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authority, discerning the spirits, entering his rest, experience, eyes of the heart, fellowship, following Jesus, God's guidance, God's voice, hearing, obedience, resisting temptation, Satan, T.A. Sparks, the devil, the fear of God, The Holy Spirit, thought life, walking by the spirit, wisdom
I wonder what the Lord tries to tell you and me today. Actually, I believe God wants to help us in ALL things concerning our everyday life. He is eager to lead us into ALL the truth about everything through the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 16:13). Since God rarely approaches us with a loud voice unless a severe warning is necessary, some of His messages go unnoticed. If our minds are busily occupied with the handling of appointments, schedules, and deadlines, His subtlety is easily ignored.
Just now after I finished the first paragraph, a recurring thought came to my mind. I remembered that I had changed something on my blogs lately. Not a huge thing, but it might have affected one or another commenter. This recurring thought led me to write an email a few minutes ago. After sending it, I did not feel better or worse than before as it seemed to be a small thing. However, it was somehow important to God and therefore He reminded me again and again, always very subtly.
Indeed, we have a patient God. He never forces us into following His leading. He suggests, He offers, He nudges. Only if there is imminent danger, then His Spirit urges us to obey Him. Sometimes we run into problems as it turns out difficult to discern what God calls a peril and what we think danger must look like. I remember there was a night in fall 2016 when I was very exhausted and tired. However, there was something going on in my mind that kept my thought life restless. Yet I so longed to finally relax and doze off. I really tried to fall asleep and I prayed and tried…. and prayed that God might help me fall asleep, but He didn’t. Quite the contrary!! 🙄
God told me to follow His leading as soon as possible, even in the middle of the night. It felt as if God’s hand had gripped my heart and squeezed it like a lemon. Finally, after some time of resisting His urge due to my drowsiness, I realized that I could not ‘pray it away’ at all. I was not really enthusiastic about doing His will at that moment as I also feared other people’s reaction confronted with my behavior. However, I felt I had to follow Him there. That reminded me later of how Jeremiah struggled as he said,
“If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” (Jer 20:9 ESV)
So I got out of my bed and booted up the computer. The longer I had felt under pressure in my sleepiness, the more the fear of God had overtaken my own spirit. Therefore, with much fear and trembling before the Living God, I eventually wrote a severe warning on the internet. Not following His command on my part would have meant that no light would have been shed on a hidden, but very dangerous temptation and thus a sneaky delusion through two bloggers might have affected other believers later, too. In hindsight I saw how important and timely God’s warning had been as the enemy, as it is so often the case, appeared as an angel of light.
It happens frequently that Satan sneaks in through nice people whom we could hardly make out as deceivers with our natural senses alone. Even though they might not know what they are doing, this is not an excuse for us to meet with them again. Although withdrawing from such Christians appears to be ‘not nice’, once we see through them, we should not try to have fellowship with them any longer (see 2 Cor 6:14-18). Dear brothers and sisters, if we are truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit, He will make us aware that ‘something’ is wrong with them. Even when everything seems to be love, peace, and harmony, our inward man starts to feel uneasy. You cannot name it, but this uneasiness turns into nervousness, eventually even restlessness when we stay together with them. This is the work of the Holy Spirit who wants to make us aware that false spirits are trying to submit us to themselves. There is only one remedy here that will help us out of such a situation:
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (Js 4:7 ESV)
Have you ever wondered why the devil, who longs to destroy humanity, suddenly flees from us weak human beings? 🤔 You and I might know how often he won as he confused our minds by instilling frightening thoughts which, as a result, somehow paralyzed us spiritually. How often have I longed for the courage and authority to resist the devil’s attacks! The answer seems to lie in the authority of Jesus Christ that comes through as we follow Him exactly the way He leads us. Jesus told us,
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:4-5 ESV)
Ha! If we abide in Him as we follow His guidance, God can do through us whatever He pleases. 😇 As Satan fears God, He has no chance to submit us to himself anymore unless we do not abide in Christ. Just now I was reminded of some strange rituals through which Christians, esp. Roman Catholics, tried (or still try, thinking of exorcists here) to get rid of the devil when they were (are) confronted with his ugly presence. They hold a crucifix or a Bible against him or they draw a cercle on the ground, hoping that might protect them. These are all visible signs that belong to the sensual realm. However, the devil is a spirit! He must be fought against with spiritual weapons. We will never be successful against the enemy by trying to use this or that method. That includes trying to put on the whole armor of God as Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 11 recommends. Instead, if we are IN Him, we are automatically protected as all authority in heaven and on the earth belongs to Jesus Christ (Mt 28:18)!
As much as we like reading the Bible, solely knowing Scriptures, theological studies, doctrines and dogmas won’t suffice. It is the difference between the (intellectual) authority of the Scribes and the (divine) authority of Jesus Christ, which is the real thing. T. Austin Sparks put it this way.
“[…] It is not our study, our learning, our book knowledge, but it is a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of our hearts being enlightened, and it is that seeing which brings the note of authority that is so much needed. That is the element, the feature, that is required today. It is not just seeing for seeing’s sake, but it is to bring in a new note of authority.
“Where is the voice of authority today? Where are those who are really speaking with authority? We are languishing terribly in every department of life for the voice of authority. The Church is languishing for want of a voice of spiritual authority, want of that prophetic note – Thus saith the Lord! The world is languishing for want of authority, and that authority is with those who have seen.”
https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/001059.html
May the Lord make us see more and more of Him in our lives. Amen.
All images © Susanne Schuberth 2021
Entering the Promised Land 
Susanne, I had many thoughts as I read your blog article above. But the first thing that I heard the Spirit saying to me this morning was “You must first be born from above!” Jesus said to that old Pharisee who sneaked away to see Him in the middle of the night.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:5-7, ESV2011)
We enter into the Kingdom of God by being born of the Spirit. Nicodemus came at Him with an intellectual approach admitting to Him that He could do miracles and was a great teacher, but his conversation did not admit that Jesus was a Spirit-man born of and led by the Spirit. Today we have millions of so called Christians who are not born of the Spirit therefore they are no different than Nicodemus and cannot understand heavenly things much less relate on that level. They give mental ascent to Christ being the Son of God and dutifully belong to a church organization. They might have even gone down front in a meeting after hearing a sermon that was logical to them or made them feel deep emotions. They might have even filled out a “decision card” and got baptized into a denomination. But all these things are being “born” of the will of the flesh (the soul which is made up of the will, the intellect and emotions). In the Greek to be “born of the Spirit” is no different than what happened to Mary when she was inseminated by the Spirit and conceived by God to bring forth the infant Jesus Christ. God is called our Father for a reason. He has fathered the Spirit within us when we are truly “born again.” Yes, His Spirit must come in and be placed in us or we are still not “born of the Spirit.”
Herein lies the problem! Many Christians have not yet entered into the Kingdom of God. We all know the verse and other once like it that says we must believe in Jesus in order to be saved. Yet, these invitational verses are incorrectly translated with the word “in.” The Word in each of them is “eis” not “en” and the Greek word “eis” means INTO! We are led to believe that we can just believe in Jesus the same way we might believe in the current president of the United States and his political party and so we join that party and put our support behind it. NOT so in the kingdom of God. True born from above faith requires Christ being born into us by the Spirit of God. We actually believe INTO Him when we are born of the Spirit. Only from then on are we IN Christ. “If any man be IN Christ he is a NEW creation, the old things are passed away and behold all things become new.”
So we have some who read our blogs and say or think, “Yes, I know all this. I have read all these scriptures and heard it all before… blah, blah, blah.” Yet, because they have not been born by the will of God, but rather by the will of the flesh they are only “still born” at best. We know when there has been a spirit to spirit connection when communicating with someone or when it is only their soulish intellect or emotions that are speaking. Jesus said “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Because so many Christians have not believed into Christ by the will of God making it happen, that is being born by the Spirit, they are deluded and all they can do is communicate with us from their intellects or emotions, much less be led moment by moment by the Spirit of Christ dwelling within them. It is a very sad situation for sure.
Sister, I am so happy when I read about your sensitivity to the leading of His Spirit within you.
I love how your photos flow with what you write. Once again we see the “road less traveled.” As Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matt 7:13-14, ESV2011)
Daddy, may we all know this kind relationship and be totally born INTO your Son and your kingdom where YOU are King in our lives. Amen
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Michael, I am happy to hear that you had MANY thoughts reading my blog. 🙂 Alas, once again, I just found your comment in my WordPress trash folder. 😛
It is so true that we must be born from God first before we start to see the kingdom of God. It seems to me that entering the kingdom of God might happen later than seeing it. That has been my own observation, at least.
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot SEE the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot ENTER the kingdom of God.” (Jn 3:3-5 ESV – emphasis added)
You are right, sometimes people agree with us and we are happy about it. But later we start to see that they came from another, a more soulish direction and cannot yet hear what the Spirit is saying. The kingdoms of men and the kingdom of God, truly, have nothing in common. It is a completely other realm where we need our spiritual senses to hear and see and taste…. that the Lord is good. ❤
Thank you for this compliment as to my sensitivity. This very thing often causes me internal pain, too, but I would not have it any other way. Glad you liked the photos as well, my dear brother. 🙂
AMEN to your prayer!
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Susanne, sometimes I feel like that snail in your picture as far as my spiritual progress is concerned. Thank you for your prayers.
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Hahaha, so true, brother!!! Perhaps we need to get rid of some comfortable but unuseful “homes” we carry on our backs.
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. I guess a clearer view and empowering of our role model and indweller might help us pick up a bit of speed. But it can be hard when so many things seem to distract us and blur our vision.
Another snail (or crab?) here needs your prayers too!
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“Looking on to Jesus who is the author AND the finisher of our faith.” Right there is the answer to this problem of being beset by these heavy weights… Not looking unto ourselves or failures or our weakness or even our sins.” Thanks for reminding me of this verse, dear sister. 🙂 ⭐
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You are always welcome as to me praying for you, Michael. 🙏🏼😇👍🏼
I thought this was a very special and beautiful snail. One day I found her on the doorstep of the office that leads to the balcony. She was so tiny that you could hardly discern what it was. Immediately I put her back on the balcony, right into the bowl with hot pepper plants. 🌶️🐌🌶️
Afterwards I thought, ‘Hmmm…. I should have taken a picture of her…’ 📸 A few days later I found two of them in the same spot. 🐌🐌 Then I zoomed in on the one you see in the photo I posted. I have never seen such a tiny creature that was so beautiful! 🐌😊
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A lot of food for thought in your post and both your comments. Thanks to you both, Susanne and Michael.
I have had many confrontations with churchgoers (esp. leaders and pastors, alas!) and learned to keep my mouth shut in the school of hard knocks. Many people just can’t understand certain experiences, and will call you a mystical, warn you that you may be led by other spirits, etc. As if we didn’t know that already! Alas, I have been everywhere on the religious spectrum. Legalistic, mystical, emotional, overly rational and intellectual, every extreme you can mention, I have either had it or been influenced by it. In the end you end up more and more isolated, ashamed of your own shortcomings and coming to the well at noon because you don’t want to see anyone, like the Samaritan woman in John 4. And then you get to meet your “seventh husband”. Because when you’ve tried everything religion-wise and failed, you either give up because it didn’t work, or you decide to finally try what everybody says and hardly anyone actually practices, “It’s about relationship, not religion.” And it’s absolutely true that if faith does not get you INTO Jesus, it’s no good at all!
Honestly, I feel I’m at level K when it comes to discernment. I keep asking for wisdom, revelation and clarity because I sense there are many subtleties of the Holy Spirit that I am missing. But it’s getting better, little by little. The fog of depression and discouragement has lifted, I’m feeling less isolated and more connected with the source of life. The accusations of Satan and false brethren don’t reverberate as much as they used to. So I’m looking forward to restoration. May the Lord increase His light in us so we can shine and hopefully be able to lead others into His radiance. 🙂
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You are very welcome, Carina. 💖
I am glad to hear you are doing better, even mentally AND spiritually. That’s great!! 🤗🙏🏼🕊️🌈
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Carina, your example of the woman at the well meeting her seventh husband is rich! Maybe God is waiting for us to quit trying to make everything in Babylon work for us and finally walk away from it all where he meets us outside the camp.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
See also Hebrews 13:10-14
It all fits plus we get the scales removed from our eyes.
Blessings IN Christ,
Michael
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