1 John 2:15 ESVDo not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
I am noticing that the more I obey Father the more separated
from the world I become. In all honesty it is a little bitter sweet because
some of those whom I love and care for are not on the same journey and I find
that I cannot relate to them in the same way as before. My cares are for my
Father and His Word and to spread His Gospel. He is breaking my heart for His
mission and I hunger to please Him.
I knew about standing alone for Jesus but the reality of
that meaning is honing in to also include standing alone for Jesus amongst my
brothers and sisters. That was something I wasn’t really prepared for. I guess
deep inside I was hoping they would get on board and journey closer into Father’s
heart with me. This stripping away of self is so painful and the reality of
what is inside of me is so shameful in the light of Father. This wanting to be
loved and included in with others; accepted by my friends, verses my hunger and
thirst for Jesus and my desire to worship and please Him is tearing me inside.
Yet I continue to walk on in obedience to Father because my heart aches to be in
His presence and please Him more than I desire the acceptance of my friends.
With a lot of prayer cover and encouragement from family I
was able to pray in front of the congregation for one of our Sunday services. Up
until the moment I was so nervous, but as soon as I took that first step
towards the front of the church I was carried by Father! It was wonderful!!!
The nerves left, I was able to pray without chocking, stuttering or sweating! He
calmed me and I felt His approval. When I was done and I left then the shakes
came in and my tummy made flips but it didn’t last long and a peace overcame me
and I knew I pleased my Dad. Thank you for your prayers, I felt them and they
carried me.
This journey is hard. I am seeing a lot of ugly things in me
rising to the surface; things I didn’t even realize existed in me. I am a loner
and never have really cared what others thought of me until just now I see that
yes I do care and it hurts in a deep way. But I also see that Father is doing a
deep work in me, purging me of the filth of this human nature called self. With
the purging I am seeing Him with a clearer vision and understanding the pain
and suffering Jesus went through in a deeper way than I did before. I can
relate better to this Man of Sorrow that He was known as. He is molding me and
changing me and I don’t ever want Him to stop, because what I am seeing rise
out of me I like because it is reflecting Him more.
Isaiah 53:10 ESVYet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Worthy is Jesus to be honoured and glorified and praised!!
Blessings,
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Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteI'm in a similar growth period. God is showing me new things about myself I never before knew. He peels me back layer by layer like an onion.
He's so gentle, even though it still hurts.
Thanks for sharing! It's empowering to hear what God is doing in others lives.
Hi TC,
DeleteFrom reading your posts, it sure does seem that we are walking a similar journey.
It does hurt but it is a good hurt because it is journeying towards Him and that is always the best.
Blessings,
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Hi- I haven;t written for months- Mary from New Zealand here. I am posting this reply to send you a link to an article that blessed me so much- which lines up with your picture today about us belonging in another world and I thought it might bless you as it did me: http://thinklings.org/What We Do With Sehnsucht
ReplyDeleteGod Bless you for your faithfulness in prayer for many= the prayers of the righteous AVAIL MUCH.
Mary :)
Hi Mary,
DeleteI will check out the link you provided. Thank you for thinking of me, stopping by and sharing. :)
Blessings hon,
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Hi coG,
ReplyDeleteI have always been a loner in the flesh too, but the Lord has brought me into the company of others both outside the church and inside the church. I believe the reason we feel like we do regarding worldly separation is because with the Holy Spirit indwelling us we are in this world but not of this world. 'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' Galatians ch.2 v.20.
God bless
Hi Brenda,
DeleteThe Christian walk is a tough but a fulfilling journey. The closer we grow to Jesus the more we see that we just don't belong here. It makes me so mournful that others don't see the love of God and say such horrible things about Him. He is so wonderful and good and holy and pure. He is so loving and forgiving and gentle. He is so patient! There is just so much to learn about Him and I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface.
Saved by grace we are and what amazing grace that is!!
Blessings hon, thanks for visiting.
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I love that C.S. Lewis quote. This is a lovely post. We were made by God for God and my heart longs for more of Him (and less of this world).
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren,
DeleteThank you hon. C.S. Lewis has so many good sayings. Even though he started off as an atheist he came to really know who God is and has a lot of wisdom that is still being shared today.
Continue longing more for Father and He will continue to fill you up. It's cool because the more I long for Him the more He fills me and the longing for Him increases so I just want more and more and more of Him. :)
Blessings,
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You described my filth to a "T"… I'm praying for you, sister. I can hear the wisdom and clarity of your soul in your words. Not easy to hear the ugly truth, but needed.
ReplyDeleteHi Floyd,
DeleteThank you for your prayers, I need them. The closer I get to God the more I see just how filthy myself really is. Things that I never thought as bad before I now see in a new light as very sinful. :( I am so thankful Father is loving and forgiving and forever instructing.
It sure is nice to know I am not on this journey alone. There are many brothers and sisters that are walking the same path and having the same realizations. Thanks for sharing that with me. :)
Blessings brother,
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"standing alone for Jesus amongst my brothers and sisters", what a thought-provoking concept. Holy means to be separated by God, for God's purposes, which means separated from ungodly purposes. Sometimes, we are blind to the unfruitful things in our lives that are not pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, but Father God - the Vinedresser (John 15:1-2) prunes us (the branches grafted into Jesus), trimming the unproductive areas of our lives for the increase, but revealed and brought to our attention in the Lord's timing for our growth. We truly are a work in progress... improving daily. Praise be to God!
ReplyDeleteHi Brian,
DeleteI always appreciate your input. Thank you.
The pruning process really does hurt. I guess I have a lot of unproductive areas in my life and I freely allow Him to prune and trim for when He does this the light of Him shines in brighter and more powerfully growing that in my that He wishes to bring into ripeness.
Praise GOD!!
Blessings brother,
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Psa 139:21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
DeletePsa 139:22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Things and thoughts that are hateful to God also rise up in myself, and I ask the Lord to take those things and make them more and more repulsive to me so that I won't abandon Him for these awful things! What a terrible trade that would be to love the things that are rotting away over and above what Jesus is- and has- and does- how short-sighted to want to trade the garbage for the true Treasure of Himself!!! I pray that He keeps us faithful and strong by His Spirit and His strength, for ever and ever amen!
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those verses.
"I pray that He keeps us faithful and strong by His Spirit and His strength, for ever and ever amen!"
I agree with this prayer and I am so thankful that He supplies us with a growing, deep, profound love that is needed for those who are opposed to us. I really love seeing Father answer my prayers of love, to help me love those who rub me wrong or hurt me. It is only from Him that I can do this but I have to seek Him and ask Him for it and He really does supply it. There is this lady I know who really just makes a lot of people mad and off kilter. I asked Father to please help me love her like He loves her. When you ask for things like this be prepared to be given many opportunities to just get it right. :) He has filled me with a love for this lady that just blows me away!
Praising God for keeping us faithful even when it is difficult.
Blessings hon,
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True love hates sin (God's enemies are in the spirit realm) and loves the sinner, true.
DeleteWe are to hate sin (our enemies) with the hatred that God hates sin because it is sending many to hell from unrepentance.
God grant us the ability to abhor sin and yet love the sinner, and God grant that He might give us the mercy to snatch some of them from the flames of hell.
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteYes, amen!
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