Discernment Comes From God Alone

John 6:35-70

Have you ever said, “I wish God would just drop down a big lit neon sign saying, “Do this… Pick this… Don’t do that…?” It seems so simple to us, if God would speak directly to us through a visible, audible and tangible worldly way we would respond with instant favor. However, God did do that with Jesus and those eye witnesses still did not believe. After reading verse 50-59 I can see where they lost their understanding and why they started to grumble and argue. The words Jesus used made no sense to them because they had not received insight and discernment from God to fully understand what Jesus was saying. They were trying so hard to figure out the spiritual meaning from a worldly view they became frustrated. That frustration and the lack of understanding lead to grumbling, complaining, arguing, and an offensive attitude.

God’s Word promises that anyone who asks for wisdom shall receive it {James 1:5}. They forgot to humble themselves to gain wisdom through understanding. We try so hard to figure out the why’s of life, the checklist or instant fix to resolve our complications. We forget to do the one thing God promises: to humble ourselves and asked God for wisdom {Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 1:2; Proverbs 2:2}. If we are to gain wisdom through understanding we must be actively seeking God through His Word. It is that big lit neon sign sent to us along with the Holy Spirit living inside us to give us counsel.

If I could scream one thing to the people I meet, it would be to read God’s Word daily and to ask God to give them insight wisdom and understanding of what they read. God’s Word is sharper than a double edged sword {Hebrews 4:12}, why on earth wouldn’t you pick up that weapon to be victorious. Probably because it seems too easy, yet we don't want to do the effort.

Most people would say time is my big issue. What if you resolved to carve out time and then God took away the complications that were preventing you from having extra time. What if He started using your time for Him and you lived in peace and rest while still doing all the things that time requires of you. Stop arguing, complaining, grumbling and being offended and start seeking God’s Word for answers. What a concept.

Challenge:
1. What are you grumbling about?
2. What are you complaining about?
3. What are you frustrated with?
4. What are you offended by? Why are you offended?
5. Do you desire that lit neon sign? Did you know you already have it?
6. How long has it been since you have specifically asked God for wisdom
with the things that cause you to grumble, to complain, the things that
cause you frustration and the things that offend you?
7. How long has it been since you voiced those things to others? My guess is you instantly talk to others about these things and yet hardly ever sit and take them directly to God or seek His Word for guidance.
8. Do you think you are too busy to read God’s Word?

Acceptance a Key Need

John 5:44
How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet you make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God.

Recently through an exercise at church we were asked to discover three key needs that both we and our spouse have in our relationship. I became acutely aware that I have an extreme need for acceptance from my husband. My desire runs deep to have him receive me with open arms and to do it on purpose with a loving and caring response for who I am. In general, that sounds like a resonable desire. But it has become an expectation, and when that expectation is not met, that expectation becomes a bitter resentment toward my husband, which leads me to not fulfill his key needs.

Having the desire for my husband to accept me is a good thing, but I had placed that desire as a demanded expectation. Which turns my heart from the desires of God's definition of marital acceptance to my personal selfish defintion. With the exercise we had to discuss each one of our key needs. Through our discussion we discovered that we weren't focusing on how to positively correct, we were focusing on specific negative instances from the past. I was focusing on times when I did not get what I wanted and this was causing me to become angry, to raise my voice, to speak with a condacending tone and I felt attacked.

We stopped ourselves and decided to focus on what each one of our personal definitions were to our key needs and what positive, specific actions and words each one of us could do to support the other in that need. My definition to the approach and timing of acceptance and my hubsand's definition to the approach and timing of acceptance were totally different. I received differently than what he had been giving. He was giving, but he was getting absolutely no credit for his efforts. This had to be exasperating for him. I didn't see it because I had set acceptance up in a specific way and that was the only way I was going to receive it. We all do that, we define things for ourselves and we have dreams and desires that we place upon our spouses that truly only God can meet. Yet, we continually battle for what we think is right and what we want.

Our final conclusion was that we needed to discover each other's definitions for the key needs first and then ask God, "What can I do in action and word to express this need to my spouse?". We were no longer going to focus on what each one of was was not bringing to the relationship, but we were going to focus on how we were going to really try to be the representation of God's love to each other through our marriage covenant.

What a concept. Being unselfish and putting my husband first by asking God to show me how to love him. Once that revelation hit me, my own selfish desires became less important and I knew God would give me more than I have ever dreamed, desired or expected in our marriage.

Challenge:

1. Do you receive willing praise from others as more important than praise from God?
2. Do you go to the only true God for answers or do you look to others for approval and never match the issue at hand with God's Word?
3. Do you make a vigorous effort to obtain God's truth through His Word?
4. Do you have a habit of reading His Word and Praying?
5. How can you expect to collectively put God's definition into effect if you are not searching them out by going to him directly?
6. Do you wait to read a devotional or encouraging word from another human or do you go get one straight from the one and only true God?
7. Are you willing to love your spouse the way God intended?
8. Are you willing to be the expression of God's love to your spouse here on earth?
9. Do you have a personal realtionship with Jesus Christ?

This exercise came from a book entitiled The Great Commandment Principle by David Ferguson. For more explanation and an endorsement of the exercise in this book you may watch Greg and Tamara Dumas online presenting a message on marriage to the congregation of The Crossing Church based on the key needs mentioned in this book. Please go to www.crossingonline.org and watch the archived service for July 31, 2010 weekend.

My Comfort

Hebrews 11:25-26


I don't think I have ever chosen to be mistreated on the level that Moses chose. Moses was given the option of being mistreated or enjoying worldly pleasures. If he chose the mistreatment he was choosing the purposes of Christ, the rewards of the future, disgrace, fellowship with other believers, honor and value. If he chose to enjoy worldly pleasures he was choosing fast relief, sin, treasures of the world, human enjoyment and brief comfort.

To not look at what was in front of him and to choose instant relief from his misery means he was weighing his options. Moses' choice of enduring mistreatment and not going with the worldly pleasures were extremely convicting for me. Moses fully weighed his future and then made his decision, he was being proactive instead of reactive. Moses made his choices based on God's desires and not his own.

Not too long ago, God prompted me with this question: What if every choice I make is a direct, face to face, answer to Him? For weeks I ignored the truth of that statement. After today's reading I realized that just because I have chosen to ignore the knowledge of that truth does not mean that I am exempt from the consequences of breaking that truth.

God has made it very clear to me that I must choose the pure and blameless choice in all decisions, if I wish to rest in the future rewards He has for me. Based on Moses' choice and the things he endured, I am bracing myself for heart break, loosing the respect of those who don't believe, loosing favor in the eyes of those I esteem, being excluded and others desiring shame for me because of what I have chosen.

That may sound depressing and unattractive, but Moses saw this as honor. He had already taken into account the future of his decision. Moses' actions encouraged me to place a higher value on the hope I have in the certainty of God's deliverance and rewards for me.

Another point that opened my eyes in this scripture was that Moses' choice was not at all focused on his physical comfort. It became a non-factor in his decision making. My physical comfort is a huge factor in my decisions. There was a time that I ran from an environment of provided food, shelter and transportation, along with a fake relationship and an unfaithful, abusive oppressor. I ran toward a future that I hoped would be better and I didn't take into account my physical comfort.

I could have stayed and allowed others to feed, shelter and transport me, but the overwhelming oppression of that controlling and dark life became the atmosphere that consumed me. That atmosphere canceled out the benefits of the instant pleasures of provisions. Just as Moses knew his environment would grow more abusive, darker and even more controlled, so did I. I, like Moses, desired a life with freedom and light.

My life now, has become so blessed that I have almost forgotten to deny myself momentary pleasures that result in a similar darkness and control. I have lost sight of denying myself things that could bring a greater outcome, an outcome of freedom and light.

In our humaness we think it is cruel to not be comfortable or pleasured, but the pleasure we seek is eternal and not of this world. I am talking baout a spiritual growth and intense relationship that brings you closer to the Creator, not denying yourself things to just be doing a spiritual ritual.

These may be some questions you may want to take to God in prayer:

1. What momentary pleasures am I choosing?
2. Are thoee pleasures bringing me control and darkness or freedom and light?
3. Am I overly comfortable in your life, to the point of excess?
4. Do you deny yourself any luxuries?

A Clean Picture

Hebrews 9

Today as I read my Bible God gave me insight to His glorious love, the grace Christ Jesus displays for me, and the comfort that comes from the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. After journaling my observation and discovering how I can apply this chapter to my own life, I began to confess the sins I had done recently.

I made a list of things that I felt guilty about and I closed my eyes and began to envision myself walking up to Jesus. I could see my clothes were dirty with a few cuts and bruises on my face and my legs. Jesus’ back was toward me and I called out, “Master, I have come to confess my acts before you, my sins.” I was face down, ashamed and embarrassed. I began to speak the sins I had committed and while I was still speaking them, Christ Jesus turned and began to wipe off my face. I continued confessing as He touched my cuts and bruises and they were gone. When I finished confessing, He raised His hands I was in a white, flowing smock.

At that moment, He lifted His hands and turned toward this Glorious Light. As I was standing behind Jesus, a clear filter of power was outlining His body in a large transparent circle. Darkness was along the outer edges being pushed away. Christ was standing between me and the Light. The Light was God himself – in His splendor and majesty. I saw no face, but His presence was sufficient enough to know He was there.

It was if God was looking at me through this large transparent circle that surrounded Jesus. When God’s attention was on me the darkness along the outer edges was destroyed. I was surrounded by clarity, purity and holiness, with Jesus beside me and God’s presence was in front of us.

I was forgiven of all my sins. Christ Jesus had cleaned me, made me presentable before God. God never saw me in my dirty, cut and bruised body. He only saw me as holy and pure in His sight through the clarity that only Christ Jesus brings. The sins were not hidden, they were exposed and once they were exposed they were destroyed by God’s love, and Jesus’ grace. I did nothing to deserve this and I had no power to do this on my own.

Then, the Holy Spirit put his hand on my shoulder. He began to talk and I listened as He walked me back to my life. There was a great part of me that didn’t want to leave that purity and holiness, but I knew the Holy Spirit was going with me and that God had work for me to do.

I often avoid confessing sin in order to somehow make myself right before I go confess. My struggle only makes me look clean on the outside. This never works and my conscience is never free from guilt when I do this. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse my conscience from the sins that guilt me. Only through Jesus’ blood is my conscience cleaned, I am freed from the separation I have created, along with being free from the power that sin has over me.

My question to you today is what is your picture of Jesus interceding on your behalf? Ask God to give you your own vision. He will.

2 kings 8:1-6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com

2 kings 8:1-6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com: "1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, 'Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.' 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, 'Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.' 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land.
Gehazi said, 'This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.' 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, 'Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.'"

God is Always Working in your Favor

Today I read 2 Kings 8:1-6

This is what I OBSERVED:

The Shunammite woman was a widow whose son was RESTORED to life. I am trying to imagine being in this woman's position with just that scenaro. Receiving the blessing of your child being alive after you knew he was dead.

Now, Elisha obviously had compassion for the woman and her son. He gave her insight on the hardships that were to come in the land that she was living in. He gave her a charge to leave, and to leave for seven years.

Still trying to put myself in her shoes... I am wondering what God will ask me to do that I just won't understand. My question is, "How is this thing going to work in my favor?". I wonder if she misguidedly thought this was her trade for her son's life. She had no idea what future was in store for her or her son and based on what she knew I am sure prosperity wasn't even a thought.

She obviously trusted Elisha and was indebted to him for her son's life. I am sure it wasn't a joyful task to leave her home and her land, not to mention any income she may have received from it. What emotional stress she had to be pondering in her own mind! Now, she was to trust this man of God, and to walk away from her life for seven years.

The scripture doesn't say anything about her turmoil, it just says she obeyed. I'm just placing myself in her life circumstances and creating my own turmoil here. Relating to her as a woman and how emotionally and mentally drained I get throughout my own life. My struggles with life in general and my lack of obedience is what brought about this type of thinking.

After the seven years were up, the Shunammite woman went back to land and humbled herself to go beg the king for her home and land back. Humility brings forth many blessing for sure!

God just happened to have Gehazi, Elisha's personal servant, in the presence of the king, obviously during a time when the king was amazed by Elisha's miracles and wonders. So, here we have Gehazi and the king discussing the this woman's son being restored to life and she is there at the same time to beg for her property back.

Gehazi was obviously a wise man too, so he felt no need to be in charge or have control and tell the king this woman's story - he stepped aside and had her tell it. He must have know the ownership she could express. The passion and intensity she could give to the story was much more than Gehazi owned from his prespective.

Now, the king instantly assigned her legal representation and gave a direct order to give back ALL that belonged to her and to include all the income from her land that was taken in while she was away.

Wow! This woman received the restoration of her son's life, her home and income that she obviously did not expect and relief during a famine. Now, I am reeling in my mind the hardships God saved her from during the famine.

I am pondering how God worked in her favor, all the aspects my human mind could never comprehend. She obeyed and humbled herself to God's instruction and she was blessed beyond belief. More blessing than she would have ever prayed for or expected.

How I can APPLY this to my life:

• Remember God is always working in my favor.
• Things don't only happen for my benefit - many others are involved in the process.
• God works all things for good for those who love Him.
• I shouldn't create my own turmoil.
• Obedience brings relief druing hardships.
• There are no coincedences, God is in control of every situation and conversation.
• My question should be, "How can I serve you Lord?"
• Sometimes the things He asks me to do might not seem like a blessing at the time, but they will turn out in my favor if I obey.
• God blesses me far more than I could ever imagine to ask for.
• I am to obey God.
• I am to humble myself.
• I am to give an account of what God has done for me.
• Allow those who have a personal testimony to share it and get out of the way - listen.
• Watch out and bless widows and single mothers.
• Speak wisdom and insight into other's lives.
• Aid in rewarding those who have been wronged.
  

1. What is God asking me to obey Him in?
2. What is God asking me to humble myself to?
3. What instructions has God sent my way that I have or have not taken heed too?

I don't think I could ever grasp the enormous blessings I would get if I sought Him, listened to Him and obeyed Him more.

If you really want to go deeper go back and match the things I am to do with the characters from this story. My guess is, you will add some of your own!