Dependance. It's all about "Who" you should put your trust in.

Dependence. In the culture of North America it is a negative term. You should not depend on anyone but yourself. Of course that is folly.

What? I am the maker of my own destiny.

Yes, certainly, that is the folly. You think your "I Am" equates to the Lover of your souls "I AM" and His understanding of who you are.

Only He sees your path clearly. Only He can navigate you through the challenges you are faced with now. Why? He sees it all now, and you have no ability to comprehend the consequence of everyone's decisions that will impact your life.

Not even your own decisions.

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

Iron Sharpens Iron.

There is a season for everything. And in that season, friends challenge what you think. They see first hand the consequence of your choices and ask questions about the veracity of your decisions. That is if they are a friend.

It's good to know what you believe, it's better to know why you believe it. Your friends may "trust in chariots and some in horses"... Google it.

It's all about radical dependence. That is if you are done with trusting your own understanding.

Battle of the minds.

Have you ever considered your thoughts? Do you ever think about your thoughts? Why are your thoughts like having a conversation?  Have you ever argued with yourself?

Your thoughts are an integral part of your life. They reside in the realm of your mind. Every choice and every decision you make is a result of the "thought processes" that go on within your mind. The Bible says "as a man thinks in his heart so is he."

What you believe has everything to do with what you think. What you think will be revealed in what you say and what you do. These choices and decisions have their consequence, good or bad! They become unalterable facts in the gist of your life. Will they be lessons for you today?

So what you believe affects what you think, what you think affects your decisions and choices, which creates unalterable facts about you.

This all takes place in your mind. A battleground of competing thoughts, where a conversation is carried on and sometimes even arguments happen.

How do you explain it all? VOICES?

Boom boom pow! really?

Went to work today. It's a new facility. Seems there are multiple speakers in the ceiling of every room. And the ability to flood those rooms with what ever radio station the one who has access to the controls decides to listen to.

It must be a "Top 10" radio station. Boom, Boom, Pow is now reverberating in my head. Its 11:40 pm. I left work at 4:30 pm

There is a lesson to be learnt, learned... here.

Who are you really?

Foibles. We all have them. Google it.

Freedom to pursue your own path of discovery.

You are responsible for the consequence of your choices.

Trust the Lover of your soul for guidance.

Be wise. Admit your mistakes and know God gives Grace to the humble.

Known?

Many people know you. Know the you, that you have created. Created according to what you saw others held in esteem. The herd has a mentality.

Struggle, frustration, and disappointment are not a stranger to you. There lies the clue.

Looking for acceptance, you gave up on your uniqueness and gave in to the demand of conformity. Yes you did.

Then. Your true identity sought differentiation.  To be noticed, recognized and accepted was not enough. The need to be known as a unique, one of a kind person demands no compromise.

Who are you really? There is only One who can answer that question for you. Seek out the Lover of your soul. "Become" the one He created you to be. REPENT.

To be "Known" by someone.

To be known by someone implies a degree of intimacy, marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity.

I am reminded of a verse I used to misquote. "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me". In fact most people will misquote it that way.

The actual verse is...
John 10:27. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

This is in stark contrast to a verse where Jesus makes another statement about knowing someone.

Matthew 7:21:23  “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. 22 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?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Recognized, Identified and Acknowledged.

We all want to be known. So much so we go to great lengths to get the attention, good or bad.

"Cheers" was a sitcom from my youth. It was centered around a neighborhood bar. It had a theme song that went... "You wanna be where everybody knows your name".

It was a big hit.

You are Becoming?

There's no getting around it. Change happens. Mostly deterministic. Everything is becoming something other than what it was. What it is, is not what it will be.

You are swept along by the interaction of mass and energy. But choice affords an alternative to determinism.  The truth for you and me, Christ died for us.

Now will you choose the Lover of your Soul? Because of what He did, you have a choice.

A better plan

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I never knew you?

Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
21 “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. 22 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?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
How can God not know someone?

My back deck

I was out on my back deck tonight. It had been raining but now the evening, though overcast, was warm and pleasant. I decided to start a fire.

I noticed that the wood had got rained on and was quite wet. But I made a nice pile of wood in my fire pit and thought if I put some fuel on it, that I could start a good fire.

As I lit the fuel the flames burst forth. But quickly died out because the wood had not caught on fire. So I put more fuel on the pile and lit another match. This time I thought if the flames started to die out I would just blow on the fire to try to keep it going. I blew and blew until I got dizzy and needed to stop. You could tell some of the wood had caught on fire because you could see faint amber's glowing, but they quickly died out.

I'm not one to give up so I again poured more fuel on the pile and lit it with another match. To my frustration the same thing began to happen all over again. But then out of nowhere the wind began to pick up. The trees in my backyard began to sway and I felt the wind on my face.

You could hear the flames whipping up as the wind began to fan the flames. My meager breath trying to blow the embers was nothing compared to the power of the wind that set the embers a glowing and they quickly met each other and started the fire that I was hoping for.

There is just one problem. The wood quickly burnt down and I had to go and find more.

Fresh wind, fresh fire needs fresh fuel. Go out and gather it.

The Will of the One who has "All Authority"

Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,...

 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth...

19 Go therefore (So now because of this go) and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Humble & Dependant

Dependant, Blameless and Repentant

Now is not a time to prepare for the future. To equip our youth with biblical principles of leadership and strategies to evangelize the nations. Now is the time to call our youth to a humble, dependant, day to day, walk with God. Where Proverbs 3:5-6 is the operative state and the goal is to be blameless and live repentantly. (Power & Strength is needed)

Tarry until and Occupy (A.B. Simpson)

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

Not great skill or knowledge or learning. Not position or riches...

The Beatitudes!

Adam & Eve walked with God.
Enoch walked with God and God took him.
Elijah walked with God.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV) 16.These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

Question: "What does the Bible say about repentance? What does it mean to repent?"

Answer: The word repentance in the Bible literally means “the act of changing one’s mind.” True biblical repentance goes beyond remorse, regret, or feeling bad about one’s sin. It involves more than merely turning away from sin. Eerdmans Bible Dictionary includes this definition of repentance: “In its fullest sense it is a term for a complete change of orientation involving a judgment upon the past and a deliberate redirection for the future.” https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-repentance.html

Have a Hope

God says he has a plan for you. Are you paying attention?

Jeremiah 29:11 RSV  "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Who did Jesus say had the greatest faith? What did the Centurion understand? (Authority)

What did it motivate him to do?  He asked Jesus to "give the command". What was Jesus' answer?

A promise!

Abraham's faith was based on a promise. He believed God and it was accounted to him righteousness.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him.
What is the reward?

2 Corinthians 1:20.  For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Hebrews 6:13  For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Incongruous:

incongruous
[in-kong-groo-uh s]
adjective
1.
out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming:
an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior.
2.
not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts:

Aware

conscious
    (followed by `of') showing realization or recognition of something
    sensible
    aware intuitively or intellectually of something sensed
    witting
    aware or knowing
    conscious
    knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts

Distraction, Occupation and Opportunity?

It seems that this is the battlefield. The Lover of our soul orchestrates opportunity. The enemy tries to distract us and take up our time so we won't take advantage of His plan.

Distraction & Occupation

God says "occupy" until I come.

Opportunity

op·por·tu·ni·ty
Pronunciation: \ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nə-tē, -ˈtyü-\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural op·por·tu·ni·ties
Etymology:
Date: 14th century
1 :  a favorable juncture of circumstances

Definition of OPPORTUNITY

noun \ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nə-tē, -ˈtyü-\
                                              

: an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done.

:  a favorable juncture of circumstances

Reconcile distraction.

Why do I prefer distraction in the moment? A moment that is unique, unrepeatable and when past, is unchangeable and therefore without a price?

It is because in the moment the waiting needs to be occupied. Duration is the "experienced" observation of change. And in the "cycle" I wait for "opportunity". That is the word I need to plumb.

2 Chron. 16

⁹ For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Give us today our daily bread.

When the Israelites where in the desert God provided them with manna. It was to sustain them for that day. After that it rotted. They were to gather it daily.

A Fresh Wind is like fresh bread.

It's like that with the leading of the Holy Spirit. Today's meal is for today. It gives us strength and we learn of God's love for us, we gain a testimony of that great love. And we desperately seek tomorrow's meal of Fresh Wind.

Trust and Obey

Being a Fully Actualized Kingdom Saint is not contingent on what you know but on "who" you know. And who knows you.

I will Plumb the Depths of Proverbs 3:5-6

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

John 14:26 (NKJV)

²⁶ 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".

 

What did Jesus tell you when you first gave your life to Him? I know it was a promise! His promise motivates obedience, but what happens when the promise is fulfilled? He is faithful because of His great love towards us. How does experiencing that love motivate us after the promise is fulfilled?

Memory and the Holy Spirit's leading

John 14:26 (NKJV)  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.

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

Matthew 10:19 When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say.

Memory is selective.

Tracy and I were talking. She said, "remember when"? I had to say, "no".  It was then I realized memory is very selective for each of us. I realized then my memories or the ability to remember was a function of the Spirit and not an ability of my mental capacity.

What does this mean? It means that our memories are the way the Spirit brings to remembrance those things that help us see the present more clearly and His motivation is to help us make decisions for the "future". He helps us remember today, what He said yesterday, so that we can make wise decisions for tomorrow.

Keep a journal and make it easier on yourself. Oh yeah, don't ever forget to always "Call on the name of the Lord".

Here I am again. Cycles.

Another opportunity. God's grace has brought me around again. What am I missing?

Do it! "If a man knows to do good and doesn't "do it" it is accounted to him as sin".

Do it, then "Trust in the Lord with all your heart". Do you know these verses? Check out Prov. 3.

Cycles?

Cycles are evident in nature. The Earth around the Sun, the days that represent the spin of the Earth. These are cycles that bring us around again. Cycles represent God's desire to address the issue. An opportunity to understand the ramification of our actions. Grace, manifest in patience, then long suffering, represented in hope, provides another opportunity. Each cycle an opportunity to respond to His "still small voice".

You will not be able to appeal to the idea of a second witness. Creation cries out. It humbles all.

My Blog in Reverse..

Click this link >>>>> Reverse Blog

Don't click the "Home" Link at the bottom of the page. Just the "Newer Posts" link to stay in the reverse order.

Incongruity?

Have you ever watch a commercial by a pharmaceutical company? Incongruity? Somehow they convince you to buy while telling why you shouldn't. This is the best illustration of the society we live in. Truth is not the prime factor. They sell hope without the need to change (repent). They make you think that the consequence of your decisions can be avoided.

But we all reap what we sow.

Due Diligence in the Kingdom.

Acts17:  11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men...

"Reject passivity" comes to mind when I think of "Due Diligence". And as I think of that, I hear the Spirit say "Pay Attention". And along with that I hear, "What are you waiting for"?

Am I paying attention? If so, what am I waiting for?

Phil. 2:

5  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  6  Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7  rather, he made himself nothing  by taking the very nature of a servant,  being made in human likeness.  8  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Let this mind be in you?

The mind of Christ...

Let it be in you...

Think like He thought... Thinks!

How does He think?

He said to the Father "Not my will but yours be done."

Not to change the subject... but let me change the subject.

Do you ever think about your thoughts?

Your thoughts are yours, right? Well...

The thoughts of your mind are the Battle Ground of the Spiritual Warfare that goes on whether we are aware of it or not.

"Let this mind be in you". What the hay bales does this mean?

We'll talk some more.

What will "I" do with my numbered days?

I'll pay attention. I won't wait for someone else. I'll reject passivity. I'll accept my responsibility, and will speak out my testimony so the Spirit can prophetically express His desire to those that hear.

What He did in my life He can do in yours.

Time doesn't exist. But we only have a Limited supply?

Clock time, the tracking of mass and energy and how it changes, are demarcated by cycles. These cycles are limited by duration and the 2nd Second law of thermodynamics.

Our observation provides us with the concept of time but cycles only reveal changes in eternity which God holds together, and allows.

So our "Days are numbered"!

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THEM?

*You have given everything to me, what can I do for you? Bob Dylan

It isn't what you're given, it's what you do with it. It isn't where you start, it's how far you go.