The Life I've Chosen

     It's becoming clearer to me how in choosing Christ, we have chosen a different life than we would have had. If we lived the book of Ecclesiastes, which tells of living on this earth without Him in us, we would enjoy ourselves by eating, drinking and being merry, for tomorrow we die. If that sounds good, we also cannot escape the glaring message in that book, that by living like that, the author, and through him, God Himself is telling us that everything is meaningless in this kind of existence.
     Oh, we might could tell of travels far and wide, which we enjoyed by seeing His creation, and we might show our possessions, which we too, had enjoyed, or even houses and lands and family events that filled our life, but was this the life He ordained for us? Was this the life that was used for His glory, or for our own pleasure only? Did this life bring us or Him glory? Did it advance His Kingdom or our own?
     If we see that we are claiming to be His child, and yet are continuing to "do our own thing" without seeking His will for our lives, we can turn around. It's not too late to say "no" to all the allurements of the world (even if we can afford them) and the things our flesh craves, and repent and give our life to Him for His use, and not our own.
     Can we make Him Savior and not Lord is the real question? I want what you can do for me, but I don't want to give you my life for your use.-this statement reveals a self-willed heart without giving one's self as a living sacrifice. Let's meditate on this today. Better yet, let's go to God in prayer asking Him to reveal who we are living for, and respond to Him accordingly.

Forlorn

     I really do "get" being joyful as a Christian, and all the good things of Christ and what He's done for us, contained in our salvation due to His sacrifice on our behalf. But, I also am, like He was while on this earth, a "man of sorrows." He looked around at all the grief and agony that was happening, and felt sad for the people and what they suffered, resulting from their own sins, from the sins of others, or from circumstances beyond their control. And so He was sad; forlorn. And that's what I am feeling today, from so many things that still are bringing pain, even though I know that He has already restored all things in the eternal realm, and that He has, and is, creating a new Heaven and a new Earth, whose Kingdom will have no end.
     But, in the meantime, we go through times and experience these sad feelings as part of "the fellowship of His sufferings," in this way. We are feeling what He felt as He looked around at the ravages of sin and the enemy on people's lives. If He didn't feel these things, He would be cold and heartless, and we know that is not our Agape Lord and Savior. Our Oneness with Him is not only the  joyful experience of the flow of His life-giving Spirit in us, but also the humanity of His soul, until "all enemies are put under His feet," and manifested on the natural plane. (Although, in the spirit realm, they have already been defeated.) 
     It's as if our soul is crying, "how long, Lord-how long, until our faith becomes sight-until joy comes in the final morning?" The Day of the Lord will bring great sorrow for those who don't know Him, but release and an entirely new existence for those who do, which we are ever moving forward in, even today. Until then, the weights of this world bare on our souls.
    
    

To Be or Not To Be-That is the Question.

Below is an insightful article that expresses pretty much of what I wanted to say. I would only add that one of the strongest hindrances in learning to accept and be ourselves is when we have self-protected in our lives because we felt threatened in our upbringing. If we learned to "say what was expected for us to say" and it wasn't from our true self, then it is difficult when we become adults, to learn who we are and be o.k. with that, even when the threat is removed. We have to take baby steps of courage to dare to say what we think and feel, once we know. The safety net, however, is that God accepts us and does not condemn who we are, even if people still do. We can count on and depend on that, and so it makes it easier to take courage as we present our self to the world. It is so freeing though, (as the article states) when we do.

quote by LanThi ; article by Dr. Irene (February 2, 2000)

“To thine own self be true…..” Most of us are familiar with the above quote taking from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but how many of us know this verse:  “And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou can not then be false to any man.”  Unless we can be true to ourselves first, we cannot be true to others. To thine own self be true…..how profound.  How many of us have a hard time being true to ourselves?  Those of us that gave our life to another at the cost of loosing who we are in the process will have a hard time being true to ourselves.  Allowing someone else to define who we are, we lose our ability to discover and grow inwardly.  We no longer are able to discern a truth from a lie.  For many of us, we have accepted lies for so long, that finding out what is true takes time. Having done this very thing, I know how difficult the journey to self-discovery can be. Truth….truth is a word that brings out such negative reactions to many of us. You see truth is really an action word.  You cannot accept truth without change. Accepting truth about ourselves is difficult, especially to those of us who have been abused.  But truth does set one free if we will allow it to; it is a crucial part of healing.  It gives us the freedom to be who we are.  We are able to come to terms with our weakness (without condemnation) and appreciate our strength.  Truth gives strength; it naturally builds healthy boundaries.  Truth is open; it is honest even at the risk of being vulnerable again.  Truth is light and brings forth life.  When we walk in truth, we walk in light and when we walk in light we live a healthy life. Truth is also love.  The greatest act of love towards another is living a life that is truthful.  For those of us who find it difficult to love ourselves, we will find it will come more easily when we walk in truth about who we are.  If we walk in truth, we walk in perfect love, and if we walk in perfect love, then we do not walk in fear because perfect love cast out fear.  Because we have been honest with ourselves, we are able to love ourselves with all of our imperfections, knowing that we are in “process” and therefore need not have others approval.  This is freedom indeed. The second part of this verse is a natural occurrence if we hold true to the first part of the verse.  So, when in doubt as to our motives of not being truthful with someone….look inside, are we being less than truthful to ourselves? ”This above all: to thine ownself be true,  And it must follow, as the night the day,  Thou canst not then be false to any man.”                          -Shakespeare-Hamlet

The Church is Built with Living Stones!!!

    
Two people who were formerly close in the Lord, may have to be separated for a season, then joined back together, when God determines it, after more of His work has been done in each one so they can be fit more perfectly together as His living stones in order to become a more suitable dwelling place for Him, as they are being conformed to His image; His Seed producing after it's own kind. So, don't worry if this has happened to you. God has a plan and He's doing something here!!!!

I Will Give You the Treasures of Darkness (show you things that are hidden)

These are 2 treasures God spoke to me in the secret place:


1) Concerning Leadership-God has gifted people to be leaders, who He wants them to use the subsequent influence He's placed in them to direct others to Him! If, however, they aren't going through the cross, to die daily, they will take to themselves the attention people give them, and the gift will be perversion, with people being honored and worshipped, instead of Him. Oh, we must die so that He can live in us!!!


2) Concerning Obedience-If you are honestly desiring His will above your own, then you are dying to yourself daily,(Your own will) and as we are seen as righteous before His throne of grace, by the impartation of Christ's righteousness, the manifestation of that righteousness will happen through you. And because you want His will above your own, God considers you as already being obedient in all things. As it is, so will it be!! But not without dying. Dying so He can live through us, as faith becomes sight!!!

A Holy Tsunami

     I can hear the waves crashing on the shore-foaming, churning, powerful-the MOVE OF GOD-unsettling the status quo-cleansing, redeeming, restoring, uniting, declaring His Lordship over death, discord, distance, division.


 "I am coming-riding in on the waves-transforming everything in my path and laying it perfected on the shore as a trophy of my Will. New Creations, New Beings, My Sanctified Sons and Daughters, declaring My Glory!!!" declares the Lord.

The Fluff of Jesus

     Jesus is being portrayed today in the West as an ooey-gooey lover, whose mission in life is to make our personal world one of ease and peace, as we define that. Denying the spiritual battle in which satan is waging to take back the family of God into his darkness, perpetrators and believers of this "gospel" continue to slumber and be deceived by the enemies own doctrines.
     The teachings many are receiving and embracing focus on the "self" being elevated, instead of the truth that Jesus told us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. Because these lies are so rampant here, those who seek to do His Will above all else, can become infected themselves if they aren't careful, especially if they "join hands" with others who are falling into these errors, albeit unknowingly.
     Yesterday, I went to a Voice of the Martyrs conference, and as several people took the mic and shared their stories of how God used them as a living sacrifice, and the way in which they responded to Him through it,  I felt I had found some more members of my family in Christ!!! Seeing these believers praise Him, even through the storm, (in reality and not just a song to sing), encouraged me to stay strong in Jesus and in the truths of who He is in my life. He is our loving and Sovereign God who has a purpose in what comes in our lives, whether good or bad. (as we see it.) It is to Him we live, and for His glory!!!
     He is King, and we are His grateful beneficiaries, whose joy comes from us knowing and serving Him, and not in how He can serve the lusts of our flesh! He wants our flesh (sin-nature) to die, so that His love, truth, grace, joy, and light can shine through us and be expressed to the world!!! Please pray for the church in the West to open their eyes so they can see Jesus, not with fluff, but in truth!!!