Embrace the Within no. 88

"Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God."

Bob Pierce

It is a time when some folks are considering thankfulness. I am thankful that God spoke to me and gave me this opportunity. I spent quite some time looking at what people were doing in churches and finding fault. I was letting the imperfection of people become a hindrance to having a relationship with The Creator, My Father. And there are many folks out there with the wrong intentions and many folks out there with the right intentions BUT their intentions and their hearts are none of my business. And I am thankful that I can put all that behind me and move forward with a personal relationship with God.

“The life that pleases me is a life lived in the gratitude of grace,

always choosing to walk with me in what is right.

This is the sacrifice I desire from you.

If you do this, more of my salvation will unfold for you.”

Psalms 50:23 TPT

I am grateful for the lockdowns and the fear that the government placed in my heart. Because three years ago, I was not in any way on this journey. BUT God found a way through where I was back then to put me on His path for my life. And with accepting the sacrifice of Jesus for me, I started working on rebuilding something that I had set aside for years.

“Whoever offers thanksgiving

as his sacrifice honors me;

and to him who goes the right way

I will show the salvation of God.”

Tehillim 50:23 CJB

I am grateful that I started reading the Bible for myself and studying what it said. I just finished reading the entirety of the Word after years of taking my teaching from others. I was passively involved in church. And now I am thankfully applying actual study to something I love. I bring a pen and a notepad to every service and take notes. No matter the pastor, priest, reverend, deacon, teacher, there is a lesson for me to learn either then or later in study and prayer.

“He that offereth praise, shall glorifie mee: and to him, that disposeth his way aright, will I shew the saluation of God.”

Psalms 50:23 GNV

I am thankful that I turned away from the path of looking for a way to monetize my change. When I first started down this road of personal responsibility and self ownership, I was looking at a way to turn a buck. I was still stuck in that mindset of the old ways. I was still thinking like the world. And I am thankful that money is not even something that concerns me about this journey. I am thankful that God has provided a way for me to get my physical, mental, and spiritual health. And I am thankful that He provides even when we aren’t aligned with Him. He always finds a way to get us back in the Way of the Lord. We only need to listen, to act, and to obey. We need to SHEMA with all our thoughts, all our being, and our everything.

“Blessed are the poore in spirit, for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.

Blessed are they that mourne: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meeke: for they shall inherite the earth.

Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousnes: for they shalbe filled.

Blessed are the mercifull: for they shall obteine mercie.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peace makers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake: for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.

Blessed shall ye be when men reuile you, and persecute you, and say all maner of euill against you for my sake, falsely. Reioyce and be glad, for great is your reward in heauen: for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.”

Matthew 5:3-12 GNV

I am thankful that God doesn’t see like humans do. I am thankful that He saw something that I wasn’t willing to see in myself. And I am thankful for the path forward that He will lead.

“But the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) said unto Sh’mu’el [His name is El], Look not on his Countenance (Face, appearance; show favor), or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) sees] not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) looks on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 NMV

Shavua tov. Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of YHWH is now. Be a blessing to YHWH and others.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #MyNepheshMyChoice #ChristsLifeMatters #EmbracetheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH #GodKnows

Embrace the Within no. 87

"Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world."

Francis Schaeffer

“Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but, on the contrary, with blessing. For it is to this that you have been called, so that you may receive a blessing. For

‘Whoever wants to love life and see good days

must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,

turn from evil and do good,

seek peace and chase after it.

For Adonai keeps his eyes on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their prayers;

but the face of Adonai is against

those who do evil things.’”

1 Kefa 3:8-12 CJB

I spent a lot of time away from churches because of the actions of other people. And looking at that now, I can see how foolish it is to allow the actions of other people to come between my relationship with God. And I see so many people that are traveling down that same road I once traveled. Denying themselves a personal relationship with the Lord because some folks in some church at some time did people things in the name of God. And, there are so many wrong things that people have done in the name of the Lord, that the list for them is quite extensive.

I understand that mindset BUT I don’t excuse that mindset. I understand that mindset because there are a great many people disgusted with what people do and they allow that to get in the way of their relationship with God. And some of us are not making it easy on them. Now that I am becoming more comfortable in the voice I have been gifted to speak about my experience, I can start to see a lot more of the swindlers, the cheats, the liars, the gatekeepers, the schemers, and the rest of the self serving folks in the churches and in the community. I am not going to call them Christians because not everyone in the congregation is saved. God and they know their own hearts. And I leave that between them and Adonai.

I can only control my relationship with God. And that means reading the scripture, praying to God, and walking in His Truth. I don’t know what is in the hearts of others. I can only see what folks pretend to be externally. I do not put my trust and faith in any person outside of Christ. I don’t take a preacher’s word for what is in the Bible, I don’t take my neighbor’s word for what’s in the Bible, and I don’t take the enemy’s word for what is in the Bible. I look and study and pray. I am taking personal responsibility for that relationship.

And I am no longer going to allow the actions of others to keep me separated from God. He has helped me overcome too much, triumph over too much, travel too far, to let someone get between me and Him.

“For, brothers, you were called to be free. Only do not let that freedom become an excuse for allowing your old nature to have its way. Instead, serve one another in love. For the whole of the Torah is summed up in this one sentence: “Love your neighbor as yourself”; but if you go on snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other!”

Galatians 5:13-15 CJB

Shavua tov. Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of YHWH is now. Be a blessing to YHWH and others.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #MyNepheshMyChoice #ChristsLifeMatters #EmbracetheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH #GodKnows