Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Psalm 143:10 New King James Version
I recently heard a preacher saying to his congregation, “ God is Good” and getting them to reply, “ all the time”. He repeated this ever louder, with the congregation responding louder and louder. It felt like my faith was building every time I heard it. On the other hand I sometimes find it hard to believe that God is good. Circumstances often shout out ‘God is not good’! So which to believe? Since God is perfect in everything, surely He is perfectly good in all His actions? In scripture we hear God saying ‘He saw that it was good’ as He created the world, we saw that God decided it was not good for Adam to be alone so He created Eve. Later we hear over and over again that the Promised Land was a ‘good land’. The gospel itself is described as the ‘good news’. Jesus only ever did good for people, for example, did he ever refuse to heal anyone? See http://www.youversion.com/bible/nkjv/luke/6/19 (Luke 6:19) ‘ . .He healed them all’
Here is a good video of Bill Johnson explaining the difference between ‘control’ and God’s ‘authority’, God's Soveriegn Will , about 7 mins long I think.(He also talks about why we should praise God in all circumstances, how it ‘raises the bride of Christ’ – I’m not sure what this means, but, I think he means it raises up good works, miracles, etc, he also includes two stories of healing from cancer) So it helps a little to know that God has authority and He has ‘loosed’ control to everyone in the world, sometimes called God’s ‘permissive will’, though this is a deceptive phrase since if I give my children freedom and they choose to do bad, is that my 'will'? I say helps a little, because we only see that God is good when we engage with Him in relationship.
If someone theoretically explained why my wife is good to me or a best friend, that would only take me half way there. What I would find truly fulfilling is that relationship in action. The actions would convince me of the goodness, then I would begin to feel loved, the relationship would demonstrate love/goodness in action. In addition I have to choose to believe that my friend or wife loves me, acts in a good way toward me. A good way to remember that God is good is to keep a journal, writing down prayers and answers. For example, I received an email on my birthday last year saying I had won an iphone, also last year I prayed with someone and they were healed of a stomach pain. Why? Because God is good ! And all together, 'all the time' !
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Madame Guyon
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/guyon/auto.iii.x.html
From the autobiography of Madam Guyon, the bit that spoke to me I have made bold
"I now quitted all company, bade farewell forever to all plays and diversions, dancing, unprofitable walks and parties of pleasure. For two years I had left off dressing my hair. It became me, and my husband approved it.
My only pleasure now was to steal some moments to be alone with Thee, O thou who art my only Love! All other pleasure was a pain to me. I lost not Thy presence, which was given me by a continual infusion, not as I had imagined, by the efforts of the head, or by force of thought in meditating on God, but in the will, where I tasted with unutterable sweetness the enjoyment of the beloved object. In a happy experience I knew that that the soul was created to enjoy its God.
The union of the will subjects the soul to God, conforms it to all His pleasure, causes self-will gradually to die. Lastly in drawing with it the other powers, by means of the charity with which it is filled. It causes them gradually to be reunited in the Center, and lost there as to their own nature and operations.
This loss is called the annihilation of the powers. Although in themselves they still subsist, yet they seem annihilated to us, in proportion as charity fills and inflames; it becomes so strong, as by degrees to surmount all the activities of the will of man, subjecting it to that of God. When the soul is docile, and leaves itself to be purified, and emptied of all that which it has of its own, opposite to the will of God, it finds itself by little and little, detached from every emotion of its own, and placed in a holy indifference, wishing nothing but what God does and wills. This never can be effected by the activity of our own will, even though it were employed in continual acts of resignation. These though very virtuous, are so far one’s own actions and cause the will to subsist in a multiplicity, in a kind of separate distinction or dissimilitude from God.
When the will of the creature entirely submits to that of the Creator, suffering freely and voluntarily and yielding only a concurrence to the divine will (which is its absolute submission) suffering itself to be totally surmounted and destroyed, by the operations of love; this absorbs the will into self, consummates it in that of God, and purifies it from all narrowness, dissimilitude, and selfishness."
From the autobiography of Madam Guyon, the bit that spoke to me I have made bold
"I now quitted all company, bade farewell forever to all plays and diversions, dancing, unprofitable walks and parties of pleasure. For two years I had left off dressing my hair. It became me, and my husband approved it.
My only pleasure now was to steal some moments to be alone with Thee, O thou who art my only Love! All other pleasure was a pain to me. I lost not Thy presence, which was given me by a continual infusion, not as I had imagined, by the efforts of the head, or by force of thought in meditating on God, but in the will, where I tasted with unutterable sweetness the enjoyment of the beloved object. In a happy experience I knew that that the soul was created to enjoy its God.
The union of the will subjects the soul to God, conforms it to all His pleasure, causes self-will gradually to die. Lastly in drawing with it the other powers, by means of the charity with which it is filled. It causes them gradually to be reunited in the Center, and lost there as to their own nature and operations.
This loss is called the annihilation of the powers. Although in themselves they still subsist, yet they seem annihilated to us, in proportion as charity fills and inflames; it becomes so strong, as by degrees to surmount all the activities of the will of man, subjecting it to that of God. When the soul is docile, and leaves itself to be purified, and emptied of all that which it has of its own, opposite to the will of God, it finds itself by little and little, detached from every emotion of its own, and placed in a holy indifference, wishing nothing but what God does and wills. This never can be effected by the activity of our own will, even though it were employed in continual acts of resignation. These though very virtuous, are so far one’s own actions and cause the will to subsist in a multiplicity, in a kind of separate distinction or dissimilitude from God.
When the will of the creature entirely submits to that of the Creator, suffering freely and voluntarily and yielding only a concurrence to the divine will (which is its absolute submission) suffering itself to be totally surmounted and destroyed, by the operations of love; this absorbs the will into self, consummates it in that of God, and purifies it from all narrowness, dissimilitude, and selfishness."
Friday, 8 January 2010
Think say DO!
Amos 5:14-15 (The Message)
14Seek good and not evil—
and live!
You talk about God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
being your best friend.
Well, live like it,
and maybe it will happen.
15Hate evil and love good,
then work it out in the public square.
Maybe God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
will notice your remnant and be gracious. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%205:14-15&version=MSG
"Let us put this all together, repentance involves you realizing you must depend on God in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you hate evil, love good. Then and only then, will your life change in what you think, say and do; . ."
Judson from comment in http://www.youversion.com/contributions/49451/religion-or-jesus-a-stern-warning-against-religion
14Seek good and not evil—
and live!
You talk about God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
being your best friend.
Well, live like it,
and maybe it will happen.
15Hate evil and love good,
then work it out in the public square.
Maybe God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
will notice your remnant and be gracious. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%205:14-15&version=MSG
"Let us put this all together, repentance involves you realizing you must depend on God in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you hate evil, love good. Then and only then, will your life change in what you think, say and do; . ."
Judson from comment in http://www.youversion.com/contributions/49451/religion-or-jesus-a-stern-warning-against-religion
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Freely Give
Matthew 10:8
Freely give because we have freely received, but what shall we give, well the less quoted first half of this verse tells us, 'heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons'. In the western church we are not too bad on casting out demons, we hear the odd story of healing, but, never hear of raising the dead, so what are we doing wrong?
Surely Christ cannot have given us an instruction that is impossible to do, can He? Perhaps we have something to learn from the African or Indian church here. Instead of sending people to seminary or theological college perhaps we should send them to live with Bush pastors in Northern Mozambique?
What about me? Is it about being poor in spirit and completely submitting to God, I wonder. Hand in hand with this is it about seeking to be ever filled with the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 5:18-19 And what practical steps does that involve? getting peole to lay hands on me, practise being in His presence? I know during the so called Torronto Blessing I went to meeting after meeting for six months, eventually I started to get filled and I found I could approach God on my own and be filled. Maybe we have to this with healing also, just keep praying for and with people whatever the results, keep on praising God, keep on keeping on!
Freely give because we have freely received, but what shall we give, well the less quoted first half of this verse tells us, 'heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons'. In the western church we are not too bad on casting out demons, we hear the odd story of healing, but, never hear of raising the dead, so what are we doing wrong?
Surely Christ cannot have given us an instruction that is impossible to do, can He? Perhaps we have something to learn from the African or Indian church here. Instead of sending people to seminary or theological college perhaps we should send them to live with Bush pastors in Northern Mozambique?
What about me? Is it about being poor in spirit and completely submitting to God, I wonder. Hand in hand with this is it about seeking to be ever filled with the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 5:18-19 And what practical steps does that involve? getting peole to lay hands on me, practise being in His presence? I know during the so called Torronto Blessing I went to meeting after meeting for six months, eventually I started to get filled and I found I could approach God on my own and be filled. Maybe we have to this with healing also, just keep praying for and with people whatever the results, keep on praising God, keep on keeping on!
Reborn and Renewed
Titus 3:5 Amplified Bible http://www.youversion.com/bible/amp/titus/3/5
"He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit"
Not through anything I did, and how often I forget, striving to please God, 'doing' not just 'being' His child. I like the amplified version of being bathed. And the renewing, 'just letting go and letting God',
I know He will give me more of His spirit if I let Him. I need to go to a quiet place and just let His spirit wash through me, renewing me. Not always easy, but there are things we can practise, meditation on a verse, for example. Listening for God's voice by recognising it and distinguishing it from our own thoughts, or the devils negative, accusing thoughts, is something else we can try and practise
His constant reassurance is 'do not fear', full acceptance is ours, He believes in us, He has a good plans for us, He knows you inside out and made you unique, special, He loves you, He even sings over us!
"He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit"
Not through anything I did, and how often I forget, striving to please God, 'doing' not just 'being' His child. I like the amplified version of being bathed. And the renewing, 'just letting go and letting God',
I know He will give me more of His spirit if I let Him. I need to go to a quiet place and just let His spirit wash through me, renewing me. Not always easy, but there are things we can practise, meditation on a verse, for example. Listening for God's voice by recognising it and distinguishing it from our own thoughts, or the devils negative, accusing thoughts, is something else we can try and practise
His constant reassurance is 'do not fear', full acceptance is ours, He believes in us, He has a good plans for us, He knows you inside out and made you unique, special, He loves you, He even sings over us!
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Jesus our Shield
Ephesians 6:16-17 In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We had a word at our church this week about Jesus being our shield and how we had to pick that shield up. It struck me that the shield goes first, then you step into the ground that the shield just gave you, come on Jesus give me holy spirit inspired courage!
We had a word at our church this week about Jesus being our shield and how we had to pick that shield up. It struck me that the shield goes first, then you step into the ground that the shield just gave you, come on Jesus give me holy spirit inspired courage!
Sunday, 3 January 2010
I believe in Jesus, that through Jesus we will see revival in this country! I want to be a 3 metre square revival and to do that I must submit to Jesus everything I try to cling onto. These can be my way of doing things, rushing people, the smallest things not necesarily the biggest sins. I am learning and I want to learn faster. How to do this? Paul speaks of the renewing of the mind http://www.youversion.com/bible/niv/rom/12/2 the filling of the mind with right things, Paul also speaks of thinking on what is true and pure and admirable http://www.youversion.com/bible/niv/phil/4/8 . I like the news and I do want to be responsible, informed, etc, but sometimes it's just plain depressing,maybe I should be filling my mind with positive stuff or worshipping? Worship music somehow lifts my spirit to heaven, somtimes I have to make myself put some on, whether that's in the car or the house or on the train and usually I get there, I start worshipping, confessing, getting straightened out in my soul. And often, I get that whoosh that excitement, that infilling, the transcendance - and I think all that starts me wanting what Jesus wants, more of Him in in me must do that surely ? "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord" Ephesians 5:18-19
"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" Jerimiah 29:13
"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" Jerimiah 29:13
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