Totally the God WE NEED

The more we are able to see ourselves as in the image of God, the more clearly we will see ourselves as a reflection of Him when we find ourselves mirrored in His word.  The great risk however, is that when we fall short, fail to mirror God in some way, and have previously been so bold as to emulate Christ publically, verbally, wholeheartedly….then Satan is quick to declare loudly, publically, wholeheartedly how very much we have mirrored his evil instead. He delights in showing the world when we have failed, for he is self-seeking, in no way wishes to promote us for our benefit, much less God’s. The secondary risk is that the more you emulate God, the more people judge you by what they think God is. In other words, they put you on a pedestal of expectations, and when you fall short in their eyes, they seldom consider if you fell short in God’s eyes. An example would be that my mother always thought that if she called the church for someone to come by and help her pray about something, she fully expected the pastor to be the one who came.  If it wasn’t the pastor, she judged him as failing to do what she thought God expected him to do as her pastor, and she never liked that church the same again.  This is an obvious example. Most are more subtle, but friendships often fail because of expectations.  Parent/children relationships fail because of expectations.  As a person who publicly professes Christ, it is a risk that Satan loves to take advantage of. I have learned that I must not try to suit everyone else, but only Christ, then, cling to that no matter what.

 If you can ever see more clearly what the character of Satan is, then know that the character of God is just the opposite.  On the surface, it may appear to be a copy of something distinguishing God, but look closely and you will see that it is the opposite of God’s intent. Even the most subtle of Satan’s lies will manipulate us to unwittingly serve him instead of God. Our Savoir wants us to know without a doubt that we are one with Him and are free each day to choose to be more like Him. Not like Satan aspiring to be a god, but like Christ aspiring to be one with God.  Know the difference.

God gave us laws and commandments, then gave us permission to break them, and then held us accountable when we did, and then paid the penalties even unto death for our breaking them. Then He let us choose whether we still “go to jail (hell)” or not.  Can’t He just make up His mind? What’s all this about?  It’s called: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

There is therefore, now no condemnation, to them who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 

No condemnation, No comdemnation, No condemnation, No condemnation, No Condemnation,.....None!!!!!!!!!!! 

Father, Help me not  view my world through the eyes of those who will find reason to call me on my failures, and accuse me of Christian infidelity because I fall short in their eyes. Thank you for allowing me to be human, and continuing to love me undcontionally.  With no condemnation. In Jesus, AMEN

How To Know God Is In It - Part 3

 The more someone who is over you lords over you, the less they are walking in the Spirit of God.  This is a good policy by which to gage politicians, marriage partners, and church pastors. It is also a gage for parents and teachers.  God created us with an innate ability to increase in so many ways when allowed to make choices.  We have reasoning skills, and response skills.  They are both God given.  So, for example, a good business practice is for a manager to give some liberty to employees to make some valuable choices for the company. 

 I worked for a company once that practiced this.  The risk was that as we allowed our employees to grow in this way within the company, they became so good at their jobs and productiveness, it was recognized by clients. As a result we were always losing employees to other businesses. When asked, I always advised that, before leaving, our employee should determine if the company to which they were going, was also a company committed to an employee’s growth, not just their own profits. We sometimes found that our competitors would promise our employee unreal  amounts of money to leave us.  Not long after hire, they would drop this employee. Citing reasons such as: our productive employee did not adapt to a more subjective, profit oriented goal system, or the company suddenly  could not afford them. Often they had ignored the employee’s growth. It was obvious to our management that some of these people were drawn away in hopes of affecting our productivity and sales. 

 The one thing our competitors didn’t bank on, was that our whole team was being trained, all the time, to be always moving toward being better than they were. So someone was always able to move into the space left by an employee who moved on.  We were never hurt at all.  One of our strengths was to build our people.  That is God-like.  And God blessed it. On occasion we took such an employee back and were glad to get them.   

The parallel is like a Christian who is led away by Satan’s wiles, and finds themselves in a world of empty promises, and returns in hope to walk in God’s freedom. This wayward child then comes to realize that God also gives freedom to make both the good and bad choices and continues to open His arms for any who return. He will lovingly continue to be the foundation for our growth, even at the risk of losing us to Satan’s worldly ploys. That He receives us back, even after being drawn away by Satan’s deciepts, confirms that He allows us to learn from it. 
We would feel more protected if He would not allow us to go roaming, but we would revolt to being hemmed in to His boundaries.  It is built into our character, like unconditional love is built into His.  And these opposites seem to complement one another.  God desires willing subjects.

My next entry talks a little more about that unconditional love. Ck back for my final thoughts on this subject til the Lord shares more. 

Lord, The realization that I can ask myself, is this more like God or Satan, and know right away if I am in your will or being led away by misguidance was so freeing. It is most interesting to me to know that freedom came when I stopped trying to judge if I was doing what you most wanted me to, not by checking in on your laws, but on your character.  If I can find how best to emmulate your image, or allow you to shine through me, then I am in your will.  So much easier. And much like you.  Help me remember when I am being led astray.  So love you dear Jesus!!! AMEN

How To Know God Is In It: part 2

This entire principle is tied up in understanding God’s opposite – Satan.  Scriptures help us understand that Satan, was once as esteemed among God’s creations as any.  Satan however, wanted to elevate himself to a position of being a god, with power to Lord over elements of creation, to have things and beings subjugated to him.  He saw the position of being God as being an obtainable goal.  He was short sighted, because he failed to see that the difference in being God and being his opposite is the willingness to let your creation choose to follow you or not.  In an evil world, beings are forced to participate under a master of their fate, while in a God-like world, even the unbeliever is allowed not to believe in the one who created and loved this same non-believer.  In addition, the one who allows all to make their own choice allows that all remain totally under the umbrella of unconditional love.  Rejected, ignored, and disobeyed, God continues to love all, unaffected by their choice.  Satan cares not about the love of his subjects, but only that they are persuaded to yield to his untruths. Whether his subjects are deceived or totally aware, he will extremely manipulate the path of anyone he pursues; not hoping they will believe in and follow him as a god necessarily, but that any who follow him will be confused about who god is. The promises of Satan are hollow, however decorative on the surface, still hollow and void of truth.  In this respect and all others, Satan has a copy of what he believes God is or says or does, and that copy is equally hollow in its value.  Being able to tell the difference is beyond the human vision.  It is the duty of the Spirit of God to help us see the false things of Satan, when compared to the real things of God.

Ok. I know this is a truth that is difficult to put into a simple example. That is because it is a BIG concept.  The greatness of God is in that he does not possess His human creation. He totally owns us, but chooses not to possess us.  It is a risky thing.  Satan is the ultimate example of how creation could choose not to live in God’s power and wisdom.  Sometimes we see God as a master passing down legalisms and making life hard.  But I try to stop sometimes and really see God.  God is all powerful.  He could force everything in his creation to serve him. But He shows us that His real power is in allowing us to choose that He become the power in our lives. Then His power becomes productive, has direction,  is conveyed.  His power increases as it is multiplied within beings, who make use of it willingly. God desires that all the things of His character and creation “increase.”  The method by which He is able to increase His own power is through us. He becomes greater in willing servants.  We are not slaves to his power, but conveyers of His power.  We are benefactors of that power therefore, because we can use it for our benefit in His name. - The very opposite of how power is used by Satan.  He uses his power to make slaves of his followers, to lord over them, and seeks only that his power increase fear and forced subjugation in his subjects.

For a practical application of this principle, see my next blog.   Til then, God Bless!!!

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Thank you so much, Dear Father, for being my Lord and my Savoir.  And for letting me choose whether I serve you.  I do sooooo choose you. Help me to be wise when Satan seeks to deceive me.  Open my eyes to see when he offers false hope, and misguided direction. Make it clear to me when you are wielding your power in my life, and give me wisdom to use that power, not just store it.  Glorify yourself in me. In Jesus Name. AMEN

How to Know God Is In It

On a week when it rains as much as it has while this hurricane turned tropical storm has dumped it’s payload of the Gulf of Mexico onto the interior of the US, I wish I truly had a garden to which I could go now that the sun has broken through.  Hallelujah for being able to see that there is a universe beyond the clouds.  We so needed the rain that I am thankful, but I need a flower to help me smileJ

While closed in this week, the Lord has been repeatedly giving me glimpses into the subject of how to know for sure when it is He not the deceiver who is leading my life.  He keeps slipping me different angles on the same subject: the basic truth of opposites.

There is a uniqueness in the Character of God that helps me see clearly His hand in the circumstances of life.  The concept is a bit difficult to explain, but is worth the attempt at the discussion.  It is the truth of opposites.  The simplest scriptural example that comes to my mind is the story of Abraham who took his son to the mountain top to sacrifice him to God, even though this was his only son through whom God had promised the future of a nation, and a Messiah for the people of Israel.  In addition, it was so unlike God to ask for a human sacrifice.  Everything about it seemed to be the opposite of what scripture teaches us about God. The story ends with God providing another sacrifice and seemingly changing His mind about expecting Abraham to sacrifice His son.  The whole experience leaves the reader asking why,  or what was God saying or doing in this very strange story?

On the surface, the story is about trusting God, to the point of being willing to do whatever He asks, unto the extreme of sacrificing your own child. This goes against everything we believe about God, because we believe one thing that separates our God from the gods of the world is that He doesn’t ask such things of us.  In fact, anyone who declares God has told him to do such a thing, would be confined as mentally deranged.  We thankfully know that if such a thought should cross our mind, we know it is not from God.  Why in fact would Abraham even indulge himself to accept such a thought as being from God?  Why would he follow the command to do such a thing?  Except that he fully believed that God had promised this son would be the father of a great nation, and therefore, even at the expense of his death, God would somehow, miraculously keep His promise.

There are of course so many other lessons learned in this story, including the picture type of our Savoir being the only son of God, who actually was sacrificed on our behalf. However, this story always bothered me until I learned the principle of discerning opposites.  A large part of this principle is tied up in God’s willingness to allow us to choose.  Choose life, choose faith, choose salvation….the ability and freedom to choose. God does the opposite of what it seems a God should do. If we are truly His creation, why does he allow us to choose to accept or reject  Him.  Why not just save everyone and make it so we all are one with Him?   Check in tomorrow as I begin to sort out what the Lord is sharing with me on “How to Know God is In It”.

Changing day by day

 Life all around me is changing, and I am struggling to keep up.  But for once in my life I am forgiving myself for the times when I just can't get things done, and allowing that to become my reason to arise with peace, not stress in the mornings.  Having something to do, is not what I live for, but what gives me the joy to know I have a purpose.  I don't think I will ever run out of things I want to do.  I will die saying, but I have to get "whatever" done in the morning. LOL
But if I don't...well, I know I gave it my all.