16-8-21

From last time, as to demons, they do exist. If we realize they do we're far more likely to reject their leadings. If we foolishly deny their existence then we're far more likely to entertain their suggestions. So which would they want? Demons know Jesus and readily recognize Him but reject His ways its all about doing their own thing for as long as they can. They are truly self aware, and have plenty of self esteem.

This week is on worry. When we lay awake at night considering all possible outcomes of a situation and try to steer situations into a certain outcome have we forgotten our Lord? If we realize He is always with us and its the journey through life with Him that is most important, not any particular accomplishment, circumstance, etc. The only accomplishment worth while is knowing Him. The only circumstance that matters is realizing He is with us at all times. We often have to get our minds off of self, stop actively trying controlling circumstances and people and worry can go away.

What about the big project tomorrow or how will class go? If we will acknowledge Him ask for His guidance and trust He is as faithful as He promises we don't have to lay awake at night.

We worry about what we try to control, the truth is we can't control anything, and if we really could we'd mess it up, and yet over and over its a trap we fall into to, where are we getting these ideas? "Did God really say....." voices? Then act on it through our fallen nature.

We worry or contemplate things we're not sure of the outcome of. We can hope for certain outcomes but we should be praying to Him for them and receiving the even better assurance that regardless of the outcome He is with us all.

Worry does not fit into a walk with Christ? Enoch walked with the Lord and the Lord took him. What earthly accomplishment was Enoch worried about? What earthly event did Enoch long to see. To walk with the Lord specific earthly outcomes, accomplishments, etc. can't be in our minds. Rather being in His presence, living in His presence is our desire. And Enoch achieved that. When we truly walk with Him does it matter whether we're here or in heaven? Its self awareness and self esteem to think we have to here for others rather than heaven, we're saying the Lord can't or won't be there for others, our loved ones. Yet He is there for them just as He is for us. None of us have relationship with the Lord "cornered", its available to all, and in order to have a fulfilled and full life we must seek that relationship.

None of us have it together, we may appear to but under the surface (what we show to others) we're a mess. Lots of voices suggest things and hopefully the Holy Spirit as well. So to let envy of others creep into our thinking is an error, focus rather on walking with the Lord. Fully.

He is so ready. Worried about something? Walk with the Lord pray for His wisdom and outcome and ask for His guidance, and trust He knows best.

16-8-14 notes (late I know)

Demons exist, we either consider ourselves sophisticated enough to ignore them or we blame them for every bad thing that comes along. What is true - we have a sin nature that bends us toward being disobedient to God, a lot of times its our choice to be disobedient. Demons are beings that can suggest courses of action of disobedience. They can't make us, it becomes our choice, but they can suggest, and suggest and suggest. They can also possess us, if we listen to their voices and do what they suggest enough they will make their home with us, and our disobedience to God becomes our nature, when called on it they can suggest we that are so used to obeying their suggestions get violent. The seven sons of Sceva beat up the those that would cast out the demons, try to break the cycle of control. How is that possible? Those casting out had the knowledge that the sons were under control by spritual beings but they themselves weren't under control of the Holy Spirit. Not having the Holy Spirit they weren't protected and the demons in the seven sons caused the sons to become physically violent - beating up the others, in a way showing a false strength, a false control.

The Holy Spirit is the voice of the Lord in our head, demons can provide other voices, and we ultimately decide which voice to listen to. Any course of action not aligned with the voice of the Holy Spirit is sin. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit - recognizing the voice of God but rejecting that voice and guidance as not being of God is the unpardonable sin. Once we do that, we have denied the Creator and there is only the one voice of His in there. So we're rejected all guidance, and He will not speak anymore if we are not seeking Him.

The Bible is God's recorded word that we can contemplate and compare to the thoughts in our minds that we either think on our own or get suggested to us by the spritual influences (demons), or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Sprit's suggestions will always align completely with God's word, the other suggestions may be close to alignment but could fail to align in one point. As we walk with the Lord we have to learn to completely align with Him. Only the Holy Spirit tells the truth, the whole truth, everytime.

As to actions, we don't learn morality by trying things out, we are moral by following the highest standard we know or our influenced by (the Holy Spirit). In the Bible death came from eating (experiencing) the forbidden fruit, which came about as a rejection of the Lord's standards. The devil was there to question what the Lord had said, to create that doubt, to lie to us. To get us to question like those thoughts that come to our minds today. "Take every thought captive", some our not from the Lord but rather deceiving spirits. Once the fruit was eaten there was consequences, Adam and Eve were stained, they were changed (even before God called them on it), they knew they had not done what was best (follow His standard) and it forever affected them. They became self aware- naked and covered themselves.

Our intellectual part will talk us into trying things(or try to) but to be moral we have to be obedient to His highest standard. God has given us this ability because he wants us to choose relationship to Him, but it also means we can reject His ways. The "moral compass" that is often referred to in people isn't possible apart from relationship to the Lord. Otherwise morality is from us, and people will do what is right in their own eyes, to the standard they have set up and it almost certainly won't match others.

The basis of His standards is that we all can coexist without anyone being bullied. When we reject His standards people get hurt - in some cases die, and the basis of his standards He'll show us if we can be unselfish enough long enough to see it. If we can realize the world is about us all living together and that no one of us is more special than another.

In church alter calls, "slip up hand", who are we serving, be a fool for the Lord. Its an admission that we're often more focused on what men think rather than serving the Lord. What keeps us from going fully into God? Burn bridges, fully rely on God, grow.

Anyone truly walking with the Lord, without some area needing to be submitted to His ways, would probably be taken like Enoch.

sheep or goat?

sheep or goat?

Lord, help me not to be a goat!

Matthew 25:31-46 (KJV)

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 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. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 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: but the righteous into life eternal.

Its easy to do things for God but never have a relationship to Him. In fact there are goats in every church. Working diligently for the Kingdom but not from His agenda, rather for their own. They have everyone fooled, and are probably called pillars of the community. Like the Pharisees in the days Jesus came the first time, everyone respected them, everyone sought their advice in spiritual things. Jesus criticized them as being blind, missing that which was most important, Himself.

The difference between sheep and goats is about relationship and shows up in fruit and character. What is character? Your true character is what you do alone. Are you interceding for others? Are you thinking of YOUR next adventure? Are you making sacrifices that aren't expected for others? Are you enjoying your time with the Lord. Jesus left people to intentionally be alone so he could commune with the Father, is there prayer time? Are you miserable and alone? Are you temperate when others aren't watching or do you let yourself go a little? Do you show the faith that time alone is time with the Lord to grow the relationship that matters most. For all of us, only we and the Lord know what we do alone.

Knowing the Lord and realizing our condition without Him and having a level of true meekness, not an act for others, means we should cling to Him we should pray seek His direction. In the scripture the truly meek sheep didn't realize they were serving Christ, they were so caught up in knowing Him. Whereas the goats were putting on their pretense of being righteous, but it was not about Him it was about gaining honor in the eyes of men. Getting some advantage, trying to manipulate circumstances.

Romans 5:1-5 (NASB)

Results of Justification

5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Character is developed through persevering tribulation. Knowing our lost and hopeless situation and developing and clinging to Christ who is THE only hope of glory.

Romans 5:1-5 (KJV)

5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

KJV uses "experience" rather than "character". As we gain life experience our reaction to different tribulations will develop, we'll probably try several things to learn to endure. The only sure way to endure is to grow in relationship to the Lord, cling to Him. Seek to do things His way. It was He Himself acting through the sheep that allowed Him to, that gave the food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty and clothed the naked. Thats why they didn't realize they had done it. As to the goats they never submitted their lives to Him, which is why they never saw the opportunity.

The prophet Daniel, what did he do in his quiet times?

What did Jesus do in His quiet times?

What do you do in your quiet times? Make yourself available to Him, listen grow in knowledge realize your helplessness without Him.

Lord, help me not to be a goat!