The promise attained?

Remember when you gave your life to Christ? All the promises find their yes in Him. The promise of God motivates obedience. Obedience is a path of discovery and growth. Then you obtain what was promised. Your motivation fades. You rely on what you know. You trust in your own understanding. And God waits patiently.

You’ve “attained”. Gone is the need to “trust in the Lord with all your heart” Your love for God becomes gratefulness and dependence fades away. You are thankful but your seeking heart subsides. Self-will dominates your thoughts. You have yet to learn God’s love for you is revealed in not what he can give you but in His desire to be with you. For you to know Him, and for Him to know you.

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

Matthew 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Paul said...

Phil. 3:10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

A promise to restore what was lost? The enemy can fulfill such a promise.

The promise of eternal life is fulfilled only "In Christ."

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and

Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The truth separated from God becomes deception

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

The truth sets you free if you believe it.

In all your getting get understanding Proverbs 4:7

Don't trust in your own understanding

The truth separated from God becomes deception

Proverbs 29:18 CEV Without guidance from God law and order disappear, but God blesses everyone who obeys his Law.

The Great Deception.

It's not one lie, it's many. They come from every direction. Don't focus on the lies! There are to many to comprehend.

Know Truth Himself, you'll see the lie every time...

Proverbs 29:18 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

Eschatology... Hmm.

ADDICTIONS

Ad·dic·tion - noun: the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.

We are all addicts of something...

• Alcoholic: addicted to alcohol.
• Workaholic: addicted to work.
• Chocaholic: addicted chocolate.
• Spendaholic : addicted to spending money.
• Sportsaholic : lives to watch or play sport.
• Talkaholic : Incessant talking.
• Tweetaholic : Addicted to tweeting.

The one addiction that trumps them all is the “addiction to self-will”.

"I'm going to do what I want to do!"

It began in the garden of Eden and continues to this day. We are aware of Good and evil and seem to instinctively know when someone has trespassed against us. We don't pay heed to God's guidance and counsel and instead we "trust in our own understanding" as we respond/react to those who have done us wrong. Thus the cycle of self-will reaps ill-will in our hearts and our relationships. And we find all sorts of ways (other addictions) to ease our unhappiness for a moment!

All this happens because we listen to, and believe the lies the enemy of our Soul tells us. He speaks these lies in our thoughts and tries to convince us of "who" we are.

The enemy uses Pride or Condemnation.

1 Peter 5:8 Stay alert! Watch out for your enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

This spiritual battle manifests itself in our thought life. The enemy of your Soul can use your self-will addiction to make you believe you have it within yourself to be "happy" and encourage thoughts of self-confidence/righteousness. The enemy of your Soul would be content to leave you there. But…

This addiction to self-will manifests itself in an infinite number of ways. In our pride, most of us never come to realize the destructive consequences that self-will has in our lives. We "manage" the turmoil in our relationships by practicing "self-actualization" and make ourselves feel better by blaming others for our situation. But…

If you trust in your own understanding, sooner or later you will make mistakes. Then the enemy of your Soul changes his tactics. From thoughts of pride to thoughts of condemnation. These thoughts of pride or of condemnation, the enemy uses them with one goal in mind, your destruction.

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sick and need to change the way they think.

Stop believing lies about who you are and embrace the "Lover of your Soul" He created you and He has a better plan for your life.

Seek Him out with all your heart!

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart don't lean on your own understanding, recognize God in all of your ways and he will direct your paths.

Read this...

https://www.gotquestions.org/seeking-God.html

The Desert

The desert is a place where God “tests” his people. To see if they will obey him or not. Are they trustworthy? 

It is a place where He deals with issues that hinder the true believer from hearing his voice and walking in his ways. As long as we trust in our own understanding as long as we believe we know what to do, God cannot fully (bless) support our activities (the activity isn’t the issue). If we take credit (pride) we prove our untrustworthiness. 

His desire is to fellowship with us intimately. To share His inmost heart, what He thinks and how He feels about everything and everyone around us. If He can’t trust us, He is unable to share as much as He would like to. 

He is the truth, the way, and the life. Can God trust me with great insight and spiritual understanding? Humility – seeing who I am really. Dependence: seeing who God is…savior, Lord. God is the only source of wisdom and understanding. I don’t need principles of life; I need the Author of life. I don’t need things to make me happy. I need the joy that comes from making God happy. Am I committed to the journey? Do I walk according to what I already know? Do I believe that God will hold me accountable?

Are God’s priorities my priorities? (What did Jesus read out loud at the beginning of His earthly ministry Luke 4:18)

We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Set the captive free. Mend the broken heart. Declare the acceptable year of the Lord. God wants to give me His heart (love) for those I come in contact with. He wants to tell me what He thinks and how He feels about all of those around me. Can He trust me? Lord I want to be trustworthy, Amen.

The vision to travel all over the world and take pictures for you, the promise to give me a wife and family motivated me when I saw them as goals that would fulfill me. Make me happy? Complete me? Activities? Jobs? Careers? What is God’s will? The promise motivates obedience. As we try to obey, God shows us all our weaknesses. All our sin that hinders. 

You purge us of pride, selfish ambition, selfishness, and self-centeredness. As we try to build our own reputations, as we try to secure our own comfort and security as we try to be happy and successful. You show us life. It’s in you, not apart from you. It’s not in acquiring knowledge of life principles that we find all the things we think we need. Apart from you, everything is vain and empty. Life is found at your feet in humble dependence. Eternal treasure is gained in trust and obedience.

The "Good News" to this generation...

You are "Significant"! Turn (repent) from the path of self-actualization/reliance.

Quit trusting in what you think you know and turn to the one who knows you. He will guide you in the way that you should proceed.   Prov. 3: 5-6

And don't forget to do good.

The Self-Help Christian Industry

Self-help Christianity emphasizes understanding principles to live by, that are expounded in the Bible. It is a path with a promise... "Walk in my ways and it will go well with you" (Jeremiah 7:23 )

We learn these principles from preachers and teachers that are well taught in the practical wisdom passed down to them. We all have some (practical wisdom) to give if you have been "born again".

The love and hope of the one who trains up his child in the way he should go, as he passes down the lessons he has learned, rarely brings about the hoped for result. Why?

Knowledge puffs up. What does that mean? Practical wisdom separated from its source, becomes something we begin to trust in. We see it as our own. And it is. It is wisdom we have acquired. It is wisdom we have operated on. It is wisdom that has blessed our lives. Because we have trusted it and acted upon it. We are accountable. If a man knows to do good and doesn't do it. That is sin.

If we know knowledge puffs up what are we to do. Your testimony reeks of biblical principles. God has met you where you were at. He spoke to you and made His wisdom known to you. I like to say, "He sharpened your axe". Certainly speak of the wisdom He has imparted...

Oh wait, do you have a testimony of what God has shared with you? Or are you just a student of practical wisdom?

Either way, the first part of Jeremiah 7:23 is what we all need to understand.

"But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."

"Obey My voice" is a present tense imperative, progressive verb. You only hear Him in the present "here and now." That is when you should obey.

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."

Everyone is Unique.

So what should we deduce from this truth?

I'm not like you. Then why do I compare myself to you? It's because I want what you have. You are noticed, others praise your accomplishments, when I try to compete, you do better than me. When will I realize I can't be you?

Have you ever tried to be "like" someone else? What about trying to be someone you aren't, just to get someone to like you, to notice you? Have you ever struggled with trying to find the real you?

Then you are a "most fortunate soul". You are close to realizing... the real you is not like anyone else.

Years ago I learned that... "When I get a glimpse of God, I automatically get a glimpse of my true self".

Let His Light shine into (reveal) your life as you "Seek Him with all your Heart". As you get to know Him, you will get to know yourself. READ YOUR BIBLE!

Who am I?

Who I think I am is brought into focus by the interpretation of my perception (5 Senses) which results from my perspective of what exists. This perspective is informed by truth or lies...

What is the source of your information? Is your perspective of reality interpreted from your limited perception, then you have reasons to be uncertain about anything you decide, or do you rely on information from a perspective high above your own? A perception that is not limited to the "Here and Now"?

Lets do some investigation...

I started an online course from Stanford on Artificial Intelligence. There's a free version available.

It seems that AI research has come up with “Reasons of Uncertainty” as they investigate “What to do when you don’t know what to do”. Here are the reasons for uncertainty...

• Sensor limits. Don’t see it all.
• Stochastic environment. Unlimited variables.
• Adversaries. An enemy dedicated to you failing.
• Laziness. Not being thorough in your investigation
• Ignorance. Not knowing and not caring.

Oh, crap! Christian, does this sound familiar?

A Natural Man!

A natural man, yes I am, that broke free from the cycle of deception. Ill equipped to face the challenge of condemnation or exaltation, how do I train up a son in the way that he should go?

The truth shall set you free!

Deception: is the norm. Make believe is entertainment's offering to all our perspectives. How can I discern the truth in what I perceive.

Conception: an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances.
Self conception: who you think you are derived from past instances that formed an identity.

Tumultuous in its energy, the flow of truth and lies mixed up to give veracity to the current of deception, has its effect. The discerner of spirits will fall back to the fundamentals and embrace the Lover of their Soul. Peace in the storm, do you see the signs?

Though turmoil is all about and I am flummoxed on every side, the Rock of my Salvation is solid ground. I stand in His Grace. He knows me. Amen.

The creature is not independent of the Creator.

Identity, Self-conception, interpretation, unique perspective.

Patterns of behavior are a result of who we perceive ourselves to be, our identity. Our conception of self is derived from how we interpret our unique perspective that exists in the now but...

A natural man, yes I am, that broke free from the "cycle" of deception. Ill-equipped to face the challenge of condemnation or exaltation, how do I train up a son in the way that he should go.

The truth shall set you free!

Deception is the norm. Make-believe is entertainment's offering of "distraction" to all our perspectives. How can I discern the truth in what I perceive?

Conception: an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances.

Self-conception: who you think you are derived from past instances that formed an identity.

What is a "fact"? Is it a statement of action or observance of state? The statement, "The earth is the third rock from the sun" is true for now. So is a "fact" something that is an observed truth at a given moment? Or is "Observed State" a recognition of the fact of determinism?

• Is our interpretation of our unique perspective a reliable foundation to base all our choices and decisions on?
• Do we have a clear understanding of how, what we decide, will propagate forward?
• Do we have it in our capacity to comprehend reality's nature and the influence our free will has on the circumstance made available to others that experience that influence? 

The answer to these questions makes me think, "Oh crap!".

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.

One day exists in the "Now" of God's presence. What is "Now"?

It is the dynamic interaction of all that exists. Reality? Incomprehensible!

We see a fraction and can only comprehend an infinitesimal and in our pride we proclaim understanding.

The question is, "Do we understand how lost we are?"