May 11
ILLUSION AND DELUSION
In reading some of your responses it is evident that some of you have been deeply hurt and disillusioned. To reiterate, disillusionment is good in this sense, it is the end of the belief in something that does not exist and therefore will not lead you to your destiny. However, there is another form of a lie that God loves us too much to let go on and that is “delusion.”
Illusions come from our own conclusions as we assess our surroundings or circumstances. They are formed by faulty conclusions as we errantly perceive we are headed towards a destination or a direction we envision when are not actually headed there. Therefore illusions are of our own making and tend to be focused more on what the future might be than about the present.
Delusions resemble illusions, but there are subtle differences. Delusions may springboard off of things others say about us or what we think about ourselves. Delusions occur when we think we are someplace but we are not really there, or we see ourselves as having abilities that we actually do not have. In either case, delusions are more about our thoughts of the present than about the future.
Delusions are more painful and subsequently more difficult to recover from. Disillusionment is caused by expectations that do not happen, but delusions are beliefs and those beliefs are rooted deeply within us. You might say illusions are skin deep and delusions go clear to the bone.
No one really wants to think they have been deluded in their thinking, yet I have to bring this up because it is part of the healing process – it is the final ending of a belief in something that does not exist. Until we admit where we have been we will never get to where we will be. We will remain mired in the muck of circumstances and situations that we create and the lie continues. We will live in despair or hopelessness until this lie is broken. Once broken, the spiritual shift will begin and slowly, as new fruit blossoms, our circumstances and situations change and life becomes vastly different!
After the posting on Illusions, one of the Partner’s of this ministry recently wrote to me and stated something that is quite enlightening, and with editorial license I will paraphrase.
“Despair and disillusionment or despair and delusion are a deadly cocktail when one is going through a crisis in their life…the depth of which can keep one from finishing their destiny in God…”D’s” on God’s report card are not “F’s”…He merely points out the things that need improvement and may delay our future until changes are made.
One of my favorite sayings is “delays are not denials”, in other words these things actually occurred and it has kept me going all this years…I constantly tell myself it’s just a delay…
Trust is a hard thing for me & what I’ve lived thru the last 20 yrs on my own…especially when people who are the closest to you lie…cheat & steal in one form or another…then you find yourself in the position of having to make a hard decisions. Overall what you will find is 80% of the time human error is in play, people may have meant well of how they handled things but the result is the same…changes have to be made.”
If you need a jump start, I have a free “Declarative Prayer” on my website that you can copy and pray daily. The Lord gave me this prayer and it really helped me a few years ago. I believe it will really help you as well. It is at the top right of the page under “News.” Scriptures says that the truth sets us free, isn’t it time to believe God has a pure truth about your life and what He created you be become and do.
Blessings,
John Paul
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Thanks, John Paul. I SOOOO want to get to my destiny and I keep asking God to “bring it on,” meaning bring on whatever tests/trials/refinements I need to fit me for service. These last two postings have given terminology to the trials and make it all make sense. You are one of the anvils on which God is hammering out my character. Thank you.
Yes to all that!
I have called God’s delays in my life, God’s holding chamber.
My example of a holding chamber experience.
In th year 1999, I had won a trip for 2 to Ireland, while attending a senior citizens garden concert. I was the bus driver for the event.
Anyway, to make a long story short, prior to winning the trip to Ireland, the Lord had been speaking to my heart about my destiny coming into fulfillment in the moment. At that point I am thinking a few years down the road after my children grow up.
Well the Lord had something up his sleeve that evening. After several tickets were called and nobody claiming the prize, my number was the 7th ticket, and this wasn’t gambling. The tickets were free of charge. Anyway, the 7th ticket was my ticket. Then I heard the voice of the Lord whisper in my spirit that I am beginning to come into my destiny now…I felt His love bursting within my heart.
This was not the end of the story. There was nobody around that was willing or able to go with me on this $2500 trip with free car rental and so I had to do some serious praying and fasting regarding when the Lord wanted me to take this trip, I was in a holding chamber for at least 2 years prior to actually taking the trip. The treveling agency had bent over backwards to keep this trip opened, I had two people cancel out on the trip, the last minute. So then finally the Lord had put a woman pastor in my path whom i met at Ruth Heflin’s camp in Virginia, and she was the one that the Lord had ordained to go on the trip. While in Ireland, I found out what the real reason was for winning the trip, the woman pastor was an intercessor that was an endtime handmaiden like myself and had a burden to pray for Ireland like myself and also was sent by God to me for some inner healing regarding ungodly beliefs that were so much a part of my thinking and/or belief system. So here I would like to extend my salute in saying that God’s delay’s are not God’s denials, its His holding chamber because He is working behind the scenes to make sure that every “i” is dotted and every “T” is crossed, so when the blessing finally comes to fruition, He is the one that gets all the glory!
Blessings To You and Your Wife Diane
on Mother’s Day!
Shirley C.
John Paul,
God has…is…taking me through a round of illusion/delusion striping. I have discovered that:
1. My pride makes the process much more painful.
2. His Kingdom reality that replaces my illusion/delusion is worth the pain.
Marilyn
Hey John Paul and others,
Just a note about the declarative prayer mentioned: I’ve been praying it near daily, sometimes a couple of times a day. Recently, a friend and I were praying for each other, and he prayed that the light that I bring to the world, that God would make it shine brighter. I don’t think this is a coincidence, since what is written in that prayer has to do with the light of God. BTW, I was not feeling particularly light-filled prior to him praying that. God’s truth is truly truth!
Blessings,
Dennis
P.S. I personally do not come down wholly on either the Reformed or Arminian side of things. At the same time, these last couple of blogs have led me to believe that unless God intervenes in my life, reaching down to me, I have no hope. In other words, He makes the first step. Does this reflect “Total Depravity,” one of the phrases from “TULIP,” an acronym for Calvinism/Reformed thinking? And even His having a purpose for me before the foundation of the world slants things in the Reformed direction. More to the point, I see much good in both, and some that I don’t agree with in both. That’s only my opinion, with a small “o.” I’m open to learn (I hope!).
Sometimes it feels like a building inspector has compared the construction to the blueprint and found problems.
I can imagine Him saying things like,
“Well, this wall must come out because it is supposed to be a Load-Bearing wall and it is not.
This plumbing capacity is not up to specs for a building of this size.
Let’s take a look at that electrical panel.”
Even the foundation has to be torn up if it is not made out of the correct material.
If we are built upon the Rock…
JP, thank you for listening to the Lord about starting this blog.
God bless
David
note to David from Louisiana: SUPERIOR metaphor. thanks.
Hummm, well, I suspected this was coming. You wrote about having illusions and delusions being destroyed right before I had to face the issue again. I expected my child to be healed in the last couple of days…and expected some other things with it…REALLY expected it…and it didn’t happen. As I felt the welling up of anger, frustration, and hopelessness I remembered these blogs. I told myself to calm down and look at things logically.
I had certain expectations that were shattered. But, it doesn’t mean everything is shattered. It just means that what I thought would happen didn’t happen when I expected (I’m still telling myself this). It doesn’t mean God won’t do things later. All is not lost.
This is my point: Just because your dreams, desires, and passions don’t come about as expected doesn’t mean they won’t come about. I’m telling myself God does more than we can imagine and all of it is good! He can do things better than we can even envision the way we want things to go.
I’ve always been afraid that the desires I’ve had for ministry are not from God and I will be disappointed by never seeing them. I’ve been afraid my desires for a calling are not God’s desires and I will be devastated by a calling I really didn’t want. I’m telling myself now, and to anyone who needs to hear it, “delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” Psalm 37:4. He will not tease us! If our expectations do not come about, God has a much more exciting, thrilling, and fulfilling plan than we could have imagined…and it will satisfy the original desire!
Brian, this is one of those “pull yourself up by the bootstrap moments.”
One of Those
Delusions are more painful and subsequently more difficult to recover from.
No one really wants to think they have been deluded in their thinking, yet I have to bring this up because it is part of the healing process – it is the final ending of a belief in something that does not exist.
Where does deluded thinking come from. Is this part of the faulty DNA passed down generationally? Or it is a result of a would inflicted upon a soul? I am being undone!! I want to cooperate with this undoing because I am READY to be free from torment. Also, is the spirit of prophecy the testimony of Jesus? Does God show tragic things that are to come in order to prepare us? Or is this simple a form of torment from deluded thinking? When God does show future events is it so we can intercede and change outcomes? And finally, how do we know the lie behind deluded thinking is finally broken? Is it a matter of time?
One of Those,
Hugs.
I’ve actually gone thru some of the breaking of illusions but I was calling it “fantasy”. What ever terminology you call it, one thing I do know…..it clouds your thinking and ability to comprehend Truth so in that respect, the Lord is doing us a big favor in dealing with it !!!
Thanks JP.
I have been delayed a loy understanding it is the timing of God and it’s for our good, that is what is difficult. I got a word recently about it. I thought I would pass it on. Thanks. I have been needing to print that prayer.
Much Blessings to you and Diane about the Move to TEXAS YEE HAW!
Kathryn
The declarative prayer - very powerful! I keep wondering what my life will look like when I actually live like I BELIEVE Christ really is in me - the hope of glory. And what the church will look like when we grab hold of this.
To One of Those - my heart reaches out to you and your child … be embraced by His tender love.