9am Sat — Tithing vs. Giving: CONSEQUENCES: “Believers Not Learning How to Hear the Lord”

If Success is Dependence on God, What Is Our Purpose Now?

If Success is simply actively depending on God to live His life in and through us, on His terms, what are we here for? What is our purpose? What are we doing here on earth?

This Is Life Eternal — To Know Christ!

Our purpose, our job now is to know God on His terms and in His timing. Though this may sound simplistic, we often struggle with that very simplicity; man loves to make complex what God has made simple. By making “knowing God” harder than it is, we often rob God of the opportunity to reveal Himself. Knowing God is His idea! So it is His responsibility to make Himself real to each one of us. He teaches us, and we learn — to live and move and have our being in Him.

What Does Knowing God Look Like?

Success, knowing God, will outwardly look different for each of us at different times. Since we already completely and perfectly know God in our spirit, it is only in our soul (mind, will and emotions) and in our body that the learning to know Him is taking place. This learning is three-fold: 1) learning how to go to Him to get healed (soulically and physically), 2) learning how He exposes our flesh, so He can consume it, and 3) learning to rest in and enjoy our present relationship with Him. Every circumstance in our lives contributes to these three activities.

Our purpose now is not to “do” these three things, but to depend on God to do them in and through us. God’s timeframe is totally different than ours; depending on God will require His working His patience in us. Being successful at practical Christianity will bring contentment in all things, even in the midst of turmoil and tension. In fact, it will often look like the opposite of what it is because of the misbeliefs, wounds and flesh that are being brought to the surface and exposed to His Loving Truth. For example, learning to live in His peace may appear as great turmoil to others as our control in that area is challenged and stripped. Change is hard for us and on us, but the Lord will prove His trustworthiness and lovingkindness as we allow Him to work in and through us. How and when we are changed is His responsibility.

9am Sat — CURRENT EVENTS: “What Is Your Assignment?” Follow Up w/ Personal Responsibility in Christianity and Society & Tithing vs. Giving: CONSEQUENCES: “Believers Not Learning How to Hear the Lord”

How Can I Judge How I’m Doing? If I’m Successful? If I’m On the Right Track?

Well, ask the Judge. Unlike in the Olympics, our Judge is also our Coach, Teammate and Biggest Fan. He has walked this way before, and knows what it’s like. Most often we will find that we are much harder on ourselves than He is.

God does want us to know how we are doing, so He will often give us tokens of accomplishment or graduation appropriate to what we have overcome. He knows we need encouragement, and does what He needs to in order to keep us coming to Him for that encouragement. But be aware that His affirmations are not like ours… His score card is much simpler!

For many years I was very afraid of dealing with anything demonic. But there came a point in time when I knew that if I continued in the direction the Lord was taking me I would have to face and overcome this fear. So I told the Lord I was willing to be taught in this area, even though I was still afraid of my reaction. Well, without going into details, a few weeks later the Lord orchestrated a situation where a demon manifested itself into the room where I was working. When this happened all I felt was curiosity, then surprise that I wasn’t afraid. From that time on I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that even these things are all completely under His authority and control. To me, this was not only an encouragement to continue to proceed in the direction I was heading, but a reward for allowing Him His choice and method of teaching.

While we are here on this earth our battlefields consist of overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil. You know you’ve overcome in an area, or achieved a goal, not because it’s finished or a deadline met, but because you can rest in dependence in that area.

9am Sat — CURRENT EVENTS: “What Is Your Assignment?” & Tithing vs. Giving: CONSEQUENCES: “Believers Not Learning How to Hear the Lord”

Christian Success: Where Are The Role Models?

One of the ways we are motivated is by wanting to be like someone we admire. We recognize someone’s positive traits or that they have achieved certain goals that are appealing to us. So we reason that if we can do what they do we can also achieve similar goals or traits. This is a normal expectation; Christians should be able to identify role models that exemplify dependence on the Father. This is one of the reasons Jesus came in the flesh, and dwelt among us. And Paul encouraged his readers to follow him as he followed Christ; to examine his life, to see where he was depending on his God.

Unfortunately, in many, if not most cases, Christian role models in leadership positions or public ministry are either not exemplifying dependence on the Father, or they have isolated themselves from the people in such a way that we really don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. It’s interesting that it took Jesus 30 years to learn and practice being dependent on His Father in private in order to minister publicly for three and a half years.

As we truly learn how to depend on the Father, we want to also be aware that there will likely come a time when we will be used as a role model in some capacity. We just don’t want a public ministry to be our measure of success.

When you recognize the peace, rest and confidence that comes from dependence on the Father, don’t be shy about asking how to do it. If a person is truly depending on God, His nature is flowing to and through him. Since God’s nature is, basically, to give, anyone depending on Him will be willing to mentor and instruct on how to enjoy the freedom that comes with this relationship.

Another way to test true character, especially of those in public positions of religious authority, is to check with those closest to them. Do their family, friends and co-workers feel unconditionally accepted? Loved? Valued by that person? The successfully dependent Christian will be freely giving of him or herself to those around them, according to spirit, and allow them the freedom to be who and where God has them at any given moment. (This does not mean all behavior is accepted.)

Remember though that we only truly live the Christian life as we depend on God. It is only Spirit character, flowing to and through that person’s spirit, teaching that individual on a moment by moment basis, that is to be emulated. Remembering this keeps us from putting others on a pedestal, and frees them to make mistakes as well.

Tithing vs. Giving 9am Sat — “CONSEQUENCES: A Matter of Control” Continued

[Hedz Up!] “Rope-A-Dope” & “Secession”

Earlier this week, I was thinking about our present turmoil, both nationally and globally. I heard two phrases from the Lord, “Rope-A-Dope” & “Secession”. When I asked what He meant, here’s what He said:

“Rope-A-Dope” refers to a tactic in which one party feigns, or pretends weakness in order to throw their opponent off-balance and to wear him out, making him more likely to make a mistake. In the movie, “The Patriot,” the revolutionary militia was known for breaking ranks and running from the battle field when things got rough. This known fault was used to their advantage, as a tactic, to lure the British into following their retreat into an ambush which included not only the militia but the ‘standing army’ as well. The subsequent defeat of the British Army, in the movie, turned the tide of the war.

Tithing vs. Giving 9am Sat — “CONSEQUENCES: A Matter of Control” Continued

How Can We Recognize Success?

Because of the nature of Christian success, it is often hard to recognize. So our motivation should not be derived from how we’re doing, how we’re measuring up. But measuring our success IS one way God encourages us; we just need to know what His standards are (again, His standards will be based on bringing us into dependence on Himself).

First of all, the Kingdom of God is entered, not built. His work is complete. Our spiritual walk and work is complete in Him. So where is the activity and change? In the soulical realm, with the physical following after. Our goal is to enter into His rest, not to become more productive, build His Kingdom, or even to make disciples of all nations (remember Jesus didn’t send out everyone, only those who had first come to Him, and had learned dependence on His Father).

So recognizing success will be a private thing, centering around a restful dependence. That’s not to say that a successful Christian walk is passive; far from it. It’s just active in a different way. Jesus’s walk on earth was the perfect example of a dependent life, yet the last thing we would say was that He was passive. But His motivation to act, His ability, His power all came through His depending on His Father.

This dependence must be experienced to be truly understood, and as we cooperate with the Lord we can be confident that He is working it into us, but a common example of dependence is the vine and the branch. All the branch has to do is be still and receive the life coming through the vine. In its season, fruit is borne, effortlessly, though through the branch. It is the vine that produces the fruit, the branch simply receives the life. As the life passes through its being, what was already there is en-livened and creates after its own kind. So we as the branches needn’t be concerned with how, or how much is being produced through us by His life flowing through us, unless the Lord specifically brings it to our attention.

Here’s an example the Lord gave me to remind me to rest on a regular basis: On my sliding glass door I’ve got a birdfeeder that’s held on by a couple of suction cups. The birdfeeder keeps the birds from hitting the glass, as well as feeding them up-close and personal so I can enjoy them. But what makes it work is the suction between the glass and the suction cup. All the suction cup needs to do is nothing; its purposes are being fulfilled without it doing a thing but being what it was meant to be. It just hangs in there! (You may want to ask the Lord to make this concept real to you; He’s a personal God, and knows what has meaning for you!)