One evening without notice, a moment of grace fell on our Friday night group. One member shared a passage from the book of James. It altered our perspective about these irritating, uninspiring days when we are simply putting one foot in front of the other.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4
What do these tests look like?
When our feelings betray us and tell us we don’t love God like we should.
When our behavior slips into an old pattern and makes us believe we have not changed.
When the excitement and enthusiasm we once had for God seems dull and muted.
When we just don’t care about trying so hard, because it’s too much work.
Previously, these difficult times had been dark and made us doubt our relationship with God. We were frustrated to find Him so distant when we needed Him the most.
However, when we begin to view these events as a process which increases our patience and equips us for the next level, we start to see their value. We no longer need to feel frustrated when God goes silent. A good teacher is always silent during a test.
Tetelestai Recovery 3: Leveling Up / Chapter 4: Be Patient With Yourself https://a.co/d/0TrI59R
Paul had a messenger of Satan he referred to as a thorn in the flesh. He realized it was to keep him from becoming conceited, but still he asked God to remove it. He asked three times and each time, God told him His grace was sufficient. On that third ask, Paul finally realized there was a higher purpose for the thorn.
He was quite the achiever. He was a writer, and activist, a preacher, and the recipient of divine revelation. Those are some heady titles. Anyone in his position would struggle with arrogance.
Before his conversion, Paul had been a well-educated, well-connected, influential person. Perhaps he had an ego problem all his life. He was ambitious about his political career and eager to gain social standing by stopping the Christian movement. As a Roman citizen, educated in the Pharisaical law, he could advance his political pursuits in the eyes of the religious leaders while also remaining a loyalist to the Roman government. Snuffing out the Jesus movement would have brought him the promotion and respect he deserved.
But as he sat in a prison cell, frustrated with a messenger of Satan, he couldn’t think of anything he’d like more that to have God take it away.
We wonder if this messenger of Satan was one of the guards at the prison. Maybe they had worked together when Paul was a Christian bounty hunter, and the guard was now taunting him about being ‘one of them’. Perhaps the messenger of Satan was another prisoner. Perhaps the thorn was a conspiracy theory that Paul was a double agent, and the Damascus conversion was a clever lie to get the early Christians to trust him so he could infiltrate their secret communities and advance his political career.
No matter who or what his thorn in the flesh was, it caused Paul a great deal of distress. But God said, “My grace is sufficient. It is made perfect in your weakness.”
So, the guy who was prone to conceit found a new brag. He would brag about his own weakness so the grace of Christ could be the driving force behind all he would accomplish. It was hard on his ego, but good for his soul.
In our leveled-up position, we consistently receive divine revelation and fresh insights from the Lord. As mysteries are revealed and scriptural mysteries jump off the page, we become quite passionate about our supernatural encounters. These events are the mountain tops of human experience in our never-ending quest for significance and purpose. It is a glorious experience to serve as a trusted confidant to one’s own Creator.
Once these secrets and mysteries are in our possession, we encounter opportunities to dispense them as the Spirit leads. We walk in spiritual authority and become bold in the pursuit of our call. Sometimes our newfound confidence can start to look like conceit.
The pendulum swings back and forth between passion and pride. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for what God has given, and we are enthusiastic about our call. Yet, we are also enthralled with our newfound knowledge and comprehension. In our human frailty, we sometimes get carried away with our heightened awareness and become a little too impressed with ourselves.
Conceit is a common problem for any receiver of divine revelation. Without realizing it, as a leveled-up believer, we might find ourselves at the center of attention. We may start gauging our success by the compliments we receive and the followers we collect on social media. We may become so certain of our own divine revelations that we begin to discount the teachings of others. We may find ourselves craving and thriving on comments like, “I’ve never looked at it that way before,” or, “You have such a gift for interpretation,” or, “You are so inspirational.”
It is encouraging to hear supportive comments and reassurance. We are told repeatedly throughout the scriptures to build each other up because God knows we need encouragement. However, our fragile egos may be so deeply damaged, the slightest compliment can make us feel like we are walking on air. Therefore, when we are given a position of great influence, the risk of conceit rearing its ugly head is always a threat.
As with the story of Paul, we too may find ourselves with a thorn in the flesh; a messenger of Satan to prevent us from becoming conceited. Those of us with a prickly past have plenty of thorns and thistles scattered along the path we once walked. We are quite vulnerable to a messenger of Satan taking a stab at us with the fragments of our old life.
Considering whether or not God can actually forget our sins, leaves us with two important theological questions:
If God can forget things, then how can He be all knowing?
If God can’t forget things, then how can He say that He remembers our sins no more?
Forgiveness is extremely difficult for us, so we assume that it must be even worse for God because he is all present, all powerful, and all-knowing.
In our human relationships, we like to believe that the people we have wronged will gradually forget about it over time. But with God, we know that’s not an option because He exists outside of time. There is no movement of time in the spirit realm. He is everything, everywhere, all at once.
So, we have to ask ourselves, “How can God say that He forgives us and remembers our sins no more?” The answer is simple: He chooses not to remember.
Because He is God, he can make choices that are outside the bounds of human ability. With the attribute of omnipotence (all powerful), He can make the choice not to remember.
In Isaiah 43:25, God says, “I will not remember your sins.”
In Jeremiah 31: 34, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 8: 12 and Hebrews 10:17, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
There is nothing to indicate God absentmindedly forgets, as if He suffers from dementia or it just slips His mind. Rather, in His infinite mercy, He chooses not to remember the wrongs that He has forgiven. Therefore, we conclude that surface level theology says, “God forgets,” while leveled-up theology says, “He chooses not to remember.”
He didn’t condemn them for being distracted by their growling stomachs. He didn’t belittle them for showing signs of weakness. He didn’t minimize their hunger by comparing it to His own when He fasted for forty days. It wasn’t His desire to see them suffer to prove their devotion.
In the multiplication miracle of feeding the five thousand, we see that Jesus was happy to give the hungry people as much food as they wanted. They ate until they were satisfied, and there was plenty left over.
By this example, we can rest assured that Jesus is pleased when He is given the opportunity to be generous. He is not stingy or miserly when it comes to providing the necessities of life. He will not withhold the resources needed to fulfill our destinies. We know that He wants us to have everything we need to successfully complete our human journey. However, there are times we may feel uncomfortable asking, for fear our requests might be based upon selfish motives.
As we level up, we learn this is a needless fear. God is a loving Father. He will not give us something that is bad for us. We think back to the days when our children were young, and they asked for candy when it was time for dinner. We didn’t judge or condemn them. We simply said, “No. That’s not good for you,” and then provided them with a healthy option instead. We know that God will do the same for us. He won’t give us anything that will do harm. We trust Him to protect us; sometimes even from ourselves.
We see that during His mission on earth, Jesus never scolded anyone for asking too much or too often. In fact, He stated time and time again, “Just ask. I want to give you what you need. ”
The feeding of the five thousand demonstrated the Father’s heart through the acts and attitudes of His Son. Jesus had compassion on the famished crowd.
He didn’t condemn them for being distracted by their growling stomachs. He didn’t belittle them for showing signs of weakness. He didn’t minimize their hunger by comparing it to His own when He fasted for forty days. It wasn’t His desire to see them suffer to prove their devotion.
They were hungry and He wanted them to be fed. Jesus met their needs abundantly. He provided more than enough. There may have been some who gave up and left early before the miracle arrived. This may account for the enormous number of leftovers His disciples collected after everyone was fed.
We realize it is critically important that we never become one who wanders away, feeling the pressure to fend for ourselves, rather than waiting to see what Jesus is doing.
We know there will be times of waiting. And during those times, we might not have a clear view of what is happening, or how the miracle will unfold, but waiting is part of the process, and we must become willing to put in the time. Knowing Jesus like we do, we can be sure that compassion is His first response.
Wisdom was there when He ordered the sea not to go beyond the borders He had set for it. Wisdom was there when He laid the earth’s foundation.
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The brilliance of God is incorporated into the laws of nature.
You stand in awe of the Creator when walking along the bank of a roaring river or watching storm clouds race across the sky.You are intrigued by each element of nature, knowing it contains vital information about the Creator.
You have a persistent drive to push past surface layer facts in order to discover the deeper meanings behind them.You have a curious mind which seeks to understand oceans, land mass, and geological structural support systems below the earth.You are fascinated by the ratio of water to dry land and the way each supports life on this little blue planet.
You remain keenly aware that all understanding comes from the Creator, and you derive great pleasure discovering the intimate secrets of His character revealed in the details of nature.
You deeply and fully appreciate a belief in intelligent design. Divine revelations you receive while observing nature, reach far beyond human understanding.You are enamored by the evidence of God sprinkled throughout the universe. You yearn to understand more of this great mystery.
You easily make the connection between Creator and Creation. You have been given the gift of divine comprehension which enables you to live life in both the natural and supernatural, simultaneously.
A life of dual loyalties to both the scientific and religious communities is rarely an easy path to walk. These two entities are often perceived to be in opposition to each other.However, with the gift of divine wisdom, you perceive it much differently. You find insurmountable evidence to the contrary.
You see a spectacular harmony between both the spiritual and the scientific realms. You can easily detect synchronized cooperation between these two dimensions and are equally comfortable in both worlds.
This is an exciting lifestyle that few can understand. You comprehend it well because it has been your reality for as long as you can remember.
But Moses reasoned with God and eventually talked Him out of it. Surprisingly, Moses brought up some very valid points and God was open to his feedback.
Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”
But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. “O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”
So, the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people. Exodus 32:9-14
Moses took a bold approach. He had the courage of a junior executive pitching a new concept to the CEO. He had the heart of a quarterback who asked the coach to reconsider the play he had just called.
Based on the response God gave Moses to his input, what other events in history might have been altered, based on this perspective?
What if Noah had discussed the flood plan at depth with God and asked for more humans to be spared?
What if Abraham had continued his negotiations for the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, asking God to hold off if he could find just one righteous man?
On the other hand, what if the ones who approached God boldly had been more timid?
What if Jacob said when wrestling the Angel of God, “If you don’t bless me, that’s okay, I’m fine either way,” rather than making the risky move by saying, “I’m not letting go until you bless me.”?
What if Moses had just responded with, “Okay Lord, I guess you are just going to wipe out those people and start over with me. I don’t have any say in the matter.”?
One of the men in the boat, named Peter, asked Jesus to let him come out and walk on the water alongside Him. Jesus said, “Sure! Come on out.” Peter lunged toward the side of the boat as it was rocking and lurching. Then, climbed cautiously over the edge, he slowly lowered his weight onto the swirling liquid. If Jesus was a fraud, the next few seconds would have been the moment of truth. In former miracles, the people who were healed and delivered could have been in cahoots with Him on some elaborate hoax. However, walking on top of water, and inviting another human being to join Him would have been impossible to pull off, if it had been a scam.
Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. Some may hold to the impression that Peter took a couple of wobbly steps before going under. We do not agree with that conclusion. We believe he strolled quite a distance. Since Jesus’ closest companions failed to recognize Him, we assume He was more than several yards from the boat. With one lunge over the side of the boat, Peter took the walk of a lifetime: a walk to remember.
There were 11 other men in the boat who didn’t even ask if they could come out onto the water. Only Peter was impulsive enough to come up with such a wild idea! Whether he was completely successful in his faith walk or not, he was the only one with the audacity to ask if he could get out of the boat. He was the one who believed in Jesus’ ability to empower him to do it. He knew that in the midst of the storm, the safest place to be was with Jesus.
What is unique about the day you were born and the scriptures that correspond with it?
The day you were born was a date with destiny, for it was on that day, you began a journey that would alter the course of history. You may have already sensed a divine plan and purpose for your life.
Examine the sacred text that aligns with your birthday. Ponder the descriptions following each selection. You will be amazed at the accuracy in identifying your unique character qualities and personality traits. You will be excited about your future and inspired by the divine destiny that is yours.
You are here for a reason and it’s time to find out why.
We searched the scriptures for more proof of the power of praise. We were astonished to discover that the act of giving thanks was typically the prelude to a miracle. Jesus himself made this point when feeding the 5000. The gospel accounts tell us that He held the 2 fish and 5 loaves, looked up, and gave thanks. Immediately following His expression of gratitude, the food multiplied and there was more than enough to go around.
We see another example in the story of Lazarus. The man had been dead four days when Jesus appeared and raised him from the dead. Amazingly enough, the words of Christ, right before calling Lazarus from the tomb, were words of gratitude to God.
Our search led us to some Old Testament writings of King David who was a pro when it came to praise. Time after time, David poured out his heart in the Psalms. Sometimes they were words of praise from start to finish. Other times, the writing began with an outpouring of distress, but turned to praise in the final stanzas. Whether threatened by enemy armies, wounded by family betrayal, or overwhelmed by too many decisions, each painful experience was handled with the same primary coping mechanism. We found it over and over in the final lines of each sad song, “Yet, I will praise God.”
We were delighted to find another example from the familiar Old Testament story of Jonah and the whale. After reading verse after verse of Jonah complaining to God in a pathetic prayer of self-obsession, we found a sudden change of heart. In verse 9 of Jonah chapter 2, the pitiful prophet abruptly states, “But I, with shouts of praise will sacrifice to you.”
Suddenly, in the next verse we read, “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry ground.”
This principle of praise as a precursor to a miracle was not just for Old Testament Kings and Prophets, nor was it only for Jesus during His ministry. We discovered post-ascension proof that praise continues to be the key component to divine intervention. We read the story in Acts 16 of Paul and Silas chained to the wall in a jail cell. Their midnight praise session was so powerful, it created a shift in the earth’s plates and the prison foundations shook until the chains fell off and the cell doors opened.
After gathering evidence from scriptural data and personal experience, we were amazed to find that the key to unlocking any miracle is this simple, yet powerful act of praise.
Tetelestai Recovery – Chapter 10, The Power of Praise
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 