Tag: surrender

Categories
Preparing the Bride of Jesus Christ

Stillness with GOD

Doing v Being

Too often we are pulled here and there as to what to “do” but Jesus has taught us that we are to “be”.

The more we try to do, the less there is of us to simply be. Are we like Martha, who strives to organise and prepare and do all that is needed? Or like Mary, who took the better place as Jesus’ feet.

Yes, as James has written, “Faith without works is dead”; but yet we must be still, because running around in our own strength is pretty much fruitless.

Why stillness

Out of the stillness we discover ourselves and in the discovery, our being will allow our doing to flow.

Allow GOD to wrap you in His arms, hold you in His grasp, keep you under His protection. Then, eventually, our being will flow toward our doing and we shall express our Call.

More of GOD means less of me. But that takes time: to empty and to only then to fill; to be and only then to do; to rest and only then to move.

More of GOD means we rest, then discover, and finally we express our rebirth through word and action.

I believe much of our destiny is wrapped in how we deal with stillness and our developing of a habit to listen with the LORD. Recently I was encouraging someone to listen to their heart before making a decision. I suggested they not pay attention to what they wanted (their will), nor how they felt (their emotions), nor what they thought they might do (their mind), but rather to be still, to listen and to seek to hear their heart…. it is here that we can find GOD’s voice.

GOD’s rest

“…. They shall (not) enter my rest” GOD has said (Hebrews 4:3). There are so many levels and much to dig to understand that phrase, but at a simple level, what does the LORD mean? What is His rest, and how do we enter into it?

GOD’s rest is…

Obedience, surrender, communion, peace with the LORD — these are aspects of GOD’s rest. There is much about the Sabbath entwined in this phrase, but that is for another time to discuss.

For now, simply let us extend our time and our

Doing v Being

Too often we are pulled here and there as to what to “do” but Jesus has taught us that we are to “be”.

The more we try to do, the less there is of us to simply be. Are we like Martha, who strives to organise and prepare and do all that is needed? Or like Mary, who took the better place as Jesus’ feet.

Yes, as James has written, “Faith without works is dead”; but yet we must be still, because running around in our own strength is pretty much fruitless.

Why stillness

Out of the stillness we discover ourselves and in the discovery, our being will allow our doing to flow.

Allow GOD to wrap you in His arms, hold you in His grasp, keep you under His protection. Then, eventually, our being will flow toward our doing and we shall express our Call.

More of GOD means less of me. But that takes time: to empty and to only then to fill; to be and only then to do; to rest and only then to move.

More of GOD means we rest, then discover, and finally we express our rebirth through word and action.

I believe much of our destiny is wrapped in how we deal with stillness and our developing of a habit to listen with the LORD. Recently I was encouraging someone to listen to their heart before making a decision. I suggested they not pay attention to what they wanted (their will), nor how they felt (their emotions), nor what they thought they might do (their mind), but rather to be still, to listen and to seek to hear their heart…. it is here that we can find GOD’s voice.

GOD’s rest

“…. They shall (not) enter my rest” GOD has said (Hebrews 4:3). There are so many levels and much to dig to understand that phrase, but at a simple level, what does the LORD mean? What is His rest, and how do we enter into it?

GOD’s rest is…

Obedience, surrender, communion, peace with the LORD — these are aspects of GOD’s rest. There is much about the Sabbath entwined in this phrase, but that is for another time to discuss.

For now, simply let us extend our time and our stillness with GOD, to ponder any scripture, to develop our submission, our following of Him: our rest in Him. Then, from that place of rest in GOD we can fulfil His will, our destiny in this world.

with GOD, to ponder any scripture, to develop our submission, our following of Him: our rest in Him. Then, from that place of rest in GOD we can fulfil His will, our destiny in this world.

Categories
Reflections and Poetry

It’s tough to obey

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” (2 Cor 13:5)

It’s difficult to obey

At least it is for me. Oh, I want to… but it’s difficult to live the surrendered life, every moment of every day. But it’s what I’m called to do.

Even Paul struggled. ‘I don’t do what I want to do…’

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:15)

I think I used to use that scripture as an excuse. If Paul struggled then who am I to overcome? This helped me so that I wouldn’t get too down on myself. But to continue to use it would be an excuse, because I now know that he who is in me gives me the power to overcome, if I really want to.

Disobedience holds no charm for me anymore. And as I become better able to hear the spirit within me, I know the way to take. But sometimes I still cling on to my way… my way to organise my time, my way to organise my paperwork, my way to organise. And this is the root of the problem: my way is inefficient, my way is limited, my way is not the best way.

Do you struggle too?

I’m improving. It sometimes takes days now to rebel. And there is no joy or satisfaction in the result when I do. Instead, I want to sit at Jesus’ feet as Mary did… choosing the better way (Luke 10).

“Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus feet and heard His word…. “and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.””

But time is short; I realise I have limited lifespan and limited time before the world implodes.

I also realise I’m not as smart as I need to be, in order to accomplish what I need to accomplish. I’ve asked for 10 points more to be added to my IQ. But if I don’t surrender, it isn’t going to happen.

So common sense tells me to let the Master lead. At least he’s a just and good master. Perhaps I don’t need any more brain cells to recognise the only sensible way forward is to surrender and obey.

My prayer

I pray first for greater self-discipline, to wait on Him and do as he leads… ‘no more, no less’… is my prayer.

“Heaven help me!” I cry, as the expression goes.

“Father, Master of the Universe, give me the self-discipline to see this through: to wait on you, to follow your lead, and to love. Amen.”

Categories
Supernatural & Prophetic

Another Storm Coming: Taking it in stride

I awoke this morning from a dream. The dream was a rendering of the chaotic. The message received, “there is a storm coming”.

The last time I had a dream like that, we had a family row that day following the dream.

Today I descended from my bedroom, looked at my emails to discover, my web host server company is closing down its service.

Storm? I’m prepared, or at least I have an attitude of preparedness. “God is in charge,” I wrote to the host of the website, “and we will seek and discover what God has in store for us all.”

So, change is coming. I don’t know the form it will take. Perhaps I’ll be posting at Soaring Post for the last time. Or perhaps I’ll find another way within the next two weeks to write a newsletter and get it out to you.

The storm as I see it, is not weather-related (although tell that to folks in Houston, The Gulf of Mexico, and most recently, Ireland), not even finance-related, but attitudinal.

If I have the attitude of hope and trust in the LORD’s sovereignty, I rest assured, what will come will be for the best.

If I have the attitude of self-determination, I may panic or hurry or fear.

If I have the attitude that I must follow God’s lead and know that step-by-step, He will reveal His strategy, I will be in the eye of the storm, not bearing the brunt of it.

So, I may cease to be an entity at http://laruspress.com or perhaps I can switch things quickly, carry over at an effective cost, and continue on.

Either way, I am open to work hard, pray hard and to follow. Either way, I simply want to be in my Father’s will.

When storms come, we must fight to overcome. But we must also surrender to the Master who allows the storm and trust He has a purpose for us in it.

Jesus calmed the storm,

“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:35-41)

When he calmed the storm, he revealed God’s authority over the storm. We who have Jesus can do the same, whether it is a physical storm or a situational one.

But Jesus only did the will of his Father,

Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28)

When we surrender our will to the Father’s, and trust in His authority, we can, like Jesus, perform His will. And we have perfect peace.

So I officially am now surrendering the fate of my website and this newsletter to Him. I am announcing to Him (as if He didn’t already know) that the service provider for my website is having to shut down… which will be a heartache to the provider…

And so I pray that all those who are hosted by him, will have peace and will find God’s way forward. And I ask that God continues to watch over the work of all parties involved and that we will better serve Jesus through this storm.

Amen.

(Thanks to BibleGateway for the quick referencing)

Categories
Examining Biblical Scripture

How Do I Become More Powerful?

Recently, a friend of mine who loves the LORD was searching for an answer…

“With all the power of GOD within me, how do I become more powerful?”

She was searching because, like most of us, she is aware that the power of Almighty God, creator of the universe is within her and yet she is also aware of the weakness within herself. Some weakness springs from a lack of confidence, some from inexperience. Most I think, is pinned to fear. I’ll come back to that in a moment…

What an excellent question it is! My friend’s question raises the point that, although we believe in Jesus and the resurrection power that resides in us through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), we often feel weaker than we ought. Why is that and how can we overcome, so that we an be and do all that the LORD GOD has for us?

I think we are held back by fear: a fear of man. I’ve experienced this and I believe most of us have. I’ve even written a book about overcoming fear called FREE TO BE. I overcame fear a long time ago, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t occasionally creep back into my life, trying to wreak havoc, delaying me from taking hold of the promises of GOD.

If overcoming the fear of man is the battle, what gives us the strength to fight it? Do we simply launch in? Is it the fighting that makes us braver and stronger?

No. While the experience will strengthen our faith and our authority, what makes us more powerful is not to defeat fear, which is the enemy, but to surrender to GOD.

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

I am convinced that how we become stronger is not by more strain, but by our surrender.

It is, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.” (Zechariah 4:6)

It’s simple, profound and not always easy to do. Perhaps it is one of our greatest challenges, because we live in a busy world with many demands on our time and attention. But when we are determined, we can surrender.

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Brief Testimony:

Over the last few months, I have been yielding. To Surrender to God’s timing and purposes has given me rest in His scriptures and a deeper faith. He will – and He has – come through with the answers and opportunities that I need in order to fulfil His will and my destiny. I have become stronger and more confident as I have become more patient, more relaxed, less busy and less intense. And I have been abundantly blessed. Nothing that has needed to be done has gone undone, and everything that is important has been attended to. But with one difference: I am the better person, as the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) have been growing stronger in me. I have witnessed God’s blessing and opportunity.

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In 1 Chronicles God tells David he will not build His temple, but his son Solomon will.

1 Chronicles 22:9 David tells his son that he will be a man of rest from war. The word “rest” is key.

In verse 19 he says, “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.”

It is not by training or fighting that Solomon would be prepared. He would grow in strength by seeking the LORD.

As for us, we build within us a sanctuary of prayer and praise through resting in Him. The result: we grow stronger. He may lead us to encounters and experiences that will indeed train us through experience, exercise and practice. But I suggest that, essentially, the building of the sanctuary within us comes from our surrender of our will, our heart, and our might to God, spending time with Him in prayer and resting in his scriptures. Let us discover the power of God that is already within us through surrender.

“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)