"Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
2 Peter 1:4
Yahweh has given us so many precious promises. Through what? Look back to the last verse--through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. We participate in the divine nature, we mystically become part of Him, by simply understanding just how great He is. By having the true knowledge of that. Knowledge really is power!
"Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God..."
Reception, belief, true knowledge--all these things go hand in hand. What it means to have a renewed mind (Ephesians 4:23) and realize just how well you already know Him! It's comforting to know that you are a daughter, or that you are a son.
God's promises give us the power of participation, the power of holy pleasure. There is a belonging in the family of God, in the nature of God. It's just as natural as could be. (1 Cor. 15:46 and context)
I've been praying for two major things for a while now. One, that I would feel the way my Heavenly Father feels about every situation, and two, that everything I say would be soaked in His Love. These are just a small facet of the divine nature.
See, when you are partaking of His promises, in His goodness, the temptations of the world "grow strangely dim". The burdens, the sorrows, the sin--all those things can be swallowed up (1 Cor. 15:54). They can lose their place in your awareness and in your mind.
You are free to be free, you are free to be constantly joyful, you are free to never worry again. You are free to be like Jesus was on the earth (1 John 4:17), always experiencing perfect love. In 2016, let's all tap into that.
Showing posts with label experiencing God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label experiencing God. Show all posts
Friday, January 1, 2016
Sunday, January 4, 2015
When You're on the Mountain
A few days ago the Lord gave me a vision of a tall mountain, encircled by a road that led to the top. At the summit there was a gigantic cross. There was such power in the vision, and such significance in the cross. It's appearance on the mountain top was almost otherworldly.
There's also been a lot of talk about mountaintop experiences recently. From Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest to the Quickened Word, these mountain top encounters with God have been a common theme.
Then this morning, I was reading about Jesus's transfiguration beginning in Luke 9. He spent intimate time with His Father, and He was changed. He was changed through prayer! God chose to reveal His Glory, and the disciples saw Him as He really is (1 John 3:2).
And a few interesting things happened. These details tell us a lot about the nature of mountain top experiences with God.
1) The disciples got very sleepy. They were overwhelmed by the manifest presence of God, and it drained their strength. Similar things happened to Daniel when He encounters an angel (Daniel 8:18) . I had a dream once where the Love of God overcame me to the extent that I fell into a deep, spiritual sleep. You would think encountering God would give you strength and life, and it often does, but this passage describes a very different response. Our bodies are not capable of handling such a measure of God--after all, we're only jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7)!
2) The disciples wanted to stay on that mountain top forever. In fact, they seemed to want to live there with Elijah, Moses and Jesus. But that wasn't God's will! And it's often the same way today. God is pleased to reveal to us new things, and He is so pleased to show us His character in a new way. God wants to shower down His Love until we feel really, really good.
But there is also work to do. There are also things to get done--like ministering to others. We cannot spend all of our time alone and meditating for the sake of spreading the gospel! An exception here would be times of solitude and intercession, but usually we need to get out into the world and share Him with others. Like Chamber's devotional said, it's when in the valley that we have times of testing and character development. This life is a training grounds for our future in Heaven, after all--it wouldn't be complete without some problems to overcome.
3) The disciples were told not to tell their experience to others. This is sometimes the case--I believe that God wants to keep some things just between Him and us. Some things are just too precious to share. There is a sort of joy in keeping God encounters private. The joy of His knowing is always enough. Now, I share a lot on this blog, but there is also things that I do not. What I do share I write to build up the body.
Have you been on the mountaintop recently? If not, then ask in faith, and let Him take you there. If you have, praise God! I like to be there everyday. Why? Because Christ's Love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14). The mountain top is where we get equipped. The mountain top is where we experience the hope of Glory. The mountain top is where we know God. We need these experiences to get us through tougher times. We need to be built up in our "most holy faith" (Jude 1:20), and then sow those seeds out into the world. Asking is receiving...so ask Him to come.
There's also been a lot of talk about mountaintop experiences recently. From Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest to the Quickened Word, these mountain top encounters with God have been a common theme.
Then this morning, I was reading about Jesus's transfiguration beginning in Luke 9. He spent intimate time with His Father, and He was changed. He was changed through prayer! God chose to reveal His Glory, and the disciples saw Him as He really is (1 John 3:2).
And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray.
And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling.
And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah;
who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Now Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
And it came to pass, as they were parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said.
And while he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye him.
And when the voice came, Jesus was found alone. And they held their peace, and told no man in those days any of the things which they had seen.
And a few interesting things happened. These details tell us a lot about the nature of mountain top experiences with God.
1) The disciples got very sleepy. They were overwhelmed by the manifest presence of God, and it drained their strength. Similar things happened to Daniel when He encounters an angel (Daniel 8:18) . I had a dream once where the Love of God overcame me to the extent that I fell into a deep, spiritual sleep. You would think encountering God would give you strength and life, and it often does, but this passage describes a very different response. Our bodies are not capable of handling such a measure of God--after all, we're only jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7)!
2) The disciples wanted to stay on that mountain top forever. In fact, they seemed to want to live there with Elijah, Moses and Jesus. But that wasn't God's will! And it's often the same way today. God is pleased to reveal to us new things, and He is so pleased to show us His character in a new way. God wants to shower down His Love until we feel really, really good.
But there is also work to do. There are also things to get done--like ministering to others. We cannot spend all of our time alone and meditating for the sake of spreading the gospel! An exception here would be times of solitude and intercession, but usually we need to get out into the world and share Him with others. Like Chamber's devotional said, it's when in the valley that we have times of testing and character development. This life is a training grounds for our future in Heaven, after all--it wouldn't be complete without some problems to overcome.
3) The disciples were told not to tell their experience to others. This is sometimes the case--I believe that God wants to keep some things just between Him and us. Some things are just too precious to share. There is a sort of joy in keeping God encounters private. The joy of His knowing is always enough. Now, I share a lot on this blog, but there is also things that I do not. What I do share I write to build up the body.
Have you been on the mountaintop recently? If not, then ask in faith, and let Him take you there. If you have, praise God! I like to be there everyday. Why? Because Christ's Love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14). The mountain top is where we get equipped. The mountain top is where we experience the hope of Glory. The mountain top is where we know God. We need these experiences to get us through tougher times. We need to be built up in our "most holy faith" (Jude 1:20), and then sow those seeds out into the world. Asking is receiving...so ask Him to come.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
God Speaks to His People
The following are excerpts from the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby & Claude King:
"GOD GIVES SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS
A popular teaching says God does not give you clear directives. It says He just sets your life in motion. Then you try to figure out the directions using your God-given mind. This implies that a Christian always thinks correctly and according to God's will. This does not take into account that the old nature is constantly battling with the spiritual nature (see Romans 7.) Our ways are not God's ways (See Isaiah 55:8.) Only God can give you the kind of specific directions to accomplish His purposes in His ways....
The Holy Spirit gives clear directives today. God is personal. He wants to be intimately involved in your life. He will give you clear guidance for living. You may say, 'That has not been my experience.' You need to bring your experience up to the Word of God and now lower God's ways to match your own...
If you do not have clear instructions from God in a matter, pray and wait. Learn patience. Depend on God's timing. His timing is always right and best. Don't get in a hurry. He may be withholding directions to cause you to seek Him more intently. Don't try to skip over the relationship to get on with the doing. God is more interested in love relationship with you than He is in what you can do for Him. (pgs. 94-95)"
"GOD REVEALS HIS PURPOSES
God reveals His purposes so you will know what He plans to do. If you are to join Him, you need to know what He is about to do or what He is already doing. What you plan to do for God is not important. What He plans to do where you are is very important. God speaks with a purpose in mind.
When God came to Noah, He did not ask, "What do you want to do for me?" He came to reveal what He was about to do. It was far more important to know what God was about to do. It really did not matter what Noah had planned to do for God. God was about to destroy the world. He wanted to work through Noah to accomplish His purposes of saving a remnant of people and animals to repopulate the earth. (pg. 99)"
I was very encouraged by these two sections of this book this morning. Lately, I've begun to lose faith in things that God has told me about what He is doing now and in the future, wondering if I even heard His voice correctly. Doubt has been springing up to snatch away the hope I have in His Promises, even Proverbs Promises like, "...He will direct your path."
Last week I went to the Alumni Service at the high school I graduated from. Something was said that morning over and over again after we read Isaiah 40, which was, "Hold onto the Promises of God. He is who He says He is, and He does what He says He is going to do." In one form or another, this message was really driven home, and I was encouraged.
But then of course, I was shot by another arrow of doubt, and didn't withstand it. So this morning, when I walked into my workspace, this book was laid open with a little clump of pages sticking straight up. On the left side was pages 94-95 (the first excerpt), and on the ride side, page 99 (the second excerpt.) These two specific passages were so refreshing to me. It renewed my mind with Truths from God's Word. I often get confirming scriptures from the Bible for things like this, but often God will use books written by Christians to speak to me as well. Praise the Lord!!
I have listened to Charles Stanley since I was younger, but really "got into" his preaching when I was living in Los Angeles, after I had come back to God. One of his staple teachings on "knowing the will of God" is that we must believe that He has a very specific plan for our life, and that we must seek Him diligently to know His "calling" on our life. I know that He has been revealing His will for me, and I also know that the enemy would love to try to make me doubt again, as to render me ineffective in this world. Let us remember the Promises of God! Promises He has given us in His Word, and also Promises He has revealed to us about His plans for us!
"GOD GIVES SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS
A popular teaching says God does not give you clear directives. It says He just sets your life in motion. Then you try to figure out the directions using your God-given mind. This implies that a Christian always thinks correctly and according to God's will. This does not take into account that the old nature is constantly battling with the spiritual nature (see Romans 7.) Our ways are not God's ways (See Isaiah 55:8.) Only God can give you the kind of specific directions to accomplish His purposes in His ways....
The Holy Spirit gives clear directives today. God is personal. He wants to be intimately involved in your life. He will give you clear guidance for living. You may say, 'That has not been my experience.' You need to bring your experience up to the Word of God and now lower God's ways to match your own...
If you do not have clear instructions from God in a matter, pray and wait. Learn patience. Depend on God's timing. His timing is always right and best. Don't get in a hurry. He may be withholding directions to cause you to seek Him more intently. Don't try to skip over the relationship to get on with the doing. God is more interested in love relationship with you than He is in what you can do for Him. (pgs. 94-95)"
"GOD REVEALS HIS PURPOSES
God reveals His purposes so you will know what He plans to do. If you are to join Him, you need to know what He is about to do or what He is already doing. What you plan to do for God is not important. What He plans to do where you are is very important. God speaks with a purpose in mind.
When God came to Noah, He did not ask, "What do you want to do for me?" He came to reveal what He was about to do. It was far more important to know what God was about to do. It really did not matter what Noah had planned to do for God. God was about to destroy the world. He wanted to work through Noah to accomplish His purposes of saving a remnant of people and animals to repopulate the earth. (pg. 99)"
I was very encouraged by these two sections of this book this morning. Lately, I've begun to lose faith in things that God has told me about what He is doing now and in the future, wondering if I even heard His voice correctly. Doubt has been springing up to snatch away the hope I have in His Promises, even Proverbs Promises like, "...He will direct your path."
Last week I went to the Alumni Service at the high school I graduated from. Something was said that morning over and over again after we read Isaiah 40, which was, "Hold onto the Promises of God. He is who He says He is, and He does what He says He is going to do." In one form or another, this message was really driven home, and I was encouraged.
But then of course, I was shot by another arrow of doubt, and didn't withstand it. So this morning, when I walked into my workspace, this book was laid open with a little clump of pages sticking straight up. On the left side was pages 94-95 (the first excerpt), and on the ride side, page 99 (the second excerpt.) These two specific passages were so refreshing to me. It renewed my mind with Truths from God's Word. I often get confirming scriptures from the Bible for things like this, but often God will use books written by Christians to speak to me as well. Praise the Lord!!
I have listened to Charles Stanley since I was younger, but really "got into" his preaching when I was living in Los Angeles, after I had come back to God. One of his staple teachings on "knowing the will of God" is that we must believe that He has a very specific plan for our life, and that we must seek Him diligently to know His "calling" on our life. I know that He has been revealing His will for me, and I also know that the enemy would love to try to make me doubt again, as to render me ineffective in this world. Let us remember the Promises of God! Promises He has given us in His Word, and also Promises He has revealed to us about His plans for us!
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