Meditating On The Word Of God!

I want to share something with you that God has taught me this morning when I was meditating. I have to say I had no idea how to meditate. But, in 2005 after I lost my job God was preparing me to learn to buckle up for the ride that was going to change my life forever, because things were going to get messier and way worse than I ever thought possible. So the Holy Spirit taught me to “still” my heart, not by myself but with His help. Then, I let my mind, my heart and soul be taken up completely with God’s Word, the beauty of it, how each iota of His word is true, how He works things out in our lives, how to apply each verse of the Bible to our lives, etc… As you learn to do this with the Holy Spirit, not only it becomes easier to apply in all circumstances in your life, but you learn to become so immersed and so taken up that you could spend hours in His Company. It is as if time does not exist. As the matter of fact, when I first learned to meditate with God in the wilderness, I could meditate on His word for hours and I never knew until I snapped out of it, that most of the day was gone.

For those of you who are tempted to say this is what it means to be caught up in third heaven, let me tell you it is not. Because being caught up in the third heaven changes your soul in a way that you can never explain and the thing is, you never know when God is going to take you there. What I explained above is simple meditation done in the spirit and with the Holy Spirit. But, anyway, as I was immersed in my meditation this morning, God felt the need to help me understand something deeper. The past two days I wrote about how a life of oneness with God takes you from fearing His wrath to appreciate it as an attribute of His holiness.  What I learned this morning reminded me of something very important, as Christians, it is so important we do not take lightly our postings whether through social media, Blogs, websites etc. Because in the end, we are what we think and we are what we write about. (If we do not use ghost writers)

I don’t know about you, but as I write my posts, I too am learning from God. It gives me an opportunity to meditate on things that I might have forgotten to thank Him about or take for granted. It keeps me living with an awareness of God constantly on a daily basis to the point where, if I spend time thinking about anything that did not lead to God, I need to know what did I waste my time with? Through my postings, I learned to acquire more gratitude as I recall the things He has done for me and the grace He lavishes on me.

So, this morning was not any different. I was having such an awesome time with Him, and then He told me “do you know why you wrote the past two days about finding balance between God’s wrath and His Holiness?” Do you understand why this knowledge and its effect are suddenly part of who you are? I smile and though to myself, “no I don’t know because you never told me”. Before I finish my thought, He said to me, well this is part of what it means to behold me like in a glass of glory. It is also part of changing into the same image.” As he said that to me, I smiled with joy and gratitude in my heart, then I came out of the meditation time.

I was elated with what He taught me, but at the same time it was a learning process that corrected some of my faulty thinking. Why? Because a few years back, I thought (from what I lived with Him) 2 Corinthians 3:18 was mainly about God’s face being etched in yours and my face based on a life spent looking at Him through sitting at His feet. Today I understand that beholding His face is just part of the process and this little verse means so much more to God, in the way He plans to do it in us. I understand that we are learning to behold Him as He works it out in us, in all His facets. It is about our whole spiritual makeup from head to toes.

The funny thing is, I used to see my transformation from the wilderness walk with Him as having gone through the process of being a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly. But unlike the butterfly after its transformation, God has just begun the process of transformation through those who belongs to Him. My dear brothers and sisters, if you could only take a pick out the work that is left to be done in us by Him, you would definitely make different choices with the time you are allocated to live out his life on earth. (Look who’s talking! LOL - I did not know that until he hit me with a 4X4 to get my attention)

Just so you know, yesterday, God has given me instructions on the subject of my post for today. But, after my time with Him, I obtained permission from Him to switch things around. And like a true daddy, it was okay with Him! I actually got His blessings with gladness in both of our hearts. 

I love my God & I truly love you guys!

To my litte community on Wordpress, you  are so precious to my heart, you will never know how much! I appreciate the time you take to write me, encourage me and to comments.  God showed me how not to worry about fans lost on Facebook, because you remained faithful and you matter. Thanks so much

VIDEOS

I am including these very short videos. The reason being is that, the seven years I spent in the wilderness with Him, truly reflects what you see in these videos. When He first started with me after I lost my job, not only my life was turned upside down, I could feel as if there was a demolition and construction happening inside me. It was so real, like an idiot I sent an email to my pastor for help because I did not know it was normal with God.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY-Fiyq8jc4

2) Then for a while it was this video. It represents all the changes that he was doing within me

http://gizmodo.com/watch-a-caterpillar-transform-into-a-butterfly-from-ins-506894053

Through this stage I learned the meaning of what Paul said in Galatians 4:19 and why He was in pain for the Galatians to go forward claiming what they were missing. I also learned first hand why the first work that truly matters to God and in the absence of this work, whatever else we have done in His name has no importance and no value. This change that comes only from the power of the cross is what true salvation is about. I learned the true meaning through the Holy Spirit’s teaching what God had in mind when He penned James 2:18. This transformation process is “faith by your deeds.” Your only deed as a human being is the willingness to embrace this life in Him and allowing Him to move freely in your life through your faith in Him.

As He showed me the whole process He allowed me to see the extend of my involvement.  Only then, I understood how greatly we Christians misunderstand the grace of God. Because, even the willingness to allow Him to move freely in my life through all the circumstances, is still a work of grace that I received from Him through Salvation. I just put it to work through faith in Him. Without salvation entering my soul, I would never feel the urge to let Him move freely in my life. Why would I care? So, this process is also the work of our Salvation.  It is pure and unadulterated grace. So when the word of God says to us “unless you believe in vain…” Yeah! There is something there you should take into consideration. God did not pen those words down to hear His Holy voice. He was talking to you and me.

3) Then, on the third stage where the butterfly came out… http://www.wimp.com/monarchbutterfly/ He taught me what His word meant in Song of Solomon 8:5 “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved?” You see, through this process He teaches you to trust Him and to depend on Him. You can lean on Him because your will is handed back to you, but not before it has become His will. Your soul takes Him on as your lover. Through each stage I had a song in this one I learned to sing the song, “Jesus lover of my soul….. It’s all about you”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD-ZdMOx_HY

Are you truly born again? Examine yourself… Unless you believe in vain!

 

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2 Corinthians 3:18 – King James Version

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 

The Way of Permanent Faith

As I was reading Oswald Chambers today, I realized I would have been very excited if it was not for the fact that I have gone through the process of what he is talking about and know the inward pain that your soul has to endure to get through this process.

Indeed during this period of time, we are so scattered inside, so hollow, so depressed by the darkness that surround us. As you go through this process, you also understand why the word wilderness suits it so well. Your pain comes from the dryness, the sun, the win and everything that encompasses the wilderness. It is so desolate all around you, in your heart, your soul and your spirit that the only thing that makes sense to your senses is the depression that the whole process is calling you to.

But, if you can keep focusing on Him while you are there, even though there is no excitement and no joy during this period, you will get through it and joy will come back again when you see how much you have grown. Through this period there is a long waiting process in between that is very discouraging. Another major point of this process is that God needs to take you to a place where you learn to abide in Him and you learn to depend on Him moment by moment for your life.

As you learn to abide in Him, you realize, the reality of you abiding in Him is so that the next part of the verse (abide in me and I in you) could take shape in your life. The whole doctrine of abiding in Him is so that He can reveal Himself to you, Christ can be formed in you as you learn to possess His mind, His likeness and all those substances that we need to take from Him. There are ways for sure you know you have gone through the process exactly the way He wanted you to.  First, you get out of it knowing full well what Paul meant when he said “for me to live is Christ”.

Another way you know you are pleasing to Him is that you realize you have become the protagonist of song of the Solomon 8:5 “Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?” Because now, you not only have learned to get to know Him, you know you can depend on Him. So, your faith is solid and your understanding of Him is on a whole new dimension which is the spiritual one as you left behind the man made idea of Him. In fact, you look back to what you knew of Him and where you are now, and you are ashamed of what you made out Christianity to be. You also make a transition from knowing about Him to knowing Him. The thing is, you find you are now ready to look at this Christian life, His way. Another thing you will discover as well is that you are in the process of being made right with Him. This process takes you beyond spirituality into your way of right living in His sight. Righteousness is being restored. (Mathew 5:6)

So, if you are depressed and your life is upside down and you feel you are fenced in, look up to Him through the pain, the sadness, the emptiness, the scorching sun of the wilderness, the coldness that is eating your body, focus on Him and lift up your soul to Him. You do not have to make lengthy prayers because He knows already. Just the fact that you can remain focused on Him and in your heart letting Him know, no matter what you want to make it about Him and give Him glory for whatever is going on right now, then, He will be pleased. Don’t make it about your feelings because joy already escaped you, He is nowhere to be found and it is all messy and scattered inside you. – But, be patient however long it lasts, remain committed to seeing it through His ways and do not allow doubt to enter your mind.

When I went through my process, even though at times I could not pray, I would make it a point to pray in my heart. At times He was so absent I felt He was not hanging onto me at all. I did not let the enemy get the best of me. I did not confer with anyone that would discourage me or prescribe some sort of diversion.  I resolved to make it about Him even if I had to die. Once in a while, He would show me that even though I could not feel His presence because of the state of my soul, but He was right there with me and actually never left me for a moment. Those tiny glimmers of hope helped me a great deal. – Be still and know that He is God!

Here is Oswald Chambers devotional for today!

The Way to Permanent Faith

04

04

2013

Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you will be scattered . . . —John 16:32

Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings. But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.

“. . . you . . . will leave Me alone.” Have we been scattered and have we left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us? Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God’s blessings is fundamental

“. . . be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.

Oswald's devotion for today is courtesy of: http://utmost.org/

Why Does Paul Seemingly Ask For More Afflictions

Excerpt From The 3rd Chapter Of My Newly Released  Christian Book

 "Apprehended & Apprehending"

W

hen you really think about it, it appears that Paul’s desire in Philippians 3:10 to know God in the fellowship of His sufferings was a strange one. Since his life was already plagued with sufferings, why would he want more of it? This is the reality of being truly Christian. Paul’s desire is the fruit of his faith in Christ, His love for Him and part of the true meaning of working out your Salvation with fear and trembling. Before we can get to a real desire of the fellowship of His sufferings, we have to learn obedience to the point where suffering with Him and for Him becomes natural to us—as natural as it was for Christ to obey His Father! Jesus left Heaven and His position as His Son and made Himself a nobody for our sake and the glory of His Father. As His ministry advanced Christ said in Matthew 26:38

“…My soul is exceedingly sorrowful…”

While I have no doubt no one can ever experience the depth of His sorrow—not even Paul—mimicking Christ and Paul also means getting through this very path of suffering. Christ will decide the intensity of the sorrow in our soul. Scriptures made it clear to us that Christianity is about persecutions and afflictions. Christ could not say it clearer when He said in Mark 8:34,

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Paul also said in 2 Corinthians 1:5,

 “…we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ…" 

It is important to understand first of all that it is not our idea of what the cross might be  but Christ’s idea. The cross in this verse is simply Christ’s Cross we have inherited through our identification with Him. As we move forward with Him, the deeper we go, the more sufferings within our sufferings is to be expected if we wish to be prepared for His purpose in our lives. Paul is not just talking about sufferings in this realm. There is a kind of suffering that we go through within our suffering that is so heavy, we literally have a hard time walking and talking in this realm. We go on with a  heavy sorrow in the soul and it is not up to us to say when it is enough or when we get out of it. 

In the meantime God is having His way with our soul. We know beyond the shadow of a doubt that death is being worked in us—we are dying to self, inwardly, as we learn to take up the cross of Christ, not our man-made cross. This kind of sufferings can never be explained, only except experienced. There is no earthly pain to match it.  The first time I experienced this kind of pain was when I went through the biggest crisis in my life. My life was falling apart completely, and I was losing everything. Only then did God feel it was time to bring on that pain. Even though I was new to this kind of spiritual training and sanctification process, I  knew the sorrow in my soul was spiritual. After He confirmed that I was regenerated, He explained what the pain was about a few days later. This exceedingly heavy sorrow in my soul was Him dealing with my soul while using the Word as a double-edged sword. To that revelation I replied, “Wow! You made provisions for everything in the Bible!” It was that day He illuminated my mind to understand what He meant when He said, “His word will not return void.” I started understanding how precious each word in the Bible is to our soul and to our Salvation, here and now.

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