God's Will: A Paradox of Freedom and Decisions

Struggling to know what God's will is for you?
Short answer:
Don't let anyone other than Him tell you how to find it or what it is.

I would not even hazard an attempt. However there are things that we can know to approach it.
First, to please all the die-hard theologians, we have an infallible written record of stuff about His will, specifics and some illustrations.
There is also a huge (bigger than i can think of) freedom we have in Christ; so free that there is no cut-and-dried formula or pleading that connects us with His will. He sets before us choices of life and death; but urges us to choose life.

This paradox is not resolvable without relationship. Those that love Him know and do His will. That implies time we spend with Him. He transforms our hearts out of that.

We also have enough common sense and instruction to know that the ends don't justify the means where instruction is clear,  We can also ask for wisdom or get it as the 'Booby Prize' for experiencing un-wise decisions.

We can consider a few of these things; we also have His mind. Jesus, by His own admission, didn't speak or do anything that the Father wasn't.

We can also be nudged in directions that please Him.
Summarizing Paul; He can change our plans if He wills but plan anyways. The Spirit does move to divert, hold or enable our progress.

I think He woos (sometimes suckers :) us into a relationship where dialog and devotion transform our hearts and move us to make His choices our own.

He invites us to enter into a relationship with Him and to follow. Everything seems to flow out from Him.

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me."

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the
Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees
him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever
has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who
loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show
myself to him.”


-- He and the Father are one; they dwell within and call us to abide and ask whatever ;)

Who Can Disagree with a Life Like This?

I was reading this in The Message this morning and found a fresh perspective on a well known chunk of writing from Paul. I find this translation doesn't take away from the original but adds depth to the timeless truths in our vernacular.


Let this word to the Thessalonians speak for itself for it is at the centre of community in Jesus.






The Way He Wants You to Live
And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!




Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.




Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.




Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.




Now, this all sounds pretty good but it sure sounds impossible, right?




It sure is, at least out of my experience with myself and others. We are quite messy people given our fleshly (human) natures. In spite of all the good things we can do and those moments of good behaviour we express, we all fall short. Paul's words look darn near impossible to live up to at most times; even at our humanly best.


The point is we can't sustain living in this quality in our flesh. Jesus tells us that "apart from {Him}, we can do nothing". It is His live dwelling in us through the Spirit that enables us to with a catch; we need to let Him work in us. That can be the hardest part especially when our old ways and patterns try to take over.



In fact, we are most likely to fail when we look at life like this as a discipline, holding fast to an idea of God and what His propositions are for us. It is easy to extract lists of do's and dont's from the text.



Honestly, most of us do and try to live like this in our own power and apart from intimacy and communion with the Father. The fear of this intimacy keeps us from letting Him live through us and leaves us with the grand proposition; trying to do this out of our own innate goodness.



So why is it that we fear initmacy with the Father? Do we really know that we are His Children? Is it our sins (new and old) that keep us from Him? Do we feel that we are not worthy to come boldly to Him?



All of these questions are answered in the work Jesus did for us all once and for all on the cross. None of those are real issues if we truly have received Him (acknowledged what He did, who is IS, loves Him and His words). That is our part.



His part begins when He and The Father love us and move right into our neighborhood and indwell us! That is where He begins the good work in us that only He can complete. All He wants in return is an intimate relationship with us.



This is not any ordinary relationship; we are His Children, joint Kingdom heirs with Christ, and best of all; -- He calls us Friends.



Now who wouldn't want to be in an intimate love relationship with the Creator and Lord of all?



Amen?

A Medly of the Father's Faithfulness

His steadfast love never fails.
His mercies are indeed new every morning; great is His Faithfulness.
His faithfulness is my shield; a strong tower -- an ever-present defense, a hiding place against the relentless onslaught of arrows against us.

He allows us to make bad choices and experience the consequences.
We are capable of bringing tremendous hurt and disappointment to one another but He is in the healing.
He will not these bring us to total ruin but only enough to forge His character in us and conform us to His image.
Even when we become weak and faithless; He is faithful as He can not deny Himself.

In surrender, He is our strength to stand.
We can do all things through Him, even the unpleasant stuff.

He is good all the time; we actually see it when we fix our hope in Him.
We know this to be true as we know and walk with Him.

Learn to love Him out of your whole deep heart then do the same with one another.
Our hearts may be broken and incapable of doing this but He will fix it in the process.

Never forget; -- He is in it all.

A Song; I Will Give You a New Song; a Song That Only You Can Sing

"A song; I will give you a new song; a song that only you can sing."

These words came through me; right through my heart enough to evoke tears from the deepest well within me drawn up by God's presence. I am thankful that He was in control of the whole situation. They came at twilight travelling on a south-bound interstate, on the cusp of a blizzard.

Sandy and i were heading south to the Keys for a month of sun and respite from the barren gray cold we Manitobans endure in good old Winter-peg (man how i hate that when anyone else not from here that says it; especially Tron-tonians) The tone it usually comes in grates me more than the bitter cold.

We had the mp3 player loaded and playing a random play list with everything from Claude Bolling, clean on through Texas blues into some inciteful worship. The mix also included some God-timed readings from John Eldredge's “Wild at Heart”. Some how it seemed to flow in an unlikely order; almost as unlikely as me reading that book a few years ago when i first encountered it. Back then, it was suspect new age clap trap that was passed on to me. It had moved into the “Hey there is life in these words class. Now it is a piece that is instrumental in freeing and understanding my heart.

Whatever possessed me to load it was just as much a mystery as the order in which everything seemed to flow out of the randomness of the mp3 player.

John was talking much about our deep heart and how that God has given us a good heart after coming into the Kingdom through Jesus. A song by Russ Taff immediately followed, I believe it was “I Cry”. I have been moved alot in times passed by his music; his songs. They seemed to have a power and depth that came out of life that was forged out of many challenges.

I get the impression that the deep places he writes from came out of the hard and dark places God has walked with him through. There is an edgy-ness to it that doesn't usually come out of someone who comes from a pure religious heritage or an sanitary church life.

Nearing the end of the song i thought to myself, “He has an amazing voice; I sure would like to sing like that.” Within a heart beat, as if on the other side of a conversation, God broke into the song, almost like a warm wind rushing through my body, and said, “I will give you a new song, a song that only you can sing.” Not having any talent (innately or otherwise), or the notion to want to, I was caught off guard. My heart began to stir and emitt a burst of emotion.

Tears began to stream as i tried to choke it back, still trying to comprehend what was happening. What a place to get ambushed; 75 miles an hour on a snow packed road heading into the night. I was begining to liquify similar to the time when i was able to fall over without endangering anyone. It was a good thing that He was in control of the situation.

I was hoping Sandy wasn't tuning in to what was going on although i did provide the gist of what was going on. Now i began to wonder what this new song was all about, especially from the viewpoint of a non-musical, non-singer; it had to mean something else. I pressed in for a better understanding that would consume most of the time when my mind was settling.

An earlier time came to mind when God spoke a similar thing to me. It was at the prayer furnace in November of 2005. We were gathered for a Saturday intimate worship time in the trailers in the King's school. There was about 14 or so gathered to wait on God and worship. God was there. I remember the warmth and the air of a family night at home on a cold winter's night. I was looking at John, drawn to his whistling in the Spirit when God spoke; “I am about to give you a new song, You will awake one morning and will have a new song.” I am used to hearing things for other people, especially from being involved in prayer and counselling ministry. I was hearing clearly as His voice interrupted my stream of consciousness. With that and the direction of my gaze towards John, i began to assume (think actually) that God had meant it for John. I left it alone for a time and prayed somewhat superficially about it.

About a week had past when God began to nudge me about it; either that or it was the brief meet-up with John before worship that Sunday. The familiar conviction that this was something to heed began to settle in and i resolved to talk to John after the gathering time. Casually I asked if he received a new song from the Lord. He cocked his head a bit, paused and said not to his knowledge then moved on. The thought that i was off began to creep in as i bid a hasty “OK then” and turned quickly to hide my embarassment. God had taught me in times past not to sit on words that He was clear about. Perhaps i was not clear about who they were for.

Four years later on the interstate, not soon after the moment had passed i began to wonder; may be that word was for me. Now i am more than certain and curious, and to a growing degree; excited.

I am seeing that a song does not necessarily mean words and music wrapped up in a catchy, lyrical package, but rather its essence; the outpouring of the inmost part of man that expresses the deep heart. Much like the song God gave to Moses; His deep heart about and for Israel. There is much more i can and should elaborate on here, but this will do for now.

It is 06:27 in the morning; Saturday morning, April 18^th. I am sitting up baby-sitting a multiple disk and filesystem rebuild and testing for a client. It is a tedious task that requires a watchful eye through out the process but one that affords time to do other things, like the project i am running behind on or my major tax audit preparation. But no, I am once again drawn to find out what in the world this new song is about. I am really trusting God that it is Him goading me along at this moment. The trigger this time, was hearing another song, a song from an unexpected source.

By now the name of Susan Boyle is renown throughout the world. Five or six days ago, she was little known and getting ready for yet another attempt to be heard, not her opinons or intellect, but something from out of her deep heart; her song. I first noticed that a Facebook friend, Doreen had posted a video link and declared herself a fan. I glanced briefly at the picture and gave it a little thought as to what this woman had done; perhaps it was something noble, overcomming a disability perhaps and doing something that would shame the average person.

Then i heard a clip being played a not two days ago. It was her winning audition on the UK version of Idol, Britains Got Talent, to none other than Simon Cowel and crew. I looked at her, then the judges faces. Simon, the grand inquistitor and judge asked her why she was there. Her answers seemed to invoke a few screwed faces and polite(?) fits of giggles. But she was quite certain of her answer to Simon and the rest of the world; she has come to take another run at her dream, to be a professional singer, and but for someone to hear her for what was inside her. Simon asked her what her song was to be. Appropriate for the moment it was “I dreamed a dream” from Les Miserables.

In near concert with the jaw dropping responses, my own heart began to well up much like on the interstate back in January of this year. I began to cry, well almost, as much as a man would admit to. There were people around and i felt the need to restrain myself, or, maybe to push it back down, whatever it was that was about to come out. It was the same welling emotion that over took me when my father played his violin, the same deep place that Ruth Fazal reached with her prophetic playing.

I can still see Simon Cowel's face, beaming like the glory of God on Moses' face as waves of stunned cruel unbeliever rose to their feet in cheers. It was the witness of something spectacular; it was her glory, the full weight of who she was, how God has made her coming out in full force. What was even more amazing was the instant spirit of repentance and humility that overtook the initial cynical audience, as well as the female judge, who apologized for her thoughts. It was shock, awe and bewilderment wrapped in a strange sense of joy. The confident joy that came from Susan was instantly spread throughout the audience. The recall of that moment is still powerful, and nearly liquefying me. What is God saying here; what is He saying to me, to my heart right now? This is too intense to dismiss as mere mob emotion.

I thought i would ask God again to show me more of what He meant by a song and more specifically, the new song He is preparing me for or for me (i think it is all the same). I thought to start again by reading the song of moses, with the mind to catch the context from what was going on before and after the reciting of the song. <<I could add more about the digestion of that but i am anxious to get to the part where God spoke again>>.

I asked Him about the song. He responded in three parts starting with the third to the first. It actually reads well either way so here it is, in the final resting order it appeared on the paper i jotted it down on.

“My song to Moses was spoken from My Heart to my people so that they would remember Me and who they were; but it was a song of judgement.

“Remember the dark things of the dark things of the heart that can pursue you and bring death. I will purge them from you and cleanse your heart (even as I am cleansing it now).”

“It is a song of life; one that brings life.”

There is quite a bit in those words, as they mesh with recent dreams and past revelations. However it is 07:12 and i need sleep. Perhaps i will be able to flow again to finish this in God's time.

Emma, love and nature

"As I sit heare alone, me now being an old white haired lady, having much time to think and look back at my life and all the challenges that took place; there is so much to tell, that if something becomes a jumble, you will excuse me, for I was not educated enough to form perfect sentences, nor is my English perfect.

You, my children, grand-children and great-grandchildren, who I know all love me for what I am, will read this and perhaps sort it out in better form."

-- Memoires of Emma Osis Libert Anderson

These words were the beginning of my grandmother's own out of a collection of her memories written out for her family and friends. She was known as just Emma to all, in fact that is what she wanted on her grave marker, "Just Emma", as she really didn't have a personal identity other than that. Living over 93 years and out living two husbands; one the only "love of her life" and the other a loving companion.

G-d has been nudging me along to meditate on her life and nature and to articulate it for quite some time. That nudge also comes out of a greater growing gnawing to reconcile what i/we believe in the body of Christ with who He is and how we really are to be. As i understand it, the best way to know what our true beliefs are is in observing our natures; who we are and what we do. Our innate or instinctive responses reflect our strongest beliefs.

What struck me the most is ....

G-d tells us that we can learn a lot about a person through thoughtful consideration of the nature of a person or thing, and, of what comes out of them (actions, fruit). I find this knowledge grievous as the more i know exposes much of the garbage in my own life and the incongruencies in what i present (say) and what i do or have become.

The fundamental things we know of G-d presented in scripture speak of His nature. It is hard to describe the undescribable; the eternal who dwells apart yet whose Spirit dwells within His Children. We all can know Him by what He has left us; we know Him by His great love and power towards us who draw near to Him. The closer we draw near the more of Him we are able to see.

"Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made"

God has also created man in His image, and as His creation we are made and called to reflect that image.

G-d is Spirit and He is love. The greatest quality we are called to aspire towards is love. Love seeks the greater good of another. Great love denies itself even unto death for the sake of another. Jesus tells us plainly that the way we are known by others to be His is our love for one another. The two greatest commandments concern love for God and those next to us; our neighbours.

My grandmother, as imperfect as she perceived herself, consistently reflected the characteristics of love that we find outlined in
Some questions to flesh out:

• Am I loving and caring toward anyone irrespectively not just nonbelievers?


• Am I living out the relationship I say I have with Christ?


• What are the discrepancies between what I say I believe and how I live my life?


• How do i see my actions causing nonbelievers, seekers to doubt the existence of God?


• Has Christianity become so politically {institutionally, programatically} defined that true faith and the person of Jesus Christ is obscured in the minds of many?


• Is it possible that Christians are conducting themselves in such a way that the spiritually seeking are looking anywhere but to Christ?"
  

Atheists do not believe G-d exists because they do not see evidence for Him. They in turn believe we are deluded because of what they don't see in us. In spite of the over exposure of Christian images, words, institutions and programs in the world; these things are not relevant in of themselves as they appear hypocritical and unauthentic; appearing to contradict what is generally known about Jesus. We are often seen as judgemental and hypocritical in and outside of the church for sundry reasons, but i believe the chief reason is dure to the lack of love demonstrated.

There are no special classes of people and we shouldn't identify anyone; gays, liars, gluttons, atheists in special classes. Like all humans, we sin to which Jesus provides the solution.

And when the Church serves like Jesus, it can make a tremendous impact

The only thing that counts ... Faith expressed in Love (Gal 5:5-6)

I am not certain how to preface this or if it needs to be ...

There is a man whose desire is to be set free.
In his heart he feels that he was meant to run.

He dreams of running in joyful abandon;
towards his call, his destiny, to be useful and fulfilled.

But there are burdens on his back;
weights around his feet;
many ropes and chords restraining his every move.

His passions goad him as much as the desire draws him.
The efforts to move forward go unsatisfied and eludes encouragement.

He knows his state; no one need remind him of his circumstances that overwhelm him daily.

There are many simple solutions to his problems; just stay cool, be well, just hang in there; be positive; be blessed.
How is that done? How do i be that?

He knows somehow that G-d is in it all but wonders who can be in it with him when G-d is silent or not understood?

Will a man bear it alone? Who is his neighbour?

It is often in a moment, perhaps periods of deep suffering that we can fall towards a flurry of nasty emotions. Out of them proceeds the bile and vomit of hasty words that reflect an unrestrained reality of our heart's condition. In our pain we say and do things that we later regret in the ensuing silence.

Should we be fortunate to be humbled in those times, perhaps we may learn something of ourselves and allow G-d to use the refining fires to cleanse us that we may be better equipped to reflect His image and the power that is at work in us. We are as brute beasts in those times.

It is hard to undergo the refining fires of His Love but necessary. It is often equally as hard for us to stand by as someone undergoes deep refining and suffering. It is easy to find reason to look away when we become fixated on the brute beasts they have become in the heat of those moments. We are repulsed by that emotional vomit that may ooze and dribble out in spite of any restraint.

After all, we do own our responses; we are responsible for how we respond to what comes our way. While this is indeed true; it is but half, especially when it becomes the basis to excuse our evading help to another in their weakness. Half-truths are at best lies that form the basis for grievous sin; that which grieves the Spirit of truth.

WWJD? That sounds nice, possibly a little trite when we use it tritely and condescending. But perhaps better questions to ask of ourselves are; "Who is Jesus to that one? Who is He to me? Is my attitude different? Why is it important for me to receive His mercy and compassion?"

If we are to be compassionate, we must be open to see beyond the messes in another in those moments and see the other as Jesus sees us; or to put it in selfish terms, we need to see the other as we want Jesus to see us. This is much of loving our neighbour, the one in our awareness, as ourselves.

I look at myself and do not have to wonder why He gave this to us as a commandment. I am fond of the simplicity in which Kevin Prosch puts the idea of this forth; "The mercy you don't give is the mercy you don't get."

After all the natural response is to look away, to not involve ourselves in the troubles of another. We can even find support for this in scripture. Psalm 33 contains David's heart in his afflictions where he has become the utter contempt of his neigbours and a dread to his friends to the point that everyone avoids him. I have heard many good pastors tell us to suck it up because nobody likes a (whatever-we-are-in-those-moments).

Suffering and pain; whether out of consequences for our bad (sinful) choices or out of His refining hand are often endured alone but is it really G-d's will for us? Like David, we sin and are afflicted out of that. We anguish as we grow weak out of our self-inflictions. There is nothing positive, attractive or endearing to most; we are un-lovely, contemptable people who are dreaded by neighbours and forgotten by friends. Often G-d's power and presence have left us as well.

It is natural to avoid "negative people". There is much to support that in our popular natural thought and can even see it at work in holy scripture. However it is supernatural to come along side of a person with issues and encourage them towards the image G-d has created them to become. There is more mandated support for the latter than the former.

In fact, acting supernaturally in that regard it the way that identifies us as one of His Children to each other and to the others. It shows us that we are like Him, the real deal. It is ironic that most people outside of the Kingdom get this because of the little they know about Jesus. They don't trust what we say because they don't see the little they know at work in our lives.

Just as it is natural to turn away from ones on the darkside of things; it is a natural progression for one in the deep, dark places to grow despondant, increasingly bitter and withdraw from others. It is just as natural for us to shun the un-lovely with a rational defense as it is for one to find cause to grow in bitter resentment.

Both are natural responses on both sides of suffering. Both fall short of the grace and mercy of G-d and neither reflect His super-natural call on all of us to love one another. It is His Goodness that brings all (both) to repentance (change for the good).

There are several dimensions to the issues in suffering, but seem to centre on these points. We are called to endure it patiently looking towards the Lord for comfort. At the least this seems like an easy task to one in favour but can be overwhelming to one in the thick of troubles.

In observing, We are also called to come along side of another in suffering (even if out of sin) as the stronger of the two to minister encouragement and exhortation in kindness and gentleness out of love.

There is plenty of good scripture in support of this and most of us already have heard it enough, so it will go un-quoted. I believe this is one of those meat vs. milk issues that we are called to feed on and digest on our own. If you feel an urge to challenge it, by all means, use this as an opportunity to dig in and do some original research.

I do think that if i were to leave any reference it would be summed up in the following text. It gives us a picture of the outcome (fruit) of suffering as it is met head on from both sides supernaturally. It is good for all of us to meditate on from time to time:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of Compassion and The God of all Comfort, who comforts us in All of our troubles so that We can Comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. -- 1 Corinthians 3:11

So then ...

... if this is a picture of the fruit of suffering supernaturally met; what does comfort look like? What would it look like to the one receiving it? Who can you imagine comforting?

Acts of Gathering

... Excerpts from moments at The Furnace

It is night and the evening is cool in the open spaces of the valley. There is warmth and safety near the fires and near each other. There are no dangers; peace rules in our midst.

Yet something is off; a sense that there is something amiss. We rise to as to listen and then comes the call. At first it is but a persistent whisper building intensely in our thoughts. It grows louder as it moves towards the depths of our souls.

Some pause as if to listen but soon turn back to the warmth of the fires, to the comfort in the gatherings. Some stop and quiet themselves to focus their hearing. Then a voice comes forth carrying a sense of urgency.

"Go out into the night, there are more to be gathered. There are others yet to come.The night is a growing danger and peril awaits those who are not found soon. There is a time coming and coming soon when no more can be gathered."

Urgency is overtaken by compassion in those who have heard the call. They go out into the dark, leaving the comfort and safety of our camps to find and gather the others.

They seek the strays who wander the through the rocks and hills; wounded and disoriented. They have not gone far and they hear our calls for them. They are gathered, encouraged and strengthened; once disoriented but now partakers in the gathering. They tell of others still out there.

In greater numbers they go out into the night, into the ravines to search the cracks find the others who have fallen through. These others have fallen from sight, some close to our camps. They are stuck; held fast as wedges between the very rocks that would uphold them. They are worn down from struggling to get out and are unable to cry out anymore. Unless we find and lift them, they will perish.

We lift them and carefully bring them towards our camps. They grow stronger in our acceptance and are strengthened as we encourage them. They are becoming strong and soon join the ranks of the gatherers for an urgent and unrelenting mission.

It is late; the night increases in danger; the times grow more chaotic, peace and safety are uncertain in this time. The Lord calls to His gatherers;

"Go out! All hear my voice and take upon my heart, go out! Leave your places safety. There are still yet others to invite, to gather. Go out into the streets, to every street corner, every alley way and country lane. Invite all you can find; the good and the bad. There is no one that I want to be left out."

"A great feast is prepared for all who will receive my invitation. Call out to the poor, the lowly, the un-lovely, those without favour. Call to the lame, the prisoner, widow and orphan. Go and gather to fill my house. I desire all to come."