All Sin is against God

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

All Sin is against God Alone

 

Thought for the day: All sin is against God

God set some rules in place so His kingdom can operate properly.  Most folks dont realize it, but those rules are also designed to protect you from yourself. We Sin when we decide to violate one of those rules. Ex: He said thou shalt not steal. If we decide to take something that does not belong to us, we have sinned. The person we took it from is a victim, but the actual sin was the decision to go against God’s rule; We chose to ignore His rule; We decided that our agenda was more important than His; That our will was more important than His. It is really a battle of the wills. He will let you wage the battle and suffer the consequences. When you choose to sin, you separate yourself from His protection and open yourself to attack from the devil who brings on the consequences. Eventually you are supposed to figure out that maybe there is a better way; some of these decisions might not be working out so well. I hope folks figure this out quickly before there is too much unnecessary suffering.
I have come to appreciate that one of the primary reasons we are on this earth is to work through the transformation from being selfish and self-centered to embracing the bigger picture: God’s love for us, Jesus’ sacrifice for us, our eternal life, how to live a life now worthy of the price He paid for it and lay the groundwork for our eternal life somewhere nice. Once you get that perspective and work through the process, you begin to see that your best you is release when you remove your ego and self-centered motives from getting in the way. That improved you is the you what Jesus paid the price for; the you that focuses on the Lord, and does things for others because He loves you and He loves them. This brings great value to the kingdom, and brings glory to the father.
Figuring out that all sin is against God was a key step for me to get my mind on the right path for this journey. Challenge yourself: are you really loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, are your really loving all others as yourself? I hope it helps you get “you” out of the way.

My Prayer:

Heavenly father, I thank you for loving me, putting me here with a purpose, and never giving up on me. Jesus, I thank you for coming here, leading a sinless life, demonstrating the power of the holy spirit, and suffering and dying so we could live. Thank you for presenting me righteous to the Father, I am fully committed to living a life worthy of the price you paid. Thank you for releasing the Holy Spirit to teach me and guide me. Thank you for continuing to work inside me, helping me transform. Thank you for continuing to help me root out these self-centered agendas and become ever more focused on you and your kingdom. Thank you for putting me in a position to continue your work as a proud member of the body of Christ. I ask that you continue to help folks develop eyes to see things from your perspective, to develop their ears to hear your word and apply it to their life, and to have a warm heart to receive your love and flow it to others through their lives. I ask this in Jesus name. AMEN

Reference verses:

All sin is against God:
David to God after committing adultery and conspiring to murder: “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight….” (Psalm 51:4)
Sin separates you from God’s protection:
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
Without His protection, you become exposed to attack:
The Lord to Hosea when discussing ongoing sin in early Israel: “For Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn calf; Now the Lord will let them forage like a lamb in open country. (Hosea 4:16)
Sin is a product of our mind:
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8)
Our mind is at war with God:
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)
Our job is to transform our mind from being selfish and self-centered and to loving God and bringing His will into place on earth:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
And when we do it right – His will is done on earth through us:
“Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed by thy name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

Approach to Prayer

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Are your prayers being answered?

Are your prayers being answered? If not, it might be in your approach.

Do you pray timidly as a lowly sinful servant pleading for a distant God to come and do something for you?

Or

Do you approach boldly and thankfully in the righteousness Jesus paid for, forgiven and purified by His blood, born again as a spirit filled son/daughter of God, committed to live a life worthy of the price Jesus paid, seeking to see things from His perspective, striving to become His love in action, taking hold of the authority He gave us as believers and members of the body of Christ, proclaiming His promises, and serving as an active agent to have His will be done on Earth as it already is in heaven.

This later approach has proven more effective for me and builds off of several key points

Key points and supporting scriptures:

God created Man perfect in His image and gave him eternal life in a paradise wih one rule.

“So God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27)

“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”, Genesis 2:16-17)

God formed you in your mother’s womb, giving you gifts/talents/skills and a purpose.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13).

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. “(1 Peter 4:10).

Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden, You were born a sinner into a fallen world, facing a death sentence from your sin, separated from God and his promises and plans for you.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection created a path for you to get out of that situation. His innocent body suffered the consequences of sin so that we don’t have to. He shed His blood as an innocent lamb, a perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Following Jesus will commute your death sentence and reconnect with God the Father.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”(Romans 3:24)

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 13:10)

When you choose to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, and commit to follow His ways, You are Born Again, reconnected in harmony with the father, and adopted as a son of God, righteous and Holy in His eyes.

“…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24-25)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.””(John 14:6) 

Jesus paid the price for your sins. As you confess your sins, repent, and choose to turn from them, your sins are washed away by His blood as the innocent lamb sacrificed for all mankind. It Is a free gift of mercy so you can move forward.

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”(1 John 1:9)

As soon as you ask for Him, the Holy Spirit of the Lord comes and lives inside you to help you and guide you.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) .

When you follow his ways, He is in you, He knows you, and you know Him. He is truly your father, You are truly a son, no longer just a friend or a servant. He is no longer distant, but close and personal.

‘”Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me'”.(Matthew 16:24)

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”(1 Peter 2:21)

Jesus has full authority in the heavens and on the earth. He delegated power on the earth to us to execute on his behalf. As the father sent me, now I send you.

“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you’ “(John 20:21)

We are the body of Christ, His arms and legs to execute action on this earth.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually”(1 Corinthians 12:27).

We are to “Put on Christ” when we get up in the morning and do our best to imitate Him; Avoid self centered fleshly pleasures; See things from His perspective; To act in positive and constructive ways as He did; to flow the Love He gives us into the lives of others.  We are to to be a bright shining light in the darkness.

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”(Romans 13:14).

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”(Ephesians 5:1-2).

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) 

Fervent and effective prayer is a key ingredient, It is our prayers that bring His will into place on earth. They are not for you, they are for Him. To allow you to fulfill His purpose for you and His Kingdom.

“…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18)

Life and death are in the power of the tongue – We need to speak things into existence and realize the promised benefits.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21)

My prayer for each of us, and for this country:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for loving me and never giving up on me. Jesus, I thank you for all you did for me 2000 years ago, your sacrifice gave me a path to righteousness and reconnection with the Father. I have repented of my sins and I thank you for forgiving them as my Lord and savior. Lord, I thank you for releasing the Holy Spirit to me and helping to transform my mind. I am beginning to see more things from your perspective, I am caring about things I didn’t care about before, and I am shedding self-centered agendas in as they are revealed to me. I thank you for helping me understand the authority you gave me and your need for each of us to actively engage; as the father sent you, you send me.  I use that authority here and now: I rebuke all evil spirits working to harm my-self, my family, my friends, my neighbors, my community, my state, my nation, the church, and this world. I command their agendas to be exposed, their actions to fail, and their works to be destroyed; I ask this in Jesus Holy Name, the name above all powers in this world. Life and death are in the power of the tongue.  I speak the Love and Truth of Jesus to flow across this land. May each of us develop intimate personal relationships with the living God. May each of us gain eyes to see things from His perspective. May each of us develop ears to hear His word and know how to apply it in our situations. May each of us set aside our self-centered interests and find more ways to flow God’s love out to others through our actions and our lives. May each of us live lives worthy of the price Jesus paid and be a shining light in this dark world.  May each of us learn to be effective as empowered spirit filled believers. May each of us be fervent and effective in prayer to bring your will into place on this earth. May the church become a more effective force for the kingdom by setting aside doctrinal differences and focusing on the core message of personal transformation through lives of love guided by truth. May our leaders, both elected and unelected, develop a fear of God sufficient to understand they will be held accountable for their actions and every word they speak; and may they find ways to overcome the corruptions and conflicts of interest in our current systems and act in the interest of the people.  May the people repent of their ways and return to following God, and may He then heal this land as promised. I ask this in Jesus Name.

 

Put On Jesus

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Are you putting on Jesus? (or just pretending to be a Chrisitan?)

 

Do you get up every morning and “put on Jesus”?

“… put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:14)
 
Some people pursue Christianity just so they will know the secret password to get into heaven someday. Some people say the sinner’s prayer and then continue on with their sinful life assuming they are all set. Some folks adopt selected Christian rules and rituals where they are convenient and fit into their current life. All those folks are missing the primary expectation of true Christians, to become “Christ-like”; To live your life differently now as an investment for glorious returns to come in heaven. Folks not pursuing transformation in this life will be more than a little disappointed in where and how they end up spending eternity.
 
When we are serious about it and “Put On Jesus” every day, People should be able to see Jesus operating in us and through us:
1) Subordinate your self-centered interest and focus your energy on God and His Kingdom
2) See others as valuable children of God and help them pursue their divine purpose
3) Be a bright light in an otherwise dark world through our consistent behavior and attitude
4) Don’t let sin against you become sin inside you
 
As this starts to happen you will begin to see God’s will being done on earth as it already is in Heaven.

Supporting scripture points:

We are all born as sinners into a fallen world.
“… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
We all face the death penalty for our sins.
“… the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross.
“… he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
He purchased our debt, the least we can do is give Him our life, the life he paid for.
“…you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)
He is merciful and will gladly forgive that debt if we truly repent of our sins and follow Him.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
In return for following Him, He promises a better life now in this world and even greater glories in heaven.
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you (the choice of) life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
You are promised eternal life (Salvation) if you confess your sins and genuinely accept Jesus as your Lord.
“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
You are saved by God’s grace based through you position in faith (belief and commitment to action), not by any specific things you have done or results of your efforts.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Faith is built by acting on your beliefs; do you just talk about believing, or do you actually walk the talk. If you are not actually living according to Christian beliefs (loving God with all your heart, subordinating your self-centered interests, loving others more than yourself, actively repenting and turning from sin, seeking ways to use your gifts to serve others) your faith is dead.
“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26)
How you live your life really matters. You will be held accountable for every word you speak, and every thing you do.  So make good choices.
“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”(Matthew 12:36)
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:24)
We as believers are called to use the Holy Spirit inside us to live a life transformed.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind….” (Romans 12:2)
We are part of the body of Christ; We are His arms and legs on earth.
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
We are commissioned to continue His work here on earth.
“… As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21)
 
We are asked to “put on” Jesus Christ – embrace Him, be like Him, imitate Him
“… put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:14)
“Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked”. (1 John 2:6)

My prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for loving me and never giving up on me. Jesus, I thank you for the work you did for me through the cross; you are the author and finisher of my faith. I am committed to follow you and pick up where you left off. Jesus, I thank you for my water baptism, I went down with you and all my sins, and came up in you washed clean and born again. Lord I thank you for establishing a direct connection with me via your Holy Spirit; He teaches me, guides me, and convicts me as I work to follow you. I thank you for helping me as I transform my mind and begin to see things the way you see them. I thank you for helping me transform my heart by rooting out all the self-centered agendas I got from this fallen world. I am committed to truly loving you with all my heart, and loving others as myself. I ask for your continued help as I strive to imitate you, to cloth myself with you as I get up every day, and become your Love in action for others. Guide me to live my life as a shining light in the darkness, and to act in ways that serve as a beacon for your kingdom, to bring glory to you and to the Father. I ask this in Jesus Holy name. AMEN.

Are you being led by the Lord?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Are you being led by the Lord?  

 

Are you on the right path with your life? Are you facing some big decisions ? Are you facing a big challenge in your life: Health?, Finances?, Relationships? Would you like to be working with the Lord to achieve the optimum results, or would you rather go it alone, work against Him, hope you have everything figured out, hope there aren’t many surprises, and hope you aren’t making things worse. 

One of our greatest opportunities is to be led by the Lord; He knows all things, He knows why you are here, He knows the best path for you to follow, and He will share it with you if you draw close and ask. It is then up to you to follow where He leads.  If you do, He promises blessings; He will provide for you, He will protect you, He will ensure you enjoy the journey and that you bear much fruit along the way.

The following is a discussion of how to be led by the Lord. It starts with a bit on why it is important to let Him lead and some consequences if you don’t, then shares some how-to’s and then a few examples from recent experience.

Put the Lord first, and then His Kingdom

The first and greatest commandment sets a clear expectation that we are to love the Lord first and above all things:

“…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

To love Him means to esteem Him, long for Him, promptly obey Him, to give him preference, and to be grateful for what He has done. To Love Him with all our heart means with our inner being, our passion, our drive, our conviction.  With all of our soul means with our every breath as an individual human being. With all of our mind means with our thoughts and attention.  With all of our strength means with our physical ability, force, power, mental toughness.  

The second great commandment is to not put yourself above others: 

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)

This combination makes it clear we are to be putting Him and His kingdom at the forefront of our attention and our agenda. They should make you question if the things you are focused on as you live your life are serving Him or others, or if they are entirely focused on you.   

Avoid Idolatry

Idolatry occurs when we hold something as more important or a higher priority than God.  

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7)

When we devote significant attention to something, we are worshiping it; we are positioning it in competition with God.  Things that get worshiped include: money, possessions, our physical body, our work, or our reputation.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)

If we continue down a path of focusing our energy on self-centered interests it can lead to some very destructive behaviors.  As we pursue that path, we are worshiping ourselves and have put ourselves above God.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” Philippians 2:3)

“…but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness – wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil.”(Romans 2:8)

While not as obvious or blatant, this concept of idolatry also applies to those who do not let the Lord lead them.  They are putting all their trust in themselves, their own capabilities, their own thinking, there own ability to get through issues.  They are elevating themselves above Him. This is a form of pride. 

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.” (Proverbs 18:12)

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”(1 Timothy 6:17)

The Lord makes it clear that His providence will make things gradually harder on those who resist Him until he finally breaks their pride.

“But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,… I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit…” (Leviticus 26:14-30)

Let Him Lead you

God expects us to let Him lead us; He sees the big picture, We have a limited view; We need to put Him first in all things, trust that He has a good plan, and when we do, He will help us set the optimum path to follow.  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

He has a better perspective, He knows all things, He sees things we can not see, He has plans that we do not yet see. His approach is better than we could come up with on our own.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

He wants us to connect all we do to God and the Kingdom, pursuing purpose that ultimately benefits others, and always recognizing Him as the enabling source. And when we do, He promises to help us along the way, and promises we will be better off in the long run.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

“And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39)

We have Help available

So how do we do that? Can we get some help?  The answer is YES, and it is free. As soon as we accept the Lord as our savior, He makes the Holy Spirit available to us. All we have to do is ask.

“Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

“When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”(Ephesians 1:13)

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13

“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (1 John 4:13)

We have the Holy Spirit available inside us: Ever present, All knowing, All seeing. He will reveal the mysteries of God.

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him’. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”(1 Corinthians 2:10)

Your spirit can access this knowledge and make use of it

“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:13)

“And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:2)

The holy spirit will help us.  It will teach us, guide us and empower us.

Teach us: He will reveal God’s nature to us, help us understand scripture and the key messages.  

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26)

“(I pray) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17)

Jesus said “He will glorify Me (reveal my greatness), for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:14)

Guide us: He will help you recognize the truth when you find it, He will reveal God’s future plans for you if you ask

“…when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (John 16:13)

He will help us understand the amazing power we now have inside us; The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

“(I pray) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:15-22)

The intention is for us to be led by the spirit rather than our natural understanding and risk being prideful or assuming we know the right answers.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go’.” (Isaiah 48:17)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5)

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23)

The long term game is to use the Holy spirit inside us to help transform our mind. This is the primary purpose of the Gospel: Living a fully transformed life now and bringing heaven into place on earth. I will elaborate on this later.

 “ …put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22)

In the short term, the Holy Spirit can also provide a specific “Word of Wisdom” to help us understand some specifics about our best path for the future.  This is a spiritual gift, and it is available for the asking.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 12:7-8)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

A “word of wisdom” is a piece of information given to a believer to help them gain insight and understanding (wisdom) for a specific situation. It is part of a personal conversation with the Lord.  What does this scripture mean? What is His will in this situation?  What is my best choice between two paths ahead? When a word is received it helps them build faith by knowing they are on the right path, the path the Lord wants them to be on.

A “word of knowledge” is usually a unique piece of information given to one person about the situation of another. This nugget of information can guide the receiver to minister specifically to one individual in a crowd (ex: Someone has a sprained wrist…raise your hand), or it can guide the receiver to minster to a stranger in public ( Hi, What is going on with your ankle, The lord told me it is some sort of sports injury, can i pray for you).  This cross pollination of information reveals the power of the Kindgom and can open the door to non-believers, or deepen the fiath of believers.

How does the spirit talk to you?

He can insert thoughts into your brain. When you quiet yourself and enter a calm reflective/meditative state, The Holy spirit will insert positive, constructive, suggestive thoughts in your mind.  These will be in stark contrast to the multitudes of loud, obnoxious, demanding, destructive thoughts inserted by devils as you go through the day.

Quiet yourself and ask, “Lord, How can I best help in this situation?” or” Lord, Help me see this situation from your perspective, so that I can be of best service to you?” or “Lord help me understand this specific scripture?”  Sometimes the answer will be one word, or a message, or a piece of scripture, or an understanding.

“Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21)

He can engage your feelings.  There are a variety of signals you can recognize if you pay attention. When you are working through a series of thoughts trying to make a decision, He can send you a distinct sense of calm or peace as you arrive at the correct one; You will “know in your knower”, that it is right.  This is often how you know you have found the right school, or spouse, or job.  When you are working through a topic in your mind and you are reading scripture, one verse will stand out or resonate in your mind, it will come to life and become particularly meaningful. You feel it is talking to you. If something is not right, you can feel an unction, or an unsettled feeling knowing something needs to be addressed.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12)

How do you ask for a Word of Wisdom?

It is a simple process of quieting your mind, picturing the Lord in front of you, asking him a question, and staying quiet until He answers… I highly recommend getting in the habbit of using this process.

Click here for a step by step How-To.

Some examples:

Words of Wisdom have been very helpful to several of my friends as we navigated issues they were struggling with.   

One friend was faced with several options for dealing with a severe injury disabling his arm.  He had options including complete amputation, nerve reconstruction, muscle transplantation, or hoping for a miracle. We asked God for a word of wisdom to help focus our faith. While he was in the CT scanner the Lord placed the word “The Surgeon” prominently in his thought. At that point he knew in his knower that he was to pursue the surgeon who recommended a path.

Another friend was facing a complex cancer diagnosis where it has spread out to many internal organs. Because of the late detection and extent of spread, the oncologist immediately began chemo. Her options at that point included, continued chemo, extensive surgery, and faith in a miracle. We prayed for a word of wisdom to focus our faith.  While in the CT scanner, the Lord planted the words “The Healer” in her thoughts.  She immediately knew in her knower that she was to complete the course of chemo she was on to shrink the cancer and that the remaining cancer would be fully cured through faith in Jesus as by his stripes we are healed.

 

Click here for more examples…

Each of these words helped build faith and guided our path forward. As we build faith, we begin to better embrace God and put our trust in Him.

In conclusion

Allowing the Lord to lead you is powerful.  The sooner you invite him to lead, the sooner you can get in sync with His plans. I encourage you to practice and get used to engaging the Holy Spirit in Words of Wisdom. Ask for clarity on specific questions. If you are facing a significant decision ask for a Word of Wisdom to guide your path. Each time you hear His voice and follow His lead in Faith, you better understand Him and strengthen your connection with Him.

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ “(Romans 1:17)

Living a life lead by the Lord will make you a powerful force for change for others as you:  model a life freed and saved from sin; demonstrate the blessings which flow to a righteous fully redeemed believer; and destroy the works of the devil who has already undergone judgement.  

“And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.(John  16:8)

Let me know how this works for you. Happy to discuss.

 

Get your hopes up

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Get your hopes up!

 

Facing a difficult situation or a significant challenge?  Have you ever heard: “don’t get your hopes up, you will just set yourself up for disappointment!”  Well that is a lie the devil uses to keep you a slave to your current situation.  You need to do just the opposite; Latch on to God’s promises, Get your hopes up, and press forward in Faith so God can help you realize your full potential.

The following is a discussion of how Hope plays an essential role in your success.

We are spiritual beings

We are a spiritual being born into a physical body. Our job in this earthly life is to develop our soul (Mind, Emotion, and Will) which will live on in a spiritual body.

“…There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:44 part 2)

“…and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless…” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

“Physical life comes first, then spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46)

Things related to the physical world are visible but they fade away when we die;  Things related to our spirit are invisible but they last forever.

“…do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

The physical world is designed to work in tension against the spiritual world.  We are born entirely dependent on others for survival. The physical world continues to reward us for pursuing our self-interest, and it plays into our sinful nature which wants more and more for ourselves.

“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17)

Our spiritual development involves learning that there is more to this life than this physical world, and how we choose to live this life has eternal consequences. We are to transform from being  earthly oriented and dominated by our sinful nature to becoming spiritually oriented and dominated by a love of God and pursuing things that help his Kingdom.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romns 12:2)

We must learn about God,  come to love Him as He loves us, and decide to subordinate our self centered interest (Wants) in favor of pursing things that help Him and His Kingdom. We build our soul through beliefs, praise/worship, acting in faith, subordinating our own self-interest, and doing good for others. These things last forever in our spiritual body and in the soul of those we have impacted (His Kingdom).

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26)

Faith is the spiritual substance that connects us to God and his kingdom.  It is created when we put our trust in God and act on our beliefs, even when we can not see evidence to support them.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith = Belief in your head + Hope in your heart + Taking Action

Faith is built from a combination of belief in our head, hope in our heart, and a conscious decision to take action from our will:

Belief in God, Understanding His unwavering love for us, His promises for us, and the role of Jesus Christ as our savior;

Hope in God to provide a bright future, Loving Him as He loves us, building Anticipation strong enough to motivate us to relentlessly pursue Him as our only path of success for this life and the next;

Both brought together by a conscious decision to take action with our physical body, publicly confessing our faith, praising the lord for His role in our life, spending time building a relationship with Him through prayer, investing time to learn more about Him through scripture or bible study, committing to turn from sin, doing things for others, choosing to have patience while you believe for a better path in life.   

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God… For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.” (Psalm 33:18)

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.  Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.” (Psalm 33:16-22)

God is the source: You can do nothing without Him

We need to get a couple of beliefs straight in our head: We need to become humble and recognize God is the source of all success. He provides everything for us. We are entirely dependent on Him. We can do nothing useful without Him. We need to put our trust in Him, and pin all of our hopes on Him.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) 

“I (Jesus) am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

“Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” (Psalms 16:1-2)

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” (Lamentations 3:24)

Reconnect with God: Repent and Get rid of your baggage

We need to put our past behind us and get rid of our emotional baggage: Recognize our history of self-serving actions as sins against God; Sins have separated us from God; Turn from those sins and ask His forgiveness and you will be reunited with Him; God’s love washes them away so we are no longer burdened by them; As God forgives you for sinning against Him, you must forgive all who have sinned against you. He will not let you move forward until we have processed the past. Once we have processed the past, we can put our hope in God as He builds a path for us to move forward into the future.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”(Acts 3:19)

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“(Like the shepherd who) calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(Luke 15:10)

“For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”(2 Chronicles 30:9)

“‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 1:3)

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”(Proverbs 28:13)

“…if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15)

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

It is not all about “You”

Moving forward, We need to subordinate any purely self-centered agendas and bring more love and goodness into Gods kingdom in how we choose to act, and how we choose to use our time and resources. When we finally make this shift, we will be rewarded in this life and the next.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)

“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” (Psalm 37:3-6)

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20-22)

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” (Romans 2:7)

Latch on to His promise

Life has plenty of challenges, Each challenge creates an opportunity to build our spiritual foundation, and Hope is one of the key building blocks in the process.

“…glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

We need to grab onto God’s promises of a bright future for believers no matter our past or our current struggles.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” (Philippians 1:6)

Build Hope in your Heart

Hope in God to deliver on His promise is an essential element for you to move forward.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance (composure) and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)

Hope is about setting high expectations in your heart; yearning deeply for something beyond what you can see with your physical eyes; believing for it with enough conviction that you pursue it fervently; and you are diligent, relentless and persist until it finally happens.

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”(Romans 8:25)

The Holy Spirit will help you build hope in your heart

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

“Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:24)

“…I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love. ” (Ephesians 3:15-17)

Embrace God’s love for you, have confidence in His promise of a bright future, and maintain hope

“Love suffers long and is kind; It… rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Become committed: Pin your Hope on God 

Being steadfast in your hope taps into Gods love and builds strength in us

 “… those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

It helps to find a specific scripture promise that resonates and focus on it as a promise for your situation.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.” (Psalm 130:5)

Hope in the Lord becomes an anchor for us, Centering our focus on God as an immovable force we can take shelter under or tie ourselves directly to as we face turbulent times.  

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19-20)

Commitment builds Faith

By hoping for something you do not yet see, you begin to build faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

We are saved through Faith

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8)

If you remain committed to God, He will deliver on His promises

“The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.” (Proverbs 10:28) 

Hope leads to the tree of life, so do not defer it!!!

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

“To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’(Revelations 2:12)

Go ahead and get your hopes up, Pin your hopes on the Lord to help you in this life and and the next.

Hope this helps.  (Pun intended)

Leave a comment, Happy to discuss.

The Bible – Users’ manual for your life

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

The Bible : Users’ manual for your life 

How is everything going? Are you thriving? Feeling blessed? Confident in your future? Free from your past?

If yes – Great !!!

If no – Remember, He gave us a users’ manual for this life; The Word of God

The more we focus on it; understand it, internalize it, and apply it, the more He can help us transform ourselves and achieve the purpose He set for us.

You have a choice to find it now and realize your full potential or you can wait until life beats you into desperation and it becomes your last resort.

It has certainly changed my life. Happy to discuss if you wish.

What is it: 

The bible is the word of God

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

The word is permanent and unchanging

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”(Matthew 24:35)

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”(Isaiah 40:8)

Why:

God sent his word to help us and guide us

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4-6)

He has high expectations for his word to create value in us

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

How:

The word of God is alive and powerful

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

We must focus on the word; read it, listen to people discuss it, study it until we understand it and believe it in our heart.  

“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:22)

We must pay attention, be receptive, and be willing to dig to find understanding

“The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. (Proverbs 18:15)

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

You must dig a bit for meaning – it is an important investment

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15)

“All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.” Matthew 13:34

“And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:10-13)

There are consequences if you do not understand and follow the word of God

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”(Hosea 4:6)

We must do what it says to receive the promised blessings

“…blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28)

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

If we struggle to understand the meaning, we have a living model of it: Jesus is the word made flesh

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Jesus took sin to the grave – By his stripes you are healed

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5)

“(He)…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

God sent his word to heal you – Focus on his word (Written or in Flesh) and it will Heal you

“He sent His word and healed them” (Psalm 107:20)

Take the initiative – Speak to your mountain

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” (Mark 11:23)

If you have faith and believe, you will receive

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”  (Mark 11:24)

As it is written, So let it be done

Hope this helps

 

Spiritual Process Improvement

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Spiritual Process Improvement

 

Intro:

I spent over 36 years improving processes in the business world. Now He has me working on processes as they operate in the spiritual world. It is exactly the same but totally different. He has helped me develop a wonderful understanding of His grand design, some of the processes at work on earth and in heaven, and how to align with those processes to get better results. The following discussion shares some insights into how this works, some key process principles, and how you can lead a better life by aligning with them.

Proceess Improvement in the Spiritual world

Folks who work process improvement in a manufacturing environment have the advantage of being able to touch the product and observe the physical step by step process with their eyes. Folks who work business processes often claim it is harder to see the process; It sometimes takes a bit of imagination to see those processes as a sequence of steps with flow. The spiritual processes take even more imagination to envision, and they take inspiration to understand. 

Some aspects of the spiritual process are explicit in the bible, but others require insight. He tells us in James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”  And just as you are instructed to let the Lord lead you through life, I let Him lead me into an understanding of His kingdom and it has been a wonderful experience.

Just like in the physical world, there are process that control how things work. He has led me through development of dozens of process maps and flow diagrams to describe several aspects of His kingdom. I’m not sure any of those specific diagrams would help others, but they helped me understand His will, key principles that control its execution, forces that help it work better and those working against it.

Several Key Spiritual Process Principles

Building faith is a process

The Bible provides information about the kingdom in the form of stories, prominent characters, parables, commandments, and proverbs/psalms. Each piece has surface meaning when read, There are layers of meaning available to those who choose to objectively dig deeper.

We turn information into knowledge by choosing to study it, listen to others share what they have learned, choose to actively discuss it with others, and reflect on how it all fits together.

We turn knowledge into wisdom by reflecting on how our understanding fits with reality and then choosing how to apply that knowledge to our life.

This process requires an interaction between our free will and our brain; We have to choose to read/study, we have to choose to listen and discuss, and we have to choose to reflect. Without this purposeful choice to invest our discretionary personal energy we do not build a deep understanding.

This process accelerates with inspiration as soon as you ask the Lord for insight and open yourself to receive it. The word Inspiration describes something literal flowing in from the spirit. He has direct connections to your Mind and to your Heart. He will point you to sources of information as you start to seek it; He will help your mind organize the infomraiton and build useful images as you contemplate how it all fits together.

 We are designed with a receptor in our heart. This receptor resonates when you are contemplating a truth. It is our “knower”.  You know when you know that you know.

Looking beyond the surface and finding the deeper meaning in the bible is called “Having eyes to see”.

Receiving and accepting Gods inflow in your mind and in your heart is referred to in the bible as “having Ears to hear”.

Belief is formed when we know in our heart that something is true. Faith is formed when we choose to act on a Belief; Speaking or Doing.

The flow of value is a useful lens for the spiritual world.

Value is defined in terms of “Usefulness”; Things that provide a practival benefit.

The flow of value takes follows a basic equation of the form:   “Love” flowing through “Truth” generates “Usefulness” and then “Growth”.

Love is the source of power for all things. God is love (1 John 4:8).  God’s love is the power created the heavens and the earth. God’s love powers every breath you take.  

Truth is the structure necessary to convert Love into constructive action. Truth is the master craftsman that turned chaos into the heavens and the earth (Proverbs 8:30). Truth is structure, knowledge of right from wrong, wisdom and discernment. The opposite of Truth is Falsity.

Usefulness is the desired result; Goodness that allows someone to benefit and improve.  Our individual value comes by being useful to others; by doing Good works that benefit others.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (dishonor), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:20)

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

This equation operates as a cycle,  the more you choose to flow Love through Truth to generate Usefulness, the stronger the flow becomes, and the more Love becomes available to flow into the next cycle; That is where we experience Growth. It is not a closed system; it is an expanding system. 

Free will is a really big deal and is key to the entire cycle.   In order to achieve the desired growth, You have to make a conscious choice to initiate the flow of love.  If you are forced to take the action, you are not vested in the entire cycle, and will not experience the growth to expand the cycle.  

Pushing truth without love creates resistance or animosity. This is a classic failure mode of highly committed folks who impose thier interpretation of truth on others rather than finding a compassionate way for otheers to discover the truth. 

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13)

The opposite of Truth is Falsity. Love operating through falsity creates a false impression of goodness, but will end with undesired consequences. Adding another layer of nice new pavement on top of a flawed roadbed will feel like progress but will spend a lot of money and just make deeper potholes.    

The opposite of Love is Hate.  Hate operating through falsity creates destruction.  Hitler hated the Jews, He propagated a falsity that they were an undesirable element of society and should be eliminated. That combination cost 6 million lives.  

You can tell if we are on the right track, The fruit of your labor will not lie.  If there is goodness flowing and growth, the Love was operating through Truth.  If not, either the Love or the Truth was not pure. 

Our job is to ensure our motivations are rooted in pure love.  Then make sure we have the Truth to convert that love into productive actions.  

There is a spiritual pull system.

Your spiritual development is pulled by the goodness of love. If you attempt to push you create waste.  If you push Truth without Love you become a zealot and force your version of doctrine on others; If you push Love without Truth you end up with well-intentioned efforts which are often counter-productive. It is only when you pull truth with the goodness of love that you get sustained flow of usefulness for others and the desired growth. In practical terms, people need to appreciate the goodness that can come from doing things which help others before they become receptive to discussion of spiritual truths. This becomes an interesting framework to view the world to see some of where/how/when we get off track

We live in an expansive system not a closed system.

 Each cycle of generating usefulness reinforces the process and makes more fuel available to further increase production of usefulness. The system continues to grow and expand as it operates.

 

Political Hot Topics

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Political Hot Topics 

How to cut through the noise: Pursue Data, Conclusions, Actions, Results    

There are several hot topics which dominate the political landscape. Engagements on these topics often quickly devolve into high energy emotional yelling from side and they end up summarily dismissing the other party. We must move beyond polarized yelling and find the path to discussion if we are to break the cycle and move forward. 

I have come to understand the mechanisms that routinely drive this intentionally counterproductive process. See my post on Post-Modernism and Collectivism as the threat to western society for more on why and how this happens. 

I have learned several methods to avoid the trap of those mechanisms and have a productive conversation.  By understanding how this works, we can begin to notice the mechanisms in use, look for the false assumptions or flawed logic being pushed, and question them in a way to enable discussion.

The people pushing one side of these hot button issues are systematically gaining ground in our society: in popular culture, in the media, in entertainment, in political office, in big government, in big industry, in the judiciary, and in academia.  This movement is quickly approaching the tipping point. It is getting harder and harder to question the path we are on and push back if you disagree.  Those that do so and have a high enough profile become the victims of viscous attacks on their integrity, their business, their personal property, and their lives. At some point, very soon, it will not be possible, and our survival will depend on conforming to their agenda; at that point we will be locked into the inevitable downward spiral of authoritarian control.

The time for silence is behind us. We each need to stand up and push back while it is still possible to do so.

You may not convince the other party that your position is right, but you might be able to help them see that you are a human with compassion and genuine interest in the topic.  You might be able to plant a seed of doubt that some aspect of the narrative they are enthusiastically advocating may not ring true.

Bellow are several topics broken down with my best understanding of how to move them forward.       

:…avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”(2 Tim 2:23-26)

“…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

Climate change -vs- Science Denier

  • The common question is do you agree with “Climate Change” – and if your do not immediately and enthusiastically say yes and you can’t wait for the green new deal.. you are dismissed as a science denier.
  • The established narrative is:  Mankind is destroying the planet; Climate change is an existential threat and will destroy us all 12 years unless we act dramatically and immediately; the only acceptable solution is to achieve carbon neutrality by reworking everything in society to drastically reduce energy consumption and simultaneously convert to entirely renewable sources of supply; this is a absolute panic and we must act immediately, the only way to accomplish this unprecedented scale of change on this panic timeline is to committal all resources into government control.   
  • So in order to break through the narrative you must break it into its pieces: 
  • Yes – I agree the climate is changing… It always is changing, and always will be.
  • Yes – I agree mankind is contributing to the change to some extent – it is not clear how much
  • Yes – there is a study claiming 97+% of climate scientists agree that man’s contribution is “significant”.  This study reviewed studies published by climate change researchers and 97% of them had reached a conclusion that there was likely a significant relationship between the activities of mankind and climate change. It did not in any way attempt to quantify the magnitude of that relationship. 
  • I understand no one has been able to pin down just how much ( a little, some, a lot, most, all)
  • There is great disagreement on what effect mans contribution will have on temperatures in the future
  • Historic models have overpredicted the effect we be experiencing now; so more work is needed.
  • Science shows that the projected temperatures are within the historic experience for the planet
  • There is significant difference of opinion about what would be appropriate for us to do at this point and when we need to do it. 
  • Two angles to work it:  Reduce the production of CO2,  find ways to mitigate the effects of warming as they manifest.
  • The US continues to make good progress reducing CO2 emissions
  • Other countries are contributing significantly more emissions and are not effectively reducing it..
  • Why back out of the Paris accord?  The Paris accord put disproportionate burden on the US and did not engage the largest producers. 
  • The green new deal is offered as the solution for the US- It is partially intended to reduce consumption by rebuilding our houses and commercial buildings, shifting to e-cars, eliminating dairy, to eliminate CO2 emissions and partly to convert the entire economy to government control.
  • est, or should we immediately disrupt life as we know it and commit all of our resources to a government run program to reinvent our society and our lives.
  • The appropriate discussion needs to be about how serious is the actual threat, how soon will it manifest, and what actions are possible and appropriate to optimize our long term existence. The fact that the narrative of climate change invokes absolute urgency and imposes the radical Green New Deal as the solution, it is not unreasonable to expect that we understand the true urgency and robustly contemplate the range of options before merely embracing the narrative of panic response.There are dozens of well documented miracles which occurred during the founding of the United States.
  • (summarize a few of them ) 
  • <<<  Click here to see references >>> (add ref page and link it)

How do you cut through typical arguments and yelling and get to a discussion

  • Arguing from position of authority  –  PHD xyz says abc so it must be true… you can’t possibly understand
  • Binary question – Asserting a question with an implied narrative and dismissing you if you do not accept the entire narrative
    • Do you believe in climate change? (implying the entire narrative: it is existential threat, we have 10 years, mankind is driving it, the US must rework everything immediately,  the govt is the only body who can possibly do it) If you say no or question any element of the narrative you are dismissed as a science denier.  The best way to approach this is to reframe the question: Lets break this down:  Do i believe that the climate is changing – yes,  Is it normal for the climate to change – yes, Are we driving the current change – some of it, but not clear how much, 
  •  Book: Tipping points : How to topple the Left’s house of cards – by Liz Wheeler

Collectivism is 

  • <<<  Click here to see references >>> (add ref page and link it)

Progressive initiatives c

  • You can tell l our leaders in place – Love them, Pray for them. 

Additional Resources

  • He has connected me with some amazing resources. I am highlighting only a few of my favorites here:
    • Jordan Peterson – Psychologist, author, speaker working to reverse the damage already done by the left
    • Candace Owens – Articulate activist working to release the black community from the bonds of modern leftist plantation
    • PragerU – Library of short videos addressing current political hot topics 
    • Liz Wheeler – Articulate author and broadcaster working to expose radical left
    • Denish D’Souza – Conservative movie producer, writer, public speaker working to debunk the left
    • Emmanuel Swedenborg – amazing insight into spiritual world – watch this 101 video

Hope this stuff helps you in some way.

Please let me know if you have suggestions for content or ways to improve the structure of this website.

The Radical Left is a systemic threat

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

The Radical Left is a threat to western society

Become aware, Challenge the narrative, Think for yourself, Take a stand before it is too late

I have been shown that the Radical Left is a material threat to the long term viability of this country and western society. I offer this as information so that others may be aware of this threat, begin to notice it in action all around us, and begin to question the flawed thinking behind it. We need to correct the path we are on while there are still options. 

The progressive agenda as has been quietly working its way into US society for decades. Progressivism is built on a combination of Post modernism and Collectivism. Post-modernism teaches that there is no absolute truth behind our reality; reality is a social construction based on narratives. One conclusion from this thinking is that ALL hierarchical structures in society are oppressive, and those in positions of authority based on this hierarchy are evil (Bosses, Govt officials, The police, etc). Collectivism builds on Post-modernism and puts people into groups based on their immutable characteristics. (Black/White, Male/Female, Gay/Straight, Rich/Poor, etc). It arranges these groups into relationships based on oppression (oppressors vs oppressed). It establishes narratives about people in each group based on high profile incidents. The narratives are preserved by a combination of dismissing input from anyone outside the group and reluctance of those inside the group to make waves (Group think). Individuals in the oppressed group are taught they are victims, and they deserve something from everyone else. Individuals in the oppressor group are told they are evil. If the process is allowed to continue, it plays on our self-centered human nature: victims become convinced they should take what they deserve by whatever means necessary; and the oppressors are dehumanized, subjected to persecution, excommunicated, or even murdered.

The destructive potential of this system of thought is evident in the murder of 100M people by their own governments in the 20th century (Germany, Russia, China). This system of thought is well penetrated in key aspects of the US: it dominates the arts and media, it is deeply entrenched in academia and public education at all levels, it has penetrated portions of industry, large sections of society, and has consumed much of the democratic party.

If you wondered if the US could ever follow the path of Germany or Russia and actually kill its own citizens, just observe the tone and nature of dehumanization exhibited in discussion, the choice of words used In news reports, the tone and nature of demonstrations on college campuses and public protests over the last few decades, the alienation and attacks on dissenting voices, and the nature of protests, intimidation, attacks, and destructive riots going on now.

This entire agenda goes against the Judeo/Christian values this country was built on, and the values required for it to sustain into the future.

  1. There IS absolute truth that can be known: God created the heavens and earth. This is not just blind faith; The more science advances in its various fields, the more it converges on this conclusion.
  2. Putting people into groups based on immutable characteristics and treating them differently is fundamentally wrong. It is a racist approach and is actively creating racism. All men ARE created equal. We need to find any remaining examples of discrimination and stomp them out.
  3. Teaching people that they are victims and deserve something from others is fundamentally wrong. None of us “Deserve” anything. We are to be grateful for everything we have. We each must pick up the cards we are dealt and make the best of it. We must forgive and forget the past. We must lean forward, make good decisions and take responsibility, take initiative, seek opportunities, face challenges, work hard, and thank god every step of the way.
  4. Teaching students to hate the US and to hate themselves is wrong. We now teach students from early stages that: the US is fundamentally flawed; the patriots who founded this country were evil; capitalism is fundamentally evil; Straight white males are evil by birth; if you are not one you are a victim and deserve something. I am all for a balanced view of history, and for addressing instances of discrimination, and encouraging acceptance of all of God’s children, but this is not it; This is cancel culture and destructive.

The Progressive /Radical Left presents itself as  a compassionate and well intentioned force for good.  The problem is the conclusions or proposed actions are based on one or more falsities.

Couple of examples: 

  1.  It would be compassionate for transgender athletes to be included in  sports with the folks they identify with. That may be a compassionate thought, but the proposed action is based on a falsity: that people can choose their sex.  The truth is Genetic Males are Different than Genetic Females. Including Genetic male transgender athletes in woman’s sports can cause severe damage to other individual participants and threatens to completely destroy the sport.
  2. It would be appropriate to lower admission standards for racial caegory y people so that university z achieves a target for participation. This may appear compassioate but it proposes an action based on falsities. a) excellent persons in category y can not otherwise meet the normal standards, b) persons admitted below normal standards would be able to succeed in an environment of peers who have pased higher standards, c) It is better for person x to have attended a great school and fail or struggle to get mediocre grades than for them to attend a good school and be towards the top of the class.  The truth is a) All are created equal, b) Any special treatment by imutable characteristic is inappropriate,  c) Ensuring Equal opportunity is desirable, Forcing equal outcome will create undersired consequence.    

There are certain other political hot button issues where the radical left agenda becomes evident. Click    <<< here >>>    to see a list and some discussion.

This is the lens I have been given to see the world. I see this agenda playing out everywhere I look, and everywhere I see it there is destruction: Destruction of cities, destruction of statues, destruction of businesses, peoples lives and their hopes.

I encourage everyone to think for themselves and to not blindly follow any established narrative or agenda other than what they believe aligns with God’s will. 

Do not accept any narative, work through the data yourself, work through the conclusions being made, work through the options for action based on the conclusions, look for evidence that those options actually produce the desired result, implement the option with the least amount of government intervention possible, and any government intervention should be structured so that it phases out as soon as possible.

Hope this proves helpful.

Have a great day.

May God bless you, and May God bless the USA

 

Why are you a Christian?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Where will you spend eternity? Are you sure? 

 

Eternity is a long time. Where will you spend it:  Heaven or hell? Are you sure? 

Are you saved?  Is it enough to just believe in Jesus resurrection and say a prayer of confession ala Romans 10:9?

Have you been baptized? in water?  in the spirit? under who’s name?  Does it matter?

Have you sinned?  Do you still sin? Does it matter?

Do you belong to a church? Do you go to church? Does it matter?

Have you lived a good life? Do good things for people? Does it matter? 

Why are you a Christian?  Is it so you can get into heaven someday?  OR is it so you can help bring heaven to earth now for all of God’s children? If both, which is more important to you personally?…be honest. 

I believe the last question is the most important and may turn out to be the only one that really matters. 

Over the centuries, Man has built different religious doctrines and entire church empires on the different ways to answer various doctrine questions. I have come to appreciate that most of it is a work of the devil to distract us and divide us and keep us from uniting agaisnt him.  

Many people become Christians just so they can get into heaven when it is time.  This is encouraged by a common sales pitch:

You’re a sinner..you are going to hell…say this prayer and be saved…do it now…you may die tonight in your sleep and you need to be ready!

There is nothing wrong with wanting to go to heaven, and that may be an awesome first step, but if that remains the main reason we are Christians we have missed the mark. What is the true motivation of this person to sign up to become a Christian. It is a desire to save themself from an undesirable future. It is actually selfish at its root when you think about it. It is all about ME. One thing I have learned about God and His Kingdom is it is never just about ME, it is all about HIM and His Kingdom.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-29)

If folks only have the one initial motivation, and never work through the transformation to actually Love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself we have a problem. 

He needs you to become focused on Him and to put His love into action for others.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

You can begin to see how we can have people who believe they are Christians because they said a prayer, or because they believe in Jesus.  They often behave poorly,  just going through the motions on Sunday to claim forgiveness for their inappropriate actions every other day, or sometimes even worse they attack each other with their version of doctrine and righteous indignation.

The reason HE wants us to be a Christians is so we can be a good example for others, to model his principles in action, to flow the love he has invested in each of us to others.

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

Why is this important?  Because He needs his followers to become bright beacons for Him and the kingdom. If all Christians are not good role models, it gets hard to attract others to the message.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

These reasons are all about living life HERE and NOW, not having the special code to get into heaven some day in the future.

But what about Romans 10:9? The heart and the mouth are a big deal. What you hold dear in your heart is the root of your motivation; It is the WHY you do things.  Your WHY begins to become evident in WHAT you choose to express in speech or through actions.  Subtle nuances of the WHY can be sensed in HOW you express yourself. For example: You can often tell if someone is genuine as soon as they start to speak, or in their attitude as they do things.

So what is in your heart? Why are you a Chrisitian?

Are you DOing Christianinty… going through the motions? Practicing the rituals?  Or have you become a committed Christian and submitted yourself to Him to be of service to others?  

Can people see God when they look at you? How you speak?  How do you choose to spend your time? What do you choose to do? How do oyu choose to it?

A couple of tests:

The last time someone cut you off in traffic: Did you get upset and mad at that person? Or did you pause and consider they may be having a bad day..and ask God to help them get through it and for His help to get them home safely.

The last time you were feeling stressed and in a hurry in a store: Were you terse and short with the clerk? Or did you greet them with a positive attitude and wish them a great day,  knowing they have probably been dealing with upset people all day, or that they might be stressing about something at home.

The last time you saw someone living out life in a way you believe is not desirable or correct: Did you think less of them and condemn them? Or did you think of them as one of Gods children who is lost, and pray that God helps them find the truth and His love.  Did you offer yourself to God to help in any way?   

He wants us to transform during this life. To stop being self-centered and selfish the way the world teaches you to be.

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Eternity is not just about calling out the name of Jesus in prayer.  How you choose to live your life on this earth will determine how you live eternity! 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

Get to know the will of God.  Get to know Jesus. Jesus is the model.

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

“If you had known Me (Jesus), you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:7)

Be like Jesus; Be God’s love in action! That is how you will have confidence in your final destination.

“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:16-17)

Have a great day. I’m happy to discuss any and all of these points.

 

Come together…Right now…over ME

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Come together… Right now! …over ME!

 

The Beatles had the right song lyric.. and we need to do it now.  

The world is a mess:  There is a pandemic, People are struggling, Families are struggling, There is rioting in cities, Politics has become entirely divisive, People choose to destroy rather than discuss,  We have lousy diets and face more serious illnesses than ever. There is little trust in any organized system or structure that was originally put in place to help us.  Society has moved away from Judeo/Chrisitan values.  Everything is a about me and the people like me.  Most religious denominations are more focused on the differences between their doctrine than they are in coming together on the primary mission…defeating the devil. Things will only get worse until something changes. I believe it will only change if believers step up and intervene in a cohesive non-partisan way.

Many people mis-attribute the source of all the bad stuff that happens.  Sometimes it is:  “There is no God.  How can there be a loving God if HE lets xxx happen”,  or  “God is bringing his wrath on us…” ,  or on a more perosnal level “God made me sick to teach me something…”. Each of these misses the mark. 

God is Love (1 John 4:8).  He loves us so much he sent his only begotten son to die for us (John 3:16). Jesus came to give us life and live in abundance; The devil is the one who comes to lie, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). We do not struggle against flesh and blood in this world, we struggle against organized forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). 

The world fell into the consequences of sin through the original sin of Adam eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Romans 5:12).  We are born with a sinful nature (Psalm 51-5), and all of the bad stuff that happens is a consequence of generations of sin and rebelion agaisnt God (Exodus 20:5, Deauteronomy 30:15-20). 

Jesus defeated the devil through his innocent sacrifice and resurrection in the flesh (Hebrews 2:14). He took back the keys to the kingdom and holds them in heaven (Revelation 1:18).  He gladly gives them to all those who believe and follow him. He is the way, the truth,and the light (John 14:6).

The devil works hard to blind unbelievers so they don’t ever see or understand the life of Jesus who is the expressed image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4).  If we know Him, we know the Father (John 14:7). Jesus never brought sickness to anyone, he never brought wrath on anyone, he healed all that were aflicted and joined people to the kingdom of heaven through love.  He is the image of God, so if Jesus didn’t cause bad things to happen, then God would not.  

The bible is crystal clear on how to get out of our mess.  We need to humble ourselves, turn to the Lord and away from wicked or self centered ways, Focus on Him, Learn about Him, and Pray for His help:

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicals 7:14).

We need to transform ourselves away from sinful nature we are born with and the self-centred thinking conditioned into us by this physical world ( Romans 12:2). He wansts us to become God’s love in action (1 John 3:18). Loving Him with all our heart, and Loving others as ourselves.

We are in a high stakes battle. If you stand and separate yourself as a believer, you will face persecution, but you will be doing your part to bring the light of the Lord to others. Separate yourself by your choice of words and by your actions. (2 Corinthians 6:17) Have nothing to do with unfruitful activities, and expose them when you find them (Ephesians 5:11)  

We need to take an active part if the course of history is to change. We need to vote both in heaven and on earth.  I encourage you to pray this prayer daily until you see the world operating in a better way.

Prayer for each of us, this country, and the world:

Heavenly father please grant each of us revelation, wisdom, and a knowledge of you. May the eyes of our heart be flooded with your light, let us feel your love, let us understand the hope to which we are called, the glorious inheritance of your promises and the power that raised Jesus from the dead that now lives inside us.

I pray for people to see and understand the purity of your love, and to not confuse the ugly circumstances of this fallen world with anything you are doing. You tolerate this mess only because it will allow believers to shine and it will eventually show unbelievers the only true solution is thorugh you..

Thank you for being pure love, for loving us no matter what we have done, and for never giving up on us no matter how far we have strayed. You remain ready willing and able to rescue us once we are willing to call your name.

I pray that every believer will hear your voice. That the spirit of truth will fill them and guide them.  I pray that each of us will listen to your voice to lead us was we shed the self-centered ways of the world and focus on you and your kingdom.  I pray each of us can find the path to loving you with all our heart, and then love their neighbors as themselves. Lord, help each of us see the part we can play to bring your love into action on this earth. May each of us be a beacon for you and your kingdom and help the lost find you through us.

Lord, we are in difficult and confusing times. The devils works are all around us. I pray for your will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. May righteousness reign and may all evil works be exposed. Lord, please pull your sword and bring Evil to justice.

Lord, you commission each of us to continue your work and defeat the works of the devil. With the authority you grant me as a believer, I hereby bind the roots of evil and cut them off in your name. They will not go unchallenged on my watch.

I pray all leaders, both elected and unelected, find the true love of God in their heart and begin to act recognizing eternal consequences for their words and actions.

I pray we as believers set aside our differences and come together to defeat the evil at work in this country and this world. I look forward to the day when we can join together in agreement and open the door for you to heal this precious land. Divided we will all continue to suffer, only together will we prosper united through our faith in You..

I pray this in Jesus name. AMEN

 

Who are you? Who, Who?.. Who Who?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Who are you?  Who,Who?.. Who, Who?

 

Who are you?

There are some deep questions in life worth pondering. One of the most important questions is “Who are you?”. How you answer that question profoundly affects both how you choose to live your life, and it how and where you will spend eternity.

What defines who you are?

If someone walked up to you right now and asked “Who are you?”  how would you answer? The short answer comes quickly.  ex: Hi I’m John, I’m a retired Aeospace engineer based in Florida and we are traveling in this RV during summers. The deeper answer is more complicated and is more revealing.

Most people build a story line in their head using elements from a historic timeline? Who are your parents? Where did they come from? What was your childhood like? Where did you live? What was your family like? Was there a lot of love? Where did you go to school?  What did you do well at? What were your struggles? How do you spend your time? What do you enjoy doing? How do you make money? How do you choose to spend your money?  What kind of relationships do you have? What did you inherit from your parents? What will you give to your kids?

Along with this historical timeline, they also build a self-image based on how they believe others view them:  Pretty/Handsome or plain/homely, Smart or dumb, Fit or fat, Coordinated or awkward, Hardworking or lazy, Capable or useless, Successful or unsuccessful, Worthy or worthless, Victor or Victim.

This story line of “who you are” shapes your outlook on life and has a great influence on how you approach things.  If you view yourself as worthless or a victim, it will be unlikely you will ever recognize an opportunity in front of you, take the initiative to pursue it,  and rise above whatever obstacle you are currently facing.

So far, we have focused on the physical and mental aspects of your story line, lets add the spiritual.  How do you view your spiritual self? Do you accept there is a higher authority? What will happen when you die? Do you have a soul that might live on if you say or do the right things?  Will your life be judged? How will you make out with that? Where will you spend eternity? Given that. .how should I spend my remaining time in this life? 

How you view yourself spiritually has a great influence on how you live your life and what choices you make.  Just recognizing a couple of spiritual aspects could shift the behavior of an entire society: 1) God is everywhere and knows everything, and 2) You will pay the price in judgement for whatever you say or do in this life.  That is the threat/punitive side,  but there is also the promise/incentive side: God is love, He loves you, He wants you to prosper, and He will help you if you let Him.

You must invest some time and energy if you want to develop the spiritual aspects of life as they cannot be discerned through observation in the world. Spiritual laws are counter intuitive, they work the opposite of physical laws.  The physical world teaches you to take to get ahead, the spirit world teaches you to give;  the physical world teaches you live until you die, the spirit world teaches you to die so you can live.

You are composed of mind, body and spirit. If you define yourself only in physical / earthly terms,  I  encourage you to spend some time on the spiritual side, it will change the course of your life, now and for eternity.

If you already include a spiritual aspect in your self-image, I encourage you to explore the following extension or evolution:   

  • God loves you unconditionally
    • “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
  • When you invite Him as your lord and savior, You are born again.
    • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • You are now a child of God, HE is your father.
    • “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)
  • Everything from your past is wiped away, you are free from it.
    • “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6)
  • He helps you transform, from being self-centered to becoming love in action like him.
    • “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”(Romans 12:3)
    • “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
    • “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3)
  • You are part of the body of Christ…He is the Head, You are his “arms and legs”.
    • “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”(1 Corinthians 12:27)
  • He wants you to: be like him, Think like Him, and Act like him
    • “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
    • “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29)
    • The Holy Spirit is in us and teaches us ” ..we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)
  • He wants you to continue His work
    • “Jesus said… As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)
    • “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14-12)

Why is this important? Why should you care? It is all about perspective, and faith.  If you view yourself as anything less than a child of God, striving to be Christ-like in thought and actions, forgiven of sins, and standing righteous In front of the father,  you will be vulnerable to attack in this world.  The things people say about you will matter more than God’s love for you, The things that happen day to day will matter more than your purpose for being on this earth…to become love in action.    

In a prior blog post i described the power of positive confirmtion, where you turn your understanding and beliefs into a positive statement of declaration. It is a very effective approavh to building confidence and growing your faith into actions. 

So if you have a spiritual identity and believe the scriptual statements above, consider the following answer to the question of who you are – it can be powerful and liberating

  • I am a born-again son of God,
  • I am not be defined by things of this earth,
  • I am defined by my creator, my heavenly father, who loves me deeply.
  • He loves me so much he sent His son to Die for me.
  • He created me for a reason, and He has never given up on me
  • He forgives my past so I can focus on going forward
  • I have the Holy Spirit inside me, guiding me, and helping me transform
  • I am a member of the body of Christ – his arms and legs on this earth
  • As the Father sent Him, He sends Me, I will do His work.
  • My father is pure love, I feel His love in me
  • I am His love in action, His love flows through me into every situation.
  • I view others as He views them – as his children needing love
  • My inheritance is the kingdom of God and I am proud member

My favorite speaker on this topic is Dan Mohler.  Here is a video where he explores the topic of Your Identity

I hope you find this discussion helpful. Leave me a comment.

 

Should you expect healing when you pray?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Should you expect healing when you pray?

I have been praying for people to be healed for several years now.  Sometimes I see a physical healing, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it happens right during the prayer, sometimes it comes soon after; minutes or hours or gradually over days. Many times it is not clear what has happened physically, but the person feels something distinctly positive inside them; some sort of energetic spiritual inflow or some sort of pressure release. Up until now, I have been satisfied with what ever results are achieved because it is the Holy Spirit doing the work and I am just an agent setting up the situation for it to happen.  This variation in results is fine with routine aches and pains but becomes an issue when serious illnesses remain after prayer. 

Should I expect more? Is there something more I should be doing?

HE showed me the answer and it is in black and white. 

I need to step up my game and deliver on His expectations of Healing.

A quick review of the basics:

The universal equation for God’s grand design takes the form of:

LOVE flowing through TRUTH yielding USEFULLNESS and then GROWTH

LOVE: God is love. We need to fully embrace Gods unconditional and infinitely powerful love for each of us. His love flows into us. As we transform, We become His love in action for others.  

TRUTH: We need to believe several key truths deep in our heart:

  1. God is the source of all good
  2. Illness is the work of the devil 
  3. God’s will can be known and it is unchanging
  4. God’s will is for us to prosper so we can bring him glory and attract others to the kingdom.
  5. Sin separates us from God and his will
  6. Illness and death entered the world as a wage of Adam’s Sin. It stays here because of  ours.
  7. Sin is between you and God; You “sin” when you choose to violate what God tells you to do; Choosing to do the wrong thing when you know better.
  8. You must repent of your sins for them to be forgiven (Acknowledge them, Turn from them, and resist them by Following God as you move forward) 
  9. Jesus paved the way for us to get out of sin: Divinely born as human, Resisting temptation and living a sinless life, Receiving the holy spirit and doing wonderous works, completely submitting his flesh to death in faith with the Father, perfecting his human soul, and glorifying his human body through resurrection 
  10. Jesus broken body serves as a reminder for us – sin cursed on a pole for all to see. We are to put our fleshly sin to death. 
  11. Jesus sacrificial blood provides forgiveness for mankind, it washes us from guilt for the decision to sin
  12. When we choose Jesus, He presents us as righteous to the Father, and we are reunited with his will 
  13. Jesus resurrection overcame all the the forces of hell and gave Him authority over heaven and on the earth 
  14. Jesus immediately delegated authority to us as his “body” to continue his work on earth
  15. Jesus released the holy spirit to each of us to guide us and help us
  16. We have the full authority to do all that Jesus did and more.
  17. The power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in us
  18. Our ability to engage The holy spirit in us strengthens as we transform our mind
  19. We must speak to our mountain, Life and death are in the power of the tongue
  20. We must conceive healing in our brain, and then manifest it through faith in our heart. 

For USEFULNESS:  I need to take action based on these beliefs to create usefulness in a situation

  1. Acknowledge God
  2. Acknowledge  Jesus work
  3. Stand against the devil
  4. Speak God’s will into place
  5. Bring glory to the father

For GROWTH: We strengthen our own faith and become a beacon for the kingdom.  Be assertive, Be humble, Give credit.

If you want to go deeper on any of these basic elements please <Click Here> to go to my web page on healing

Several key points recently became more clear

1) You need to KNOW it is God’s will to heal – and believe it in your heart

How can you know God’s will?  He tells us very clearly.  Jesus is the expressed image of the father (Hebrews 1:3).  If you know Jesus you know the father (John 14:7). Jesus does only what his father shows him (John 5:19). 

Jesus healed everyone that came to him (Matthew 15:30). He did not turn anyone away.  He never denied anyone because they did not have faith.

He didn’t just pray for them, He HEALED  them.

He didn’t heal some of them, He healed ALL of them. 

God is unchanging:   “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).

If Jesus is God incarnate, and He healed everyone that came to him, and He is unchanging – than he wants you healed. It is God’s will to heal you!  Believe it!!!  

2) Healing flows from the Spirit through the Soul into the Body

Healing flows from the holy spirit through your soul into your physical body 

Your soul consists of your Mind,  your Will  and your Emotions. We are limited by the transformation of our mind. And the Eyes are the entry way to the mind.

You conceive of healing in your mind. You become what you think  (Proverbs 23:7). You can only be as good as what you eat (Eyes, Ears, and Mouth).

Stay focused on the Word of God and the model of Jesus life. Commit to Transformation from natural self centered nature to loving God and others more than yourself.  Work to become Love in action for those around you. This opens the pathway for transformation.

Cleanse yourself of unforgiveness. Just as Jesus loves you and forgives you of your sins against the father, You need to love your enemies and forgive them. Any negative energy in your emotions will impede the flow from your spirit through your sole and into your body.

Acknowledge Jesus broken body paved the way for your redemption and salvation. Submit your body to him. Receive His healing from the spirit through your soul into your body

3) Jesus handed the ball to us and expects us to continue his work on earth

After his resurrection, Jesus was given ” All authority in heaven and on earth”  (Matthew 28:18)

The very next thing he did was delegate his authority on the earth to us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,…” (Matthew 28:19). 

He expects us to continue His work: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

Jesus came here to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8),  but the work is not complete “…the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19)

Jesus expects us to do exactly the same things He did while he was here on earth, and even more:   “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:12)

He established us as the Body of Christ on earth, with Him as the head. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

He gave us the holy spirit to guide us and help us just as it helped him. (John 14:26)

So there is a distinct hand off, and we need to take the ball;  and do what Jesu did, including heal the sick.  Pretty Clear message.

4) We need to expect healing

He told us  “…these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons;….they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:14-18). HE didn’t say they MIGHT recover. HE didn’t say they will recover if THEY believe.  HE said they WILL recover.  That is pretty clear.

When Jesus sent the 72 out to the cities, he sent them to heal the sick (Luke 10:14). He didn’t tell them to just Pray for the sick. He told them to HEAL them.  That is pretty clear.   

So I got my answer. Healing is the expectation. But how?  The answer comes in James 5.

5) We need to be fervent and pray God’s will into place

The basic healing instruction is in James 5:13:  “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed….” 

But the kicker comes in verse 16: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Fervent :  Intense and purposeful

Righteous: Right in the eyes of the Father, Righteousness is a gift from Christ.

It is God’s will to heal, but we must make it happen through our engagement and effort

James 5:17  shares how Elijah’s prayer was instrumental in executing God’s will to deploy a drought and then later rains as a way to influence Ahab. Elijah was the person who brought both of those into place though his fervent prayer.

We are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27); We are His arms and legs on this earth.  He acts through us via the Holy Spirit.  If we do not have clear expectations of God’s will of healing in our mind and in our heart when we pray…folks will not be healed. 

There is a huge difference between praying for God to please come and heal someone vs taking the initiative to actually heal someone through prayer. 

Conclusion

I am now better aligned with the will of God as written in the Word and demonstrated by Jesus. I have accepted the hand-off and am committed ot continue Jesus work on earth.  I expect healing to take place. I will pray the will of god into existence on earth. I will not be satisfied until the promised signs are consistently manifesting through me as a believer.

Updaye: It has had a dramatic effect on the results of recent engagements. I look forward to sharing more dramatic healing testimonies as further evidence so others can leverage them and come into faith. 

Hope this helps someone.  

 

The Power of Positive Confession

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

The Power of Positive Confession

 

I have come to appreciate the power of positive confession… It has opened up a whole new level of connection with HIM.

A very common aproach to prayer goes something like: “Jesus please do xxx for me” .  A better version goes something like “Jesus please help me do xxx”.  This is a good start but you can do even better. 

Recommended Approach: Consider the issue at hand, gather the spiritual truths you understand in your mind, grounded in belief, intentions, and conviction in your heart, and form them into strong positive statements from you mouth.

For example:

Before:  Lord, help me keep these sinful thoughts from my mind.

After: Lord, Thank you for loving me. Thank you for placing the holy spirit inside me to teach me and to guide me. Thank you for making me aware of the sinful thoughts I have had. Thank you hor helping me turn from them and follow you. Thank you for loving me and never giving up on me even when I miss the mark. I am committed to keep my mind pure so I can stay close to you and flow your love out to others with no barriers. 

This approach uses the same underlying principles prescribed to achieve salvation:

“… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

The act of Speaking is powerful:

God spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1):  He “said“..let there be light…and there was light (Genesis 1:3). 

“The power of death and life is in the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21).

Your mouth reveals what is in your heart: “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

The speaking process connects all the dots through your mind (thoughts and understanding),  your emotion (values, beliefs), your will (choosing to speak), and your mouth (converting thoughts as words into sound projected into the air around you)

I encourage you to use this approach in your daily spiritual engagement.

Example: Heavenly father: I thank you for loving me more than I can ever even imagine. Jesus: I thank you for loving me so much you were willing to suffer and die for me. I thank you for reuniting me with the father so that I can stand here humbly in innocence and righteousness. I thank you for never giving up on me no matter how far off track I got. I thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit to guide me on this journey. I thank you for continuing to help me recognize shortcoming and helping me improve. You are the vine and I am a branch; Nothing is possible without you, but through you, anything is possible. I submit myself to you and put my complete trust in you. My mind is convinced, my heart is convicted, and my flesh is complying. You are pure love.  You are in me, and I am in you. With your help, I am becoming your love in action…your arms and legs on this earth. With your continued help, I WILL be a beacon for you and make you proud. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, for me, my family, and all of your kingdom. AMEN.

Other examples:

Confession of Faith and Identity – Derived from Dan Mohler

Confession of Transformation

Confession of Healing – From Greg Fritz

Leave a comment,  let me know what you think and how this works foe you

Other info on prayer

 

Pride – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Pride: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Pride is a really, really, really big deal.  It is one of the most important things to get right in this life. How you manage pride will not only affect your life here on earth, but it may well determine how and where you spend eternity.

Definition:  Pride is a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from

  1. One’s own achievements,
  2. The achievements of those you are closely associated, or
  3. From personal qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

Examples:

  1. “He is proud of his degree from a prestigious university”
  2. “He is proud of his daughter’s performance in the school play”
  3. “He takes great pride in his appearance”

Pride is an important and necessary foundation for healthy mental function. However, misguided pride is at the root of most evils.

The critical differences between healthy and unhealthy pride is the “Why” behind it.  Pride is healthy when it is focused on producing usefulness for others. Pride is unhealthy when it only serves yourself.

Healthy pride (The Good)

  1. He was proud of placing high in his class at a well-recognized university because it will open doors, enable him to get a good job, and allow him to make a real difference in peoples lives.
  2. He was proud of his daughter’s performance in the play because she worked hard in preparation and she is clearly growing as a competant individual.
  3. He takes pride in his physical fitness because it will enable him to live a long and productive life

Unhealthy pride (The Bad)

  • He was proud of being accepted at 15 schools because it was 5 more than any of his friends and proves he is better than them.
  • He always worked extra hours, even when there wasn’t much to do,  just so people would notice him and comment on his dedication, it made him feel useful.
  • We was proud of owning the biggest house on the block, it made him feel important.
  • He got a brand new fancy sports car every year and parked it prominently outside because he knew the neighbors would see it every time they went by and they would think more highly of him, and maybe even become jealous.

You can start to get the picture:  When it is all about ME it can become an issue.

I found it helpful to connect the dots with a few of the things I was proud of.  I came to appreciate that the fancy ski boat I was very proud of was really just a vehicle to connect with people and build a social network around healthy outdoor sports activities.  Recognizing that purpose shifted my thoughts more towards “how can I create an even better waterskiing experience for this group of people”, and away from “how can I make my boat look more beautiful”. 

Exercise: Think about the various things you are proud of in your life (Physical self, Talents/Skills, Education, Accomplishments, Family, Job, Wealth, Possessions, etc). Ask yourself a couple questions: 1)  Can you connect each of them to providing usefulness for others? 2)  Have you been more focused on the “it” or on its usefulness?  Reflect and adjust as needed.

A little bit on how Pride works;

Pride is a relative thing, it requires two parts: Your own mental self-image, and something to compare to.  Both can be a challenge to get right, and both can be a source of issues if you get them wrong..

Your Self image:

  • How do you view yourself – mental and physical capabilities, competency, integrity, ambition, spiritual position with God?
  • There is a lot of literature on how to maintain a healthy self-image.
  • Jordan Peterson is one of the best. Recommend his 12 rules book and videos. <Link here>

The comparison image:

  • Who are you positioning against, and how do you view them
  • You make important comparisons in two directions:
    • Horizontally: You vs other People
    • Vertically: You vs God
  • With other people you are evaluating their mental or physical capabilities, social status, reputation, education, wealth, spiritual worthiness, etc.  
  • With God you are characterizing His role in your life. It is a direct function of your understanding and beliefs. Do you acknowledge His existence, His role in creating and sustaining the universe, and His role in creating and sustaining your life.  Who is really doing all the doing? Do you take all the credit?  Do you acknowledge Him in your head? Do you give Him credit publicly?

So given that framework, here are some of the Ugly(s):

  • Self-Centeredness – Selfishness – It is all about “Me”
    • This is the root of most undesirable situations
      • “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)
  • Pride – pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from personal qualities or possessions that are widely admired. – It is healthy when it is focused on creating useful function for others. It is unhealthy when focused only on yourself.
  • Pride is considered the deadlies sin because it can get in the way of positive inflow from the lord. And with out positive inflow you will die spiritually and spend a long etenrity without the Joy of His love filling you.
    • “Pride goes before destruction,
      And a haughty spirit before a fall.”(Proverbs 16:18)
    • For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.(James 3:16)
    • For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.(1 John 2:16)
  • Arrogance: Thinking you are above the need for input from others
    • If you do not recognize God is the source of everything you are and everything you do, it is a form of arrogance – and it violates the great commandment – Love God with all your heart.
    • Arrogance also manifests as not being willing to listen or not being coach-able.
      • “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” (Proverbs 8:13)
      • “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” (Proverbs 13:10)
  • Judgement – positioning yourself above anyone else – seeing them as beneath you – less capable in some way, less moral, less fortunate, poor, homeless, injured. You are all children of God and equal in his eyes.
  • Vanity – Striving to increase your own reputation
    • Doing things for your own physical appearance in excess of practical function
    • Doing extra activities just so that people will notice – workaholic
    • Seeking “credit” for doing charitable things – charity should be done anonymously – God will give you credit
      • “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
  • Boasting:
    • This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches (Jeremiah 9:23)
  • Jealousy – Feeling you are missing out on something and you covet or desire what they have.
    • “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else”. (Galatians 6:4)
  • Murder – Take action to bring someone else down – Physically kill or verbally speak against them. To do this you do not see them as equal in Gods eyes.
  • Lust – Wanting something for yourself without a proper and useful purpose for it.  
  • Adultery – Taking something precious from someone else for yourself.

Exercise 2: How do you look at other people? Do you ever compare yourself to them? Is that constructive or just self serving? Do you see each and every individual person in this world as a child of God… worthy of His love?

Exercise 3:  Who is responsible for all you have accomplished? Do you take all the credit?  Who created you?  Who gave you natural skills and capabilities?  Who presents opportunities to use them? Who allows you to breath every second of every day?   Do you acknowledge Him in your head? Do you give Him credit publicly? Do you really love Him with all your heart?

Pride can be a huge barrier for an effective relationship with God.  You need to get over yourself and acknowledge Him and His role just to get started.  Once you do that, you can work your way out of the self-centered mindset you were born into and are continually conditioned by during life in this world.  Once you see yourself as a vessel of God’s love and recognize your purpose here is to be useful to God’s other children, you will be well on your way to an effective relationship with Him. 

Hope this helps.  Leave a comment. Happy to discuss.