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God is Calling to You

God is Calling to You

Are You Listening; Do You Hear?

 

John 3:21 “But he who DOES the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been DONE In GOD.”

God’s voice comes to us from deep from within. His call is to follow His ways, which lead us from an existence of torment, angst, pain, and suffering and into green pastures and still waters. His wisdom leads to rest; internal and external rest (for the two are deeply intertwined). If you are in Him, you have His wisdom and your physical life reflects that gift, power, and peace.

If You Are Listening …

If you follow God’s leading, your life reflects His presence. You are ever increasing in wisdom, truth, knowledge, understanding, compassion, forgiveness, peace, blessing, protection, favor, health, loving kindness and the purest of love for all. This is how you know you are in Him. Your life testifies to it. And in these days this growth is accelerating for those who are following Him because Christ is gathering those who love Him to Him. He is truth.

The truth, Christ, is here, calling from within. The stone has been rolled back from the well of living waters. Truth is gushing out and meeting you where you are at, in your soul where His seed is sown. At first, you’ll perceive His leading as a good/cleansed/renewed conscience, which in time becomes apparent is His voice. You’ll be prompted to let go of bad habits and thoughts and embrace new ones. To forgive, to let go, and to give mercy instead of judgment. You’ll change your ways, priorities, and how you live. You’ll leave some friends and embrace others. Honor will grow for all people. You’ll start to care for the temple, your body, as His precious vessel. A loving spirit will replace a judging and adulterous one. Wisdom will fill your decisions and choices; thus creating paths of peace instead of angst/hardship. As you follow these promptings, your desires will start to change until they are in unity with His. Then you will abide in total freedom as a child as you no longer have a battle in your mind, because your desire is His. Mark 10:15 Then your entrance is granted into the kingdom of heaven as you are adorned in light. 2 Peter 1:10-11

This transformation occurs because you are moving deeper into truth; the mind/body of Christ. Your soul will become adorned with garments of light (truth/righteousness). Revelation 3:5 These garments of light are your protection from the increasing evils of the days, as light repels darkness. They hide you from the enemy, for they allow you entrance into the kingdom of heaven, which is the ark of safety, rest and peace. Revelation 3:10 As you listen to the voice of truth teaching you good from evil, for until now many have called what is evil good and what is good evil, God’s presence will engulf you leading you out of the pit. He’ll “rapture” you from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light (truth). It is a “rapture” of the mind and spirit. With the faith of God, you create life for He is life. Without these garments of truth, you can’t enter into the kingdom of heaven (light) for the kingdom is truth. You have to become it, to be in it. Once you start to become as Christ, then you truly start to see Him as He is. With spiritual truths, you only know them when you become them and they are a part of you.

If You AREN’T Listening …

By our faith, we create.

Those who DON’T listen to the Great Shepherd’s voice calling from within for whatever reason (religion, ways of world, thinking He is coming from outside them, Matthew 13:1-8) will continue to follow the paths of death. With their minds, they are creating the paths they walk. If your mind is full of darkness that is what you create. If it is full of life, then that is what you create. The works of your hands (beliefs) judge you because they manifest in your life and you have to live by them. If darkness, then suffering. If light, then peace and rest.

As the truth springs out of the earth, it will reveal all the works of darkness. Those souls who have walked contrary to God will manifest what they have chosen; paths that have no wisdom. As God’s mercy is lifted all will be revealed for what it is as the works are exposed for what they are. Wisdom will flee from their lives increasing the hardships. The will will become uncontrollable as darkness consumes it. Thus, they will create their own reality of strife, hardship, pain and suffering as they chose what wasn’t of the true God, His truth. This is their judgment inflicted by their own hands. Ezekiel 24:14

This depravity is a downward spiral, for the more angst you have in your life, the harder it is to follow the truth. God’s voice comes as a still small voice. When our souls are in a peaceful state it is easiest to hear Him. This is why the morning is the best time to seek truth and the voice of God, for your mind is the most peaceful. But as lives grow in travail, the anxiousness of people’s minds will make it harder to discern, hear, and trust that voice from within. Fear drives us with a horrific compulsion, which once strong in us it rules us to follow it to its demise. We all have had those times when our soul is stressed and how much harder it is to hear God. Imagine that amplified. In this state, to turn to God’s ways (true repentance) and stop the increasing strife will be harder. True repentance = in the moment of decision; choosing to following God’s prompting instead of any other drive/motive. This is why it is so important to seek the truth of God now. For when you listen and follow God it creates rest and peace, which allows more rest and peace to manifest.

Yet, this growing angst in people’s souls isn’t without perfect purpose by a loving God. It will serve them who think they are rich and don’t need to trust God or have a false image of God. Revelation 3:17 In time, by the salvation of God in the power of Christ’s love, their eyes will be opened to see the depravity of their ways, though great shame will follow especially for those who followed a false image of God. This awareness will bring them to truly becoming poor in spirit. The rich can not enter the kingdom of heaven (and there are many forms of riches), but God knows how to make a spirit poor. Matthew 19:23-26 He is The Creator. Their ways and strongholds of false powerless idols will be revealed for what they are. This awareness is a great gift for it in many will truly desire to cease walking in their ways and embrace the wisdom of God, which is His perfect will.

What to do?

Create a place and time of stillness, peace and quiet in your life. Some will have to make a lot of changes to their daily habits. Start to listen to Christ, the truth, calling to you with bands of love from within. Follow His promptings in our situations and in how He teaches you to think. Feast on Him. Eat His body, truth, and drink His blood, spirit. John 6:53 In the union of these two; spirit and truth, spiritual life is born. Seek to find the pearl of wisdom, Christ’s spirit in you, and you know when you have found it for you sell all else (all other things that direct/influence your soul; religion and ways of world), and embrace the presence of God wanting to fill and enrapture you into His marvelous kingdom of peace.


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Trust of a Child

Trust of a Child: Gaining Child-like Faith

 Luke 18:17 “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

One central aspect to being a child of God who enters into the Kingdom of God is trust; a trust that leads to a rest in your soul because you know your Father is working ALL out perfectly. Psalm 57:2, Hebrews 4:11 In a restful state there is no worry, angst, fear, anxiety, or any other emotion that takes you away from abiding in peace.

Matthew 7:11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Growing up, I was blessed to never go hungry. Usually each night my mom prepared a balanced healthy dinner. I never wondered about dinner; if there would be any, how or where we would have it, how it was being cooked, or if it would be nutritious to help me to grow healthy and strong. I trusted in my parents to provide as they saw best and never gave it a second thought after all they were my parents. Matthew 6:8

Imagine if I trusted myself. After a day of playing, I would scour the neighborhood anxiously looking for a piece of bread. This lack of trust is what most do when it comes to God. They are like children scouring the neighborhood thinking God doesn’t care, He isn’t there, or they’re supposed to get their own dinner. It isn’t meant to be this way …

In ALL things we are to act in faith. Romans 14:23 This means trusting God and not ourselves, someone else, how we do something, or what we do. It means we trust God as the giver of all good things. James 1:17 We trust in His ability to work in and through us. We trust Him to provide in a faultless way because of His pure love. This type of trust is child-like faith. We don’t know how dinner will come, but we know we can trust God to provide it every time and it will be perfect because He IS our Father.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Peaceful, Honoring Prayer

This perspective is a fundamental aspect of prayer. In prayer, we give our situation over to God to work it out perfectly; Thy will be done. We let it go. We don’t judge how He is working it out. This honors God as God our Father. As God’s children, when we ask for His help we trust that He IS working it out. Sometimes it will be what we expected, more often times not. But we trust God will do what is flawless. Hindsight shows His perfection. God takes away a job, but puts us somewhere better. God removes us from a relationship, only to realize it was unhealthy. We experience the consequence of our sin, but we learn to walk in His wisdom, not our own. When we ask for His help, He gives us the fulfillment of our true desires, not what we think we need in our extremely limited understanding.

We think we know what is best and good; we don’t, only God does. Mark 10:18 We have to trust His goodness and not what we see because of how differently He might lead us in the fulfillment of our true desires. 1 Corin 2:5 If we trust Him, He will fulfill and exceed all we need in the perfect way and timing.

Psalm 34:10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

Let go of your expectations. Leave each step up to God. Trust He is working because He said He is to those who seek Him. Hebrews 13:21 Seek to walk according to His will and wisdom and not your own. James 1:1-8 This is the rest we are to have in every area of our lives.

In trust, we know whatever is happening God is in each detail bringing about what we need. Any one night, dinner may have come through my mom’s cooking, going out to eat, going to a friend’s house, or picking up dinner to bring home. I trusted them with the how and what. Do the same with God … leave the details up to Him. He loves you more than the perfect parent. Most don’t trust, so they go their own way to their detriment. God knows best. And when we trust, we are amenable to seek and follow His ways as He leads. If we expect our Mom’s meatloaf to be ready at 6PM, when it doesn’t come we’ll think she forgot about us. Meanwhile, she was waiting in the car to take us to our favorite restaurant. Leave it all to God. Follow where HE leads. He works outside of our understanding and for our best.

Want to trust God to this extent? Get to know Him. Spend time with Him one-on-one, each day seeking His face in spirit and truth. Most don’t trust because they don’t know truly know God or His love, get to know Him and you’ll know His love, then true trust will follow.


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Increasing Faith through “Buying & Selling”

Increasing Faith through “Buying & Selling”

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

A middle aged man wakes each morning scanning the Wall Street Journal while he enjoys his caffeine charge. On the train to work, he pours over his latest business magazine, one of many, soaking in the new trends seeking to be the best leader he can be. He’s proficient in implementing what he has learned and is seeing some results; though not enough for the advancement he wants, so he pushes on. After putting in extra hours at the office in hopes to earn a promotion (adding to his responsibility, time at the office, and stress) he heads home and gives the leftover energy and time to his family. He works hard and makes extensive sacrifices for the sake of his family. The next day the hamster wheel begins again. As the years close upon him, he battles between pushing harder and growing apathy as the youthful competition is at his heels. On the weekend, he goes to a conference in his industry in hopes of gaining insight on how to obtain his goals; the ultimate goal being to rest, enjoy his accomplishments and relax. But for now, the sacrifices must be made; it’s just the way it is, or is it?

Another middle aged man wakes each morning and spends time in communion with God as he enjoys his cup of steaming coffee with cream and sugar. He seeks for wisdom and prays for his employees. He receives specific counsel and instruction on pending business issues. He heads out to the office enjoying a relaxing drive after rush hour. He handles problems with astuteness, formulates creative business solutions with ease and proficiency. Because he trusts that God is in control and the provider, an atmosphere of joy, true care for the employees, and rest permeates the office. After a productive day, he heads home at 4PM before the traffic and enjoys an engaging evening with his family. On the weekend, he enjoys doing what he wants and continuing to abide in peace and rest.

Faith is acting on a concept or idea because we believe it will fulfill a hope. One man had faith in the wisdom of “successful” business practices of his effort, the other in God’s wisdom and His work.

Faith is increased in an idea by “buying and selling”.  This exchange is how we manifest “our truth”.

We “buy and sell” when we learn a concept, then mix our belief with it (faith), then act on it and see the results thus gaining more faith than we started with (selling). The process continues, back and forth. One man learned a business concept (put in more hours at the office), believed it would help him reach his goals, and acted on it.  If you receive (buy) the concept that working 12 hours a day will advance you in your career, then you mix your belief with that concept, and act on it and see results and continue in that direction, you are “buying and selling” that concept.  When you see some results, your faith grows that you are on the right path even though your end goal hasn’t been accomplished. Thus, your faith is established and increased in that concept.

We can “buy and sell”, or establish faith, with one of two kingdoms, which I mentioned in a previous post. One kingdom and all its ways are of God, and the other is counter to God. Thus, when we are buying from one, we can’t buy from the other.

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

When we buy from one kingdom, we sell back to the same kingdom with our actions thus we serve that kingdom because we serve its wisdom and ways.  Which kingdom we have cultivated a relationship with, or “buy and sell” with, is the one we have faith in, thus serve and bear the mark or name of. Revelation 13:17, Deuteronomy 30:19

We glorify and worship with our lives the kingdom we “buy and sell” with. The first man chose the kingdom of worldly wisdom, thus serving its ways and king. 1 John 5:19 John 8:44 The second man chose the kingdom of God’s wisdom, thus serving its ways and King.

In Revelation, Christ Jesus tells us to buy gold refined in the fire from Him. Revelation 3:18  He is instructing us to “buy and sell” faith in Him. Gold is our faith. 1 Peter 1:7  The refinement in the fire is the purifying of that faith that occurs as we continue to “buy and sell” and increase our faith through acting on His ways and truths in our lives.

Here is how it works. We learn a concept from the Holy Spirit. With our current level of faith, we act on that concept; we see the positive results and our faith is increased. As we continue this back and forth exchange, faith in God and His ways grows in our lives and our lives bear the fruit of it:  peace, rest, joy, satisfaction, purpose, and unchanging value.

We “buy and sell” from one of the two kingdoms in all areas of our lives; health, relationships, work, hobbies, purpose, value, etc. Our lives will reflect which kingdom we’ve been fostering faith in and much more as the Day of the Lord dawns.

Which kingdom are you buying and selling with? Are you buying gold, which has been refined in the fire, from Christ? Do you experience the riches from having that precious gold? Or are you a serving the one that will never deliver what you truly seek but manipulates your hope to keep you holding on? Only an investment in the Kingdom of God will return to you what you ultimately seek.

Psalm 57:2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.