Real or Imitation- How do you want to spend your life? Part One

What do you see to your left? Do you see a duck? or, do you see a 'rubber' duck, that looks 'like' a duck? Obviously, the image to the left is a cheap imitation of the real thing. Walking like a duck, talking like a duck, looking like a duck or any other attribute will never make it a duck. Likewise, walking like a chicken, clucking like a chicken, or looking like a chicken won't make you a chicken.  Wherever you are in life, be there.  Give your entire self to the moment and enjoy it. 

Since we're talking about ducks, what is the most important thing a duck needs to know? There are tons of things you might answer. Possible answers that a duck might need to know are: 

• how to find food, water
• how to communicate
• where to find shelter
• how to find his or her mate to reproduce
• where to find safety
• acceptance to his group
• part of the social network

All those answers are really good and you could probably come up with dozens more, but all those answers are circumstantial and none are more important than one thing. The most important thing a duck needs to know is that he is a duck. He must know who he is. He must know his identity. The same is true with you. If you want to be free, you must know who you are. When we're free, our decisions are based in a place at our core, rather than considering what each decision 'looks like' or how 'this will affect me'.


We aren't who we are because of what we do! Just because you talk like a christian and walk like a christian doesn't mean you're walking by faith.  Be Real.  Get honest with yourself and get naked with me.

I am,
David
http://restorationhouse.com/

Moving On...

While listening to this song about moving on from a failed relationship, think about how the world system has let you down. Think about how all the efforts you have made to make a name for yourself have come up still needing more effort. There is a way to let go of the past and to move on to 'what is next' in your life. Say good-bye to the past and hello to something even greater. God really does love you and He has a plan and purpose for you. Try not to think about His plan and purpose in terms of normal definitions. Just let your mind go and trust Him. Trust Him while you're listening to this song. Trust Him later on today. Trust Him next week when things are going good or bad. He'll take it from there.

I Am,
David
http://restorationhouse.com/

How to Pray and Know the Answers

Can a believer really pray, knowing the answers to every prayer he or she might pray? The answer to this question is so obvious that most Christians usually look right past the answer.

Several years ago the Lord gave me a series to share with a local group on the topic, How to Pray and Know the Answers, Every Time. The series broke down into a series of four messages and are as much a part of me as He Himself. I am grateful to the Lord for His revelation in this area but I must admit it is totally Him.

How do I pray?

Who can Commune with God?

Who can have Relationship?

Can I actually Abide?

Should I lose my mind?
You must if you expect to be in agreement with “being in Him”.

Can I Know His will? Once I understand what prayer is and that I can commune with God, once I have a personal relationship, am abiding in Christ, once I have lost my mind- then I can know His good and acceptable will- not before.

Now I can Pray according to His will!
I am asked often, “How do you do the things you do?” “How do you walk so closely to the Lord, it seems so effortless for you?” I love to have those questions asked and I love to enter into these types of discussions.

The more we acknowledge our new identity as being in Him, we'll have personal understanding on how to pray, and we'll understand how it's possible to pray without ceasing. God is addressing our identity crisis. I am not speaking about what we identify 'with'; but rather, 'who are we', better yet, 'who am I'. The answer to this question is/was resolved at the cross. There is a death to the old man that God is allowing in your life. This death isn't anything to be afraid... it's actually overseen by God, and part of your ordained steps. It's actually the path to say with Paul, "death, where is your sting now?", and also the cornerstone that we're most likely to reject.

Wherever you are in life, there is a 'now moment'. Trust Him in your 'now moment', the one you are experiencing right now. The present moment for 'you', might be that your performance is worldly 'good', or worldly 'bad'. Either condition is unacceptable to God. The only way we can truly know God is get past the idea that we don't belong with Him. We do belong with Him, because He paid the price. It's not by merit that we have right to boldly enter into Him, it's by faith.

As far as I can see, the whole duty of a believer is to believe God. Everything else is on His shoulders. A lot of times people seem to think that the gift of faith is being able to walk in His revelation. While it is true that the gift of faith does manifest many times in our lives, it is not true that it's the gift of faith that allows us to abide in Him. What I am saying may seem to split hairs from where you are sitting so let me reword it. It's because of the reckless abandoning of your own life that Christ can be seen. Some may say that this is taking being saved by grace out of the picture. All I am saying is that I agree with God, “I am saved, righteous, cleansed, one with Him”. Out of the acceptance of salvation comes manifestation. Out of my 'new' mind, I think with 'His' mind. Out of 'His' love, 'I' love. He is present and loves me regardless of what action I take (good or bad); however, it’s only when my mind agrees with Him that my choices aren’t based in “what I see”.

How tragic is it for us to teach and preach that Jesus alone is the way and yet our lives teach and preach something else. There's no need to wear a mask. When you get down to it, it doesn't matter how you choose to live... He loves you just like you are. Want a quick and easy answer to the question? Is there a way to know the answers to every prayer I might pray? Yes, but you'll have to lose your mind to know it.

I am,
David

http://restorationhouse.com/

Total Surrender 'Contract'

Dear Lord, I surrender to You:
My will, mind and emotions, my body, my future plans, hopes and dreams. I give You my home, my marriage, my mate, my children, my geographical location, my recreation and entertainment, and my career. I surrender to You my past successes and my past failures, my habits, my finances, my problems, my time, my integrity and character, my attitudes, my business conduct & relationships, my Christian walk and my response to authority.

Lord, I further surrender to You the following “rights”:

• My right to possessions,


• My right to a good reputation,


• My right to have acceptance,


• My right to have pleasant circumstances,


• My right to presume on the will of God,


• My right to life itself,
• My right to beauty or strength,


• My right to have friendships,


• My right to be heard,


• My right to take up offense,


• My right to avoid reaping from what I sow,


• My right to be right,


• My right to see results,


• My right to ___________________________


• My right to ___________________________


• My right to ___________________________


• My right to ___________________________
  

Dear Lord, I give You permission to do anything You wish to me, with me, in me or through me. I claimed the above items once as mine. Now they belong to You and are under Your control. You can do anything You please with them. I willingly make this commitment in the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I recognize that this is an agreement with You that can never be broken. Now that I have surrendered ownership of my life to You, You will never give it back to me.In Your name, Amen


Signature _________________________ Date _______

A friend and brother gave me the above "Contract", probably ten years ago, while we were ministering somewhere. Hope you are blessed with it.

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

I am,
David
http://restorationhouse.com/

It's About the Economy

What happens when we experience the kind of peace our human brains can't comprehend and how do we experience it again and again? What happens is far too simple for the human mind to label as credible. We want a complicated answer so that we can 'take pride' in 'knowing' and we reduce God into our image and call ourselves 'right'.

The truth is, when we experience peace that surpasses all our worldly understanding, we found a portal into true eternal Life and God's thinking (the mind of Christ). We, ourselves gave up trying or at least we were between tries, showing or finding our true self. If we find ourselves chasing after worldly dreams that are attractive, by all means, chase after them. If we believe that man's ways aren't good enough, then stop chasing man's ways. Either way, God accepts you and you are loved so be true to your revelation. This isn't a test in school where there are right and wrong answers... you were created by God and for God, just like you are...

I read an interesting article yesterday about local churches and how we need to show acceptance, offering true friendship to people visiting. It was very thought provoking and stirred up some of these thoughts you are reading. The article spoke about how persons visiting churches are looking for a friend and new experiences, most likely to get out of the daily routine they've found themselves.

From what I can tell, the people in the article are looking for God's unconditional love. We all need His unconditional love. Why do people go to bars or similar places? To belong. It's sad that we get so caught up in our own little 'r' reality that we miss opportunities to engage God when we miss new relationships and encounters. Since God is love and we need God, then we all need love. Maybe we don't think He is approachable. Maybe we think God is for someone else. Maybe, maybe, maybe... We all need the Real Love of God.

There are really only two choices to process and do things:

On the one hand, there is the world's economy: The world's economy looks like a 'to do' list, with every action leading to the next action, and then reaching a goal. It connects past behavior with future behavior, to produce a positive or negative outcome. When man is born, we immediately draw conclusions celebrating our own independence. Best described as (i.e. provision, love, health, you in the blank) 'by me', and is 'sin nature' in every man.

On a higher plain, there is God's economy: God's economy doesn't actually work, but it does function. God gives freely everything He has, including His identity. In fact, He gives it in exchange for our sin. God's economy is always found by living in the moment, not considering how events are connected and how other people perceive them. It requires no explanation; it just is. Best described as (i.e. provision, love, health, fill in the blank) 'through me', and is manifestation of our true identity.

You decide what economy is right for you.

I am,
David

http://restorationhouse.com/

Additional reading: Exodus 34:12; Matthew 6:24

What's the big 'ta-do' About Money?

What's the big 'ta-do' about money? If we have some, we think it's the source of our needs being met. If we don't have 'what we think is enough', we spend our time trying to get more, in order to get our needs met. Do we not know how to simply rest any longer?

The entire word of God is one example after another of simply trusting God and that He is trustworthy. Our brains cannot accept that we have no part in our daily needs being provided. We find it difficult to live in the 'now', yet we experience glimpses of living in the now, where peace is our only guide and whatever work is done is being done 'through us', rather than 'by us.'

There is nothing wrong with giving up on something when there is nothing you find in it desirable. In fact, we should 'lay down' things that aren't of benefit to us. There-in lies the illumination of our problem in our human situation. Money is not the answer. God is the answer.

The contradiction and challenge to living in the world is that our natural mind isn't 'on board' with our source being God and being so fully accepted in Him. We aren't comfortable with our new identity and feel we must produce sweat to feel good about being part of the answer. Man's way of doing things is all wrong. Money is not the answer. Man is not the solution, man is the problem. God is the answer and He is always found now, no matter where you are.

We either have a little money or we don't, but I am still asking, "What's the big 'ta-do' about money?" If we believe in God's economy, everything will be right on time or you will eventually change course, either of which are fine with God. Is it really well with your soul or are you just moving your lips? You can't counterfeit trusting in God but you can change course, any time.

I am,
David

http://restorationhouse.com/

Additional reading: Exodus 34:12; Matthew 6:24