24 January, 2014

The Pure in Heart

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”

The Greek word for "pure" is katharos. It is an adjective meaning "pure as in being cleansed." The dictionary defines it as "unmixed with any other matter." It means that all the impurities have been removed. Those things that would stain it, those things that would lessen its quality, those things that would ruin it.  

So, what does it mean that we are to be "pure in heart?"  It is to have a character that is focused upon one thing.  It is to be wholly devoted to God. To serve only one master.  To have God and God only as your driving force. It is to love God completely. The pure in heart are not poisoned by any outside interference. Their motives are set by God’s will, which seeks first the kingdom of God. 

The ancient languages of Aramaic and Hebrew are very informative in understanding the spiritual meaning of purity and thus in comprehending the necessity to be pure of heart to "see God." In Aramaic, purity is associated with the term zakah (innocency), which in turn is related to the Hebrew root word zakak, which means to be translucent. Translucency means that light is allowed to pass through it. Therefore, if some faculty of perception is covered over with a barrier of any type it cannot fulfill its function; light cannot pass through it; what it is attempting to perceive cannot be perceived because the faculty is not translucent.



Zechariah 13:9
And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
To unite two things so opposite, as the impurity of the creature and the purity of God, the simplicity of God and the multiplicity of man, much more is requisite than the impotent efforts of the creature: no less than a singular and efficacious operation of the Almighty can ever accomplish this, for things must be reduced to some familiarity before they can blend and become one. The impurity of dross can not be united with the purity of gold.

The Lord will take us through all the experiences necessary to reduce us to pure gold. We cannot be united with God and enjoy His intimate presence until we are pure gold in His eyes. The only way to be as holy and pure as God, is to get our own abilities totally out of the way, and allow God’s ability to work in us. God’s ability is His grace, and God’s grace can only work in a life that has no working, performance or meriting actions. A dead-to-self person is the perfect criteria.  

People who love God are not exempted from trouble. Although we may not be able to understand fully the pain we experience, we should not give up. Times of great calamity and confusion have always improved great minds. The purest gold comes through the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt comes from the darkest storm of life. God intervenes and shelters us so that we will be pressed more closely to Him.
The pure in heart is a loving person — filled with love and compassion. If you have a pure heart it will result with a pure life. The pure in heart will receive the greatest gift of all.  They will forever bask in the very presence of God and experience a very deep and intimate fellowship with the Lord.

Psalm 24:3-4 
  3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
The secret place is a place of holiness. We are only able to abide there with clean hands and a pure heart. In the secret place, we are safe from all harm. We are hidden in God's love and presence. It is a place of assurance, rest, quietness, and confidence. This is a place of healing. No depression is allowed in the heavenly place of His love. It is a place of peace, love, and intimacy with God. It is a place of renewal and restoration. It is a place where prayer is not only speaking to God, but also when God also speaks back to us, and we listen.

Living in the shadow of God's grace is such a blessing. Walking in the Light of His presence has no words enough to thank Him. How beautiful when humble hearts give the fruit of pure lives so that others may live. How beautiful... 




20 January, 2014

The Stronger The Wind, The Stronger The Root

Psalm 52:8 "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever." 

The Bible contains many verses that have a deeper spiritual meaning. To understand this verse, it is necessary to know the characteristics of a green olive tree. This robust tree can live for centuries, even in dry, barren, and rocky places. To harvest the olives in Biblical times, the green olive tree would be beaten with sticks to knock the fruit from its branches. In spite of that, the tree would continue to produce new fruit. The strength of this tree comes from its roots, which go deep into the earth. The green olive tree’s roots are so deep and so strong that they survive even if the trunk is burned or cut down. The roots will send up new shoots, and they will bear fruit. The green olive tree knows how to survive and thrive even in the harshest of environments. 

Many trees grow green and fruitful in the middle of a dry and barren desert. These trees survive and flourish because their roots have driven down and discovered hidden streams of flowing water. Some people live in the midst of evil and misery but still able radiate joy and lead fruitful lives. Through prayer, the hidden roots of their faith have reached down to the source of living water. They draw from its energy and life to bear spiritual fruit.

Sometimes the Lord wants us to be still, to wait for Him. Sometimes we have no choice. It is while we stay still that we can really focus on Jesus. Our roots began to receive the nourishment they needed and He become our source of strength, the One who helps us grow. 

No matter what the situation you find yourself in always be focused on what you can be learning from it. The stronger the wind, the stronger the root. We grow more in hard times than in easy times. It is through the hard times in life, we become a stronger person and develop our true sense. The depth of our roots determine the quality of our fruits.

The storms will come and the winds will blow, but the Lord will give you deep roots that you would not be moved. You will be anchored in the fountain of all life.  Although you are overwhelmed and beaten, your roots has not died. Your roots are still alive. You can also experience growth and restoration. You are like green olive trees, and the Lord wants you to bear fruit and  be a blessing to others. May your roots go down deep that you would not be moved by the seasons of life.


17 January, 2014

Happiness is a Choice

According to the 2006 American Psychological Association’s paper, “Psychology of Men & Masculinity": Most women, a staggering 70%, are dissatisfied with the size and shape of their breasts. Currently, 80 percent of women in the U.S. are dissatisfied with their appearance. And more than 10 million are suffering from eating disorders. According to the new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, most men are insecure about the size of their penis even if they are well-endowed. 30 percent of men were completely dissatisfied with their penises and only 35 percent reported contentment with their size. Most people are unhappy with their bodies and with their size.

Happy people know that happiness is a choice. They know it is not a reaction to present circumstances. Instead, happiness is an available decision despite them. They have removed the thinking that waits for everything to be perfect before joy in life is experienced. The truth is God has given you everything you need in order to be happy. You don't need more money to be happy. You don't need a new car, new house or new job to be happy. You just need to focus on what you have not on what you want. 

When you are too busy looking at what your neighbor has, you have no time to be joyful with what you have. The more you compare your lives to others the more dissatisfied you become with your own. No-one's perfect. But so often we compare our insides to other people's outsides. Dwelling on our flaws -- what we're not rather than what we've got -- makes it much harder to be happy. Learning to accept ourselves, warts and all, and being kinder to ourselves when things go wrong, increases our enjoyment of life, our resilience and our well-being. It also helps us accept others as they are.



We don't need the things of this world to be happy, or the pleasures and pursuits of this life in following the things that the world takes pleasure in. The real path of life is in following the Lord, and following the Lord means living separate from the compromised pleasures of the world and its system and being consecrated unto Him. In God's presence is not only joy, but fullness of joy. We don't need to take pleasure in anything but what ultimately glorifies Him and furthers His purposes, because as we walk in His perfect will, seeking His face, abiding in His blessed presence, we will find true pleasures evermore and holy, divine contentment in Him.

You can choose to be happy no matter what the circumstance life is. Prayer and gratitude can be a doorway into to happiness, joy and a more meaningful life. It is possible to taste heavenly joy while still in our body. When you experience His presence and receive more grace through prayer, thanksgiving and praise, it will give you strength and power to overcome anything.

 

14 January, 2014

Everything Happens For A Reason

When things happen that you don’t understand...
When bad things happen to you...
When your friend betray you...
When you don't get that promotion...
When you lose your job...
When you lose your loved ones...

It’s easy to think, "Why did this happen to me?". "Why God allow bad things happen to good people?". Yeah, When bad things happen to us, It's easy to blame others and to blame God. But, you can’t let the things you don’t understand keep you stuck on the same page in the story of your life. You have to decide to turn the page so that you can see the victory waiting for you in the next chapter.

Friends, if you are facing a difficulty today, know that God’s plan is to turn it around and use it for your good. God always has a reason for the things, He allows into your life. The story of your life isn’t over. Your best days are still out in front of you. You have to trust God even when you don’t understand; even when life hurts.  No matter what happens you must believe that your suffering and tears will end one day. And when that day comes you will be able to share His goodness in your life.


There is a reason for everything that happens in your life, even when you cannot know the reason. Everything that happens to you has come into your life for a reason. God is able to take any situation and create something beautiful out of it. No matter how bad you've messed up, God can make something beautiful of it all in His own time. Keep moving forward, keep believing, keep hoping, keep forgiving because your days are written out for good, and it’s time to turn the page and see the blessing that God has in store for your life. 

I have been dealing with such hard times (family crisis, financial loss, sickness, chronic pain) for the past 7 years. I believe God allowed Satan to tempt me for a reason. Through this darkest times, my eyes have seen The Lord in a new perspective and I have experienced the depth of His love. His love has healed all my wounds. His grace has set me free from every bandages. I am so grateful. I have no regret at all.

I believe that people (good and bad ones) enter our lives for a reason. That everyone who we meet, who forms an impression has something to teach us. Everything that happens to us is an experience, and because of that it can never be bad. An experience can only be good because it all serves to shape the person that we are, the person that we become. God sends to our path the right people that we need to prepare us for greatness, whether we realize it or not. Our loss, failure and disappointment are bitter medicines given to us by God to heal our souls. 

We were all bought here for a reason...
Just keep thanking HIM...
Keep praising HIM in the storm...
Everything is going to be okay...
God has a beautiful ending for you...
The best is yet to come...



 

13 January, 2014

The Secret Of Walking With God

By: Bob Sorge

God is looking for not only a clinging bride but also a walking partner. From the very beginning, God had a relationship with Adam and Eve that found them "walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Gen 3:8). God created man for the enjoyment of a walking relationship that involved companionship, dialogue, intimacy, joint decision-making, mutual delight, and shared dominion. God longs to walk with you, which is why His arms of grace have been pulling you into a closer walk with Him. Jesus went on walks with his disciples, and He still likes to walk with us today. The goal we're after is an everyday walk of unbroken communion with our Lord and friend.

Enoch was the first man in the Bible who walked with God (Gen 5:22-24). Even though men began to call upon the name of the Lord in the earliest of times (Gen 4:26), Enoch was the first man to uncover the true delight of walking with God. He found something even Adam didn't experience. He pressed into God until he learned how to commune with God through every facet of life. To find that dimension of relationship certainly required an intense spiritual pursuit, and then when he found it the Lord made a graphic statement by catching him   up to heaven.

By taking Enoch up to glory, God wasn't trying to get us impressed with Enoch's piety. God's point was this, "I love to walk with man! Enoch was the first man to truly walk with me, so I decided to highlight his example by doing something extraordinary with him. I took him up to paradise to underscore how much I value and desire a daily walking relationship with My chosen ones." Enoch's example continues to witness to all generations of the great zeal God has to walk with man. One can only wonder what glorious depths of intimacy Enoch uncovered. 

As you draw close to God, He will not likely take you up to heaven as He did Enoch. However, He does desire to reveal the beauty of His face to you. As we walk with Him, He will open the Scriptures to us through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation and reveal to us the light of the glory of God that is to be found in Him. When we walk with God, we enter the dimension where God unfolds the secrets of his kingdom. These are the paths that the ancients trod before us. Noah knew the secret of walking with God (Gen 6:9), as did Abraham (Gen 24:40). Through Christ, you can explore the glorious riches of knowing God like they did — by His indwelling Spirit.



God wants to walk with us before He works through us. So He will wait to act until He finds the right man or woman through whom He can work. To put it bluntly, God works with His friends. When God has a friend, divine activity accelerates. When God has a useful vessel that has been prepared for noble purposes, He will use that vessel. God will use the one who walks with Him. But He's looking especially for three crucial qualities; humility, faithfulness, and loyalty. He wants to work with friends who are loyal to Him, no matter what. Even when circumstances would suggest God is unjust, His true friends continue to walk with Him. So the Lord will test our fidelity. When we prove ourselves His friends through the greatest calamities of life, we qualify as useful vessels.

The secret place is where we develop a walking relationship with God. Our inner chamber with Him becomes our training ground for a life that is rooted and grounded in love. Jesus told us that He confides His kingdom purposes to his friends (Jn 15:15). Lord, I want to be your friend and hear Your heart, and participate in your activities in this hour. Teach me Lord to walk with you! (This edited material is from "Secrets of the Secret Place" by Bob Sorge. Greenwood, Missouri: Oasis House, 2001)

11 January, 2014

Cultivating The Presence of God Together

By: Kath Wells
 

Jesus said “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with you.” (Matt 18:20) Moses cried out to God, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15) Paul talked about unbelievers coming amongst worshipping believers and exclaiming, “God is really among you!” (1 Cor.14:25) The Scripture talks often about God being ‘with’ his people, or ‘among’ them, or ‘within’ them. Clearly the real, tangible presence of God can be expected where God’s people gather.

What is this ‘presence’ like?


Some describe a deep sense of peace, which has a gentle sweetness. It is like a storm is stilled by his presence. Others describe how the love of God comes among us or within us, and we feel our hearts melting with his warm and tender acceptance. Paul describes how ‘the love of God is poured into our hearts.” (Romans 5:5) Tears of joy often flow as his loving presence is experienced.

Some talk of their hearts being greatly encouraged or lifted up, being enlarged in their spirit. They lift their heads with joy and praise or song flows out. They experience God as ‘the lifter of my head.’ We see this in the story of Mary and Elizabeth, where Mary overflows in praise and worship. (Luke 1:46)  Some describe an ‘empowering’ or strengthening for a difficult task. A calm and bold spirit is imparted to them, a confidence that they and God can do this. Some talk about his protecting presence, as he shields them from evil or from some danger. They can feel ‘safe’ in what is normally a dangerous experience. His presence brings calmness, courage and a steadiness of heart.

Sometimes in a gathering his presence will bring revelation from Scripture. People will experience understanding – lights will be going on. He is among us as ‘the Teacher’ – and faith is being released. (Romans 10:17) Sometimes his presence brings a cleansing experience. We have an Isaiah 6 encounter as we realise that we are a sinful people, and we cry out for him to make us clean and new. And he does, and joy flows again.

There are experiences of his presence where he imparts his burden of compassion or grief for a lost and broken world. People begin to see with his eyes, and may often weep and intercede. (Luke 19:41-44) There are times when his presence brings healing. As we worship and adore him, as he is proclaimed and given due honour he comes amongst us to heal. It is as if he walks around touching people and releasing his healing power. Awe, worship, tears and often trembling happen to us. (Luke 5:17) Often his presence will be revealed in people having words or visions from God to share. (1 Cor.14:26)

Sometimes people get ‘lost in his presence’ and they are shown more of the wonder of who he is. They are in a place of deep awe and adoration. We see this in Revelation as John is shown many things about Jesus. Some enjoy a daily sense of him walking with them through their day, so they feel ‘companioned’ and equipped to be his ambassador wherever they are. Psalm 23 describes this well.

We desperately need the tangible presence of God. We must pray the prayer of Moses, “If your presence does not go with us with us, do not take us up from here.” His presence is our inheritance. He promised before he left the earth, “Surely I am with you always…” (Matt.28:20) This is not an isolated experience for a few. We need to seek to cultivate his presence.


Cultivating His Presence
 

Of course, God is everywhere present. There is no place we can go where he cannot be with us. (Psalm 139:7) But we all know from experience that some places have a real ‘presence’ of something, or someone. Perhaps you have walked into a home or a church building or maybe a garden and felt ‘the presence of God’ as a sense of peace. Probably that place had been soaked in prayer and worship for some time, and there is an unhindered access to God’s presence. The reverse is a place where darkness resides, and the sense of evil, or danger or an awful coldness can be strongly felt. Again, the place has been soaked in evil practices and is tangibly inhabited by the forces of darkness.

Again, we can come together as his people and be very unaware of his presence, that he promises is with us. So there are two sides to us experiencing more of his presence in ways that change us and assist us in living like Jesus. One is that we can do all we can to acknowledge and increase the reality of his presence. The other is that God has his own way of deciding to ‘visit’ us in new ways, to do a work we desperately need him to do.




Acknowledging his real presence together
 

One of the simple ways of becoming more aware of his loving and life-changing presence is to speak about him and to him as if he is among us in all his love and power. Scripture is full of encouragement for us to do this. And as we praise him and thank him, as we declare we love him and need him, as we give testimony to who he is, something happens among us. He becomes more and more real.

In the Old Testament they talked about walking into his presence, as they moved into the Temple where he had taken up residence. There were three stages – the outer court, the inner court, and the most holy place. These represent for us New Testament believers stages into the presence of God. The Psalms call us to ‘enter his gates with thanksgiving, and to enter his courts with praise.’ Putting our focus on him, and speaking or singing our thanksgiving and praise can take us closer to him so his delightful, holy and loving presence is very real for us. Something shifts in our own spirit as we do this. The Spirit who lives in us responds by making us more and more aware of him. Our hearts become open to his love, our ears become open to his voice, our spiritual eyes become open to the glory of who he is.


When we gather is small groups, even when a couple or family or friends get together for prayer, his presence can become very real as we choose to thank and praise him for a period of time. The simplest way is to read aloud words of praise from a psalm or the prophets or Revelation. Turn them into phrases of thanksgiving and praise. The word is a gift to us to help us meet him personally. Another simple thing is to find a song or two on a worship tape and play it before you begin to praise him.


If there is heaviness or a sense of distress or fear in a place or a family, thanksgiving and praise like this can dispel the works of darkness and bring the presence of Jesus. Sometimes we may need to persist in this until we are uplifted and in a new place, enjoying the Lord’s presence. When his presence is more real, our faith rises and we can ask with confidence and not just complaint.


If we each take upon ourselves the responsibility of cultivating God’s presence, there will surely be many more times when he comes very near to lift us up, bestow his peace, pour in his love or bring a revelation.


www.prayerchangeslives.org.nz


Practicing the Presence of God

By: Bill Loveless

In March of 1995 I first met David Love. This meeting was the first time that I became aware of meeting someone living a Christ-centered life. As I look back I realize that it was not the first time that I had been in the presence of a Christ-centered believer. However, it was the first time that I was “aware” of it. Shortly after that visit, David gave me a copy of a book by Brother Lawrence called The Practice of the Presence of God.” I will never forget the first time that I read that book. As I read through the pages, I realized that this man, a simple cook in a monastery in the 17th century, had a relationship with God for which my spirit longed. As he described his intimacy with God, his longing to never leave His presence, and his oneness with God, the Spirit of God confirmed in my spirit that this was where He was taking me. However, even though I knew in my spirit that this is where God wanted me to be in my relationship with Him, it wasn’t until recently that I began having a deeper spiritual experience of His presence.

Isn’t that true of our Christian life? When God gives us revelation, it seems that we must walk in that revelation by faith before it becomes part of our experience. Such was the case in 1995 when God began revealing to me that the Christian life was more about intimacy and relationship than about legalism and performance. When you first look at the book’s title through a non- Christ focused lens, the word “practicing” sounds like man’s effort to apprehend God. However, Brother Lawrence defines the word “practicing” as a seeking after God by faith until it becomes real in your experience. Interestingly enough we know, because of our union with Christ, that we are always in His presence. However, being in His presence is not the same thing as being aware of His presence. I believe that this is what God is desiring for each one of us. It is not the knowing of God that brings deeper intimacy. It is the moment by moment awareness of Him.

I want to share with you a few thoughts by A.W. Tozer from his book, “The Pursuit of God.” He asks these questions: “Why do some persons “find” God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half-light of imperfect Christian experience?” He goes on to say that God doesn’t choose favorites. He wants to manifest His presence to every believer. He recounts Biblical saints who had this ongoing awareness of God’s presence. The common denominator in all of them was that they all possessed a spiritual receptivity and a desire and willingness to seek Him and respond to His inner voice. David expressed this in Psalms 27:8 when he said, “When Thou didst say, “Seek My face,” my heart said to Thee, “Thy face, O LORD, I shall seek.” David had a spiritual receptivity that led to such a spiritual awareness that he was labeled by God as “A man after My own heart”.


Think of it for a moment. Don’t you have a heart to know God’s will, His purpose, and His plan for your life? How will you ever know that these things are from God? It only comes as we cultivate an attitude of spiritual receptivity or, as Brother Lawrence says, “practicing” His presence”. We know from Philippians 1:6 and 2:13 that God is always pressing in on us and is drawing us into intimacy with Himself. His desire is that we be spiritual listeners and responders. The visual image that comes to mind is like a person sitting in the back of a large room leaning forward and straining to hear the voice of the speaker whose microphone no longer works. God sometimes whispers so that we, too, will lean forward in order to hear His voice.

He has placed a desire and a willingness within each one of us to be aware of His presence in us. However, we must act on that desire in order to cultivate that relationship. I see this played out in the “seen” realm in my marriage relationship with Paige. God placed within me (16 years ago on Oct. 22) a desire and a willingness to enter into a marriage relationship. What if after saying “I do,” I didn’t act on those desires? There would be no relationship. Such is the case with Christ. As our spiritual husband, Jesus’s desire is for us to seek Him, desire Him, and to love Him. He is constantly “wooing” us to Himself. Therefore, Paige and I pray for each one of you that you continue to allow Christ in you to draw you into intimacy with Himself and to make you increasingly “aware” of His presence in your life. As you do this, the awareness of His presence will grow. What is the result? Brother Lawrence describes it this way: “As I abandon myself into His hands, the King, full of mercy and goodness, embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands, and gives me the key to His treasures.” Amen!

Copyright © 2007 by Bill Loveless
All rights reserved. The use or copying of this material for personal or group study is permitted.
This material may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or for profit.
Christ Is Life Ministries
10 Texas Laurel
San Antonio, Texas 78256
210-698-1139
www.christislifeministries.com


09 January, 2014

10 things to Remember During the Storms of Life:

1.God is in full control of the timing and intensity of your trial and will not allow it to go beyond His boundaries.

2. God has a specific purpose for your suffering which you may not understand until it is over.
 
3. This trial will prove to be profitable if you submit to God and trust Him through it.

4. Trying situations are opportunities for faith to prove genuine and grow stronger.

5. When you endure extreme pressure with unexplainable peace and joy, the Lord will demonstrate His sustaining power to a watching world.

6. Your difficulties are used by the Father to produce Christ-like character.

7. God will walk with you through all trials. He will never leaves you alone.

8. The Holy Spirit will enable you not only to survive but also to come out
a winner, wizard and overcomer.

9. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in.

10. Don't focus on how big your problems are, but focus on God that is much much bigger than your problems.


08 January, 2014

Love as Jesus Loved

According to Psychological Egoism, every human action is motivated entirely by self-interest. Psychological Egoists say that behind every action that appears to be altruistic there is really a selfish motive. Even when we give to others it is almost always "giving to get." This "getting" may be money or a reciprocal present, but it is often with smug self-praise and a "what a good boy am I," sense of satisfaction. Usually we are unhappy when our gifts are totally unacknowledged or rejected. This also applies to gifts of service and helping others in charitable ways. The ego also promotes "giving to get" by making us feel guilty when we do not give to those around us, or to the needy whom scarcity or sickness has afflicted.

According to psychological egoism We only do what makes us FEEL GOOD. For instance, someone who helps needy children only does so because helping children makes them FEEL GOOD. You can imagine someone saying, "Helping others gives me such a deep sense of satisfaction." The egoist’s claim is that it is this satisfaction that makes people do altruistic things — NOT the fact that it makes OTHERS better off. Similarly, the only reason an egoist might refrain from lying, stealing, or killing is because doing so would make them FEEL BAD (e.g., because they will probably go to jail). If you promote the happiness of others ONLY because of the happiness it will bring you (or because of the suffering it will help you avoid), then you are not really motivated by love. You are motivated by selfishness. Today I am convinced that 99,99% of the good deeds that I've done in the past are motivated by selfishness. 

07 January, 2014

The Lack of Intimacy

The  lack of intimacy is one of the most painful elements of life. Intimacy is a universal human need; without it we will feel lonely.  According to the Mental Health Foundation, modern life is making people feel increasingly lonely. Lonely people are more prone to developing high blood pressure. Feeling lonely can increase the risk of Alzheimer's in later life. I believe that's why God called me to help people to have intimacy with Him. Intimacy with God kills loneliness. 

There are some men and women who have been very lonely because lack of gentle love from the time they were little child. This inner emptiness was the result of having parents who had difficulty in being physically affectionate or in communicating their love. In adult life, a person with such a wound may mistakenly think that their loneliness is solely the result of not having an affectionate woman or man at their side. Marriage is not the cure for your emotional wounds and loneliness. It’s impossible to heal your own emotional brokenness through the body of another person as mortal and broken as you are. Only God's love can heal and make you whole. 

One of the most famous actresses, Marilyn Monroe, committed suicide, and psychoanalysts have been brooding on the reason why. She was one of the most beautiful women ever, one of the most successful. She had everything to live for; you cannot conceive of more fame, more success, more charisma, more beauty, more health. Everything was there, nothing could be improved upon, and still something was lacking. The inside, the within, was empty. Then, suicide is the only way. 

Addicted To God's Presence

I believe we are all addicted to something. We're all addicted to something that takes the pain away. If you are not addicted to God's love, you must be addicted to something else. The one reason that most people fail to overcome an addiction is because they focus on their addictions, not on God's love. 

What we don't realize is that the life most of us are living is an addiction in and of itself. We are addicted to society's expectations and paradigms. Unless you are broken, and broken hard, there is no way that you can break free of the addictions that you have to the dysfunctional behaviors of society. The truth is when the pain of staying the same is worse than the pain of change, then you will change. 

06 January, 2014

Wait on The Lord

"Timing is the essential ingredient in success: Being the right man, at the right time, in the right place.” — Edwin Louis Cole 
 
We live in a society that has developed a microwave mentality. We want things and we want them now! This "I want what I want when I want it" syndrome has affected a lot of folks relationship with God. Why cook it when you can nuke it? Why go into a restaurant and sit down when you can pick up fast food at a drive thru window and eat while you hurry to get someplace else? We have cell phones, we have pagers, we have email, we have cell phones that receive and send pages and email, and now they are running commercials for cell phones that send and receive pages, phone calls, email and full color television pictures of our faces as we talk so that we don't even have to take the time of being in another person’s physical presence for them to see what we look like.

God’s Word is full of great and precious promises of what God wants for us and what He is willing to do for us. God expects us to recognize Him as our source of all things good, but He also expects us to recognize that He is, besides being a provider, the determiner of the time frame in which provision will be made. 

God’s timing is never wrong but sometimes we feel that we need to "help God out." Rather than trusting God and waiting for the appointed time, we forge ahead with our own timing and our own resources hoping that God will put a seal of approval on what we do. If you want to be a person that has a huge impact and transform your community, you must mature and grow strong in the Spirit, — wait for the time of manifestation in the desert — and learn totally depend on God to deliver you and to see you through every trials and tribulations in your life. You must wait for the appointed time.

While you learn to wait on the Lord, and let Him work in you, He will work marvelous changes in you. You will have a strange new consciousness of serenity and peace, a feeling that something has been done, that some new power to overcome has come to you. And you will be able to see as He sees. When you are able to see as He sees, all the hard things become easy; the troublesome things no longer have power to worry and the difficult people and things of the world lose all power to annoy you. Every inspiration or command from God comes complete with the timing, the mood, the energy and everything you need to carry it out. 

Every season of struggle is an opportunity to see God bring about new spiritual life. When that new life springs forth, you will realize it was worth the wait and the pain. God will not allow you to suffer without allowing something new to be born in you. You don't need to rush. If something bound to happen, it will happen in the right time, with the right person and for the best reason. God is never late. God can do all things and His plan will never fail.