Purity and Mixture - What's in your heart, mind and soul?

 This is a post that I have been wanting to write for some time. There are many reasons that I have waited until now, one being that I was fighting off timidity, but God in His goodness has allowed me to write these things now.

I will say this... that this message includes me. I am not writing these things to preach AT you, but this message is FOR ALL of us, including me. I believe it is from God and for a time such as this. God is searching for those who are true worshippers... in Spirit and in Truth.

I will start off with a somewhat ridiculous scenario:

As a single woman, I had experienced and continue to meet many women who struggle with fantasy. You know what I mean? Dreaming about their "fantasy" man...but leave little room for the man to be a real human being. The ridiculous scenario is what would it look like for a fantasy or a delusional crush to impede a romantic relationship.

If a single gal likes a guy and thinks all these amazing wonderful things about him...but really starts and continues the relationship in her mind... it is a fantasy. The information is according to her desires rather than the reality of what that guy really may be like. 

It would be ridiculous for her to date and eventually marry that person, but at the same time, holding onto her fantasy version of him. 

Rather than really understanding who he is as a person, arguing that his favorite things and personality are what her fantasy defines who he is, rather than who he repeatedly shows and tells her what his heart, preferences, thoughts, goals are. More so delusional, shouting to the world of their fairy-tale romance, when there is a big lie in between them from actually making a real intimate connection. 

Sounds like a nightmare for most guys. If it were switched around, the gal would be extremely peeved and probably label the guy as controlling.

I paint this funny story to point out that this is what many Christians are doing to the God of Christianity.

I address people who call themselves Christians...for those who say they love and follow Jesus. And I ask all of you, if you have not already at this time, to really take time to search your own hearts and motives. 

This may not relate to you, but I believe that it will relate to many of you. And to those who are truly following Christ, I believe you will rejoice for what lies are being confronted and what truth is being given.

But even if you are not Christian or "religious", I also ask you to read on, because I hope it brings to light why Christianity may be unappealing to you.

To those who call themselves Christians:

If you claim to love and follow Jesus, I ask you:
Does the Jesus you believe in, look, act, speak and think like Jesus in the Bible?

Before you answer this question, to clarify, I am not asking what you remember of stories and sermons preached from other people (and their interpretations) who talk about Jesus, but instead, the collective stories that you've read combined with the collective revelation that God revealed to YOU personally about Himself from reading the Bible?

Does the God you believe in, look, act, speak and think like God in the entire Bible?

Does the Holy Spirit you believe in, look, act, speak and think like Holy Spirit in the Bible?

Sounds repetitive, but each person of the Godhead deserves attention to the question. 

I have traveled A LOT, and a common question I get from people is: "How do you hear from God?"
God can speak through many many ways: common, supernatural, incidental, from other people...but if you REALLY want to know what God thinks and what He is like, you can find Him in His WORD (aka the Bible). 

Can you hear him through visions, dreams, audible and still small voice? Absolutely! I am not advising against this, and the supernatural IS God's nature...BUT the Holy Spirit will never contradict the WORD AND the WORD will never contradict the Spirit.  (A side note: Just because you can hear God doesn't make you a Christian... but I will leave that discussion for another day.)

Each can bring a greater understanding and facet to the truth, but to those who find themselves only allowing to believe parts of what the Bible states about God, be careful! You may be unaware that you may be misinterpreting the Word or the Holy Spirit. (You can ask the Holy Spirit for help as you earnestly seek God in the scriptures... not what you want out of it to support your own desires or argument.)

STAYING and getting a consistently fresh revelation of God's word is an absolute way to get to know God. Why? Because He spoke what HE wanted by supernaturally inspiring the authors to record not only His commands but also His ways, His emotions, His intentions, but also His promises, commitments and many of His secrets. 

The word is also ALIVE  and active (Hebrews 4:12) and He is present God, who has many things to say and He continuously reveals depths and secrets He left for those who want to diligently seek Him.

I understand that there are many questions that still remain from reading, but... there is no guessing whether the words on the page are from yourself, the devil or God. (The interpretation? That's another matter where it HAS TO BE the Holy Spirit leading.)

God and His attributes are everlasting. It never fades, it never gets outdated. It is not old-fashioned and it is always relevant. Even as the world and heavens pass away, His WORD will always remain, even outlast your theories. (Matthew 5:18, Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 16:17, Luke 21:33)

“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you." 
 ~I Peter 1:24-25

Why am I bringing this up? It has been a long-lasting disturbance in my spirit (started with my own journey) of the inconsistency of not wanting to read the Word of God while "following Him" and ministering in His name. 

Has God used me? Definitely! Were many people touched by God? Absolutely! Was I following the God of the Bible? Hmmm... Not from what I found out what the Bible consistently says.

Jesus IS THE WORD and if I found myself consistently avoiding or rejecting parts of Jesus, yet consistently saying "I love Him and worship Him, He's the Lord of my life"... I would be lying to myself and a hypocrite. 

It's one thing to be honest with yourself and your relationship (or non-relationship) with God, but to make lofty claims that don't follow through...I really believe God would rather just have you be honest about the distance/non-relationship and ask for an honest desire to want to move forward.

I am bringing this to you, because if you are doing the same... you are also lying to yourself, and as a result to others and to God.

If you have amazing dreams and interpretations and adventures with Jesus, yet consistently refusing to want to know other parts of Jesus (whom you may be saying you are so in love with), you are pretty much not having a relationship with the Bible (or other areas of who God is) as you think you are... you are deceiving yourself and opening yourself up for attacks from demons and self-deception. (By the way, this can also relate for ignoring the supernatural parts of God too.)

This kind of deception will lead you to loving your own custom-built version of Jesus that you are only comfortable being with, BUT you are not following Jesus of the BIBLE.
And I would go so far to say, a false god (idol) that you made up.

I'll let that sink in for a bit, because I know that CUTS and STINGS. I had to sit on that for quite a while and tend to my wounds when that truth bomb was revealed to me before I  admitted and submitted to the truth.

Please keep in mind how many times I am emphasizing "consistently avoiding/refusing". I am not talking about doubts that may rise up on occasion by the devil's attacks or a season of not wanting to be in the Word (which is totally different from consistent life-time cycles/patterns of avoiding it.) 

Now to flip the questions around, in light of everything Jesus did on the cross:

Do you believe you, look, act, speak and think like how God describes those who love Him in the Bible?

Before you answer this question, to clarify, I am not asking what you remember of stories and sermons preached from other people (and their interpretations)  about those whom God loves, but what the Bible (God) really say? 

I would encourage you to read Hebrews, James, Romans and I John before you answer. Your emotions may surprise you, giving you some hints to your motives. It did for me!

God really had to pull me out of my automatic ministry mode for a few years to really get me to stop and repent of such things (and still going). It is something that needs to be shared, for those of you who need the same kindness rendered to them, but I hope it will not take you as long as I did to really consider this.

If all this talk is still confusing to you, here are some points to question your motives. 

Be brave and humble to consider it before God. He is not cruel and He will reveal the truth. He will still be God and Jesus is still on the throne full of mercy and salvation as long as it is called "today":

1. There is no such thing as Jesus being a part-time God, part-time Savior, part-time Lord. He is God, Savior, Lord ALL the time. He knows that. Do you? And does your heart, soul, mind strength (real life) consistently show for it?

2. There is no such thing as being part-time (partially) saved, part-time follower, part-time belonging to Him. There's no "on" or "off" switch in the Kingdom of God, nor on a true follower of Jesus.

3. Although God is wonderfully Father, friend, confidante and bridegroom, He will never stop being God, Lord, Creator and Master. (That means, in the end, He will be respectful of your consistently set decisions, but that doesn't mean He will support or uphold those decisions or consequences that you've made if they (you) leave His definition of goodness and ways and ultimately Him. He is not controlling in that way, but He still stands by His character, His word and who He is.)

4. We may never know the fullness of God, but He doesn't take lightly the slander or misrepresentation of His name, His reputation, His image and His word. (those things/actions are called either idols or blasphemy in the Bible)

5. Acknowledging God in only what you are comfortable with, is not very different from the Israelites who made a golden calf (idol). They didn't want to go to the mountain of God because they were scared of Him, sending a leader Moses instead to interpret, so they desired an image that they could feel comfortable with and celebrate the good things God had done in their lives, but soon started acted out the way they wanted to act (totally opposite of God's intention for them in His laws).

6. Repentance is not merely a confession of saying "I'm sorry." It's a radical change. This can only happen through the blood of Jesus, it is the power of being born-again. It takes deliverance that any Christian will not be comfortable to/cannot stay in sin. A process? At times. A lifetime? No way.

(If you are still reading at this point, you may be manifesting demons. I understand. I did when these things were confronted in me.) If this post has offended you, brought up irritation, anger, heat to your face, defensiveness, shock, I would say then the truth has confronted you (and the demons), but to end it here would be a horrible place to end.

It took God confronting me in so many ways over YEARS with people also bringing the truth to me to understand why I was angry, uncomfortable or offended at such statements, all the while feeding myself reasons why I wasn't angry. 

The main reason of why I stopped to really question, was that it hit me... if I was truly deceived, I was trampling on my relationship with God (ignoring so much of who HE was communicating to me who HE is... taking other people's words, descriptions instead of HIS own.) He was NOT my Lord as I claimed. And that was something greatly worth considering my actions. 

I was totally ignoring the truth of who HE said HE is... not other people, not pastors or prophets... who GOD says HE is.

This takes me back to the ridiculous story I started with...
Are you following a fantasy of Jesus that you created from your own desires? Or are you wholeheartedly a follower of the Jesus of who He says He is? 

Does sin stay with you comfortably until it becomes part of your identity and it portrays you as a hypocrite to the very person you follow or believe? 

Or can you not stand the hypocrisy because of how much you know it cuts off an intimate relationship with an amazing God, how much it belittles what Jesus intended at the cross or knowing that you need the Holy Spirit to be transformed?

If you find yourself in the camp that is stuck at the first question... then I ask you, how can you truly love and commit to a God you don't know? (How can a woman truly love a man who can't measure up to the image of one in her head?)

You may need to ask if you really are following the God who separates himself out from all other gods as the one true God or yourself who made up an image of a God you desire to follow.

But THANK GOD for His MERCY and loving kindness. 

JESUS is REAL and "at the door knocking", available to those who hear and truly desire for Him to be God and Lord of their lives. 

Jesus, being GOD, knew that we could not meet any standard to bridge the gap of what sin had done in bringing death to relationship and access with Him and a crash course to hell (which was created as a punishment for the devil.) 

Jesus took the penalty of sin (death and sacrifice in a perfect sinless life) to make that way possible in what we, in our own flesh, could not do, so that our relationship IS available and restored to God! 

"3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[a] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[b] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)

Not based on our own merit, but Jesus' sacrifice(His own life!). GOD took the penalty of our foolishness and sin so that we can be in amazing fellowship with HIM as we walk with HIM! Where once there was an inevitable trajectory towards eternal suffering in hell, Jesus created a way for us to be plucked from the snares of hell into the beautiful relationship with God and His kingdom and the abundant effects of being co-heirs with Him.

Together with God, moving in the amazing destiny He had originally instore, and fulfill what our beings long for--the deeper richer things that we could never perceive or imagine on our own without God.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

Come before God with a humble heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and make it known to you with honesty. Come before the Word of God and ask Jesus (who is the living Word) to be revealed to you through the Scriptures in how HE wants to reveal Himself to you, not for any ulterior motives you may have.

I pray for bravery over you to proceed, that the MERCY and grace of God over all of us continues on you and the Truth of God "cuts like a double edge sword...reveals thoughts and attitudes of the heart" in the reality of who God is. May you know God truly as the good Father HE says He is. May you truly know Jesus as LORD, Savior, Alpha, Omega, Bridegroom and so much more as HE wants to define himself. May you fully experience the power of His salvation and the amazing fulfillment of Jesus IN you by the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name, AMEN.

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12