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what's up everybody it's your boy Ryan
AKA Jezreel welcome to the first
episode this episode is called season of friction
producing greatness and don't forget to check out my book
identity truth that set you free and don't forget to check out the music
holla
what's up everybody this is for my friends that are in a season where it's not all that comfortable during a difficult season or just simply put you're not where you want to be but looking back sometimes those are the best seasons we just don't know it it just depends how you use it
it's not exactly about being in the wilderness if you feel like you're in the wilderness and you're waiting to finally enter into the promised land it's not just that you're in the wilderness and you'll get to the promised land it's about how intentional you are about how you treat the Wilderness experience the way you treat your Seasons it determines if you even enter into the promise (hebrews 4) the place that you wish you were right now it's not just about as difficult as how how you handle is how you Steward because the Israelites the generation that escaped Egypt they didn't make it into the promised land they didn't handle it right they had literal food from Heaven (Exodus 16)
they didn't handle it right you can have so much in front of you and not handle it right and be mad at God later for where you end up but if you handle it the right way
I talked about this with my wife
compare the Wilderness and the way the Israelites handled it compared to how David entered it when he walked through the shadow with the Valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) that place that he referred to as a literal place in Israel and when he walked through that place he said I shall fear no evil because I know where my shepherd is taking me so why shall I be stuck on what's in the here and now when he knows what's before me (Deuteronomy 31:8) and he goes before me and I follow him are you
following God in the season that you're because when you know that in the end it's still waters and Green Pastures (Psalm 23)
how can you complain
you're going to be in a place where you're trusting God and blessed to see you trust in the Lord God (Jeremiah 17:7-8) and does not turn to Mischief or even in the counsel of the wicked (Psalm 1:1) because he shall be like a tree planted by the river whose Leaf doesn't wither (Psalm 1:3)
so how are you handling this season because I'm not in a comfortable season
some of my friends from Indiana they think just because I'm in Florida means
you know
there's still there's still trials there's still things to work to but you know I rejoice in that (James 1:2) because in a place of holy discontentment and a place of uncomfortability it produces greatness it produces so much right now
listening to all I'm I've never felt like the quality of my music has matched
the skill level that I have and I can't wait for the turnaround I can't wait to be able to hit the people up that I've always wanted to work with I can't wait for my sound to sound like how it sounds in here can't wait for that and I know God's gonna do it and I'm trusting him see some people they get mad at folks who talk about the Breakthrough or they talk about you know people that are that are pursuing the good things like as if it's bad word we have such a poverty mentality that and we we're so used to that we don't even look up to the mountain the Israelites they didn't want to go onto the mountain with Moses they didn't want to go up with them fear and you think when he went up to the mountain that they were turning to God while that was still down at the bottom
nah they got weary
it's those that wait on the Lord who renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31) so you could be who renew their strength so you could be waiting and because you have a humble life you think that you're waiting some people are waiting in vain it's when you wait on a lord when you no matter what place you're in whether good or bad you're waiting on the Lord that's what counts that's what matters that's what determines your end from your beginning it's not about just waiting because some people ain't pursuing the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) so they get mad at the people who are seeing those things that that shall be added unto them because they've received blessings because they've treated their situations right and I know I know that some people aren't necessarily you know about the right that's facts but that doesn't mean that God doesn't have good things for us
because why would God withhold any good thing from us (Psalm 84:11) you know what I mean if you're really trusting in God then how can you complain
it's all about trust in the Lord and the best place to do that is when things ain't perfect now when you're not where you want to be you don't want to wake up 20 years and realize I'm still where I was 20 years ago
we ain't got time for that ain't no time for that I got a holy discontentment not just for my situation but for what I'm seeing as well we gotta adapt if you don't adapt you don't survive or at least you don't Thrive some people are surviving but they ain't living I refuse to be that so I'm just saying sometimes when you're willing to take risks and you're willing to be uncomfortable for a season that payoff is Big it's a high risk High reward type of situation you know when I first got saved I knew that I couldn't be in a relationship for a while and that was weird for me it was weird for me not to have sex every day and I went years and it's a huge payoff
I'm telling you when you're willing to be single it's uncomfortable because you have no one to go to you have to learn how to trust God in those single situations those single Seasons you have to learn how to trust them because he's the one you go to he's the one you run to he's your high tower you run in and you are safe I had times where now none of my friends picked up the phone ever but God spoke to me and said look there's a reason for that you see there's purpose in your pain there's purpose in each season in each situation just because things ain't going to what you want it doesn't mean you can't make use of it or it doesn't see we want
look
I had to learn how to turn to God I had and when I started to get around people who who didn't experience that where they didn't have I'm all alone and all I have is me and God in my cave season the second someone didn't answer the phone I hear about it week after week man this person never answered the phone I'll try to get to them and and now they're now they start blaming the person that didn't answer the phone for their own sin because if you would answer the phone I would that's like bro they got families we all have lives out here are you turning to God or are you just murmuring complaining grumbling are you just negative that's how you handle your situation when you if you could Rejoice Before the Breakthrough how much greater is the Breakthrough gonna be than where you are right now so I'm just I'm just here to encourage you because I'm in the midst of it as well
but I know on the other side of this Valley at the end of this this path that I'm on as you see Jesus was led by the spirit Into the Wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1) and because he handled that correctly it says he left in the power of the spirit (Luke 4:14) he was led into the Wilderness by the spirit he left empowered by the spirit at the start of his ministry if you're wondering like God why you never use me just we gotta check ourselves and we can't blame nobody else for Where We Are we just got to look to God that's crucial this world is changing things are changing people are changing things are always changing but he always and that's why my hope isn't a because I know the only thing the only one that never changes and that's where my Foundation is and it it gets hard I promise it does
for me anybody preaching I don't care who they are how strong they think they are my strength is in God and I just want to encourage everyone listening to place their hoping God no matter what things look like because they don't look too big for him one more thing see right now you might be going through a rough time it might be friction I told my wife when we first got married you know when we argue yeah we don't like it but at the same time we're smoothing out you can't smooth in a rock without friction when David chose the rock that he was going to use to slake alive he had to pick he had a hand pick and choose the rocks that were right he didn't pick the ones that wasn't finna swing good he went by the river he went
by the river he went by the river and he hand-picked the good rocks the ones that were smoothing so he can sling that thing with the right kind of force and right kind of trajectory whatever you want to call it but a rock by a river it isn't smooth starting out it takes a very long time of friction from the water hitting it to smoothing out without friction you think God's Gonna hand shoes us you got a giant in front of you you got a big mountain in front of you whatever it is in front of you David David could have had a small rock that killed Goliath it didn't matter the size of it he had a he hand-picked those rocks though just how God handpicks us but if you're if you're too worried about avoiding certain things and just trying to be comfortable you just want to be safe you just want to now you just trusted in yourself you lean into your own understanding and you're not willing to go through the season of friction to smoothen out I want God to choose me but first he has to work in me before he works through me that's just me see some people some people live wild and they still want to preach that's just not me I just can't I just can't
I gotta be right inside otherwise that's just not gonna work you know and God has a high requirement for us it requires truth in the inward parts and that's all I want all I want is Holiness all I want is truth all I want is authenticity and I know a lot of us even in my generation we want the same thing we're looking for the same thing so don't fret don't grow weary and you're looking forward and you're like I can't wait for this I can't wait for that or maybe you don't even think that way no more what would you do if everything was perfect and money wasn't an option
write those things down make a plane cause we serve the god of the universe The God Who created the universe we don't served the university created it How great is the riches in Glory How great is the inheritance just trusting him don't look to the rider left Look to Him and you know during these Seasons the way that the what makes her break you is that you're not just looking like I'm not just like I can't wait for the Green Pastures it's like I can't wait to get in the presence of God daily because just like the Israelites the thing that they didn't get was when they got that food from Heaven that Manna From Heaven they weren't allowed to store it they weren't allowed to take it from yesterday and save it for the next day they had to literally trust in God daily and that's one thing that's hard for us we can't live off of yesterday's faith we can't try to Stir It Up like that we have to live our faith today but we have to seek his face today when he is your exceedingly great today when he is your exceedingly great reward and who could be a guest
when God becomes your focus (Psalm 37:4) and you're what else matters see you see Joy is different than see you see Joy is different than happiness happiness can be circumstantial but joy is like it's like the difference between weather and climate your climate could be full of joy you could have joy like a river it joy you could have joy like a river it don't matter what's going on why because you can you can Rejoice before you even see the full breakthrough that's that's what that's where we need all right I didn't want to go this long
Hallelujah
It doesn’t take long before people catch on to bad leaders. Sometimes it’s hard to spot and other times it's far too easy. A person will likely never remember every word that was exchanged in a conversation, but they will however remember how the person made them feel. This is why it’s important to understand how crucial each present moment is and every interaction you have with others. There’s a person I know that people ask me about all the time. In fact, just about everyone I know who happens to meet them say that they give off a bad impression and something is off about them. It is a pretty impressive feat to rub everyone the wrong way immediately. Sadly, as a leader myself (understanding that I have potential to impact everyone within my sphere of influence). I have to somehow find the balance of respecting, honoring and being humble yet bold and direct to this person. What I’ve had to do so far is serve with love. I’ve had to try to show the love of God even during the most testing times. Romans 12:20 says to “feed your enemy when they are hungry, give them drink when they are thirsty and in doing so heaping hot coals upon their heads.” And to not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good! (Romans 12:21)
I’ve come to understand that it is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance. And if someone won’t listen, we must be the example. We must exemplify the love of Christ, especially when our words will be rejected. Recently, there was a gathering and people were getting up to say kind words about this person. My wife and I both said, “we don’t even know what to say.” Thankfully, probably only by God’s Spirit I actually thought of some kind things to say. And I really meant what I said. This person and I haven’t even been on speaking terms for years. Whenever I would say Hi or Hello, they would literally look away somewhere else. But as I left that meeting, this person shook my hand and said “thank you.” This was a huge deal because I realized, they had never shaken my hand before. Ever since then, every once in a while, they will actually acknowledge my existence. That is a big win.
I’ve encountered many different leaders over the years. I have never encountered anyone like Jesus. His skills as a leader far surpasses anyone else's. I can tell by keeping close watch on the details provided in the gospels. The way he developed his disciples was by doing life with them. He didn’t just say, “show up once a week and be on time.” They got to watch first hand how he handled different situations. The other thing I love about Christ was how well he discerned those that he engaged with. When it came to his disciples, he would take his time with his teachings. When it came to others, he would often use parables. When it came to the religious leaders of the day, he would often correct them. But another thing he did with them was, he discerned their motives. This is something I’m just now learning.
One of my friends has been in a long distance relationship. There have been many red flags. One of them being the fact that she mis-led him for months. When they first started talking, he came up with a great idea to write down their prayers for each other in a notebook and at the end of three months they would share them. After sharing them, they would see how closely their prayers were in alignment. I thought this was a very creative idea. Well, for three months she acted like she was on the same page with him. Once it was time to share the prayers with each other, he found that she wrote down a total of zero prayers. So for three months she had the audacity to mis-lead him. So I felt like she wasted his time when she could have just told him upfront that she didn’t want to do it. It appeared she wasn’t ready for commitment. Many red flags later, she got into an argument with him because he said that Christmas was not literally the day Jesus was born. She started calling him stupid over and over and broke up with him. To top it all off, we found out that the name he knows her by isn’t even her real name. So I got straight with him and said, “block her number and stop talking to her, she’s a counterfeit.” He quickly agreed and said, “I think God is making it very obvious by now.”
A little while later, I got on a three-way call with him and my other brother in the Lord (who was recently converted). And this topic comes up. Except my new brother in the Lord tells him advice that would be good for a married couple, but not for his particular circumstance. He tells him that he needs to go the next twenty days giving her words of affirmation. I was mind blown. Sadly, because of work, I had to get off the phone. When I got back on the call, my friend was praising the new brother in the Lord’s advice. I was perplexed. So I called my friend separately to talk to him individually. I told him it was not good advice and not to talk to that girl anymore. I referred to her as a counterfeit and he goes “so you still think she's a counterfeit?” I was baffled, because both of us had agreed many times over that this was the case. What I came to realize after talking to wise counsel was that before I go on to give people wisdom, I need to discern their hearts' intentions. Because no matter how much you care about someone and want to see them succeed, you may still be casting pearls to swine.
This wise counsel went on to say, the reason he was so quick to talk to the girl again was because he got permission by the newly converted brother in the Lord. He said, when he asked for advice, what he really wanted was permission and you didn’t give it, so he got it elsewhere. So a part of being a good leader, is knowing your audience, using discernment and using wisdom when sharing wisdom.
Another thing to keep in mind is that in order to be a good leader, we must be willing to be a good follower. Proverbs says with wise counsel our plans are established.
Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance. (Proverbs 20:18)
We’ve all made mistakes, we’ve all been there. But a part of being a good leader means becoming a mature person. We cannot mature spiritually if we haven’t matured emotionally. Because we must not be led by our emotions. This means I must not be frustrated when people don’t listen. Ultimately, God will do the work in people as he perfects them in the coming days. I can plant seeds and water but only God can give real increase. And my prayer as a leader is to provide healthy soil (environment) for people to grow.
I hope to grow in the LORD as His Spirit teaches me more and more as a leader. But what I never want to lose is the reality that I am His student and His disciple first. Because I cannot afford to make anything about myself. If I truly care for God’s kingdom, then I will take care of His sheep with compassion, the way Jesus did.
]]>Just stopping by to say..
♥ (𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺) 𝘈𝘯𝘥 the internet 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴: ♥
𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤:
𝟙. Pray for you, check on you, lift you up, hold you accountable, declare life over you, break curses off you
𝟚. Laugh with you, make fun of you, let you make fun of them, understand you, know you even when you don’t talk about what’s going on, can see through you, but also live for the long dialogue about nothing and everything at the same time.
𝟛. Don’t hold unhealthy expectations and don’t project their own rejection on to you in an unfair way, are there for you even when you don’t always talk. when ever you do talk, you don’t lose any time because it’s about the quality of the connection.
I had more on the list but I wanted to make it short.
I think I keep most people in group number 2. I also think I keep myself in this place on the list. Not sure why I like to stay there. Maybe I keep myself there all the time and it’s just a part of my personality. I’ve always struggled with expressing myself fully outside of music. Music has always been my personal diary. It’s always been there for me. And I’ve always used it to channel what ever was on my heart. My brother and I (and most of my friends) have always used humor to deal with things. As a man, I feel cringe or even a sense of mundane when it comes to certain emotions or the idea of reacting to certain emotions. Like.. why even feel them. Half the time I don’t. I thought because I don’t show my emotions and I have learned to control them or not react to them that it meant I was more emotionally in tuned than i really was. I asked my wife about it because I really thought I was more in tuned than most people, and she said “well, your sentimental… but not really in tuned with your emotions because you often don’t feel anything or don’t know what you feel.”
When I got saved I figured.. spiritual maturity meant not being led by my emotions.. which I am not. But am I just suppressing them? Or am I just chilling. Am I supposed to feel more than I do?
Is that what most guys are like? That’s mostly how I’ve always been. I don’t see much sense in being emotional.. perhaps I just process logically more than with my emotions?
It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Because.. my favorite thing to do is joke around. Lol
My Brain is constantly joking about something so I remain entertained always. It’s a side affect of growing up with adhd
But maybe there’s more to it, idk. I feel like I’m learning myself even more these days. I sometimes wonder if some of “me” has to do with moving around like I did. Never being able to open enough to voice an opinion because mine never really mattered. As soon as I’d open up I’d leave again so why express it? Which was why music was always a go-to. My fam was always there but not there. But everything changed when I encountered God and especially His amazing presence.. it shifts everything. I got healing everywhere.
The only thing I can really react to is the presence and anointing of God. Either I get very serious as I discern the moment or my emotions stir up within. Or I get very grateful when He comes in. I never want to make what’s Holy and sacred become too familiar to me to where I’m not amazed. Because that very presence saved my life.
Anyways. My point is. I don’t want to just stay the friend that laughs and points at you just to appease myself. And maybe I don’t have to be emotional, maybe it doesn’t take that to be a better friend. Maybe I just gotta be there. That I can do. I want to be the friend that not only laughs with you (and at you) but who prays for you. In a real and genuine and powerful way. And I don’t need to feel emotional for that lol. I don’t have to feel anything (I don’t think)
So if you catch me anywhere. Help me practice. Let me pray for you. And pray for me. I’m just trying to be a better human one here.
]]>In the same sense, salvation can also mean your salvation from sin. Meaning, the truth that we are empowered to live holy and unto righteousness. If you believe you are free, you will do as scripture says in Psalm 107:2; “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble” Salvation is a way of life. It becomes more to us than just “going to heaven.” it has to do with heaven encountering us in the “here and now.” So as we believe the truth in scripture, we not only say what we read in the Bible, we begin to live it out. When we desire to live transformed, we realize it can be difficult if we are not being transformed by the renewing of our minds. One of the best ways to renew our minds is to watch our confessions. We must bridle our tongues. James 3:3: “If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.” If we can bridle our tongues, we can bridle our minds, if we can practice mental self-control then we will also bridle our bodies. If we can achieve this level of self-control, then we will see its reflection in our entire lives as well.
When we are making faith confessions. We are choosing to believe God’s word instead of the report of the enemy. This means that no matter how things look, we are seeking God through His word. We are meditating on the word of God day and night. Meditation is not sitting around making groans and other sounds. True meditation is deep and profound reflection on the Word of God by not only pondering and thinking on the word but by reciting the word.
The word of God is prophetic in nature. Since the word of God was written down by inspiration of the Holy Spirit (who is Prophetic in Nature). By speaking the Word of God, we are in a sense prophesying over ourselves and our situations. We cannot speak to a mountain in front of us without the word of God. Our empty words do not have power if the Spirit does not empower them as they go forth. But God’s word is powerful and mighty as a two-edged sword.
In a sense, because of the way that God made us, our words will always have some kind of power in them. As the words states in Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those that love it will eat the fruit thereof.” But still, there is a huge difference when ever we throw whatever comes to mind out there (hoping it sticks) and actually speaking what is in the word of God. Especially if we are given utterance by the Holy Spirit. Many people do not pray or speak according to the will of God because they are not in tuned with the word of God. It is every word that proceeds out of the very mouth of GOd that we live. If we have yet to really live and feed on God’s words then what is coming out of our mouths? Death or life?
Our words matter. We must not be ignorant to the weapons of our warfare that GOd has given us. We can either speak peace or destruction. Life or death. But if we remain ignorant to the word of God then we will just speak whatever comes to mind. If we speak what ever comes to mind then we can be influenced by anything. Yes, even the devil. I would personally rather be influenced by grace, peace and love. God is love, Jesus is the prince of peace and the Spirit of Grace dwells inside of me (as a born-again believer).
Speaking life instead of death really comes in handy when facing trials in life. Watching my words carefully has transformed my way of thinking and therefore has transformed my life completely. Our tongue is a weapon and most choose to use it as a knife that cuts instead of balm to heal. Our tongue can either be a tree of death or a tree of life.
The bible says in Job 6:25, “how forcible are right words, but what does your arguing reporove?” Many have gotten caught up with vain arguments. Everyone wants to be right. Everyone wants to appear to have it all figured out. But how many know we can appear to be okay but inwardly be broken beyond repair? We can argue with someone doctrinally all day long and wonder why they don’t heed any advice or change for the better. Using our tongues for arguing typically does not change anyone inwardly. It is surface level. It is the goodness of God that brings a man to repentance. So how can we argue with someone and expect any reproof? Most will still leave seeing things the way they did before, except for the fact that they will be more frustrated than before. It is when we speak life that true transformation takes place. It is even when we speak correction (out of love). It is when we speak the word of God. Confessions are everything. We must be spiritually minded otherwise we will not see the results we hope to see from the fruit of our lips.
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No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against me in judgment I condemn (Isa. 54:17).
I am established in righteousness, and oppression is far from me (Isa. 54:14).
The weapons of my warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4).
I take the shield of faith, and I quench every fiery dart of the enemy (Eph. 6:16).
I take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and use it against the enemy (Eph. 6:17).
I am redeemed from the curse of the law. I am redeemed from poverty. I am redeemed from sickness. I am redeemed from spiritual death (Gal. 3:13).
I overcome all because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
I stand in the evil day having my loins girded about with truth, and I have the breastplate of righteousness. My feet are shod with the gospel of peace. I take the shield of faith. I am covered with the helmet of salvation, and I use the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:14–17).
I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13).
I tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt me (Luke 10:19).
I do not have the spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7).
I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3).
I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (Isa. 53:5).
My hand is upon the neck of my enemies (Gen. 49:8).
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (Ps. 23:5–6).
I am anointed to preach, to teach, to heal, and to cast out devils. I receive I am the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).
I am the head and not the tail (Deut. 28:13).
I shall decree a thing, and it shall be established in my life (Job 22:28).
I have favor with God and with man (Luke 2:52).
Wealth and riches are in my house, and my righteousness endures forever (Ps. 112:3).
I will be satisfied with long life, and God will show me His salvation (Ps. 91:16).
I dwell in the secret place of the Most High, and I abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1).
No evil will befall me, and no plague shall come near my dwelling (Ps. 91:10).
My children are taught of the Lord, and great is their peace (Isa. 54:13).
I am strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3:16).
I am rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17).
I bless my natural enemies, and I overcome evil with good (Matt. 5:44).
]]>Paul said in Philippians 3:12: “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” Romans chapter 13 and verse 11 says: “And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.” Every single day that we have breath in our lungs is the right time to seek God! I know many who think they have to first reach a certain point before they can humble themselves before God. As if salvation was based on their own goodness. And I’ve done this a million times myself. I am encouraged to know that righteousness is a gift. And because of the gift God has given me, I can come boldly to His throne of grace! When it comes to seeking God, we must not try to clean the outside before receiving an inward cleansing. It just does not work that way. Matthew 23:26 says: “You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.”
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:13-14. It says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” This is something I meditate on a lot. Seeking God with all of our heart requires us to trust Him. We must trust him enough to enter in boldly as stated in Hebrews 4:16. This means we cannot come in through self-righteousness. The only way we can be so bold is by standing on the finished work of Jesus Christ. If we are to come in fully trusting God, then it also requires humility and vulnerability. That is one thing I love about the presence of God. We must be bold enough to come, but also humble enough to walk in reverence towards the creator of the universe. We must walk in the fear of the LORD. We must be able to lay it all down. That means we must lay ourselves down, if we cannot do that, then we cannot grow “in God.” And if we are not growing in God, then we are not truly living the abundant life that Jesus promised us in John 10:10.
If we are unable to truly seek God with humility, then we are missing out on so much. It is so easy to miss out on His benefits (Psalm 103). These benefits include healing, deliverance, transformation, new vision, new ideas, new songs, new praises, new life, new joy… etc. We can not afford to miss out on what Jesus has purchased for us on the cross. We literally can not afford the price He paid. And if we are not seeking God, how can we obtain it? Certainly God’s blessings are not obtainable outside of His presence and sovereignty. We must seek God’s presence. We must seek God’s will. We must seek God for who He is. Because He alone deserves all of the honor, glory and praise.
We worship whatever it is that we spend time entertaining. Even vegetation produces fruit and obeys the perfect will of His creation and purposeful design. All of God’s creation was created to worship. The question is, what is it that we spend our time worshipping? What are we focusing on? The answers to these questions will tell us what kind of fruit we will produce. We will multiply whether we like it or not. It is how we were designed. Seeking God is detrimental to our purpose and the legacy we leave. It changes everything. Seeking God and walking in the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Why is that? Because our identity is found in Yahweh. Without our identity, which image will we produce? Will it be the image of God spreading around the earth? In other words, will we bring good news, declaring the kingdom everywhere we go? Will peace follow us or confusion? Will God’s Spirit order our steps? Or will disorder rule over us? Seeking God is the answer to all of these life questions. I can attest to this by experience and by the word of God which I hold close to my heart. Seeking God changed my life. Seeking God daily changes my life every day.
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Say it like you mean it ! |
- 𝙸 𝚍𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝙷𝚒𝚐𝚑, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚕𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚢 (𝙿𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝟿𝟷:𝟷)
- 𝙸 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 (𝙹𝚘𝚋 𝟸𝟸:𝟸𝟾 )
- 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜 (𝙴𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟸:𝟻-𝟼)
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜. (𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟼:𝟷𝟷)
- 𝙸 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙹𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚜 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝, 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚜 𝚒𝚝𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚕𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙶𝚘𝚍. (𝟸 𝙲𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚑. 𝟷𝟶:𝟻 )
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐. (𝙿𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝟷𝟽:𝟹; 𝙿𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝟹𝟻:𝟸𝟾 )
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚊 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍. 𝙸 𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐. (𝙹𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝟷:𝟸𝟸; 𝙿𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝟷:𝟸 )
- 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍. (𝟸 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚢 𝟷:𝟽 )
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜. (𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟻:𝟽; 𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟹:𝟷𝟹 )
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝙾𝚁𝙳, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚖 𝚋𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗. (𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚜 𝟸𝟾:𝟷 )
- 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎. 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙, 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝. (𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝟾:𝟹𝟼; 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟾:𝟷)
- 𝙷𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝙳𝙴𝙴𝙳! (𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝟾:𝟹𝟼)
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗! (𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟾:𝟷)
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚕𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙶𝚘𝚍’𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢. (𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟷:𝟷𝟿; 𝙿𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝟹𝟻:𝟸𝟽)
- 𝙰𝚜 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚜, 𝚜𝚘 𝚊𝚖 𝙸 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝙹𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚜! (𝟷 𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝟺:𝟷𝟽; 𝙴𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟸:𝟼)
- 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝙸 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗, 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚏 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙸 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛. (𝙿𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝟷:𝟹; 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟾:𝟸𝟾)
- 𝙸 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚙𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘. 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎–𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢, 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢, 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢. (𝙹𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚊𝚑 𝟸𝟿:𝟷𝟷; 𝙳𝚎𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚖𝚢 𝟸𝟾:𝟷-𝟸𝟾)
- 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚎𝚍. (𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚜 𝟷𝟼:𝟹)
- 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝙹𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚜 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝. (𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟻:𝟷𝟽)
- 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘐 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 (𝘌𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 6:10)
- 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚠 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝙹𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚠 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 (𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟾:𝟸)
- 𝚆𝚒𝚜𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝 (𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚜 𝟸𝟶: 𝟻)
- 𝙸 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝙷𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 (𝟷 𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝟺:𝟺)
- 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚙𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚖𝚎. (𝙻𝚞𝚔𝚎 𝟷𝟶:𝟷𝟿)
Amen |
Daily confessions, devotions, prayers, decrees are always good in my opinion. Its an easy way to build up our faith. The bible says to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. And to stir up the gift that is inside of us. We cannot allow oursleves to become dormant and stagnant. We must stay alert and aware of God's presence in our lives. We don't have to feel Him to know he is there, we simply believe by faith just as we believe by faith that Christ rose from the grace and ascended to heaven. We also believe that He is working in us and working things out in our lives. Blessings to everyone!
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𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙩. 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚. 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 “𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙣” 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙮.
When a person struggles with self-acceptance and needs validation from others, it is like having a demon redirect their focus inward instead of upward towards heaven. This means that they can work much harder for little results. Anxiety comes from a troubled heart. This is a huge problem. It is actually counter-intuitive. It is like working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Yes, you may be getting some work done, but it may not be your best work. The reason is because you are exhausted. In the same way, when we cannot find rest for our souls, we tirelessly and restlessly put our hands over everything until everything we touch turns to mush. Other countries have already figured this out. It is why some cultures practice what is called "siesta." It is basically where everyone leaves what they are doing and takes a nap after lunch. When everyone comes back to work, they are refueled, energized and re-focused. Have you ever felt like you were just watching the clock? That is exactly what it is like when you are struggling to encounter the Peace of God. Your not really present.
I pray everyone reading this encounters the God who says "Peace, Be Still!" The storm and chaos you have experienced in your soul is no match for God. All you have to do is receive it. When God has accepted you, no one can steal it from you.
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Satan will try to convince us to work tirelessly for what we already have (by God's original design). Telling us God is not who He has said He is. And if we believe the lie then by default we'd believe in our hearts and minds that we are not who God made us to be. Satan does this in order for us to eat His fruit (death) rather than the Tree of Life.
Its the same old trick and scheme that Adam fell for in the Garden. God's plan of redemption is to have us reconciled with Him. Jesus prayed in John 17 that we'd be one with God even as He and the Father are one. By the Spirit of God we can be empowered to be sons of God. His very own children, doing what God called us to do on this earth. Before Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they used to walk in the "cool of the day" with the Father as He would come like a refreshing wind. But after they ate of the fruit of the deceiver, instead of walking free with the Holy One, they hid themselves from Him. How tragic that is. What is the forbidden fruit? What is Satan trying to have us eat in order to keep us away from eternal life? The fruit of Satan is deception, it is lies that lead to death. Don't believe the words of the enemy. He is the enemy of your soul. Why? Because you were made in the image of God. His goal is to steal the truth from you, kill your hope and destroy the purpose of God inside of you, which is to walk as an image bearer of God.
No matter what you have done. No matter if it was years ago or yesterday, let go of the weight that so easily besets you. Cast your cares on the LORD. He carried our sin on his back so that we would no longer have to. He was bound to the cross so that we would no longer have to be bound by the LIES of the enemy. Those lies are often followed by sin. Sin is followed by condemnation. Condemnation brings insecurity. Insecurity is a wall that blocks you from the truth that sets you free. Which turns into a perpetual cycle of spiritual madness. It feels like chaos within. It’s so difficult to get out of if we aren’t fully trusting God and willing to lay it all down. This is why Jesus said we must be like children. We must receive the simple gospel, that we are forgiven and set free. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. This is why I don’t agree with the 12 steps method. They would tell you “once an addict always an addict.” But Jesus says “He who the son sets free IS FREE INDEED!!!”
My prayer today is that everyone reading this will be set free NOW! Be set free from what ever lie the enemy is holding over your head. Be free and live free. God loves you and He has not left you. Amen
-Ryan Birk
P.S. Book coming soon (IDENTITY “truth that sets you free”)
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Success is not found in how many letters you have next to your name. Nor is life about the amount of zeros and commas in your bank account. Those things may be important depending on what you want to do with your life. But when it comes down to it, you won't leave with those things. When we leave this earth, we all leave the same, in need of God's mercy. When we stand before Him we will not expect respect for our earthly reputation or level of education. Nor will we dare act entitled. We will be trembling before Him, each and every one of us. I am not trying to paint a gloom and doom image. Quite the contrary. There is much freedom when we realize the millions of possibilities we have in front of us. With Freedom comes Joy. With Joy there is peace and with that there is a level of intimacy with God that is hard to come by.
"For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance." (Proverbs 11:14)
I've spent way too much of my christian life alone. When I was in the world, I somehow had more unity than after I entered the Kingdom. Plenty of the people I wanted to hang out with for some reason or another didn't want to hang out. Some of them had their own cliques and I did not fit in. It was confusing. Nonetheless, I spent my time in the secret place. It was all I knew. Most of the christian brothers I knew were plenty of years older than myself. I did not know a ton of guys my age who wanted to chase after God. There was one guy I met who was mentioning to me that he basically wanted to mentor me (not in those words). At the time, I felt like I had gotten a "weird vibe" from him. So I distanced myself. I also did not know what mentorship was. I did not realize what he was getting at. So there was some arrogance on my part there, I can admit.
Another guy came along who had mentioned to me that he wanted to be there for me as a mentor. Someone who would keep me accountable. I didn’t feel any weird vibe from him, but he seemed to genuinely care. He was a great guy. Sadly, He passed away not much longer after that. Again, I retreated further into the secret place. The secret place for me was life-changing, every time I entered it. So I don't regret being in "my cave." But I did learn a valuable lesson. That lesson was the importance of balance. I received so much strength in the secret place. A type of strength that has fueled me for years. There are things I see other Christians struggling with that I did not understand, simply because I did not have the same experiences.
Many of the guys I had met, have had community for so long but somehow still struggled with an orphan spirit. I was thinking, HOW? You literally have what I never did. But then again, there are different strengths added with each season. The season I had where I had nothing but my "secret place" gave me a strength to where I felt like I didn’t need anyone. But then again, it sucks when you come into issues that are almost impossible to get out of without the help of a community.
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. (Ecclesiastes 4:10)
I learned the hard way. We need to be able to trust God, lean on Him and no one else. But we also need community just as much, not to replace God but so God can use them to minister to us. And vice versa, so we can bring what we have to the table and benefit everyone else. The body of Christ really is a family. And we cannot think we are going to get to all of the heights God has called us to climb all by ourselves. We are not lone wolfs.
When I finally started to realize all of this. I would start reaching out to everyone I could to relay this message and see if I could build some kind of accountability system or brotherhood. Crickets. People would act like they were on the same page, but then start avoiding me. Maybe it was me? Was there something wrong with me? Dang, now I feel like I am dealing with an orphan spirit. I would continue in the secret place, making my declarations, praying, worshiping and reading my word. I finally got a hold of a guy I knew who was really living for God. He was someone in the community who I knew would go out and try to reach people, the same way I did. We always connected on that level but for some reason never connected on a personal level. We never really hung out. So we set up a time to meet up and hang out. I started to tell him what I was struggling with. Things I needed help with, accountability, freedom and deliverance. But as I spoke, I looked up at him, and I seem to have caused disappointment from him. I felt judged. Pretty soon, he packed up his things and left. We never hung out again. Whats wrong with me? It can't be everyone else and not me. I must be the common denominator.
Even though I have yet to find the community I longed for, God still sent a few angels my way. I met a guy at Barnes and Noble. He was homeless. He saw me grab a poetry book, I saw him watching me. I heard him speaking but no one was around him. He had a rhythm to his speech, but I could not make out what He was saying. I asked him if he was doing spoken word or something. He said no, just praying. He began to deliver a word to me that ministered to me. He started to minister to me about condemnation and how it was the enemy of my soul. After that interaction, I never saw him again. I thank God for moments like that. They happen out of the blue, but are far from a surprise to God. They are divinely orchestrated.
Finally, after I got married, my wife moved to Indiana to be with me. She also noticed the lack of community in the area. We were on a hunt to meet new people and get together with others. I thought, for sure with her out-going personality, it will finally happen. I've always been a little more introverted and she comes off as an extro-vert. We soon would put together a group for community outreach. It was a great time. I love all who were included and will never forget. We've all had times of joy, times of tears and everything in between. When you don't see a path to where you want to go, create it!
Pretty soon, that season started coming to an end. We started a new chapter by having our son. We felt it was difficult to facilitate the needs of our group. We all stayed in contact but all realized we needed more than just the ability to do outreach. We all felt like we lacked discipleship. We all felt like we needed mentorship. My wife and I were finally invited to a small group, led by someone I'd now consider a big brother and mentor. They went to another church, so it was difficult for us at first. We did not want to feel like we were betraying anyone since we were not leaving our church and did not have a desire to. But we desperately needed this small group. We felt like spouts that were empty, how could we pour anything out? We needed a new spring to pour into us for a while during that season.
I learned alot during that season. He taught me so much. Just as I did with my Pastor, I learn more from watching them do life than preaching a message. I got to watch him lead others. I also learned what discipleship was on a higher level. I mostly knew what it was from reading the Bible. So I mostly had “text-book” knowledge. But now I would start to experience it first hand. He had a small group with both men and women but soon started a mens group. Both groups met every week. The expectations were laid out on the first day. Everyone had to agree. He wanted to pour into us, but we had to understand the purpose of accountability. He said we were not allowed to lie about what we were going through. How could he help us if we were unwilling to open up? If we went to the ER but won't tell anyone what is wrong, how will they know how to treat us? This was both intimidating, scary and FREEING at the same time. This made my heart leap. It was a scary thought to have to be fully vulnerable with anyone and let it all out. But I knew that I wanted to grow. And how can I grow if I am unwilling to admit the areas that are in need of attention? We cannot grow if we stay in denial about where we are at. We also have to be willing to lay it all down. Once we are able to be real about where we are, we have to be willing to lay it all down at the cross. Otherwise, we are just holding on to something God never meant for us to carry.
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
To sum it all up. The few months I spent in the small group was life changing. It exceeded my expectations. My wife and I both agreed that we felt like we had grown more in a few months than a few years (before the small group). And this is no shade to anywhere else I’ve been that did not have this kind of thing set up. I’m just simply sharing my experience.
My hope for you is that you can find a community that is not going to gossip. People who are on one accord. Real people who all want to grow. Not everyone will grow at the same pace, but that's okay. We all have our own race to run. But as long as we are willing to run it. Remember, accountability can change your life. If you have someone who is willing to pour into your life, be willing to open up to receive it. We all like the sound of "accountability" until its time to actually be accountable. It takes work, discipline, realness and authenticity. But if you are willing to put your best foot forward, God can use that and allow you to walk in your truest, most authentic self (in Christ).
Blessings
-Ryan Birk
Private Link to a spoken word piece I did outside of the “impact conference” by John Eckhardt. (Same day as the photo above) I wrote this while in the parking lot. This was 6 years ago: https://youtu.be/rRgfQU1hu3c
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God is restoring families. Two parent house-holds are on the rise! That is exciting news. I pray that it keeps getting better and better. In the midst of these times where countless ideas and concepts are being introduced to individuals at such a young age. God still remains the same and has a model that works when actually worked and practiced! I want to see you win! Here are FIVE QUICK TIPS for building your family! Love you all!
1. EVERYTHING STARTS AT HOME.
Your dreams, your impact, your legacy, it all starts from within before it can reach those who are "without." If you are single, I highly recommend preparing yourself for your future. Find out what you value and what you want out of life. Keep your dreams before you, don't let them become abstract. Keep your goals in mind. Rather than just hoping the person you end up with has all the qualities you desire in a partner, make time to work on your own strengths and weaknesses. Be the person your future spouse hopes to have. Some people think that when they get married, all of their problems will go away, or at least the majority of them. The truth is, what you struggle with now will most likely just end up pouring into your marriage. And what you don't face today can very well become what your kids struggle with tomorrow.
2. BE VERY DISCIPLINED.
Discipline is doing what you don't want to do, when you don't feel like doing it, simply because it needs to be done. If everyone "felt" like having a perfectly sculpted body, then everyone would be in the gym with no excuses. But who wants to exhaust all of their energy every day? You have to look at the bigger picture. When you commit to God, serving others becomes easier. Don't be selfish and don't be rebellious. Often times the way we respond to people is just a reflection of our relationship with God.
3. SERVE EACH OTHER.
We always hear about the scripture that says "wives submit to your husbands." And then lay the hammer fist down as if it actually pleases God. The Scripture we don't hear as much is found in the verse prior (Ephesians 5:21). It says: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." We are supposed to work together as a team. Yes, the husband is the head of the household, but that does not make the wife lesser. There are simply different roles. And the husband should also listen to the wife. If he loves her, he will hold her opinions as being valuable too. You cannot neglect each other. Continue to date each other no matter how long you have already been together. We would not want to quit spending quality time with God just because we've been going to church for years, right? Then why do couples start to neglect each other as they grow older. If you are really seeking God together, then you should both be growing together as the years go on, not apart.
4. PRAY TOGETHER.
Make it a daily habit. This key is essential for anyone, especially those who are doing life together. Don't just pray as a chore, don't just pray out of obligation, pray out of compassion for each other! Let your children see you praying together! They should grow up seeing that praying is a normal life practice. Its not weird but it is cool to pray!
5. UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
Its easy to get frustrated while living with anyone, whether it be a roommate or a spouse. But anytime you feel tension, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you with the right words and with a heart to see and hear where they are coming from so that you can handle each situation accordingly. Listen to each other, simply to listen. Don't listen just to figure out what you will say next, be present! Each of you come from a different background, different culture and probably have different perspectives and expectations, talk about them! Be vulnerable. Be willing to grow. And be patient! Its also good to know where someone is going in life. What are their dreams? What are their gifts? And ask yourself if you share similar passions. And can you work together for a common goal? Hopefully the first goal of wanting to grow closer to God has already been settled. But finding out how each of you will server God throughout various seasons of life is important too. Your spouse is your best accountability partner and support system!
Written by: Ryan P. Birk |