Moses and the Burning Book (Part 2)

Hon always thought the biblical Moses had an advantage over church going Christians in 2013.  After all, whose calling was as clear as the burning bush?  But God was correcting Hon through a burning book, the burning words of God in his consciousness. 

Hon realized that every revelation of God, every time God reveals Himself to someone, it is direct and indirect, as direct and indirect as the burning bush. 

Yes, God indeed spoke to Moses from a burning bush—directly.  But is the omnipresent God in a bush?  Or was the bush a means to the end of God’s communication?  Wasn’t the burning bush also indirect communication?  (In fact, was God’s language Hebrew? Could Moses speak directly to God in the eternal language of the trinity?  God speaking to man by definition involves translation.  Who can know God’s mind, or God’s language, except the Spirit of God?)

In other words, when Moses wanted to see “God’s glory,” Moses could not look upon God’s face and live.  He couldn’t see God directly.  Who can?  Who has? 

Indeed, to see the Son is the see the Father, and thus the most direct experience of God we can have.  But here again, the Word—which is eternal, immortal, and invisible--became flesh, mortal, and visible—for us!

In, with, and through all of these thoughts, God had just spoken to Hon, in burning words,  from a burning book; and this communication required the removal of his shoes no less than this was required of Moses. 

 

 

 

 

 

Moses and the Burning Book (Part 1)

One day, while home alone, Moses Hon read the chapter in scripture for which his mother named him.  (But she called him by Hon, his middle name.)  His life’s purpose was talking face to face with God.  The beginning of intimacy between God and the biblical Moses was the burning bush incident.

Hon studied this passage vigorously in seminary.  He understood the linguistic and cultural dynamics so well that his professor marveled at his skill.  But something unexplainable happened that day, something his training couldn’t take into account.

When he read these words, “Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground,” Hon could not move on.  His hands felt electrocuted by the Bible in his hands.   The words burned his mind and consciousness like an internal fire searing his chest.  He felt God speaking these words directly to him.

But he didn’t have on any shoes!  Yet he knew he was to “take off” something.

“What would I take off?”  Hon thought.

“My connection to the earth.”

“What connection to the earth is God talking about?”

“My attachment to temporal success, which, to God, is dust.”

That was it!  That’s what God wanted him to “take off,” to separate from himself.

“God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I give up my goal of temporal success, the goal I have of being number one in my class.”

After saying this, Hon understood something, without understanding how he understood.

The EASIEST way to directly ENCOUNTER GOD!

“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”   

Psalms 145:18

What is the easiest way to directly encounter God?

PRAYER!

Make no mistake.

Not just any kind of prayer, but praying with total honesty and very specifically.

As Jesus said,
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”  Matthew 21:22

Many make Jesus’ promise a blank check written to heaven.  Not so.  The assumption of Jesus, as seen in “The Lord’s Prayer,” is asking that which agrees with God’s will. 

Having said that, I believe there are two specific things we can expect when we pray with total honesty and very specifically:

1. God’s Presence.
2. God’s Peace.

As it is written, 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”

God’s presence feels like someone attentively listening, and not like the feeling of thinking out loud.

God’s peace transcends comprehension.  You will have an intuitive sense that God has given you exactly what you asked for, or a peace that God will NOT grant it, and the ability to be content WITHOUT what you asked for.

I have experienced this.

Once I wrote a vulnerable email to a friend and was anxious for a response.  I asked God to inspire a response THAT NIGHT, or to give me indescribable peace if I got NO response.  I knew that if I was OK without a response, it could ONLY BE GOD! 

As I prayed, I felt indescribable peace.  But I wasn’t satisfied.  I knew the test would be whether I continued to feel peace if my friend didn’t write back.  But I sensed the Spirit's assurance of a response. 

Sure enough, I checked my email, and read a beautiful response!

So, what should you do to easily and DIRECTLY ENCOUNTER GOD?

Before today ends, set aside 10 minutes.

1. In the first 5 minutes, think out loud about the most pressing issue on your mind.  How does this feel?
2. In the last 5 minutes, talk directly, specifically, and honestly to God about the pressing issue.  How does this feels?
3. Leave a comment about this experience.  (Or leave a comment about your own God encounter through prayer.)

Does GOD need to give us SIGNS? (Part 1)

"God, if you are there, give me some kind of sign."

Peter Pevensie:  You're lucky you know.
Lucy Pevensie:  What do you mean?
Peter Pevensie:  You've seen him. I wish he'd just given me some sort of proof.
Lucy Pevensie:  Maybe we're the ones that need to prove ourselves to him.
From "Prince Caspian," Lucy and Peter speaking of Aslan

A sign.
From God.
IF He's there.
IF.

Why a "sign?"

Because of the assumption of the cryptic distance between the spiritual and physical, between the temporal and eternal, between heaven and earth.

Signs.

But did God speak to Adam and Eve in sign language?
Cain?
Noah and his sons?
Abraham and his sons?
Moses and the entire nation of Israel?
Joshua?
The judges?
Samson?
David and Solomon?
The prophets?
The 12 Apostles, the 70 Apostles, the 120 Apostles, the 500 at once?
To Saul, who became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles?

Whenever God spoke in the examples above, it was plain enough.
True, He spoke primarily through prophets, dreams, and visions, as it says in the book of Hebrews, and as He Himself said to Moses' sister and brother when they challenged Moses' divine authority.  But even through prophets, dreams, and visions there was given and interpretation for signs and symbols.  Interpretations were the assumption of divinely given signs and visions.

So God is not distant.  As it is written, "He is not far from each of us," and "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

He also does not have a divine speech impediment.  By His words all of creation came into being.  Jesus is The Word who was with God and the Word who was and is God. 

God speaks.
God speaks clearly.
The issue is whether WE WANT to hear Him.

When we CAN'T be in a "PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP" with JESUS

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. I John 3:4-6 NASB

We can't be in a "personal relationship" with Jesus WHILE WE ARE SINNING!

This should be obvious.

Why?

Look at the verses above.

Those who practice sin or lawlessness practice that which is the opposite of Jesus' purpose and personality, as opposite and non coexistent as light and darkness.  Light and darkness can't be in the same place at the same time, because one, darkness, is actually THE ABSENCE of the other, light.  Darkness is when light IS NOT THERE.

GOD IS LIGHT.  SINLESS.
IN GOD THERE IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL.  NO SIN.
SIN AND SINLESSNESS CANNOT COEXIST AS LIGHT AND DARKNESS CANNOT COEXIST.

Again, this should be obvious.

No one who ABIDES in Him sins.

The "Him" in the verse is Christ.
To abide means to be intimately attached, intimate connection, intimate relation.

A "personal relationship" implies intimacy.

Think of someone who is your intimate friend, or someone you would WANT to be your intimate friend.

Now think of someone you wouldn't DARE be intimate with.

Notice the two persons are in opposition.

The one who is intimate with you knows you, and thus knows what you love and what repulses you.  He would ONLY do what you love, and NEVER purposely do what repulses you.

But the one with whom you wouldn't dare be intimate devalues what you value most, and loves what you most hate.  She refuses to listen to you when you feel most loved when you are listened to.  She enjoys irritating people while you enjoy showing kindness as often as you can.

So, we could put the verse this way,

"No one  who is BEING intimate with Jesus does what He hates.  No one who does what He hates has been focusing on Him or experiencing Him WHILE THEY DO WHAT HE HATES!"

Some of us complicate verses like this by introducing issues of salvation, "sinless perfection," or "habitual sin," when it is far simpler than all of this.  Is it really just all about us?  Is the only focus whether WE go to heaven, whether WE can live without sin, whether WE can sin occasionally or habitually?

Can I commit adultery and experience marital intimacy AT THE SAME TIME AND IN THE SAME PLACE?  Let's make it worse.  Let's say the adultery is with my wife's enemy!  Can I do this OCCASIONALLY, and expect to STAY MARRIED?

You tell me.
Can we experience AT THE SAME TIME both intimacy and enmity?

A beautiful way to enter the direct presence of God (part 2)

(Hear is part one, if you missed it.)

His name.
Call His name.
Expect Him to turn His attention towards you and respond to you, as anyone else would do, assuming you call Him by His true name, and that you call His name with respect.

Simple.
But some don't believe this.

Why?

As it is written, "Those who come to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

So, some people don't call His name because they don't believe He exists.
Or they don't call His name because they are not earnest, or diligent, or sincere.
Yet again, they don't call His name because they don't believe He will answer even if they are earnest, or sincere, or diligent.

Now would you answer someone who negated your very existence, even though you sat in the very same room with him?  Would you respond to someone if she refused to accept you for who you are?

What if someone considered you completely untrustworthy?
What if someone came to you with utter insincerity?

So it is with God, the Supreme Person, the Ultimate Personality.

Perhaps you ask the question asked long ago by Moses at the burning bush.  Perhaps you want to know what His name is. 

This was God's answer to Moses, when Moses asked for the name of God:

I am who I am.

Tell the children of Israel "I am" sent me to you.

He is.

He is who He is.

So when you approach Him, in this way you may address Him:

To The One Who Is,

The One Who Is Who He is

I come to You accepting You for Who and What You are.

First and foremost, He is our Creator and Maker.  Address Him as the One who made you.  As it is written, 

"You are worthy Oh Lord to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by your will they exist and were created."

This includes you.  By God's will you exist.  For God's will you were created. 
Yet we rejected God's will in exchange for our will, separating ourselves from the very source of our life.  And like a leaf plucked from a tree, when we rejected God's will, we died.  We may be young, green leaves, old brown leaves, or dying crinkled leaves.  But dead we are.  As a leaf plucked from a branch is dead, we who separated our selves from God's will are dead.

So we must come to God not only as our Creator, but also as our Savior, as the only one who can raise us from the dead, the only one that can reattach a leaf to its branch.  The penalty for disobedience to God is death.  Yet God Himself paid the penalty for us by becoming one of us and dying for us.  Upon accepting what God did as our Savior, we now call Him by the name "Lord and Master."  We give our lives to Him and exchange our wills for His. 

And having took the death penalty for all humanity, He rose from the dead, so that the next name we may call our Creator, Lord, and Master is now God our Father!

Yes! 
Father!

If you trust in God, and accept that He took the death penalty for you and me, then at that moment of trust you become a child of God, and from that moment forth you may address Him as children address a perfectly loving Father.

This is the beautiful way to enter the direct presence of God.

Enter it now!
Wait no longer!
Call the name of the One who Is Who He Is: 

Creator
Savior
Lord and Master
Father

A beautiful way to come into the direct presence of God (part 1)

It is written,

"The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."

It is also written,
"Do not take the LORD's name in vain."

Now connect these two verses.  And think of what you do when you here your name called.

Think of all the different names you go by, depending on the relation.

Some are titles.  Some are terms of endearment.

Dad
Mom
Bro
Sis
Baby
Sweetie
Mr. So and So
Mrs. Such and Such

Each name evokes a different feeling and response when you are called one or the other.

So it is with God.

When you call Him by His name, He answers...that is, if you are calling Him according to His REAL name.  

What if someone calls you by a name that is not yours, or by a name you don't like?  What if your name is "Michael," and you don't like being called "Mike?"  

What if your name is "Rebecca," and you don't like being called "Becky?"

Or what if you received a nickname that you LOATHED, and that you REFUSE to answer to?

When you are present, and you hear your name called, you answer.
When you are present, and you are called by a name that you despise, you refuse to answer.

So it is with God, who is everywhere....

how much faith is enough?

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.  Luke 17:5-6

it seems like they had enough faith, as far as the Lord was concerned.  yes, he at times marveled at the "great faith" of some who trusted him, and rebuked the "little faith" of those who didn't; he even outright denounced the "faithless generation" that sought signs and wonders instead of trusting the signs he already performed.

yet he said that the smallest amount of faith could move mountains.

how much faith is enough, and how do we know we have it?
 

 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  Hebrews 11:1 

so, do i have the smallest sureness of what i hope for, and the smallest certainty of what i do not see?  i want my children to be healed of sickness, for example.  this is what i hope for:  healing.  this is what i do not yet see:  perfect health.  how can i be sure that my children will be healed, and certain of their healing before i see it?

the verse assumes a promise, a surety, a legal guarantee from God.  like when i paid first and last months rent, and gave the land lord a security deposit, so God gives us a "security deposit," the Holy Spirit, as Paul said to the Ephesian Christians.  So, as Paul said, if God would not spare His Son, or His Spirit, and if God would give us His Son while we were His enemies, will He spare us anything else that is good and of far less value?

Of this I am sure and certain:  God is love, and God is good.  I know that God is full of compassion and great in mercy.  Jesus promised this:  Ask, and it will be given.  Seek, and you will find.  Knock, and the door will be opened.  He said if evil human fathers can give good gifts to their children when they ask, how much more will the perfectly good heavenly Father give good gifts, and His Holy Spirit, to His children when they ask?  now that i am a father, i have a deeper understanding of this verse.  i know without doubt i am an imperfect father, yet i can say with all honesty that i have not knowingly withheld ANYTHING good from my children when they've asked.  i give them whatever they need or want that is good when they ask.  if i can comfort them or help them, i do it without hesitation.  i am certain that God is infinitely better and has more power than i do.

Therefore, I am sure of what I hope for and certain of what I do not see:  That God will heal my family, and that the devil will flee from me.

how much faith is enough, and how do i know i have enough faith?
the smallest amount of sureness in God's goodness is enough.  i know that i have it, because i can't live without it.

 

What Jesus Wants Me TO DO (PART 3)

standards.

by what standards can i know i am indeed following the Spirit, the real Spirit of the real God?

personality and ability

an ambassador of the Lord Jesus named paul said the Spirit's personality is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.  paul said you can't be too much of any of these.  it is written in the scriptures, and was said by the Lord Jesus, "let everything be established by two or three witnesses."

two or three.

so i feel that i don't necessarily have to focus on all 9 personality traits of the Spirit.  i can focus on two...or three.  so i focus on self-control manifest in gentleness.  i focus on this because i struggle with harshness, which is not a personality trait of the Spirit.  i know from paul that to live in agreement with the Spirit, or to follow the Spirit, i must focus my mind on what the Spirit desires.  i know he desires gentleness.  and i can know that if i focus my mind on this, on gentleness, then the Spirit is focusing on this with me; that we agree.  as it is written, "how can two walk together unless they agree?"  so, if i agree with the Spirit, He agrees with me and will walk with me.

by the Spirit's personality expressed in me and through me, i can know that i am indeed with Him.

i also know by the Spirit's abilities in me that he is with me.  in a word:  POWER!

by definition, supernatural power.  going back to personality, the scriptures speak of God's "eternal power and diving nature."  so His personality is a divine personality.  he's not just a nice person, he is a divinely nice person.  in other words the nine personality traits must be DIVINELY experienced and expressed.  it's not just love, joy, and peace, but GOD'S love, joy, and peace.

and it's not just power, but ETERNAL power!  supernatural power.

something behind my words should be powerful, supernaturally powerful.  it shouldn't just be intelligence, or emotionally compelling tones, or a strong relentless human will.  i should know things that only God can reveal, i should create feelings that are beyond what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.  and my words should be as irresistible and irrefutable as the very words of God would be if he were writing this blog.

divine personality and supernatural ability

these two prove to you that God is in me, that you are ENCOUNTERING GOD IN ME.

nothing less than these two
settle for nothing less if i claim to speak from God.
settle for nothing less if anyone else makes the same claim.

How to change YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!!

Who doesn't want this?  Whose life is so perfect that they seek nothing else?

Rich or poor.
Young or old.
Satisfied or unsatisfied.
Happy or unhappy.

ALL of us want SOMETHING that we don't have NOW.
ALL of us want to change our lives, somehow, some way. 
Some of us may want this, or NEED this, more than others.  
But until we reach heaven, I dare say that we all want TO CHANGE OUR LIVES.

What determines the course of each of our lives?
What should we guard above all else?

Both questions have the same answer--OUR HEARTS!!!

It was written by King Solomon:

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."  
Proverbs 4:23 NLT


Solomon, the son of David, the third king of Israel, received his wisdom, the wisdom behind these words, directly from God.  This is how it happened:


At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

“Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. I Kings 3:5-12 NIV, emphasis mine

What a dream!  God told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted, and Solomon, in humility, asked for wisdom.  God not only gave him wisdom, but gave him more wisdom than anyone before him or after him!  His wisdom was second only to the wisdom of the Lord Jesus Himself, who said that He was greater than Solomon in wisdom.  (See Luke 11:31)

Now, having said this, we get back to our two questions, and in answering them we find the answer to changing our entire life:

What determines the course of our lives?
What should we guard above all else?

The answer, according to Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, having received his wisdom directly from God, is OUR HEART!

OUR HEARTS DETERMINE THE COURSE OF OUR LIVES!
THEREFORE, WE SHOULD GUARD OUR HEARTS ABOVE ALL ELSE!

Because of the incredible significance of Solomon's words, we should look at each word, one by one, phrase by phrase, using elementary grammatical principles:

GUARD---This is an active verb.  It is not something done to you or for you, but something that YOU DO!  The idea is of a prison guard that DETERMINES who or what enters or exits a jail.

YOUR---This is a possessive pronoun.  YOU are responsible for that which you possess.  Not me.  Not GOD.  Not anyone else.

HEART---In the scriptures, the heart encompasses your thoughts and intentions, meaning your focus and motivation behind every word and every action.

FOR IT---The word "for" communicates cause or reason.  The word "it," a pronoun, refers back to YOUR HEART!

DETERMINES---The idea communicates a source, or the source.  Where you are going from this point on, from this sentence on, is determined by your heart.

THE---Not a, but THE, specific and exclusive...

COURSE---DIRECTION AND DESTINATION, WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND WHERE YOU WILL ARRIVE

OF YOUR LIFE!

Now, since your heart bears such importance and significance, how can you indeed accurately guard it?  How can you really KNOW your heart? 

The prophet Jeremiah said:
 "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

God Himself, and the Lord Jesus Christ, gave us the answer and the remedy for our deceitful hearts:

"Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?"  Ezekiel 18:31 NIV, emphasis mine

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. Matthew 12:33-35

As I said earlier, so I show now in these verses.  God told Israel to get a new heart, and Christ, again speaking to Israel (to the disciples and false teachers of Israel), compares the heart to a tree and words to fruit from a tree.  They could MAKE THE TREE GOOD OR BAD!  So it is with you and me.  We determine whether our hearts are deceitful or true by turning our hearts to God and away from ourselves.  When we do this, we have these promises:

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 11:19 and 32:26

So, the means to a new heart, or a new mindset and motivation, is two fold:
1.  We turn our hearts to God and away from ourselves.  This very act is literally a "change of heart."
2. When we turn to God and away from ourselves, giving our hearts to God, then God receives our heart as His very own, making it, indeed, a new heart;  a heart that is no longer deceitful or wicked.

Have a change your heart!  

Change your mind, mindset, and focus!

Change your motivation and your purpose!! 

CHANGE

YOUR ENTIRE

LIFE!

GUARD THIS CHANGE ABOVE ALL ELSE!!!

 ALLOW NOTHING TO ENTER YOUR MIND OR LEAVE YOUR MOUTH THAT IS FROM YOUR OLD WAY OF THINKING AND LIVING!

Do you realize what this means?!?  

The rest of your life, from this moment forward, from this sentence forward, IS UP TO YOU! 

You cannot blame God, the Devil, your parents, or anyone else, for what happens to you from this moment forward!  True, there are a myriad of things beyond your control, BUT YOUR HEART IS NOT ONE OF THEM!  And God did not say that a myriad of things determine the course of your life.  ONE THING DETERMINES THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE!  ONE THING SHOULD BE GUARDED ABOVE ALL ELSE!!!

GUARD

YOUR 

HEART!!

Think of your life, as it is, right now!  The word of God says that your heart determined the course of your life!  That means that YOU determined where you are, right now, as of this moment!

"WAIT A MINUTE!  I had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to do with what happened to me!  I DID NOT determine my birth, birthplace, parents, and the circumstances of my childhood!  Are you BLAMING ME for all that has happened to me?!"  

No!  Neither does God!  Again, the verse does not say, "Guard YOUR PAST above all else."  Listen very carefully to what I'm about to say.

According to Proverbs 4:23, written by the wisest man who ever lived, the one who received his wisdom DIRECTLY from GOD, YOUR PAST DOES NOT DETERMINE THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE!!!  HALLELUJAH!!

Christ came to save you, not just from the sins you committed, but the sins committed against you!  The first and foremost "change of heart" is accepting Christ as the one who saved your life, and as the one WHO SAVES YOUR LIFE!!  

This is the first and fundamental change of heart.  

What you are not responsible for, ask Jesus to save you from.

BUT WHAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, NAMELY, YOUR HEART, IS WHAT DETERMINES THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE FROM NOW ON!!!

So, where do you begin?  AT THE BEGINNING.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."  John 1:1-3

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."  Colossians 1:15-16

Take note of the words "all things."  This includes YOU!  YOU were created by God, through Christ, AND FOR CHRIST!!

This is the fundamental change of heart.  You stop existing as though you were created by yourself AND FOR YOURSELF!!  This applies to those who already believe in the Lord Jesus, as well as those who have never trusted Him.  EVERYONE should live for Him, having been created by Him.  

What do you live for RIGHT NOW, at this very moment?  Regardless of your past, what do YOU personally live for?  What have YOU chosen as your reason for creation?  If it is anything other than God's pleasure and honor, CHANGE YOUR HEART!  Change your focus and purpose!  Now!  YOUR HEART determines the course of your life! 

How do you know what's in your heart?  There are two ways to know your heart:

1.  God's word exposes your truest heart, your true motivation and intentions, as it is written:   For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12 ESV  By the written and spoken word of God, which is piercing truth, you may know and judge your truest state.  So if you want to know your heart, hear and read the word of God.

2. Not only does God's word expose your heart, BUT YOUR VERY OWN WORDS EXPOSE YOUR HEART!  "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34b)  Your words, what you say in your UNGUARDED moments, reveal what is in you, as we all know.  When you are just talking up a storm, letting it all flow, YOU AND I BOTH KNOW!!!

So, listen to God AND TO YOURSELF!  If what you habitually say does not match what God says, THEN CHANGE YOUR HEART, AND GUARD YOUR HEART!!  Allow nothing in your mind or out of your mouth that does not match what God says about you--that you were created by God, through His Son, and FOR HIS SON!!!   

From now on, determine the course of your life by guarding your thoughts and intentions.

Give your heart to God.

Focus on God alone.

Live for God alone.

The rest of your life is up to you!!

What DID Jesus DO? (Part 2)

Alright.
So we're not in Galilee.
How do we apply the last post?

I'm an officer.  As a God appointed governing authority (see Romans 13) I demonstrate the authority of Christ Jesus in heaven and on earth, a spiritual/supernatural authority as well as physical/natural authority. Whenever I enforce the laws of the land that agree with the laws of God, I manifest the fear of the Lord on earth, and bring about order on earth as there is in heaven.  I "bind" demons to silence, inactivity, and absence, destroying the works of the devil--the works of lawlessness, chaos, and rebellion.  I experience the power of the presence of God by the Spirit's power.

A teacher would experience the authority of THE TEACHER.  It was said that Jesus taught with authority, an authority that astonished and amazed those who heard; an authority that even struck fear in those who challenged them, silencing them in shame.  So it should be with the believer who is a teacher, whatever he teaches, whatever instructions she gives.

A homeschooling mother proclaims the good news to her children, teaching them the ways of the kingdom, manifest in her children's relationships to each other, their father, and their mother.  If any of them are sick, she lays hands on them and heals them, just as Jesus did, and would do, in the same situation.  And if, God forbid, her kids are attacked by demons, she casts them out with calm authority, and they leave at her word.

A mail carrier becomes God's messenger, and when he speaks with neighbors that meet him in his deliveries, he heralds the good news of God's kingdom, a heavenly mail carrier, if you will.  If any need prayer, healing, or deliverance, and sense The Healer with her, the mail carrier prays as she is asked or sought out, and those who receive their mail also receive Christ the healer in the mail carrier.

Wherever the believer goes, the Spirit of God goes with him.  Wherever the believer goes, the power of God goes with her.  The presence of God, which is the kingdom of God, has indeed come to earth, and is experienced in Spirit filled, Spirit lead followers of Christ!

A believer who sees an accident on the road can stop and heal the ones in the accident.  When the paramedics come, they will find no one in need of medical attention.

A security guard can silently cast out a demon when encountering a violent person, and then skillfully subdue the criminal physically. 

The power of God is univeral and all applicable. 

In whatever situation you find yourself in, you possess power and the Spirit if you believe in Christ the Lord.

He is the same yesterday today and forever.  He is in you if you believe. Therefore, do what He would do in the same situation.  If someone is sick, in His name, heal them.  If someone suffers mental torments, in His name, cast out the demons, the source of the mental oppression.  If someone is down, in the name of Jesus, preach the good news.  If someone is confused, in Christ's name, teach the principles of the kingdom.

Do what Jesus did.
Do what He would do.

What DID Jesus DO?

You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.  Acts 10:37-38

The question used to be asked: "What would Jesus DO?"

I believe the answer lies in what Jesus actually DID.

Wherever He went, He did good.  What good?  Miraculous good.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

Matthew 4:23-24  NIV

1. Preaching

2. Teaching

3. Healing

4. Liberating

These are the good things Jesus did wherever He went.

He proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God:  that God's kingdom had indeed returned--by His very presence and the presence of the Spirit of God.  God was (and is) with those who believe, and will be with all who believe.  He also taught the ways of the kingdom of God, the means by which God's kingdom and will are to be done on earth as in heaven.

What better news is there than this--if it was true...

BUT IT REALLY WAS TRUE!  How do we know?

In heaven there is no sickness.  Therefore, Jesus cured all who came to Him or were brought to Him.

Christ cast Satan and the demons out of heaven.  Thus when they were in men and women, Jesus cast them out. 

Now we should know the answer to the question, "What would Jesus do?"  And indeed, for those who believe, we should do likewise.

Christians should preach and teach the Kingdom of God, and demonstrate the truth of God's kingdom by healing the sick and casting out demons--by supernatural power.  With power the proclamation of God's kingdom is made.  The Spirit of Christ is on earth.  Where the Spirit is, the kingdom of God is.

We know what Jesus did, therefore we know what Jesus would do in every situation, as it is written,

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." 

What He did is what He still does, and what He will do for all who will believe in Him.

WHY AMERICAN CHRISTIANS HATE MIRACLES (AND MAY VERY WELL BE IN DANGER OF HELL!)

american christians (as previously defined)  hate miracles because they OPPOSE our independence.  


we value our "liberties," our "way of life," our "freedoms," our "values."  
but what are these, really?

i believe they are all variations on the theme of independence, on self-reliance, on self-centered self gratification.

our "liberties" don't have anything to do with Christ or His kingdom, nor does our "way of life," "freedoms," or "values."  now make no mistake, when i say "our," i mean we who call ourselves american christians.  we loathe the self-sacrifice that makes for true disciples of Christ.  we despise the neediness of a branch in connection to a Vine. 

and therefore, we hate miracles. 

we detest that which points to God alone, that which He can do alone, that which no human thought or insight can add to nor subtract from.  we love the idea that miracles are rare, if not completely abolished in this day and age.  woe be unto us if they still regularly and normally occurred!  this would mean God is real!  worse still, HIS WILL IS REAL!  WORST OF ALL, HIS KINGDOM IS NOT A KINGDOM "OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, OR FOR THE PEOPLE!!!"

where would our precious democracy be?

"in a sin stained world, democracy is the only sanity for governing authority," some may protest.  truth.  undisputed. 

but that is my point.  let's just stop talking about our "christian origins," and moaning and groaning about "taking our country back for Christ" and all that...wondering what happened to the "good ole days" when we had "prayer in the schools...." the segregated schools mind you...the schools where we learned about the red faced savages that are living on reservations and are mascots for our baseball teams....those good ole days!!! 

is might making right a miracle of manifest destiny!!??  was this to God's glory, and truly done for God's glory!

what miracles attest to this?  what signs and wonders and salvations bear witness to this?

Christ read from the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me..."

He made known to those who listen that God's chosen one had come to God's chosen nation...a divinely established nation attested to by signs and wonders and faith.  

follow me closely:

abraham, a man of 100 years in age, with his barren wife sara, who was 90 years old, gave birth to a son of promise, the firstborn of the nation blessed by God to be a blessing to the world.  

this, 

the nation of israel, 

was a nation founded by God Himself, 

cared for by God Himself.  

signs and wonders and prophets bear witness to this.  and most importantly, this nation, when in rebellion, was disciplined by God, to show that He didn't back every single thing they did.  when this nation worshiped idols or wanted to be like all other nations in the world, God disciplined them, making it clear that He chose them for a purpose that they refused to serve.

the final rejection of God, as a nation, was the rejection of their long awaited Messiah, the Lord Jesus.  not all descendants of abraham rejected him.  but the nation, as a whole, with the world, as a whole, denied Him.  

what does all of this have to do with america?  EVERYTHING!!  AND NOTHING!!

america's origins were far from miraculous and divinely originated.  it was not by miracles that we came to be, and it is not by dependence upon miracles that we continue to be.  

yes...i said DEPENDENCE UPON MIRACLES!!!

the first and foremost miracle that we refuse to depend upon IS THE VERY INCARNATION OF CHRIST!!!  THE FOUNDATIONAL MIRACLE OF ALL MIRACLES!! 

GOD ESTABLISHED ISRAEL BY MIRACLES, NOT "JUDEO PRINCIPLES."

CHRIST ESTABLISHED THE CHURCH ON A MIRACLE, 

NOT ON "CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES."

CHRIST BROUGHT ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH A MIRACLE, 

NOT "JUDEO CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES."

WHEN AMERICAN CHRISTIANS HATE MIRACLES, THEY BY DEFINITION HATE THE MIRACLE.
THEY ARE INDEED IN DANGER OF HELL!!

"wait a minute!!  isn't that a little extreme!!??" 

not at all!  remember, the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ are all miracles, not principles!! indeed, Christ fulfilled the law, but did not come to bring new laws or principles.  our faith is in the miracle of salvation, and AGAIN, if we hate miracles, then we hate THE miracle, and thus cannot be saved because of our disbelief!!

yet again, how many times as american christians do we speak of "judeo christian principles/values?" how often did Christ or His apostles focus on "values" and "principles?"  How often did they perform miracles as they preached the gospel and made disciples?

are miracles that important?  what is a normal practical miracle?

PRAYER!

we all believe in prayer, right?  

but what are we praying for if not a miracle, if not something supernatural?  when we pray for something as simple as "traveling mercies," are we not praying that God will supernaturally protect our traveling loved ones?

this country was neither founded upon nor sustained by miracles, and we don't want it to be, because this would be THEOCRACY!!!  but if we say "in God we trust," then in what and for what are we trusting Him?  to trust God is to believe He can do what we cannot...miracles...the supernatural...indeed, WE can come up with "principles," and establish our country upon these so called principles...and argue over them, and make laws that contradict them, and question whether they ever were Christian in the first place...but could Israel question the origin of the 10 commandments, written by the very finger of God...delivered to them by the hands of angels....?

american christians hate miracles...and indeed may be in danger of hell...for our faith is founded upon the greatest miracle...but we focus instead on principles, and not on the only miracle that can save us....may God help us, 

may God, indeed AND TRULY, bless america!

 

How to EXPERIENCE GOD with you TODAY

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."

Psalms 145:18, emphasis mine.

You want something.

You don't know what is is or why you want it.

You get glimpses of it every now and then:

In intensely beautiful music or art

In sunrises or sunsets

In silence

In the particles floating on sunrays through a window

In sex

In being high on drugs

In the buzz of alcohol

In a really good, long, intimate and transparent conversation

In a good book or movie.

In the eyes of a beautiful man or woman

In the smile of a baby at you while getting groceries

In being listened to and understood

In the crashing waves on a beach

In your conscience, intuition, and communion with the presence behind silence.

In the power of imagination and reason

In pure emotion

In the liberation of volition in skillful joyful action

But it's not any of these things, or really even in any of these things.

These are shadows of echoes, dreams of mirages.

It is not an it.

It is a Person in Relation and Union.

"Holy Spirit, please allow me the liberty of the imaginary in relation to Paul's inspiration."

"So be it, son of God.  I am with you.  Jesus is Lord.  Amen."

(What you are about to read is an adaptation, a personalization of scripture and revelation.  I, being one with Paul in spirit, by the Holy Spirit, speak as though I am him, and I address you as if you are the people of Athens mentioned in Acts 17, verses 16 and 24-28.)

"While I was waiting for them in to respond to my writings, I was greatly distressed to see that some of their minds were full of idols.  I then stood up in the meeting of the minds online and said: “Men and women who read my words! I see that in every way you are very spiritual. For as I walked around in your imaginations and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in imaginary temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men and women life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men and women, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men and women would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’"

God is not far from you right now, you, the one who is reading right now!

Perhaps you've never heard or read the word "GOD."  Or perhaps you are a member of one of these four groups:

1.  Those who believe in one Supreme Personality, Perfectly Good, Perfectly Powerful, Perfectly Wise, Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, Infinite, All Present, All knowing, All Loving Light and Truth.

2.  Those who believe in many gods, or that every thing and every one is God, part of God, or a god.
3.  Those who believe in no god or gods, who believe this world, the physical, visible, audible, and tangible, are the only real things.  There is no mind or will behind it all, no purpose, no origin, no destination.
4.  Those who say they simply "don't know," and feel as if no one really can know.

Which ever of these four you feel defines you, know that one of these things is true:

1. You experience THE ONE as He is, as He knows and names Himself.

2.  You experience THE ONE in creation and conscience, though you may call Him a name other than his name.  You rename Him after one or more of the things that give you a glimpse of him.  You name Him "Shadow of the Echo," or you call Him "The Dream of The Mirage."  In other words, you worship the thing instead of the Creator of the thing; the being instead of The Supreme Being, Creator of all beings. 

What you want is Him!

You crave Him!

You obsess over Him!

And you should!

In His presence alone is perfect happiness and neverending pleasure!!

He is literally better than the best sex, higher than the highest high, the buzziest buzz, the most inspired and inspirational, the most sensational!

He is who He is!!!

Undefinable!!! 

Unnameable and Untameable!!!

The Mystery of Intimacy, Ecstasy and Beauty!!!

GOD ALMIGHTY!!!

THE LORD JESUS!!!

THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

You can experience Him right now!  He is already near you and has orchestrated your life for this very moment.  Indeed, every moment of every day of your life God designed for this purpose: FOR YOU TO REACH OUT FOR HIM AND FIND HIM ALREADY NEAR TO YOU!!!

HOW?

Call on Him!!!

Call on Him in absolute honesty, vulnerability, and transparency!!!

But to call on Him, you must know His name.  I will tell you the name of the one who cannnot be named, but can only name Himself--this is the name He gave Himself:  He is who He is!!!!

So, when you call on Him, this is what to call him:  The One who Is who He is.  Say something like this, but of course, in your own words:

"To The One WHO IS WHO HE IS, I speak to you alone!  I don't speak to a being of my own making or naming or defining!!  I come to you accepting you as you are, accepting that you are!!!  I will be myself with you right now!!!! Please answer me, and be yourself with me!!!!!"

The Supreme Person, the origin of every person, is indeed A PERSON.  What person craves negation!?  What person desires to be renamed or made out to be what they are not? 

So I stress to you, the one who wants to EXPERIENCE GOD TODAY, don't call upon an imaginary God of your own making, which is indeed an idol, fashioned by imaginary hands, placed in an imaginary temple of your mind. Let the ONE be the ONE.  And focus on being yourself before the ONE.  If you call on Him, indeed if you call on him in truth, you will experience him near you.

You should and must call on Him!  You want to do it, but must choose to do it!

To not do it is to die, or remain dead!  It is rejection, the rejection of Creator by creation!  It is also the rejection of your deepest and truest passion!!!  It is the rejection of your life's mission:  The knowledge and likeness of God!!!!

Refuse to think you "have time," or "need time to think."  What more is there to think about?  You've wanted this your whole conscious life.  My words express your words to yourself on lonely nights in your bed.  I say what you say to yourself.  Be honest with yourself!!!  Be honest with God!!!  And know that you very well may have no more time, and even if you did, to reject Him today places you on a path of rejection, a path you would choose to be on.  It sets your mind and heart in a direction that may be fixed BY YOU!  The more you receive the invitation of the Spirit of God and reject, the less respect you have for the invitation, and the Spirit, respecting your will, STOPS GIVING THE INVITATION, IN RESPECT TO YOUR OWN REJECTION OF THE INVITATION!!!

Choose to call on The One Who Is Who He Is today, even right now!!  If you do, He promises to be near you.  Choose to believe in Him!  Choose to call upon Him!!