing in of the Holy Spirit.
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