Post by JCD on Sept 23, 2018 9:36:49 GMT -8
This isn't what I had planned on writing in regards to the theme of the month in a group I am in which theme was about "Being Decieved" but the Lords ways are ALWAYS higher than our own.
There has been an ongoing struggle in my heart for the Lord and in my heart for my friends and Brethren here on facebook. We are told to seek the Lord in all things and Jesus Christ is the most important person in my life. The voice of the Holy Spirit keeps whispering to me and I hear the direction to go yet I cannot reconcile it fully in my mind as to what to do. Thus, I have been absent from facebook with only a passing remark or thumbs up so to speak.
It is comforting and encouraging to see many posts, yet I also see posts from Brethren that lean a little left or right. Not Scripturally but I guess you could say worldly.
I heard a sermon the other day that quoted 2 Chron 7:14. 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. This sermon brought out what I had never seen before and now will never forget. Do you see it?
I see and hear so many saying we need to get involved or we need to voice our opinion so the world will know we are not silent and not going away.....what that verse actually says is the reason our country (and the world) is in the condition it is in, it isn't because we are not in politics, not because we haven't protested, not because we haven't signed initiatives or petitions, but because we have NOT followed the prescribed ways of the Lord outlined in the verse.
First and foremost, are we Truly called by His Name. That would be the most important fact to check in our hearts. We are called to check ourselves in Scripture 2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Secondly we are to humble ourselves. Can we honestly look into our hearts and say we are the Poor in spirit? Matt 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Third, do we pray and seek His face? I see prayers scheduled weekly as a group against deception and that is so Beautiful in our Lord Jesus Christ. Deception from the outside into the ecclesia......but do we pray against decieving ourselves? Prov 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. Do we speak to our Father daily? Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Now most people stop at this point in following 2 Chron quoted above, but here is where the rubber meets the road. Do we turn from our wicked ways? It is easy to say we have Overcome this or that bad habit or blatant outright sin, but have we considered there are other things more wicked that we still do, or don't do? What is a wicked way. And this is where my opening struggle has come in.
I can't seem to reconcile posting Scripture and Bible studies (which I agree are encouraging and useful) but I can't reconcile spending the bulk of my day in front of a computer or phone or whatever is used to post on facebook with what Jesus has actually called us to do. He has called us to Harvest. To share Him with those who DO NOT know Him. Does this mean we forsake the assembling of ourselves together? By no means! But how much time are we together as Brethren vs. spending time out in the world?
Matt 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.......If we are not doing this, isn't it a wicked way the Lord is asking us to turn from in 2 Chron? Matt 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:.....
If we truly want to have the Lord hear us and forgive us, and Heal our land, as 2 Chron states, I think we need to start looking for deception in our own hearts. How decieved would we be if the light we thought we were walking in was really darkness? Matt 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Are we truly doing as the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has asked us? Are we applying ALL of His Words to our Life with Him or do we quote them, feel encouraged and move on? If we are not applying them, what good is it? And there in lies my personal struggle with all the hours spent (previously) online verses Truly living and walking out all HE has called me to do. Both personally at home as a wife and caretaker of all He has given us and out in the world shining HIS Light He has set within me for all the world to see.
God Bless you all <3
There has been an ongoing struggle in my heart for the Lord and in my heart for my friends and Brethren here on facebook. We are told to seek the Lord in all things and Jesus Christ is the most important person in my life. The voice of the Holy Spirit keeps whispering to me and I hear the direction to go yet I cannot reconcile it fully in my mind as to what to do. Thus, I have been absent from facebook with only a passing remark or thumbs up so to speak.
It is comforting and encouraging to see many posts, yet I also see posts from Brethren that lean a little left or right. Not Scripturally but I guess you could say worldly.
I heard a sermon the other day that quoted 2 Chron 7:14. 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. This sermon brought out what I had never seen before and now will never forget. Do you see it?
I see and hear so many saying we need to get involved or we need to voice our opinion so the world will know we are not silent and not going away.....what that verse actually says is the reason our country (and the world) is in the condition it is in, it isn't because we are not in politics, not because we haven't protested, not because we haven't signed initiatives or petitions, but because we have NOT followed the prescribed ways of the Lord outlined in the verse.
First and foremost, are we Truly called by His Name. That would be the most important fact to check in our hearts. We are called to check ourselves in Scripture 2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Secondly we are to humble ourselves. Can we honestly look into our hearts and say we are the Poor in spirit? Matt 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Third, do we pray and seek His face? I see prayers scheduled weekly as a group against deception and that is so Beautiful in our Lord Jesus Christ. Deception from the outside into the ecclesia......but do we pray against decieving ourselves? Prov 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. Do we speak to our Father daily? Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Now most people stop at this point in following 2 Chron quoted above, but here is where the rubber meets the road. Do we turn from our wicked ways? It is easy to say we have Overcome this or that bad habit or blatant outright sin, but have we considered there are other things more wicked that we still do, or don't do? What is a wicked way. And this is where my opening struggle has come in.
I can't seem to reconcile posting Scripture and Bible studies (which I agree are encouraging and useful) but I can't reconcile spending the bulk of my day in front of a computer or phone or whatever is used to post on facebook with what Jesus has actually called us to do. He has called us to Harvest. To share Him with those who DO NOT know Him. Does this mean we forsake the assembling of ourselves together? By no means! But how much time are we together as Brethren vs. spending time out in the world?
Matt 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.......If we are not doing this, isn't it a wicked way the Lord is asking us to turn from in 2 Chron? Matt 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:.....
If we truly want to have the Lord hear us and forgive us, and Heal our land, as 2 Chron states, I think we need to start looking for deception in our own hearts. How decieved would we be if the light we thought we were walking in was really darkness? Matt 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Are we truly doing as the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has asked us? Are we applying ALL of His Words to our Life with Him or do we quote them, feel encouraged and move on? If we are not applying them, what good is it? And there in lies my personal struggle with all the hours spent (previously) online verses Truly living and walking out all HE has called me to do. Both personally at home as a wife and caretaker of all He has given us and out in the world shining HIS Light He has set within me for all the world to see.
God Bless you all <3