Category Archives: Spiritual Growth

Rend Your Heart

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Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord.
    “Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
    an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
    they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
    they have turned aside and gone away.
They do not say to themselves,
    ‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains in season,
    who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’
Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
    your sins have deprived you of good.
– Jeremiah 5:22-25

In September, the piercing truth of those verses above were devastating to my soul.  All of the first 20 or so chapters of Jeremiah were that way for me.  The back and forth between the Lord and Israel, and the prayers and pleas of Jeremiah were intense and raw.  The reality and how close these situations hit home in my heart was overwhelming.  Yet there was so much truth in this book of Jeremiah that I continued reading chapter upon chapter non-stop for a few days while the Lord deeply rebuked, convicted and comforted me during that time.

My emotions have been all over the place since then.  I would have periods of dropping into the depths of shame and despair, end up wailing on the floor and in my spirit with major outward expressions of grief and repentance, only to have the Lord lift me up and cradle me in His arms in greater comfort and peace.  We would wrestle for a while many times before I would ultimately accept what He was pouring out over me.  His incessant amazing love continues to prevail – far beyond my finite understanding… and I am so thankful!

In a way, back in September was probably one of the first real times that I began to actively “fear God” and those deep seeds were beginning to be sown into my spirit.  The first part of a prayer from Jeremiah in chapter 10 was something I felt very strongly connected to and it became a prayer of my own:

I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps.
Correct me, Lord, but only with justice—
not in your anger,
lest you reduce me to nothing.
– Jeremiah 10:23-24

If there is one thing that I now can comprehend more deeply than I have previously… it is that the Lord is still and always faithful.  He answered my prayer and has not corrected me in His anger, but with justice… He has not reduced me to nothing, though the correction and discipline is still very painful.

I’ve been in a season of rending since September.  It’s also a time of correction and discipline from my Father, but rending has been my response to it (that is, after the initial stubborn resistance).  I couldn’t fully describe what kind of season it’s been until last week when I read the book of Joel.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever paid attention to the word “rend” before – but I immediately noticed and began to digest it.

“Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
– Joel 2:12-13

To me, this goes along with Jeremiah and all that the Lord has been bringing me through.  It is only by His grace that He’s brought me to this place and it’s incredible!  This is definitely not a place I would ever be able to conjure up for myself.

When I was in rebellion, not truly fearing Him but had elevated MAN and people above Him by literally fearing THEM and letting others’ dictate my life instead of His Kingship… I was bitter, resentful, and in constant chaos.  Yet those were just the effects of my disobedience – the deeper sin and issue.  I was blinded by so many things though, and in the Lord’s faithfulness, He opened my heart and eyes to more of His truth.

Rend means to “tear”.

I’ve used the term “fillet” in regards to the heart before, and it’s along those same lines… filleting the heart open before the Lord is necessary for the relationship.  But I’m really liking the “rending” term too!  Filleting is a cutting process that often uses a sharp utensil of some kind.  So in a sense it’s a more sophisticated method… while tearing is using your hands and a much more crude method.  It’s using what you already have access to – something raw and natural.  The process is unrefined and desperate… more human.  Maybe that doesn’t really make sense and I’m putting more thoughtfulness into that than is necessary.  But I tend to observe things that way though and process more allegorically so it feels important to me.

From my limited understanding, the culture of the Jewish people and many other Eastern cultures of Biblical times was to tear their garments when upset or in mourning.  Just remembering from off the top of my head (I’d have to do further investigating to be totally sure), I believe plenty of prophets and other people mentioned in the Bible tore their clothes when hearing devastating or upsetting news or in repentance of their sins, etc.  This was a surface expression of how upset they were – an outward show of their deeper emotions.

Anyone can tear their garments and put on an outward show though, even without the deeper things going on… if you pay closer attention the verse in Joel, it is so clear in requesting a rending (tearing) of the heart and NOT the garments.  In other words and how I take that, tear things deeper and not just superficially or on the surface.

Each of us has the capacity to deceive ourselves… we can go about our lives with an outward superficial show of repentance or appear as if we are fearing the Lord, when in reality and in the deeper parts of our souls – we are not.  When we’re being disobedient or deceptive in the deeper parts of our hearts, we might can successfully fool everyone around us, but we can’t fool the One who created us and who has everything laid out wide open before Him.  That’s why we have to trust God, and not our own selves.

We all need a time of heart rending before the Lord… if we’re opposed to it and satisfied to just carry on with our superficial lives, not trembling in His presence, being stubborn and rebellious, not returning to Him with our whole hearts… we will bring the Lord and ourselves more grief.  The Lord knows what is best and good for us… that’s why He’s gracious and compassionate, abounding in love and slow to anger!  But He is also JUST and that’s why correction and rebuke is necessary and good.

We each need to wake up and be sensitive to pay attention to His heart, because it’s typically after a good rebuking and responsive rending that our hearts can be changed since we’ve become open, broken, and soft enough to listen to Him… I feel like the Lord begins to reveal Himself more clearly in that time and it’s all in preparation for the Day of His return.  A great, dreadful, amazing day that will be!  We need to be ready for it and not grow cold, weary, or lose heart.

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”
– Malachi 4:1-2

I don’t know about you but I want to fear God, take His correction, be obedient and rend my heart… returning to the Lord, revering His name, so I can be with Him in eternity and see that amazing day of Jesus’ return.  I don’t want anything of this world, my flesh and sin nature, Satan’s schemes or whatever to detour me from obtaining the prize of Jesus and being with Him forever.  Holy Spirit, start revival!

Do You Know God’s Will For Your Life?

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Learning to Trust AgainHave you ever questioned what God’s will for your life is?  God’s Kingdom is distinct and a different way of life. Phil 2:13 says, “It is God in you that works to will and to act according to His excellent pleasure”.

I have actually discovered that I can pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done”, and afterwards resist the work of Christ in me. “Col 1: 27 says, To whom God would make understood exactly what is the riches of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. I had to find out the difference between my will and His. My will includes doing whatever I wish to do, as much as I wish to do it. If I live according to my will, then I will consume all the food I want, invest all the cash I want, then whine since I am overweight and broke. When I abide and submit by His will, then I have criteria and borders. When I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge, I am doing exactly what He desires me to do.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life. It is Christ working inside of you, changing your will to do the Fathers will. Take time to read His Word and you will quickly see who you are.

JOSEPH REPORT:  INSIGHTS ON PREPAREDNESS

You are His kid and a beneficiary. You are to live as a successor, a joint successor with Christ. It will alter your plan for the day when you get a look that you are here on planet earth as a beneficiary to develop and keep your Fathers kingdom.

Pray this easy prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in paradise.” Journal as you ask Him to reveal you His will. What does it appear like?

Have you ever questioned exactly what God’s will for your life is? God’s Kingdom is distinct and a different method of life. I am doing exactly what He desires me to do when I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s strategy and will for your life.

God Prepares You for Your Blessing

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“For You make him to be blessed and a blessing for life …” Psalm 21:6

rest in HimDavid said in Psalms 21:6, that God in fact makes you to be blessed. He makes you or simply puts, He prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. Think about it, today He is preparing you for His true blessings!

You resemble a storehouse that He should prepare to pour His true blessings into.   If you are a little 4 room residence He may require you to expand to get a blessing.  You cannot have the “us 4 and no even more” mindset and anticipate God to bless you beyond where you currently are. It could be that where you are right now in your thinking is not huge enough to hold all the blessings God has actually planned for you.

They had to comply with God in order to be prepared for the true blessings. Their storehouse had to be prepared so they would appropriately manage true blessings as God released them.

We are always blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a true blessing to God’s individuals. If you are blessed by God, as Joseph was blessed, it indicates you need to find out the best ways to regulate the true blessing and launch it to God’s individuals at the selected time. True blessings from God suggest He has actually left you with something, and all He asks of you is to be a great steward and correctly keep the blessing.

When God abundantly blesses someone, they are not to be storehouses that accumulate the blessings and state, “take a look at me.” He blesses us so He can use us to pour out true blessings out and share with others. This is completion of the verse from Psalm 21:6, You make him exceedingly delighted with the joy of Your Presence. As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. “Give and it should be offered to you.” Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually entrusted you with.

God prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. We are constantly blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a blessing to God’s individuals. Blessings from God suggest He has entrusted you with something, and all He asks of you is to be an excellent steward and properly keep and share the blessing.

As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually delegated you with.

Pray this prayer…
Dear Lord, It is really my heart’s desire to be a true blessing to others. Help me to prepare myself ahead of time to receive Your blessings. I desire my life to be a storehouse that You fill out so I have plenty to offer to others who require. Show me today what I have to do to prepare myself for Your blessings.

In Jesus’ Name,.

Abiding in His Presence

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If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.   John 15:7

Abiding in His PresenceIn today’s fast-pace and hectic lifestyles we often strive to accomplish our tasks in order to feel accomplishment.   Unfortunately, those busy tasks often cause us to ignore the vital importance of spending time in the presence of God.

The word “abiding” means to remain continuously.  Our need is to abide in His presence continuously and allow His words to remain in us continuously.  Unfortunately, too often we replace  abiding in His presence with other tasks and priorities and become overwhelmed with things of this world – rather than living victoriously in Him.

We can find a deep, comforting delight that just arises from spending time with our Heavenly Father and abiding in His presence.  There are a lot of people who enjoy quite moments alone and perhaps sit by their fireplace in deep meditation!  They may be lonely and hurting.  They might sit alone, however there is someone who is hidden from view, but ever-present and waiting for their reach.  Yet, for some reason, people often do not completely recognize His presence.

Recognizing God’s presence can be limited by the stresses of mind, feelings, physical condition, or even the weather conditions outside.  The rainfall or thick fog outside, the lack of sleep or intense pain, seem to obstruct people from the ability to grasp the fullness of His presence.

We simply need to call upon Him and surrender those moments to really basking in His presence.  He is always faithful to meet us.  As we rest expectantly in God’s presence, the Lord takes control and starts to draw our attention to God’s word and His peace that passes all understanding.  We begin to sense His comforting love as His presence fills our hearts.

There is a deep demand in every one of us to be close to our God.  Abiding in His presence is something to be sought after and not to be stayed clear of. While many try to live our lives according God’s word, our experiences with God will make it all come alive.  The Bible is a book of experiences, of men and women of God throughout history, whose lives were changed with a divine encounter.   Our lives will also be changed as we seek to abide in His presence.

There is more than simply understanding His presence.  The higher important thing is to appreciate His presence and enjoy the precious time with Him.  He is close to you, and His presence is real.  He is always present, a warmhearted friend, and the all-powerful Lord.   He is there to listen to your hurts, fears and disappointments, as-well-as your joys and victories.

This is a joyful reality for hurting hearts everywhere… God is with you, and is closer than ever.  You are not alone, He is always there.  Abide in Him.

The Day of Freedom

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 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”   1 Thessalonians 5:21

Learning to Trust AgainDid you know that this could be your day for freedom?  You must first determine what you need freedom from.   Do you need freedom from fear and anxiety or do you need freedom from discouragement?

You can gain freedom from these emotional bondage’s by being thankful.  It may sound too simple but a thankful heart is a profound truth found in God’s Word.   A thankful heart is a heart that sees what God has done and is thankful for the blessings.

If you have not developed a thankful heart you will find yourself repeatedly struggling with disappointment and discouragement. Freedom means you have overcome these deadly emotions! It just takes one act of obedience to God’s Word to overcome.

Looking at how the Lord has blessed you develops a thankful heart.  If you are always focusing on what is wrong then that is what you will see, think about and feel.  That’s the picture that will develop! To develop a thankful heart you must focus on what is good about the situation and thank God for it. A thankful heart has to be cultivated out of obedience to the Lord.   Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21; “In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus,” Even in a devastating situation, look for what you can thank God for and focus on this blessing.

Maintaining your freedom from fear and disappointment is the next challenge. Living in the present is the key. When your thoughts are always drifting backwards on what went wrong you would feel discouraged. When your thoughts are always on the future you can become anxious and fearful of the unknown.  Stay in the present and focus on what God has done this day and be thankful.  A person with a thankful heart is at peace.  Face each new day and focus on what God has done.

The Voice of God

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“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10)

Do you know what the voice of God sounds like?  It is a distinct sound that we hear with our spiritual ears.  Spiritual ears are skilled to hear the voice of the Lord and they attain this skill through seasons of stillness.

Skill comes through stillness. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10).

A skilled bird watcher has ears that are tuned to hear the sounds of birds.  He can walk outside and at once identify various birds.  Each bird has a unique and distinct sound that sets that bird apart from all the other birds, but it requires an attained skill to hear them.

As a Christian, we are to be so tuned to hear the voice of our Lord that we hear Him above all the other sounds.  In our world today, there are many voices trying to get our attention.  A time of stillness away from all distraction is required to learn how to hear Him.

At the creation, when the Lord said, “Let there be light”, everything changed. When He spoke He separated darkness and light. His voice is just as strong today and can bring about a complete change in your life.  All that is needed are spiritual ears to hear and a heart to obey. If you want change in your life, listen to Him as you read His Word and He will show you what He calls darkness and what He calls light.  Listen and obey the still small voice of the Lord if you want things in your life to change.

 

What Do You Magnify?

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And Mary said, “My soul doeth magnify the Lord” Luke 1:46

What do you magnify?  Magnify, according to Strong’s Concordance means, to make or declare great.   Whatever we magnify becomes bigger and bigger in our mind.  If you magnify a problem then you can’t see the solution, all you see is the problem. Think about Mary’s problem. The angel came to her and said, “You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus.”  (Luke 1:31)

Mary’s response in Luke 1:38 was, “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be to me according to what you have said.”  She would soon be pregnant and unwed.  That could have been a huge problem.  But, Mary did not focus on the problem; her attention was on God.  She trusted God!  If this was of Him, He had the answer.  So, she looked to the Lord and magnified Him!

Today, take your mind off your problem, focus on the Lord and His blessings.  You will see the problem decrease and the Lord will be magnified.

Embracing Spiritual Maturity

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“Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4  (NIV)

spiritual maturityFulfilling the call of God on your life will require spiritual maturity.  The Bible offers us many wonderful examples where God led His child through situations to teach them, and bring them to a more spiritual mature place.  It was necessary in order to prepare them for the work they had before them.

Let’s look at Solomon and what he had to go through to prepare to build the house of the Lord.

King David wanted to build the House of the Lord, but God told him that Solomon would be the one who would build the House. Even though David was probably disappointed, he began helping Solomon prepare himself for the task. In 1 Chronicles 29:1 David said, “Solomon is yet young and tinder” (inexperienced), in other words he had not matured yet.  King David knew Solomon was inexperience and would need to mature in order to accomplish the call on his life.

We live in a world of immaturity. We live in a time when the adults have more toys than the children and most people don’t want to grow up. The first step to spiritual maturity comes as the worldly desires are put aside and the work of the kingdom becomes a priority.

Another step to maturity is learning patience. We learn patience as we go through difficult situations that give experience. According to Romans 5:3-4, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:”

It takes tribulation to work patience in us. Tribulation develops patience and patience produces experience.  We gain patience as we face times of tribulation. This strengthens our faith. So we are to embrace tribulation as a time to grow and mature.

Experience comes as we learn to go through difficult times. Many people will view hard times or times of tribulation as an attack of the enemy instead of learning from the difficulty.  You will actually know if you are maturing by how you handle a difficult time. The experience in times of tribulation gives wisdom and wisdom brings maturity.

Rise Up!

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“Fear Not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” 
Isaiah 41:10  NKJV

Many people have been hurt by rejection.  If you have ever experienced rejection, you can probably relate to that downward spiraling effect that rejection gives you.  It has a progressively negative effect; at first it affects your opinion of yourself, your emotional well-being, and if not dealt with rejection will continue to affect interpersonal relationships through-out your life.

Rejection is so painful and devastating that we can all agree it is one of Satan’s most successful tactics that he uses to separate and destroy homes, families, and relationships.  Once you are healed from rejection, you can breathe freely without the fear of rejection taking you down into that black hole of despair.

Rise up!  Receive your healing through the Truth of God’s unchangeable, unexplainable, and unconditional love and acceptance.

God Knows You

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Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou comest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

Isn’t it astounding to realize as you read this Scripture that the same God that knew Jeremiah and created the earth, also formed you?   He shaped and molded you in your mother’s womb and as He was forming you, He planned for you.

Your birth was not an accident or a mistake because God uses all things for His glory.  If we could only grasp the awesomeness of our Father in heaven and realize that He has a special plan and a purpose for our lives.   We just need to draw close to Him and embrace His plan for our lives.  As He formed you He spoke your destiny into existence.

He said to Jeremiah, “I ordained thee a prophet to the nations,” the word ordained means to decree, intend and establish.  Once God spoke, “Let there be light,” there was light.  He decreed light and the light is still present today.  His Word established and sustains His plan and His purpose. Ask him what He decreed as He was forming you?

What He has decreed, He will sustain, carry on and complete.