WHERE DO OUR PERSUASIONS COME FROM?
Who do you think brings the persuasions that produce the opposite of love, joy, peace, patience, and self control? What about strifes, confusions, envyings, jealousies, anger? Could be worth looking into. Afterall, it sure takes up alot of our time eh?
"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
James 3:14-18
Today while eating a butter sandwich I was reading an email response from one of my friends. I had mentioned to my friends that when I was around my family, at times I felt like a mirror is in front of me showing me where I am not walking as I should. Not sure if I communicated right exactly what was in my thoughts, but here is the response they sent.
MY FRIEND WROTE: The mirror showing your imperfections in front of your family is not from the Holy Spirit. It is not conviction; it is condemnation. That's not the way your Father makes you feel in order to change you. There is a time self-pruning, but if it is not instigated by the timing of real conviction, it is works-based. This sounds contradictory, but self-pruning is actually focusing on yourself instead of Him. So what are we mostly supposed to be doing with our time here - ENJOYING Him! I know that doesn't sound very radical or that is any kind of way to be taking the kingdom by force, but trust me, there will be plenty of opportunity for that. If you are not enjoying God enough in your house in Pensacola - leave for a while and enjoy God. Then come back later, secure in His love. I am experiencing this right now too as I feel guilty for giving my time doing things that I feel God's pleasure, instead of typical missionary kind of work.
And then just last week another friend called me to remind me, not every persuasion that comes to me even when it seems it has some sort of good-well-meaning-motive, is not necessarily from the Lord. The truth reveals that fear and guilt and unbelief are not from God, but directly from his opposition of whom we are to be actively resisting. Praising God, Continually thinking on His Word, and praying is what keeps us awake to the truth, repells the darkness and lies, and brings us back to reality that is in Christ Jesus our King.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
James 3:14-18
Today while eating a butter sandwich I was reading an email response from one of my friends. I had mentioned to my friends that when I was around my family, at times I felt like a mirror is in front of me showing me where I am not walking as I should. Not sure if I communicated right exactly what was in my thoughts, but here is the response they sent.
MY FRIEND WROTE: The mirror showing your imperfections in front of your family is not from the Holy Spirit. It is not conviction; it is condemnation. That's not the way your Father makes you feel in order to change you. There is a time self-pruning, but if it is not instigated by the timing of real conviction, it is works-based. This sounds contradictory, but self-pruning is actually focusing on yourself instead of Him. So what are we mostly supposed to be doing with our time here - ENJOYING Him! I know that doesn't sound very radical or that is any kind of way to be taking the kingdom by force, but trust me, there will be plenty of opportunity for that. If you are not enjoying God enough in your house in Pensacola - leave for a while and enjoy God. Then come back later, secure in His love. I am experiencing this right now too as I feel guilty for giving my time doing things that I feel God's pleasure, instead of typical missionary kind of work.
And then just last week another friend called me to remind me, not every persuasion that comes to me even when it seems it has some sort of good-well-meaning-motive, is not necessarily from the Lord. The truth reveals that fear and guilt and unbelief are not from God, but directly from his opposition of whom we are to be actively resisting. Praising God, Continually thinking on His Word, and praying is what keeps us awake to the truth, repells the darkness and lies, and brings us back to reality that is in Christ Jesus our King.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
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