From Courtyard to Inner Circle
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Posted:Nov 10, 2010 4:42 am
Last Updated:Jun 13, 2026 9:48 pm 66849 Views
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I once heard a friend describe the differences in God's . He said some will never come into the house to see what the Fathers business is, but will be happy to lounge with the other and play or whatever in the courtyard of God's Kingdom here on earth. He went on to say that its a deeper relationship and experience to understand your fathers business. It doesn't take away from you being a . The truth is many in families are quite different in the depths and types of interactions between them and their parents.
Fellowship, I think is often misunderstood. Have you ever made plans with a friend and when you get there, things have come up or they were not prepared to fully give their attention to your time together? Then you end up watching them do whatever it is as they attempt to carry on a conversation? I am sure we can all remember placing the same situation on a friend. The bottom line is that it is not pleasant. It can be downright frustrating. Validation is a big part of fellowship. It is where each person is recognized as important and has something to share.
This morning I felt like God was showing me something about the personality of Praise versus Worship. When we praise someone, it is almost like talking about them in very good terms, waiting for them to be there. It is the prelude to what you really want. The intimacy with the person. Call it foreplay to God if you wish. Worship is the intimacy and the act between you and God where the position is played out. He is Love. He is God and we are not. We enter into adoration for not only what he does for us but most especially who he is. He is our all in all and if we do not realize and participate in this, then something is truly missing in our understanding and belief in who he is.
So what is fellowship between God's ? A few scriptures always come to me that I like to Share. One of them is "I no longer call you servants, but friends". God broke down a barrier. It is mentioned when it speaks of the Veil in the Holy of Holies being torn so that now, all of mankind can approach his throne. Wow. Seriously wow. He did that for us.He provided for us to have intimacy with him. Us being grafted in through Jesus should also have a opportunity to share in this...together in some shape or form and different depths. Not all of us are a good fit with each other, but we should be able to at least share in the Goodness of God.
Another Scripture is "Wherever two or more of you are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of you." That is a statement of fact. There is another scripture that I find is abused. It says do not forsake the gathering of the Saints. Does this mean do not forget about your local organized assembly, or does it mean simply to not forsake gathering with other believers? I think the latter. Be in fellowship. Seek out believers and share what is going on with you and God as well as they and God.
Is fellowship retail or wholesale? This is probably the most important question you can ask yourself about your life. Am I retail or am I wholesale. A long time ago God wanted to dwell with Israel. They were a little afraid of that so they asked for a King instead. He granted that to them. They ended up with a go between when they could have had wholesale. No middle man needed.In grammar school we had a little practice that we performed. The first student was given a short message to give to the next. By the time it got to the last student, who relayed it back to the teacher, the message was distorted. That happens a lot in Christendom too. Somehow things get twisted into ways that benefit keeping a group together over what actually is true. Its' human nature. The nature of a fallen world.
We as brothers and sisters in Christ all have something to share it says when we get together. It is not what it was like before Christ gave atonement for the sin of mankind. The sad part is so many people get caught up in trying not to sin, they lose out on relationship with God. How can I even say that? Sin separated you from God and there was but one mediator. Jesus. He is the bridge. Worrying about that is missing the point. It is like stepping back from God to guard the bridge that got you there when you could be with God and enjoying fellowship with him. The word says the Holy Spirit was given to the world to convict the world of sin. He is given to dwell in the born again believer to comfort us in everyday life and to teach us all things. The word also says that when we are babes we live off of milk, but as we mature we start eating meat. Milk allows us to live and grow, but as we mature, comes responsibilities in life and we need the meat to function in this.
There is a place for teaching, preaching, evangelizing. However it says that when you gather, all have something to share. Do we embrace that? Or do we embrace the things man creates? Do we hear from God through other people which is going through retail. It isn't the worst thing, but i have to believe that if any one thing does indeed frustrate God, it is not the little stupid sins of his people nearly as much as it is them not spending time asking his Holy Spirit questions and actually waiting for answers after he went to the effort of indwelling in them? That is where the meat is.
When you become an Adult. Do you always ask questions of your parents? Sometimes, but in maturity you make your own decisions and at some point you become fully responsible believers in God with the ability to hear what God himself is leading you into in life. he places a passion for things for you in your heart, not theirs. So do you deefer to others to hear from him. or do you actually get away from your busy day and make time to acknowledge, praise, worship and listen? That is Kingdom Living. The other is just pushing it off on someone else and living the retail life when we were created for whole sale. We were created for Inner Circle Living.
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The Pursuit of Happiness
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Posted:Nov 9, 2010 6:46 am
Last Updated:Nov 10, 2010 4:42 am 67627 Views
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For years and years my ex wife used to bemoan....I am miserable. I just want to be happy. To this day she still is not happy and we have been divorced now for 10 years. It was a totally upsetting situation for me. I tried to do all of the right thing to ensure her safety, her comforts as much as possible. I was a good provider, she did not even work which was ok with me.
But one day I asked God, what is this happiness? I mean, I dont get it. My life has never been about pursuing being happy. It has been about dealing with whatever comes up each day and doing the best I could, enjoying a ball game or two or a trip to the beach or a theme park. But I did not live for those things. I..... just wanted to understand what this great search for something I did not understand. Well, God was was always...quiet and i just soon forgot about my conversation..er attempt at one with him about this.
It was a few months later and I was in the middle of doing something when I heard in my Spirit......Happiness is not of me. I stopped what I was doing to listen further. Happiness is not of me I was hearing. It is soulish, temporal...fleeting.Later on I would elaborate in my mind and equate it to Hollywood Relationships. All about feelings and usually pretty self centered. I went on to hear him say seek my peace, once you have received my peace, you can then have my joy.
If you read in the scriptures you will find that God is a Spirit. It says to worship him in Spirit and in truth. It also says that Peace and Joy are also Spirits so this makes perfect sense.The word also says that we have a Spirit man that comes alive when we receive Jesus as Lord.It all fits together. When we consider we are made up of a body, soul and spirit it all makes sense. Our soul is temporal as it consists of our mind, will and emotions. It is the part better known as the flesh. It is selfish and is at odds with the things of the Spirit. So, it only makes sense that if you try to find "happiness" it will eventually crash and burn in the soulish kingdom.
I have many friends who are chasing their dreams in life right now.Good for them and my heart and prayers are with them all. It is great to have passion in life with great aspirations. I want everyone to see as many dreams come true as can. There is however a loneliness factor.Our dreams and passions will always be a tad empty as we pursue them and even more disappointing once we get there, if Jesus is not there as your focus all along the way. It is God's goodness and kindness that draw us to him in the first place. There is an emptiness that can only be filled with your personal relationship with God. No matter how many riches you garner, nor how much fame or public adoration...None of that can fill up the hole inside you that was created to be filled by the creator himself.
The sooner we realize this secret, the better off our lives will be.
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Satisfied?
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Posted:Nov 4, 2010 5:46 am
Last Updated:Nov 6, 2010 9:35 am 67666 Views
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Apathy is an easy animal to embrace in all aspects of our life. Why is that so? I personally believe it is in mans nature to try and be at rest. Find a place where we feel comfort. A runner will set goals to get to this spot in training and then take a short rest. Then they start up again. Those that work the 40 hour work week get home and shut down for awhile as home is their place of rest.
The Apostle Paul called life this long distance race of endurance that is run on an incline. The meaning of course is that if you are not moving forward, you probably are going back in reverse a little. The win is found in completion, not necessarily in finishing first. The people that lose are those that wish to just stop completely.
One example is the great stand America has just made against socialism, Islam and the horrible policies of Obama. Even he admits he is failing, yet he holds on to his Ideology which has failed and been destructive world wide. Yes many of the socialists were voted out and rightfully so. But that is just the door being opened. People need to be constantly reminded why they were voted in. We have to repeal these socialistic laws. We need to get a proven and competent man to lead in the 2012 elections. This is just a start. It is part of an ongoing journey.
It is the same way with our lives in Christ. Do we stop along the way and think this is good? Or do we engage daily and invite him to live through us? When Jesus is living through you the incline goes away. The incline represents life's frustrations. He stated that if we trade our burdens for his, the weight would be minimal. Then we constantly look at the prize instead of seeing the road traveled as such of a drudgery.
Embrace truth and it sets you free from the issues that would overcome and rule you.
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Circling Moses' Mountain
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Posted:Nov 2, 2010 9:20 am
Last Updated:Nov 4, 2010 5:46 am 67409 Views
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Jesus said to be perfect as he is perfect.There are a lot of people who are born again Christians that chase this rabbit trail because they do not understand what he was saying. It is usually because they get taught a performance based belief system when it is actually a faith and Grace Covenant that we are under. For we are saved by Grace in faith and not works which anyone should boast.
A better translation is be you complete as I am complete. If we could indeed be perfect by our own actions, why would Jesus ever need die on a cross in the first place. The word tells us that only one ever fulfilled and kept the law but one and that was Jesus. I guess it was God's way of showing mankind that we are failures and in need of him and a savior.
God's word tells us that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus we are viewed as righteous. If that is true, and I believe it is because God said so...then we also are no longer viewed by God as a sinner. We can not be viewed as righteous and a sinner at the same time. So, in Jesus were are righteous and not a sinner. When someone says that, they are contradicting what God says about those who are in Christ... Oh, I hear twisters and spinners say, well that means only when you are obedient are you in Christ. Once again...we are saved by grace in faith and not of good works which anyone can boast. His words, not mine. So no, we are in Christ when we receive him.
Like in any relationship, the depth and beauty is found in the time you spend with that other person. In God it is no different. In today's' world we get confusing and wrong signals. No where will you find "God helps those who helps themselves". It is not in there. Then we are told of purpose driven and that is not right either. We are told to be Spirit led. It all boils down to the depth that we get will be decided by the intimacy we have with God. The word proclaims that we have the mind of Christ as a believer. It also says we should renew our minds daily. That comes with interaction. if you, who have do not interact with them, then how can you know their hearts and desires? Jer 31:33-34 tells us God gives all born again believers a new heart and writes right and wrong on their hearts. We know what is right.
The Lord tore the veil between himself and mankind when Jesus gave atonement on that cross. We have no excuse to not be close to him. We can chose...keep walking around the mountain or allow him to live through us. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Bottom line is this. if Christ is living through you, how can you not be pleasing to God?
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Welcome to my Mountaintop
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Posted:Oct 31, 2010 7:09 am
Last Updated:Nov 3, 2010 8:06 am 67732 Views
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Its great to go barefoot in life. When you do there is always the risk of stubbing your toe, stepping on something that can prick you or even stepping in something natural that we would rather not step in. When we have shoes on, we are oblivious for the most part to these possible issues.
Ahh the mountaintop. The place where nirvana exists in the minds and hearts of humans. The place where our hurts and irritations are forgotten because we just revel in the great things we see. As a matter of fact we probably do not wish to be bothered with the relevant negativeness that does exist in the world. Its nice to not be bothered. But if one were to look around as we stand there we will see it is not a place where many people are dwelling. If we look really close we will notice people descending back into these plateaus that lead to this valley quite a distance below. Another words, people do get to experience that mountain top, but they do not get to live there for long.
There is something I have noticed about life. Learning and understanding come with work, and experiences. Touch a hot pot or pan one time, you will not do it again intentionally. Its' painful. I have put up a lot of photo's lately. Beautiful shots by Photographers who had to travel to far lands, find things of interest, use their expertise to take the picture. It was a thing of their experience, the right angles, framing and a good subject. It was not look and click.
On the mountaintop of life, we just stare at the pictures. However the pictures were made in lower plateaus. Effort, openness to learning what works and what does not. Application.
There have been such dark times in my life. Times of loss of loved ones. Loved ones betrayal. I can recall that I just went through the motions everyday. Hoping against hope that life changed. People doing things that I could not believe they did. i would get into a funk. The valley was deep. Then God would send me a rope. A rope to climb out of the valley. It was not the rope that you and I would think of. It certainly was not an elevator.
Almost always it was someone hurting even more than me. An opportunity to share God. By this it was not my strength or my wisdom as much as i would like to say that it is. It is the Mystery of the gospel at work. Christ in me, the hope of Glory. All I had to do was be willing to allow God to live through me. The results never cease to amaze me. Yet, I should not be amazed because it was not me doing it.
So much is said about getting right with God. You can not do that, no matter how hard you try. But you can embrace that your righteousness is Jesus...what he did. My mountaintop has changed. I don't need to be staring at the beauty of things other people have painstakingly done. I just need to be willing when the opportunity is there. Pain is like the pressure that creates diamonds. I do not embrace it, but I do not run from it as it is used by the Lord to help me be open to others.
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What does it mean......?
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Posted:Oct 29, 2010 3:08 am
Last Updated:Oct 31, 2010 5:49 am 68813 Views
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Jesus said that He who loses his life for me shall gain it. Those are deep and strong words. Lose your life. Does this mean physical martyrdom? Or could it mean spiritual martyrdom ? Perhaps even a little of both.One of the biggest issues in the life of the Christian is burnout. The point where you feel like you need a break from all of the practition of Christianity.
Paul stated at one point that it was no longer he that lived, but that it was Jesus living through him. Is this what Jesus was eluding to? Just as we grow as believers in our journey as believers, if you read through Paul's writings, you will see a maturing to who he was as a believer as well. he eventually compared his walk with Christ as a long distance race. An ongoing movement towards a prize. If this is indeed true, which I believe it is, something interesting is transpiring in this race for the trophy of eternal rest with God.
Words, how do I put this? I felt the Lord waking me up and placing this on my heart this morning. i will do my best to share what is tugging. I believe losing our life is this. Paul also stated that he (Jesus) must become more and more and I (Paul) must become less and less. That is what I believe Jesus meant when he said, He who loses his life for me will gain it. We have a will in life. Our God given right to choose.
In our lives are many seasons. We all need to respect the fact that we are in different seasons. It is all part of life. It is also why I think man tries to concoct these places of mountaintop living, when it is just a part of life and not one that God desires us to try to be at. He wishes us to live. Our fellowship with him, leads to our empowerment in life to be a blessing, to be at peace.
Cast your cares upon him for he cares for you. We love him because he first loved us. He encourages us to exchange our burdens for his because his are light. Its so simple a can understand it better than an adult. many times state, "my dad can do anything". Our heavenly father indeed can.
Jesus said that he is the vine and we are the branches. He also said apart from him we can do nothing. So, why do we get caught up in trying to do. Trying to impress God let alone others? The word says it is not by might, not by power but by my spirit. Is this true in Christianity? In our everyday walk? Do we do things to have an appearance? Is it out of faith? Remember God's word says that without faith it is impossible to please God. So, good things do not necessarily please God. Things done in faith do according to God.
If it is "by his spirit".... how do we apply this? I think Jesus showed us. He said in the gospel of John that his words he spoke were the words of the father that were given him. Not his words but the fathers. The miracles he did were the Father doing the miracles through him. So we get back to the original question. What does it mean ... he who loses his life for me shall gain it?
It simply means that we become abiders. We abide in Christ. We allow him to live through us, just as Jesus, although all powerful allowed God the father to live through him as he fulfilled the old covenant, and brought in the new one. Paul wrote a great portion of the new testament. He conveyed the Gospel of grace to the world. He also said that Jesus must become more and more and he less and less. He finally stated it became in his own life, no longer he living, but Christ living through him. Simple, yet amazing. We could just keep trying harder and that will bring burnout. Or we can relax and each day say, Lord this is the day you have made, live through me in it.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. He is life. Life only shines through us when he is living through us. Someone once said, live from your salvation and not for it. How true. Our strength comes from him. The Holy Spirit lives in each believer. To comfort, teach and lead. If it were possible to to live the Godly life on our own, Jesus would never need come. Jesus in us, our hope of Glory.
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What Dreams May Come
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Posted:Oct 24, 2010 9:49 am
Last Updated:Oct 29, 2010 3:09 am 66477 Views
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I am not sure how many have seen the 1998 film with Robin Williams. In my best recollection he was a man who had lost his wife and two . He was of course devastated. I am thinking his wife was off in some type of purgatory, waiting to go to hell. I think she had taken her life. Robin, I believe had just died? he met two people who helped him in his journey to find his wife, later they were revealed to be his in disguise. His journey was to find his wife in the place of the lost and bring her to the place of eternal rest.....Heaven in you and my minds.
Why do i even bring this up? Today, I felt like God impressed on me just aa tad of what he does in all of our lives to enter into his Kingdom that is here on earth. Not our final resting place, but the Spiritual Kingdom that exists here. Sometimes we feel like he just sits back and watches as horrible things happen on this earth. I think we forget that this is a fallen world. Its' a world of choices. Its' a waorld of one master or the other. One is patient and kind and always working in our lives. Nurturing, teaching, while providing an ability to know his love, know his interaction in your life. Not promising a perfect life, yet asking for permission to live through you, empowering you.
The other master reminds me of the guy who made Pinocchio all of these promises, and they all led to horrible bondage's, robbing hope and destroying life.He would do whatever needed to enslave anyone who would listen to him. his path was deep and wide to destruction. There are no barriers with him. It is almost all encompassing.
Yet on the other side is concise truth. A peace that comes with real truth that breaks all bondage's of the deceiver. He is the life giver. His Kindness and Goodness brings us towards him. When we do drop our own interests and walk closer, we see this clear picture of a place we were created to be. Things that did not make sense all of a sudden do now. How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good news to the world. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The separation between the Good God and mankind no longer need be. The Savior says, I no longer call you servants but friends.
Right about now we may think of our pain in this world. This world is temporal. It is not forever, but God gave us this. He gave it as a gift,which I believe we should receive it as such. i dont believe he wants us to live with one eye and one foot in Heaven, when there is so many ways to bless others here. Agree? Yes we suffer loss, we mess up. But it is not supposed to be us focusing on us.It is supposed to be us taking our seat as born again believers at the banquet table he has prepared for us in this spiritual Kingdom here on earth. It is about allowing him to live and do things through us as an overflow of our fellowship with him.
Blessings
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Every man has to know his limits
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Posted:Oct 22, 2010 4:02 am
Last Updated:Oct 23, 2010 11:25 pm 67461 Views
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A friend of mine, who happened to be an Alcoholic and former employee used to say this all the time. I am glad to say today he has stopped drinking and smoking which shocked me, but he was going to die. He couldn't breath anymore after 2 packs a day for 40 years. His daily consumption of beer placed him in a stupor where he was often injured just making a trip to the bathroom. It is amazing what people can overcome and change, as well as accomplish in life when they become "determined". The sad part is, if we would just take on the importance in life without it having to be times of desperation.
There is a scripture that states, I am old and I have not seen the Lord's people forsaken. I know that is a big paraphrase. I have seen God's people forsake each other. I have seen them tell others that their burdens and trials are because of a lack of faith on their part, which is about as ridiculous a concept as there is.
Life has seasons. God is clear on this. We do not live on the mountain top, nor should our goals be to do so. Life is a journey. It is a long distance race with many obstacles, many rest point, times to take in nourishment and times to work hard. Each in it's own way just as important as the other. Its simple when you see the application, but complex when people make it complex. Sometimes it becomes insanely goofy because of other people and what they place on people. It does not have to be that way. God says it rains on the good and the bad people. He is not a respecter of men.
So, we should keep in mind that God is for us. His goodness and kindness brings us back on path as we are drawn to him. We have no strength to live this life on our own, that is why he says to take his yoke because it is light. Ours is not. It is why we are told to allow him to live through us. If we just keep this in mind, and remember the prize. Is it Heaven? Eternal bliss? No....the real prize is being with him. The relationship that all of us were created to have with him. It really is that simple.
Many think that they can not be good enough and they will fail God. They know themselves and their failures. That is precisely why Jesus came and paved the way to the Father for us. Be of good mindset God is for you and not against you.He wants to bless our lives. But, we stand in the way when we put our wants over his will. When we come to a place where we invite his will into our lives, our life of abundance will begin. Father knows best. 
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Life is like Cabbott's Bleaching Stain
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Posted:Oct 20, 2010 4:40 am
Last Updated:Jun 18, 2011 3:33 pm 67563 Views
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Yeah I can hear it now... what? Well about a decade ago I was asked to paint this rustic wood home and the only thing they wanted on it was Cabbott's bleaching stain. I had never used it before. It was expensive, and it had some unusual attributes to the application. The first thing you had to know was that it had to be constantly stirred in the five gallon bucket in order to keep the mix consistent in its application. The second thing that was unusual was that as you sprayed it, it was very hard to see where the application was going on, You could see wet, but no real definition to the eye unless you viewed it from the side. This made it hard to know where you had sprayed.
After it was on for awhile, the "bleaching" started to take effect. In this case the blue-gray stain darkened and it became the desired color and effect. So to perform this function, you had to continually stir the pot, of which when it was stirred you did not see any real difference, but you were told to do so. I also found out from experience that if you failed to follow instructions you had to do those areas again. It was like magic.
Our life as Christians is just like this. We are asked to believe in a God that we can not see or verbally hear or touch as he is Spirit. In order to be going forward and growing in him, we must continually make the effort to stir the pot. When we are doing this, which means fellowshipping with him then we are empowered by that fellowship and as we walk our everyday lives he goes before us with this bleaching that will color the lives of others as that Godliness matures, it is seen on the lives of others. God doing it, but through faith in this God, all of these great things happen. It becomes what it is meant to be.
If we want things in our lives to be meaningful and be understood, we need to spend time with God. If we do not, although we may have lifes' paint brush in hand and brushing a long, unless the proper ingredients are not on that brush, it will not do what you intend it to do. But when we release faith that is based in the fellowship with God, great things happen, the clear and visible trail of beauty happens. Life becomes clearer aand not confusing. You positively effect others lives and they yours.
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