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being born again, blogging, Christianity, eternal life, experience, eyes of the heart, following Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, knowing God, pain, peace, reading, spiritual power, sting of death, writing
Not that I was hell-bent on publishing another blog post. However, since I was housebound until craftsmen had done their work in our flat, I decided to read a bit on the internet which I had not done often lately. Still, it seems to me a pretty boring matter to get back on the internet after having experienced LIFE, real LIFE that is a gift from God, divine LIFE that cannot be conferred on anybody, esp. not in such an artificial place as the internet is. Presenting truths to people whom we most probably will never ever come to know personally in this life time has become a frustrating experience over the last months (years?) to me. Having said this, you might wonder why I keep writing, though.
Honestly, I don’t know. I do not even claim to be Spirit-led right now while jotting down these lines. All I want is to tell you that God is indeed faithful! Not that I always trust Him, still. Not that I have been perfected in any area of spiritual things yet. Not that I have reached the goal of drawing all my inner life off Christ, either. No. But what I have come to realize more and more is that God ALWAYS keeps His promises. We might have to endure long times of waiting on Him, we might doubt Him very often, we might suffer, be anxious, full of sorrow or worries. BUT GOD… Our real life, eternal life here on earth in the sense of John 17:3 begins when God takes away the sting of death. We read,
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (Jn 17:3 ESV)
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 54-57 ESV)
The sting of death is not only the fear of death. Instead, it can be found in everything we experience. Whether it is a wonderful or a very bad situation we find ourselves in, we can be sure that we cannot hang on to it. Observing life and situations passing me by lately, I have strongly felt the pain of not being able to ‘save’ the good things somehow and, on the other hand, I felt relief as I could eventually let go of some pain that kept tormenting me. Nonetheless, even in the latter case, I found myself in bondage of time and space, in bondage of the situation that affected me. However, eternal life is sooo different from our normal life! IN Christ we may sense that everything we have experienced and will experience in the days ahead is no longer ‘dead’. We are not bound by keeping in check what cannot be controlled by us. Even, we will no longer be in fear of letting go of loved ones as they leave us. We might still cry and long to be with them. BUT there is SOMETHING that God might bestow on us, a special comfort no human being could ever offer, the comfort of His peace that goes beyond our tears, beyond our restricted time, and beyond the need to touch someone physically.
There is SOMETHING spiritual that pulls our spirits into the eternal kingdom of Christ and joins our hearts with those whom we love, even when they are far away. Being inside Him, life is always eternal and not complicated at all. We share the joy of God, the simple joy of a child of God that trusts Him without any reservation.
It is only our captivity in Egypt (the rule of the flesh) or our continued wandering through the wilderness without arriving in the Promised Land that might keep us from living IN Christ right now. Faith is key here. With God-given faith we will be born into the kingdom of God, into the Promised Land where our souls are revived by the Spirit of God Who NEVER changes. Our circumstances might change, though. They might turn into situations we would have never chosen on our own. But living IN HIM, these outward things do not matter to our inward being any longer because then our LIFE, which is Christ, flows like a river inside us and one day even out of us, too (see Jn 7:38). We know that the kingdom of God cannot be observed on the outside (cf. Lk 17:21). And so it is with Christ and Christianity. What we can see, hear and observe on the outside is Christianity, what we perceive on the inside with our enlightened eyes of the heart, instead, is Christ and His eternal kingdom.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:16-18 ESV)
Christianity is a religion where people talk a lot, whether it is the preacher, the teacher, the theologian, or the Christian blogger… 😉 Yet we should remember that “the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” (1 Cor 4:20 ESV)
May it be so for all of us. Amen.
All images by Susanne Schuberth 2017-2018
Fred said:
What you have mentioned reminds me of what happened to me back in 2015. I would love to get back to that place that I was at with GOD. I have failed to do so. In my efford to know what GOD would like me to do that I would get to do for him I started up a blog of my own. Well I did have one but I have not put any posts on it in years and I had forgotten the password. I feel if I show my blog to you that you may see me as a terible Christian as I know you have mentioned other blogs and mainly negative things are said, not to judge you and I apologize, you are a better person then I am. Any way I know how deperatly we need Jesus and to spend time with him. I think I need to spend more time with GOD.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Fred,
I need to admit that was a bit shocked as I read your reply to me here. 🙄 Neither have I ever thought you were a terrible Christian (I cannot imagine having suggested such a thing on my blog about anyone, either) nor have I changed my good opinion about you after having read your blog. I don’t know whether you are going to moderate the comment I just posted on your last article, but if so, here is the link.
I recall how often during the last ten years I thought about ‘better’ and more joyful times with God in the past also. Suffering and trials are never fun and the wilderness might last for a long time, too. That does not sound encouraging, I know, but we need to face the truth if we want to go on with Him. Also, I remember that there was an author who said that God will finally come to us and save us out of all our messes by revealing Himself as He really is when we do not expect Him to do so any longer. It seems to me that this is true (I guess it was John of the Cross who wrote that). Nonetheless, God surprises us at times because He lures His bride in the wilderness. We will delight in some joyful and restful times in the desert, too!
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Fred said:
Thank you that made me feel a whole lot better. I actually cried in a good way after reading what you said.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You are very welcome, Fred. I am happy to hear you are doing better now! 😊
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Michael said:
Well said, Susanne.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you for the encouragement, Michael.
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Michael said:
Susanne, now that I have a free moment, I read your latest blog article again and thought I would add a bit more to what I said earlier. You wrote, “Christianity is a religion where people talk a lot, whether it is the preacher, the teacher, the theologian, or the Christian blogger… 😉 Yet we should remember that “the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” (1 Cor 4:20 ESV)
As I have said in the past “Jesus is a man of few words” and He should be our example if we are abiding IN Him. I, like you, tire quickly when reading a blog article that goes on for pages without saying anything of any eternal value. The same is true when I have to attend a family gathering in which the topic of conversation has nothing to do with those things which are eternal IN Christ! Like Jesus said when his mother and siblings were outside of the house He was in waiting for Him to come out and see Him, “Who is my mother and brother and sister? Those who do the will of my Father is my mother and brother and sister.”
I find that even when I “fellowship” with someone that I have known in the Spirit and the Spirit does not seem to be in our conversation, it is better not to try and make it happen, but to WAIT on Him! Religion is all about trying to make something happen “for God” or to capture the attention of the masses with our word and deeds. It reminds me of the following story in the Old Testament…
And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. (1Sam 15:22-24, ESV2011)
Thanks for sharing your heart felt thoughts, dear sister.
Michael
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You are very welcome, Michael. I could not agree more as to everything you said here.
What hit me somehow was this part of the Scripture you shared where sin is perfectly explained as transgressing God’s commandments/word/leading by submitting to people out of the fear of man. So sad. 🙁
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Fred said:
I am not much better then King Saul there.
I am reminded of a pastor that I do not follow any more nor have much contact with. I am not going to name his name how ever he has said things like ” If you obey me you are obeying GOD”. I have been chastened for doing what he has asked. I still feel guilty about not going to his bible study. I get an invite to it every week. I don’t reply to the invite I just don’t go. Last time it was held I just spent that time with GOD or tried to any way.
BY the way I added a subscription thing to my blog so you can see new posts.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thanks for adding such a subscription thing on your blog, Fred. 🙂
I believe there is a demon involved here. If I was you, I would block these invitations with which this evil “imitating-God-spirit” comes at you again and again. Every week there is a ‘spiritual’ revival with which he tries to manipulate your conscience! We need to draw clear lines with the devil as we try to obey God more often. May God give you the power to resist the devil, my brother!
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Michael said:
I have much more that I got out of your latest blog, dear sister, but too much to write it all on a blog comment. Check your in box. This TRULY has been an inspired and life changing blog article for me!!! 🕊⭐⭐⭐🕊
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Michael, please, check your inbox, too! ❤
Glad you found some inspiration, and even more than this in this writing that was pretty boring for me to compose. 🙂
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Kenneth Dawson said:
Yes and so be it!!!!!!
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Amen, Ken!!!!!
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Dearest Carina,
I needed to read your comment today! It was so encouraging for me that you weighed in on this issue and how you did it. Furthermore, I was thinking about you often and were wondering where you had been all the time. So I simply prayed when your name/face popped up in my mind. I assumed you had to go through a very dry time, but I was happy to hear that God will bless you with a brother for Samuel! 🙂 I will be praying that everything will go well with you and him, next week or later. Do not worry, He loves you all very much! 💗💗💗💗
I long to see the power 1 Cor 4:20 has been speaking about, too! 😀
Whenever I sense His leading to write something He has revealed to me, I will post it on here, for sure. Your response was very edifying for me today, my sister!
May He keep and bless your whole family abundantly! 🕊⭐⭐⭐🕊
Much love to you,
Susanne 💕💕💕
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Carina, I am very sorry to hear about your difficult financial situation and these saddening news about your in-laws! 🙁
Our Daddy in Heaven, please, open up a new door for Carina’s hubby and carry them securely through this narrow valley of testing. Also, widen the hearts of Carina’s in-laws. Amen.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You are so welcome, Carina. ❤
Godspeed,
Susanne
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Carina said:
Dear sis,
I just wanted to share the news on my baby. He was born on March 12, at 35 gestation weeks. The birth itself was great. I had a very quick labor, most of which was in my husband’s car!, and when I arrived at the clinic, the baby’s head was already visible. I told the midwife I had indications for a C-section. She said, forget it, the baby is too far down!, which is great because we had been praying for natural birth. Total labor was less than two hours.
Now the sad part: being a small, premature baby, he had to be placed in an incubator, and unfortunately his lungs were not fully developed, and he needed a ventilator for the first four days of his life, which doctors tried to remove twice and had to put back in. Finally, on Thursday evening his breathing parameters were much better, and the ventilator could be removed successfully.
He’s still on the incubator 24/7. I haven’t been able to hold him yet. I’m seeing slow but steady improvements, for example yesterday he opened his eyes a lot and tried to look at me, and he cried several times.
This has been a through the fire experience. There were moments when I prayed and cried my heart out because the prognosis was uncertain and death was a very real possibility (though the doctors didn’t mention it explicitly, they just used words such as “serious” and “grey” to refer to the situation). Seeing my little son through a box is very painful, and it was worse when he was only sleeping and showed little or no reaction to my caresses. Needless to say, God has used this situation to bring me closer to Him. To Him all the glory, though His dealings with us can be so tough!
Now I’m still praying (and worrying, I’m a mother) for God to deliver my son from any bacteria or virus that tries to attack his little body. If nothing of the sort happens, he’s likely to continue to improve every day. I’m hopeful and know I need to be very patient. God has shown us several signs that He’s in full control of this and will bring us through.
May the Lord bless you, your family and your readers.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Oh, dear Carina, 🙄
I am relieved to hear that the birth itself went well, my sister! Yet I can only imagine what horror you have had to go through and how very hard it must be for you to only look at your boy and not being able to hold him!!!
The only things I can say are firstly congratulations on the birth of Ezechiel (?) to you, your hubby and Samuel plus secondly that I will keep praying for your little(st) one that God might protect him from ANY bacteria or virus so that you can hold and cuddle him soon!
Every blessing to you and MUCH LOVE!!! ❤ ❤ ❤
Your sister Susanne XOXO
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