Feb 20
Q & A Feeling Spiritual
I totally agree with what you are saying about being plugged into the Source but where does the Body fit in? Maybe I don’t understand how it all works but aren’t we supposed to have an “Interdependence” on each other also?
- Yes, we are to be interdependent on each other, but we are not to make others our source. They are to be an aid to us, counsel to us, inspiration to us, and help to us. If we allow others to be our source, then we have made them our God. Conversely, if we allow ourselves to become the source of all things for others, we have taken God’s role and made ourselves God.
- God does use others to meet our needs, but aid is temporal and not day in and day out or permanent. Meeting the needs of the moment for someone is not the same as making someone need us. The result of allowing others to make us their source is that they take on a Victim Mentality.
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Are there really stages in our spiritual walk?
- Yep there are, and in most of them we feel less than spiritual until we advance to the next level of spirituality. It is here, from this vantage point that we can look back to see the progress and the process of our growth pattern. I wish the spiritual life was so simple that we need not be concerned at all. But, to most of us it is not. A positive is that it is the very act of being concerned that insures we doing well and we will make it.
- You see, to be concerned about our life in God means we do not take His presence lightly nor make His “light” within our lives a trite matter. To be concerned proves we value His light. God loves that we value or treasure His presence. To value Him insures He will not only give us more of His Spirit, but He will also insure that we will keep growing, and maturing to the next level of True, Pure, Spirituality. This is seeking Him with all our heart and we are guaranteed to find Him when we do so.
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You have stated that our relationship with God can ebb and flow, why would God do that?
- Yes, our relationship with God ebbs and flows. There are times when we have done nothing wrong, but He seems far away. One illustration for this is actually found in the sanitary laws of Scripture. Scripture tells us that during the womans time of monthly purification, the husband is to not be intimate with her. This is not because she has done anything wrong, but during this time she is actually being prepared for fruitfulness or ovulation.
- Paul alludes to this law when he talks about how husbands and wives are to intimately respond to each other (Ephesians 5) and how that even in mentioning these matters he speaks not concerning husbands and wives but, it is a picture of Christ and the Church and when applied that means how Christ relates in intimacy with you.
- Sometimes it is not that we have committed any sin, or that we have omitted anything we should have done. Sometimes the Lord withdraws from us to prepare us for intimacy, ovulation, or fruitfulness.
- As the woman in the Song of Solomon, we hear our love at the door and we delay responding. When we do go to the door and open the latch He is gone. Here, we begin to long for Him so much we go on a search for Him.
- Here we find a secret, “In the lack of His presence we yearn for His presence.”
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I thought you always had spiritual experiences. I was surprised to hear you describe your stage one and two.
- Spiritual experiences do not make one mature. Jeremiah was called before he was born, but there was no maturity there. Samuel was given a national prophecy when he was five or six years old, but he was not mature.
- Gifts or supernatural experiences are just that - gifts. They are not rewards for good behavior or maturity.
- I was struggling in stage one and two through my early twenties. During this stage I messed up a lot and really needed a lot of forgiveness. The sensitivity that I had with the gift, which I did not know I had, left me sensitive to a lot of worldly thinking. I would fall and run to the light, fall again and run to the light, over and over. I had no clue of how much The Light loved me.
- All I knew God to be was harsh, full of judgment, waiting to punish me, and this left me with a great amount of fear of failing Him.
- Like King David, it was the very thing I feared that came upon me. It is here that I learned that “what you fear you empower,” and “what you focus on you make room for.”
- I never knew He loved me - and you - until I was in my 40’s. Sad, but true.
- It is so much easier to serve God out of love rather than out of fear - I wish I would have known this when I was so much younger, like when I was 10 years old! It is His love that penetrates the veil of blindness we walk in when we fall prey to the god of this world.
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How long are the Spiritual Stages you wrote about?
- At the risk of over simplifying, each stage is as long as it takes you to overcome and master the solution to that particular stage. I stayed on some stages for years, and in other stages for months.
- If stayed a short time in any stage I then had to repeat that stage.
- A quick exit from any stage is more a sign of stubbornness than a sign of maturity.
- It seems the longer I stayed in a particular stage, the more lasting the result, which is hard but good in the long run.
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I am 17, am I too young to be pressing into the deep deep things of God and desire to just know the intimacy of his glory and of his presence? The answer to both of those questions I believe is no, But I don’t know why breakthrough isn’t occurring. I desire to be blasted by God and know the measure of who he is?
- You are correct, the answer is no, you are not too young - but you are inexperienced. One of the most difficult lessons we must learn as we walk on this spiritual odyssey is to “be as patient with ourselves as God is with us.”
- It is often our impatience that makes us feel we are not making progress and therefore failing God.
- Our inexperience makes us feel that if we can do more, God will respond to us. If this were true, then God would have just endorsed “justification” or spirituality by “works” and not justification by faith.
- We cannot entice God to do any more than he will do. However, we can clear the wax from our ears, and scales from our eyes. But, even that cannot be done if God does not grant us the desire to do so. If God does not grant anything, then such spiritual thoughts will never even enter our mind.
- The fact you are wanting this is an enormous plus to your future growth.
- If you do not quite you win!
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Your questions about spirituality are very good, I’ll try to answer more on the next blog.
Blessings,
John Paul
37 Comments so far
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Wow, this is so very good. It’s like waking up to a Fireside Chat!
The truth of this statement impacted me this morning…
“In the lack of His presence we yearn for His presence”
I hunger and thirst when I haven’t had a meal. I hunger for God when I haven’t been in His presence.
Another excellent, life giving post, thanks!
Z
I love your blogs and talks of growing spiritually, it is very interesting and refreshing.
Isn’t it really just a matter of knowing God more and more each day and walking in fellowship with Him and then He grows us up? We simply focus on knowing this all-powerful, wonderful, amazing, loving God and find our joy in Him and the growth comes naturally from that?
Of course, we also desire and keep before Him that we would remain pure before Him, for His good pleasure and that He would continue working in our lives and purifying us on a continuous basis.
Peace to you.
Hi John Paul,
Good stuff once again. On your previous post you commented on how, if we beg, we become like the priests of Baal against Elijah. It’s almost as if we’re running around doing all of this supposed “spiritual” stuff but in reality, (I’m probably being autobiographical) we’re saying, pay attention to me God, pay attention to me! As if we did not already have His attention - He’s waiting for us to give Him our attention.
Also, on the issue of interdependence, it almost seems like if we are focused on God (Matt 6:33), then it’s His call to use whoever or whatever He will to reach us. It’s almost a lack of faith on my part to not put myself out there and rely on God. If I do rely on Him, I can truly receive from Him through others because my eyes are on Him. If I don’t rely on Him, I’m sure He can use others to nudge me back. But it seems as if I’m focused on Him, when He does use someone else, I truly receive from His Spirit through them and do not grow dependent on that person to be God for me. If I am focused on them instead of God, there’s like a kink in my line to God, and I don’t truly receive all I could. It can also become a control issue, wanting to control when I receive and control that person, instead of again relying on God and His timing. Definitely a trust issue!
Could you also comment at some point on what maturity is as opposed to giftedness?
Blessings!
Dennis
Your responses helped tremendously…especially regarding your experience in your twenties.
If I can open my heart wide open for a minute, I would like to share something with you– all of you– to share in this mystery of a spiritual journey. In 1999, I invited Jesus to be Lord of my life. The Lord came into my life like a whirlwind– showing me things on such vast levels through dreams and visions. I felt His presence with me on a daily basis. I cried every time I spoke of Him to others… That same year, my family and I went to Myrtle Beach to spend alone time with God– and to celebrate each other. I had been praying for God to give me something to remember the trip by– I really wanted a unique looking seashell, and so I strolled on the beach but didn’t find anything. The next day I saw a man playing the bongos on the boardwalk. I had this overwhelming urge to go over and talk to him. Immediately I am flooded by God’s love and start pouring out my heart to this man about how amazing God is… I can’t even remember all I said, God completely took control of my words. All of a sudden the sky turns bright pink and the clouds are so intense. It was as if God’s love was blushing all over us both. I had my camera with me and took a picture of it– When I got home the next week, I developed my pictures and I couldn’t believe what I saw….
The largest most powerful looking eagle in the shape of a cloud. I immediately knew– this is the gift God wanted me to have to remember this week, not a seashell. A few weeks later, I started having prophetic dreams. It was in 1999 that I was led to Streams Ministries… I was so intrigued with finding out what my dreams meant– I bought the tapes and dream journal (which I just found again a few months ago). And then after a series of strongholds and spiritual attacks on me took place– I fell… hard…. and felt like I had betrayed God. It felt like my heart had shattered into a few thousand pieces. I knew something great was laying dormant in me and I didn’t know how to get His presence back.
Four years later I visit a local church. The Lord’s presence came on me once again– and I wept so hard for so long…. even after everyone left the service. Someone came up to me and told me “You are an intercessor!”. I asked her why and she said because I was so sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Then just last year– my heart was revived again. I took “The Art of Hearing God” course with Patty Mapes. From that day, I haven’t been the same. From there I took the “Understanding Dreams and Visions” course (with Pastor John Thomas and his amazing wife Dawna) and I felt like I was “home”. All throughout the courses, the presence of the Lord was with me. I had to get up a few times during the teaching because I was so overwhelmed– the tears would not stop running down my face. Even as I write this– I knew I was in the right place at the right time.
Up until then– all those years passed by and I felt like I was passed over because I had taken the long way around… and now, here I am…. still wondering how this all fits in. Still wondering what God wants to do with me…I wonder why God chose to give me an eagle and how it will play a role in my life. I know the desires He has placed in my heart and the things I’ve seen in my dreams. Those desires aren’t going away, but are growing stronger. But in the natural, I am unconnected… not plugged in. And at times, I feel like I am still failing God. I feel like He is waiting on me to move, and I guess that is frustrating for me because I don’t know where to go.
So, your blogs are helping me get past that. And I’m starting to embrace His unconditional love again. If you have any further insight for me, I would love to hear it! Thank you again John Paul.
John Paul - I just want to tell you how much I appreciate your mature wisdom. As a young man, I crave it. Thank you for your willingness to share, and through so many mediums.
I am thankful for your words and this blog. I’m thankful for the opportunity to ask the kinds of questions I was always afraid to ask. I am thankful that I can feel the presence of God.
I am both delightfully distracted and deeply troubled. I am distracted by the desire to be around people who know God and learn and I’m distracted by the longing to feel more of God. I am also deeply troubled by my lack of feeling like I have any answers from God right now. I think part of the reason I came to this web site in the first place is because I’m at such a critical point in my life that I just really can’t keep going without some answers from Him. I so desperately need to hear Him.
I’m troubled by a desperate desire to hear from Him. I’ve felt Him in the last number of days but I need to hear Him. Again, I’m back to the basics. I see being with Him is not the same as hearing from Him…another thing I had really never made a distinction between. I feel like a toddler unable to be comforted because the emotions of the moment are too overbearing. That simple peaceful trust is illusive.
I’m glad you talked about your early perceptions about God. I think it sparked a realization that I too have an incorrect perception of God (or at least I think it is wrong). I had heard a teaching a long time ago that if God was going to use you in a big way then you would pay a big price. In my teens and twenties I was abandoned to that price. I would tell myself all the devastation, humility, and hardship I encountered was because God was forming character, maturity, and wisdom. I often wondered at its logic but it was all that kept me going in the hard times. Now I question that logic again. Does God really want me to climb to great heights only to be smacked down to the ground for ‘character building,’ ‘maturity,’ and ‘wisdom?’
I’ve come to perceive that His love equates to stripping and devastation. I perceive that the things that are most important to me need to be taken away from me in order to grow in God. I’ve come to feel that His presence precedes more bad life events. It is like He gives me a shot of morphine before amputating something important.
Well, I’m going on too long. However, you have made me think that God does not want to keep me on a forced march like a POW all life long. He wants me to lie down in green pastures and lead me beside still waters. He doesn’t want me to perceive everything as an iron man competition. I want to change my perception of Him. I want to know Him as giving me things I desire and giving me peace. I want to know His rest and peace.
“Like King David, it was the very thing I feared that came upon me. It is here that I learned that “what you fear you empower,” and “what you focus on you make room for.””
The events which led to my complete turn away from Him last year was related to this. I felt I let Him hold what was most important to me only to have Him take it away and kill it.
I don’t want to fear Him continuously destroying everything important in my life. I don’t want to fear that if something is good in my life that He will take it away. I’m almost trembling (in a good way) as I write this. I hope I’m not taking up to much space but that this is good for someone else too.
I wonder if while you are answering questions if you could address the issue of spiritual abuse in bible-based churches.
Thank you,
Jena
The ebb and flow: very true. As we are on a spiritual journey, we will pass through different kinds of landscapes; the further we travel, the greater the variety of them. Sometimes to get somewhere we have to go through a desert, like the Nullabor? Plain, a desert in Western Australia. To travel to the city of Perth on the west coast of Australia by road you have to drive over the Nullabor Plain. It’s a very dry place where the scenery doesnt change for at least two days. When things are dry and we feel distant to God, it doesnt mean we are not still travelling with Him, it’s just the landscape has changed. And I suspect the places that hold the greatest value are visited by fewer people, because few are willing to travel through the dry and dusty places to get to them. Oh..and yes, just when you begin to breathe the dust and hear the howling wind of the desert, God places an Oasis there, to refresh you! You can choose to see value in the Ebb. Can you tell I just found an Oasis?
“It is here, from this vantage point that we can look back to see the progress and the process of our growth pattern. I wish the spiritual life was so simple that we need not be concerned at all. But, to most of us it is not.”
Isn’t it fascinating how our perspective, our view, of our spiritual growth is always described as “looking back” to see how far we’ve come, we’ve grown.
In all reality, while I know “looking back” is a figure of speech, it is an expression of the way we’ve been taught to understand how we should view our growth. And, that’s okay! Eventually, we will come to understand our growth spiritually is, after all, the diffusion of the illusions we carry about what we THINK love is. When the haze of all the lies we carry about love fail and fade, the real love born of The One (God) stands waiting for us like the day when the fog burns off by morning’s light.
Our spiritual life is only as complex as our willingness to discover and learn how broad our horizon is with God close and nearby us to discover it.
So, what you will you will do. What you wish simply will remain so and will not.
I love your site…it is a blessing!
AngllhugnU2
Author of IM with God
John Paul,
Just a quick question while we still in Q&A…Do you think that there will be a stage beyond stage 7? What do you think it would look like or be like?…
Luv ya…
God Bless…
This sounds so orthodox. This is good. You seem to be taking all of us in the right direction in terms of comtemplation. Good stuff!
Blessings!
dr. shirley c
Through all the sound teaching and effective “spiritual troubleshooting” done in love, that has proliferated in these days, I sense and have come to believe that God is bringing this generation to spiritual heights faster than before. I believe this is due to the effective removal of obstacles, which are allowing the light to shine brighter, dawning upon this generation, in a way that was not before…
Because of this present move of the Spirit, I also believe that the Spirit is now able to move more efficiently through His people, who are helping others come to maturity, and because of this He is being given a way in the earth (through people) like never before…
I believe that the people who are truly maturing, will seem to be maturing quicker, (sooner in their age), because they now have help that the previous generations didn’t have…This generation has effective fathers, bringing up mature children that will have a greater impact…
Just some thoughts that came to me as I pondered on the process that has developed here…
Any thoughts?
God Bless…
(Had to get this through before I forgot it…)
During the periods where I don’t feel His presence as strongly as other times, I have found great comfort knowing these few things. Maybe they will help others also.
He will give us vineyards in the wilderness and we shall hope and sing! “Hosea”
I was with you where ever you went, and I cut off all your enemies and have made you a great name. “Nathan the prophet to David” We see in David’s writing during his wilderness experience as he calls out… “Where are You God?” (Paraphrased)
I am amazed at His love and patience with me. (I know I can be hard headed.)
God bless
David
Antonio, As we move closer to the vortex we pick up speed!
JPJ,
You are a true Spiritual Father! May God continue to raise many prototypes like you who will teach us the ways of God. I enjoyed watching you on This is Your Day and on Daystar. I feel so privileged to be a part of this blog and to kind of learn “directly” from you. Its like being able to write to and converse with one of God’s few friends.
Thanks!
WHOOAAAAA!!!!!!
Hahah. I love it.
Ok, so I can totally relate with your sharing in the twenties something back and forth with GOd. Used to cry and weep everyday before the Lord, thinking that I had lost my salvation from all kinds of imperfections. Finding out the real gospel and grace was something God had for me to experience over the course of running and falling running and falling. It is interesting too, recently, in the last year I have had a massive change of understandings in the spiritual realms. I never realized How much I was picking up from other people through out my life, and so much of my life I had been ‘hearing’ others thoughts, feelings, secrets etc. When this would happen and lets say it was something of a dark nature that I would hear in my head when walking past someone, i thought it was a demon coming onto my body and I would rebuke it and fight and fight, ‘ohhh God, how could those thoughts be there?” what I didn’t realize at the time was that it is what some call words of knowledge, revelation, or hearing the thoughts of others.
This has led me down paths with relationships even where I would feel the deep desire from someone, thinking that suddenly the Lord had bombarded me with romance-love for the person, i would get involved in a relationship with that person, only to realize later and (sometimes well later..like years later) that they were controlling, selfish, and that the reason i thought I was in love with them was because their soul-power of lust towards me was rather strong. It was a hard lesson to learn because I didn’t realize at the time why I would ‘feel’ in love with them when I was around them, but then I could go on about my businesss other times and not feel infatuation or anything else.
When God opened my eyes to see the strong methods of control and manipulation that people do to each other all the time, It was a looong hard gasp coming out of me. I cried and asked God why he didn’t show me sooner instead of letting me in relationships with people for many times very long periods of time until they would suddenly ditch me or walk out and never return. He told me there was times when he tried, but I was being sideswiped and wasn’t able to hedar clearly, but that he allowed that so that I could grow and learn the deep interactions that take place amongst people.
It has been a long winding road every since. Its like waking up out of something like the movie ‘the matrix’ and seeing how much people use a vampire force to feed and destructively violate each other every day. The spiritual journey of awakening everyday with more God, is not always a pretty picture!!
But even still it shows me more the grace of God as I grow in him and learn more and more. Sometimes I beleive we are soo IN TUNE that we are out of tune, picking up so many frequencies, vibrations and wavelengths that we have to back step a little to hear the right one.
Also In regards to making others our God and looking to others for source, I find it interesting that you brought this conversation about.
I used to share tons and tons more of what I was learning with God with people, there was a regular getting together every week and I could ‘blab’ for hours about the amazing things God was speaking and doing. In fact, I would talk to everyone, didn’t matter if they were a church person or a christian or a satanist.. I would share to everyone how wonderful God was… but then one day, God spoke to my heart, and he said something like this…” Son i love how you can’t wait to talk to others about me, but I want you to hold back somewhat and sometimes not speak about it at all” and I was like WHAT? WHY? God, did I do something wrong? and then “well, you share so much with people, that some of them have started to goto you with their spiritual questions and their focus has left coming to me for things, and now they just want to hear what you are hearing and doing with me” i was just stunned. I thought how horrible it was, and then the following weeks when I would see people I would start to say something and just stop. When I stopped, I could see right in the eyes of the people this longing for more of what I had been sharing previously. It broke my heart, and I was saddenned by it, I had no idea that people had done that towards me.. After God showed me that I was totally convinced that I never wanted to ‘be a big name’ or world reknowned person> I hadn’t before, but I thought about all the things speakers and leaders must God through spiritually. Bleck. Sometimes i think that is why so many leaders fall, because they are ’spiritually raped’ by soulish intentions of others, and so they become defiled until the defiling builds up and manifests.
Anyways, I thank you for sharing this stuff John Paul, I share a small portion of my story to show how much I appreciate the parallels of what you teach and what God has shown me over time. I really am thankful that God is ‘pulling you out of the woodwork’ even more than ever before. When I saw you speak in NJ some time ago, i realized that there was much deeper places in God that you had gone but you weren’t necessarily released to share at that time, and I think you are starting to share some of those things for others encouragement…and I love it!!
May God allow you to continue to keep it coming! loveya.
“It cannot be done without God granting us to do so.” How profound and true. It brought to mind that line in one of Misty Edward’s songs paraphrased - “I can’t even worship unless you place the desire to worship You in my heart.” It’s so true. He is the Source, The Architect, The Creator, All in All. I feel Holy Spirit washing in and over me as I’m typing this post. Our Father is so good to us - and I love what Dennis P. stated above about being like the prophets of baal - crying for attention - when, in fact, God’s Love and Eye are upon us and waiting for us to give HIM the attention and proper place from his sons and daughters that HE desires. WOW….
“Transforming the Inner Man” by John Loren & Paula Sandford is a book that I just started to read - and it’s amazing how it’s dealing with what we’ve been learning and discussing here.
Blessings,
Kim
JPJ,
Are you familiar with Christian Meditation as taught by John Main, and/or Centering Prayer of the modern day Benedictines? Do you think this a good way to commune with the indwelling Presence of Jesus and deepen that connection outside of prayer?
Thanks,
Kyle
I just want to thank you for your ministry. You have been a great encouragement to me. I can tell you from my own experience what happens when you make someone else your source. It can bring you into a very cruel bondage. It is the sin of idolatry. When we become too dependant on anything or anyone other than God, we come into bondage to that which we are depending on. I learned this the hard way. Thank God for his love and mercy that brings us to freedom. Thank God that he makes a way to bring us into his perfect will. Thank God that he loves us even though we are imperfect. Lord, as we fix our eyes on you, lead us into your perfect will.
Let us see your will done on earth as it is in Heaven. Let us be as one, as we behold your sovereignty.
So in the middle of life being so bad that you want to die, every attempt to help yourself is slapped down, every attempt to have communion with Jesus leaves you feeling like you talked to a tree(not on fire and not talking back), every bit of hope given is deferred making your heart feel like it has been ripped out and put into a rusty vice, how do you help yourself.
Praying makes you sad or angry. Worshiping is empty, and when there is a little something it is stolen from instantly by your current situations. It is almost like I got to the point where anything I git now will help keep me alive for more torture. So in that place and state how would I make it better?
I am not sure whether I can comment on someones comment, but here goes…
Joe Leone..I feel for you. Its like you have swung out on a trapeze and are now left hanging onto the trapeze in mid air and finding it really hard to hold on for any longer. I sense that you are at that stage where you know you need to let go, but it’s real scarey because that means you will fall. But I see a large net underneath you, and I want to encourage you that when you let go, GOD WILL CATCH YOU! His net is so large that you can’t miss it. GOD WILL CATCH YOU!
Yes David, I see that…Thank you…
Well, in reading all the comments on making others our source, and especially after reading your comments Will, I must confess that I to have made that mistake before.
Bringing pressure upon others to meet an inner need that only God can meet, instead of learning from others the path to God (in times when I feel I cannot reach Him and cannot see the path by myself).
As I then take that path to God, in return He will meet all my needs, without making other people my God or Source. I have felt, that proximity to Him goes a long way, without having to scream all the time (on the inside)…This reminds me of some things that were said in Pseudo Spirituality…
I have come to understand how pressuring others, can come back to us in a form of pressure too…
The one who is pressured and does not succumb to the pressure, can avoid a prophetic error…I have succumbed to (emotional)pressure before from another person, and prophesied a word that did not come to pass. Later I had to repent for what I did, because I didn’t know at the time, what I should do under that kind of pressure…I have learnt to wait on the guidance of the Spirit to answer as the He wills…
Later I found that this also applied to my relationships, and every pressuring aspect of my life – actually, further on, it came down to every aspect of my life pressuring or not…
In waiting to hear His voice, and giving no answer at times, was the best solution. God would then answer in His time and on His terms…and another lesson would be learnt.
Well, then there are those times when you just couldn’t keep quiet…you had to say something…in those times I just prayed for or/and with the person, or I just told them that I don’t know.
Time and time again, I have just told people “I don’t know, I don’t have a clue”, because that’s exactly what was happening…I just felt nothing, saw nothing, knew nothing…In that time I just felt like I was nothing…
I just felt like saying “Seek God”(which I sohould have done)…but most of the time I just said nothing, or walked away…
Well, I’m still learning…I still have a long journey ahead…just dropped some thoughts to keep the interaction going…
What do you guys think? Any experiences you’d like to share…
Love you guys!
God Bless
Joe L,
From reading your post it seems like you have a real drive for results which can be a good thing under the Lord’s hand. You want to see the fruit of your “labor” in seeking Him. Though you are struggling, the fact that you are struggling is an indication that you are in Him. 1 John 3 talks about dealing with condemnation and knowing we have love for our brothers sets our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is GREATER than our hearts and KNOWS EVERYTHING. He is greater than what we are going through and He knows your heart for Him. Again, the very fact you are writing on this blog and looking for help is an indication that you are His and that He is working in your life. It sounds like you’re almost in a place similar to working out physically. You’re changing a particular exercise routine and boy, you’re getting the exact opposite of what you want because it’s different. But you are moving things in your life and you will reap the reward of your seeking - you will reap what you sow in God. You will - God will not deny himself.
I agree with the prior post of letting go and falling into God’s arms. I think what this means is that of a letting go of looking for a direct result of your labor and a particular expected result,and receiving what God would give you.
I also believe, as a guy probably older than you (almost 45), your soul needs a “talking to,” as the Psalmist did in Psalm 42 and 43. He commanded himself, his soul, to hope in God despite what he was experiencing.
My intent is not to recommend a lot of “to do’s,” and if that’s coming through, I apologize. Moreso, hold onto the truth that God loves you. Hold onto it despite what you are experiencing, despite what you think, feel, want, what you read, what’s in your head. Let that reign in you, that truth no matter what. You’re in a battle, but it’s making you stronger and will make you mighty in spirit.
Go my brother in the strength of the Lord - you will strengthen your brothers. Fight Joe, fight!
We are praying for you!
Blessings,
Dennis
Hi: A Big thumbs-up to you Kathryn! The one who fed the masses with a few loaves and fish, is the one who sat by the well and drew in the sand. The one who saved every unworthy one who shall be his bride, went the other way to heal a child. The blind man cried out as they said “Leave the teacher alone” and the one who flowed through walls said “bring him to me”!!!
When all seem to think they got it so much “righter” and the walls clamp down on each breath…The one who cooked the fish over a coal fire whispers “follow me”…and ya just know Joe. A coal fire, this is no Burger King Jesus we serve. And I know well the ones who are always right, just get small and ya just know Joe!!! I could tell you much but you don’t need “much”….Know that God loves you as much as He does Jesus;
and Prayer is just talking to God, Talk to Him man.
I wonder how many “we” have had the chance to pluck out of the depths…so many shooters at schools? So many who read this without courage to ask??? John Paul, you pass through Brave and now I see you emerge from vague,
help them brother, help us, help me saint!
Hello. I am looking for wise counsel and I know that I can find it here. As I have mentioned, Oprah is my window to what the world is thinking; everyday Americans like me. I however am different than the average American because I am temple of the Living God. I have mentioned my grief about the teachings of the world in regard to spirituality and the blantant disregard for the blood. So, here is my dilema: Oprah is hosting a Live Web Event with Eckhart Tolle featuring his book, “A New Earth”. I have been very opposed to exposing myself to false teaching, but I feel like I can’t fear these things any longer. I recently attended a conference and heard Lance Wallnau speak about creating a culture for Christ and then people are ready to receive Him. Would it be wrong for me to sign up for this Web Event and expose myself to false teaching in an attempt to shed Light on the Source of this information. I believe some of it is Truth, but we know apart from the Source of Truth we are only climbing up the wrong tree. I love people and I love God. I want to bring to the table what I have to offer in Christ. Could this be a divine assignment or am I opening myself up to deception by participating? Anyone?
I am new to this blog thing and maybe this is a known fact…but I am blessed by how many guys are responding to JPJ comments. In my experience, I often find many females seeking after the things of God and a small handful of men. But in this instance, I see lots of guys seeking for truth. What a blessing!!
Thank you so much for your comments to the 17-year-old and talking about what you went through in your early twenties. It helps me to understand better what’s going on, instead of giving up.
Thank you!
I was in a situation about 10 yrs. ago that some well-meaning people in our church were calling a “curse”. However, the Lord labelled it “the furnace of affliction” and His presence was with me thru it all. I was delivered and emotionally healed during that time. I like what John Hagee said about the furnace:”The Lord doesn’t send someone else (ie. angels) to be with you in the furnace, He shows up Himself !!!!” That is SO true. The furnace is also a testing place……..and boy, did it get HOT. But I learned to lean on the Lord and he came thru for me. He is the love of my life !!!!!!!
Hi there,
I love it when I can read something that gives clarity to some of my experiences throughout my journey. Yet again, the Lord reveals to me His faithfulness to complete His work in my life. God just amazes me, He really does.
I’ll quote what I’m responding to…in reference to our relationship with God that can ebb and flow…
“Sometimes it is not that we have committed any sin or that we’ve ommitted something we should have done. Sometimes the Lord withdraws from us to prepare us for intimacy, ovulation, or fruitfulness,”
I wish I new this at age 20 and I wish I knew then what I know now. That said, I can praise God for His faithfulness even in the midst of my unfaithfulness.
At the age of 19 I thought I had reached the place of healing and felt called into ministry and so I went to Bible College. And there it was confirmed where God had been leading me only I was challenged to dig deeper and challenged to go into this new depth with God. Only my fear hindered this process of going into that new depth with the Lord. Anyways, my last semester at this Bible College I found myself in the chapel praying, “ok, God, do whatever you need to do so that I might be able to place my trust in you because I know right now I trust myself more then I trust in you and something tells me that perhaps I’d be wiser to place my trust in you. I mean, when I look at this it’s rediculious that I don’t trust you the way I should because you have never done me wrong.” I continued to pray, “And so Lord, I submit to what you will do. I don’t know what will come my way or even how I’ll respond but I’m open for what you want to do in my life,”
I felt as though I needed to quite Bible College and so I finished off that semester and never returned. But the next 5yrs had been the most challenging. I never knew what to call this past season although I know there has been times I’ve compromised in my faith. I have a radical/prodigal testimony but now I’m convinced that perhaps it’s not that I walked away from the Lord or my sin has seperated me from the Lord although I knew there were times I my sin had hindered my relationship with the Lord. My testimony challenges me on two different levels. 1.There is not one person so far that they cannot be reached with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and 2.We can’t place God in a box by placing limits to what God can do in the life of a person surrendered to Him.
Now understand a couple of things in my own journey. I can break the last 5 yrs into 3 seasons. The first season had been all about the ebb of flow type relationship with the Lord. The second, had I known the first probably I wouldn’t have been so discouraged and perhaps I would have made different choices but the truth is, I began to think that my own way was better. Now the 3rd season has been over the past 3yrs have been about building character.
I’m excited! Because this only confirms that I’ve entered into this new depth in relationship with the Lord. There was that season the Lord withdrew that initialy hadn’t been because of huge sin in my life but now I understand that the Lord withdrawing from me had been in response to my prayer made in the chapel at the Bible College. My life experience is nearly equivilent to any degree I could have received in Bible College. I might say that I’ve learned some things I couldn’t have otherwise.
Joe,
I can relate to what you’re saying because just over a year ago I too felt and said some of the same things you are. Mine stemmed from a sense of failure because I was expecting a different result than what I got. The Lord had spoke some things to my husband and I and we stepped out in faith and followed Him and He was there through this 6 year period and we were so focused in on the result of what we were going after that when he sent us back to where we first began our journey which was moving us back to Florida, which 6 years prior He moved us to Tennessee,without what I perceived as not being fully accomplished in what we were sent forth to do I was devastated and angry at people who I thought should have helped us,& embraced us instead even rejected us and found fault with us(who could imagine that sheep turn on each other lol.) But most of all I was mad at GOD! I felt as though I had given up sooo many things to pursue this “call” and this was my result here we are right back where we started and nothing to show for what we sent out to do! I would go to church and I would begin to cry during worship and I would pretty much cry all day and the moments I wasn’t crien I was bitter and oh so angry and felt very betrayed by God. This went on for months and I was miserable and didn’t know how to get out of this I was in a desperate place that felt hopeless and was trien to figure out how to get through the day and felt I would never get back to a place with God that I use to be. I truly can identify with “hope deferred makes the heart grow sick” I understand what he meant when that was written.
We have now been back here for 18 months and I am hoping and believing again. Faith is arising in me again. God shows us a prophetic view into our future sometimes but we add our own ideas of what the here to there should look like and therefore we can end up in places like I have been and maybe you are too. Sometimes the letting go and trusting God to catch you is letting go of the way you think or perceive and just let that potter keep on working that clay in His hands because HIS intentions are great toward us but being on that potters wheel can not always feel so good to the clay. Though you probably don’t realize it right now God is at work in your life and you will emerge forth in time and you will hear a word from the Lord that will bring understanding to the madness and with that understanding will come peace and joy and an ability to embrace the future and move forward. Thank GOD for the Pastor he put us under. Thank GOD for JP too!! The Lord sees you Joe and He is near and you are not out of His reach. I hope something of this small fraction of my life can somehow bring a beam of light to yours.
In His Likeness, Shannon
Hey Nina, in response to your comment, I would like to say GO FOR IT!
I don’t beleive you need to fear ‘false truths’ or even ‘deception’ We are not born with a spirit of fear but of sound mind in Christ Jesus and so therefore if you place your trust in Christ, you can listen or watch others thoughts on things and not be swayed. The importance is not to avoid those who have a worldly view or an other worldly spirituality based on some darkness, but rather to embrace them, here them share and then see where you can bring out the light in what they are saying.
Darkness cannot create and so there fore all darkness is simply twisted and perverted truth. For example, lets say that you buy a yarn for knitting. That yarn was not orginally like you find in the store. It is made up of fibers. The real content of fibers was twisted together. If you slowly unwind the yarn’s twist you can eventually get back to the fibers used to make up the yarn. In the same way, if we slowly unwind the darkness and the ‘twisted’ version of truth we can find light.
I am not sure how oprahs event will be, I have listened to Eckhart TOlles’s Stillness retreat at Findhorn on Cd. I found it to be actually quite boring and dull. I like what Madeline L Engle write in one of her books (I can’t remember which one) but that she had tried to read some new age books a friend gave her and that they were rather boring. Many of them actually are, because their source is not the light of energy and flow in Christ. Of coarse, there are some new age books that are fascinating like John Randolph Price’s “The Jesus code” where God shows me he will not make it to heaven and he needs to ’seek JESUS for the code’ which as he wrote the book it seems to me his search for truth will eventually lead him to salvaation.
One thing I beleive is that no matter where you go or what you do, Christ is with you. Even if you decide into the depths of sheol, or hell, he is with you. Daniel was in the midst of a pagan culture, and he was with him.
I haven’t always been a fan of lance wallneau, but I will say this, that what he said is true. The culture of our country, in many ways is willing to hear about Christ, they are NOT willing to hear about Religion. You can go anywhere and talk about Jesus and spirituality but you mention religion and people close the doors. Some people think this is bad news, but I am one that beleives its the best news ever, because people when they do find Christ aren’t getting a false Christ full of dogma and religion, they are wanting the real truth, the real light, the real life, and they won’t play the game.
I know some would disagree with what I am saying, But i would strongly encouarge you to attend the oprah webcast thing, and maybe even read eckart tolles book ‘a new earth’ and pray and take it to God before you even attend the webcast, that way you will have studied and the words of God can sort out differences before you get there.. but even if you don’t read it before you get there, the holy spirit will guide you into all truth, and the holy spirit will give you the words.
as rebecca st james sings “may the grace of the Lord be with you, now and always, may you stay, blameless till he comes…”
I enjoyed your comment on the question “having an interdependence on each other”. I heard something yesterday that really spoke about an aspect of this; there are times you have to just let go, even if it is a promise of God to you personally, for if the promise is exalting itself above the Master, then the priorities aren’t straight.
Thank you all for your responses to the comment I left for JPJ. I seriously Love people… especially Christians. I am blessed to have read what you all wrote. It’s kinda weird though…I already know the answer to the question I left, it just pressing through and trusting and letting go and all that stuff… is hard. Though all that stuff you wrote blesses me, I still have all this on me. All my problems. So I guess having the answer isn’t what fixes things. I guess right now in my life I have a lot of the answers I just don’t have the remedies, if that makes any sense. When it comes down to it, I need Him to get me through this.
I just really need this is to be over already.
Nina,
Where God has sent you, there He will strengthen you and flow through you. When you go, even when you are not 100% secure, He will be with you there. He will protect you, and give you wisdom…
Now, it is prudent not to enter a battlefield without The Generals’ order…
Let peace be your umpire…and never forget that He loves you dearly…
God Bless
I cant get over just how much God uses you, for years now I have listened to your teachings and next to Christ you are the greatest spiritual teacher there ever was and ever will be.
Your teachings continue to help me advance to new levels in my walk with God, you are the best!
Hey Joe, don’t I know! I know a little bit about where you are…I think. We might be in the same boat…the “SSS In Control?”
Here I am tossing about in the storm of my life; white knuckled clutching the sides of my canoe. Sometimes I fall out and desperately clamor to get back in. Sometimes I paddle furiously as if I am going to get somewhere on my own. Sometimes I sit and do nothing but give up. What is a canoe doing in the middle of an ocean? What am I thinking? I’m sure that is what God is saying.
So here He comes walking on the water with a drill in hand. I think He will fix things up. Instead He does the unthinkable! “God whatcha doing to my boat?” And He starts poking holes in it. “This thing isn’t going to get you anywhere,” He says. I clutch tighter and start putting my fingers in the holes. Once I run out of fingers and toes and my boat starts to sink is when I finally realize what He means. I depend on the boat and not Him. I think I will get somewhere in my little canoe with my little paddle.
We are destined to walk on water but sometimes all we can think about is the storm, the waves, and our canoe. It is hard to change our thinking and believe something that doesn’t make sense in the natural. I know.
I am often like a child lying in bed at night staring at that dark shadow in the corner. I grit my teeth, close my eyes and repeat over and over again that the creepy dark figure is only my shirt hanging on the back of a chair. Sometimes I despair and cry out for help. Sometimes I’m confident and KNOW it is just a shirt. I go through all sorts of phases at different times. Until someone turns on the light and shows me that what I am scared of is just a shirt, I’m fighting a mental game. I need God to illuminate my situation and show me the truth. I want to know what He sees. I want to rest in peace even when the room is dark. I want to not forget the truth when it does become dark.
To fall into believing something other than the truth or to not know the truth about a situation opens me up for all sorts of childish fanciful imaginations. Suddenly the teddy bear on the chair can turn into loss of my job. Or, the toy truck can transform into abandonment by God. Something good can appear to be bad. I want true illuminated faith in God that He has a GOOD outcome….it is just a shirt….a shirt of many colors that was made just for me.
I am crying out for Him to speak to me…or to teach me to hear Him. In my current situation I have been through every emotion and phase. I have gone from rage to surrender, from utter despair to mountains of hope, from the very depths to the very heights of all sorts of emotions…and I still fluctuate! I know they are just emotions; like the waves in a storm. To leave my canoe and jump in His arms is the best thing I can do but oh so difficult. Sometimes I can do it and sometimes I jump back in my canoe. It is a struggle. I want to hear His voice concerning the waves, concerning the boat, concerning the storm. I don’t want to fight a mental battle…I want to KNOW. I want the things I fear illuminated for what they are.
Word “One of Those” word…