Prov 29:25
25 The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
NKJV
Character fault du jour. This one is in my face a lot the last 3 months. The desire for approval of man. Trying to get my need for acceptance and identity apart from Jesus. Painful. Absolutely fruitless. (if you notice, for the most part, people will NOT accept you as you are) This last 3 months was not only a time of further tearing down....Jesus has to get the rubble out of the way, but of getting me to see who He created me to be. He had a plan. "From before the foundations of the world".... He planned each of my days. Before I was in my mother's womb, He knew me.
When we're young, we find that people do not like traits that God gave us. I think it's because, to deal with them, they have to look at their own lack in some area. If I'm compassionate, and your not, you may feel guilt when I am operating in that, and as a result try to shut it down in me, so you don't have to feel bad. (there are also legitimate rough edges than God needs to "file" down on our character, so I'm not talking about the negative traits.)
I think this is how we lose parts of ourselves that God created us to be over time as we grow up. School teaches us very quickly that to behave in a certain way, wear certain clothes, hang with certain people creates an acceptable identity. When we come to the Lord, He has to burn all that away.
So here I stand....asking myself the question..."who am I, Lord?" A great question He is very pleased to answer, now that I want to know who He says I am.
So today for you also....
Through repentance and acceptance of Jesus' atonement, you are accepted, fully and unconditionally. This is the foundation for all future growth. If we don't get that...we won't be able to receive the rest.
Accept what Jesus paid such a high price for. He didn't die so that you could then work to earn His favor. He could have simply left for heaven without suffering if that were the case. He satisfied God's justice. That means your free.
He wants to show you who He made you to be. He had a great idea about you, that the world has warped, and tried to remold into something so watered down, so ineffectual, so hardened to His reality. No, you were made to walk in the power of God. So reject the thoughts that tell you anything else than what you are. You are God's own child. Precious and treasured. Grafted into the family of God. Our identity is in Him alone. Being a parent, a spouse, a pastor, a CEO or janitor...all are just assignments, not who we are. You are the Beloved of God. Amen!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Attentive God
1 Peter 3:12
For the eye's of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer.
Unbelief is exalting any opinion above God's opinion. I've had so much of this in my life, it seems every other thought right now shows itself to be a lie. So much of what we learn in church even, is man exalting his opinion above God's, through the mixture of worldly wisdom and the Word of God. Paul says we are to tear down every thought that exalts itself above God...
2 Cor 10:3-5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
NKJV
Bringing into captivity...allowing Jesus to captivate my thought life, my knowledge of Him...hmmm.
So...if you have Jesus, you are among the righteous.
Rom 4:22-25
22 And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness."
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
NKJV
Rom 10:10-11
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
NKJV
2 Cor 5:20-21
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
NKJV
This "right standing" with God is positional, and given at salvation, not earned. There is another righteousness, holiness, that can be attained through our choices to follow and allow Him to change us, but our "position" of righteousness is given through grace.
All that to say....God's eye's are on those whom belong to Him, and His ear is attentive to their prayers. Have you ever been with an attentive person? Their eye's stay on your face, while you speak. They give feedback...nodding, smiling...concern, empathy...expressing joy or sorrow at your joy or sorrow. At the sound of your voice, they stop what they are doing to give you their full attention. Nothing is more important than what you have to say in that moment.
That is the attentive God. Isn't He beautiful?! Kind, more than just loving...an overused expression we have come to disdain almost...no, it's more like He's saying when I pray, "Everyone, QUIET!! My beloved is speaking!!!
MAN!!! I LOVE HIM!!!!
For the eye's of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer.
Unbelief is exalting any opinion above God's opinion. I've had so much of this in my life, it seems every other thought right now shows itself to be a lie. So much of what we learn in church even, is man exalting his opinion above God's, through the mixture of worldly wisdom and the Word of God. Paul says we are to tear down every thought that exalts itself above God...
2 Cor 10:3-5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
NKJV
Bringing into captivity...allowing Jesus to captivate my thought life, my knowledge of Him...hmmm.
So...if you have Jesus, you are among the righteous.
Rom 4:22-25
22 And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness."
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
NKJV
Rom 10:10-11
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
NKJV
2 Cor 5:20-21
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
NKJV
This "right standing" with God is positional, and given at salvation, not earned. There is another righteousness, holiness, that can be attained through our choices to follow and allow Him to change us, but our "position" of righteousness is given through grace.
All that to say....God's eye's are on those whom belong to Him, and His ear is attentive to their prayers. Have you ever been with an attentive person? Their eye's stay on your face, while you speak. They give feedback...nodding, smiling...concern, empathy...expressing joy or sorrow at your joy or sorrow. At the sound of your voice, they stop what they are doing to give you their full attention. Nothing is more important than what you have to say in that moment.
That is the attentive God. Isn't He beautiful?! Kind, more than just loving...an overused expression we have come to disdain almost...no, it's more like He's saying when I pray, "Everyone, QUIET!! My beloved is speaking!!!
MAN!!! I LOVE HIM!!!!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Pressed down, over flowing.....
Well...as I FB'ed, I'm exhausted with the goodness of God!! He has worn me out with love and blessings!! This would have taken years of therapy....but He is a Counselor like no other...not only leading, helping, but able to just deliver you from whatever troubles or torments you. The move of the Holy Spirit right now is to reveal and give a download of the Father's heart, deliver us from self hatred, receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Daddy!! (Abba!) To call out over you Hephzibah! The Lord delights in you!
The message we're missing in the church is not how much do you love God,and what can you do for Him, but how much does God love us, and what has He done???
God is desiring to reveal His heart to us...He is crying out, I love you, like I love my Son! John 17:23
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
How much does God love Jesus?
A whole bunch!!!!!
Ask God to show you anything that hinders this love between you. He loves that question! He loves helping you remove anything that's in the way. There will be no condemnation when you bring Him your worst...he delights in mercy! We just need to fear Him, in this way... He is God, and we are not. If our opinions do not reflect His, guess who's need to change???? If our actions do not reflect Him, guess again, who needs to change? But the best news of all, is He will make these changes in you. He just loves that big YES in your spirit. If we ask He will come. Do you want to feel His love? Do you want the certainty you belong to Him...are pleasing to Him? Ask. We have not because we ask not. Don't be afraid of loss....it's a pearl of great price...sell everything you have to get it. It's worth it in the end. He's worth it. Find your courage to come....give Him what He paid such a high price for. He died that you might receive it. He's worth it....He's worth it all.
The message we're missing in the church is not how much do you love God,and what can you do for Him, but how much does God love us, and what has He done???
God is desiring to reveal His heart to us...He is crying out, I love you, like I love my Son! John 17:23
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
How much does God love Jesus?
A whole bunch!!!!!
Ask God to show you anything that hinders this love between you. He loves that question! He loves helping you remove anything that's in the way. There will be no condemnation when you bring Him your worst...he delights in mercy! We just need to fear Him, in this way... He is God, and we are not. If our opinions do not reflect His, guess who's need to change???? If our actions do not reflect Him, guess again, who needs to change? But the best news of all, is He will make these changes in you. He just loves that big YES in your spirit. If we ask He will come. Do you want to feel His love? Do you want the certainty you belong to Him...are pleasing to Him? Ask. We have not because we ask not. Don't be afraid of loss....it's a pearl of great price...sell everything you have to get it. It's worth it in the end. He's worth it. Find your courage to come....give Him what He paid such a high price for. He died that you might receive it. He's worth it....He's worth it all.
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