A new PODCAST (click here to listen) is available on overcoming discouragement in our lives. You can also get it at itunes. Search for Stirring the Deep under podcasts.
Overview: Discouragement is something we all face. In this show, I talk about how to defeat the discouragement in your life by embracing the truth. It isn’t an “ignorance is bliss” ideal that often comes with the “positive” thinking philiosophy, but it’s looking head on at the truth of our situations and battling them with the truth. God has given us much in Christ. We need to learn and embrace what we have in Him.
Ephesians 1:18-19 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
A new PODCAST (click here to listen) is available on overcoming discouragement in our lives. You can also get it at itunes. Search for Stirring the Deep under podcasts.
Overview: In the previous show, I talked about the source of discouragement and how when we get to the source we are enabled to battle this debilitating emotion.
Here I talk about three consequences of falling into discouragement and the steps to come out of it. This is an emotion that steals many precious moments of our lives that could be filled with growth and peace. It’s an emotion we all experience, yes, but we don’t have to dwell and live in it.
Proverbs 8:17 love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.
When I started cultivating a relationship with God, there were obstacles I had to overcome; barriers that suppressed my motivation to seek God as He calls us to.
Giving up our ways and will isn’t easy but that is what moving into a real relationship with God requires. It’s a willingness to go down another path, to acknowledge our ways might be wrong and to change direction. The very concept of seeking means we are looking for something we haven’t discovered before and when we find it to be willing to let it change us.
Letting go to embrace the truth of God begins with understanding what we are holding onto and why. When we understand the nature of our blockades then we can penetrate it with God’s truth. God showed me two significant lies I held that kept a wall between Him and I, two I believe many others share; a fear of embracing all of God’s character and putting others between us and God so the relationship is impersonal and indirect.
First, I was misled that if I fully embraced God as all powerful, just, righteous, and sovereign, then hardships and intense tribulations would consume my life. What if He led me down a path like Job’s, sent me to places I didn’t want to go, or made me live in outward depravity? I wasn’t ready for that life, nor did I want it. So I kept a safe distance and sought Him very little. It feels similar to thinking about getting married, for some of us. The fear of being hurt, making the wrong choice, and being stuck in something we don’t want can plague our thoughts. These fears block openness and trust that are required to move forward in a relationship. However, when the desire is strong to be united to someone, then the longing starts to override the fears. I came to the point in my life when my desire to be united in truth to God was overriding my fear of letting go and trusting Him. I began to seek within a comfort zone by spending a little time with God each day. God is patient and longsuffering. He meets us where we are at. He knows our thoughts, fears, and doubts about Him. He knows everything. They don’t disappear in an instance, but over time as we get to know Him. He connects with us in whatever season of life we are in and works with the faith we have.
Over time, as I learned about God the fear began to subside. He was much different than what I had been taught. He opened my eyes to the truth and it replaced the fears I held onto. He showed me His true character in the circumstances of my life and my trust grew.
God’s love is unlike any love we know. He desires the very best for us. When we commit to learning about Him, we discover who He is and not who we created Him to be; the image that made us fear being close to Him. This image, which we learned from the world, false teachings, family dynamics, and other mediums, is gradually replaced with the truth producing a real relationship with God; a relationship according to His design, not ours. He taught me I had nothing to fear and that He was my hope, life and the source to everything I needed and truly desired. When you taste of God’s love, mercy, care and goodness, a hunger develops to be consumed by Him.
We don’t need to be afraid to learn who God is. As we spend time with Him we learn this truth. We don’t have to fear what Job went through. Though his trial was intense, it lasted only a season, it wasn’t his life. Job’s life was incredibly blessed. Job 42:10-17 There have been times in my life where I went through something so difficult that I thought I would rather die than live, but those times were only for a season. Overall my life has been exceptionally blessed. In hindsight, I wouldn’t change my past. Those hard times taught me truths that I probably couldn’t have learned any other way and those truths set me free to have a better present. Most of my trials came from my own stubbornness, depravity and living lies. If I would have sought and trusted in God’s way initially I would have avoided many hardships, but those times brought me to Him, so I am thankful. Unfortunately most of us grow by difficulties not ease. We grow by experience not theories.
As we spiritually mature, our fear will continue to fade and the only dread we will have is being separated from God in any way. Bit by bit we surrender a little more. We must fight the influence of this world telling us that a life with God is anything but glorious. God is life. In Him we experience true life.
My second blockade was people. Godly men and women were my bridge to God. I didn’t trust or believe that I could learn and know God like these seemingly godly people. Besides, my time was limited and I didn’t have the time to give to search out His depths like they did. What if God thought about me like that? What kind of relationship is this I am offering Him, one all about me? I depended on others to teach me, lead me and nurture my spirituality. God and I had an indirect relationship. I only knew Him through others because I put the church system and others in place of Him. It’s like spending time with our spouse’s friends instead of your husband. We will learn a little about him, but we lack the intimacy of a true marriage. God calls us to know Him personally, not just hear about Him from another’s words, sermons, books, or teachings. God has given us His spirit, His Word and He is calling each one of us to come to Him directly. This intimacy is Christ’s gift to us.
Letting go of the middle man takes faith and faith comes from the Word. Come to God in the quiet of the day and ask God who He is; to show you His truth and ways. To open your eyes and ears to see and hear Him.
Seek God. Don’t be afraid of drawing near to Him because any fear isn’t real. He is love. But you must fight your fears by drawing a little closer each day so you can experience His goodness. And don’t hand your relationship over to another. It’s yours to nurture and develop. When you do you will discover a relationship that will be your greatest treasure.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
A new PODCAST (click here to listen) is available on the second part on living in God’s wisdom.
Overview: This show continues the discussion on seeking and gaining the wisdom of God from the previous show, Sister Wisdom. I talk about how we come to know God’s wisdom and obstacles that we face along the way.
The source of our truth affects everything in our lives. To live in the abundant life that Christ Jesus came to give, we have to seek His truth and walk in it. As long as we are walking contrary to Him, we will be creating destruction in our lives. Seeking wisdom is a core act for every true believer.
I’m discovering when you dive into the issues, fears, bad choices, and unhealthy behaviors of people, the core cause is a lack of inherent value, which comes from a feeling of rejection.
I’m beginning to think this core issue (which has many faces) is the black hole in each one of our souls, which the only remedy is oneness with God.
At birth, Our Creator, the One who matters above all, is disconnected from us because of the sin nature we are born into. In this disconnect, we experience a sense of rejection that breeds a lack of value. (Deep unchanging value comes from God. A fullness and completeness of us comes by being connected to Him.)
However, this gap between God and us isn’t our intended state. We were created to be one with God in a bond of love. But because of our corruption that comes from choosing self over Him, we are rejected. God can’t be united to that which isn’t holy, for He is holy. That self-seeking aspect of us that leads us to follow self verses God is the sin that was passed along through Adam. He chose to follow himself and do what he thought best instead of walk in unity with God. Thus, he severed the bond with God and was cast out of His presence. Because we are all connected, that corrupted state is a part of us.
To our further destruction, we spend our lives trying to fill that void with everything but God. The world, governed by the first one to reject God and go his own way (Lucifer), offers a smorgasbord of lies promising to fill that vast hole. They are empty vanities of how we can gain the value we desperately need to rid ourselves of that feeling of rejection. Relationships, sex, lust, goodness, self-righteousness, the perfect parents, children who love us, success, financial wealth, perfect bodies, power, perfect health, fame, control, and so on.
In trying to fill this void and suppress the feeling of rejection, we develop all kinds of bad habits to “protect” ourselves and gain value. We build walls, lash out to control others, manipulate emotionally, withdraw from others, and become people pleasers. We become slaves to others brokenness as we try to earn approval and acceptance. We stomp on others to make ourselves stronger. We become addicted to substances/things to subdue our feelings. We surround ourselves with people trying to fill the void, yet remain completely alone.
The only way to remedy our state is to be reconciled to the One by which that void was created, God. All those other things can’t accomplish what we desire, because they can’t. God loves us. He wants us to be reconciled back to Him as He showed us through Christ Jesus.
Only through Christ, our eternal forgiveness and reconciliation, is the pathway to God opened. However, Jesus is only the door. To find deliverance from the destruction we created and oneness, we have to journey into gate and into God’s presence. By abiding in God’s presence, (seeking His face to know Him and be one with Him), we are put on a path of healing and restoration for our souls. We experience God and His love. We understand how our ways lead to death and how His lead to life and the fulfillment and satisfaction of our souls. Through this journey, we chose God above all else.
Having spent our lives trying to obtain value from all these other sources, it takes time to develop a relationship with God that is strong enough to trust Him to let go of all these other things. Though they haven’t worked, we hold onto the hope that they do, because the world tells us they do. We have to intimately know God to the extent to be able to truly turn from all that we have held on to, thus turn from self (true repentance) and be deeply rooted to Him, nothing else.
God wants nothing to fill that void but Him because only He can. He created us to be in a bond of love with Him, therefore nothing else will suffice. Anything else is an idol, which is full of empty hope. God is offering Himself to us; we only need to embrace Him in truth and spirit.
In theory, turning from self and embracing God sounds easy. I’ve found it isn’t. The path to oneness with God is narrow and few find it, because the multitude of lies in this world that tells us the contrary. It’s a journey that has to be walked with God one-on-one. No one can do it for us. We can’t do it by listening to others talk about it or talk about God. Others can only point the way. We have to spend time with God like someone we love. Though this process we get to know Him, so we can trust Him and let go of everything we tried to use to fill that void and be united to Him. In giving up the empty hopes, what we lose is the superficial temple we built trying to find our own glory. What we gain is who we were created to be as one united to God.
Dig deep into God. What are those things that you are defining yourself by? Those things you are trying to fill that void with? Seek God to know Him as He is. In time, you will start letting all vanity to embrace the One who can fill you as you desire.
Overview: Most all of us long to have a sense of purpose that is beyond just eating, sleeping, and working day in and day out. For some of us, this unfulfilled aspect has plagued our lives sending us into places of darkness and despair. In this show I share my personal struggle and journey. I talk about our purpose and how it is found in a relationship with God because we were created to be in unity with Him. Apart from Him we will remain unfulfilled and ever searching. Though the world offers glimmers of hope in this area, only in God is it found to its fullness as we desire and God desires for us.
Overview: The main difference from a maturing believer and one who isn’t is a seeking heart. Those who diligently seek to know, trust and love God are those who experience Him and abide in His kingdom. In this show, I talk about what this seeking entails, why it is important and how God rewards those who seek Him. Seeking is the key to knowing God in truth and Spirit and walking in His power. It is what changes your life to be united to Him.
The ultimate choice we have to make is between following God and following self. Following God leads to eternal life and following self leads to death. To be in unity with God, we have to turn from our self-will (true repentance) and follow God’s will. In following God we seek to do only His will, just as Jesus did. John 5:30 But we don’t know God’s will unless we seek to know – thus why God tells us to seek and live. Amos 5:4 When following self we do what we think is good and right – whatever it is.
To learn about God through the Bible a similar approach must be taken in order to draw near to God in truth and spirit – we have to deny self.
God tells us to believe in Him. The Bible with the instruction of the Holy Spirit is a gateway to deeply knowing God so we can believe in Him as He is. This venue isn’t everyone’s; for we are all unique. But it is a part of my journey, and for you who feel called to this thought-provoking venue will resonate with my journey.
Reading the Bible isn’t about learning “techniques of good living” to then fulfill our own purposes and desires. We have to let go of all our self-will in coming to God in order to really know God and for Him to be our Lord.
There are three areas of denying our self-will when abiding in the Bible in order to learn about God, thus draw near in truth and Spirit.
The first area is in regards to making time to seek God. It’s putting abiding in the Bible to be taught by the Holy Spirit as the priority. Consider all the times you’ve put something above spending time with God, when God has told you to seek Him first. Matthew 6:33 Times you choose to sleep in, attend to another person, do a task, or get consumed in work. At those times, YOU are deciding what is more important versus doing what GOD has told you to do – love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, to put Him first, and to diligently seek Him. This choice to do what you want is following your self-will. When you continue this pattern, deep down you think you know better, otherwise you would do what God says. So who’s will is dominating in you?
The second area is who you focus on when you do abide in the Bible. To get to know God through the Bible, you have to set your needs, wants, and expectations aside and focus on God. If you read the Bible with the mindset and motive that is focused on you, then you aren’t denying self, you are putting self first. You are putting your self-will and what you think the time in the Bible should be about above seeking to know God. Instead of saying, God, what do you want to teach me? What do you want me to know about you? It’s always about fixing you, searching for a certain answer, or preparing for a Bible study. Whose will is in control at this point?
If your interactions with your spouse were always about you, you would learn very little about her/him. There would be no true intimacy or bond. You would do what you thought that person wanted, but you really wouldn’t have a clue. You haven’t sought to know him/her intimately because every interaction has been about you. Therefore you wouldn’t have a real relationship, certainly not a healthy one. With God it’s the same. We have to realize we don’t know God unless we individually seek to know Him. Until we do we have a false image of Him, which means we have a false relationship. It’s necessary to seek Him while putting ourselves aside to know Him as He is. Then we’ll start to develop a real relationship.
The third area has to do with conforming the Bible to your beliefs versus the Bible molding your beliefs. It’s realizing that you have filters and ways of viewing God and the Bible that are wrong. That you hold ideas that you think are “truth” but aren’t. When you come to learn of God, you have come with a humble heart which is willing to receive and hear anything God may teach you instead of trying to fit the Bible to your paradigms. If you think you already know, you don’t really seek. You conform what you read and hear to what you already believe. If you think you already know then who are you following when you abide in the Bible?
In order to know God through the Bible, there is a choice to make, God or self. It’s a prelude to the ultimate choice of choosing Him in everyway over our self-will.
The way to life is choosing God. The only way for the Bible to be unsealed to you so you can draw near to God in truth and spirit is to choose God in these areas. If you don’t deny self when coming to the Bible to be taught by the Holy Spirit, then you are reading for your own purposes and goals based on what you think is good. Your will is in control. This is how the Pharisees could know the scriptures, but be totally off. They used them to fulfill what they determined was right and good.
God has to be first. He is Lord. He can’t be second.
One side note, letting go of self-will isn’t about losing your identity. It’s coming to the understanding that God’s will is good and leads to true life and therefore that is what you want to do. If you were walking through a dense forest and you had a guide with you who knew the best and safest way to get through it, what would you do? You would follow him. Same with God. God knows the path to life. We walk with Him when our will is submitted to Him because then we are walking in His footsteps. The journey leads us to what we’ve always truly and deeply desired, because God is that good.
Tomorrow when you sit down to learn about God through the Bible consider these three areas. Ask the Spirit to examine your heart; are you really making this about God and seeking Him or about you?
As I was nearing the end of Hard Work, I knew why; the dedication these men showed for their passion. Regardless of obstacles or situations beyond their control, their resolve to their passion and their purpose was astounding. At that time, I needed that resolve – and God used those books to show me what that meant. But I couldn’t have that resolve without God’s strength.
As believers we are God’s workmanship created for certain purposes. Ephesians 2:10. However, when challenges arise putting us face to face with our vulnerabilities, fears, and weakness, we can have the tendency to pull back, become stagnant, or give up. We start to believe we don’t have what it takes like the resources, ability, wisdom, or energy.
Often for what God calls us to do, we don’t have what it takes of ourselves. However, as a believer we never face anything alone. God is working in and through us to accomplish the works He created us to do. Our part is to submit and do what He says. When we submit to God’s work in us by being obedient His word and leading, then we have His strength and are able to accomplish far beyond what we imagined, yes like a superhero.
Therefore for the challenge that lies in front of us, like a struggling marriage, health issues, demanding work, or problematic children, we don’t have to be concerned about our endurance, ability, or resources because God’s strength is working in and for us. When we realize what we’ve been given, we do what we normally wouldn’t do. We live gloriously beyond ourselves.
It’s fundamental to a life of a believer to learn to work in God’s strength. In order to accomplish the purposes that God created us for, we will have to act outside our comfort zone so we will need His strength.
There are many reasons for God wanting us to live beyond our own strength; here are three.
1. When we are acting in God’s strength, His power is reflected in our lives and He is glorified. Our very lives give Him praise, because what is accomplished is obviously done by Him and not us. As our lives reflect Him, He is shown to the world. Like Daniel in the lions’ den, it wasn’t about his strength to be able to close the lion’s mouth it was about God’s. And who got the glory? God.
2. Living beyond ourselves drives us to trust in God because we are totally dependent on Him. John 15:5 We were created to live in union with God, not separate. Trust is key to that union and being rightly related to God as He desires. Daniel had to trust in God. No one else could save him. He trusted, and God delivered. Talk about forming a tight bond. How Daniel’s trust must have grown from that experience.
3. Because of our reliance and need of God, we develop a deep intimacy and relationship with God grounded in love. When God delivered Daniel from that lion’s mouth, what that must have done for their relationship.
Because fulfilling our purposes will require us to trust in God’s strength, we can only be in God’s will if we are willing to act outside our comfort zone. That means we have to learn to work and trust in His strength and not our own. On the flip side, God only gives us strength for what is His will. If we are acting outside His will, we won’t have His strength. Therefore, it’s our job to seek His will for our individual lives and walk in it.
In my opinion, those who are following Christ Jesus will eventually leave the church system (CS) or the institutional church.
There will come a point when static beliefs of human-organized religion limit the pull upon our hearts for something deeper. As a result, there will come a time when the wheat will be separated from the tares, and I feel that time is upon us.
The church system has always had its problems because it’s full of people with problems. But there will come a time when the cries of the prophets who foretold these days will be answered and the corruption of the church will be addressed by God. This judgment by God is why Jesus gives potent warnings to the seven churches in Revelation. It’s a last call to get things straight before God does. There will be a time when there isn’t any more time. There will be a time to leave …
As the end draws near and for God’s people’s protection, He is calling out of the CS those who truly follow Him. They are hearing from the Word of God that it’s time to leave and obeying it. Revelation 2:29
The CS is being consumed with darkness as the self-determined will (our “enemy”) gains ground. Lamentations 2:7 As the CS begins to fill with the darkness of deception, lies and the enemy’s ways, those heeding God’s voice are moving out of the darkness and into the light – for what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corin 6:14 Proverbs 14:7 There are many verses about not being involved with unhealthy fellowship. However, these verses are largely ignored by church goers as they listen to the church leaders who tell them they must be in a church. (Unhealthy vs. Healthy Fellowship)
I left the CS embracing the true church in 2004. (Out of the Church System, Into God’s Arms) As the years have passed, I see more and more believers coming out and embracing the true church, which is outside the CS. The true church is those who hold the spirit of God. Who put God and His Word first. Who seek His face. Who follow His voice. Who trust in God more than man. Who make up the temple built without hands.
A physical church built by man has always been filled with true believers and not, wheat and tares. But there will come a time when those groups will be separated, and if you look around it is happening now.
A couple interesting points I’ve noticed … Those leaving and embracing the true church are being led by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit – not by man’s persuasion. They have the Holy Spirit and follow the Spirit. The Spirit is moving them away from the CS that has corrupted and blasphemed God’s name. It’s because they draw near to God in truth and spirit on a regular basis that they are able to hear His voice among all the deception and follow at their appointed time.
Second, many feel restlessness in their spirits as they start to see a chasm between what is happening in the CS and God’s Word. They sense something is “off” that causes them to seek God’s counsel. When they do, they hear a call out of the CS. However, it’s only when they leave the CS that they see more clearly what it is and what it is becoming. The deception and darkness is great, even to dim a seeking believer’s eyes. Matthew 24:22
You can’t deny what is happening; believers are leaving the CS. They aren’t falling away from God or the true church (body of Christ – that’s not about a building or business), but the opposite – they are drawing closer to them. God is connecting these souls in amazing ways to encourage, support and pray. God told us what the CS would become and there would be a time to come out of it and into His care. Revelation 18 We have been warned. We have been told what to do. It isn’t our decision to stay and fight or to leave. It’s our duty to follow our God who is our faithful Lord and Shepherd.
For those in tune with the Holy Spirit, God calls them out to the wilderness where they become completely dependent on Him. They encounter others who have followed God’s voice out to abide under the protective wing of God. It’s a place where God is the provider, protector, teacher, guide and comforter – and who better? He is faithful beyond words to those who really trust in Him and not man.
Wherever you are, seek God in truth and spirit. For the times we are in, the warnings are vast about the deception that will take place. Seek and develop a love for the truth because is what will save you in the end. 2 Thessalonians 2:10
Examine your heart :
Who are you truly following God or man?
Do you speak of what God has taught you or what man has?
Where is your trust? Your dependence?
Where is your time spent – doing church activities or seeking God?
Do you abide in God’s Word or in man’s opinions and interpretations of God’s Word?
You may not agree with me, but I pray you seek God in all truth for there is no better time to start than now.
A new PODCAST (click here to listen) is available on overcoming discouragement in our lives. You can also get it at itunes. Search for Stirring the Deep under podcasts.
A new PODCAST (click here to listen) is available on overcoming discouragement in our lives. You can also get it at itunes. Search for Stirring the Deep under podcasts.
Living Light 