Tag: relationship not religion

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Unlearning Unbelief & Coming Into Fullness Of Trust

Our belief in God is in direct correlation to our trust. When we have a hard time believing, we are really having a hard time trusting. There are plenty of religious doctrine, false teachers, and life experiences that have given us the opportunity to stray from truth. Our life experiences often frame what we believe is true about God, such as we often associate God to earthy father. We often associate Jesus to our siblings and our mother with the Holy Spirit. In fact, our fathers and mother’s are supposed to the example in marriage to his characteristics and qualities. However, we live in a very broken world. People who are supposed to represent him do not follow him or know him at all and we are left with brokenness and a false reality of who God truly is. Since we have been born, we have been experiencing things that shape our beliefs about who he is without even realizing it.

I have realized in my personal life I have had to unlearn almost everything I had originally learned about God. The God I did believe in was not easy to trust and completely false. The God I knew as a child was distant and a dictator and loved to punish. His love was based upon performance, if you do this you gain more favor. If you do not do this he would love you less. All of these things are completely false about who God actually is. I realized when I first came into a relationship with the Lord he was nothing like I thought he was. In fact, his word would reveal that he was closer than my breath. Even at my darkest, he loves me. While he hates sin, he met me in my mess, and died on the cross to save me from the condemnation that I always felt with religion. In fact, the more I read, the more I realized that religion killed Jesus. While the law was good, it was unattainable through flesh which is exactly why I needed saving and savior named Jesus in the first place.

Most of what I learned about God growing up was false. There have been many times in my life where I have had doubts about what God had promised and questioned his character. What I have come to find is that in these moments where I do have doubts, is that I am believing a lie about who he is. In the moments where I was scared to ask questions about who God is, the questions were an opportunity to grow closer and be freed from lies and set free in truth.

We see in the life of Abram and many other people in the bible that they had questions for God too. It is not bad to have questions, in fact, this is a god given opportunity for him to tear down the lies of who you thought he was and replace it with who he truly is.

Abram, later known as Abraham, is known for his faith. In fact, he is known as the ‘Father of Faith’. Yet as you read through Genesis 15, we see him asking God questions like,

But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.” -Genesis 15:2-3 CSB

But he said, “Lord God, how can I know that I will possess it?” -Genesis 15:8 CSB

How many times have you and I echoed questions like these? God you gave me this promise but it is not even close to what I can see. How are you going to be able to do this? Or God, what can I do to posses the promise?

God’s responses to Abram are full of grace, mercy, and love. After all, that is who God is. If you have not read Genesis 15, please do this now! Even if you have now would be a good time to read it again. In verse 4-5 the Lord speaks his promises yet again to Abram and gives him the example of the stars in the sky to hold onto. What was Abram’s response?

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. -Genesis 15:6 CSB

The word believed here means rendered, represents him to be what he says he is to be. So, Abram believed God and rendered that he was a good father, creator and caretaker. Abram saw God as faithful, trustworthy, believeable, and morally true through and through. Just like Abram, we need to have an accurate representation of who God is in order to really be able to believe he is who he says he is and will do what he says he is going to do. As you know, we come with alot of past experiences that unintentionally shape how we see God. So how can we practically in real life unlearn the lies? How can we believe the truth of who God is and in turn have trust in him?

The first thing we can do is seek to learn and have a relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the perfect representation of God in human form. We not only have the opportunity to see his life displayed through the bible but he left us a helper, the Holy Spirit, to lead us into all truth about him. We must not just merely study the word of God or the life of Jesus. But have communion with him allowing him to speak to us through his spirit, the word, and prayer. As we seek him with all our heart we will find him (Jeremiah 29:13-14).

Just like Abram, you must allow yourself to ask God questions. If you are like me, this may take some unlearning of thinking that God is distant. God actually desires for you to ask him questions. He desires to spend time with you. He is not scared of what you may ask. In fact, these questions may be the gateway to bringing you to the truth and closer to his heart.

If you want to know God, just like any other relationship you must spend time with him. You can do this through simple things like his word, prayer, and singing songs. Even if you think you know God, there is more to know. His wisdom and love with never be reached fully on earth and neither should our exploration of who he is.

As you can see, what you believe in, especially about who God is, has a profound effect on your everyday life. There should never come a time where we don’t ask God questions. There will never be a time that he is sick of us asking questions. He loves to spend time with you! He not only loves you, but he enjoys every moment you spend with him. If you have come to a moment where you have had a hard time trusting God or maybe the thought of God wanting and liking spending time with you is hard. I challenge you to unlearn what you think you may know and learn who he really is by looking at Jesus, asking him questions, and spending time with him. Our trust is in direct correlation of what we believe. As we intentionally grow closer to God, you and I both see that he is so much greater than we could ever possibly think or imagine.

More Scripture To Meditate On:

  • All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17 CSB
  • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. -John 1:1-3 CSB
  • I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me. -Proverbs 8:17 CSB
  • You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you. -Isaiah 26:3 CSB
  • God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill? -Numbers 23:19 CSB
  • Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!” -Luke 1:45 CSB
  • Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war. -Revelation 19:11 CSB
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Waiting On The Promise

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This morning the Lord brought me to the Book of Luke. He began speaking to me about the position of the heart of Mary. He touched on how she was prophesied by an angel, even though she was a virgin and how she was going to birth the Son of God.

Holy smokes.
Can we just stop right here for a moment and reflect?

Joseph and Mary were only engaged and to be married. She would’ve been casted out by society and looked at as a disgrace in these days. Yet, the angel was telling her she had found favor from the Lord.

This perfectly displays just how different and much higher God’s thoughts are in comparison to ours.

The question I have for you this morning is…

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When was the last time God has spoken to you something that seemed impossible, yet he still promised it to be done? Does the meditation of your heart and your confession match the things that he has spoken?

Mary had to live and confess by faith. As do we when we are promised something that seems impossible. Remember what was spoken. Nothing is impossible with God.
Do not be discouraged, do not fear. God is not a man that he could lie. If he has spoken it, he will fulfill it.

Even if the world is trying discourage you because it does not make sense…

Know that God is on your side and working on your behalf. There is nothing he will not do for you.

Let your heart meditate on the promises he has spoken and let your confession be one of faith.

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” -Luke 1:37 NKJV

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” -Luke 1:45 NKJV

“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” -Numbers 23:19 NKJV

(If this spoke to you, may the Lord give you encouragement through the first two Chapters in Luke as he did to me this morning. I am praying on your behalf and  standing in faith with you. Remember, God will always come through. He is faithful and true.)

 

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My Messy Prayers

I have been going through a lonnnnnng season of trial and tribulations. I want to share a little bit of what God has put on my heart and taught me during this season.

He has pointed out many people throughout the bible who have been straight up vulnerable with God. It didn’t matter what they were going through they didn’t leave a piece of their heart hidden from God. Their prayers and calls to God were in deep anguish, agony, and sorrow. We see this throughout the Psalms a lot! Another example that God has had me focus on is in 1 Samuel 1-2.

Often times it wasn’t that I was intentionally keeping what I was going through hidden. I just didn’t want to complain. I didn’t want to be negative. What really happened when I didn’t tell God what was on my heart, was my thoughts of hurt and negativity later spread to my heart and soon my actions began to change. I was no longer acting in the spirit, I was acting in my flesh. In a sense, I was trying be independent instead of relying on God. Instead of speaking to him what was on my heart, I buried it down deep and it blossomed into one ugly rotten mess. Oh man was it a mess. It seems silly now, but I almost didn’t want God to feel like I was burdening him with my problems. What I was doing was keeping God out the equation. I was not coming to a solution because I was hoarding the problem. By not being real with God about what was going on, I was carrying a burden I was never meant to carry. I didn’t give room for God to be God. I was acting in pride. Not being real didn’t allow him to change my heart and see things from his perspective.

God spoke very clearly to me and said:

Be vulnerable with me. Give me enough time for me to speak. Listen to my voice. I already know what you are going to say before you say it. I am not like anyone else. I am not like those who have hurt you. My love is not conditional based upon circumstances. I am the one you can count on. I am like no one else you know. I want every piece of your heart. I am all knowing. I keep my promises. Follow the Spirit. Be a woman of prayer, endless faith, and constant worship.

I’m really not sure where I began to feel like I was “burdening God with my problems” but that is not how God feels when we come to him in surrender. We are never meant to be without the guidance of the Spirit. God wants us to come to him with our prayers being real and raw and messy. He is the one we should be coming to like that. God is the one who can turn the worst situation, feelings, or unpleasant thoughts into a thankful heart.

When we withhold what is truly going on with us from an all knowing, steadfast, everlasting, loving God, we are really cutting ourselves short. We aren’t avoiding complaining. We aren’t avoiding negativity. God wants us completely surrendered in every part of our heart. He wants us to completely trust him and be vulnerable and messy. There is nothing that can surprise him. There is nothing he can’t do. He wants to love on us through our messes. He wants to love on us through our hurt. There’s never a moment he doesn’t want to be with us.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

 “Because of Christ and our faith in him,we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.”-Ephesians 3:12 NLT

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”-Ephesians 3:16-20 NLT

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”-Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Side note:I am so sorry I have been sparingly posting on here. College has slowly taken over my life but God is still at work in my heart and life. I try to post a verse of the day every single day on Instagram and Facebook. So be sure to get connected. You can find the links on My Mission & Vision page 🙂 I can’t wait to be able to write more soon but feel free to search through old posts and share what God is doing in your life. I would love to hear from you!

 

 

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Help Me With My Unbelief God

Sometimes, we are faced with circumstances or situations and are first initial reaction is in our flesh instead of in the spirit. We hope to one day immediately line up our thoughts with biblical truth and not react with emotion. However, we need to keep in mind we are a work in progress. We will continually grow and we will have growing pains. It is okay to ask God to help you with your unbelief. It is okay to call on Jesus’ name to increase your faith. Not acknowledging that we need God for everything, including hope, faith, and to fully believe and trust in his promises makes us become reliant on ourself instead in one accord with God. Two examples in scripture really stand out to me when it comes to this:

In Luke 17 Jesus is talking about temptations of sin and how they are going to come if someone sins over and over against you, we are called to repent and forgive them. Then in verse 5-6 the apostles and Lord have this conversation:

“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”-Luke 17:5-6 ESV

The apostles ask God to increase their faith and he responds with how powerful even the faith the size of a mustard seed is. If you don’t know how big a mustard seed is go look!

The second example is in Mark 9. This is where a father is asking Jesus to cast out a spirit from his son.

“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!””-Mark 9:23-24 NKJV

Here we see another example of someone crying out to help their unbelief or lack of faith. So if it is in the word, why are we so hesitant to call out when we need a little help with our unbelief or lack of faith? When I got news from the doctor a couple weeks ago, my mind didn’t immediately go to healing even though I have been healed before. My thoughts went worldly. As they went worldly I realized that I had some unbelief in my heart and called out upon God to help me.

He has been faithful to show me the promises that I need to hold onto. God’s word is full of promises and he cannot lie. God waits to hear from you the things you need. He is a good father and wants to bless you and help you in times of trouble. We just simply need to ask.

Is there something in your life that is causing a lack of faith or you are struggling with some unbelief? It is okay, the apostles, the father, and I did too. Call upon the Lord and he restore your faith, strength, and give you a new found hope in his promises.

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Bible Study Notes~1 Corinthians 13 (Love-Be The Example)~April 11th 2018~

God has laid it on my heart to really focus on being the example and to encourage other women through this bible study to be the vessel to bring God glory. Not just hearing the word, but doing the word. Being the light in this dark world. Being guided by Holy Spirit to show love to those who need it most and listen without the intent to reply. REALLY listen and REALLY love.

So with that being said, God lead me in 1 Corinthians 13.
Known as the “Love Chapter”.
This was a hard chapter for everyone including me because Holy Spirit really challenged me. I thought I was really good at loving but I think through this lesson we all learned that we could love a little harder and more like Jesus.

My notes will not be as organized as last weeks (sorry). But there was A LOT of Holy Spirit led discussion.

Read 1 Corinthians 13

We know from reading this chapter that without love we are nothing but a noisy clanging symbol. Even our gifts are useless without love.

During this time I pointed out that God looks at the intention of the heart. I could be doing this bible study without love and for my own benefit and social status instead of doing what God called me to do. You can give to the poor without doing it in love. A pastor can be preaching at a church with the wrong motive. This applies to everyone. It is so important to ask Holy Spirit to reveal things that aren’t of God and cast them out.

We live in a world that doesn’t know how to love because they don’t know God. Anything that we settle for before we had God was a counterfeit love. For me this including approval of others, drugs & alcohol, and men that were never going to be my husband. I was always searching for something only God could give.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”-1 John 4:7-8

Another one of my favorite verse about pure love, is that it covers a multitude of sins.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”-1 Peter 4:8

One more verse about love that will lead us into the next thing I am going to have you do 🙂

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”-1 John 4:18

Before we get into the characteristics of love, I would like you to do two things:

1) Ask Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal to you if you really love. Replace your name in every spot that it says love in 1 Corinthians 13…..

Well…how did it go? For me and many others in our group, we had some things to work on.

2) We know God is love…so replace the word love with God.

Are you believing any lies about God?

Breaking Down The Charactersitics of Love (Taken From KJV)

Love (Agape)- love which in moral prefrence, divine love

Patient (makrothumeo)- refuses to retaliate in anger because of human reasoning. Opposite of quick tempered

Kind (chresteuomai)-to show one useful, act benevotently

NOT envious– (zeloo)- NOT jealous, to bubble over because it is so hot

NOT boastful- (perperuomai)- NOT show off or need much attention

NOT Puffed Up- (phusioo)- arrogant, exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities

NOT acts unbecomingly- (aschemoneo)- not acting in accord with the standards appropriate to one’s postion of life

NOT seek the things of it’s own way

NOT easily provoked– (paroxuno)- become emotionally evoked, to take jabs

NOT keep accounts– (logizomai)- keep track, charge of wrongs

NOT rejoice at unrighteousness– (adikia)- Violation of God’s standards which brings disapproval

Rejoices -(sugchairo)- sharing God’s grace with another person. Celebrate together!

In Truth- (aletheia)- reality, fact

God & Jesus are really the only true examples of pure love. However, we are called to look at Jesus the perfector of our faith and grow to be more like him every single day. We all have things we can work on to love a little harder or deeper. So do not be discouraged!

Have Holy Spirit work on you from the inside out. Start with your heart. Lay everything at his feet today and just be obedient to what he calls you to do.

Next week we will be continuing to focus on being a Christ-Like example and really being a doer of the word and will be reading in Romans. We would love for you to join us!