Destiny Part 3

Simply put - one of the clues to watch for that directs us towards our destiny is recognizing the activities that touch our heart or bring the deepest sense of fulfillment.  It could be the things that cause us to 'rise up in righteous anger'.  The later being a sign that the Lord has more healing to do in our heart, but it still can give us some light to what we are called to do.

Like Moses.  He got angry when he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite, so he up and kills the Egyptian.  He was already trying to respond to what the Lord put in him to do - deliver his people from bondage and mistreatment, even though it wasn't what the Lord had in mind.

What hit me this morning as I was writing in my journal is the part surrender plays in the development of my destiny.  I'm in this situation where I want something that the Lord is isn't giving me right now. The more time goes by, the more I'm realizing how the Lord is using this to change my identity as I surrender to His plans.  He has placed something deep within me that says: I want to be set apart unto the Lord - I want Him to be first and way more important then any other relationship or desire.  And I have this theology/way of thinking that says; yes, if I follow these certain principles that means that I've placed my heavenly Father first.  That's nice and sounds good and really isn't that hard. Keeping a set of beliefs/morals doesn't bring about freedom in our hearts or God's plans for us, and we can do it just to be right and look good. I will hold to my set of beliefs but I won't surrender my right to what I want and let you be my source of life in that place in my heart. 

Thankfully Holy Spirit continues to deliver me from my own twisted theology.

Its your goodness that leads me to repentance. 

  

   

Becoming

Silently I sit, sensing my own deep unwillingness to surrender yet again.


But... I get this sense that... well.... i'm quite sure... 



He wants to be the 'fountain of living water' in my heart.  He wants to be the fulfillment of my deepest desires and longings.  He knows how he made me so he knows what is in my heart, and that I've been created for Him (Love).  And no amount of good thinking will change the desires in my heart, although they can cause us to live in this shallow, 'Mr.happy nice guy' that everyone likes.

So as something that I really desire (a seeminlgy good thing) doesn't come to pass, I find myself getting impatient and then surrendering at a deeper level and then repeating the process over again, and then again. The deeper the surrender the more I get to truly experience the Lord changing my desires and becoming my source of life.  Then I begin to discover that this was what I was created for!  To know and experience the Holy Spirit in my heart in deeper and deeper ways as I learn to trust him.

I've realized how my heart believes that if it had what it longs for it would be satisfied and fulfilled.  This is true!  However what actually happens is that I believe that the fulfillment of its desires are in the wrong place.  I will go to relationships, activities, work, etc. to try to fill a void that only the perfect love of Jesus through his Spirit will ever be able to fill.  Until then, I am left more empty and life-less then we can know.

So I let go of my right to have what I think I need, and I open up that crazy place in my heart to you Holy Spirit. I don't think that dry place has experienced your touch yet so have at it.

Safety?

Its scary to be vulnerable in revealing your heart - even to someone we trust.

Most people (religious organizations especially) will trade dealing with heart issues for the comfort of being theologically right.  Human nature seeks to be right in belief and in appearance.  Human nature is simply content to have a theological basis in which to make right decisions without needing or depending on someone bigger.

When I'm selfish I seek to be right.

Love wants to walk in the light (transparency with regard to motives) and obedience.

When we walk in the light we become dependent on the Giver of Light instead of our own human reasoning, belief systems and other false forms of security and comfort.

We can end up in a place where we feel safe because we have 4 walls around us - which is called a prison. 

Or we can begin to walk towards the light and let God bring things to the surface.

Why Information over Relationship

Here are some great reasons to seek the knowledge of good and evil.

1. We don't need to be dependent on God (except for entrance into heaven of course).

2. It gives us the tools we need to look good to men.

3. It provides a sense of security and safety.

4. Once we've come to a conclusion of what is right and wrong we are now free to judge others (or at least look down on others) who think differently about what is right and what is wrong - separating ourselves into small groups within groups within organizations.

5. We can find much needed acceptance by keeping the varying list of important things like: Don't ever miss a program and if you come Wed nights you are extra special, listen to the right kind of music, drive a middle class car, always be cheerful even when you are dying inside, don't ask the pastor hard questions, do whatever possible to keep the program running, wear the right kind of clothing, start every prayer with - Dear God, thank you for this beautiful day. Accept the pastor's belief that all other church programs are lesser then yours, this will help keep the program running smoothly definitely help you gain acceptance.

6. Faith is not needed. We don't have to take the risk of believing in the supernatural.

7. Humility is not needed. Once we're saved we can make it on our own simply by holding on to godly principles.

Fear quietly motivates us to seek information - or at least stay away from our heart.

Fear constricts, separates and causes division. It often leads to assumption. I've found it keeps me from seeking out truth and sincerely desiring to understand people and situations. It shrouds and intimidates. It causes us to categorize things into nice boxes that we try to control. There are many physical side effects to negative emotions - especially fear. Fear (and other emotions) is generally a manifestation of what the heart believes (because of what it has experienced), regardless of what the brain understands to be true.

The only reason I know the above to be true is because of my own research and experience.  As one who has dealt with severe fear issues I've also experience its fruit.  Digestion tract disorders, ulcers and tight muscles are said to be side effects of fear.  I've dealt with forms of each of those.

When we leave our heart untouched and choose to live in our mind - we miss reality and walk in real danger.

A person can have a Master's in Clinical Counseling and yet be in deep need of counseling themselves. A person can have the highest IQ and yet waste his life on drugs, etc.

We live in the age of information and our problems are only getting worse. Information isn't the answer and neither is knowing about God. Certainly - seeking the difference between good and evil is not helping anyone - it doesn't give us the strength to choose - only Love can do that.

To Live or to Die

Its better to feel pain then nothing at all.

But we all get to choose whether we will live or die while we walk this earth.

And as we all should know, we live among the walking dead.


Out of the heart are the issues of life - Jesus.

Q and A about the life of the Partridge

Q: What do you call it when a Partridge is found in the middle of the forest with a friend, happily eating peaches and pears?

A: A pair of party partridges on a picnic

And when the pair of party partridges in the middle of the forest get bugged by flying pest from a nearby nest, its called a 'peachy pair of party partridges on a pesty picnic.

Now when a party partridge on a peachy picnic gets pestered by flying pest from a nearby nest, no one really cares about peaches or pears because the pests thinks its theirs.  And these pests aren't normal, their really a mess and just couldn't care less, for partridges on picnics who don't like pests. But peaches and pairs - oh, what do you know, their eyes begin to stare, and suddenly their noses are all up in the air. Not far is the nest of these nasty little pest and suddenly they swarm, like wind from the west - smelling the peaches and pears that the partridges left.

When this happens its called: A pair of party partridges on a pesty fruitless picnic sadly peering through the swarm of pests who are proudly eating what is left.

Hand Sanitizer & Religion

Hand Sanitizer and religion have some unique similarities.

1. It's what people use when they get scared.
2. With prolonged use your immune system becomes severely damaged.
3. It kills 99.99% of everything - both good and bad.
4. It's one more thing to use to protect yourself from evil.
5 It's quick and easy and doesn't take much Faith.
6. Usually used with good intentions.
7. You find yourself urging friends and family to use it - for their protection.
8. Dissolves very quickly once out of its bottle (or box) and leaves a nasty smell.
9. Doesn't solve 100% of anything.
10.For external use only.

Information will never change our hearts unless it leads to an experience.

Won't you let Me love you more - this is all that I desire. Jesus

Unless Your light shines on the motives of my heart, I can't truly repent. If not for Your light my heart would remain rooted in selfishness & fear.

Truth?

We'll push people out of the way as we build programs and organizations.

We'll claim to hold to the truth - and then in the name of truth turn and run over the very people that the truth was meant to bring freedom to.

And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free - Jesus