As I have mentioned before, as a spirit-filled believer, I have seen and experienced many shifting "moves of God" among us. They serve a purpose and then go, as a changing season.
For several years, we have been in a season of "being real" to the world. We wanted to show the world that you can be saved, love Jesus, be forgiven, under God's grace and be just like them. We said "we're not so different from you--we like the same shows, movies, music, dances--but we are 'saved'. We proved that we weren't the narrow-minded, hypocritical, legalistic "Christian" of previous generations. As the years passed, many became so much like the world that the lines became blurred. We lost our "witness" with the world because we were no different than they were. Along with doing what they did, we still had all the same problems. The world didn't see God's power in our lives!
I believe it is time to build on that "realness" and move into Truth. When God kept speaking the word "Truth" to me, my mind was flooded with scriptures:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. ~~ John 4:24
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ~~ John 8:31-32
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. ~~John 14:6
14) I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15) I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16) They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17) Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18) As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.19) And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. ~~John 17:14-19
In order to walk in His Truth, to worship in Truth, to move in Truth; we must be filled with Truth. Jesus is the Word and He is Truth. To be filled with His Truth, we must read God's Word. We must fill ourselves with His Word. When you read God's Word and meditate on it, you become filled with His Truth. As you go through your day and are confronted with problems, temptations--those lusts of the eye, lusts of the flesh and pride of life--you will have an answer and a way of escape. In Matthew 4, you will see that Jesus was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan".
With every temptation, Jesus responded with WORD..."It is WRITTEN...." In those passages, God is showing us our way of confronting everything Satan throws at us. But we must already have "Your Word hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11)
When you have God's Word of Truth in your heart and mind, you make better decisions. It removes the "guess work". Reading books gives you new ideas and expands your knowledge, but always measure what is being taught by God's Word of Truth. Hearing great teaching, preaching and prophesy is wonderful; but always measure it against God's Word of Truth. It is very hard to be deceived when you are filled with Truth.
Read God's Word every day. Hide it in your heart and mind and meditate on it daily. The internet is also a great tool for finding scripture. When God brings a portion of scripture to your mind, find it on the internet. Google the quote. You can learn a lot of scripture that way. Read different versions of the same scripture to get a clearer picture. Look up a significant word in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.
When the world sees the church being "real" but also--and more importantly--walking in the uncompromising Truth of God's Word; they will see the power of the Holy Spirit at work. They will see people living lives they want to live and seek the Truth of God's Word and the power that comes from that Word.
Do you want to know and hear God's voice? The more you fill your mind with God's Word, the more easily you will hear Him. He is always speaking, we just don't always recognize Him. With knowledge comes intimacy.
~~Be blessed, Arlene
For several years, we have been in a season of "being real" to the world. We wanted to show the world that you can be saved, love Jesus, be forgiven, under God's grace and be just like them. We said "we're not so different from you--we like the same shows, movies, music, dances--but we are 'saved'. We proved that we weren't the narrow-minded, hypocritical, legalistic "Christian" of previous generations. As the years passed, many became so much like the world that the lines became blurred. We lost our "witness" with the world because we were no different than they were. Along with doing what they did, we still had all the same problems. The world didn't see God's power in our lives!
I believe it is time to build on that "realness" and move into Truth. When God kept speaking the word "Truth" to me, my mind was flooded with scriptures:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. ~~ John 4:24
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ~~ John 8:31-32
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. ~~John 14:6
14) I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15) I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16) They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17) Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18) As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.19) And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. ~~John 17:14-19
In order to walk in His Truth, to worship in Truth, to move in Truth; we must be filled with Truth. Jesus is the Word and He is Truth. To be filled with His Truth, we must read God's Word. We must fill ourselves with His Word. When you read God's Word and meditate on it, you become filled with His Truth. As you go through your day and are confronted with problems, temptations--those lusts of the eye, lusts of the flesh and pride of life--you will have an answer and a way of escape. In Matthew 4, you will see that Jesus was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan".
With every temptation, Jesus responded with WORD..."It is WRITTEN...." In those passages, God is showing us our way of confronting everything Satan throws at us. But we must already have "Your Word hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11)
When you have God's Word of Truth in your heart and mind, you make better decisions. It removes the "guess work". Reading books gives you new ideas and expands your knowledge, but always measure what is being taught by God's Word of Truth. Hearing great teaching, preaching and prophesy is wonderful; but always measure it against God's Word of Truth. It is very hard to be deceived when you are filled with Truth.
Read God's Word every day. Hide it in your heart and mind and meditate on it daily. The internet is also a great tool for finding scripture. When God brings a portion of scripture to your mind, find it on the internet. Google the quote. You can learn a lot of scripture that way. Read different versions of the same scripture to get a clearer picture. Look up a significant word in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.
When the world sees the church being "real" but also--and more importantly--walking in the uncompromising Truth of God's Word; they will see the power of the Holy Spirit at work. They will see people living lives they want to live and seek the Truth of God's Word and the power that comes from that Word.
Do you want to know and hear God's voice? The more you fill your mind with God's Word, the more easily you will hear Him. He is always speaking, we just don't always recognize Him. With knowledge comes intimacy.
~~Be blessed, Arlene
RSS Feed
