ALL of GOD - April 4, 2006

Three Things:

1., Are we religious and busy; distracted or directed, procrastinating or prepared?

2., This just in- Suffering is good (with purpose)

3., Israel and our Future

I need more of the Power of God- even for every day life. I fail a lot. Would be discouraged if I focused on me. Important: keep eyes on Jesus!
I am so weak in myself. Is this bad, or just honest? Maybe both. But in my weakness, God is my Strength. I cry out to Him a lot. I want to hate sin, but too often choose it as if a viable option. Very not good. I want to live for The Lord. So how does this happen?



God gives opportunity to travel around a lot, encouraging the Body of Believers. I see somewhat of a pattern: a tendency- human nature really- to get caught up in life- which can sweep all of us up.

I am learning to be intentional about discipline and schedule- maintaining structure, but remaining open to God's Spirit too.

What I do with the bulk of my time reflects what's in the heart. God allows us to decide our priorities- what is important to us, we do.

Do I "make time for God" or "find time for Him"? Is He truly consistently priority? Otherwise, I do not know Him.

He doesn't hold any subverted position- only Lord of it all. There's no middle ground or compromise. But how to balance that with grace, and dwelling at peace in the balance? This is the work of His Holy Spirit!

I'm so tired of trying to do good enough or be good enough. Our righteousness is like filthy rags! I need the Power of God- to fall deeper in love with Him; to resist sin, to love myself and others as myself, etc.

I'm discovering that when God is priority, relationships become more important than activity; programmes, even religious stuff.

I want to be so spiritual, but sometimes forget simple. The Lord simply says some days, "Send a letter", or "Do something nice for no apparent reason"; "Tell the cash-register lady "God loves you", and don't flip off whoever's latest road rage got in front of your speeding or moseying.""

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So great judgment is about to begin at The House of God- among those who will be hardest hit- the religious v. the relational- that is to say, those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof - Love.

But it will be most difficult for those who've thought they could have it all- compromise with sin and relationship with God.

I don't want to be at either extreme- only extreme for The Lord in love with Him.

God will not indefinately allow His Character to be misrepresented by those who say they know Him, yet who do not back that up with His Power (Love).

Love is always determining to selflessly meet practical needs of others; not consumed with self (self-promotion), but delights in others' successes.

It's patient, kind, hopes and believes all things, to name a few traits...

I have a hard time, sometimes, because I can be so insecure and want people to like me, so on goes this facade, and later I hate myself. That sucks.

People don't want masks; they want real. But sometimes real is raw and scary.


The Gospel preached regardless of motivation, will accomplish what God intends- it is alive, cutting right through b.s. to the true motivation of the heart.

But over time, if we neglect getting to know God, evaporation or dilution of that relationship with Our Father can occur.

Eventually powerlessness results, demonstrated in a conspicuous lack of love. Not good.

When love is missing, activity can rush in to fill the vacuum. Many places / people are filled with much activity- even religious stuff- but it can be noise if there's no love.

Some things done supposedly for God have little at all to do with Who He is. As a result, damage occurs, and people become less important than projects; rules more important than relationships, and the weak are trampled in the stampede to perform. That I think makes God angry. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Today there are even churches and ministries with people who are so far from personal relationship with God that they often fail to discern Jesus in front of them. Why? Because He doesn't tend to look like what we think, but comes in the form we find at times most objectionable.

Therefore the only ones we're impressing are the wrong ones. We need only concern ourselves with pleasing God; making Abba Father happy.

An example: recently went to a Messianic Congregation in Ft. Lauderdale- a humble and small place, and I instantly felt at Home- The Spirit of The Lord was there- and I was received and there was love there.

Then this crazy guy- 300 plus pounds- sits down next to me. He smelled weird, blurted out answers to retorical questions, in that he has no inner monologue, and has called me in the middle of the night several times.

Big Jim has a lot of problems, but he loves completely. He shared with sadness that many ministries and churches had kicked him out, because he would say or do things that were embarassing; his hair wasn't always combed, and his clothes were sometimes dirty.

Oops! It would have been so easy to overlook him. I almost missed JESUS! That's my worst fear!

The Lord gave the opportunity to crash at his place one evening while there in FL, and though I've seen nicer (insect-free) accomodations, I've never been more genuinely received and unconditionally loved.

I am learning how to abound and how to be abased; how to hang out with everyone- not just the ones I want to impress because my stupid flesh somehow found them more important.


One thing alone is sufficient and acceptible to The Lord- the full surrender of our hearts- true giving- not in part, but all. This is what He requires- all. But it will cost us- everything ultimately.

This is why The Cross is crucial. Generally most people love to hear of God's Love- and indeed He loves everyone. But do we love Him?

There's but one evidence: His Power flowing through us to love the unloveable- as we die continually.

Isn't this the continual struggle? Living via The Spirit of God, vs. the flesh- doing for Him, without knowing Him. I fail a lot. But I'm not where I was either.

For me, it's the constant battle not to run ahead of God and headlong into distraction- traps set up by The Enemy. There's a reason Jesus/Yeshua spoke of the Narrow Road- few find it- vs. the wide road toward Destruction (hell).

It's easy to flow with a destructive tide. But we're called to be different.

2., Are we suffering for Righteousness' sake yet? If not, we need to step out in faith and obedience!

Every time I do, there's opposition beforehand, en route & during, and then after the fact- the Enemy retroactively attempting to discredit what God has done- Satan hates losing ground.

And evil always loses when we obey God.

Each leap of faith is a new process of dying to self- everything heretofore gained, once again back on the table- another gamble- or adventure- depending on our perspective.


Saying "no" to my flesh = supernatural ability to minister to others in need somehow- and I end up growing and healing via God's Love as a result.

But what about "friendly fire"- injury from those often closest? Can we really trust God to defend us? Yes!

I struggle with keeping my mouth shut and not attempting to defend myself and reputation.

And I've been religious enough before- that is to say, rather than dealing with my own sin, I've been at times unwittingly used of The Enemy to oppose those who actually are doing what God says.

Not good.

So when this happens to me, and the tables are turned, what do I do?

God has been convicting me about my "victim-thinking" and/ or about "revenge-thinking". One is about self-pity; the other, bitterness- both pride.


People offer all manner of critique and criticism, but their lack of fruit illuminates the true heart. He said we'll know a tree by its Fruit. Hey, what about MY fruit? If I am focused on Yeshua/Jesus, I don't have to worry about anyone else's hypocrisy. God is the Judge; not me.

Jesus went through much misunderstanding; false accusation. His Father took care of it- He'll take care of it for us- if we'll leave it there in surrender with Him.


Are we Contemporary Pharisees- steeped in Biblical knowledge, (at least outwardly) concerned with moral purity and ethics, but failing to be generous or hospitable, genuinely kind or truly compassionate, vulnerable or real?

Do we truly really know Jesus HimSelf, or are we only working for God as a hired hand instead of inheritors?

If we want to know The Lord, then we intentionally walk in love. It will at times cost and inconvenience us. We are destined to be misunderstood; spoken against, and opposed.

Do we rest in The Lord Who calls us, Who is pleased when we obey- that He has our reputation safely in Hand?


3., So what's going on with Iran and Israel?
Well, this we know for sure- we don't know for sure. But to say that we are facing an Armegeddon scenario could be an understatement.

Are we going to be overwhelmed in a tsunami of fear and despair that's coming in our world? Let's say that terrorism is about to strike. What will we do? Will we have peace?

Are we at Peace? There's only one way- that is to live by Faith increasingly dying to self and flesh. It means that we trust God and obey Him (generally it's quite simple things).

Worry = investing in fear and the Enemy; his lies. Faith= investing in The Lord and His Faithful Promises.

We need the Power of The Holy Spirit as never before. I've never been so hungry nor so desperate.
I'm too far in the Lord to turn back now, yet don't know where to go next.

I can't see why or how God could use me, but I know He intends to. I need what I don't have, but am required in faith to go forward anyhow in brokenness, leaning exponentially upon Him.

He makes The Way and Provision as we step out- all over again as if for the first time. He is Faithful.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with prayer, crying out, and with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the Peace that passes understanding shall guard your hearts in Yeshua/ Christ Jesus our Lord.

AMEN!
reuel