Friday, December 30, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 8

"Sometimes we are so emotionally distraught or in some kind of personal or family turmoil that getting to know God better doesn't seem as important as getting to know our self better.

There are a couple of ways to bust through and make a quick work of this dilemma. Of course there is always the, stagger through life with a chip on your shoulder expecting all the changes needed to make you happy to come from outside of yourself sources. But that is the slow and painful route. To bust through and make a quick work of getting to know your self better, here are some suggestions

Access your situation the best you can, all of it, the good, the bad and the ugly; make what minor changes that you can think of to better your situation and then that leaves the remainder of things, (those things working against you from outside sources) and some things that might require your attention to work out from the inside of your self.  The things working against you are minorly out of your control and should be set aside as those things that you cannot change of your own volition.

There are those things that you can work from the inside of your self. These things are the things that bring us back to the subject of getting to know God better. The best case scenario of finding your true self is through allowing God to reveal you through God's eyes. If you saw yourself through God's eyes you would be far less disappointed with the things in life that go wrong. God not only knows about them all, but He is intimately involved, on your behalf to provide you with everything you need to succeed in knowing your self and being very satisfied with who you are.

In order for your to really enjoy life and to get the most out of it you will have to juggle the mix of yourself (what you can do from the inside of you) and (the influences of those around you.) Here is my final analysis of how to integrate the two together with God in the middle. At night when all is quiet I contemplate the outside forces/people/issues. I don't try to figure any of it out during this session with God, I just want to gather the forces/people/issues into one package/thought.
Then I say to Jesus, "You have said to me to bring you my burdens and here they are." I am not worried at all that I will overwhelm Jesus with the quantity or the complexity of the forces/people/issues. But neither do I give them any more of my time or thought until I wake up in the morning.

If you don't believe that Jesus has this power/authority to take what you lay down and make something new out of it, then don't bother with the exercise. It won't work for you. And if you feel that what you lay down at Jesus feet you have to pick it up again and again and again to make sure it is adequately dealt with, well that doesn't work either.

This process of laying your burdens at the feet of Jesus is Biblical and it works. Jesus can handle it. It doesn't matter if you present it correctly or if you have mentioned everything that needs dealt with or even if you are absolutely correct in all your assumptions. It only matters that you lay down your burdens and that you believe that Jesus will take them on to Himself. Think about it this way; Jesus took on the sin of all humanity so that you could be saved from sin and stand before God justified/reconciled as a child of God and you will receive full benefits, now and in the great beyond. If Jesus has done that for you why do you think your particular burdens are so difficult for Jesus to handle of you? Remember Jesus handled the sin of the whole world for you. He can handle your burdens also."  






Monday, December 26, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 7

"Of the many ways to get to know God better, one way is to get to know Jesus better. Jesus was just as much God when He was a baby, a toddler, a teen, a young man as when He was an adult. Just as you were just as much chosen to be a child of God even before you were born. Getting to know the baby Jesus will help you understand the significance of why God, in His wisdom, chose to be the baby in Bethlehem. This was no accident. It was foreknown by God that Jesus would be born and grow up, like any other child, suffer the consequences of the social system of the time and make choices that would determine His destiny.

You have had the same opportunity that Jesus had to start out as a baby and go through life making decisions that would affect your destiny. The choices that you have made along with the outcome of the social surroundings of today has brought you to where you are right now.  I know what you are thinking; "But Jesus was sinless and I am not," how can you compare the upbringing of Jesus with mine? Well if you are certain that you did not have the same chance to make right decisions as Jesus because He was protected by God and the angels then let's just look at life from the time that you would call the age of accountability.

There were many times when a simple action or choice that Jesus made could have altered the plan of salvation. Take for example when Jesus was tempted by the devil. Three times the devil made a play for the actions of Jesus to be compromised but Jesus did not compromise. I hope you don't think in your heart that Jesus couldn't have compromised if He had wanted to. He was every bit a man as you are a man or a woman, with all the same physical and emotional frailties as you and me. Jesus did not succumb to the offers of the devil, but He could have. There were  many other times that the way that Jesus handled Himself was indicative of a man utilizing God-thinking.

It's OK that you have not passed all the tests of life with the perfection that Jesus did and it's Ok that you have made wrong decisions that altered what could have been, but don't ever think that you couldn't have done it differently. That's why we need Jesus as Advocate. Jesus through His life and choice has chosen to take on all your sin/s, all your indiscretions, all your bad choices and to wash you clean of the guilt and the payment for your actions.  When you confess your sin to God and accept the free gift of salvation, in essence you are trusting the baby Jesus just as much as the adult Jesus. You are trusting that Jesus has gone before you from childbirth to death and then to resurrection to make a way for you to be reconciled to God forever.

One way I get to know God better is through the eyes of the Bible as told by the life and times of Jesus starting at Bethlehem.
Mat 1:18  "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:..."


   

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 6

"Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you are open to being unraveled, disclosed, unveiled, exposed, made bare? It's not a negative thing for this to happen when you are in the presence of God and God does not reveal His findings to people, so if that is the reason for you saying no, then it just won't hold up.

The reason that these things happen to you in the presence of God is because God designed you this way. Look, you can be religious, visit church or the synagogue, pray, talk about religious things, talk about God, do good things to others, all without getting to know God better or getting into the very presence of God. I think of it this way. Finding out there is a God is religion. Getting to know God personally is true Christianity.

Acknowledging that God exist and being part of a group of like minded people is good. But God made you to be able to communicate with Him and listen to Him and abide in Him and overcome your circumstances through an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. If your relationship with God is partitioned off by the need for a mediator, you can be saved, and you can be religious, but you can't get close to God. You do not need a mediator to come/go to God. The Holy Spirit within is the mediator, not any man or any woman.

I know it is easier to lean on your church, pastor, priest, or rabbi, or even a saint than it is to go to God direct. But the only reason that you might believe that is because you have been conditioned to believe it. It has not come to you through experience or inspiration. Relying on a mediator for your relationship with God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit is religion, not relationship. Learn to let go and let God. Unlearn the behavior that has kept you apart from a 2-way communication with God alone. Re-train yourself to get into the presence of God and let God have His way with you for a season. You will not like everything you learn about yourself, but you will grow in Christ and stop relying on others go to God for you. In due time you will learn to enjoy the unraveling, disclosing, unveiling, exposure, and being made bare. With it comes the strength, courage, power and authority, forgiveness and authenticity to operate under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit and to co-create/bring to pass the will of God in your life."
John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


Friday, December 16, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 5

"You might have wondered, why would God allow it to be up to us to determine how much we want to get to know Him? That's a great question. God embedded in you certain inherent knowledge, a likeness, but there is more to God than can discovered even if you had centuries to discover.  The point is that God did disclose a great deal of information about Himself in these ways:

1. Creation itself discloses God as creator. I know there are those who would like to disagree, but to be honest with you I don't have the inclination to take on those fights, unless they come to me.

2. All of mankind were created and embedded with a likeness of the mind of God. This fact is denied by those who have never given God any recognition for their existence, but it is still true. It is this likeness of the mind of God that when housed in the natural man (unsaved) causes a battle of sorts between what the body is craving and what the conscience is guarding against. Even though their is a likeness to the mind of God in every human, there is no direct spiritual connection that is placed in the inner man.

3. Once saved there is a spiritual connection in the inner man between God and man. Here is where the saved individual can hear the small still voice of God. Here is where the battle for the final decisions are made, because the inner man expects the Holy spirit to guide him/her with the supernatural influence of God. Only the saved individual can communicate in this way with God, because only the saved individual has a spirit that has been borne/made alive.

Anyone can get to know God better from any of these three starting points. Even the unsaved person can get to know God better by study and examination, questioning the processes in creation and responding to the inherent likeness to God through inquiry or thought.

All that being said, I have found that not many born again Christians have a real interest in getting to know God any better than they did ten or twenty years ago. When new light is shown on them, they draw back like it is the enemy coming at them, because they have lost the day to recognition of the indwelling Holy Spirit. They have stopped noticing the little things that prove the day to day inspiration, communication and supernatural intervention that god provides. Not recognizing it is kind of like not getting/receiving it. If you get a package in the mail and never open it, you have it, but it is no no benefit to you.

Inside of item 3 above are many ways and stepping stones to get from one place with God to another place with God. It is better to get to another place with God than you have been before. Keep in mind that even if you did grow spiritually everyday and get closer to God every day, it is not like you are going to run out of  wonderfulness. Yes it is better to say to yourself; self, I do want to get to know God better. Just look up (in your inner man) and ask God to reveal more of Himself to you.  God always wills to do more than you can ask or think."

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 4

"If you have had any experience like I have, you have come to the point of understanding that you are not God and you will always have a finite view of God. Along with that wisdom is also the inner knowledge that you are a steward of the things that God designed, included but not limited to:

  • Manipulating all the components of the natural realm to create and sustain life her on earth. 
  • Working inside the parameters of prophesy; in other words you are at least understanding that what God prophesied will come to pass and you are willing to participate in bringing to fruition what God has already foreordained.
  • Preparing an abode for the Holy Spirit to live in. That's right, the inner man houses the person of the Holy Spirit and you are willing to accept the responsibility that comes with the indwelling Holy Spirit and you also understand the blessings associated with such a relationship. 
  • Accepting the requirement from God to be spontaneous as well as learned and organized. Of course study and practice are hallmarks of the developed christian life, but you must also be willing to say YES to the Lord when called, during the day, maybe this day, to do the impossible, without the necessary tools or knowledge, because you have come to the place where you believe that you can co-create with God. You supply what you do know coupled with what will require the hand of God and the impossible comes to pass.   
  • Simple faith. You have not over-spiritualized the work you were called to do with religious observances that slow down the immediacy of the moment. You can listen to the small still voice of God while in the midst of the lion's din. That's right din not den. You have seen the face of God even while looking through the many walls and doors and veils that religion has placed in your way. You are open to the threshing floor even though you fully understand that might mean that you cannot hide behind the chaff anymore, like a lone reed shaking in the wind, for all to see. You have entered into the Holy of Holies and you understand that you must lay it all down, (even that which is most precious to you) in order to enter in and that by entering in, you are no longer in charge of the outcome. How easy it is to say "I lay it down," at Mass or in Church,  as long as you know in the back of your mind, when no one is looking you can pick it up again. 
Getting to know God better might require an unveiling of sorts of the things that you hold to so dearly.
You will find out things about yourself and your religion that you don't like too much.      
You will have to respond in a moments notice, without the aid of a scheduled program, at least occasionally.
You will have to admit that no one religious order contains all the light of God.
You will have to ...???

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 3

"Getting to know God better requires you to think in ways that are congruent with God's original design/intent. It does matter the way you think. This is key. It is not as important what you think as it is the way you think. The reason is that what you think can be changed easier than the way you think. Both what you think and the way you think are borne from all previous/past conditioning.

If you are satisfied with seeing God as a distant character in the game of religion, you will not be interested in continuing with reading this blog.

The whole of the universe is currently working off of the original design by God, not changed, not altered. We, our society and technology has evolved, but not the resources and the elements that we use to create. Our evolution of sorts is that of changing with the times, new discoveries, new technologies, even new understanding to things that always were. But God and His design, the how to's of the universe have not changed and won't.

Here is one of the biggest hurdles for people today. They want God to change with the times, to honor the dishonorable, to give a thumbs up to the lesser things that have trapped us all. Many people want an evolving God, one that goes along for the ride with us and our indiscretions and declining morality, one that makes provisions for our pathetic and paltry view of God, a god that jumps through any hoop for us to ordain our practical and religious view of God no matter how far form the truth we have strayed.

Getting to know God better requires that for a season, or for a little time or even for a moment, you abandon your conditioned, trained and religious interpretation of Holy God. We must start the process of unlearning the pitiful and base concepts that have brought religion to this point of such a grave mis-diagnosis of the Holiness of God. Your relationship with God, through Christ by the Power of the Holy Spirit must replace your conditioned, habituated, familiar and trained view of God. If it turns out that after a deep interaction with God you find that your church experience is assisting in developing and sustaining of a right relationship with God, then you should commend the leadership and stay and help and enjoy such a relationship. But if you find that you are being kept from the intimacy that is available between you and God by the fundamentals of your churches philosophy and you have made an attempt to share your feelings about being stifled, then it is time to move on.

It is better to move on with the hopes of finding solace through your relationship with God than to stay submerged in a religious system that doesn't let the submarine come up for fresh air once in a while. In the end, you will be responsible for your actions, not your rabbi, pastor, teacher, minister. If you are willing to go through life on the backs of others, and not search and discover truth for yourself, you will find very little new light. And yet you have the ability to reach out and touch the hand of God."

    




Thursday, December 1, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 2

"The most important discovery concerning getting to know God better is to recognize that religion is the greatest barrier to a personal relationship with God. Wow! I can see the heads turning at this one. That's right, religion is a barrier to getting to know God better. don't get off on the wrong foot here.
I am not saying:
You can't find God through a religious experience/experiment
You can't get to know God better if you are a part of a congregation
Your church is keeping you back from getting closer to God

I am saying:
  • Not all religions recognize God through the vicarious work of Jesus the Christ. 
  • Many religions deny the divinity of Christ.
  • Many religions do not recognize the need for a Savior.
OK, so now let's deal with Christian religious orders.
I am saying:
Some denominations have a mediator between you and God, thus purposely creating a barrier between you and God. You must go through someone other than Jesus to reach God. If you are in one of the denominations that have a mediator between you and God you will defend this notion of mediators because that is what you were taught, but it is not necessarily true. 1 Tim. 2:5

Some denominations have made up their own set of priorities, church polity, tenets of faith, church resolution. In these list of do's and don'ts many of the items are superfluous at best, not-biblical or downright erroneous, making the path to God hard and arduous, complicated and cumbersome, heavy and disappointing. They steer the parishioner to obligation and duty to the church and not necessarily to God. They provide formulas that work to keep the church in finances, but have nothing to do with God's economy at all. Out of necessity and fear they over-teach with add-ons that are not biblical, and they teach extra-biblical concepts to keep you coming. It is like the dangling carrot concept. Farmers tie a carrot on the nose of a mule that sticks out just a little and the mule move forward to try to get the carrot, but the carrot is always forward and the mule can't get the carrot. 

Now there are many pastor and ministers that are true to the gospel and they are bent on steering you to Jesus. They are selfless in helping you anyway they can to go higher with God. Their mission is to assist you in finding your place  in God's economy. They are willing to get out of the way and let God be God in your life. Bless them and encourage them. They are feeding the flock. There is a big difference between feeding the sheep and manipulating the sheep. Most of the pastors that are manipulating the sheep, know they are manipulating the sheep. They have no faith that you could ever talk to God without them. It is a complex that is developed through years and years of conditioning through their religious affiliation or by a personality that they have decided to follow. 

Getting to know God better is about unlearning a great many things. Don't get discouraged if I have said something that has caused you to take note. It is not heresy to question your religious experience and to seek new light. 
God through the Holy Spirit is available for you all the time.   
God has all the answers for you
God has loved you and will continue to love you always
God is speaking to you all the time
Getting to know God better will always be about you. If God is doing God's part then if there is a disconnect it will require that you open your heart and tell God about it and get the answer you need to go forward. Go directly to God. You might not be able to hear the voice very well at this time, but you will in due time. 

















Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Getting To Know God Better 1

""So you want to get to know God better. Why? You might as well comes to term with this question right now, because this question is always going to need to be answered in order for you to receive any instruction, gift, wisdom, power, authority, strength, inspiration, etc.

Spiritual thought requires a spiritual connection and the connection is made by your dependence on the Lord.
  • Are you bothered by the fact that God requires that you go through Jesus to communicate with God?
  • Does it bother you that in God's economy it is not in the amount of times a day that you pray, but who you are, in Christ?
  • Does it bother you that next to a most unholy but saved person you are equal?
  • Are you taken back by the fact that so-called sister religions have no access to the throne of God?
  • Are you concerned that God is working with faulty guidelines and God will erroneously leave out certain groups because God is unaware of their intent?
  • Are you bothered that all are lost to start with and without Christ remain lost?
Many Christians and non-Christians are sympathetic to all kinds of religious overtures. If only we were as sensitive to the Word of God... If you want to be all-inclusive you will be terribly disappointed. If you have decided to stray away from the design that God designed for mankind, that's fine, but it won't work very well. It's kind of like if your car needs a spark plug and you decide to make one and put it into the motor and expect it to run the same as a factory plug.

Get with the program. Stop creating your own religion. It amazes me at how many Christians think they know better than God. No wonder we have so many problems. That's they negative side. The positive side is that God loves you so much that God tolerates any and all of your rebellion. In your imperfections and weaknesses and disobedience God has made a way for you. No matter what you think or what you believe, God loves you and is willing to retrain you if you are willing to accept.

Note: If you plan to go through life with a "have God your own way" attitude, the wonderful protections, blessings, answers, intuitions, inspirations and gifts will not be available."

Monday, November 28, 2016

Priority 1 - 2

"Delegating time to be alone with God is so important and can be accomplished even in this extremely busy environment we are in. The one drawback is that you won't be able to visit or call God on one of your electronic devices. God still speaks with a small still voice into your inner man.

Since glorifying God is priority 1 then time alone is important, because that is where the instructions for priority 2,3 4,... are found. How did it happen? You know, where it became less and less important to include God in your everyday life/lifestyle?

I get asked this question all the time: If God is so great and sovereign, then why does God need me to do anything? Wow! It is kind of a good question. God doesn't need for us to do anything to be God. But part of creation is free-will, built into your being. It is kind of like having power at your house, but you never trip the breakers to turn it on. Access and intervention to and from God are available, but because of free will you do not have to use it.
If you want to live in the dark that's fine.
If you want to go without spiritual nutrition that's fine too.
If you want to own, drive and manage your own life, OK.
If you like always being the boss with no influence or solicitation from God, you have that power.
If you want to deny God His place in your life, you can.

That's the power of free will. The problem with not allowing God entrance in your life/lifestyle is like: Well let's use this analogy: It is like playing a card game that you really like and you are very good at and there are ten cards removed from the deck and you don't know which ones they are. You can still play the game, but the outcome is unknowable and the games rules won't work either.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Going to God provides you with everything you need to live an exciting, rewarding, fruitful and successful life. One more analogy. You have become accustomed to updates in your electronic devices, especially with your PC and phone. Without these updates your devices will usually work, but over time they will become useless, obsolete, archaic and not even perform the most simplest of tasks. It is that way with God too. You need the updates that only God has and to get those updates you need to go online with God, direct connect, live streaming, and get your upgrades. There are many upgrades and you can download them daily if you like and with each upgrade your device does more and more and more.

Priority 1 to glorify God in your body.  


 

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Priority 1

"Among all the things we must do, we must prioritize our time to reflect our primary responsibilities in everyday living. I am certain that no two persons would set in order all the same priorities, however there is one priority that supercedes them all, and that is to glorify God above all things and in all things.

To glorify God in your life is the primary directive of all mankind. If this is not your highest priority which compels you to plan all other priorities, goals and directives, then you will not fulfill your tasks in this life, no matter how successful you become. Success is found in the honorable pursuit of a thing and has nothing to do with the acquisition or accumulation of things.

Divine inspiration comes from God and you can only measure your true accomplishments in the light of how your faith in God is revealed through your actions. Your actions reveal your true love for God, not your words. Your personal relationship with God is made priority 1 by you revealing your dependency on God's sovereignty, which sets in place all other priorities. Because God is the creator, He design the priority 1 concept to provide you easy access to all the components you need to utilize all of creation to bring to pass all of your goals and tasks at hand.

Try to keep in mind that all of creation was created with you as priority 1 in God's economy. Everything was created for you to use for your benefit and to benefit those around you. If God is priority 1, all of the other things you do in life will provide surplus, or positive results in your life and the lives of others.

One more thing: Alone time with God is the password to get into the presence of God and inner faith the password to get in. If you are thinking that your rabbi, priest or pastor can ever get into the presence of God for you, you have been taught wrong. It is not true and it will never be true. You rabbi, priest or pastor can intercede for you, but outside the gate. You can only get into the very presence of God on your own, by faith."

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Draw Nigh 3

"God is Sovereign and can alter circumstances as pleases His purpose. God uses our faithful adherence to godly precepts to bring about His will. In essence this is co-creating with God. Our most usable attributes for accomplishing the will of God in our life are: Self-denial, selflessness, patience, meekness, humility, temperance, holiness, kindness and godliness, but of course other attributes such as boldness, courage, strength, honor, integrity, forthrightness come into play when co-creating with God.

Here's the rub. Self-denial, selflessness, patience, meekness, humility, temperance, holiness, kindness and godliness are godly attributes received by God through wisdom and can always be used for any purpose to accomplish the will of God. Whereas, boldness, courage, strength, honor, integrity, forthrightness are support temperaments that accentuate, accelerate or enhance the godly attributes given to us by God. In other words these temperaments are the delivery system by which we deliver/alter destinies that are God ordained.
God uses mankind in his frail and somewhat unsuitable condition to accomplish God''s perfect will with accuracy, timeliness and measurable substance.

To draw nigh to God creates the benefit of God weaving our temperaments with His attributes to bring about a desired result. These results cannot be reached while on our own using our temperaments without the aid of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That doesn't mean that people who have not been born again cannot do good things, because they can. What they can't do is to bring about a result that requires the hand of God to be accomplished because they are not co-creating with God, they are creating on their own. The God synergy is not there.

I think it time for you to stabilize your beliefs. The days of wandering to and fro and believing this and that should be set behind you. You cannot do tomorrow's tasks with yesterdays knowledge/wisdom. Tomorrow's tasks take whatever you receive from God today as the kindling to bring to pass the will of God. To draw nigh to God requires an everyday experience with God. Of course if you are willing to go behind the veil with God everyday, the information you will be working with will be fresh and useful.

Note: Most Christians hardly know God at all, much less desire the opportunity or the responsibility of co-creating with God. Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't want to take on added responsibilities. Just like in any trade their are all kinds of workers, managers, supervisors, etc. Just decide to give to God what portion of yourself you are able to part with and God will do the rest. 

2nd note: Sometimes people get their back up when discussing levels of commitment to God. They have been taught that only the priest, rabbi, pastor, apostle, minister are endowed with these special privileges. Of course there is no truth in it. You are just as qualified to be God's person for the day as anyone. 





Friday, November 18, 2016

Draw Nigh 2

"I truly believe that the reason people are so passively judgmental is because they spend so little time in the scriptures. I see, more than any other influence in the Church, conformity to traditional values and precepts which may not be doctrinally sound; religious tenets of faith, created to assure a business model of financial perpetual motion and not always biblically sound.

god will not motivate your heart toward spiritual wisdom if you are unwilling to get know and follow simple biblical truths (all of which trump religious tenets of faith). To draw nigh to God requires a little effort, such as; "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  Jas. 4:7. Today, way too many Christians have a foggy view of the devil, some don't even believe the devil has any authority in the Christians life/lifestyle and even others don't know anything about the workings of evil in their life except that maybe there is a devil. That's not much to work with.

Your ability to draw nigh to God are subject to your obedience to God. In other words, because God is omniscient, if you come to God under false pretense or just for show, God knows your intent and the level of understanding that you receive from that meeting/session/summit will be based on your level of commitment to the things of God. You cannot receive from God what you cannot use/disperse for God. You will not receive anything from God that you cannot, (due to lack of understanding/wisdom/faithfulness) use for the purpose of advancing the kingdom of God. Most Christians are not in agreement that there is any relationship between receiving from God and obedience to God. They see God's assistance as the endless flow of goodies, a kind of spiritual lolly pop dispenser, without the need for chastisement or other behavioral corrections. Many Christians today want a genie kind of God, just rub the lamp when you need something and then have him get back in the bottle quickly so that no one else will ever know or be able to use the endless supply of magical spiritual candy.  Wow!

God gives no one anything that is not for the good of man/mankind.
every personal gift to you from God is weighted with add-ons that benefit those of your circle of influence and out to the world at large. There is no magical genie that gives one person what they want, but a real divine worker that benefits the individual while blessing the whole of mankind at the same time. That is one reason it is so hard for people to draw nigh to God, they haven't even gotten past the point of believing for something for others. People today don't come to God to meet with God, they come for some thing. Most people wait until the need is at the critical level before coming into the presence of God and then they come to God to arbitrate for them.  Don't get me wrong you should go to God to have God arbitrate for you, but if your only communication is through critical mass, it is not likely you will ever be able to see what God is doing in your life.

If you can't see what God is doing in your life, you are probably kicking against the goads. If you have never come to God for the sole purpose of coming to God, to commune, to receive, to ingest, to inhale, to absorb, accept just God, then you cannot be trusted with coming to God for things. It is through total submission to God that you receive understanding/wisdom to be able to discern what it is that you really need, and what to come to God for.

Just one more thing: There are those who have come to God just to be with God and to receive from God and what they received they didn't like, so they stop going to God to commune, to receive, to ingest, to inhale, to absorb, accept just God. Not everyone understands that in the presence of God you are thoroughly revealed, unmasked, debunked, unveiled, made known. Sometimes God deals with you and you don't like to be dealt with. Sometimes God speaks to your heart about necessary adjustments and you don't want to be adjusted. See, most people want to come to God to change God's mind about this or that, but few come to God in hopes of being exposed and revealed to their very depth and change their mind about this or that.

It is still true that most people would rather have a religious view of God so that they can deal with God in a more rational manner, a reserved manner, a measured manner, a predictable manner. That makes it easy to keep God at bay so that they can continue to play Church and play spiritual without having any responsibilities or ever have to face their own ungodly decision, indiscretions, sin. Here is the bottom line: They have allowed religion to be their mediator to God, not Jesus.

You can just skip the idea of drawing nigh to God if you are going to go to God with religion as your buffer. You will not grow and you will not change. You will only become more hardened and set in your ways, never free to reach up and receive new light from God, never free from the influence of this world's system or free from self."

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Draw Nigh 1

"To be a Christian is not just receiving the name. Many people believe that once they have been saved they have really accomplished something. Salvation is a gift from God, not earned through Sunday School pins or saying the Rosary so many times a day or genuflecting or praying to the saints or becoming a Christian because your wife wants you to. God chooses you and you simply respond with a yes and then God does the saving.

"Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you," James 4:8

It amazes me the direction that social thought/media has gone. On one side we still have Christians that are so judgmental that you can't tell they are Christians and on the other side we have Christians that are so liberal/loose with their thinking that they more resemble humanist than Christians. Of course God wants us to be accepting and tolerant, but not ignorant. Of course God wants us to be open-minded, but not without parameters. Why, today if Peter was to come back and become part of our society he wouldn't be able to tell who was with him or against him, because of the wishy-washy belief system that is now status-quo.

The people that say they are with him might be or might not be and the people that say they are against him might be against him or maybe not. The call for speaking with a straight tongue has morphed into speaking so as to impress others whether it is truth or not, whether it is verified or not, whether it hurts someone or not. Many things that people say are for the purpose of confusing others or starting a riot or issue that might not even exist. It reminds me of this last election where there was so much trash talk; building a case against someone for the sake of it without skin in the game. It makes me sick.

It is hard to draw nigh unto God while you are formulating a plan to disgrace someone else or tell lies about someone you don't even know or just gossiping to the point that you (you) cause someone to believe something that isn't true for the sake of hiding who you really are. Again, it amazes me that those who claim Christianity, a personal relationship with God, have no constraint when it comes to following the world, hurting others, lying, cheating, defrauding others, creating false situations to steer others from knowing the truth, and on and on.

I'm sorry, but I am looking for someone to step up to the plate and reveal just how far off track they have become and then make the necessary adjustments and move forward to draw nigh to God to become more like God."

 

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Lukewarm 2

"Humanism, as described by divineless thought is far more dangerous than a cult. Cults consist mainly of those who have tendencies to follow after a personality, a spiritual leader. Cultist are enamored with the teachings, mannerisms of  an individual and are not invested in finding the truth of the scripture. The cult follower can be reached much easier than the humanist because the humanist has devised a system that has already denied God and the cultist is still open to God.

The most consequential mistake a person can make is that of humanism, because humanism is anti-God. Humanism is a work of satan and since the humanist do not give satan any place because satan is a spiritual being, they deny satan's existence also. Humanist do not recognize their mindset creator.

Those who elevate themselves above God, humanist, do so at great peril, not because God retaliates or does anything against them, but because they are working with only a portion of their ability/capacity. It is like they are in a fight with their hands tied behind their back. Those who elevate themselves above God shall surely reap the consequences of operating in a spiritual world only using the natural elements. It is like putting a model airplane together in the dark.

If you can honestly say, "the devil made me do it," you are far better off than if you say, "self made me do it," for without Christ self is the end of the lineage. I know you have heard the term lukewarm Christian, but this term is not biblical. Lukewarm refers to those who are dabbling with God, like a cat with a mouse. They are the decidedly undecided.  They do not recognize Christ as Savior. They have made no profession of faith. They have made the decision to exclude God because they believe God is an unnecessary thought, an avoidable influence, an unwarranted risk or that God does not exist at all. It is a decision and that is why it has so much influence in the life of the humanist/lukewarm.

That is the beauty and the beast of free will. The beauty is that you can come to God and receive all that God offers and with just an open mind and an open heart receive treasure troves of blessings. But you can also deny God and abandon the idea of receiving anything from God and live on and move forward without the influence of the Holy spirit. It is empty and vain, but many have chosen to become lukewarm.

What can you do for those who have chosen to deny God? Well this could take a while, but to make a long story short: Paul said, "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as to under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that are without the law. To the weak became I weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." 1 Cor. 9:19-22

If you want a child to understand you, you get down real low and you smile and look them in the eyes and speak their language. You become like a child to reach a child. You become like a lukewarm person to reach a lukewarm person (not in absence from God but under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.)

  

Monday, November 14, 2016

Lukewarm 1

"Right off I already know that many people will be offended when discussing this subject. Whenever confronted with our own personal indiscretions we often get our back up. True growth is being able to be confronted with indiscretions and the possible cure without feeling attacked and of course without retaliation.

God made man/women so powerful that through the generations, by mankind's own volition, has created unto themselves a new authority to be reckoned with, self. Man, you and me, have designated self as the governing body by which good and evil is measured. We have departed from believing in what God has said. Now we believe a little of what God has said, but we also hold just as pure and just as sovereign, what we have created, our viewpoint, our morays, our rules. We have done this to lessen the effect that God has on our everyday lifestyle. We have begun to believe that if we can lessen God's influence that we can lessen the ramifications of our actions, and if we are really creative we can eliminate any consequences for our behavior.

This process has taken centuries and it also only takes one generation. The lessening of the effect of God among man is becoming a way of life and for many a religion. Slowly over the generations humanism has become the scapegoat from religious belief and generation to generation the mantra of those who hold tightly to an agnostic or atheist point of view. Lukewarm is the final stage of humanistic growth. If you are thinking that lukewarm is OK, just where did you derive that idea? Certainly not from scripture. Rev. 3:16 "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."  If John 3:16 is the salvation verse then Rev. 3:16 is the antithesis."




Friday, November 11, 2016

Why Does God Have Rules?

"God has set in order rules, precepts, ordinances and regulations for your growth and preservation. God, because of His foreknowledge of the many means by which we can live in peace with joy in this life, has made a way that you can have assurance of success.

All the rules, precepts, ordinances, regulations and laws from God are to serve mankind and in no way were ever designed to reflect the path to salvation. Salvation is a gift from God that you receive by faith. All the rules, precepts, ordinances, regulations and laws from God are in effect for the purpose of mankind being able to preserve their societies in peace and with purpose and prosperity.

Abiding in and following after the precepts of God are the result of salvation, not the way to salvation. Abiding by the precepts of God protect your inner man from failing. While in this world you will have unfortunate troubles and calamities which might be caused by others against you without your participation. The precepts of God protect the inner man, not the outer man. Your flesh is growing toward an end while you spirit is being renewed day by day. Loving the things of God will not keep ungodly people from doing harm, but it will keep you from participating in that harm.

The law of God is good and the wise person is one that seeks not only to find truths but to live them out, not to prove anything to God or anyone, but to nurture the relationship between yourself and the Holy Spirit within. The wise person seeks methods to find and abide by the truths of God while the fool is always looking for loopholes to get their own way."

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

On Politics

"Whatever your bent, in America, politics was always meant to be the will of the people through the eyes of the law that governs the people.  I hope you can move on past the division that political elections kindle. Many family members have Democrats, Independents and Republicans all living in the same household. 

From a Biblical perspective they are all under God and their political affiliation only serves their individual memes. Politics will never supply any internal assistance nor will politics ever govern ones heart toward God, but decisions made from the results of political views can steer the environment that we are in. 

Left, Right, Middle, Conservative, Liberal only define portions of what we have come to believe. None of these titles make us who we are. I mention that so that yo will not judge others based on their political affiliation. Yes they might differ with you on very important or delicate matters, but no their affiliation does not define the man or woman. Nor does ones political proclivity fully identify who they are as a person. 

Americans have found out that politics is a way for each individual to galvanize a particular position that they think will better themselves and others.  But politics does not define what we believe or what is our hearts intent. Politics might reflect some of what we are thinking, but only a skewed reflection at best. 

To clump a group of people together and says that they all believe the same things because they are all of a particular political affiliation is ignorance run amok. Love is the glue that holds people together and love overcomes political inclinations. If love is not the driving factor when looking at others trying to figure out why they believe differently than you, then you you will be making erroneous and untrue statements about others and believing things that do not exist. It would be like going to the voting booth to  vote and the ballot was blank except little circles that you fill in and you fill them in without having any corresponding name. 

If you want politics to drive your train, then vote party ticket. That will be proof that politics has become your religion. 

The fact that two people with diametrically opposed positions on social issues can work together and worship together and even live together is proof that politics is of little consequence when being pitted against the intangible things that make life worth living. 

The best politics of all is to jump in with both feet and invest yourself into your life and that of your family and community to make it a better place.    



      

Monday, November 7, 2016

On Work 2

"God has declared you righteous (those who believe) and that by the blood of Jesus, therefore your work should be an outward expression of your faith and belief in the Lord Jesus and as a genuine witness of your love toward others.

Learn to discipline yourself to do the jobs that you dislike the most with the same zeal you do toward the jobs you like most. Any day where you feel your very best is a good day to start this discipline. Affirm within yourself a reason for this or that discipline. This repeat this effort until you find joy in doing things that you dislike doing. Continue adding things until everything that you do you take on with the same zeal and effort because you have found for yourself the benefits and blessing that come with a disciplined mind.

You are not your work. You are not your job title. You are a child of God purposed and blessed with certain talents, skills, temperament to be used for the purpose of fulfilling your calling and providing for others a good and clean path to follow. When I rake the leaves, I rake as if it mattered."

Friday, November 4, 2016

On Work 1

"Work as if you work unto the Lord. This does not mean that we should work too many hours nor does it imply that we all have to be the best at what we do or that we should work harder than we are capable. We are all responsible to designate our time for work, to be as creative and productive as possible.

Among the many wonders of God's gifts and privileges to mankind is the ability to work.  AS we perform our tasks we come to understand that to create something from raw material and produce a finished product is quite rewarding and self-satisfying. At times we might even be full of joy or proud (in a good way) of what we do. God has given each of us our talents to be used for His glory and we should never allow our work to become a drudgery. god is concerned with the intent in our heart more than to what degree of perfection we reach.

I am not implying that you should not strive for perfection or high-quality or that any of us should be satisfied with less than our best. But to work as if you work unto the Lord has more to do with intent than attaining a specific goal of perfection. The system that God designed was to insure that as we work unto the Lord, our work on earth, whatever it might be, runs a parallel course. If you have the intent in your heart to do a good job and the skills to do it, you are blessed and should be pleased that you were chosen to do things the way God does things.

Even the most mundane of tasks becomes facile if your intentions are to honor God through your work.

OK, now the tough stuff. Not every work is capable of being done in a way as if we work unto the Lord. There are some things that people do that are outside of the parameter of a job that you can do as if you do unto the Lord. In our modern society mankind is drawing new lines of what is acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. Today almost anything goes. Yes there are parameters and no not everything is approved by God.

People that try to justify whatever they are doing that in their inner man know is wrong, but on the outside they justify; well I don't waste much time with that kind of thinking. And I surely wouldn't waste much time trying to convince someone that they should think differently. It is not that I don't care, it is that they have become hardened to the leading of the Holy Spirit and a person who has been hardened to the leading of the Holy Spirit is not easily reached and quite often any help from you is received as an affront and you will get the brunt of their rebellion. I prefer to wait them out. If you choose a different route, at least admit to yourself that you could be entangled in a web that you might not be qualified to get out of.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Fleeing Temporal Determinations

What!

All is this world is temporal, therefore spend little of your valuable time pacifying the perfection of worldly pursuits. Disregard them not, because even worldly pursuits need your attention, but don't exhaust yourself creating and sustaining things that fade away.  Strengthen yourself by reading the Word of God. Once you fully recognize that you are only a steward of the things on earth, it will affect your perception of things important.

God has already promised to give you all things necessary. Why the struggle? Make your deepest and most forethought that of gaining wisdom. Wisdom will provide the catalyst to move forward and better use your time for things that matter. Without wisdom it is a futile fight. Seek not only the things that bring pleasure. Seek not only the things that must be done (your daily routine). Seek outside of these things into the heavenlies for wisdom.

Let God be your All in All for a season.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Servanthood

One of the greatest fallacies deceiving Christians is that, once you are born again there is no need for service or servanthood, because now God watches over you and protects you anyway. It is partially true. God does watch over you and protect you, but service to mankind and servanthood are just as much a part of the born-again experience as being watched over and protected.

Salvation is a free gift from God and without contingencies, but servanthood is from man/woman and that according to our own free will. If you believe that God has given you eternal life, why wouldn't you want to bless others in whatever capacity you are able? If God gives freely to you, and you believe it, you will be motivated to do the same thing for others.

The concept of servanthood is far from popular in modernity. But Jesus isn't that popular either. Servanthood is a badge of honor for the Christian that believes that they have received from God. Think of it this way: When you plant a seed in the ground it is just a seed, but with water and soil and sunlight it becomes a plant and then goes on to become a tree or produce a fruit. Without you, nothing can grow. You are the water, the soil and the sun to the seeds of faith that have been planted. If you have ever had a garden you will fully understand the necessity of nurturing the seed, then the pant all the way through to maturity. without you the plants might come up but they would not produce anything because of the weeds and the elements.

God gives to you. You serve others.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Spiritual Growth 3

"Growth is usually some simple form of something to a more complex form. With spiritual growth comes greater joy, fulfillment and abundance but also more clarity and understanding and sometimes challenges. (The challenges were always there but you couldn't see them in your fledgling state of faith)

The reality of spiritual growth never meant that there would necessarily would be less sorrow in life or less, pain. trials, tribulations or temptations.With increased growth comes more complex tasks. God gives no one any tasks to do that He has not thoroughly prepared them for. Of course that doesn't mean that you can't bite off more than you can chew, but it wasn't God putting the spoon in your mouth. If a task is greater than your capabilities then it is not from God.

the Word of God is explicit in all matters concerning spiritual growth. As youi grow and successfully fulfill what grace you have obtained, more and more grace will be added unto you for the advancement of the kingdom of God and for your own personhood.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Spiritual Growth 2

"You glorify God by receiving Jesus into your heart. Then by growing in faith you can  express your hope to others. The more people who unite together in love under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the faster the changes are made in each others lives.

In the church there is still speculation today that if you are saved that there won't necessarily be any noticeable change in actions or behavior. That is a fallacy that church leaders use to dangle the carrot for people to keep coming to church without the need for any minor or substantial change in actions or behavior. In truth, the degree of your spiritual growth will be measured by the measurable continuance and development of a godly lifestyle. There must be less evidence of one's outer-self and more evidence of one's inner-self, shown through humility, if there is spiritual growth.

This does not mean that as a person is being perfected that they will not go backwards or even fall or fail, but it does mean that if they fall backwards or fall or fail that they don't stay there for an extended period of time. As a person, who wants to grow spiritually, starts making adjustments and changes to their lifestyle, they are challenged by the evil in this world and their own weaknesses. Those who have been in the faith for some time can be a great help to those who are still struggling. The mature Christian lends their self to those struggling to lift them up and even sometimes to bear the pain or suffer with those who are struggling; to go alongside, to help carry the load, carry the person, carry the burdens until that person is strong enough to continue on and start growing in Christ again. Don't make light of this joining together concept of Christianity. Generally it is why all of us or any of us have come as far as we have. Someone was carrying us along the way."

Friday, October 28, 2016

Spiritual Growth 1

As you grow in Christ consciousness you will continually re-evaluate all things, moral, visible, invisible and even matter itself. All things have a perpetual changing value as you grow in Christ. There are some things which you will eradicate, some things will just change and some new concepts will be born. You will accept some things that you used to reject. You will reject some things that you used to accept. The flow/change is from a personal relationship with Christ that allows the Holy Spirit to guide the inner man into truth/s. 

As your faith grows, so does the rapidity of your ability to make or accept change. Every living thing plays a role in these changes. You will sow and reap the consequences of the entire population, principalities and powers and evil. As you grow in faith your knowledge will increase at the same rate as your participation in fulfilling your purpose/God's plan for your life. 
Many people don't like this kind of Christianity because it requires an every vigilant and openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit. People today want to turn God on and off out of necessities.

By growing and not stagnating in your relationship with God, through the influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, your eyes and heart will be able to discern knowledge, wisdom, humility, understanding, precepts that belong to the body of Christ. Part of the continuing growth is your ability to communicate what is happening to you to others. 

This sharing of the inner working of the Holy Spirit that initiate actual, personal changes taking place within your own self; (measurable events that are the cause for a change in mind), things that you share with others, are the kind of things that the Holy Spirit uses to assist others in coming to the same conclusions that you have come to. It is an organic/supernatural condition, an osmosis of sorts or a godly precept going through the process of being born into actual behavioral changes the steer you or others into a more perfect union with God/godliness."














































Wednesday, October 26, 2016

While You Are Able 3

"The idea that we are to give ourselves to God doesn't fit well with our current religious systems (denominations). The idea of trusting God implicitly is also foreign to most believers today. If you are wondering what it means to give yourself to God or what trusting God implicitly, here is a rule of thumb.

Delegate 1/10th of your life to the furtherance of the gospel. (Sounds like a tithe, but in this case I am not referring to money): 1/10th of your family time, business arrangements, personal time, pleasure time, hobby time, dietary time, etc.

I know that some of you are probably thinking preachers ans other clergy should be giving 1/10th of their time as an example for others and you are partially correct. But really 1/10th of your time, the preachers time, the teachers time, the ministers time, is what is prescribed by God. In many cases some preachers give most all of their time to the ministry, but two things come to mind about that.
1.  Running a ministry is running a business and quite often the time spent is not devoted directly to God, but to building a name, position, legacy, empire. That is not the spirit of the idea of giving 1/10th of your time to God.
2.  Quite often preachers give so much of their time to their ministry that their own family suffers, sometimes severely. That is also far from the spirit of the idea. Working so hard to build whatever doesn't necessarily translate into following Bible precepts. It can even be kicking against the goads.

What God designed for everyone is balance and that is the only thing that works.
think about every science: pathology, astronomy, biology, physics, neurology, even theology and you will find that everything works within its created parameters. Step outside those parameters and throw the balance off and nothing good comes of it. So try to find the balance that God foreordained for you While You Are Able. 
   

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

While You Are Able 2

"God is not delighted or impressed with your superficial worship or unfaithful service. You must come to recognize that all/any greatness that we have and all the comforts that we enjoy and all the freedoms that we have is not from our individual or group efforts. These gifts/freedoms are a direct result of Holy God intervening in the affairs of men/women. 

It is facts that drive us (Christians) not folly or unsubstantiated fantasies. It is facts that keeps us enlisted with our vigor and strength and courage to follow Jesus. You already possess the inner working necessary to adhere to the disciplines that make Christianity work for modernity. We fight the good fight because we have faith in the facts of the creator. 

If this sounds too far out for you then you need to re-evaluate your personal commitment to the things of God. No one is going to train you. You will have to run this gamut on your own. God will give you the desire and the inner inclinations to be true to your faith. God has always done His part. If you are running into a situation where you are living below the bar of where you think you should be, you can easily point back to the time when you strayed from your own good judgment. 

Trust god. God knows how to use every resource flawlessly. Keep in mind , when you are about to do something that you know is outside of your agreed to relationship with God, that God has kept His Word. You do not have to stray. You choose to stray. 

Be mindful of God's will. Be generous. Discipline the inconsistencies in your life. Pray for guidance and help from God, but don't stop veering toward God."
     

Saturday, October 22, 2016

While You Are Able 1

"The largest, most destructive barrier keeping mankind from His quest to seek righteousness is self-contentment. Even the most prudent and deliberating people in our society are seeking self-contentment before reaching out to others. Our culture has become proud of its stable, democratic independence. In almost all facets of industry, technology, education, medicine and others, we have become the most advanced in the world and this is truly wonderful, however it should be to us a warning as well as a blessing.

God has blessed us with every good thing we could possibly want. with such blessings and such grace that has been bestowed upon us, man's efforts to please God should be overflowing, but it is not. For reasons of selfishness man has delegated himself with a new approved standard of giving to others; it is this simple, "When I am full I will give away my used and worn." In some cases giving is based on a static amount of one's income , but rarely of one's want.

Many say "I am certain that God would want me to be filled and my family filled before I share with others." As self-sustaining as this might seem it is based on a false premise. God's Word does not change with each whim of man. I have heard many Christians say, "I believe that everyone is entitled to be filled first before considering giving to others. Whatever you determine is right is right for you." Man has been teaching self-made doctrines for centuries under the disguise of religion.

The reason that God's Word could be written down and not need to be changed throughout the centuries is because of its immutable and perfect nature. God's constitution does not need to be changed with every wind of man's self-fulfillment. God's constitution does not need to be altered to meet new and challenging concepts like our Supreme Court changes with the wind and the times. God's constitution does not need amended, because it was perfect, is perfect and will continue to be perfect, forever."

If you are a Christian and you have created your own personal constitution, based on self-preservation and the will to have it all your own way, why fake it like somehow you are a loyal follower of Jesus. There is nothing to be gained by denying your birthright into the kingdom of God under the guise of an indulging and worldly lifestyle. Whether your friends and family find out what a hypocrite you are or not is hardly the question. If you know, that should be enough incentive to make a correction in course."

Friday, October 21, 2016

On Loneliness 2

"I would suggest a change in your daily routine, such as: If you always do the wash before you do the dishes, do the dishes before you do the wash and make other simple changes in your schedule that break routine. If you always go to the same place for lunch, go somewhere else, somewhere unfamiliar; that's the key, unfamiliar.

You will find that deliberated association with new things, schedules, events, destinations and new people will be mentally stimulating and self-rewarding, thereby eliminating some of the pain or uncomfortable thoughts you have been having.  

In no way am I suggesting that memories will not remain, however change will enable you to reconstruct a new perspective with a new set of parameters and motivations. A broader view of life with new facets can provide the impetus for inner change in your heart. Please remember that God knows your needs. His love is abounding and His grace is immeasurable.

Hold fast to your measure of faith allowing no circumstances to subdue your person. God promises you victory and God never breaks promises. Don't put off making the changes I mentioned above. With every change the pain, troubles, discomfort, heartache lessens and the loneliness subsides."

Thursday, October 20, 2016

On Loneliness 1

"If you are feeling lonely, hurt or depressed, you  will do best not to be idle with your time. There will be a passing, in due time, and healing will be sufficient. Everyone experiences these times, some as a trial, some as tribulation and some as chastisement, but all things work together for good to those who love God. 

During these times it is most important to bring to mind that "we are pilgrims and strangers in this world, not as a placebo, but for the purpose of reminding us that even our precious Lord and Savior was tempted in all things just as we are and overcame them all.  

There is nothing too big that you cannot conquer with faith. No doubt at times the pain in the heart seems unbearable, but God promises with everything that we experience He gives us strength to pass thru the fire and overcome. 

busy your mind with your work or your talents as much as possible. Retreat from your regular routine which is enveloped with memories and nostalgia which can be a constant reminder of your pain. Do something different. It may bring a new idea or challenge for your mind to work on. Many a great invention came to those wallowing in the mire of depression or misery. 

As difficult as it is try not to remain in a passive state of mind for extended periods of time. During these times you are more likely to be impatient in most things, so it is better to be involved with many short term activities rather than long term activities, especially the  ones that are regulated by a demanding or mundane routine.




Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Wisdom

"Wisdom cannot be earned
Wisdom is not obtained by being good
Wisdom is not hereditary
Wisdom is not self-induced
Wisdom is not hard to get
Wisdom is not a bi-product of intellectual thinking
Wisdom is not subject to guidelines
Wisdom has no boundaries
Wisdom does not vary with the individual
Wisdom cannot be purchased or bartered for
Wisdom does not vary with the circumstances
Wisdom never misleads
Wisdom perfects all god-like attributes
Wisdom humbles itself for every one
Wisdom lends itself without repayment
Wisdom penetrates the heart
Wisdom permeates the soul
Wisdom satisfies the mind
Wisdom overpowers the body
Wisdom changes time
Wisdom is of/from God, only. It is a gift.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Thank You Anyway

"Lord I want to thank you even though from my vantage pint it looks like things did not go well. As a matter of fact (in my humble opinion) things went very wrong.

  • I know that you did not bring the tragedy, but you did not stop it either.
  • I know that you did not cause the pain, but you did not squelch it either. 
  • I know that you did not cause the events to take place, but you did not tell me that they were going to either.
  • In my heart I am not convinced that this is best, and You have not comforted me in the way I was expecting.
  • I  know that this might be best, but I don't know and I don't have confirmation from You that I have made the right decision.
I am hurt by the outcome of today's events, and I don't feel comforted, but I do rest assured in my heart that somehow you will continue working on my behalf and that someday I will understand.

I do not understand today but I thank you anyway."

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

God's Great Storehouse

"Six months shrouded by calamity and drenched with an influx of blessings, We laugh, "I wonder what else can go wrong." I say thank the Lord for all the gifts. I can say thank the Lord for I have learned to never trade a moment of my life for a different moment.

God has permitted me to have things that mean so much to me, without conditions or having to make some deal, and so pleasing they are. Even in the worst of times I can laugh and smile and have fun because I know that behind every cloud is a rainbow and after every storm there is a calm.

I wonder sometimes why everyone, including myself, wants God to show Himself. Why aren't we satisfied with what God has actually done for us? If God did show Himself and told each of us exactly what to do and when to do it and demanded our faithfulness (because He showed Himself) and made commands to us face to face; I think people would listen for a season and then they would start complaining and then blaming and then disobeying. They would say, "God is not fair. Why does He have to show Himself like this and tell me what to do?"

God has given each of us what we need to live a life worthy of His love and we choose our directions out of God's great storehouse. Do you really want it any other way?

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

You are the light of the world. Why then have you allowed yourself to be shaded?
You are the salt of the earth. Why then is it so tasteless?
You are the meek. Why then are you so proud?
You are the  humble. Why do you strive with one another?
You are the givers. Why must you keep so much?
You are the patient. Why then are you so hasty and do not wait on Me?
You are the kindhearted. Why do you turn away strangers?
You are the joyous. Why then do you complain everyday?
You are the gentle. Why then are you so insensitive?
You are the honest. Why do you deceive and cheat one another?
You are the charitable. why then must you own everything?
You are the faithful. Why then do My children starve?
You are the prudent. Why then are you so easily deceived?
You are the chosen. Why do you reject Me?
You are the wise. Why then do you not act wise?
You are the diligent. Why then must you rest from My work?
You are the teachers. Why then do you not know My ways?
You are the peacemakers. Why then do I see you destroying one another?
You are My witnesses. Why then are you silent?
Is there not anyone among you who will answer Me when I call and choose you to follow Me and love obedience?
My promises you have scorned.
What else would you have of Mine to destroy?
I ask that you believe in Me and you neglect so great a salvation. 
Are you still trying to save yourself, Oh foolish and disobedient generation?

Monday, October 3, 2016

A Man Of Wisdom

"A man/woman of wisdom does not seek his own but seeks that which God provides. He/she need not be in defense of not being perfect, his/her wisdom is from above. His/her words are God's words.

His/her warnings, God's warnings.  Thye need not know all that God knows to know God. It is not their duty to explain what God does not.

the wise are no less wise because they stand among the foolish, no more than the foolish are wise because they stand among the wise. Seek the wise for their wisdom and fell folly. Let not the unseen be unreal as well. The unseen is where all mysteries finish their course. That which you can see is so great an influence, but that which you cannot see is where all things originate and lead to.

Don't be deceived by religious rhetoric, your view of purity and the unexplainable will always be synonymous with your degree of obedience to God. You will not experience that perfect light while darkness prevails for then you would be divided within yourself. Where there is light there is no darkness and where there is darkness there is no light.

Be not deceived, less than pure light is just that. Allow the light of God to permeate your being. Let the light of God create your dreams and drive your visions. Let the unseen be lighted by the entrance of wisdom from God and so it is with the seen, let the seen, this natural world be exposed to the light so that you can see its truth.

Are you OK with going a little deeper with God. If not well..."

Friday, September 30, 2016

Practical Truth

"Q. How can I have freedom of movement and peace of mind when my body is covered with barnacles?
A. By understanding forgiveness and purging off the old ways by being cleaned with new ways.

Q. My daily life is so conflicting and sin does abound and press in toward me from all sides. What can I do to escape so great a pressure?
A. Where sin abounds God's grace does much more abound, therefore accept God's grace as sufficient for the day and move on.

Q. Why does tragedy strike the faithful?
A. The question shouldn't be 'why does tragedy strike the faithful?' The question should be 'what are you going to do with the tragedy that strikes?'

Q. How can I battle against the whiles of the wicked? It seems like there is no rest.
A. Battle while strong and turn away when you need rest. The battle goes on and on and you will have to make a conscience decision to turn away from the battle if you are to ever get any rest.

Q. Why do I have such a hard time giving praise to God and praying for others?
A. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Take some time to learn to eat better and go to sleep earlier.

Q. Why should I listen to the teachings of Christian conduct? Even those with credentials have opposing views.
A. Take council of the wise; Those whose credentials are in their walk, not their wallet. Opinions are man's way of expanding God's truths. Learn to look for the distilled version of the truth (the Bible) and not the expanded version, man's/women's ego."

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Life Without Sin

"How true it is, "All is vanity and vexation of spirit."  The pleasures of this world are so vain. All is not sin, but there will be an inevitable loss of spiritual preservation to those who attach themselves to the world.

Does this mean you should have no fun or that all pleasure is sin. Not hardly. It does mean that the fun and pleasures you seek should be vetted by the awareness you have of the spiritual component of life. Fun and pleasure are more fun and more pleasurable if sin is not the result of the activity. It is simple. God designed parameters that if we stay within them we have a clean conscience to enjoy what it is that we endeavor.

I understand that different religions offer different parameters, but I am not talking about religious parameters, but parameters that are established in the heart of every man, woman or child that has received the free gift of salvation from God.

Don't misunderstand, every living soul has embedded within them God's global will which includes a conscience that can determine sinful behavior from godly behavior. But the influences of man and demons can harden the heart against the things of God. When a person is born again they have the indwelling Holy Spirit to assist them in making each final decision. So, even though you might be tempted to find enjoyment outside of the natural parameters that God has established for everyone, with the indwelling Holy Spirit you have spiritual power to overcome ungodly inclinations.

In no way am I saying that those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit cannot or will not sin. I am saying that with the indwelling Holy Spirit you have the power to overcome sin. There is no life without sin, but there is growing in Christ and learning to lean on the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower you to decline sinful behaviors.

I know this isn't a popular subject and many Christians today balk at discussing sin at all and even some believe that it just doesn't matter.
Ex: If you have a food allergy, let's say you are allergic to wheat and it has been making you sick, but you didn't know what it was until now. Now that you know that wheat makes you sick, do you go out and eat more wheat? No, you find ways to cut wheat out so you can be healthy. It is the same with spiritual things.


Monday, September 26, 2016

The True Idea Creator

"When you 'feel' the Holy Spirit you are not actually feeling something physical. You are feeling the results of loosening your hold on the flesh and strengthening your hold on the Spirit. 

When you see a 'work' of the Holy Spirit you do not actually see the Holy Spirit but the results of the power of the Holy Spirit intervening in your life or the lives of others. The Holy Spirit is invisible but the efforts of the Holy spirit are visible and tangible. 

You grieve the Holy Spirit every time you permit yourself to think that you are the proprietor of spiritual matters. You are not really the idea creator of anything spiritual and neither are those who claim to be doing this or that under the guidance of God or "their god." You are however a catalyst to the unction of the Holy Spirit and you can respond to the Holy Spirit by adhering to the godly principles put forth by the Holy Spirit.

The most advantageous way to 'work out' any given unction by the Holy Spirit is through regular participation in what God is doing in your life today. 

Ex. Let's say that you create an idea that there should be a Sunday School in your church, ages 9-11 for advanced Bible study. Let's say it becomes successful and does a good work. You must be aware that the idea was an unction from the Holy Spirit and that you were the catalyst that God used to effect the idea. Once you realize that God is the idea creator, you can be an effectively implement God's plan. 

God is the architect, you are the constructor. If you are following the will of God, you are managing the ideas that God drafted for you. I call this co-creating.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Faith, simple faith

"Your relationship with God is about your response to God, not your pastors', not your wifes', not your childrens'. No other person is responsible for your spiritual welfare. Whatever you receive of God and the level of communication that you have with God will be (and always has been) based on your faith. Not your faith like Catholic, protestant, other, but your personal faith, through personal relationship with God.  

God receives you with your bents, personality, character, temperament, skills and talents, as they are, under the current circumstances. But it is not these attributes that attract God to you. There is nothing you can do or say that will attract God to you or your situation. God is attracted to you because you are His child. That's enough. And if you have placed your faith in Jesus, God not only sees you as His child, but God sees you through the works of Jesus Christ. 

God works on your behalf whether or not you see it or acknowledge it. But through the eyes of faith you can see it and you can acknowledge it. Instead of wondering if God is in this or in that, doing this on your behalf or doing that, you can know and participate with God as a co-creator if you have faith. 

Now, maybe you are thinking: "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and I believe what my pastor says. I go to church (regular or not). I give to the church. I have even served in one capacity to help others." That's wonderful, but the faith I am talking about isn't just the faith that gets you a ticket to heaven because you believe that Jesus is Lord. 

That kind of faith, as real as it is, is faith in a religious system:
  • One that goes to God on your behalf and provide your personal connection and spiritual growth at the rate that the religion deems satisfactory.
  • One that meets your time constraints by providing all the spiritual nourishment you need in one hour or less each week
  • One that identifies with Christ and brings to Christ your questions and then provides you with filtered answers
  • One that examines your faith and determines the quality of your relationship with God through the eyes of man
  • One that accepts your level of faith by the precepts of its doctrines that you keep without ever knowing the inner man, where the root of all actions are borne. 
If this is what you think is a relationship with God, you are a religious person. I am not saying in any way that being a religious person is not good or not saved or not anything. What I am saying is that it was never meant to be that you would prefer a relationship with God where you could use a mediator for your relationship so that you never have to face God yourself. Religion is the mediator between God and man in many of today's parishioners. Yet religion does not always speak for God. Every denomination and every other non-christian religious system believes in its own man-made system. They all claim to have their origin from God and they all have their tenets of faith that outline what a true relationship with God looks like. 

The problem is that not one of these religions are correct concerning all issues. Not one of theses religions hold all the truth. Not one of these religions have all the answers and not one of them can stand before you and represent you to God. You were and are now and always will be responsible for yourself. If you are satisfied with a predetermined relationship with a beginning and boundary parameters set by someone else, then not heading to this simple essay will be sufficient.  If you were wondering if God can hear you and speak to you directly without any aid from anyone else, the answer is yes. 

Why not get started with a simple personal prayer where you talk to God and ask to hear from God? You might be pleasantly surprised."




Thursday, September 22, 2016


The miracles of God, by God, for mankind's use are not all visible - measurable - understandable. The greatness of God and God's unknowable blessings upon us are so plentiful that we cannot count them. 

We oftentimes do not recognize God's intervention. We might glorify God if we see a miracle. "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" John 20:29 

Let's distill this thought to its very essence. God is pouring out His essence, being, self onto us and all creation. There has never been a time that God did not pour Himself out onto you, whether you were/are saved or not. But there will be a time when those who have not been born again will be lost forever. Until then God is pouring out His blessings on all of us. 

Note: It is easy to get caught up in the deterioration syndrome that comes with thinking about your problems, sicknesses, faults, past sins or indiscretions, current unfavorable conditions. If you wallow in worry your spiritual eyes will be blurred or even shut to what God is doing in your life altogether. Just because you can't see it does not mean it does not exist. Little by little start training your mind to think on the things of God and slowly the troubles of this world will wane and then disappear.  Don't think so? I thought you might say that. You are conditioned by your surroundings as well as the thoughts and actions of those around you. To operate with God Thinking you will have to find ways and find time to divert your thinking to better and higher thoughts; 
Thoughts that build up
Thoughts that heal
Thoughts that surrender your problems to God.
Thoughts that make molehills out of mountains
Start allowing God to talk and you listen.

The math is like this: The quantity of time (not the quality of time) you spend each day in the way you think provides an equal representation of the life you will live. In other words if the quantity of thoughts that you have are depressing and worrysome, fretful and conclude a disappointing end, is greater than the quantity of thoughts that are beautiful, full of pleasant surprise, godlike, simple and constructive, then you will be un-building from the place you could be. The same holds true if the quantity of thoughts that you have are beautiful, full of pleasant surprise, godlike, simple and constructive, then you will be building a strong foundation to the place you could be. 

I say quantity and not quality because in America there is an epidemic of people thinking that if they just give a little quantity time:
They can raise their kids
They can have a good marriage
They can build a vibrant business
They can become successful in a trade
It was never true. quantity time trumps quality time every time.

One more thing. Depending on where you think you are in this scenario it might be time to start un-learning a great many things."

Excerpt from Miracles by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2016