Meyer: Many Would Rather

Many are molded upon this type. They have the sensitiveness of a gift, and the nervous organism of a gazelle. They love the shallows, with their carpet of silver sand, rather than the strong billows that test a man’s endurance. For them it is enough to run with footmen; they have no desire to contend

Pursuing excellence Without Bitterness

Pursuing excellence
Without Bitterness


When you are a person that pursues excellence, but there are others, many, around you that are haphazardly pursuing very little,   you are going to run into conflict. Most of this conflict will be within you. It is not going to bother  those around you, who are pursuing less than you are, because

When Others Seem to Hinder Your Growth in the Lord

Sunday, 6. June 2010, 12:51:51

 

One of the largest lessons to learn is how to relate with others while we walk step by step with the Lord.
As Jesus, we do not impede our personal wills upon others. The Lord has decided that each man has his own
free will, and may choose as he wants.


If it seems that year after year your dreams are dampened, or that walls that shoot up and block vision because of others that do not love and respect the Lord as you do, or if it seems that they refuse to listen to the voice of the Lord, and all this touches your life, it can bring about hopelessness and despair. It becomes a classic of 'one man running another man's life.' It can open the door to bitterness in your life, which in turn, opens the door to the adversary for destruction. It becomes an element of control. We know that Jesus was placed in control over matters in heaven and on earth, but it seems that sometimes that those who have control in our lives are becoming an obstacle in our life.

The example of Jesus planning on going to one town but being prevented due to the disobedience of one whom Jesus had healed is good for us to ponder. In Mark 1:40, we are told how Jesus healed a leper, and then Jesus told the healed leper that he should go and tell no one. In verse 45, it says that the man went out and told everyone, and because of this, Jesus was no longer able to enter the city. Jesus had to re-direct His steps. He did not like it that the healed man's actions changed His path, but neither did He wish the man to be removed and out of the way. Jesus learned obedience by yielding His way, His feelings, and His directions to our Father above.


When the Lord has a path for a person, and He has a person willing to walk that path, He will move Heaven and earth to bring about His perfect plans. No person on earth is strong enough to stay the hand of God.

He may decide to ping pong His vessel through hindrances, or He may bust through walls head on, allowing the consequence to fall where they may. The choice is determined by the Lord who is directing the steps.

Walk the path you are called to walk, but remember to walk it with faith.
Walk the path with the joy of the Lord who holds heaven and earth in His hand.
Walk the path and enrich the one who be a hinder-er. Jesus never sat down on a rock
and pouted that He was unable to go to the town where He was headed toward when His
path was change. He went on, busy about the Kingdom and it's business. So do likewise.

Jesus did not pretend that He was never suppose to go to that town. He knew what He knew.
Jesus never justified His diverted steps by saying it might not have been the Father's will to go there
in the first place. Jesus knew His path. Jesus never cursed the disobedient one for changing His path, He kept His eyes on the Father above. Ours is to pray the perfect will of God for that person, as it is written by God in that person's own book of life. We can not pray our book of life over their lives without opening the door to the enemy to bring about confusion and evil spirits operating through manipulation.

The man who needed healing and Jesus' paths crossed, and then the paths departed from each other.
Such will be the way of anyone, or anything that stands in the path that God has ordained for His faithful
servants.

If it seems that your husband, or boss, or pastor, or even the prayer group that you are a part of will not yield to the will of God, and that they are hindering you. Do not give into helplessness. Do not yield to the other person's will with thoughts that there is nothing that can be done to change it. We yield because it is the way the Lord tells us to do. We come into agreement with the Lord,
and give it to God. We do not try to manipulate the circumstances, nor do we curse the decision maker. We use the two edged sword of the Lord by having faith that the Lord is in control and guiding our steps, and by blessing the decision maker (husband, pastor, prayer group leader, song leader.. ect) we are commanded to yield to. This is our exercise in handling the weapons of God. The shield of faith, and the Word of God. This is a perfect walk.

Keep your heart clean, a vessel of light, and filled with the joy of casting your burdens upon the Lord.

Looking Really Dumb

One of the things that you are going to have to get used to is dumbing down.  I know that sounds really weird, but it is a by-product of seeking the Kingdom of God first.  Just an example would be that the world rushes home to listen to the nightly news while instead, you ponder the deep things of God.  The next day at coffee break, you are the only one that does not know what is going on.  It makes you feel really dumb sometimes.  

Then, you can get this silly idea that you should spend more time listening to current events so that you, as a Christian, are up on things and have a God word for the world around you.  So, as you bask in all the wisdom of the world, you begin to notice the power and fire in your bones is waning a bit and it is hard to breath (in your spirit). 

If you look closely, there will be a lot of times when you know what the news said that no one will ask you anything.  But the moment you return to seeking the Lord and turn off the news, someone will come right out and ask if you heard the latest news.  There you go.. again... you don't know nada about it.  It can become a vicious circle.  

We have to make a decision, which wisdom are we going to pursue?  The way the world is and our lives within it, there is little time in the day to do both.  

I can not tell you the endless circles I have fought in this kind of battle.  It truely has become a purging of my personal pride.