"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing...By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." John 15:6 & 8
"Weeds are anything in your life that is taking up valuable resources but does not produce fruit." - Pastor Brady Boyd
I so want to be someone who is not caught up in the things of the world. My spirit longs for the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and life in His Spirit. I love the quote above about the weeds in our life. Pastor Brady goes on to say that these weeds are not necessarily bad things; they are just using us up without any good produce. Great sermon - watch or listen to "The Law of the Farm" here: New Life Sermons.
Pray for me tonight, as I struggle through the worldly decisions of life, that I will remain "unspotted from the world"; that I may bear good and acceptable fruit from the resources of the Holy Spirit.
Rachel and I, as I wrote a few posts ago, are partaking in The Whole 30. It's basic purpose is to take 30 days to eat only things that produce good things for our body. We're learning that this is so true in our lives as well. Rachel has been reading! Our hope is that our lifestyle, as well as our diet, begins to feed us with things that only produce good fruit. Sometimes we have to do natural things so that we can better understand the spiritual things (1 Corinthians 15:46). I'm thankful that the Lord is showing us spiritual things as a result of taking care of our natural things.
So I say, get in shape! I said it. Get off your butt and go work your body out. Make it hurt; discipline it unto subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27). When you learn how your body grows in strength and endurance, you'll also learn how your spirit and mind grow in strength and endurance. Use your resources for the things that produce good fruit. Lord, help us to see with Kingdom eyes, that we may partake in Kingdom activities, thoughts, and prayers.
P.S. - this is a good song: I Will Exalt
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Selfish Pursuit
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38
I've recently pulled out my old journals that I write in during my time spent with the Lord. If you were to read through them, you may think I'm a little selfish. You'd be right! My desire for the past 6 years has been to selfishly pursue the nature of God. It hasn't been about praying for others or learning what is right and wrong. If anything, those things have often gotten in the way of my pursuit of Him.
Please don't misunderstand, we should often pray for one another and should seek to do what's right in the sight of God. But we can't start there. We must learn to press through the "wind and the waves" of life to see Him and learn His nature. We must learn to use the gift of a sound mind to focus all of our thoughts on Him.
From that place of intimacy with Him will flow all prayer and righteous living. As the Scripture at the top says, we must first go to Him, then the living waters will flow into the avenues of life. Selfishly pursue the nature of God. Know Him for yourself. Don't let anyone else tell you about Him (as I am doing right now). Go and see.
Remember, intimacy with God is right now, not yesterday and not tomorrow. It must be found in the moment with no agenda of my own or thoughts of what I must do today or even who I must pray for today. Pray that God will teach you to live right now and not worry yourself with the next thing. God's Presence is just that; present; now; present tense. When we learn to live in the present tense with God and seek His nature, we will be greatly refreshed as we immerse ourselves in His Spirit.
I've recently pulled out my old journals that I write in during my time spent with the Lord. If you were to read through them, you may think I'm a little selfish. You'd be right! My desire for the past 6 years has been to selfishly pursue the nature of God. It hasn't been about praying for others or learning what is right and wrong. If anything, those things have often gotten in the way of my pursuit of Him.
Please don't misunderstand, we should often pray for one another and should seek to do what's right in the sight of God. But we can't start there. We must learn to press through the "wind and the waves" of life to see Him and learn His nature. We must learn to use the gift of a sound mind to focus all of our thoughts on Him.
From that place of intimacy with Him will flow all prayer and righteous living. As the Scripture at the top says, we must first go to Him, then the living waters will flow into the avenues of life. Selfishly pursue the nature of God. Know Him for yourself. Don't let anyone else tell you about Him (as I am doing right now). Go and see.
Remember, intimacy with God is right now, not yesterday and not tomorrow. It must be found in the moment with no agenda of my own or thoughts of what I must do today or even who I must pray for today. Pray that God will teach you to live right now and not worry yourself with the next thing. God's Presence is just that; present; now; present tense. When we learn to live in the present tense with God and seek His nature, we will be greatly refreshed as we immerse ourselves in His Spirit.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Whole Food
"...he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Galatians 6:8
Rachel and I just began an food challenge called the Whole 30. We are only able to eat meats, eggs, fruits, nuts, and lots of veggies. Not too bad really, but I didn't realize how much sugar and grains I was taking in. The basic idea behind the plan is that you cleanse yourself of things that aren't "whole". After the cleansing you begin to feel like you have a new body - you realize that you were sick and didn't even know it because it felt normal.
Of course, I'm going to go spiritual with this. Galatians 6 talks about sowing to the flesh vs. sowing to the Spirit. Our culture has conditioned us to think that constant worldly concerns and activities are what we are supposed to be putting our time into (yes, I mean TV, Facebook, and 401ks). It's normal and everyday routine so we aren't realizing that the things we're feeding our spirit are making us sick. We're sick and we don't know it.
"God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" Galatians 6:7. We fool ourselves and mock God in the process by thinking that we can spend all of our time on the computer or watching TV and still reap a lifestyle that lines up with a disciple of Christ. If you eat twinkies all day, you will get fat and sick. The substance of what you take in will show itself in the fruit of your life, good or bad.
Think about your day; how much of your time, thought, and energy is sown to the world, and how much is sown to the Spirit? Are you eating the twinkies of life that the world says is normal? The fruit of the Spirit is born out of seeds sown to a lifestyle in the Spirit. It is a constant sowing to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Let's eat the good whole food of the Spirit of God.
"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live..."
Isaiah 55:2-3
Rachel and I just began an food challenge called the Whole 30. We are only able to eat meats, eggs, fruits, nuts, and lots of veggies. Not too bad really, but I didn't realize how much sugar and grains I was taking in. The basic idea behind the plan is that you cleanse yourself of things that aren't "whole". After the cleansing you begin to feel like you have a new body - you realize that you were sick and didn't even know it because it felt normal.
Of course, I'm going to go spiritual with this. Galatians 6 talks about sowing to the flesh vs. sowing to the Spirit. Our culture has conditioned us to think that constant worldly concerns and activities are what we are supposed to be putting our time into (yes, I mean TV, Facebook, and 401ks). It's normal and everyday routine so we aren't realizing that the things we're feeding our spirit are making us sick. We're sick and we don't know it.
"God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" Galatians 6:7. We fool ourselves and mock God in the process by thinking that we can spend all of our time on the computer or watching TV and still reap a lifestyle that lines up with a disciple of Christ. If you eat twinkies all day, you will get fat and sick. The substance of what you take in will show itself in the fruit of your life, good or bad.
Think about your day; how much of your time, thought, and energy is sown to the world, and how much is sown to the Spirit? Are you eating the twinkies of life that the world says is normal? The fruit of the Spirit is born out of seeds sown to a lifestyle in the Spirit. It is a constant sowing to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Let's eat the good whole food of the Spirit of God.
"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live..."
Isaiah 55:2-3
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Greatest Gift
Read slow and examine yourself...
"Love...
is paitient
is kind
does not envy
does not boast
is not proud
does not behave rudely
does not seek its own
is not easily angered
thinks no evil (keeps no record of wrongs)
does not rejoice in iniquity
rejoices in the truth
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things.
Love...never...fails"
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
20 minutes ago I told my wife that I loved her...then I read this section of Scripture...then I repented for lying to my wife. The absolute only way to have true love is by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my life. Without Him I have no hope.
"Love...
is paitient
is kind
does not envy
does not boast
is not proud
does not behave rudely
does not seek its own
is not easily angered
thinks no evil (keeps no record of wrongs)
does not rejoice in iniquity
rejoices in the truth
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things.
Love...never...fails"
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
20 minutes ago I told my wife that I loved her...then I read this section of Scripture...then I repented for lying to my wife. The absolute only way to have true love is by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my life. Without Him I have no hope.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Wilderness
"But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." 1 Corinthians 2:10
A man tops out on a low hill overlooking a vast expanse of wilderness. His own belief has brought him this far, but now he sees into a world that surpasses his own understanding. He looks out in fearful anticipation of trudging into the wilderness after the Voice that calls him, "Deeper, deeper." He has nothing with him; no pack, no food, no water, nothing to weigh him down in his journey - all were left at the end of belief.
A constant stirring of Wind keeps his senses alert. He knows that with each step into the wilderness he gets closer to the Voice of the One who seeks him. There are no enemies in the wilderness, but he is aware of a terrible Danger. Yet from deep within the Danger, overshadowing Danger itself, there seems to be a tremendous Longing that consumes all that he is. "Fear the Danger," says the Voice, "But do not shy away from it; for its Longing is greater than its Danger."
Many have come to this point and turned back, wearied by the vastness and not wanting to leave their things behind to seek the expanses of Uncertainty. With each step the Voice on the wind seems closer, drawing him. His desire is to get lost in the wilderness because he knows that is where the Voice resides. Not far off there is a River leading into the beginning of rougher terrain; mountains of which he can see no Summit. He can't explain it, but the River seems to be flowing in both directions. He is drawn by the Voice to the River. "Be washed, drink deep, and continue on."
The terrain is rough, yet his foot always seems to fall solidly. Whenever he looks away from the horizon, he can see out of the corner of his eye what seems to be light from a magnificent Fire. But when he looks up, he sees only the Rising Sun, somewhat obstructed by thunderous clouds. It is as if the Fire is diverting the direct vision of his eye because it cannot be directly taken in, and so diverts the eye to the Sun. Even the the Wind directs him, "Follow the River to the Sun, through the mountains and into the thunder." With each step Danger increases, as does Longing.
Many have been called, but few have continued on once a they've glimpsed the vast Uncertainty of the wilderness. Many believe in the Lord; few have gone beyond belief to search His heart. The Voice is calling, the Way is clear, and a River of Life is the reward. Seek Him, you seekers. One requirement remains: whatever you brought with you to the end of belief must be left behind. There are no hindrances here; no burdens; no concerns. Step out of your own belief and into the Heart of the wilderness.
A man tops out on a low hill overlooking a vast expanse of wilderness. His own belief has brought him this far, but now he sees into a world that surpasses his own understanding. He looks out in fearful anticipation of trudging into the wilderness after the Voice that calls him, "Deeper, deeper." He has nothing with him; no pack, no food, no water, nothing to weigh him down in his journey - all were left at the end of belief.
A constant stirring of Wind keeps his senses alert. He knows that with each step into the wilderness he gets closer to the Voice of the One who seeks him. There are no enemies in the wilderness, but he is aware of a terrible Danger. Yet from deep within the Danger, overshadowing Danger itself, there seems to be a tremendous Longing that consumes all that he is. "Fear the Danger," says the Voice, "But do not shy away from it; for its Longing is greater than its Danger."
Many have come to this point and turned back, wearied by the vastness and not wanting to leave their things behind to seek the expanses of Uncertainty. With each step the Voice on the wind seems closer, drawing him. His desire is to get lost in the wilderness because he knows that is where the Voice resides. Not far off there is a River leading into the beginning of rougher terrain; mountains of which he can see no Summit. He can't explain it, but the River seems to be flowing in both directions. He is drawn by the Voice to the River. "Be washed, drink deep, and continue on."
The terrain is rough, yet his foot always seems to fall solidly. Whenever he looks away from the horizon, he can see out of the corner of his eye what seems to be light from a magnificent Fire. But when he looks up, he sees only the Rising Sun, somewhat obstructed by thunderous clouds. It is as if the Fire is diverting the direct vision of his eye because it cannot be directly taken in, and so diverts the eye to the Sun. Even the the Wind directs him, "Follow the River to the Sun, through the mountains and into the thunder." With each step Danger increases, as does Longing.
Many have been called, but few have continued on once a they've glimpsed the vast Uncertainty of the wilderness. Many believe in the Lord; few have gone beyond belief to search His heart. The Voice is calling, the Way is clear, and a River of Life is the reward. Seek Him, you seekers. One requirement remains: whatever you brought with you to the end of belief must be left behind. There are no hindrances here; no burdens; no concerns. Step out of your own belief and into the Heart of the wilderness.
Monday, March 7, 2011
A Thundering Silence
"...be quick to listen, slow to speak..." James 1:19
In order to speak we must be silent. This thought sounds a little like John Moore's quote, "In order to dream we must wake up." I have a tremendous desire to speak the word of God into peoples' lives to bring healing and purpose. The problem is that my desire to speak often overshadows my desire for the word of the Lord - I want to be heard; I want to make my opinion known to others.
I am praying and seeking the Lord for the humility to be relieved of the burden to be heard. As I was praying and repenting for that this morning He clearly answered, "In order to speak you must be silent." My commission is to seek His voice, not a place to speak it. When His voice becomes clear, the place to speak it will also become clear. I cannot reverse the way of things and find a place to speak but have no word to say. That's when John Paul gets loud rather than the voice of God. Not good business.
Lately, in the humbling of John Paul (answer to prayer), I've been prone to tears. That's right, call me Nancy if you like - I can't help it! These are not tears of joy or tears of sadness; they are tears of silence. God has been rendering me speechless because He wants a turn in the conversation. I can say that it has been some of the best times in God's presence that I've had. I've had several of my friends ask me if I was ok, "You seem quiet; is something wrong?" Yes and no. "How are you?" Wrecked and wonderful.
We think of a prophet as a man who speaks the word of God - he is identified by what he says. But a true prophet is a man who has first listened to the Silence. We see only the words, but we do not see the hours, days spent in silence before the Throne. In the days to come, the pure and unhindered word of the Lord will go out from His prophets. But those true prophets will be men who are accustomed to silence; men who seek the thunderings from the Throne, even hating the sound of their own voice.
"Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.' But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not." Jeremiah 20:9
In order to speak we must be silent. This thought sounds a little like John Moore's quote, "In order to dream we must wake up." I have a tremendous desire to speak the word of God into peoples' lives to bring healing and purpose. The problem is that my desire to speak often overshadows my desire for the word of the Lord - I want to be heard; I want to make my opinion known to others.
I am praying and seeking the Lord for the humility to be relieved of the burden to be heard. As I was praying and repenting for that this morning He clearly answered, "In order to speak you must be silent." My commission is to seek His voice, not a place to speak it. When His voice becomes clear, the place to speak it will also become clear. I cannot reverse the way of things and find a place to speak but have no word to say. That's when John Paul gets loud rather than the voice of God. Not good business.
Lately, in the humbling of John Paul (answer to prayer), I've been prone to tears. That's right, call me Nancy if you like - I can't help it! These are not tears of joy or tears of sadness; they are tears of silence. God has been rendering me speechless because He wants a turn in the conversation. I can say that it has been some of the best times in God's presence that I've had. I've had several of my friends ask me if I was ok, "You seem quiet; is something wrong?" Yes and no. "How are you?" Wrecked and wonderful.
We think of a prophet as a man who speaks the word of God - he is identified by what he says. But a true prophet is a man who has first listened to the Silence. We see only the words, but we do not see the hours, days spent in silence before the Throne. In the days to come, the pure and unhindered word of the Lord will go out from His prophets. But those true prophets will be men who are accustomed to silence; men who seek the thunderings from the Throne, even hating the sound of their own voice.
"Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.' But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not." Jeremiah 20:9
Friday, March 4, 2011
Do Not Castrate the Gospel
"...but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." Galatians 1:7
A few months ago, my Dad gave me the gift that keeps on taking...a bloodless castrater. That's right. What a cool guy, huh? It was originally intended for use in men's ministry. I'll let your mind wander into what that message to men could be. But lately, the castrater has been in my mind often. I even carry it with me in the house so that it is in view.
The Spirit has been saying, "Do not castrate the gospel." What is a castrated gospel?
1. Castration removes the ability for reproduction. Have you ever played that game where one person whispers something, and the secret travels around the room and the last person states what they heard? Usually it's not even in the same language as it was in the beginning. Without knowing the Spirit and Nature of God firsthand, we'll be "tossed back and forth by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 14:4), unable to reproduce an effective and true gospel, as it was in the beginning. We must know the Source.
2. Castration enables a horse/bull to be ridden. A castrated gospel has had its power removed so that it can be "ridden". The gospel we often teach is "palatable" or acceptable to the world. Therefore the true gospel is not reproduced and we get only pieces and parts (denominations). Can you ride the gospel in your own strength? Do you even have need of the Holy Spirit?
3. A castrated gospel considers safety. If you've ever hunted deer before, you know that the best time to get a big buck is during the "rut", or mating season. During this time, the deer care about 1 thing only - reproduce. Safety is not considered. But if you were to castrate a deer, this rut would not happen. No balls, no rut. Safety is again considered and no reproduction occurs. In the same way, the most common direction we give to our children is "be safe". Jesus never said this to anyone. Never. But we drill it so far into each others' heads that it is our first consideration. We need to get back in the "rut". Yes, there will be deaths, but the Spring will bring about new life.
An un-castrated gospel comes only from the revelation of Jesus Christ (see Galatians 1:12). Lord, reveal Yourself to us so that we may live a pure, un-castrated gospel. "This is not a time for Hobbits!"
A few months ago, my Dad gave me the gift that keeps on taking...a bloodless castrater. That's right. What a cool guy, huh? It was originally intended for use in men's ministry. I'll let your mind wander into what that message to men could be. But lately, the castrater has been in my mind often. I even carry it with me in the house so that it is in view.
The Spirit has been saying, "Do not castrate the gospel." What is a castrated gospel?
1. Castration removes the ability for reproduction. Have you ever played that game where one person whispers something, and the secret travels around the room and the last person states what they heard? Usually it's not even in the same language as it was in the beginning. Without knowing the Spirit and Nature of God firsthand, we'll be "tossed back and forth by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 14:4), unable to reproduce an effective and true gospel, as it was in the beginning. We must know the Source.
2. Castration enables a horse/bull to be ridden. A castrated gospel has had its power removed so that it can be "ridden". The gospel we often teach is "palatable" or acceptable to the world. Therefore the true gospel is not reproduced and we get only pieces and parts (denominations). Can you ride the gospel in your own strength? Do you even have need of the Holy Spirit?
3. A castrated gospel considers safety. If you've ever hunted deer before, you know that the best time to get a big buck is during the "rut", or mating season. During this time, the deer care about 1 thing only - reproduce. Safety is not considered. But if you were to castrate a deer, this rut would not happen. No balls, no rut. Safety is again considered and no reproduction occurs. In the same way, the most common direction we give to our children is "be safe". Jesus never said this to anyone. Never. But we drill it so far into each others' heads that it is our first consideration. We need to get back in the "rut". Yes, there will be deaths, but the Spring will bring about new life.
An un-castrated gospel comes only from the revelation of Jesus Christ (see Galatians 1:12). Lord, reveal Yourself to us so that we may live a pure, un-castrated gospel. "This is not a time for Hobbits!"
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