“Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts.” Ps95.8 NKJV
The real danger whenever we say “no” to the leading of the Holy Spirit, may not be in that single act of disobedience-eating one more piece of pie when He is encouraging self-control. The real danger is that every time we say “no” to Him we are reinforcing in ourselves the habit of saying “no,” again and again. Every “No,“ makes it easier to say “No,“ the next time. And, in the case of that extra piece of pie we all know where that leads. But I wonder if we truly visualize our disobedience in the ultimate sense. Eventually, our habit of saying "No,“ becomes the character of saying "No.” This is why Scripture tells us that people who as a lifestyle are always refusing God, cannot live in that place where God’s will is perfectly accomplished. Christ of course is both willing and able to make up what is lacking in each of our failings and promises to do so for all who look to Him. But we should understand that with His gift of forgiveness is His gift of the Holy Spirit and He has every intention of training our hearts in obedience. This means of course that we learn to say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him. 8/31/07 ts
Just me trying to be honest with God.
Say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him.
“Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts.” Ps95.8 NKJV
The real danger whenever we say “no” to the leading of the Holy Spirit, may not be in that single act of disobedience-eating one more piece of pie when He is encouraging self-control. The real danger is that every time we say “no” to Him we are reinforcing in ourselves the habit of saying “no,” again and again. Every “No,“ makes it easier to say “No,“ the next time. And, in the case of that extra piece of pie we all know where that leads. But I wonder if we truly visualize our disobedience in the ultimate sense. Eventually, our habit of saying "No,“ becomes the character of saying "No.” This is why Scripture tells us that people who as a lifestyle are always refusing God, cannot live in that place where God’s will is perfectly accomplished. Christ of course is both willing and able to make up what is lacking in each of our failings and promises to do so for all who look to Him. But we should understand that with His gift of forgiveness is His gift of the Holy Spirit and He has every intention of training our hearts in obedience. This means of course that we learn to say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him. 8/31/07 ts
The real danger whenever we say “no” to the leading of the Holy Spirit, may not be in that single act of disobedience-eating one more piece of pie when He is encouraging self-control. The real danger is that every time we say “no” to Him we are reinforcing in ourselves the habit of saying “no,” again and again. Every “No,“ makes it easier to say “No,“ the next time. And, in the case of that extra piece of pie we all know where that leads. But I wonder if we truly visualize our disobedience in the ultimate sense. Eventually, our habit of saying "No,“ becomes the character of saying "No.” This is why Scripture tells us that people who as a lifestyle are always refusing God, cannot live in that place where God’s will is perfectly accomplished. Christ of course is both willing and able to make up what is lacking in each of our failings and promises to do so for all who look to Him. But we should understand that with His gift of forgiveness is His gift of the Holy Spirit and He has every intention of training our hearts in obedience. This means of course that we learn to say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him. 8/31/07 ts
I Ask, He Answers
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Eph2.18 NKJV
I am currently in dialogue with a young person who has asked why I believe in God. As I was forming an answer, I realized that my line of thinking was seeking to prove God's existence to them, when actually none of the “proofs” I was offering are the main reason I believe in Him. In short, it is my daily interaction with God which stands behind the principle reason for my faith. Everyday I listen and talk with the Father. I ask Him questions, and He answers them. I present details request to Him and He answers by giving me what I have asked from Him. I ask Him to protect, to provide and to guide and He answers. I ask, He answers.
If I walk in the house, call to my wife to see if she is home, she will undoubtedly answer in some tangible way. I am sure if Brenda could speak in my thoughts and tell me she was home, she might choose to do that over shouting from the back bedroom. As far as I know, I have never audibly heard God’s actual voice, though I have audibly heard Him speaking through others and directly at me. God’s answers are no less tangible than an audible response and truthfully I find them more so. He speaks to my soul within and without and these days my soul is just as real to me as my body. I am becoming very much a spiritual creature. Yet, God’s answers flow over into my physical existence everyday. Now I could understand how someone might write His answers off as coincidence. I might also be tempted to do this, except that this kind of thing happens with the same frequency as my asking a favor from my wife and she does it. I ask believing He is there, He answers because He is. I ask both in Christ and through the Holy Spirit because God is Spirit and Christ after all is the Father’s most tangible response. 8/30/07
I am currently in dialogue with a young person who has asked why I believe in God. As I was forming an answer, I realized that my line of thinking was seeking to prove God's existence to them, when actually none of the “proofs” I was offering are the main reason I believe in Him. In short, it is my daily interaction with God which stands behind the principle reason for my faith. Everyday I listen and talk with the Father. I ask Him questions, and He answers them. I present details request to Him and He answers by giving me what I have asked from Him. I ask Him to protect, to provide and to guide and He answers. I ask, He answers.
If I walk in the house, call to my wife to see if she is home, she will undoubtedly answer in some tangible way. I am sure if Brenda could speak in my thoughts and tell me she was home, she might choose to do that over shouting from the back bedroom. As far as I know, I have never audibly heard God’s actual voice, though I have audibly heard Him speaking through others and directly at me. God’s answers are no less tangible than an audible response and truthfully I find them more so. He speaks to my soul within and without and these days my soul is just as real to me as my body. I am becoming very much a spiritual creature. Yet, God’s answers flow over into my physical existence everyday. Now I could understand how someone might write His answers off as coincidence. I might also be tempted to do this, except that this kind of thing happens with the same frequency as my asking a favor from my wife and she does it. I ask believing He is there, He answers because He is. I ask both in Christ and through the Holy Spirit because God is Spirit and Christ after all is the Father’s most tangible response. 8/30/07
I Ask, He Answers
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Eph2.18 NKJV
I am currently in dialogue with a young person who has asked why I believe in God. As I was forming an answer, I realized that my line of thinking was seeking to prove God's existence to them, when actually none of the “proofs” I was offering are the main reason I believe in Him. In short, it is my daily interaction with God which stands behind the principle reason for my faith. Everyday I listen and talk with the Father. I ask Him questions, and He answers them. I present details request to Him and He answers by giving me what I have asked from Him. I ask Him to protect, to provide and to guide and He answers. I ask, He answers.
If I walk in the house, call to my wife to see if she is home, she will undoubtedly answer in some tangible way. I am sure if Brenda could speak in my thoughts and tell me she was home, she might choose to do that over shouting from the back bedroom. As far as I know, I have never audibly heard God’s actual voice, though I have audibly heard Him speaking through others and directly at me. God’s answers are no less tangible than an audible response and truthfully I find them more so. He speaks to my soul within and without and these days my soul is just as real to me as my body. I am becoming very much a spiritual creature. Yet, God’s answers flow over into my physical existence everyday. Now I could understand how someone might write His answers off as coincidence. I might also be tempted to do this, except that this kind of thing happens with the same frequency as my asking a favor from my wife and she does it. I ask believing He is there, He answers because He is. I ask both in Christ and through the Holy Spirit because God is Spirit and Christ after all is the Father’s most tangible response. 8/30/07
I am currently in dialogue with a young person who has asked why I believe in God. As I was forming an answer, I realized that my line of thinking was seeking to prove God's existence to them, when actually none of the “proofs” I was offering are the main reason I believe in Him. In short, it is my daily interaction with God which stands behind the principle reason for my faith. Everyday I listen and talk with the Father. I ask Him questions, and He answers them. I present details request to Him and He answers by giving me what I have asked from Him. I ask Him to protect, to provide and to guide and He answers. I ask, He answers.
If I walk in the house, call to my wife to see if she is home, she will undoubtedly answer in some tangible way. I am sure if Brenda could speak in my thoughts and tell me she was home, she might choose to do that over shouting from the back bedroom. As far as I know, I have never audibly heard God’s actual voice, though I have audibly heard Him speaking through others and directly at me. God’s answers are no less tangible than an audible response and truthfully I find them more so. He speaks to my soul within and without and these days my soul is just as real to me as my body. I am becoming very much a spiritual creature. Yet, God’s answers flow over into my physical existence everyday. Now I could understand how someone might write His answers off as coincidence. I might also be tempted to do this, except that this kind of thing happens with the same frequency as my asking a favor from my wife and she does it. I ask believing He is there, He answers because He is. I ask both in Christ and through the Holy Spirit because God is Spirit and Christ after all is the Father’s most tangible response. 8/30/07
Undisturbable Peace
Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. Ps119.165 NKJV
To love God is to love His word and to love His word is to keep it. Jesus explained that we live in His Father’s protective love when we do what He has told us to do. And, of the many benefits promised to the obedient heart, the peace of Christ is precious indeed. When it says that “nothing caused them to stumble,” this is another way of saying that nothing can disturb this peace. The peace of Christ is not just undisturbed, it is undisturbable. It is His “great” peace and it stands guard over one who is loving God and being loved by Him. When such a peace reigns in us obstacles are seen as part of God’s agenda for the moment, if only to provide an opportunity for greater faith hope and love.
If it sounds overly spiritual or insanely unimaginable that a person can live in a state of undisturbable peace, we need only to remind ourselves that such peace is said, after all, to “pass all understanding.” That we do not have this peace is probably because it is only found on the other side of an obedient faith. 8/25/07 ts
To love God is to love His word and to love His word is to keep it. Jesus explained that we live in His Father’s protective love when we do what He has told us to do. And, of the many benefits promised to the obedient heart, the peace of Christ is precious indeed. When it says that “nothing caused them to stumble,” this is another way of saying that nothing can disturb this peace. The peace of Christ is not just undisturbed, it is undisturbable. It is His “great” peace and it stands guard over one who is loving God and being loved by Him. When such a peace reigns in us obstacles are seen as part of God’s agenda for the moment, if only to provide an opportunity for greater faith hope and love.
If it sounds overly spiritual or insanely unimaginable that a person can live in a state of undisturbable peace, we need only to remind ourselves that such peace is said, after all, to “pass all understanding.” That we do not have this peace is probably because it is only found on the other side of an obedient faith. 8/25/07 ts
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