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Coming as a Thief

Coming as a Thief

Christ is coming as a thief. Where to look? Look within.

Matthew 24:43 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Satan is the master in this verse. (notation 4-15-15: Satan is the cumulative false-judging self of humankind) The kingdoms of this world belong to him. Matthew 4:8-9 The whole world is under his sway. 1 John 5:19 At Christ’s return, Christ penetrates Satan’s kingdom of darkness as a thief thus in a way unknown to Satan and to the world.

The exact details of Christ’s return have been hidden from our eyes in the scriptures so the manifestation of His return is protected from Satan’s scheming as the verse above reveals. However, as the Day of the Lord and the revelation of Jesus Christ dawn upon us, we will start to learn and experience the perfection of God’s plan as it unfolds. God has been teaching me about this plan by opening up scriptures and putting them together in a perfect formation like I’ve never seen. Thus, one reason I believe the end is upon us. I’m sharing with you what I’m learning so that if you too are being taught by God, the posts will serve as a confirmation to some amazing truths. The truth is our protection. How important it is to seek, know, trust and believe.

A Mustard Seed

Christ’s kingdom starts as a mustard seed. Matthew 13:31 His Kingdom is within us.

Luke 17:21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Many are looking externally for Christ’s Kingdom, just as they did in the NT at Christ’s first coming. The religious people of Christ’s day read the scriptures, but they did not understand.  They didn’t trust upon God’s timing for revelation but relied on their own logical deduction. Hebrews 4:2, 1 Corin 2:14  Never a good idea. As a result they conceived of an image of His Kingdom of their own creation, an image that they clung to as truth and therefore missed Christ although He stood right in front of them.

The same situation is happening again. People are looking and waiting for physical images of Christ’s return, which they’ve received from religious leaders. For example, they are looking for people to be physically raptured into the clouds or to disappear. They are waiting for the physical body of Christ to come in the physical clouds. There are many variations and many images. And until people see events that fit their man-contrived images, they won’t think Christ has returned. Don’t fall into the same trap, but seek to be taught by God through the scriptures. To learn of God, we have to be willing to let go of all images, otherwise those images will mar and hide the true God, truth, and what lies ahead.

There is much confusion about Christ’s return, and much speculation is outwardly focused. But if that is your focus, you will miss the call of the Bridegroom.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

The Kingdom of God is Within

The Kingdom of God is built from within us. We are the temple. Christ died so that His Spirit could be resurrected in us. He gave up His Spirit as it was, so that He could be resurrected in many.

John 12:23-24 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified ” Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

Christ’s physical resurrection is a testimony that His words are true. It’s proof to His words; He came to destroy death, give life, and resurrect our dead spiritual souls by filling us with His perfect righteous spirit. (Things we are waiting to see fulfilled, which I believe is beginning as the fig tree buds Matthew 24:31-32)

Bridegroom’s Call

With Christ coming as a thief, a separation will occur that you see throughout the NT. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 Some are hearing His call, thus being filled with His faith/spirit, which is growing in them a new mind. Hebrews 12:2 This new mind is their salvation as they become new creations; creations who can stand in the fiery presence of a holy God. Isaiah 33:6 They are experiencing a truly born-again experience as all becomes new in and by Christ.  As they receive the mind of Christ and thus walking in true wisdom, they are growing in peace, true love, joy and righteousness as they are being filled with Him. They are entering the Kingdom of Heaven on earth; a place of safety and rest.

Others are not attending to that call, because they are holding onto false images.  They are headed deeper in the wrong direction. This path leads to outer darkness, a place without mercy as mercy is being lifted to reveal the works of darkness and bring in judgment. Matthew 22:13, Hosea 1:6, 2 Thess 2:6-11 It’s a place of increasing fear as one bad decision leads to another. The kingdom of darkness, ruled by Satan who rules by fear, is God’s tool of judgment as people’s choices and beliefs are manifesting for what they are – rebellion to God thus full of death and destruction. Luke 21:25-26  God’s mercy has sustained people and protected them, when it is lifted the depravity of their minds will be revealed leading to more depravity. The wisdom they thought they had will manifest for what it is, ways of death. Luke 19:26 

When the mustard seed reveals itself, Satan knows His time is short, woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Now is the time to listen to the Bridegroom’s call and become an inhabitant of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Revelation 12:12 “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”


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Drawing Near to God

Drawing Near to God

Below is series talking about how to draw near to God … about walking the narrow path, defeating sin and moving into righteousness, trusting God as our Teacher, and coming to Him in spirit and truth. There are some powerful truths stated, I hope you check it out.

 

 

 


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The Ultimate Choice: Choose Life

The Ultimate Choice: Choose Life

Would you rather be operating by God’s mind or by your own? God is giving you the choice.

The Choice

Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

The pilgrimage through this earth comes down to a singular decision. Will you choose to be TOTALLY governed by God or self? What you choose depends on the life you will have; the first manifests true life and the second death. It’s one or the other because God is life and anything contrary is death. Most people unknowingly choose death because of the lie that has kept people from God; that life fully governed by God is less than what they can give themselves. When in reality, the only things you miss out on are the things of death.

The life we desire; peace, joy, righteous love, truth, rest, contentment, and blessing, comes when our souls are united to God’s Spirit so that His spirit operates our being in every way. This life is manifested when our self-will is literally dead, silenced, and God’s Spirit takes the reigns. Galatians 2:20  

The ultimate blessing is to be completely directed by God so that our every desire, thought and word is of Him, by Him and through Him; a place where we are fully governed by the Spirit of God and nothing of our self-will. Lamentations 3:24 In this state abundant life is manifested in us and in our lives.

Isaiah 58:13 If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words,

The eternal Sabbath is being at complete rest, so that you are totally powered by God’s spirit. When you are governed by Him, you are at rest because it’s all Him and nothing of you. John 15:5  In rest, you do nothing of yourself. You give up all your ways, pleasures and words to God and He drives your life. If you aren’t working, efforting, striving or exerting your will, then His will can prevail. You cultivate no trust or confidence in anything of this flesh existence. The exterior life is nothing but the shell that is powered by God. In this state, you are a complete slave to God and His righteousness and know no other greater delight, for He is life. Acts 17:28

Romans 6:18   And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Imagine if ALL you did was directed by God who knows everything … the outcome and ripple effect of every action?  All you do would be done in truth and righteous love. Imagine how your life would blossom into all it was meant to be. This is what Christ came to create, God’s spirit abiding within souls of mankind, Immanuel.

How to silence your self-will?

What is the path to make this choice; to be completely governed by God?

  1. SEEK God in TRUTH and SPIRIT. You need to know the difference of your self-will and God’s will and the extent of its control in your life. If you don’t seek truth FROM GOD, you can’t make this decision because you don’t have the knowledge of what the decision entails. You can’t choose what you don’t know. How can you know without diligently seeking daily and above all else?

Jeremiah 7:13 And now, because you have done all these works,” says the LORD, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer

  1. BUILD a relationship with God so you can TRUST Him. To honestly let go of all, you have to trust God and nothing of yourself. How can you trust without an intimate relationship?
  2. ACT on His instruction specifically to you. As you act according to God’s counsel and witness His faithfulness, you come to a point of forsaking all to be completely governed by Him – then the choice is the result. How can you act if you aren’t listening to Him?

In our limited awareness, we have no idea the outcome of what we do. If we hold onto our own judgments about what is good (essence of religions), we’ll make errors (sin) leading to pain and suffering in our lives and others. No matter how good our intentions, we don’t know the beginning and the end. Thus, anything done of ourselves, no matter if we judge it good or not, is sin. Sin equates to death. Therefore, we need to be at rest and letting God flow through us as He wills which is accomplished by forsaking every aspect of our self-will and letting His will rule. John 5:30

Seeking God and His truth with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, abiding in rest, and experiencing the fruit of His Spirit testify that we have chosen His will over ours; a life we can start experiencing now. When we come to this point, we are ruled by God’s Spirit thus walk in His commandments, because He is living through us and His righteousness taking us over.

More Discussion on this Topic


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Words of Life

Words of life

I have many wonderful things to tell you. Some will be sweet to your soul and others stirring to conviction and repentance, but all will feed your soul to bring true life.

The lies and deception run deep through the fabric of our being causing blindness to the truth; to God and who you are in Him as His beloved child. Ears have been muted to the voice of God and tuned in to the voice of death begging for the audience of our every thought.

Yet amidst the darkness a seed of truth is planted, the Word; a flicker of light that for those who seek will lead them to truth. It’s the light that guides seekers along the narrow path of truth drawing them away from this world bound in death to a resurrected life. Matthew 7:13-14 Few find and traverse this path, will you be one?

The path leads to a life beyond your imagination, because all you’ve known prior to this search is death. The difference between life and death on the earth is the difference between living in this life I’m speaking of and the life you live now. Many have been falsely told they are spiritually alive. Yet, until now there’s only been the promise of a resurrected life.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path

God’s love is abundant for His children, yet few have truly sought Him as He is. Most have given up their vast inheritance of true life for a morsel of bread. Genesis 25:30-34 They’ve worshiped what is dead, images masquerading as life. They’ve been captivated by lies which prohibit them from seeing the path of life, thus entering into God’s abundance. But the light is here, in the earth, to be found by you.

There is another way to live in this earthly life that leads you out of the pit of death, hell, and to live a resurrected life; a way that requires you to be a complete slave to God. It requires you to forsake your ways, you desires and pleasures, and your very words; to be replaced by what God has in store for you. Isaiah 58:13. It’s being completely governed by the Spirit of God in every possible way. Galatians 2:20 In this complete abandonment is found power, healing, peace, thanksgiving, rest, bounty, blessing, wisdom, joy, and righteous love. The abandonment comes from knowing God and as you do you are willing to give up all for what you have found, for He is life and the rest a masquerade of death.

Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

It’s a path of seeking the truth FROM God through the Bible each morning. Through intimate conversations with God, He reveals in grace the error in your life. In the awareness of the goodness of God, the error is forsaken and you turn to live as God instructs. It’s a path of the true fast that God calls His people to, a fast of the self-will, in exchange for being consumed with His spirit. Isaiah 58. Its end is far better than what we can imagine because our minds have only known death. Ephesians 3:20 God is life. Seek Him and live.

Jeremiah 19:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.


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Importance of Repentance

Importance of Repentance

Repentance is an ongoing back and forth exchange with God. It’s seeking God’s truth, learning from Him, then turning from your way of doing something to His way. It’s the path to abundant life for His ways are wisdom, life, truth, peace, and joy. It’s God’s desire to give us an abundant life, but we have to follow His instruction. So basic yet many don’t follow.

To follow His instruction you first have to be spending time each day learning from Him by the Holy Spirit through the Bible. Then listening to His promptings and instructions in the details of your life. We each have different lives and circumstances, so we have to seek His counsel for the lives He desires us to lead. His ways are not our ways. Repentance is following God in the details of our lives … and those details add up to becoming a new creation and living a blessed life.


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A Fog of Lies & The Path Out

A Fog of Lies

AND

The Path Out

1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

A thick morning fog masks the creation that lies beneath. It hovers over the earth and prohibits our ability to perceive what is real. But as the sun streams through, we begin to see.

If you once were overweight, depressed, a work alcoholic, alcoholic, people pleaser, without hope, bound by illness, entrapped by fear, enslaved by religion, a fulfillment of your parents’ caustic words, agoraphobic or any type of phobic, then you know the power of a lie. The lies we believe travel deep scripting our lives.

Most of us grossly underestimate the extent that this world is under the sway of the wicked one. All is backwards, reversed, up side down and twisted causing grief, suffering, pain and death. Where do you think all these thoughts and concepts came from that put us and others in such states as above? Perhaps it’s too difficult to admit our world is so twisted, because then what? Ignorance isn’t bliss, the truth is.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace

Over creation lays a dense fog of lies. Beginning in the womb, like a poisonous gas this destructive mist infiltrates every aspect of our belief systems, our minds, thus our lives. It touches everything, living little unscathed by its presence. Our perception has been crafted by it; thus all has been marred by its influence; education, history, money, economics, politics, media, medicine, marriage, sex, family dynamics, religion, and relationships. It defines who we are and how we are to live. It defines our value or lack of it. It defines how we work. It defines happiness. It defines how we think and what is important. It defines God. It defines everything.

The penetration of lies into our society, thinking, acting and ways of living is cavernous as an abyss … the more you see the deeper it goes. It’s expansive as the ocean … when you think you see the edge there is more. Like computers, our minds have been programmed by this fog teaching us how to think, act, and believe in ways that foster our destruction. Just take an honest look around and see what we have been creating.

Our minds are very powerful. What we believe, we act on, and manifest. If we believe in lies then we act on them and because they are lies they create pain, suffering, havoc and chaos. Our minds are easily manipulated and used against us on many levels. They can be a prison, and the greatest weapon against us. For one example, consider the type of messaging streaming over the airwaves and how those “airwaves” are demanding more of our constant attention. Look at how it’s altered your thinking. You will see the programming language of evil. It follows all the protocols to program us to think certain ways (repetition, playing on emotions, defining value etc) thus believe and live in a way that to our ignorance ultimately destroys us. Ephesians 2:2 How wise we are to pursue wisdom from above.

The path out is truth, manifested by the Spirit of God. Truth comes from the source of truth, God. If we seek the truth from God, we are opening a door in our minds that allows the sun to start streaming in.

Yet many don’t seek truth from God, because the perception of God has also been marred by this fog. God is not far from us, as many of the lies dictate to keep us imprisoned. Acts 17:27 One of the greatest deceptions is God’s lack of love for us; a real love that affects the detailed interworking of day to day life. The reality is He is vey present in His love, but we can’t “see” Him because of the multitude of lies we believe about Him and us. The lies keep us from seeing and seeking Him. We’ve all had the experience where our own blindness about a situation kept us from seeing it for what it was. When later we become aware of what was really going on, we are amazed at “how blind we were”. In this fog of lies, the moment we glimpse God’s majesty, the experience is corrupted by the programming our minds have been shaped by, as pictured in the parable of the sower of the seed. Mark 4:1-20 Like everything else, our perception of God has been shaped by this corrupted fog keeping us far from Him, by keeping our minds from Him.

Defy the lies and seek. Seeking is key. Because of this consuming fog, seeking is required as the truth has been hidden. We have to seek to be able to see something new, which is the very nature of seeking. Initially, with such a deafening cloak shrouding our ability to see, it takes diligence to seek truth and continue to. This is where most fail, thus live the consequences of the lies they believe. We’ve been programmed to believe all sorts of declarations about what is truth and what it isn’t. But when we dare to seek to truly know, God rewards us with the truth. Truth doesn’t come all at once. It’s little by little, percept upon percept. In time, our minds, lives and souls are transformed.

Where is the door to this path of truth we seek? Christ, the Truth, is the door. John 10:9 God manifested Himself in a man, to show us the way, to show us the truth. He established a corresponding written word to assist us on this path. If we seek the truth, by the guidance of His Spirit, He teaches us the truth. Psalm 119:105, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 11:29 Without the lies, the barriers to experiencing God’s love and truth are removed. He laid a path for us to traverse to move us out of the fog and into the brilliant sunlight; a way of manifesting a new mind, thus a new being.

Pray for the gift of faith to believe that God, the source of truth, rewards those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 Seeking to know Him as He is, is the path out of the prison of our minds and to true liberty and abundant life.


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Making Sacred Time for God

Making Sacred Time for God

The sun dawns and stirs souls to engage the new day. As the sun brightens their eyes, they grab a cup of hot coffee or tea and spend the next hour, talking, listening and deeply engaging God in the sacred quietness they’ve structured into their lives. They pour out their heart to Him, He listens. He speaks to them of His truths and fashions their hearts and minds to be in unity with Him. Hebrews 8:10-11

Imagine if more people engaged God in this quiet, attentive, and intimate space. If more people did, more would.  People would see the provision, blessing, joy, peace and rest in the lives of those who had spent years seeking, and would know this intimacy of knowing God was the path to their deepest needs and desires. Yes, they would also see the intense spiritual struggle and angst the beginning of this path brings as the flesh-mind is transformed, but they also would see the results of the struggle; a new spirit of love, power and sound mindedness. 2 Timothy 1:7

People wouldn’t be able to excuse this “blessed” life as someone who is, “lucky”, “one of those fortunate types”, or “special”, because many souls of various walks of life would have similar results. They would know the Spirit of God was the common thread being woven throughout these people’s lives and it could be in their lives as well.

But the multitudes don’t seek God.

Why don’t people seek God?

Why don’t many of those who profess to love God not even spend this sacred time with Him each day?

The surface excuse is often not enough time, but the real reasons go much deeper.

Battle of Spirit and Flesh

The fundamental reason is God is Spirit and all you do in drawing near to Him involves the Spirit, and the Spirit and flesh are in opposition. Galatians 5:17 In this context, the Spirit is what is of God and the flesh is what is of mankind’s self-will. The flesh is the mind and it’s production of self-created value, idols, and philosophies in which humans trust and act. If your mind is sown in the will and truths of God, you are spirit-minded giving life to the spirit. If your mind is sown in will of mankind, his “wisdom” and philosophies, you are flesh-minded selling your soul to destruction.

Because this world is under the sway of the evil one who is ruler and instigator of the flesh mind, everything of this world (worldly systems, ideas, wisdom, etc) is of the flesh and counters the Spirit, particularly our seeking God in truth and spirit. 1 John 5:19 The flesh-mind is promoted and prevalent in every dimension of life. It governs, distracts, deceives, consumes, and thus owns most people’s souls.

Here is a sampling of the mindsets of the flesh-mind contrary to seeking God, ones I experienced prior to entering into God’s kingdom. Romans 8:5

  • Our choices, path, decisions and methods are sufficient, so don’t need to really seek God’s truth or wisdom.
  • Life with God would be less ______ (fill in the blank).
  • We will suffer loss if we trust God.
  • We are fine as we are, as we put following self-will above God.
  • Unity with God is NOT what we truly desire, but for us to play god choosing what is good and right for our lives by our “wisdom”.
  • The world’s ways offer deliverance, desirous fulfillment, and happiness, and God’s ways do not.

Most of these reasons for not drawing near to God we don’t admit, even to ourselves. I didn’t. When it came down to the reality of my day to day living, I clung to the flesh-mind because I embraced the lies, which kept me in the pit and in the self-created prison of my mind.

Matthew 16:25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

The ability to overcome the flesh-mindset, which consumes this world thus our minds, came when enough truth entered my mind to bring an awareness of the depravity that consumed my life. Realizing the paths I’d chosen were not leading me to where I desired, even at a superficial level, I was motivated to seek God, truly, for the first time.

When a spark of truth shines into our souls and awakens us to the reality that what we’re doing isn’t working, when we feel we have suffered enough, exhausted other pathways, and are tired of running in circles after things that don’t fulfill, then we listen to the spirit’s prompting and make time to seek God. John 3:8 Though we still have much doubt, we venture to the realm of God’s truth by His grace.

Embarking on this journey is similar to a sick person getting healthy. When people’s health degenerates so that death is knocking at the door and a voice inside drives them to fight and not let death enter in, then they make a change. They could have chosen the path of health long before and enjoyed years of vitality, but didn’t. They let themselves physically deteriorate to the point of kissing death.

Many do this spiritually. We have to come to a precipice of wanting to give up our self-will, and be consumed by God’s. So, we deteriorate until our soul comes to a breaking point and something in us calls us to God, then we start seeking God as He instructs us. Matthew 6:33 It’s at this moment we are deeply blessed because our lives shift to a path that will bring spiritual life and thus what we have unknowingly deeply sought and desired.

Initially in seeking God persistence is required, even in the awareness of our depravity, as the flesh continues to war against the spirit. Here is where many give up, and the flesh wins. God is spirit and as we draw near, there will be a battle as we are dominated by the flesh. For those who persist, some days are better than others, but it’s a struggle to be consistent and persistent. Like getting physically healthy, each day you don’t see much improvement but over time as you persevere you reap the rewards. Matthew 7:14

In time, the powers shift in our soul and the flesh is subdued by the growing spirit of truth within. We come to know and drink of the fountain of life and cross a point of never turning back. Our sacred time with God each day becomes a delight and feast for our souls. We enjoy an everlasting and ever deepening intimacy that prepares our soul to become the temple of God. We become spiritual beings crafted in and by the Spirit of God.

I pray you are one of those souls. Matthew 13:23

Matthew 11:5 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Verses for Meditation

Ecc 2:26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Psalm 37:4-5 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

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.

Matthew 6:32-33 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.


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The Kingdom of Heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven

The Message of Christ

What did Jesus Christ preach while on earth? What is the gospel of Christ? He didn’t preach His death and resurrection … so what was it?

Luke 4:43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

He preached about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. It’s this reality we are to seek first and above all else because it is the way to eternal and abundant life now.

Matthew 6:33 But SEEK FIRSTthe kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

What is the kingdom of heaven?

Luke 17:21 For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

It’s God’s spirit powering our souls and no longer our spirit of death. It’s God’s spirit dwelling in us. It’s being a part of the divine nature. It’s being a part of God’s living temple where His spirit dwells. When God is in us, we have eternal life as He is eternal. We abide with Him in unity, truth, and love for we are a part of Him as His children for we intimately know Him. John 17:3

Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Those who are a part of the kingdom of heaven have: 1. Repented; fully turning from their ways to God’s ways and truth (we have to know His ways to turn to them which comes from diligently abiding in the Word of Truth), 2. Become God’s workmanship being crafted and remade in their souls by God’s truth and are being filled with God’s spirit.

Repentance

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repentance (dying to self, crucifying self) comes when at our deepest core we fully turn from following our self-will and seek to walk in unity with God’s will in all areas. We no longer play jugde; we seek God’s counsel. We no longer are in control of our lives; we surrender our creative self-will to God’s sovereignty. We can’t follow our will and God’s will at the same time unless they are the same. Repentance is a crucial step toward the kingdom of heaven, because it’s leaving our ways behind to embrace God’s. 2 Corin 5:17

Repentance is giving up all of our self-will to gain God’s. When you learn through the Word of Truth and your life lessons that God’s will is truly far better and much more desireous, then you want His will in ALL areas.

Matthew 13: 44 the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matt 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Remade in Truth and Filled with God’s Spirit

Next, the kingdom reigns in our souls when God’s truth, The Word of God (Christ), abides in us. Being a part of God means our truth is God’s truth. If we are walking in our own truths and ways, we aren’t in unity but opposition. The path to gaining His truth is one of diligently seeking truth and learning from God Himself. In unity, we enter a complete rest as God works through us always and in all things. Hebrews 4:10-11.

The souls fashioned by God in the truths of the prophets, apostles, and Christ become a part of His living temple made without hands. Ephesians 2:19-22 Being molded in truth by the Holy Spirit, not by ourselves or another, prepares our spirits to be in unity with God’s thus filled with His Spirit. 1 John 2:27, Hebrews 8:10

As we seek and abide in the truth of God being taught by Him, His Spirit begins to fill every aspect of our souls. The spirit of God starts small and as we diligently seek it spreads to take over every area of our lives in tremendous power, truth and love. When powered by God’s spirit there is no limit to what God can do in and through us. John 14:12, Eph 3:20

Matthew 13:31 The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

Matt 13:33 The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Like a new day dawning, the spirit of God dawns in our souls transforming us glory unto glory. 2 Corin 3:18 It continues until like Christ, we hold the fullness of God, Eph 4:13, 3:19. This filling of God’s spirit in us is the kingdom of heaven.

2 Peter 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

For those who repent, diligently seek God’s ways to be remade in truth, and are transformed by the power of His spirit within them, they become the temple of God, the kingdom of heaven. Yet in this life many won’t partake in this glorious kingdom. Many are called but few are chosen Matthew 22:14, because narrow is the path Matthew 7:14 and few find it. The depth of repentance and diligent seeking of truth are done by few as many are consumed with the cares of this world and not of God. Matthew 13:3-9

Matthew 13:47 the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

Fervently seek God in truth and spirit that you may partake in the glorious eternal kingdom of heaven with Christ now.

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 

To hear more on this topic you can listen to an audio recording, The Kingdom of Heaven, which can also be downloaded at Itunes – search for Stirring the Deep under Podcasts.


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Seeking God Regardless of Your Feelings

Seeking God Regardless of Your Feelings

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.

Feelings can be VERY misleading. Our feelings are based on what we believe and know at the moment. One area they can be incredibly misleading is in regards to our connection with God; especially for those who haven’t diligently sought God in truth and spirit. Feelings like God doesn’t care, He is distant, seeking Him doesn’t matter, and reading the Bible doesn’t matter. We have to fight and disregard these type of feelings when it comes to seeking God, which can be difficult.  However, for those who fight through those emotions and continue to seek, they find a relationship with God far beyond their expectations, thus a life beyond their imaginations for He is life.

As in the verse above, those who do God’s commandments from their core are those who have pushed through contrary emotions and have discovered a deeper wisdom and knowledge. They’ve learned that the paths to abundant eternal life are walking in God’s ways and not their own. They’ve learned that all else is lies and deception that lead you further from what you desire instead of closer. Thus, they willing and desire to walk in God’s ways and truth and are driven to keep pushing deeper into Him.

We start out in this life following our own will, which is formulated by the world’s (culture, society, traditions, etc) concepts. From birth, we’re consumed by this world and its philosophies therefore that is what we own as truth and live by. But as we seek God in spirit and truth, we gain an altogether different understanding. We see not only the truth of God, but also the truth of our own lives and what we are truly manifesting by following our will. We start to see that when we are in “control” we manifest depravity and not the life we desire. We begin to see when God is in control of us He brings about every perfect gift and blessing.

It’s hard for people to seek God, to truly devote to seeking Him as He calls us to. We’ve been misled to believe that His paths aren’t really full of life, but hardship, depravity and loss when in reality it’s our ways that bring these afflictions. It’s all backwards. Further, we look at others who are supposedly following God and judge God and a life with Him by their lives, a HUGE mistake most of the time. Many people aren’t truly seeking and walking in God’s truth. They are following a man-made religion, not God. They don’t truly seek and therefore in lack of truth and knowing cling to their self-will of depravity.

Only when the God is truly YOUR God, meaning He is in charge and you are at rest, do you journey His paths of truth leading to abundant life, in the deepest and fullest sense. When you do, the life you live far exceeds your expectations. Eph 3:20

While most never traverse this path, because the lies they hold about God that keep them at bay, some do. Matt 22:14 For those who come to the point to dare to seek God as they feel a stirring that there is much more, they seek and continue to seek despite what they initially feel. They seek in spite of the fear of losing their lives, of losing control, and what their lives might become once they step into God’s domain. They seek regardless of not wanting to at times because they are buried in lies that a life with God is anything less than magnificent.

Those who actually do His commands, (not the religious commands governed by mere humans Matthew 15:8-9), are those who have sought and understand the Truth of God. They understand that God’s way is the only desirous way, yes desirous. And it’s actually not their own will, but God’s light and truth pouring through them as they’ve become united to God’s will by laying down their own.

I’ve traversed this journey, I fought against what I felt many times and continued to seek God. I have the before and after pictures of my life and the afters blow my mind. I know His ways are better, my life is a testimony to me.

This newness of life fuels my passion to encourage you to seek and persist in seeking. God’s gifts are like a consuming ocean, more than we could ever want. The more others have of this true life blesses my spirit all the more. There is nothing more important than seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Matthew 6:33

Seek and persist regardless of what or how you feel. It’s the path of life that’s met with much resistance in this world. Realize this conflict as you embark upon this journey. Don’t trust your feelings. Trust if you seek you will find. Meditate on God’s truth and promises. You have nothing to lose; and everything to gain. For those who persist in seeking God in His truth, there awaits in this life, unspeakable joy, purpose and blessing.

Matthew 7:13-14, 2 Peter 3:16-18

The Path Found by Few

Shrouded in a cloak of lies
Hoping in what only binds

Trusting in what won’t deliver
The deepest desires cast to a sliver

An existence governed by strife
Hoping, yet never bringing true life

It’s a faulty assumption of hope
That self-will brings what you grope

There’s a way out
Clouded by doubt

That looks like depravity
Yet holds true vitality

To walk God’s paths leaving your own
Is the only way to be full grown

To be the budding vine
Is to be enraptured with His wine

To drink from the heavenly fountain
To rise to His Holy mountain

It’s narrow and disguised
This path out of the lies

But for those who dare to walk
Enter into His sacred flock

The home of all they hold dear
A place without pain, angst or fear

Flowing streams of life abound
Watering the soul to be unbound

Now covered now garments of light
Transformed and entering endless heights

~ Rachel DiPaolo
September 7, 2011