Every year around March, I decide if I'm going to try to garden that year.. Every year I want to garden, because I love to see the spouting of new life. I love to see buds and flowers come up, that will eventually turn into fruit or veggies. I love to see how one seed can produce a plant that will bear tons of fruit.. It brings me great joy to bear fruit that I planted and watered. My son loves to run out to the garden to collect his harvest, and bring it in to eat right then. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
I was in worship yesterday and God was showing me something about planting seeds, and watering those seeds.. God was showing me about how a seed needs to be soaked in water in order for it to sprout. Sometimes this can takes weeks depending on the seed that is planted. The avocado seed can take up to 6 weeks to sprout, and I did some "googling" and have found info that some tree seeds can take years before they will sprout.. Sometimes some seeds need to be watered for along time!!
I was like WOW God.. These are the amazing places God takes me, that I wouldn't get to go if I didn't believe.. I was like whoa.. A seed does need to soaked in water before it will sprout, but even after it has sprouted it still needs to be watered.. Like watered for ever.. Without water it will die. If a seed was soaked in water for awhile but then the soil dried up, it would of a began a new life but then would have died off only after a short amount of time.. Or if a seed is planted in a bad place, it may of sprouted but then may have been choked out, eaten, or withered away..
But if a seed is planted in good soil, and soaked in water, it will sprout, and start to create roots.. These roots get stronger and grow the opposite way as the plant the more they are nourished. They deepen in the soil, and they can hold the plant firmly in the ground when storms and bad weather comes through. The plant will start to grow up and out of the soil, and start to form branches, and leaves, then it will bud flowers, and eventually bear fruit. But this too will only happen if it continually gets watered..
Then God was showing me about the seeds and water.. Not every seed planted is a good seed.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For
the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal
life.
There are many seeds, but there are only 3 perfect seeds that will never fail. Faith, Hope, and Love.. But just as scripture says, God showed me the one that is most important. The seed of love.. That is the one that stood out. You can preach the word until you are blue in the face, but if you do it without love.. You sound like Charlie Browns teacher,, wah wah wah, woh, and most likely are doing more damage than good.You sound like nothing. This might be why some seeds never sprout. They were planted without love. You can even water these seeds, and they still wont sprout because there is nothing inside.
Then God showed me how to water. He showed me this from John..One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. The pouring out of Jesus blood, and His water.. When you pour into someone you are watering them. The more you water the more that seed will soak. Once its sprouted, the more you give that plant nourishment, so it can grow and become strong. There are only 2 liquids you can water from.. That is from Jesus's living water, and from the liquid that gives life, His blood.. You might say well I'm not sure how you can water someone with these two things, but the Holy Spirit showed me that since these two things came out of Jesus heart when He was pierced, that when you water, you get these two liquids from inside your heart.. Which is liquid love, or waters of grace!! You don't just want to come sprinkle water on these seeds, but you want to pour it out on them.. Just a continuous flow on them, just like God gives to us.. Jesus poured these out on us, and so did God..Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all
people.
When you pour out on these seeds, it gives life to the seed. The seed soaks up that life giving blood and water, and the seed turns from something dead into something alive. It goes from a dead seed into a entirely new living breathing creature.. For a little while someone might need to keep watering that plant, but when it starts to get really rooted, and learns how to stay in the water and blood, it will continue to grow, becoming deeper rooted in God. It will become mature and start to bear fruit..
God brought me back to baptism and communion with this.. These two things represent the same things, the blood and the water of Jesus.. You are cleansed with the water, but the blood is what is on the inside doing the cleaning..
So after all of this, the reason why I am writing is because I was thinking about how in March when I think about wanting to garden, sometimes I get lazy, and I think about how much work it is to garden. I have to get the weeds, out, and turn up the soil, and it just takes awhile to get it even prepped to plant anything. Planting seeds is hard work.. Its laborious, but its worth it..The first thing I ever planted and grew, I wanted to cry. I was so excited, and that is how we should be.. We should always know that bearing the seed for sowing may cause weeping, and tears, but you will come home with a harvest that overflows and shouts of joy. You will get to eat your fruit of all you hard work..
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
AbbaAwesomeNess!
There is something about the revelation of God's love that out beats, out wins any of the other revelations God has given me even though all of it is amazing..
It takes you to this whole new understanding of who God is.. It takes you to the place where you cry out Abba! You understand so much more of how faithful He is to those who seek Him.. To those who love Him. You understand how He created you..How He spent time creating you, and forming you. I can only describe it the way He showed me.. He is the potter and we are the clay.. He spent time at the wheel with every single one of us. He formed us with His love, and He knows exactly how many hairs we have, since He put them there. He knows each one of us. But it gets deeper.. Then He places you on a pedestal watching us while His eyes gaze upon us with such great love. He created us out of love and with love.. So in return He is waiting for us to come to Him because we love Him too. He places that love He gave to you, and when you return it, its like He is putting you back in His love..
Its just Abbaawesomeness! If you haven't had a revelation of Gods love, I suggest you pray for one. It will leave you in tears, and for a whole new thankfulness for your Father.
It takes you to this whole new understanding of who God is.. It takes you to the place where you cry out Abba! You understand so much more of how faithful He is to those who seek Him.. To those who love Him. You understand how He created you..How He spent time creating you, and forming you. I can only describe it the way He showed me.. He is the potter and we are the clay.. He spent time at the wheel with every single one of us. He formed us with His love, and He knows exactly how many hairs we have, since He put them there. He knows each one of us. But it gets deeper.. Then He places you on a pedestal watching us while His eyes gaze upon us with such great love. He created us out of love and with love.. So in return He is waiting for us to come to Him because we love Him too. He places that love He gave to you, and when you return it, its like He is putting you back in His love..
Its just Abbaawesomeness! If you haven't had a revelation of Gods love, I suggest you pray for one. It will leave you in tears, and for a whole new thankfulness for your Father.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
All I need..
You set me free constantly
All that I am, I place into your hands
You have taken me from highs to lows
But all that time you never lift your grace
And you always show me your Face
I have wandered around this wilderness for along time
But finally you set me free
Free from the bondage of being thirsty
Free from the bondage of lifelessness
Free from the bondage of hunger
Free from seeking places that are dry and dead
You break bondage where water flows
You break bondage with the beauty of Jesus’s face
You break bondage with perfect love
You break bondage with colors of your paradise
You break bondage with your breath and Word
You break bondage with your consuming fire
Oh God, how it hurts to be break the bondage
Oh God, I wish it happened in seconds
But your timing is perfect
And you make things work for Your Glory
Oh God, you are so worth it
You are so worth the wandering
You are so worth years of being
Hungry
Thirsty
Lost
Dead
And Alone
God you set me free because all I need is You..
All that I am, I place into your hands
You have taken me from highs to lows
But all that time you never lift your grace
And you always show me your Face
I have wandered around this wilderness for along time
But finally you set me free
Free from the bondage of being thirsty
Free from the bondage of lifelessness
Free from the bondage of hunger
Free from seeking places that are dry and dead
You break bondage where water flows
You break bondage with the beauty of Jesus’s face
You break bondage with perfect love
You break bondage with colors of your paradise
You break bondage with your breath and Word
You break bondage with your consuming fire
Oh God, how it hurts to be break the bondage
Oh God, I wish it happened in seconds
But your timing is perfect
And you make things work for Your Glory
Oh God, you are so worth it
You are so worth the wandering
You are so worth years of being
Hungry
Thirsty
Lost
Dead
And Alone
God you set me free because all I need is You..
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
A liquid offering of love on the just and the unjust!
I was in bed last night praying for a friend that needs healing, and I was reminded again of what God showed me a few weeks ago about His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. What He showed me on how much He loves us. His love cant be measured but God can give you the power to understand His love. I have been asking for that in my prayers. After God showed me the depths of His love, I have been asking for Him to continue to pour it on me, so that I can pour it on others. The way God loves is very different than the way I love, and I want His love and power because that wont fail.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
So last night God showed me another depth of His love.. God rains on the just and the unjust.
For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike
Sometimes we wonder why do good things happen to bad people, and why do bad things happen to good people. The thing we forget to say is that good things happen to good people and that bad things do happen to bad people too. We also forget that bad people have free will to do whatever they want. There is nothing holding them accountable, and they have deceit and wickedness inside their hearts. The only thing that can cleanse that wickedness out is the blood and love of Jesus.
As I was praying I could see in my spirit, rain coming down, and it wasn't natural rain, it was the supernatural rain of God that comes down on the just and the unjust over the whole earth. God pours His Grace and Mercy on both. It isn't just on Christians. God loves His creation so much that He pours it on all of us. His grace and mercy hits us just like the natural rain does. Natural rain can leave you drenched and soaked, so how much more does supernatural rain affect us?
And then God showed me the difference in how His grace and Mercy rain has on a person who has true faith in Jesus, and one that doesn't. When I was a little kid I would play in the rain, especially in Arizona where it rarely ever rained. We would go outside and literally be soaking wet on the outside, but then we would look to the sky and open our mouths and drink the rain. This is the difference. The pouring out of grace and mercy from God is Jesus's liquid sacrifice on the cross. His blood was poured out as a living sacrifice. Jesus blood is alive and active. It cleanses the deepest part of our souls and can clean out the heart. It can clean out the wickedness from a person.. But that person has to make an active decision in opening their mouth to drink the rain from Jesus. When they do this they are drinking forgiveness.The difference is that when we take of this cup, we are drinking Gods forgiveness. This is what makes us righteous and in the eyes of God, sinless. This transforms a person entire being. It comes into the body and everything dead starts to come alive. It is that life giving blood that gives you an entirely new heart. It transforms your mind, and soul. It literally cleans out the things that defile you that are in your heart.
But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.
This is why communion is so important. Obviously it isn't literally Jesus's blood, but we are confessing that we are drinking the sacrifice that Jesus poured out on the cross for us. We are drinking forgiveness.
After last night, I have a whole new understanding on communion and how much God loves all of His creation. He loves us so much He sends showers of grace, mercy, and forgiveness down to us from heaven. I'm going to walk around with my no umbrella and my mouth open from now on in the natural rain. :)
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
So last night God showed me another depth of His love.. God rains on the just and the unjust.
For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike
Sometimes we wonder why do good things happen to bad people, and why do bad things happen to good people. The thing we forget to say is that good things happen to good people and that bad things do happen to bad people too. We also forget that bad people have free will to do whatever they want. There is nothing holding them accountable, and they have deceit and wickedness inside their hearts. The only thing that can cleanse that wickedness out is the blood and love of Jesus.
As I was praying I could see in my spirit, rain coming down, and it wasn't natural rain, it was the supernatural rain of God that comes down on the just and the unjust over the whole earth. God pours His Grace and Mercy on both. It isn't just on Christians. God loves His creation so much that He pours it on all of us. His grace and mercy hits us just like the natural rain does. Natural rain can leave you drenched and soaked, so how much more does supernatural rain affect us?
And then God showed me the difference in how His grace and Mercy rain has on a person who has true faith in Jesus, and one that doesn't. When I was a little kid I would play in the rain, especially in Arizona where it rarely ever rained. We would go outside and literally be soaking wet on the outside, but then we would look to the sky and open our mouths and drink the rain. This is the difference. The pouring out of grace and mercy from God is Jesus's liquid sacrifice on the cross. His blood was poured out as a living sacrifice. Jesus blood is alive and active. It cleanses the deepest part of our souls and can clean out the heart. It can clean out the wickedness from a person.. But that person has to make an active decision in opening their mouth to drink the rain from Jesus. When they do this they are drinking forgiveness.The difference is that when we take of this cup, we are drinking Gods forgiveness. This is what makes us righteous and in the eyes of God, sinless. This transforms a person entire being. It comes into the body and everything dead starts to come alive. It is that life giving blood that gives you an entirely new heart. It transforms your mind, and soul. It literally cleans out the things that defile you that are in your heart.
But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.
This is why communion is so important. Obviously it isn't literally Jesus's blood, but we are confessing that we are drinking the sacrifice that Jesus poured out on the cross for us. We are drinking forgiveness.
After last night, I have a whole new understanding on communion and how much God loves all of His creation. He loves us so much He sends showers of grace, mercy, and forgiveness down to us from heaven. I'm going to walk around with my no umbrella and my mouth open from now on in the natural rain. :)
Saturday, April 12, 2014
It still doesnt end here..
God gave me a huge laugh but also such a breakthrough from my "problem" 3 days ago.. When I was writing that last blog, God reminded me of 1 Kings 19 after I wrote it and clicked the publish button. I said I do feel like I wanted to run away just like Elijah did.
But I didn't realize why God brought that passage to me until today. We went to breakfast with an amazing couple. We know them well but rarely get to spend couple time with them because they are super busy, but we randomly said yesterday, you got time, and we said, we got time..
I cant tell you what a relief it was to me to hear him bring up the same issue as I had, and this doesn't happen by chance.. You know this right? I was listening to him and I finally told our friends how I was feeling, that I wanted to run away and just be with God. I told them about how God reminded me of the story Elijah.
Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
I seriously smile when I read the bible, especially after I hear from God. I love that Elijah sat under a solitary broom tree.. He sat under an "all by itself" broom tree, and he told God he has had enough and to just let him go. A broom tree is most beautiful between January and April when it is covered with a myriad of white flowers. The symbolism of the broom tree is renewal. With renewal comes a restoration of vigor and a new freshness.. This is why I laugh.. I seriously cant make this stuff up.. I thank God everyday that He gives me the ears to hear Him.
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
It has been three days since I pretty much had my limit, and felt so low. And now when I read this I laugh because God told Elijah to eat and drink three times. During this time, and pretty much any time God is always telling me to eat and drink from Him.
I cant tell you how blessed I am to have the placement of people in my life that comes from God. I felt so blessed this morning to be able to share with people I love. By the time we got done with our breakfast we both were telling each other that we aren't alone, and that God is with us, and provides "others" in our lives that are just like us.
But it still doesn't end there. On the drive home, it was like OH WOW!! I remember last year I really felt called to go to Lakes church in my town to a simulcast for an Awakening conference. This was my first time visiting this church, and I had no expectations from going. Just felt like I needed to be there. Now I know why God brought me there that day. This simulcast was on Elijah, and how he ran, and was tired, and God kept telling him to get up and eat three times, and I remember God saying to me "save this one for later" I'm not joking. The point of that sermon that day was to remind us about Gods still small voice through exhaustion and to remember to get into Gods word and eat and drink from Him, but now I understand why He had me go there. It was for this very moment in my life. God is bringing it all into place and revealing it to me..
It still doesn't end there. For the past few weeks, and I have been feeling like God has been telling me to really, really focus on Him, and He has brought up facebook with this, and where I spend my time that isn't on Him. I have been preparing to give it up for awhile, but now I understand why even more.. God was preparing me for this too.
Today I had a super amazing day. I had a great time with friends I love, took Marissa out on a birthday date, spent some time cleaning up my yard, then I ran 4 miles around the block. While running I said to God this is the only reason why I ever like to run without friends. Its just to be with you. Its you and me out here. When I got home I laid in the tub, and I prayed for God to just show me what He wants me to do, and He told me to reread 1 Kings 19.. So as I am reading, I am thinking wow.. I totally know what He wants me to do.. This is what He has been preparing me to do because this is part of His plan, and I have to listen.
After Elijah got up, he traveled for 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God..
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
Can you say, I'm a tad bit excited.. Elijah was alone traveling for 40 days by himself to the mountain of God.. I am so ready for my 40 day journey to come into the presence of God. I love seeing God face-to-face.. It is amazing, and leaves me shaking and crying every time..
So with all of this said.. I am going to be giving Greg my facebook for 40 days starting Monday.. He is going to change my password, and keep me out. The hard part about this is that I do need to keep in touch with certain people just for stuff that we are doing in our real lives. So if you need to get a hold of me, get a hold of Greg instead. You can also come here because I will still be blogging all the awesomeness about God. You can also email me laurensmitty1982 @ msn.com or text me. Greg is going to be updating our life group facebook for event info.
I am asking you guys to please pray for me as well through this next 40 days. I'm not going off the radar completely. I will still be investing my life to God inside and outside the church, but God is asking me to travel with Him for 40 days, so I will adjust my life in order to do that.
<3
But I didn't realize why God brought that passage to me until today. We went to breakfast with an amazing couple. We know them well but rarely get to spend couple time with them because they are super busy, but we randomly said yesterday, you got time, and we said, we got time..
I cant tell you what a relief it was to me to hear him bring up the same issue as I had, and this doesn't happen by chance.. You know this right? I was listening to him and I finally told our friends how I was feeling, that I wanted to run away and just be with God. I told them about how God reminded me of the story Elijah.
Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
I seriously smile when I read the bible, especially after I hear from God. I love that Elijah sat under a solitary broom tree.. He sat under an "all by itself" broom tree, and he told God he has had enough and to just let him go. A broom tree is most beautiful between January and April when it is covered with a myriad of white flowers. The symbolism of the broom tree is renewal. With renewal comes a restoration of vigor and a new freshness.. This is why I laugh.. I seriously cant make this stuff up.. I thank God everyday that He gives me the ears to hear Him.
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
It has been three days since I pretty much had my limit, and felt so low. And now when I read this I laugh because God told Elijah to eat and drink three times. During this time, and pretty much any time God is always telling me to eat and drink from Him.
I cant tell you how blessed I am to have the placement of people in my life that comes from God. I felt so blessed this morning to be able to share with people I love. By the time we got done with our breakfast we both were telling each other that we aren't alone, and that God is with us, and provides "others" in our lives that are just like us.
But it still doesn't end there. On the drive home, it was like OH WOW!! I remember last year I really felt called to go to Lakes church in my town to a simulcast for an Awakening conference. This was my first time visiting this church, and I had no expectations from going. Just felt like I needed to be there. Now I know why God brought me there that day. This simulcast was on Elijah, and how he ran, and was tired, and God kept telling him to get up and eat three times, and I remember God saying to me "save this one for later" I'm not joking. The point of that sermon that day was to remind us about Gods still small voice through exhaustion and to remember to get into Gods word and eat and drink from Him, but now I understand why He had me go there. It was for this very moment in my life. God is bringing it all into place and revealing it to me..
It still doesn't end there. For the past few weeks, and I have been feeling like God has been telling me to really, really focus on Him, and He has brought up facebook with this, and where I spend my time that isn't on Him. I have been preparing to give it up for awhile, but now I understand why even more.. God was preparing me for this too.
Today I had a super amazing day. I had a great time with friends I love, took Marissa out on a birthday date, spent some time cleaning up my yard, then I ran 4 miles around the block. While running I said to God this is the only reason why I ever like to run without friends. Its just to be with you. Its you and me out here. When I got home I laid in the tub, and I prayed for God to just show me what He wants me to do, and He told me to reread 1 Kings 19.. So as I am reading, I am thinking wow.. I totally know what He wants me to do.. This is what He has been preparing me to do because this is part of His plan, and I have to listen.
After Elijah got up, he traveled for 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God..
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
Can you say, I'm a tad bit excited.. Elijah was alone traveling for 40 days by himself to the mountain of God.. I am so ready for my 40 day journey to come into the presence of God. I love seeing God face-to-face.. It is amazing, and leaves me shaking and crying every time..
So with all of this said.. I am going to be giving Greg my facebook for 40 days starting Monday.. He is going to change my password, and keep me out. The hard part about this is that I do need to keep in touch with certain people just for stuff that we are doing in our real lives. So if you need to get a hold of me, get a hold of Greg instead. You can also come here because I will still be blogging all the awesomeness about God. You can also email me laurensmitty1982 @ msn.com or text me. Greg is going to be updating our life group facebook for event info.
I am asking you guys to please pray for me as well through this next 40 days. I'm not going off the radar completely. I will still be investing my life to God inside and outside the church, but God is asking me to travel with Him for 40 days, so I will adjust my life in order to do that.
<3
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Is isolation bad, if its just you and God???
Here's my problem... I understand why some Christians choose not to go to a place or organized religion because lately that has been me...
The other "problem" is that I know that is not what God wants.. I know He wants me to be in fellowship with other Christians, and I am but sometimes I really want to just run far far away.. I want to take a hiatus from people and just spend time alone with God..
I wonder if that is what John thought when he was on the Island of Patmos. I wonder if it just so happened to work out that way for John.. That he had to go through something miserable in order to be alone with God without the distractions of every one's different theologies of God, without the pressure of every church to be who they want you to be, and not who God wants you to be. I bet John had an amazing time by himself on that island with just him and God.. He wrote the book of Revelations on that island, and he had an amazing encounter with God. He was in the spirit in Heaven, and God was revealing to John all the amazing things of the then, and now..
But that happened by path, most likely not by Johns choice.. I doubt John decided he was going to throw himself in prison and send himself to a sterile island.. Sometimes I want to do that.. I want to take a vacation from the world, and go spend some time in heaven to just be with God..
because here on this earth it sucks.. Its hard to spend time alone with God, when I live in this nasty fleshly body.. Where the human in me still lives like its on a roller coaster ride, and all I want to have is spiritual peace. Its in that place where I let the human in me override my spiritual peace because I try to reason with my brain instead of Gods love..
So is isolation bad??? I can answer this biblically with both yes and no..
The reasons why I say Yes..
Is because Jesus spent time with the father alone. He often prayed to God alone and for long periods of time. He would then return to His disciples.. In the garden Jesus became frustrated with Peter because Jesus went to spend time in prayer with God, and when He returned he came back to sleeping disciples..
The reason why I say No..
Is because Satan loves to isolate.. He likes to get you alone where he can toy and mess with you..
and God called us to be in fellowship with each other, but I know the fellowship of the beginning church is not what the church looks like today.. and this is where my problem all stems from..Paul, and the apostles went from church to church encouraging and preaching, and doing Gods work on the way.. They were always in fellowship with all the churches, not just one..
I find myself looking at the church today and I'm so saddened.. We are not like the biblical church. We are not in fellowship with all God's people and doing Gods work on the way..We are in fellowship with the people that go to the same building with.. We are doing Gods work only in that building and with those same people because of theology..
Gods church (biblically) was constantly moving and staying connected to each other.. Modern day church is def. not staying connected with each other and I would say it is slow as molasses..
So with that, I have told God that I want Him to use me for His glory and for the redemption of His people, and not for the purpose of what my boxed building uses me for.. I am placing myself in His hands for His will and if that seperates me from the people I have come to love, then is that isolation by choice? Im not sure. Its something I am still thinking about..
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and if you have been through it.. Comment on my facebook or under the comment section..
The other "problem" is that I know that is not what God wants.. I know He wants me to be in fellowship with other Christians, and I am but sometimes I really want to just run far far away.. I want to take a hiatus from people and just spend time alone with God..
I wonder if that is what John thought when he was on the Island of Patmos. I wonder if it just so happened to work out that way for John.. That he had to go through something miserable in order to be alone with God without the distractions of every one's different theologies of God, without the pressure of every church to be who they want you to be, and not who God wants you to be. I bet John had an amazing time by himself on that island with just him and God.. He wrote the book of Revelations on that island, and he had an amazing encounter with God. He was in the spirit in Heaven, and God was revealing to John all the amazing things of the then, and now..
But that happened by path, most likely not by Johns choice.. I doubt John decided he was going to throw himself in prison and send himself to a sterile island.. Sometimes I want to do that.. I want to take a vacation from the world, and go spend some time in heaven to just be with God..
because here on this earth it sucks.. Its hard to spend time alone with God, when I live in this nasty fleshly body.. Where the human in me still lives like its on a roller coaster ride, and all I want to have is spiritual peace. Its in that place where I let the human in me override my spiritual peace because I try to reason with my brain instead of Gods love..
So is isolation bad??? I can answer this biblically with both yes and no..
The reasons why I say Yes..
Is because Jesus spent time with the father alone. He often prayed to God alone and for long periods of time. He would then return to His disciples.. In the garden Jesus became frustrated with Peter because Jesus went to spend time in prayer with God, and when He returned he came back to sleeping disciples..
The reason why I say No..
Is because Satan loves to isolate.. He likes to get you alone where he can toy and mess with you..
and God called us to be in fellowship with each other, but I know the fellowship of the beginning church is not what the church looks like today.. and this is where my problem all stems from..Paul, and the apostles went from church to church encouraging and preaching, and doing Gods work on the way.. They were always in fellowship with all the churches, not just one..
I find myself looking at the church today and I'm so saddened.. We are not like the biblical church. We are not in fellowship with all God's people and doing Gods work on the way..We are in fellowship with the people that go to the same building with.. We are doing Gods work only in that building and with those same people because of theology..
Gods church (biblically) was constantly moving and staying connected to each other.. Modern day church is def. not staying connected with each other and I would say it is slow as molasses..
So with that, I have told God that I want Him to use me for His glory and for the redemption of His people, and not for the purpose of what my boxed building uses me for.. I am placing myself in His hands for His will and if that seperates me from the people I have come to love, then is that isolation by choice? Im not sure. Its something I am still thinking about..
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and if you have been through it.. Comment on my facebook or under the comment section..
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Ungodly discouragement and Godly sorrow that leads to encouragement
"Just so happens" when I was doing my devotionals that both the old and new were about writing letters and the delivery of a message. In Nehemiah, the person who wrote this letter was writing to try stop and discourage the work of God that was spoken to Nehemiah, which was to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. The message that was sent to Nehemiah was that he was going to along with other rebel, and had plans to become king, and also hired prophets to proclaim about Nehemiah being appointed as king. Then asked Nehemiah to come and discuss this, but was in fact trying to harm him instead.
There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. 7 He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’“You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.
Nehemiah wrote back
In the discouraging letter
1. There was no truth to any part of the message that was sent
2. Meaning that person who sent the letter made the entire thing up without evidence
3. The message was to intimidate
4. To discourage you from stopping the work that God gave you
5. To also kill, steal, and destroy (harm)
Then I went to the new testament, and was reading out of 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 7:8-10
I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
I imagine that the letter Paul is talking about is 1 Corinthians which is full or correction for the Corinthian believers on different topics that led them to adopt low standards. He talks about spiritual pride, judgement, sexual sin, lawsuits, marriage, food, spiritual gifts, and pretty much all the same things the church of today deals with.
1. Writer felt sorry at first, but then didn't because it caused a change
2. Wasn't meant to hurt but was meant for change
3. Godly sorrow is without harm (unlike ungodly sorrow)
4. Leads away from sin
5. Leads towards salvation
6. No regrets with Godly sorrow
7. Godly sorrow doesn't lead to spiritual death (unlike ungodly sorrow)
8. Doesn't discourage you to stop the work of God
9. Doesn't intimidate
10. The message has truth to it
Then Paul was able to see what his correction caused in the believers, even though at first it may have caused pain.
Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.
These are the things that were produced later from Godly sorrow
1. Earnestness
2. Concern to have a clear conscious
3. Indignation
4. Alarm
5. Longing
6. Zeal
7. Ready for justice
8. Made things right
9. Encouragement
Paul answers it very clearly on why he felt compelled to write and that wasn't to blame, but
I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us.
There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. 7 He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’“You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.
Nehemiah wrote back
8 I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”
9 They
were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage
us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater
determination.In the discouraging letter
1. There was no truth to any part of the message that was sent
2. Meaning that person who sent the letter made the entire thing up without evidence
3. The message was to intimidate
4. To discourage you from stopping the work that God gave you
5. To also kill, steal, and destroy (harm)
Then I went to the new testament, and was reading out of 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 7:8-10
I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
I imagine that the letter Paul is talking about is 1 Corinthians which is full or correction for the Corinthian believers on different topics that led them to adopt low standards. He talks about spiritual pride, judgement, sexual sin, lawsuits, marriage, food, spiritual gifts, and pretty much all the same things the church of today deals with.
1. Writer felt sorry at first, but then didn't because it caused a change
2. Wasn't meant to hurt but was meant for change
3. Godly sorrow is without harm (unlike ungodly sorrow)
4. Leads away from sin
5. Leads towards salvation
6. No regrets with Godly sorrow
7. Godly sorrow doesn't lead to spiritual death (unlike ungodly sorrow)
8. Doesn't discourage you to stop the work of God
9. Doesn't intimidate
10. The message has truth to it
Then Paul was able to see what his correction caused in the believers, even though at first it may have caused pain.
Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.
These are the things that were produced later from Godly sorrow
1. Earnestness
2. Concern to have a clear conscious
3. Indignation
4. Alarm
5. Longing
6. Zeal
7. Ready for justice
8. Made things right
9. Encouragement
Paul answers it very clearly on why he felt compelled to write and that wasn't to blame, but
I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent.
John 20:21-22
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Breath-Of-God#sthash.IwP2EoIG.dpuf
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Breath-Of-God#sthash.IwP2EoIG.dpuf
John 20:21-22
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Breath-Of-God#sthash.IwP2EoIG.dpuf
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Breath-Of-God#sthash.IwP2EoIG.dpuf
My dream started off in a friends church and I was watching someone talking and giving their testimony, but I knew he wasn't just up front talking, I knew he was in ministry. Then it switched from the friends church to some sort of like recreation hall where he was still talking about the same thing. I know who this person was in my dream, and its very funny because I have seen this person from the side but never face-to-face but in my dream I saw his face and knew who he was. While he was talking I felt the excitement in the room. I cant describe what type of excitement but it was just exciting.. Well as he continues to tell his testimony, he says something about how he had to let go of sin in order to be able to breath, and at that moment I could see a chest and see that it wasn't moving but then breath was was taken into the chest and he started to breath heavy and gasping, but then started to breath normally, and I could hear the breath of God being breathed in and out of him. I can still hear what it sounds like now..
Right now this man I know that was in my dream, I have never said a word to in my life, but I look forward to see where God will be taking him.
Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
This is a great song, in the link below! ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9-0uih5iCg
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