Tag: Heaven

How do You Fill The God Shaped Hole In Your Soul

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

How Are You Filling The God Shaped Hole In Your Soul?

Have you discovered the “God shaped hole” in your sole?

You may not realize it, but we are each connected to God deep in our soul; His Love is wired directly into a repository in our hearts. He plants that connection in us before we are born and it remains for eternity whether we notice it or not.
We can feel this connection resonate inside us as a warm feeling when we observe someone doing a selfless act; Like a fireman running into a burning building to save someone. We can feel it when we are deeply moved by a love story playing out in a movie or we hear a wonderful piece of music. We can feel it when we experience a sense of awe as we admire the milky way spread across a dark sky, or feel the tranquil beauty of a sunrise or sunset, or the calm and peaceful feeling as we watch a waterfall or the waves on the ocean or the flow of a babbling brook, or the ripples spreading on a quiet pond.
Many folks do not recognize this connection. The activities of daily life tend to keep our focus on other things, urgent things, earthly things – What do I need to do today? Where do I need to go? What do I need to wear? What am I going to eat? Who am I going to see?  What do they think of me? 

How do you choose to fill the God Shaped Hole?

The God Shaped Hole in your soul yearns to be filled. If you choose not to fill it with God, you will fill it with something else. Some folks completely emmerse themselves in work and try to seek fulfillment there. Some try to fill this hole with things; money, fancy cars, houses, collectibles, etc. Some folks try to filll it with hedonistic persuits…pleasure and excesses in this life. Some try to fill it through building personal power, using and abusing people for thier benefit. Some try to hide from it and excape it through alchohola and drugs. Many eventually come to realize none of these approaches can fill this God Shaped Hole. Sadly, they only figure it out after they have caused severe distress for themselves and those around them. This is recoverable if you discover it and change course in time, but the longer you wait the more of a mess you are making. The really big problem is if you never figure it out and change course; You are stuck with what ever you have put in your God shaped hole for eterntiy;  Eternity without God will not be pretty. You have free will to choose, but your choices have consequences.    
If you do not yet have God filling your God shaped hole, there is no time like the present. Some folks find it useful to acknowledge thier God Shaped Hole,  your connection to God.  Pause for a moment and push all of these earthly distractions aside. Take time to look outside of yourself, notice the beauty of world all around you: The sky, the landscape, the water, the plants, the animals, the people. Take a deep breath and reflect on it. Tune to the feelings deep in your heart. your inner most feelings. Let yourself be moved to a place of appreciation for the beauty that is all around you, and you will begin ot sense this connection.
Once you have found the connection, we can tune in to it. Find a quiet peaceful place, sit comfortably, close your eyes, quiet your conscious brain, allow yourself to drift to that place where you appreciated the beauty around you, reflect deeply in your heart. Ask why am I here? What is my purpose? You will sense that you are part of something bigger than yourself, You will find your heart longs to be closer to something outside of you, something transcendent. God has planted eternity in your heart; If you took this exercise seriously, you will have just found the God Shaped Hole in your soul.
Recognizing that you are connected to eternity can go a long way towards opening your mind to being willing to acknowledge and then explore the spiritual side of life and fill that God Shaped Hole in your soul with God.
Have a great day!
——————————————————————

Supporitng Scripture

You have a God shaped hole planted in you
“… He has put eternity in their hearts….” Ecclesiastes 3:11
You must take the inititvie in order to find him
“… seek, and you will find…” Matthew 7:7

God knows your heart, and you will eventually get what you deserve

“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10. 

You need to seek Him, find Him, and serve Him with all your heart….or there are consequences

“…know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9

 

Do you know the gospel message?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Do you understand the  Gospel? How do you know?

 

Do you really understand the gospel message? Are you sure? How do you know?
Do you know Him? Does He know you? It is a big deal – the biggest.
See if the following description fits your understanding… if not… you are missing out now, and will be very disappointed when you knock on heavens door and He says….sorry I don’t know you.
Please get to know Him personally while you still can – the days are getting short.
Clarification of the Gospel..
He did not die just so you could get into heaven someday, He died so you could bring heaven to earth right here and right now. He died so you could live “in Him”; He died so you could become love, So you could become His love in action; He died so you could become your best self, the person He intended for you to be; He died so He could come and live inside each of us. He died so we could live fully reunited with the Father. He died so we each could become the body of Christ, His arms and legs on this earth. He died so we could become like Him, so people would see Him when they see us. He died so you could be a light that shines in this dark world. He died so you could be a bright beacon for Him and the kingdom.
If this resonates and is how you live your life, then I look forward to partnering with you planting seeds for the kingdom as we execute this life, and I look forward to spending eternity with you in His presence.
If this does not resonate – please verify the facts behind you understanding… you are likely the victim of modern doctrine based on one or more lies.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)
He saw this coming and made a big deal about focusing on The Word and gaining knowledge (facts), understanding (meaning in context), and wisdom (experience in application).
“Get wisdom! Get understanding! 
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her (wisdom), and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you. 
Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:5-7)
………………………………………..
I will offer one point of discussion that may offend some but hopefully opens some eyes to the truth
Believing is a great start, it opens the door, but it is not enough just to “believe” as Even the devil believes.. and trembles.
“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19)
Your belief only becomes effective when you choose to put it into action in faith, and then that faith into action as works in your life.
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)

He makes a very direct and crystal clear statement that in order to get into heaven, He must KNOW you. And for Him to KNOW you, you must conform to His commandments. That is a lot more involved than just “believing”.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
For Him to “know you” means you have conformed yourself to His commandments.. That is putting your belied into action in your heart and soul. It is much more involved than just believing and it is not easy.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
You must conform your behavior and how you live your life. Your life lived is the evidence of what you truly believe. If you have become love, and people can see Christ when they see you and talk to you, than you have it right. If your life lived looks more like a secular non-Christian than you have missed the point.
“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 4:17)
You also can’t just “Earn” your way into heaven either by just doing stuff. You must gain knowledge (facts), then understanding, then you accept those beliefs as truths in your heart. Then you build Faith as you act on those beliefs in your heart. The process of acting on your beliefs is what builds faith and opens the door to God’s miraculous salvation. If there is no action, there is no faith. If you act with no foundation of belief you are wasting your time on empty “Works”.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith (acting on beliefs), and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The intended process is to put beliefs into action to build faith, then apply that faith to choices in your life to do the good works He laid out for you.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-11)
You get there by following Jesus, getting to know Him, transforming how you think and act to align with His will, denying your selfish agendas, Inviting Him to live inside you, and living a life focused on flowing value to others. When you do that, you act on solid beliefs in faith, your “works” demonstrate your faith and naturally bring glory to the kingdom. You know Him, He knows you, and You have brought heaven to earth.
Understanding the Gospel message is the foundation… the rock on which all is built.
Just my two cents
Hope this is helpful
Happy to discuss any and all

 

Act like you Believe

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Do you act like you believe?

 

Do you believe in God? Do you act as if you believe in God? Both matter.

Many people claim to “believe” only because they think it will get them into heaven. They don’t act any differently than those who don’t believe. They will be disappointed when they are not on the access list at the pearly gates.

Believing is necessary and it is a great starting point.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Believing starts in your head when you acknowledge that you understand the sequence of events in the bible and you accept they are true. The next level is to comprehend the significance of those events and their ramifications. The next level is to understand your role in the story, what Jesus did for you, and what you need to do as a result. The next level is to embrace your role and become committed to the journey; That commitment to doing is what it means to “believe in your heart”. 

“…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)

Many current church programs miss the mark: They market Christianity with an exclusive focus on getting into heaven. They get peoples heads believing then rush them into a confession of salvation and declare success. Not a good long term strategy for the kingdom.

Once you properly understand the Gospel, you discover it is not about speaking a promise so you are qualified to get into heaven someday, it is about doing the work of transforming yourself today so that you can bring heaven to earth hear and now.

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

Jesus never asked anyone to make a pledge of belief just so they could get into heaven someday. He asked them to stop focusing on themselves in this earthly life and then to be willing to suffer any consequences now for the promise of eternal life in the kingdom with Him.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.’ ” (Matthew 16:24-26)

He made it clear that believing in your head is not enough, you must be committed to self reflection and adjustment to turn from sin and gain alignment with God’s principles.

“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ” (Matthew 4:17)

“Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3, 5)

Let’s see what true belief might look like:

If you genuinely believe there is a God, then you will live in fear (respect) of the lord, knowing He is watching your thoughts and actions, knowing you will be judged on the day of reckoning, and knowing you will suffer or be rewarded based on how you lived your life.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor 5:10)

“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth” (1 Peter 1:17)

If you genuinely believe, you know that Jesus paid a huge price for your eternal life, and the least you can do is live this life worthy of that price.

“…let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27)

“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)

Jesus made it clear that merely believing is not enough, nor is going through extensive religious motions; To get into heaven, you must change and come into alignment with God’s will.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23).

What does it mean to do the will of the Father? Or for Jesus to ”Know You”? Or to not practice lawlessness? The answer is pretty simple: You must keep His commandments!

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3)

The two great commandments are to love God first and foremost, and to love your neighbor as yourself. You must bring yourself and your life into alignment with these two big rules to get into heaven.

“Jesus said to him, ‘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.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Many folks view the commandment as restrictions, what they don’t realize is they are wonderful tools. They help us discover and overcome the flaws in our inner nature. We live in a fallen world; We are each born with self-centered, self-serving agendas in our heart. Generally, they sound a bit like “It is all about me here and now”. Those self-serving agendas tend to cause problems for us and others as we go through life; They are the roots of all sin and can rear up and get ugly if we allow them to continue to live in us. They also limit us; We cannot reach our full potential until we discover them, root them out, and move them the out of our way.

In order to accomplish God’s will and comply with the commandments, we must change or focus from earthly or worldly things, start to see things from His heavenly eternal perspective,  and then modify our behavior to align. 

“…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)

I find it most helpful to look at this is as a flow; A flow of Love. Love is the answer. The entire spiritual world is driven by love.  The Lords love must flow through us to get to others and to attract them to His kingdom. When there are kinks in our pipes, we impede the flow of His love, and limit His reach. God is Love (1 John 4:8). He loves us (John3:16). His love flows into us (1 John 4:16). We love others because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). His love is perfected when it flows through us (1 John 4:12). Everything we do is to be done in Love (1 Corinthians 16:14). 

The Lord has given us a life, talents and gifts, a network of family, friends and associates, a bunch of worldly resources, and many opportunities. How we use what we are given is up to us. When our ego gets in the way, or we hoard the resources or squander the opportunities He provides us, or we get wrapped around the axil on petty selfish concerns, we impede the flow of His love into us or through us to others. So the challenge is to find the kinks in our pipes and straighten them out.

I offer A couple of exercises to help you:

  1. Look at your activities: Go through your typical day or week, Ask yourself Why you do each of the things you do. Is it for God? Is it for someone else? Or is it for you? If it is for you, is it just for you, are you really the only person benefiting? Those are opportunities. Many times it is a mental connect the dots activity. ex: I am exercising 3x per week. Why: so I can stay healthy. OK Why? Because I want to live a long life. OK why? So I can be of service to others? Now we are getting somewhere! What is your root motivation for doing the things you do… start connecting each activity either to serving God directly or enabling you to serve others and it will shift your focus. If you are spending energy on things and you can’t connect to a higher purpose, you have a kink to work out.
  2. How do you view God? Is He the creator, the source of all that is good in the world, your provider, your shepherd, your savior, your redeemer, your healer? How much do you know about Him? Can you see His hand in your life? Do you know him personally? Do you talk with him often? Do you hear His voice? Do you feel His presence? Are you letting Him lead you? If not, you have a kink on the incoming side and are not getting the full load of His love into your life.
  3. How do you view other people? Are they obstacles to deal with as you go through your day? Are they resources to help you get things done? Are they each God’s children struggling to live in a fallen world? How you think of them shapes how you interact with them. Do you have any kinks in the outflowing side of your love? Become His Love in action.
  4. How do your view your material possessions? Are they fancy things to acquire and show off? Are they God’s resources you are prudently managing to be of service to yourself and others? Are there any kinks or plugs in your internal pluming. How is His love flowing through your resources?

Your life is an interview for heaven. How is it going so far?

Remember: Believing is only a start; Love is the answer. Reaffirm your commitment to keep the commandments. Recognize the opportunities to get “yourself” out of the way, ask the lord for help to root out your selfish interests.

Find ways to flow some of His love today: Smile, Be pleasant, Be supportive, Be encouraging, Be helpful, Be generous, Become God’s love in action.

God bless you, and may God bless the USA