Am I walking By Faith or In Fear?

Early in the book of Genesis we find a man and woman, walking in the garden intimately with God.  They make a decision that would forever change humanity.  Their decision was to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  To ‘eat’ means it was Adam and Eves’ motivation.  Their motivation, or intention of their heart was to take care of themselves.  They became independent, where they had been totally dependent upon God till this event.

Prior to the first ‘Declaration of Independence’, they were naked and didn’t even know it.  After the event, they were naked and they felt ashamed, trying to cover up.  Although God was never in denial about their wardrobe, He didn’t see any of their decision-making as a problem, except for the one thing they were told not to do.  God didn’t have a problem with any ‘action’ they would ever take except for the subtle core problem of being independent from Himself. 

God came to The Garden asking one simple question.  He asked Adam and Eve the same thing I want to ask you… “Who told you that you are naked?”  When God asked them this question, He was simply stating an obvious identity perception problem.  Adam and Eve, always being naked, weren’t judging themselves (or each other) until their child-like innocence was violated. 

Is it possible to live life, not judging ourselves by our actions?  Yes; in fact it’s a supernatural occurrence of walking by faith, born in love.  It’s the nature of unconditional love (Love without conditions) that looks past performance and sets focus on identity.  If your decision maker is ‘knowledge of good and evil’, you are eating from the same tree as Adam and Eve (The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil).  The whole point of Christ living in you is for you to surrender and trust Him, regardless of what it ‘looks’ like. 

The question God asked Adam and Eve was strangely never answered.  He asked them “Who told you that you were naked?”, yet God never answered the question.  So, let me ask you three questions about your current life and relationships…

Who told 'you' that 'you' were naked?
Who told 'you' that 'they' were naked?
Who told 'them' that 'you' were naked?

Light exposes everything.  Trying to ‘become something or someone’ is walking in the power of sin (fear).  It’s the covering up, using anything other than Grace that derails the experience of ‘Truth’ already finished in you.

I Am,
David
view this blog and many more at http://davidnroberts.blogspot.com/ or http://restorationhouse.com/

A little understanding please…

When things go ‘right’ we give thanks to God and are all happy and stuff.  Why weren’t you happy when things were going differently than you had hoped?  This deserves prayerful consideration.

Most of us are thankful when things go ‘right’.  Few are actually happy in all situations.  I mean, genuinely happy in all things.  Pretending doesn’t count.  Having a mental disorder doesn’t count either.

The only thing that counts is finding your identity in Christ alone, and this comes from being honest, open and willing.  Out of this simple revelation, everything you ever need will flow; EVERYTHING.  

My question is:  Why is it such a stretch for us to embrace a new plan, outside the plan we had secured our identity?  When you didn’t get the promotion, parking spot, or job- why is it that we are slow to understand one of the most simple truths about God and our relationship with Him?  How about bigger things?  What about when your political ideology isn’t winning, or your child is killed in an accident, or when you lose another loved one or friend; or worse still, if you receive a bad report from the doctor.  

The answer is simple- far too simple for most of our educated minds to comprehend so I’m not going to attempt explaining it:  I’m simply going to state it, and you can do with it whatever you wish.  Do you remember the scripture in Jeremiah, the one about God’s ‘plans for us’ (‘thoughts toward us’ in KJV) ?  We all know it by heart.  It’s Jeremiah 29:11, and the NIV reads, “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.”  In this passage, nowhere does it say that ‘I’ know the plans ‘He’ has for ‘me’.  It says that ‘He’ has a plan for ‘me’.  God isn’t secretive and will tell you His plan, but you’ve got to be willing to hear the answer; and it probably won’t make any worldly sense.  God deeply desires to take you from glory to glory.  This process means you will be let down, and disappointed at times.  If glory is being given to God, recognize that God is having an intervention- and you are the target of His affections.  Open your heart to what God is saying.

Abraham, the father of our faith, considered God’s instructions, and was obedient; offering up his child, the only means of fulfilling God’s promise.  He was obedient to a proceeding word from God.  Faith without works is dead.  If your eyes of understanding are opened, you will hear what the Spirit is saying.

It’s by the word of your testimony and the blood of the lamb that you overcome.  What you are going through is part of your own unique testimony and IS very important.  Everything about what you are going through is important.  How you got to this place (emotionally and physically), what you feel about it, what your hopes and dreams are (and were), and your present reality ‘now’; all are important (but they are not permanent).  Trusting God means your perception will change into His perception.  The revelation you receive, Truth, is permanent.  God is actively arranging and making changes in your life to bring you into a place you are already in, Him.  Embrace the flow of life.  This doesn’t set aside the grace of God- for if your testimony is all there is, Christ died in vain. 

I Am,
David
view this blog and many more at http://davidnroberts.blogspot.com/ or http://restorationhouse.com/

Why am I going through so much?

When things don’t work out as hoped, and nothing can be done, God may be changing ‘me’.  Sooner or later we understand that resistance is futile.  God is the one behind my being let down and broken hearted.  God is breaking ‘me’.  My ‘knee’ is bowing.  There is no such thing as every knee not bowing and every tongue not confessing.  EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Your trouble (situation) may mean that it’s your turn.  Your knee is bowing and tongue needs to start confessing.  We know that faith without works is dead.  What this simply means is…  When we ‘connect’ with God, faith is formed.  This always requires a response.  Sometimes it’s to allow something to be changed within ourselves and sometimes it’s an outward expression.  You can rest assure that there is always a response.  There will always be a ‘tongue’ confession.

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and passed it for consumption.  The bread was first taken, then He gave thanks and broke it, then given to others (Luke  22:1-23).  His actions mirror a recurring theme throughout all the scripture (and all creation).  There is a very important message being spoken with His actions.  First, we recognize receiving Christ and His broken body.  We receive Him as “The Bridge” of death burial and resurrection, paying the way for us.  Secondly, as God wills, we experience something much greater, much deeper.  We begin to experience Christ in us.  We start to understand that He lives in us.  We see that it’s in Him that we live and move and have our being.  We see our new identity.  Further, being one with Him, we see we are the bread being broken and given to the world.

You don’t have to be confused with all the pain experienced in life…  God lives in you and loves you.  Christ is saying to the Father ‘Thank you for those given to to Him (you)’- and just like the bread, must be broken before it can be given out.  It’s when you are weak that you are strong.  When given out, you’re given to the world as light and salt.  To resist is futile.  Trust God- His surgical skills surpass all others.  His sword is sharper than any knife…

I guess the only sad part is that this type surgery is that He doesn’t anesthetize you while cutting.  There is a joy set before us.  Go in peace and allow God’s finished work to change you.

I Am,
David
view this blog and many more at http://davidnroberts.blogspot.com/ or http://restorationhouse.com/