Ps. 30: 7-8 Once i was prosperous and used to say, that nothing could ever shake me - when you showed me favour, Adonai, I was firm as a mighty mountain. But when you hid your face, i was struck with terror.
Ps. 30:11 Hear me Adonai, and show me your favor! Adonai, be my helper!
Ps; 29:11, May Adonai give strength to his people! May Adonai bless his people with shalom.
A cry from someone in a desert experience. My observations of God's dealings with us when we wanted to live more for Jesus, but were living more for ourself.
I woke up this morning feeling very frustrated at the present situation. I started putting every thought in order on paper. I could now more clearly see the way out of the frustration. I opened my bible and read the verses mentioned above.
I immediately thought of both Job and Joseph, and how true it is when God "removes" His hand from our life, when he leads us through desert places.
People who are in a settled place (before or after their desert) have an easy time speaking of God's provision because God's hand is covering them, Job 1:10; YOU have put a protective hedge around him; his house and everything he has. You have prospered his work, and his live stock are spread out all over the land.
Just like it is easy to say God is good when all goes well.
Many might not be as spread out as Job, but nevertheless, they are protected and blessed to enjoy the product of their effort. However, many of us, do not realise how God has placed us, and in our heart we long for more and are never satisfied. We dont give ourself time to just enjoy what we have and be grateful. But God moves on with us. He will not wait for us to be ready. When His cloud moves you move. All who are in this season of life should enjoy it while it lasts as it might not be forever. Only God knows the road ahead for those who desire more of God. Who ask God to break them.
God knowing the heart of men will deal with us. Many have been blinded and walk after prosperity preachers only enriching them while themselves becoming more poor. We try to buy the blessings of God by doing what these preachers ask, send them money to purchase an extra bit of the message they just preached. Forgetting that whatever gift they have received is for the benefit of the church and not their own pockets.
However we cannot do both, long for God and long for the world. We want more of God while we are filled with the world. All that will remain is that what really matters and that which God wants to give (back).
Could it be that God is striking the people who are running after this gospel with more frustration? Because God never promised an easy ride. Not even the men after God's heart got it the easy way. First there was a stripping off. They had to leave all they had, or it was taken away from them, to the point of a death wish. Trials and testing took many years. All we can do is hope in God and learn to say God is good. The more we long for the things of this world the more God will take away from us. Those willing to follow him but are tied to this world. He will bring us to the place where we say..
I will rejoice and be glad in your grace, for you see my affliction, you know how distresssed i am. ps 31;8
Sometimes it is frustrating to listen to prosperity preachers, because they are in the place of easy speaking. They are not in the place of distress. Having said that, we dont know what they have gone through.
Well all there is left to say is we cannot serve two masters. In the people who are willing to lay it all down, God will deal with the other master in us. While still in the desert we say....
because you are my strength; Into your hands I commit my spirit; you will redeem me Adonai, God of truth.
For those who love to read, here is a deeper explenation of What and why the desert expierience is .
http://voiceofonecrying.com/The_Desert_Experience.htm
God Bless!!!
Saturday 20 August 2011
Thursday 18 August 2011
God's comforts are not our comforts
While studying Job with the kids we came across a verse that made us a bit angry with Job's friends, but after it sank in a bit we realised it has two sides. Job's friend Elifaz said in Job 16;11 "Are God's comfortings not enough for you?" We were thinking WHAT comforts? Job had lost all his children, all his wealth, he is now covered with worm-eaten, puss-spewing sores from head to toe. He doesn't eat, he sleeps in dirt and wakes up in dirt for the past months. WHAT COMFORTS?
His other friend just heaped on more insult. In 11:6, "understand that God is demanding of you less than your guilt deserves." We were really going cazy now. What friends are these? Well in our every day life we have them too. Have you ever been in a situation where the people who used to look up to you look down on you? They are blinded to your innocence and just fail to comfort you.
We had a blast when we read how Job answered his so-called "friends", Job 13:5, "you are witch doctors! I wish you would just stay silent; for you that would be wisdom?"
On the other hand we started thinking about the deeper truth of what the friend is revealing about God. They shed a light on a God that does not "care" about our wordly "comforts" when it comes to following HIM.
When He calls us out to follow HIM out, He does not tell us about the road ahead. He lures us out to the desert where HE will meet with us and speak to us. The desert is the place where your only help is God. For example, God called Abraham and his desert was willingness to give his all. God called Joseph. His desert were all his trials and humiliations. God called David who had to fight Giants and many wars. These men were not in their "comfort" zone. They were utterly dependent on God. He spoke and they heard HIM clearly. And Israel was promised a land of milk and honey but had to face the desert; the place where God spoke to them. Although they were slaves in Egypt, they had "comforts" because they had the best part of Egypt and no plagues. However God was not interested in their comfort zone. He had to deliver them from oppression. Well this is also the image of our everyday life. We too are slaves to our comfort zone. When God calls you out, you will go through desert experiences. There He will meet and speak with you.
Before we left Holland we felt called to a place of plenty. My mind was working overhours imagining all these wonderful wordly comforts. I had it all planned out. However I had not seen my desert. Psalm 66;12, we went through fire and water. But you brought us out to a place of plenty. I had only seen the place of plenty. The place of plenty I so longed for looks nothing like the place I had planned out yet. God lured us out of our "comfort". and here in the desert we have learned that His comfortings are indeed enough. Because we are now in the place where only HE can get the Glory for our provision. In the desert we have arrived at our place of plenty, where God our provider has PLENTY. We can now access it by trusting in HIM. This is still not an easy task. because the desert is still very real. But our hope is in HIM.
Peter testifies; in Peter 4;1-2, Therefore, since the Messiah suffered physically, you too are to arm your self with the same attitude.
Willing to follow God
For whoever has suffered physically is finished with sin, with the result that he lives the rest of his earthly life no longer controlled by human desires, but by the will of God.
God will deal with all our Idols in the desert. Like He did with Israel. The comfort zone has become the idol of many. These comfortzones are in all areas of life and not just in wordly wealth.
For you have spent enough time already living the way the pagans want you to live-....*
Jesus said don't worry about these thing. Seek the Kingdom. Look for God in your desert, and trust HIM only for everything.
Verse 6, they might live by the spirit in the way God has provided.
This speaks for its self. He doesn't only provide comforts we daily need, but he is the pillow we can lay our head on and truly rest and find comfort from all our daily struggles. So His comforting is more then enough for us.
God Bless.
His other friend just heaped on more insult. In 11:6, "understand that God is demanding of you less than your guilt deserves." We were really going cazy now. What friends are these? Well in our every day life we have them too. Have you ever been in a situation where the people who used to look up to you look down on you? They are blinded to your innocence and just fail to comfort you.
We had a blast when we read how Job answered his so-called "friends", Job 13:5, "you are witch doctors! I wish you would just stay silent; for you that would be wisdom?"
On the other hand we started thinking about the deeper truth of what the friend is revealing about God. They shed a light on a God that does not "care" about our wordly "comforts" when it comes to following HIM.
When He calls us out to follow HIM out, He does not tell us about the road ahead. He lures us out to the desert where HE will meet with us and speak to us. The desert is the place where your only help is God. For example, God called Abraham and his desert was willingness to give his all. God called Joseph. His desert were all his trials and humiliations. God called David who had to fight Giants and many wars. These men were not in their "comfort" zone. They were utterly dependent on God. He spoke and they heard HIM clearly. And Israel was promised a land of milk and honey but had to face the desert; the place where God spoke to them. Although they were slaves in Egypt, they had "comforts" because they had the best part of Egypt and no plagues. However God was not interested in their comfort zone. He had to deliver them from oppression. Well this is also the image of our everyday life. We too are slaves to our comfort zone. When God calls you out, you will go through desert experiences. There He will meet and speak with you.
Before we left Holland we felt called to a place of plenty. My mind was working overhours imagining all these wonderful wordly comforts. I had it all planned out. However I had not seen my desert. Psalm 66;12, we went through fire and water. But you brought us out to a place of plenty. I had only seen the place of plenty. The place of plenty I so longed for looks nothing like the place I had planned out yet. God lured us out of our "comfort". and here in the desert we have learned that His comfortings are indeed enough. Because we are now in the place where only HE can get the Glory for our provision. In the desert we have arrived at our place of plenty, where God our provider has PLENTY. We can now access it by trusting in HIM. This is still not an easy task. because the desert is still very real. But our hope is in HIM.
Peter testifies; in Peter 4;1-2, Therefore, since the Messiah suffered physically, you too are to arm your self with the same attitude.
Willing to follow God
For whoever has suffered physically is finished with sin, with the result that he lives the rest of his earthly life no longer controlled by human desires, but by the will of God.
God will deal with all our Idols in the desert. Like He did with Israel. The comfort zone has become the idol of many. These comfortzones are in all areas of life and not just in wordly wealth.
For you have spent enough time already living the way the pagans want you to live-....*
Jesus said don't worry about these thing. Seek the Kingdom. Look for God in your desert, and trust HIM only for everything.
Verse 6, they might live by the spirit in the way God has provided.
This speaks for its self. He doesn't only provide comforts we daily need, but he is the pillow we can lay our head on and truly rest and find comfort from all our daily struggles. So His comforting is more then enough for us.
God Bless.
Wednesday 17 August 2011
God destroys our hope/ SELFconfidence
When we arrived in Suriname we/I was very SELF confident. I had a dream and my faith was set on my dream. However soon after arrival it became clear that dreams and reality are not the same thing. God is not a God we can manipulate, or like a horse that pulls our cart. I knew from reading Wachmen Nee, "The Release of the Spirit", that God is in the business of breaking us. All our hopes, crushed to nothing.
I had a dream in which we were flooded by a clear water tsunami while we were clinging to trees on a hill. I knew this dream meant something; I just did not know what, yet. Yesterday while teaching the kids from the book of Job, we came across Job 14.18-20, God destroys a person's hope. Now it all makes sense.
It is best described as a polar shift taking place. Just like in the film, "The day after Tomorrow", it sometimes happens with a lot of drama and big losses. I see now, looking back, that God had designed a plan to shift my big S, Self/south, to its proper place. The big I was fully awake because I had hoped for all to go according to MY dreams and plans.
Upon arrival everything started going downhill fast. Testing and failures followed rapidly. Our self support ran dry quickly and after nearly a year all hope had flown. I even had a dream about my daughter flying off by herself. Our life has now been brought low, very low. We went from living in a nice family home to living in a bedroom with all seven of us. Having the comforts we worked hard for, to having nothing of our own except the clothes we came with. Having enough money to buy what we want, to live on support from family and friends. Well we look at ourself and say....what are we to do? God has indeed brought us low, very low and has destroyed all our hope of ever being able to realise our dream on our own.
Now that we have to live by faith for our daily provision, we see how God has shifted our polars. Our S, is now in its right place. It has become Small indeed and God has become our North/our focus, because we look to HIM now. Whereas we would thank him for being able to, but would not look to HIM, we have become completely dependent on HIM. If He opens doors, we can move forward. If He does not move we cannot.
Job testifies,
14:18-20
Just as a mountain erodes and falls away
All high places of SELF must be made LOW,
Its rock is removed from its place,
The rock of SELF removed,
and the floods wash away its soil,
the floods/troubles of life wash away all hope on SELF/self confidence,
so you destroy a persons hope.
Our polar has shifted and now we live in our day after. God has destroyed our hope / Selfconfidence so we can now have confidence in Him. Like Apostle Paul says in Phill 2;19, But i hope in the Lord... and in vers 24, I am confident in the Lord....not in SELF
God bless.......
I had a dream in which we were flooded by a clear water tsunami while we were clinging to trees on a hill. I knew this dream meant something; I just did not know what, yet. Yesterday while teaching the kids from the book of Job, we came across Job 14.18-20, God destroys a person's hope. Now it all makes sense.
It is best described as a polar shift taking place. Just like in the film, "The day after Tomorrow", it sometimes happens with a lot of drama and big losses. I see now, looking back, that God had designed a plan to shift my big S, Self/south, to its proper place. The big I was fully awake because I had hoped for all to go according to MY dreams and plans.
Upon arrival everything started going downhill fast. Testing and failures followed rapidly. Our self support ran dry quickly and after nearly a year all hope had flown. I even had a dream about my daughter flying off by herself. Our life has now been brought low, very low. We went from living in a nice family home to living in a bedroom with all seven of us. Having the comforts we worked hard for, to having nothing of our own except the clothes we came with. Having enough money to buy what we want, to live on support from family and friends. Well we look at ourself and say....what are we to do? God has indeed brought us low, very low and has destroyed all our hope of ever being able to realise our dream on our own.
Now that we have to live by faith for our daily provision, we see how God has shifted our polars. Our S, is now in its right place. It has become Small indeed and God has become our North/our focus, because we look to HIM now. Whereas we would thank him for being able to, but would not look to HIM, we have become completely dependent on HIM. If He opens doors, we can move forward. If He does not move we cannot.
Job testifies,
14:18-20
Just as a mountain erodes and falls away
All high places of SELF must be made LOW,
Its rock is removed from its place,
The rock of SELF removed,
and the floods wash away its soil,
the floods/troubles of life wash away all hope on SELF/self confidence,
so you destroy a persons hope.
Our polar has shifted and now we live in our day after. God has destroyed our hope / Selfconfidence so we can now have confidence in Him. Like Apostle Paul says in Phill 2;19, But i hope in the Lord... and in vers 24, I am confident in the Lord....not in SELF
God bless.......
Welcome!
Dear friends,
The desire to share the teaching I enjoy in my daily life has been a burden on my heart for a long time. In our walk with the Lord as a family we go through a lot. We learn something new everyday. Although our "spiritman" is being fed by the spirit as we read and teach the word before bedtime, we get hungrier for God day by day. The kids are getting more eager for the word of God and actually enjoy being taught it.
We learn obedience and submission to God through the difficult stuff we go through. Our Faith is growing as we learn to life by faith. We have been lured to the desert of our life and now we can say we are being taught to trust only in God for our daily provision. We daily live by faith now that our back is against the wall.
We felt called to walk with God to learn to live by faith. Like the Israelites we too had our own exodus when we left Holland. We had to have faith in being able to leave. I was told about the giants we would face and even about the sin of the land. Unfortunately I was not so alert and had to learn somethings the hard way, but Glory be to God who knows all things in advance and has prepared a way out. Forgiveness was ready even before the sin (the picture Jesus being slain before the foundation of the World).
I thank God for being able to share our day to day with Jesus-teachings with you. Please feel free to leave a comment....
God Bless
The desire to share the teaching I enjoy in my daily life has been a burden on my heart for a long time. In our walk with the Lord as a family we go through a lot. We learn something new everyday. Although our "spiritman" is being fed by the spirit as we read and teach the word before bedtime, we get hungrier for God day by day. The kids are getting more eager for the word of God and actually enjoy being taught it.
We learn obedience and submission to God through the difficult stuff we go through. Our Faith is growing as we learn to life by faith. We have been lured to the desert of our life and now we can say we are being taught to trust only in God for our daily provision. We daily live by faith now that our back is against the wall.
We felt called to walk with God to learn to live by faith. Like the Israelites we too had our own exodus when we left Holland. We had to have faith in being able to leave. I was told about the giants we would face and even about the sin of the land. Unfortunately I was not so alert and had to learn somethings the hard way, but Glory be to God who knows all things in advance and has prepared a way out. Forgiveness was ready even before the sin (the picture Jesus being slain before the foundation of the World).
I thank God for being able to share our day to day with Jesus-teachings with you. Please feel free to leave a comment....
God Bless
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