The Truth of Circumstance

The truth of your circumstance, how are you supposed to know what that means right now?

The truth of circumstance cannot be made until you have heard from God. He has a master plan. We should never, ever determine the truth of any situation by looking at the circumstances. The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and uses it to reveal God's perspective on the circumstance. Only God's perspective matters, surely that is difficult to swallow at times, but we must fight our flesh and try to see past it. A circumstance could be leading you into some kind of decision-making.The decision you make could make or break the purpose God had set out for you in the end. Perhaps the difficulty in your decision right now isn't choosing between good and bad, but choosing between good and best. You cannot expect any progress or good to be made if your answer to God given direction is "No". God works in sequence to accomplish His purposes.There is no skipping steps or trying to rush things, especially when God reveals things when He is ready for you to take a new step in direction in His activity. It will be in sequence with what He has already been doing in your life.God will give you a spiritual marker that will identify a time of transition, decision, or direction that will be very clear because it will be revealed to you that God is the one guiding you. What you do says so much more about what you believe about God than what you say. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" - Hebrews 11:6 

You may experience a crisis of belief in your circumstance. An encounter with God requires faith. When you encounter God, your encounter will be GOD-SIZED. What you do in response to God's revelation will reveal what you believe about God. True faith REQUIRES action. "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all" - Isaiah 7:9 

God's assignments are always beyond what people can do, because He wants to demonstrate His nature, His strength, His provision, and His kindness to His people and to a watching world in EVERY circumstance. Our world is missing out on seeing God because we are not attempting anything that only God can do. Is it because we are so caught up in the moment of our current circumstance? He is only going to start a job that He can do. If you or your church are not responding to God and attempting things that only God can accomplish, then there is a lack of exercising faith. God is more interested in you having an experience with Him, than He is interested in getting a job done. You can get a job done and never experience God at all. What have your experiences been lately?


What are your circumstances right now? Are you frustrated, angry, or confused? What things do you think God is trying to accomplish through your situation(s) right now? Go to God right now and ask Him to show you His perspective on your circumstance. Settle in your mind that God has forever demonstrated His absolute love for you on the cross and that His love for you will never change. Do not attempt to try and understand God while being in the middle of your circumstance(s). Be patient and wait on the Holy Spirit. He may take the Word of God to help you understand your circumstances more clearly. Adjust your life to God and what you see Him doing in your circumstances right now. Do all He is telling you to do. Regardless of how it makes you look or feel. He may ask you to march around the walls of Jericho, He may ask you to do something that sounds absolutely like nonsense...do it anyway. The truth of your circumstances are in God's hands. Experience God working in and through you to accomplish His purposes.

Your circumstances may be the recipe that God is using to perform His amazing work.

You cannot allow yourself to be guided by tradition, method or formula's.

Do you hear that? God is speaking. Is He speaking to you?

Maybe God is speaking to you, but you do not hear. Do you know when  God is speaking to you?

Do you know:
1) God speaks uniquely to each individual. This is because He wants your experience with Him and His voice to you to be personal.

2) Biblically, when God spoke, the person was sure God was speaking. This means when God speaks to you, you should know without a doubt that it is God who is speaking to you.


3) Biblically, when God spoke, the person knew what God said. This means that when God speaks to you, you should be clear on what you were told.

4)  Biblically, when God spoke, that was the encounter with God! That means that when God speaks to you do not need to hope that you will be led into an encounter with Him...it means you just had an encounter with Him! Then and there! Only God can cause you to experience His presence.

God's method in how He speaks is different from person to person, but according to scripture what is important to remember is:
1) God uniquely spoke to His people
2) They knew it was God
3) They knew what He said


So, do you hear Him? Have your prayers lately sounded something like this: "Lord, I really want to know your will. Please close the door if _______________ is not your will and bless me if I am right" The main problem with this type of prayer and thought process is that this pattern is not found anywhere in scripture.

God speaks in many different ways. God has spoke through: angels, visions, dreams, symbolic actions, a gentle whisper, miraculous signs, and more!

You cannot allow yourself to be guided by your experiences alone. You also cannot allow yourself to be guided by tradition, method or formula's. He will reveal to you what you need to know to take the first step of obedience. Your job is to wait until He speaks to you with instructions. If you decide to just start "doing" before you have been given direction from God, chances are you will likely be wrong.

The Holy Spirit will give clear directives today! God is personal and He wants to be intimately involved in your life and He will give you clear guidance for living when you faithfully live out your relationship with Him.

Base your understanding of God ONLY on scripture and not on experience! If you do not have clear instructions from God on a matter...PRAY AND WAIT! Learn to be patient.

Depend on God's timing. His timing will always BE RIGHT AND BEST!

Don't be in a hurry. He may be withholding instructions to cause you to seek Him more intently. He wants to draw you in closer so He can share with you more intimately.

Don't try to skip over the relationship to get on with the "doing". God is more interested in having a love relationship with YOU than He is in what YOU can do for Him.

God WILL give you clear guidance for your life. If you are thinking "But that has not been my experience." The answer to that doubt is simply: ONLY base your understanding on God on Scripture and not on experience.

Is God speaking to you? What is He trying to tell you?

(Don't forget to subscribe to my blog)

When you love...

When you come to know God by experience, you will be convicted of His Love. When you are convinced of His love you can believe Him and trust Him. When you trust Him you can obey Him. When you love Him, you have no problem obeying Him.


How have you come to know God through experience? 
Please share.

Do you see it? What do you see happening?

God is always at work around you.

Do you see it? What do you see happening?

Knowing God only comes through experience as He reveals Himself to you.

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him" - John 14:21

So, what kind of Christian are you?
The answer to that question will define how you are currently experiencing God.

Are you a self-centered Christian that is too busy and loving this world in ways that distract you from not only seeing the work of God around you, but you are also too distracted to even know where God is calling you to participate in His work?

Are you a Christian of convenience?
Do you believe in God just enough by talking to God sometimes (mainly when you are wanting something from Him) and you attend church and maybe even serve in some way, to where you don't really feel convicted or challenged because you are really just "going through the motions"? Would you consider yourself a "SEASONAL" Christian?

Are you a Christ-Centered Christian?
Are you all about God? Is your life completely revolving around the will of God? Are you ALL IN? If you are a Christ-centered Christian people probably think you are a little crazy, right? Even your Christian friends!?

"Suffer hardship with [me], as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier."
- 2 Tim 2:3-4

"But even if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed [are ye:] and fear not their fear, neither be troubled; but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: [being] ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:  having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ.  For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. - 1 Peter 3:14-17

I can easily say that I am not 100% Christ-centered 100% of the time, but it is something that I am constantly thriving for on a continual basis. In my efforts to say Christ focused I have made some life changes and I continue to look for ways to always be Christ - focused.

The interesting thing about this is: I have not only been looked at as "crazy" by my friends who are non-believers (which can be expected because they just don't comprehend the genuine meaning behind it), but I have definitely been challenged in how my life-changes towards becoming more Christ-focused, by my fellow Christian family! I have to admit that has been unnerving at times.

I will give you a sample of a "time of transformation" that God was definitely challenging me where I was seen as a bit "crazy" by both Christians and non-Christians. Here is how I was experiencing God:
I felt convicted with how easy, as a stay-at-home mom, it was to just kill the time my watching tv. I have always been pretty conservative with what I watch. I hate watching anything that involves "being dark". I don't like watching movies and shows that involve witchcraft, and ones that throw out all moral when it comes to excessive profanity, nudity, and sexuality, etc. So, sure watching tv is not a bad thing, right? I'm not watching anything "bad". Well, what about this idea...how much time have I wasted doing virtually nothing in front of the tv when I could have been spending it with God by studying His word, praying, seeking His guidance by listening to sermons both at church and even online, being fruitful, etc. So...my new lifestyle was exactly this: DO NOTHING unless it gave glory and focused on God in some way. If it didn't do either of these things it was OUT, OUT, OUT! That meant not watching the same tv shows or movies that I was watching, that meant spending more time reading and praying and listening. So, I did just that.

Guess what? Following this new lifestyle challenged and changed me in so many ways! I became closer to God and I learned a lot. I learned a lot about God, not just about Him, but I got to EXPERIENCE Him in ways I never had before. I learned that God doesn't want us to be self-centered, or a convenient Christian. He wants me to be a Christ-centered Christian.

I learned that I need to be a 'WATCHMAN' at ALL times. I need to be prepared and "studied" so that I can be prepared for the things He has written that is to come. I don't want to be a fool and fall for the enemies tricks and plays. So, I need to be on alert and I need to rely on God in EVERYTHING. Seeking Him in everything even the little things that don't seem that important.

I learned that the traditions of this world such as holiday and even church traditions can be foolish and I don't have to abide by them, regardless of how not participating in such things makes me look.
I was constantly asking myself: is what I am doing scriptural, is what I am doing glorifying to God? If the answer was no, then I wasn't going to involve myself in such things.

This lifestyle changed me. It made me see things in a whole different light: In His eyes. Sure, many times it would cause me to burst in tears for something that didn't seem like a big deal and even for what seemed to be no reason at all. My attitude and my life 'lens' changed. It changed me, it changed my marriage, and you better believe it changed how several people saw me. I even had a family member 'unfriend' me on facebook because they could not understand how my facebook status expressed that the closer I was getting to God the sadder I became in many ways. This person argued that it should be the other way around and that I should be happier, not sadder the closer I was to God. I openly agreed with this person, but also explained how it was possible to experience both happiness and saddness equally. Unfortunately, this person just couldn't grasp that and it resulted in 'unfriending' me.

My fellow Christians thought I was being crazy because I was withdrawing myself from "normal" things. I didn't see it that way. I saw it as focusing my time on Godly things and doing things that were fruitful and not wasting valuable time. Think about it... The day you stand before God how would you feel about being negatively judged because you wasted so much time doing fruitless things, like watching tv (specifically things that were not glorifying to God). I think about that a lot. I don't want to be that person.

My fellow non-Christians thought I was being crazy because well...it just didn't make sense. This made a perfect opportunity to share not only my faith, but I got to share about my experience(s) with God! This totally created a curiosity and an opportunity for  questions to be asked and seeds to be planted.

Experiencing God is a beautiful thing, regardless of what anyone thinks. You may be called crazy, you may lose relationships, you might offend, you might cause confusion in others...but in the name of glorifying God, it is so worth it!

Liar, liar!

Have you ever heard:
You have to get in debt to prosper?
(Lady) You have to be skinny to be beautiful?
(Man) You have to be muscular to be attractive?
You will be happy when you have all the "toys" you've ever wanted?
You are defined by what you wear?
You are defined by your job?
You are defined by how much money you have?
You will be happy when you have achieved so many success'?
You will never amount to anything?
You aren't good enough?


Guess what? These are all lies! Lies, lies, lies!!!

These are all sneaky little lies that haunt us, tear us down and even ruin lives.


God wants your experience in your relationship with Him to be great. Not just good, but great!
But, there is one thing that likes to pull you back with full force...and that thing is ugly little lies that the enemy is constantly whispering into your mind... Think about it... How many times a day do you feel discouraged from your relationship with God?

Do you talk to Him less?
Do you have less faith than yesterday?
Are you less active and more numb in participating in God's will than you were yesterday, last week, last month?

Why do you think this is?
Could it be because of all the lies you are hearing and they are so convincing because you can see how they can be true and you have heard them again and again so you think they must be true?

How can you get out of this rut that you are in?
It starts with removing yourself from yourself and experiencing God in His greatness.

You may need to start reevaluating your life and removing things.

Here are some steps that may be key in crushing those ugly little lies:

Remove sin and replace it with Holiness.
Remove lies and Replace them with the Truth.
Remove inaction and replace it with Action.

1 Peter 2:1-2 says:
"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment."

Sin keeps us from God and spiritual growth. Sin seeks to destroy us and that is why we must remove sin and replace it with Holiness, truth and actions that are God-centered. 

As a Christian our lives aren't meant to be boring. But, sometimes we just live a boring life because we are trying to live it on our own...and that is a result of believing lies. We all get discouraged. Those ugly little lies will always be there to tear us down, but no one can separate us from the love of God. So, if we want our lives to be more than just "good" we must stop hitting the "snooze" button on our spiritual alarm clocks and get up on the first command. Otherwise, we too easily become numb and we start walking through life as if we are just going through the motions.

James 5:16 says:
"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results"
Our relationship with God can be great! But it takes action. Sometimes it may cause you to make sacrifices like walking completely out of your comfort zone and that may mean removing things from your life that you never thought you could live without. If you are not challenged by the greatness of God, perhaps it could be because you are hitting the "snooze" button one too many times.


In what way is God's greatness challenging you today?

McDonalds - "i'm lovn' it"

McDonalds - "i'm lovn' it"

Sound familiar? Of course it does, it is the very symbol that makes McDonalds memorable.

As a Christ follower what slogan do you think best fits the invitation to follow Him? Luke 9:23 says "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." If you were to shorten this verse into a slogan, it could go something like this: "Come and Die" Hmmm...does that get your attention? It doesn't sound as appealing as "i'm lovn' it", does it? It doesn't sound like the type of slogan that draws people in. A matter of fact, I think most people would not only see the slogan "Come and Die" as unappealing, but it is the type of thing that would make people want to run from it. Who likes to think and  talk about death, anyway?

"The cross was a symbol of humiliation. In the ancient world, the Romans had a number of ways to carry out an execution. They knew how to execute people very cheaply. Some people would be executed by fire and other would be stoned. Still others would be killed with a stroke of the sword. They might simply give a person a drink of hemlock. Crucifixion on the other hand required four soldiers and a centurion to oversee. It was much more expensive. So why crucifixion? They would use it when they wanted to publicly humiliate the person being crucified. They wanted to make a public statement that this person has no power and is nothing..." (Kyle Idleman, "not a fan")

The cross is a symbol of:
Humiliation, Suffering, and Death.

You cannot carry a cross without experiencing some kind of suffering. And I am not talking about the cross that you wear on a chain around your neck. Jesus died the ultimate death on the cross. And He wants His followers to die to themselves, this means dying to desires, pursuits, traditions, and plans. When you are dead, you are no longer concerned with YOUR life.

You probably know that sermons are often about salvation, but when do you hear about the surrender involved? You hear about forgiveness, but what about repentance? You hear about new life, but what do you hear about dying? These are very important things to consider. Salvation is not cheap and it can only come from God. We are told to take up our cross daily...key word 'daily', which means it's a daily decision.

"In a twist of irony, we find that giving up our lives gives us the life we so desperately wanted all along."... "When you accept  the invitation of Jesus to follow him, you are not just saying that he is a top priority in our life; you are making him the only priority in your life." (Kyle Idleman, "not fan")

So, is God your priority in your life or are you?

-----------------------------------------------------------

(Don't forget to subscribe to my blog!)
 

What time is it? Part 2

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.
For people will love only themselves and their money.

They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.

They will consider nothing sacred.

They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control.

They will be cruel and hate what is good.

They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" - 2 Tim 1-5
Does any of this appear to be evident today?