Doubt Fades in the Light of Intimacy

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that God longs for us to know Him as intimately as He knows us. While that degree of perfection in intimacy is seemingly impossible for us to achieve, I believe with all my heart that we can come pretty darn close to it. I’ve had days that were near perfect in regard to feeling and experiencing that oneness with the Lord. I wish I could say that I get it right every day, but I am not perfected yet. There’s a statement in the message that reads like this: “It is not sin for one who knows Me only as God, as Creator, to doubt Me, to question my Love and purposes. But for one who knows Me as you do, as Friend and Savior, and who knows the world’s God as Father — for that one to doubt My purpose and saving Power and tender Love is wrong indeed.” I learned two things from this. The first is that God does not hold us at arm’s length. Neither, therefore, should we hold Him at arm’s length. Nope, we need to snuggle right up under those loving arms of His. We can wrap our arms around Him and just rest there, in His embrace, whenever we want to. He loves it! Secondly, when things aren’t going as smoothly-especially within-as they should be, I need to examine how I’m relating to God. Am I out there at arm’s length, or even further, from Him in my heart? And if so, why? What am I trying to hide, avoid, or what am I afraid of, etc.?

Do you know that God makes you so bold, that you can even laugh out loud at your own self?! Yessir, He does! And He loves us so, He’d a whole lot rather see us laugh it off, get back up, dust ourselves off, and keep on going toward home full tilt, rather than watch us taking timid little steps as if we’re walking on egg shells. That stuff will cripple you altogether if you’re not careful. You get into sorry mind sets and pathetic attitudes, all based on fears, because you’ve gotten too far away from your strong tower. Remember who prowls out there, waiting to use that fear against you. There’s only one solution to that problem, and that is to get right back into God’s presence and spend some time with Him. One of the reasons I love my daily visits with the Lord so much, is that every moment in His presence infuses my spirit with His life, His love, His grace, mercy, peace, and joy. Isn’t it awesome that God can pack a day’s worth of “go gettem” into a few minutes of your time?! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your awesome love and mercy!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

For, Which is Easier to Say – and Do

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that what we do and say are seeds sown. Not only are they seeds sown into the hearts and lives of others, but also into our own hearts. I hope you will all visit twolisteners.org and read the whole message; it’s powerful. I want to concentrate on this one statement from the message that really impacted me. “Always seek to understand others and you cannot fail to love them.”

As I read this message today, I thought of 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” When I think about making God’s Word personal, in regards to this scripture, it means that sin is covered to my eyes as well. The twofold message is that God’s love covers our sins, –daily. However, He doesn’t impute wickedness to us; meaning He looks for the best in us. He looks at, and weighs the heart. That’s what seeking to understand is about. So, when we apply that scripture to any situation, we are empowered by love to look past the sin and see the heart of the person. Love also seeks truth, because love tells the truth-always. Therefore, we look at the truth of the circumstances, the situation.

I’m using women in shorts as an example because that seems to be a big problem, and a serious error in perception to some men. In fact, I heard a comment last evening about me “showing out.” All I was doing was sitting in the shade, reading my book. My shorts were entirely appropriate-not “booty shorts,” or the like. First of all, the truth is that it’s very hot, sometimes dangerously so, outside. Secondly, not every woman wearing shorts is looking to sell herself sexually; not all of us are advertising services. Thirdly, why is your mind in the devil’s playground? If you were really walking in the Spirit, your mind wouldn’t even be in the devil’s playground and thinking about sexual services or the like. Sex belongs between a man and his wife. I’m not your wife; why are you thinking about me sexually? Take some responsibility for yourself, and stop trying to pass the buck, Sir. Get your mind where it belongs. You don’t have to stand in the judgment for anybody but yourself. You can’t stand there for me because you’re a sinner too. And, for the record, Jesus already did stand; for both of us.

Here’s how the second part of that love cover works for us: Love also covers your own eyes in the face of sin, so that you can see -and admit- the truth, apply this truth, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” and not sin, yourself. When we practice this principle, we are empowering love, and love conquers all sin. I’ve had to check myself more than once, I’m ashamed to say, in regard to this principle. But, thank God, He is a loving and merciful Father, and His mercies are new every morning.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

You Can Be All of Them Too

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that Jesus is all things to all men. He meets each and every one of us at our deepest and immediate needs. Did you need a comforter when you came seeking Him? He came as a comforter to you. Did you need strength? He came as your strength. Whatever it is, He fills the need. He is in all and is all. (Ephesians 4:6) Yes, He is; He said when we we’ve seen Him, we’ve seen the Father, right? So, we are encouraged to see Him and His provision in each and every need of our own.

“The weak need My Strength. The strong need My Tenderness. The tempted and fallen need My Salvation. The righteous need My Pity for sinners. The lonely need a Friend. The fighters need a Leader.” – direct quote from the message. Have you ever had to be strong for a friend or family member? Have you ever hugged someone that needed to be hugged so very much? How about being salvation to someone who’s had too much to drink or who is too ill or otherwise able to help themselves? You were that to the man who fell on the street and needed someone to stay with him until the ambulance arrived. Did you know that? I don’t like the word pity; I prefer grace and compassion. Sometimes that’s the hardest one, isn’t it? No judging, just loving them anyway and walking it out with them. I think you get the picture. You are so very much more to those around you than you realize at times. Don’t ever sell yourself short, because wait until Jesus shows you in Heaven all you were to the world you live in. And believe me, it does multiply like those fishes and loaves. Don’t be afraid to reach out, and never think you have nothing to give, or nothing of value to share. God put it all within you.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Love Squelches Sin & Ousts It

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Ladies and Gentlemen, I have three pages plus worth of documentation of hacks into my WordPress account and password changes having been made, over just the last couple of months. I’m having to change my passwords daily, and sometimes twice or three times daily. The cowardly terrorists apparently have nothing better to do with their time or mine-or God’s, for that matter. And, this all at the local public libraries, and, I suspect with their help and facilitation. Today’s message fits perfectly here.

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that Love is the only real conquering force. “Love is the power that can transform the world,” the message tells us. “Eject sin with love,” is the title of the message in the book.

As I think about these two statements, I think about yesterday’s post about stepping out under that banner of love, and deliberately choosing to know the Lord more and more, until it is what we become. When I read 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, I think not only of patience, kindness, etc. I think also of discipline, chastisement, admonition, reproof, and education. All these are what Jesus came to do for us. God, who is a good Father, teaches us, chastises us when we need it, admonishes us with His wisdom and reproof, and not only disciplines us in love, but also brings us up to have a heart of discipline. By that I mean that He empowers us to become disciplined about our faith, our growth, our progress, our power and authority. I’ve spoken before about the importance of being disciplined to stick with it all, and to adhering to routine, etc.

Being disciplined about love means that I need allow God’s love for me and for others, and my love for God and for others, to help me measure and assess the situation I’m faced with, and to act accordingly, guided by God’s Word. Then, the sin within will be dealt with. That, in turn, empowers us to bring real change, positive change.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu