Living Light

Stirring The Deep

Tag Archives: Christ


by 16 Comments

New Year – Time for Goal Setting

New Year – Time for Goal Setting

Crumble up that piece of paper with your New Year’s goals and resolutions. We’re starting over, unless this word above is at the top of your list as the building blocks of your life.

As the New Year dawns, setting goals is a task that comes to many of our minds. We’re reminded of the goals we set last year, all the ones we didn’t accomplish (sigh) and the ones we did (yeah!) We reflect back on how life didn’t go as planned and wonder why we bother setting goals in the first place. Some of us resolve not to set goals so that we aren’t disappointed despite the proven fact that those who set goals accomplish far more than those who don’t.

As you are thinking about your priorities this next year, I want you to consider ONE very important goal. The most important goal you will every make because it affects all the others; a goal given to you by YOUR God. The first and most important activity you partake of in your life. Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.

Mark 12:30 ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment

What do you do when you love someone? Think about the love of your life or the one you hope for. You can’t wait to see them. You make them a priority. You reorganize your days because of them. You are devoted. They consume your thoughts. You can’t get enough of their presence. You talk and listen, you hang on every word. You replay what they said in your head trying to figure out what they really meant. You share your inner most thoughts. You aren’t always hanging out with just their family and friends. You want to be alone and intimate.

This passionate engagement is how we should be with God. Drawing close to Him means abiding in His words and letting them permeate our lives in faith, stirring the deep. Just as we long to hear the thoughts, desires, will, and concerns of those we love, if we love God or want to grow in love with Him we will spend time with Him in His Word, listening, talking, sharing, and growing. And being with the family, other believers is wonderful, but it doesn’t and can’t replace alone time with Him.

Here is a little test for you. Who do you say God is to you? Do your actions match your words? Many say they love God, but their choices and how they spend their time tells a different story. Let yours tell the same story. Be authentic. Be real.

If God is YOUR God, don’t you want to know (deep personal knowing) Him, especially because He tells you to know Him? Wouldn’t you want to know the One you are trusting with your life? Isn’t it true that we actually can’t truly trust without knowing?

I challenge you in this New Year to make your actions match your words. Make God a priority, THE priority. Spend quality time with Him each day in prayer, reading the Bible, and listening to His counsel. Spend time with Him as you would with someone you love. Treat Him like YOUR God. Treat Him like YOUR first love.

If you didn’t set another goal but this one, it wouldn’t matter because this is the only one that truly matters and when you do this simple act it affects every other purpose and plan you have.

A good goal is SMART

Specific – Decide on a place and time each day to meet with God.
Measurable – Track the times you spend with Him.
Attainable – Chose a time that you’ll be able to be consistent. Consistency helps habits to form.
Realistic – Be realistic – like 40 minutes each day verses 2 hours.
Timely – There is no better time than now to make God THE priority in your life.

Over 10 years ago, I started seeking God and spending time with Him each day. It was the most impactful life-changing decision I’ve ever made. The ripple affect of spending time with God each day has been astounding touching every area of my life and every aspect of my soul. It’s the best discipline I’ve ever kept. It changed everything. I read Matthew 6:33 and did it. I didn’t worry about anything else; I just focused on seeking God. His Word is true – all else did follow as it should.

God made it simple – seek Him and live. Amos 5:4 He is the way to abundant life as He has planned for you. Don’t make it more complicated than it is. Seek Him. Put Him first. He’ll handle the rest.

If you are already spending time with God … perhaps try to take more time to being still and listening for His still small voice. With practice you can learn to tune into His voice more clearly to hear His perfect counsel and wisdom for you life. Also, try staying connected throughout the day. Pray before major tasks. Make additional time to be still and listen. Try to be more consciously connected to Him throughout the day so that you can pray without ceasing.

If you set any other goals make sure they are ones that allow you to spend time with God each day.

Start by writing TWO love letters to God; one reflecting where you are today and one reflecting where you want to be at the end of the year … that second letter is a reflection of where you are headed.

Happy New Year!


by 5 Comments

Circle of Life … PART 2

Circle of Life … PART 2

Continued from previous post … Circles of Life … To be Born Again Part 1

To be “born again” or “born from above” is to be born of the spirit of God leaving the spirit of man behind. John 3 Only by being born again into the spirit of God can we escape the bondage of the spirit of man because it is only then that we leave that circle.

Once born for a second time, the source of who we are isn’t of man but of God, thus we are new creation. Galatians 2:20. The source changes everything. No longer are we connected and tied to the corruption. Instead we are connected to God thus eternal life. Therefore the “issues” we developed and owned start to fade as the chord is broken.

Consider what this means. It’s tremendous. No longer are we bound to that spirit of man and all the corruption is creates. No longer are we bound to our destructive behaviors. No longer are we bound to our past. No longer are we bound to those who hurt us. This is a significant part of what it means to be born again – you literally start feeling and acting like a new creation. Once you’ve truly experienced this new life – it will blow your mind – literally… (more on that in a minute). It frees you from the corruption thus your “issues” and you are truly able to move into a different place in our soul leaving the corrupted past behind.

HOWEVER, though we are born of the Spirit of God, we can still walk in the old life like we are still in the other circle. We do this because our minds are not aligned to our new spirits. Our spirit is there – our minds have to catch up. Our bodies are machines; machines that are trained to function and respond in a certain way. Most of what we do is automated – our responses, thinking, attitudes, and perspectives. And all of these were developed when we were attached to the spirit of man, thus they are formed in corruption. Thus, our minds need to be rewired to align with our new spirit. Our machines need retraining and it starts with the hub – the mind, which directs everything else. Beliefs, ways of thinking, emotions, perspectives, attitudes, lies, and deception are all aspects of our minds that have to be renewed in God’s truth and wisdom.

As we seek God’s wisdom in the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s instruction, our minds are rewired to be in sync with the spirit of God. As a result, the “issues” we had start to dissolve and we start to live in freedom. The fruits of the spirit, the words and ways of God, God’s wisdom and truth take their place.

The renewing of the mind is a process; it isn’t instant. Further, it requires our participation. It takes dedication to seeking God’s instruction, a willingness to let go, to walk in God’s ways, and a strong desire for truth. If we don’t make this journey of renewal we will remain trapped to the spirit of man by our minds, though we have been severed from it. This is how many believers live. It’s a sad state because they have been given the key to freedom yet fail to use it.

It’s like a man who has been in prison and one day released. Though free, he continues to live as a prisoner. He doesn’t understand what it means to be free because he has been imprisoned for so long. His mind is wired to think like a prisoner and therefore hasn’t come in sync with the reality of his condition, freedom.

The renewal of our mind is an essential component of experiencing the new life we’ve been given. Though we are free we can still live like we aren’t. Spiritual birth isn’t our choice just as physical birth isn’t, but this renewal is where we do have a choice. John 3:6 When the disciples asked what is the work of God, Jesus responded it is our work is to believe in Him, which is our new life. John 6:28-29 That means our part is to spend time with God, abide in His Word, listen to the Holy Spirit, and respond in obedience to His leading. If we do, over time our minds are transformed and come in line with the spirit of God. When our minds are transform to a certain extent, we literally feel born again and like a new creation.

When we seek and commit to the journey of developing a transformed mind, we will start experiencing amazing freedom, fruit of the spirit of God, the Kingdom of God, and a new reality. We’ll experience the freedom, joy, abundance and love we’ve longed for.

Our minds are a powerful tool. We can choose to seek God and His truth or we can choose to remain as we always have been.

What circle do you want to be a part of? 1 Corinthians 15:22


by 11 Comments

Christmas – A Revival Celebration

Christmas

A Revival Celebration

The second part to my previous post will come later this week, but I thought this was a VERY important post. I wrote this Christmas 2008, it was a good reminder, with a couple of adjustments … we have an opportunity this season don’t miss it by blending in.

Recently I read in Plain Truth Magazine an interesting article, Jesus Christ – God Incarnate. It mentioned how originally December 25 was a pagan festival commemorating the birthday of a false sun god. It is believed, the church intentionally selected this day to celebrate Jesus’ birth to counteract the pagan feast of the sun god and turn people to the Son of God. Instead of Christianizing a pagan festival the church established the celebration of Jesus’ birth as a revival celebration.

And who do people remember today, Jesus or this sun-god? Seemed their plan worked.

Yet, interestingly after all this time we still have dual celebrations. One is a secular celebration with Santa Claus, Christmas trees, decorations, giving gifts, etc. The other is the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

I knew about the sun-god, that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th, and the pagan origin of many of the secular festivities and decorations, and for awhile these facts put a hiccup in my enjoyment of the season. If there was one thing that God didn’t like, it was His people taking on pagan practices as their own because it could lead them to sin. To top it off the description in Jeremiah 10:2-5 sounded like a Christmas tree to me. Whatever happened to being in the world but not of it?

What struck me in this article was the intention of the church – to have a revival celebration not to “Christianize” the pagan festival. What mindset do we hold today as Christians? When you look around it seems to be Christianizing something pagan. Therefore, the whole dual celebration seems silly, compromising, not what we should do as a people set apart. So, I’ve disengaged to a certain extent from the secular fanfare. (more on this later)

But with this deeper understanding that the intention was a revival celebration . . . my view altered a bit. This new awareness infused a new profound joy into everything about the season – for me it changed from compromise to revival. Compromise dishonors. Revival honors.

Revival is why we celebrate Christ. The word revival suggests new life, new birth, renewal, bring to life someone who once dead. We celebrate His birth and what His birth was the forerunner of, our spiritual birth. Jesus’ birth paints a picture of ours – as He was born of flesh and spirit, we are born of flesh and spirit. Once we are born of the spirit, His life of peace, power, strength, love, mercy, truth, and joy lives in us and gives new life to our mortal bodies. Romans 8:11 We are no longer one of the walking dead, but have become eternal beings experiencing true life. We no longer are who we were; we are free from our past destructive lives and all the pain, sorrow and trouble they manifested. We are no longer mere men but spirit beings having a human experience. 1 Corinthians 3:3

This true life that lives within us is the revival that we bring to each day and what we celebrate this time of year.

As for the pagan festivities. . . as I was praying over this situation I read 1 Corinthians 8. Everything in itself is pure. Romans 14:20 . . . we live with an incredible liberty that the Old Testament folks didn’t have because we have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. They needed all sorts of rules because they didn’t have the spirit of truth and discernment guiding them like we do. Without this spirit it was easy for them to take on pagan beliefs, so they had to stay away completely.

Pagan artifacts become harmful when people attribute power to them however small. Otherwise they are just a tree or a piece of wood – God’s creation. The pagans put up greenery in their homes this time of year, winter solstice, to protect them from death. They attributed a false saving power to it and that is what is harmful. If I put up greenery in my house – I do it because I think it is something beautiful of God’s creation, nothing more. Nothing is harmful in itself it is what we attribute to it – and from His Word, I believe that is what God doesn’t like.

However, by standing out by doing something different this season like putting up different decorations, we would make a much bigger statement to the rest of the world who is in bondage. We blend in too much in my opinion, missing a great opportunity. And that blending in is what is harmful to others.

Most of us don’t attribute power to decorations – that is silly, but what about the gifts we give. If we give gifts to show our “goodness” or to prove our goodness, then we are attributing something more to that act than we should. Or what if we give certain gifts out of pride. All we do should be in love, not for self-glory. Or what if we get caught up in envy and want? Then we are not trusting in God’s perfect provision and we are intermingling with pagan thought practices (thoughts against His will). There are plenty of things during this season to lead us astray in our hearts . . . as with every day.

This is a wonderful and joyous time of year where we take time to celebrate Christ and the new life He came to give. I encourage you to infuse a spirit of revival with each gift you give, each family encounter, each party you attend and each decoration you hang. Stand out. Make a difference. Have people ask, why? Live in the freedom and newness of life and share that life with others by loving them with His love.


by 9 Comments

Circles of Life…. To be Born Again PART 1

Circles of Life….

To be Born Again PART 1

Imagine two separate circles. The smaller one represents the spirit of man and the much larger one represents the spirit of God. We are either a part of one or the other. We enter into them by being born; one by being born in the flesh through man; the other by being born in the spirit through God. John 3:1-21

The first human man to know God, Adam, was the first man into the circle of the spirit of man when he chose to go his own way. This circle encompasses man’s will fulfilling his own desires completely separate thus contrary to God. To be a part of the second circle, the spirit of God, is to be in unison with God’s will and to be one with Him. John 17:23

When we are physically born, we are born of the flesh and therefore into the spirit of man. Our spirit is easily corruptible because it’s detached from God. Further, it’s a spirit that is corrupted because it’s united to the others in the circle who are of the spirit of man and thus corrupted. 1 John 5:19

Within the individual circles everyone is connected. Everyone impacts, influences and affects each other. If we are in the circle we are a part of that circle; being shaped by those in it. Some connections are stronger than others, but all influence one another to some degree. Thus what circle we are in will determine the condition of our spirit.

Where we clearly see the impact of this connection as in the circle of the spirit of man is in families. Everyone has “issues” that has caused a whole host of problems, issues like a lack of value, rejection, neglect, perfectionism, irrational fear, jealousy, addiction, manipulation, and pride. Many of these issues often start with one’s parents, because it’s a strong connection, then those issues are fed by others in the circle. One person gets issues from their parents, which they got from their parents as so on. Issues are passed along like a disease.

When we are born into this world we are born into the spirit of man, therefore we are in bondage to corruption. Psalm 51:5 At conception, we begin to be affected by those in that circle. We are born with a self will that is detached from God and connected to this degraded spirit of man. Immediately, we started to absorb other’s issues like our parents’ issues making them our own. Imagine if we didn’t “own” them how differently our lives would have played out? But we never had a choice to receive them or not we just did because we were connected to them. This influential element is how it is in these circles; we are connected to everyone else because we share the same spirit.

Every issue I’ve had is because I’ve “owned” someone else’s issues. They modeled lack of value, so that is what I learned. They treated me poorly because their own pain, but I took it as something wrong with me. This isn’t pointing the finger – it’s acknowledging that we are all connected. (When we get older we have more of choice about how to handle our issues, though if we are in the circle of man it is just moving from one corruption to the next.) This is true for everyone. And once I owned it, which we do at a young age, it corrupted my mind sending me on a path of ill-thinking, which led to destructive mind and behaviors, thus a corrupted life.

Now you can see how that death/sin was passed along through one man, Adam. And how life is passed along through one man, Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:22 We are all connected. Flesh conceives flesh. Spirit conceives spirit. John 3:6

To be continued …


by 22 Comments

A Superhero’s Strength (PART II)

A Superhero’s Strength

(PART II)

Continued from previous post, How to Become a Superhero (PART I)

What does working in God’s strength mean?

In 2006, God called me to write. At the time, I didn’t like writing. I didn’t think I could write. I had nightmares of writing from the months of writing my masters thesis in graduate school and a corresponding chapter for a scientific book. (sounds exciting, hey?) It was probably one of my least favorite activities. So the fact that I felt compelled to write, I knew it wasn’t my idea, but God’s – especially because I’d be writing about a relationship with Him. After a painstaking week of making the decision to leave the familiar waters of my career behind and plunge into unknown depths, I committed to it. The next day, I sat down, prayed and started writing and … the words flowed. Every morning as I sat down at the computer I prayed – God help me, I can’t do this alone. He always did. I was and still am totally dependent on Him to put words on a page for others to read.

Once committed, God gave me the desire. I enjoy writing. It’s fulfilling and challenging. It’s surprisingly rewarding. It’s been an incredible experience of acting in and depending on God’s strength.

However, though God has shown His faithfulness in this venture every day for five years, I still get a little anxious each time. I am still completely dependent on Him because it has always been about His strength and not mine. However, though it’s “uncomfortable” and I feel “out of control” it’s glorious at the same time as I see His working in my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The Role of Prayer

One of the most powerful ways of embracing God’s strength is through prayer. When we are in God’s will, what we pray will be done. John 15:7 Prayer of a believer who is seeking God’s will is extremely powerful.

In prayer we are reminded God is in control. It’s His power and not ours that makes a difference. In prayer, we humble ourselves to His will. We shift our confidence from us to God. We sync up our lives with His will. We are asking God to do the best for all effected by a situation. We are aligning our minds with truth. We look to God’s strength not ours. We admit our need for help and call upon God to help. Prayer stirs things up. It changes the situation. When we are in line with God’s will, our prayers are powerful.

Dealing with Difficult People

An example I’m sure many can relate to of working in God’s strength where prayer has proven powerful is dealing with difficult family members. Ones who have treated us or those we love poorly. Who have taken advantage. Who have abused the privileges of being part of a family.

On one occasion, as I was seeking God’s counsel with a family member, He told me to establish healthy boundaries but to love that person. (The boundaries would help me to love.) On our own truly loving someone like this can be a difficult task. The resentment, pain or anger may be too much to get past. We can try to fake love and care, but it’s not only hypocritical but a waste of time because our true feeling come out.

However being God’s will that we love him/her, He will provide what we need to truly love. I’ve seen Him do it time and time again. Our part is to be willing to walk in God’s will and submit to it and pray. (It’s easy for our pride to interfere with a willing heart to be humble and love.) With a willing heart, we pray for a heart to love that difficult person. Before each interaction with him/her, we pray for God to give us the right heart and mind. We ask other believers to pray for us.

Summing Up

When we are operating in God’s strength, instead of trusting ourselves to accomplish a project, grow a business, repair a relationship, provide for our family, or protect our family, we can look to God to do those things through us. His strength gives us the ability to do what we do with resolve, persistence and passion. We can approach each day with the attitude of doing what is in front of us, leaving the outcome is in His hands. We are obedient to Him, and leave the results up to Him. Not only does this provide a tremendous peace, but what He’ll do through you will surprise you.

One warning … be prepared to only receive what you need today. God will provide what we need, when we need it. Philippians 4:19. The problem is we want strength not just for today but the rest of the year. We want to feel superhuman. However, God gives what we need today. That daily provision keeps us dependent on Him and not ourselves so that we don’t make an idol of ourselves, or anything else. It is for our own protection and freedom. Matthew 6:34.

2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 4:13

If God has put a passion or purpose on your heart don’t give up. Don’t trust in you or your strength, trust in His. Pray and move forward and see how He brings it to pass. You were never meant to accomplish anything alone. Purposes created by God whether our vocation or to truly love another can only be accomplished by the union of you and Him. Yes, it can be uncomfortable living beyond yourself and yet it’s glorious at the same time because you constantly see God at work in and through your life. It creates an intimacy with God that is rich because of the level of dependency and connection you have to have to live and work in His strength.

What will your life story tell? What do you want it to tell? Let it be a powerful story because you trusted in God’s strength that took you to places beyond yourself.


by 13 Comments

Rewards for Foolishness

Rewards for Foolishness

God will not reward foolishness.

No good father does.

We’ve all seen the scenario of a child acting up in the store and to assuage him the parent lets him have some M&Ms from the check out stand. What does that teach the child? Act up and get rewarded! Thus, the cycle begins. Can you imagine if God did that with us?

A more knowledgeable parent or perhaps a more patient one doesn’t encourage bad behavior and neither does God. God won’t reward us for our foolishness, but for our obedience. Our foolishness hurts us and others so God won’t reinforce it. Instead, we experience the discomforts of our actions instead of reward. Yet, because of His mercy, God keeps us from the full onslaught of the consequences we’ve manifested. He allows as much discomfort as we need to get our attention for the areas He wants to address in our lives. Psalm 107:17, Psalm 119:71

The discomforts (like physical aliments, trying situations or relationships, physical hardships) are to get us to seek. When all is good, we don’t ask. It’s when things go wrong that we start looking for answers. Our discomforts are often a sign we are somehow out of line with God and His will for us.

We chose to be either rebellious children living in a world of affliction because we are not heeding His Word and instruction in our lives. Or to be children who seek to walk in accordance with God’s will because it’s a path of truth, freedom, and love. Obedience is our wills coming in line with God’s so that we start living in the fullness of abundant life He desires for us. As our wills align, we gain unity with God. We live as one with Him in truth, love and purpose. Proverbs 13

Obedience isn’t about forgiveness. We are already forgiven now and always in Christ.

Obedience isn’t about being “good”. No one is good but God. Obeying God’s commands is about walking in God’s will. The moment we focus on trying to be a good person, we act according to our expectations and assumptions about what good means. Because we think we know what good is, we cease to seek God’s will in all things. Instead, we are following our definition of good thus our will, which is limited and often different than God’s. The essence of religion is people trying to be good, according their definitions. It’s easier to follow a set of rules verses seeking and listening to know God’s will day to day, but following rules doesn’t bring abundant life – drawing near to God does. True Christianity is about being in unity with God’s will. Big difference. Obedience is about the heart. If you are in line with God’s will in your heart, the right actions will follow.

Obedience isn’t about US taking control and making things right. It’s about God working in us. For Him to work, we have to submit. For a doctor to do surgery we have to submit to his work. We can’t be running around the hospital. Once we know God’s will for us in a situation, then our focus changes from moving forward our way to His. Part of our submission comes through prayer. Our prayers start to align to His will, and that is when our prayers become powerful. John 15:7

When I have a discomfort like an affliction in my spirit or a physical aliment, I seek. I seek God’s instruction and He opens my eyes to see my error. God doesn’t want us in affliction. He rewards a seeking heart with enlightenment and truth. Usually, it’s something I’ve justified to such an extent that I don’t see it as going against God’s will. But as I seek because of the rising discomfort, the Spirit points it out so clearly that I can’t deny my error. As a child of God, I desire to walk in God’s way. So upon knowing my error, my heart is moved to walk in His truth.

Though I desire to walk in God’s will, it can be hard to obey. We do what we do for a reason; approval, fear, self-protection, or lack of trust. So God also has to deal with this aspect of our rebellion as well. He has to go the source of why we do what we do, not just the outward actions. If you don’t fix the source nothing is fixed. Thus, obedience is a process. It’s a deep work of the heart and that takes time.

Because it’s about the heart, and it’s God who changes our heart, our part is to seek God’s work in us. Our role is to be willing to submit our will to God. To lay down on the surgeons table; to take the small steps of obedience as He leads us; and to pray in line with His will. Because a changed heart isn’t easy, we will never be more dependent upon Him, His strength and mercy. We have to depend on God to carry us through. We have to depend because it’s His work, not ours.

One area for many of us is a change in heart toward another. Can we just change our heart? Have you tried? I find I can’t in my own strength, but I’m not meant to either. My duty is to come to God and desire to submit and pray. I pray before each encounter with that person. I pray for a new perspective about them. I pray for God’s love to abound in me. And above all I trust in His work in me and His grace to carry me through.

Obedience is a process – an affliction or discomfort happens, we seek to understand, the Spirit reveals our error, we submit to God’s will, we pray according to that will, God works through our issues that cause such actions, and we start walking in His will. It’s a journey, but it’s the path to life. I’ve walked through this process in enough areas in my life to know it truly does lead to a more fulfilling, freeing, and loving existence.

Don’t ignore the discomforts or explain them away or think that is just life – seek. Deeply seek and listen as you spend time in God’s Word and prayer. Let God peel back the layers of your soul to expose the truth of your heart and actions because only then can your will start to align with His. As your will aligns with God it begins a sequence of events to bring on a change that will move you out of the discomfort and into the reward. Hebrews 11:6


by 28 Comments

Don’t Awaken Love Until It Pleases

Don’t Awaken Love

Until It Pleases

 

Here is some of the best relationship advice you’ll ever receive …

Song of Solomon 8:4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.

This verse has several meanings, and one is it offers some superb relationship advice, don’t push or manipulate love. Don’t try to force a bond of love where it isn’t – something we see happening a lot today.

Simple isn’t it?  But, how many of us try to stir or awaken love before it pleases?  How many of us know people who do this? With friendships, marriages, children and even with God? People have their plan and drive to accomplish it to their and others detriment. But it’s not about our will, but God’s. He alone knows what is truly best and ultimately most satisfying for us. If we push our will we bring on much more heartache and pain than if we trust and walk in His will for our lives.

Let’s take one example where this pre-awakening occurs, marriage. Marriage is a life long commitment. It’s a decision that has a huge impact on our lives. Yet, many marry for the wrong reasons. Our emotional needs and fears can be very powerful and make it easy to justify and rationalize situations where we would normally have greater discernment.  We push our agenda though it isn’t best. We let our emotional need/fear drive our actions.  Because of the power of our emotions, we need to put God’s Word first and let it dictate our actions, not our emotions.

Here are a few situations where love is awakened before it pleases.

  • “Settling” in marrying someone because you think that is the best you can do.
  • A woman’s ticking biological clock causing her to marry the man in her life at the time, but not the right one for her.
  • Growing older and marrying out of a fear of being alone.
  • Feeling a lack of value and just happy someone will marry you.
  • Loving to be in love, so marrying seeking an idealistic state and not really for the person.
  • Marrying someone who is a “good” person, but not necessarily good for you.
  • Feeling pressure to marry because all your friends are.

Ultimately all of these reasons for marriage are based in fear. God’s counsel and wisdom aren’t based on fear, but on love. If fear is driving your decisions and actions – stop and seek God’s deliverance from your fears. Sometimes we have to seek deep within ourselves to discover our true motives, because our ability to rationalize is great. But it’s a search we all need to take.

It’s God’s desire to give us the best, the best for us. We can trust God to intersect our paths with one who is right for us when it’s time. We need to let Him do His job and not push our will, especially this area. It’s one where ill-made decisions have a significant life changing impact. Though a marriage may sedate certain fears like the ones above, it will bring a whole host of other issues when it isn’t right.

Wait for the right union. Sometimes we have to wait because God is preparing us for the relationship and/or preparing our spouse. When we trust God, then all works as it should and when it should. Nothing is impossible for God. Seek His counsel. Wait on His timing. Don’t be the judge of how everything should work out. Let God create in your life what is perfect for you. Listen and follow where He leads. Walk in His footsteps not your own.

When you are ready, and when the other is ready, then it will occur. It isn’t about being perfect and all your issues dealt with – it’s about being ready for you to enter into a marriage. God brings you to a place within your spirit that will set you up for success. God has an infinite number of ways for your path to cross with one who is right for you. Trust Him in the preparation, timing and how it occurs.

Now what, sit around? No, seek God and the rest will follow. When we seek and draw near to God, He works in us according to His good will and pleasure. He moves us into new situations. He guides us down new paths that lead to a new life in Him. There is nothing that God can’t do, but we have to put Him first – that’s His way. He is to be our first love and then all others follow.

If you are married and you feel it was the wrong decision because it was based on fear and/or the wrong motives, what’s done is done. God can still work it out. Nothing is impossible for Him. He can make all things new. He is the Creator. He can create your marriage into one that will satisfy the both of you. But you have to believe and trust that He can do this work. Our faith is everything. If we succumb to the thought that we are forever in a state of hopelessness that is where we will remain.  Unbelief is a thief to satisfying marriages. When our mind gets overrun by negativity, then we are headed for a downward spiral by our own doing.

Seek God’s face. Trust in His work. If you find trusting Him difficult then spend time with Him. Trust is the fruit of deep a relationship with Him.

Regardless of the relationship don’t awaken love before it pleases, instead trust and leave that part to the Creator.


by 10 Comments

Insight into Old Testament Laws PART 3

Insight into Old Testament Laws

PART 3

 

Continuance from previous posts …

This entry is the last one of three on seeking understanding of the Old Testament Laws  …  Again, I’m addressing these because we know God doesn’t change, and when we read these “nonsensical” laws it can be confusing to why He did what He did. Learning about God is an on-going search and discovery. It’s a process, and in that process of seeking Him we are changed.

Specifications on trimming men’s hair Lev. 19:27

This rule reminded the Israelites that they belonged to God. The Israelites were different and to be set apart from other nations.  Their appearance was a reminder to them and other nations that they were special. We do the same today in that we dress to associate ourselves within certain groups of people. It was an outward symbol that others could see to know what group they belonged.

God’s people are to be separate from the world. We are to in the world but not of it. True separation starts in the heart.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Menstrual uncleanliness – Lev. 15:19-24

Menstrual flow is symbolic of blood covering death for there to be life again. It’s a reminder/ symbol of God’s design, that when there is death, blood is needed as a covering for there to be life.  The un-cleanliness of a woman was due to the death of the seed in her.  This rule is similar to the one in which someone was considered unclean if he touched a dead person. Physical death teaches us about spiritual death. A woman was unclean because death (spiritual) isn’t good. It’s contrary to God, who is life. In Jesus Christ spiritual death was destroyed, as signified by His resurrection. When we are in Him, we overcome spiritual death.

The uncleanliness of death is to teach us spiritual death isn’t good and the blood to remind us that blood (blood of Christ) when it covers us brings life.

Punishment of death for Adultery Lev 24:14

Over and over in the Bible, adultery is used to illustrate what we are doing spiritually when we have idols or put our trust in other things other than God. If we commit spiritual adultery, we will face spiritual death. However, in Christ we are forgiven and thus delievered from spiritual death.

Spiritual adultery is a VERY serious matter. Therefore, physical adultery was very serious; the physical points to the spiritual. When we have this kind illustration, we gain a deeper understanding of the seriousness of spiritual adultery, a seriousness we have lost today.

Homosexuality

As for Homosexuality, the original issue brought up along with these other laws, is also not allowed in the New Testament – therefore it still stands. Romans 1:27 The other laws Christ altered with His fulfillment of the law and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Throughout the Bible marriage and the relations between a man and a woman are symbolic of our relationship with God. Sexual laws are ones that point to spiritual purity. One man (who represents Christ) is to be united to one woman (who represents the church). Not man to man or woman to woman.  As woman is united to one man, we each are to be united to only One, Christ, in purity and holiness.

Further Reading … Man of Love, Man of War

We need to have the humility and understanding that we aren’t God and seek truth and understanding from Him as to His ways. His ways are so far above ours that we won’t ever fully understand for we don’t have His mind, but if we seek then God promises to enlighten us as best as we can understand at the time.


by 22 Comments

Eternal Truths of those CRAZY Old Testament Laws

Eternal Truths of those

CRAZY Old Testament Laws

An email was forwarded to me from a man who listed several points about the Word of God in a response to the claim by Dr. Laura that homosexuality is an abomination according to the Word of God. He addressed issues regarding the laws of the OT (Old Testament), in which he thought they were nonsensical. His point was to show the laws were absurd and therefore dismiss anything it may say about homosexuality. Many stumble at these issues so I felt it was important to talk about them. Here I address each of the topics he mentioned. I hope this brings some light though I realize there is much to learn.

Seeking with a mindset to truly know and not to lift ourselves above God allows us to be open to learn from Him. If we seek to know God as He is, then we will start to see the perfection in all His ways, and how all works together to teach us and instruct us. God is love. All He does is in love. As we seek to understand His truths with this mindset and trust the Holy Spirit to teach us, we see that is the case.

Before we get started a couple of points. The Word is written layer upon layer so that each passage holds layers of truth. It’s incredibly rich and deep, which makes seeking and learning an on going process. Second, those of the OT didn’t have the Holy Spirit to guide and to teach them, therefore they needed numerous external rules to live by. Third, the stories and events of the OT point to spiritual truths, eternal truths. The laws are symbolic and reminders of God’s truth. Each one pointed to a deeper spiritual truth, and those truths endure though many of the rules do not – as they were no longer need with the coming of Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

God is God and we are not. We see a sliver. He sees eternity. He knows how all works together. We think we know better and we know best, we don’t. God knows our nature better than we do. He understood that the Israelites needed boundaries, rules, reminders of His truths to be constantly before them. He understood if you give people an inch they take a mile. God knows the human nature better than any. All the “rules” were for the Israelites protection and continuance of a nation. He needed to protect them because from that lineage Christ would come. At the manifestation of Jesus Christ not only was He the perfect fulfillment of the law but we are now able to receive the Holy Spirit to guide us so we didn’t need all those outward reminders. Further, God was building illustrations that taught eternal truths and many pointing to Christ. On with the issues …

Slavery Leviticus 25:44, Exodus 21:7

God allowed slavery for a reason to serve certain purposes. It caused history to play out in a certain way. We can’t understand the beginning from the end or the full purpose of its existence, because all we’ve know is history with it. Like today, our systems serve certain purposes though far from perfect. Some systems seem unfair, but that is our estimation. We aren’t qualified to judge, because we see only a sliver of time. We think we know what fair is. We haven’t a clue. We don’t see the beginning and the end. We don’t understand the fullness of our purpose here on earth. Ecc 3:11 We are trying to play God when we think we do.

In addition, the way the world is at any one time is to teach us spiritual truths and the “negative” teaches just as much as the positive, if not more so. Slavery in the physical taught us about slavery in the spiritual. If there was no slavery we would lack understanding. We can’t see the spiritual so the physical is there to teach us about it in a way we can understand.

The more important truth is we are all slaves either to God or to “Satan”. It’s the spiritual life that matters much more than the physical. The physical life is but a nit; the spiritual for eternity. We put far too much weight on the physical and not enough on the spiritual life. Many people today are slaves to greed, lust, and a whole host of things that are far worse than physical slavery. And it this internal slavery that Christ came to free us from. Freedom is an illusion to those who are slaves to this world.

Matthew 10:28 , 1 John 5:19, Titus 2:9, James 4:14

Animal sacrifices – Lev 1:9

Animal sacrifices pointed to Christ. God designed this world that life is to be given for life for there to be forgiveness; blood for blood. The sacrifice of the animals was to teach us about the seriousness of our sin – how it separates us from God and what is required for us to be reunited to Him – the life of another. For the Israelites, it was a constant reminder of their need for forgiveness and that it’s only life that can pay the price for sin.

With Christ, the eternal sacrifice, an animal sacrifice and having to do it over and over is no longer needed.

Further reading – Lesson in Sacrifice

To be continued ….


by 14 Comments

The Melody of Seeking God

The Melody of Seeking God

About four years ago, I started playing the piano. I played as a kid at my parents’ will, so you know how that went – I never practiced. When I decided to play as an adult, I resolved to put in the time, an hour a day. Overall I’ve maintained that discipline. With that dedication, I thought I would be a lot further along than I am, but I didn’t realize how much was involved in music – there is so much to learn.

My experience with learning the piano has a curious similarity to my daily quiet time with God, (a time of drawing near to Him and seeking Him through His Word).  Sometimes when I sit down I play well. I feel connected to the music, engaged, and like I’m making progress. Other times I have the opposite experience. My fingers fumble, my touch is rough, and I can’t seem to play the piece I played well yesterday – frustrating. At times, it feels like I’m going backwards, and after all this time!

Regardless of how I played that day, I know every time I sit down I’m moving deeper into the world of music. I’m becoming more familiar with this amazing instrument.  I’m learning and growing. It just takes time, persistence and dedication. Over time, I can see this is true. I’m much further along than where I started. Over the years, the music that I create becomes more beautiful. It’s becoming a part of me. When a play a piece with my soul, it’s tremendous and I get to that point by sitting at the piano each day. I wait for the day when I’m so united to that instrument that it’s an extension of me.

Seeking God is very similar. Some days, you may not feel connected or engaged despite your efforts to draw near. You feel you are moving backwards in your spiritual development and understanding.  As you draw near to God, you have more questions as you realize there is much to learn. Other days, you feel incredibly close and connected, you are learning and growing and it’s magnificent. Regardless of how you feel, each time you sit with God to seek His face and His truth you are drawing closer.

When you step back, and look over time you‘ll discover much has come out of this time with God.  Your thinking is different. Your trust, faith, truth and love have been refined and expanded. Your relationship with God has deepened. And as you persist, your connection with Him becomes more real, powerful and consuming. You become deeply connected to Him, Him in you and you in Him, which manifests a powerful union and an abundant life.

Like learning an instrument, developing a relationship with God is a journey. It takes time. It isn’t instant. But as you resolve to spend that time with Him each day, you will grow closer and closer. You will learn amazing truths that change you. You are nourishing a relationship that is above and beyond any relationship you will ever know.

Don’t let your emotions decide whether you will seek God or spend time with him. Resolve to get to know Him as He is, to learn from Him, and to listen to what He has to teach you. If I practiced the piano based on how I felt, I would be no where. Seeking God is the same. Seek Him to get to know Him. Dedicate time each day to getting to know Him as He is and nourishing your relationship with Him.

The Bible abounds with promises to those who seek and trust God (trust comes from knowing which comes from seeking). Psalm 5:11, 9:10, 17:7, 18:30, 31:19, 34:10, 34:22, 40:16, 69:32, 119:2 Seeking Him in truth and spirit is the path to those promises because it’s the path to deep fellowship with Him.

Like playing an instrument, it is never too late to start seeking God. Resolve to seek Him, to get to know Him, so that your love for Him may be sincere and true. Seek God and the music of your life will start to sound a beautiful melody that will astound you.

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.