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“The measure of my spirit of criticism is the measure of my distance from Christ.”
~ E. Stanley Jones Acts 10:38, Colossians 2:9 and John 3:34 ... reveal Jesus was sent in the power of the Holy Spirit, with the fullness of deity dwelling in Him, without measure or limit. These Scriptures reveal what Jesus was sent with – power, anointing, authority – not how He was sent.
Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, and Luke 3:22 reveal how the Father sent Jesus. In these Scriptures, the Father launches Jesus out into His earthly ministry by declaring over Him, “Behold My Beloved Son, in whom I am fully pleased!” Do you see it? Jesus was sent with a declaration of love and total acceptance. He was sent knowing He was a beloved child. He was sent knowing His Father was fully pleased with Him. Jesus was sent knowing He was accepted and adored. He was able to go forth into the earth and be about His Father’s business knowing He was loved, and not thinking He had to do something or achieve something to be worthy of that love. He was sent in the revelation that He was loved because He was a son. Simple as that. But oh so powerful. Jesus boldly and confidently moved in all the power He was sent with, because He was confident that He was loved and accepted by the One who sent Him... That is how Jesus was sent. In perfect love and complete acceptance. And, beloved child of God, that is how you are sent. That is how you are sent into every moment and every situation. That is how you are sent into all you are facing, dealing with, and triumphing over. You are loved, and God is fully pleased with you. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. It is yours because you are His! He is fully pleased with you. -- Robert Hotchkin How different would your life be if:
Someone hurt you badly.
You (honestly) forgive the person. But you still don’t trust them. What is wrong with you? Nothing. You can’t choose to trust. You can only choose to risk and allow the other person space to build trust, if he wants to lean into his responsibility to rebuild the trust that was shattered... ...too few people have a tool kit to restore trust when it has been dinged. Trust ebbs and flows in the course of any relationship. Each encounter between two people, or in a community, creates an opportunity for trust to be deepened or to be cheapened. The amount of the life of God flowing to us depends to some degree on our intimacy, and that in turn depends to some degree on our ability to trust Him. And growing in trust is an art form to be mastered, not a cognitive decision to be made. -- Arthur Burk 4.30.2020 newsletter “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
The will of God is not merely focused on whether we become a doctor or a teacher or whether we have tuna or peanut butter for lunch. It is focused on what we do to position our heart in relationship to God at all times, in all circumstances. Rejoicing, praying and thanksgiving are all acts of our will that, particularly in times of difficulty, weakness and uncertainty, require faith. They are activities that draw our focus to Heaven so we can agree with what is true, no matter what we feel or perceive with our physical senses and emotions. And since our agreement is what attracts the strength and reality of Heaven into our lives and circumstances, it makes sense that these activities fulfill the will of God expressed in the Lord’s Prayer—on earth as it is in Heaven. The transformation of the heart is the first step in bringing heaven to earth... Difficulty has a way of exposing the degree to which our lives and minds have been truly transformed by a heavenly perspective for certain responses to be habitual. The things we practice as a lifestyle equip us for difficulties... Thanksgiving agrees with Heaven by acknowledging the truth that our lives are a gift from God, and that He is sovereign over all. God is extravagantly generous, and the life He has given us to experience on this planet is not a life of survival, but of abundance and blessing. But unless we properly recognize what we’ve been given, we won’t be able to experience that life. That’s the reality of receiving a gift. Bill Johnson Click here for a free video of Mark Waldman, teaching from his work with Dr. Andy Newberg:
REMEMBER THIS: Anxiety is created by overly focusing on the part of the Imagination/Default Mode Network that generates POTENTIAL negative outcomes that may or may not happen. This prediction mechanism in the brain is essential for survival, solving problems, and achieving new goals so it's important to memorize this mantra: Worries, doubts, and anxieties are purely imaginary, mixed with negative memories from the past. The simple solution:
What is a Sabbath Rest and why does it matter? Excerpted from the Bible Project:
God's rest in Genesis 2 is all about filling a sacred space with his divine presence and celebrating the beauty and abundance of creation. The Sabbath practice is a way for humans to remember God’s presence and his ideal purpose for creation. The first Sabbath observance takes place in the wilderness in a time of scarcity. God wants Israel not to hoard or try to control, but to trust that he is their true source of provision and life. Jesus says that rest is found in him—specifically in following him or learning from him. What could this rest look like in your own life practically? What brings you life, makes you thrive, and/or allows you to trust and rest in God? Jesus is not doing away with the concept of Sabbath but was defining what it meant: that the purpose of the Sabbath was mercy, and harmony or wholeness, not legalism. Excerpted from Bill Johnson:
There are many who are unable to discuss a problem because for them it is a sign of unbelief. Real faith can stand up to any challenge and any subject. But it must be anchored in the One who is faithful. Faith doesn’t deny a problem’s existence. It denies it a place of influence. Honest conversation, expressing needs, fears, and the like, must be welcome in the family of God. We are growing into a mature representation of Jesus, and process must be allowed and celebrated. This is especially true for young believers. Mocking someone for weak faith never creates great faith. But a faith culture must understand that when people are overcome by challenges in life, we must not mirror their fear to prove we’re with them. To be a part of the answer, be the loving support that functions out of peace. Jesus often spoke to people about their unbelief. Once again, He never withheld a miracle because of weak faith or unbelief. If they had enough faith to come to Him, He responded to their need as the Father’s redemptive solution. It seems to me He addressed their unbelief so that after the miracle came, they could step into greater faith. The issue of faith was of much more importance to Jesus than to most of us. Jesus was so concerned about this issue that He asked if He would find any on the earth when He returned. The bottom line is that mystery is a huge part of a disciple’s life. That’s why we’re given promises about all things working for good. And He will complete what He started. Faith works in tandem with peace. Faith satisfies the appetite of the questioning heart when understanding is missing. It is substance. One of the things that makes room for the spirit of revelation to come is that we are willing to embrace mystery. What you don’t understand is as important as what you do understand. If a person who has been given tremendous revelation and an equally weighty mystery can walk in the call of God by revelation and not be pulled off by the mystery (the inability to answer important questions), that person will discover the richness of the call of God. |
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