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church, compromise, darkness, discerning the spirits, encouragement, experience, following Jesus, freedom, God's love, hope, Jesus Christ, joy, life, light, peace, promises, spiritual power, T.A. Sparks, tithes, visions
I wonder how can we describe something we have never experienced before? 🙄 Although you might realize that this unexpected shift of perspective belongs to the most amazing experiences possible in the life of a follower of Christ, did you ever expect God to really work miracles? 🙄 As for me, I had given up on waiting for miracles. Over the years and particularly during the last one and a half years, I had more and more given up on expecting something more from God than an ordinary life full of daily struggles. Having no real breakthroughs in many areas of life, I waited on God to fulfill His promises of which I, honestly, thought I might only enjoy them after this life on earth. Quite a saddening prospect for the rest of your life, don’t you think? 🙄
Which promises am I speaking about? Well, I thought of three specific promises God gave me from December 2019 until spring 2020. The first one that hit my heart was the following Bible verse,
“The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.” (Zeph 3:15 ESV)
As it is often the case with God, He announces something a considerable time before it really happens. Unexpectedly, we get a wonderful promise from Him, and while looking forward to seeing it fulfilled (hopefully) soon, then there goes all our happiness as we find yourself sliding into another deep valley filled with trials and darkness. The second promise I found in one of T. Austin Sparks’ devotionals. It reads,
“To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of sitting down with Me on My throne, as I also have overcome and have sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:21 WNT)
While reading this Scripture from the Book of Revelation above, I had just read the following part that says, “To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of sitting down with Me on My throne, …” when I was suddenly being drawn or pulled ‘elsewhere’. In addition to the vision that followed, I was somehow getting weaker at the same time. Out of the blue, I saw myself sitting to the left of Jesus on His throne. 🙄 As I was still wondering what I was doing there, I tried to finish reading the devotional, however, it did not work! I felt so weak as if someone had taken all my strength away from me (which was not really a bad feeling, though). I could only repeat this half sentence until I arrived at the comma again.
This picture of me sitting on the throne with Jesus did not leave me for days and it is still there. It was a pretty strong and vivid impression, accompanied by a deep quietness and silence in this huge space that had opened up in front of me. I recall I looked at Him at first, asking Him why I was sitting there. Although I felt His love and support, He did not answer me. So I looked down on the earth and on some people I could see from afar, pondering, “I do not really understand what I am to do here” since I rather wanted to hide behind Jesus’ back, watching Him reign and rule. I know I cannot rule and what appears to be even worse, I do not want it, either.
The third promise was, once again, a smaller part of a Scripture put in front of one of TAS’ devotionals last year. Although the whole part quoted spoke to me like the ‘throne promise’, the Scripture was taken out of a context which has been misinterpreted by many a church. The part quoted by TAS that hit me was this one,
“I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! (Malachi 3:10 NLT)”
The context, though, was something especially non-denominational churches rely upon when they want to nickel and dime their sheep to feed their own man-made sheepfolds. We read,
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” (Malachi 3:10 NLT)
Even false teachers can say good things at times. I recall someone said that those tithes, aka 10 percent of your gross income, would only be the starting point of our (monetary) ‘donations to God’. It is true that God wants to have everything from us, i.e., our whole old self life, in order to bless us abundantly regarding our spiritual life. However, it was never God’s intention to feed self-appointed hirelings with His sheep’s money. I cannot forget that another person, the Jewish scholar Ruth Lapide, shared on German TV that tithes in the Jewish system had to be provided for widows and orphans. That made much more sense to me, indeed.
Returning to my first paragraph of this article, I can say that after an increasingly dark period of time, starting with my Covid-19 infection on February 1st, 2020, our Lord has really started to fulfill His promises. Slowly, but continually, Jesus began on June 2nd this year to pull me out of my deep darkness with this simple question,
“Do you believe that I AM THE LIFE?” (1)
From that evening on several dead spots in my life and soul got revealed and God set me free soon afterwards. Continually, His light and life have been flowing into my spirit and soul, as I would verbalize it a bit clumsily. Although I make mistakes daily, I sense more freedom, joy, and peace and, most of all, a power and strength to eagerly follow His Spirit’s guidance. I do not really feel comfortable to point to my own experiences here, but I want to encourage you to hold on when your current circumstances are exceedingly difficult right now. It seems to me that Jesus Christ overtakes our whole life finally when we are really done, having come at our wits’ end in all areas of life. But then, the miracles can begin…
Even though my circumstances have not changed yet, God gave me a new perspective on all things, a view that rather looks from above on all earthly things that are transient. It seems to me – and that is why I chose the title – that Jesus Christ has begun to weaken my soul life by strengthening my spiritual life since having raised this question above. Today I somehow sense a deepening gap between my soul which has been bound by earthly concerns and my reactions on these and my spirit that found its rest in His Spirit. This condition provides a security and a protection I always longed for, yet I neither found it anywhere nor with anyone. Just now I was reminded of this Scripture where the apostle John wrote,
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1:4-5 ESV)
It seems to me that divine light and divine life truly belong together. We cannot walk in darkness and simultaneously enjoy the fruit that merely grows in the light ‘of the day’. Therefore, our God who loves us changes our hearts, pulls us closer to Himself and, eventually, He sets us free from all our soulish baggage.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” (Jn 8:36 ESV – emphasis added)
Oh my God, I am all in tears now… Thaaat was so touching… Sigh… There’s a reason for that because at the same moment when I pasted this Scripture from John, I heard a song from a neighbor’s radio that reached my ears through the open door of the balcony. It has been a cloudy and windy day today. And it was exactly this wind that brought along the end of a song by Whitney Houston. I heard her voice almost shouting, “Then in that one moment of time…..I will be…. I will be….. I will be free!” What an amazing confirmation from God!! 🙂
After all, I offer you subsequently an excerpt from one of T. Austin Sparks’ articles of which I posted a longer part in an older article of mine already. Here TAS gives us an explanation why we struggle so much until we really want to follow the Lord more than anyone else.
“If our lives are powerless it may be due to this lack somewhere, somehow, of this utterness for God, this separation unto God, of some kind of compromise somehow, somewhere, with the prince of this world who’s robbing us of our spiritual power and vitality on his own ground. The secret of power is holiness; whatever you forget, remember that!
“The secret of a testimony that counts is a holy life. It is not our teaching, our truth, our practice, religious ordinances and so on, our forms; it is nothing of that. In the first place our real testimony is the testimony of a holy life. It counts far more than all our words, it really does. And remember, this being true, this is the secret of divine support. The Lord will commit Himself to His own ground: holiness. The Lord will stand by those who stand for Him in His nature. The Lord will look after such. And whatever we may have in this life, in this world, we may have a lot but mark you, if we haven’t got the Lord with us at last, it’s no gain. It’s no gain, it’s a terrible loss. Israel had the ordinances and the oracles and the tradition and all that; a mighty lot that they had, but at last they lost the kingdom. They lost the kingdom; it was no gain was it?” (2)
(2) https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/001423.html
“In keeping with T. Austin-Sparks’ wishes that what was freely received should be freely given and not sold for profit, and that his messages be reproduced word for word, we ask if you choose to share these messages with others, to please respect his wishes and offer them freely – free of any changes, free of any charge (except necessary distribution costs) and with this statment included.”
All images by Susanne Schuberth 2019/2021
Entering the Promised Land 
Dear sister, I’m glad you are experiencing increasing freedom in Christ. Though Paul expresses in Ephesians that we have been raised from the dead along with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly realms, quite often our experience seems to contradict such glorious affirmations. It may be in part because our perspective is still very worldly, though God instructs us in Colossians,
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
If we are honest, we need to admit that sometimes even our supposedly pious motivations are far from pure. 😦 But on a more hopeful note, your post reminded me of a verse from Psalm 18: “For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” It’s the same David who prayed,
“Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.”
Our default mode as Christians is to assume that when we have a certain idea or feeling, this comes from God, because, after all, we have “the mind of Christ”, don’t we? Sadly, quite often it is not so. Peter had to be rebuked harshly for opposing God’s plan for Jesus’ death and we find in 1 Chronicles 21 that “Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” So the prayers of David against unconscious, hidden and even presumptuous sins are prayers we should be praying quite often. True discernment will not come unless we are radical against any double-mindedness in our hearts.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
That is my battle cry. I need God’s help to be strengthened from the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. I need God’s revelation to fall in love with Him and out of love with the world with all its deceptive attractions, including any religious experiences that look real enough but are not from God. Let’s press forward, dear sister, because the light of the righteous increases as the day approaches.
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Carina,
Your quote from Colossians has been very helpful.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
There seems to be a condition that must be fulfilled before we are able and willing to focus on heavenly things first. Paul said that we must have died (to the world), then we must have been raised with Christ (afterwards), and then we can become more heavenly-minded, so to speak.
Although Jesus accomplished all of these things for us on or in his cross, we need to experience them one after the other during a more or less long learning process.
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Dearest Susanne —
What a beautiful experience. It seems you have been given a vision of heaven.
Since you speak of miracles, I will share w/ you a recent miracle in my own experience.
We think of miracles as outside the rules of nature. But God, I think, can work w/i the rules of nature to similar extraordinary ends. Re-establishment of the state of Israel after 2000 years is an example of this.
The young woman who is the child of my heart — a girl I mentored from the age of 15 — is struggling w/ cancer. Today single mother w/ two sons, she is one of the “working poor” so this illness has greatly strained her finances. I have helped to the extent I can. But I live on a fixed income.
She has, also, had difficulty obtaining the necessary pain medication. (The medication her insurer would cover causes dangerous side effects.)
The members of my church know of this situation through me, and have been praying about it. Though she lives several states away, two different families at my church have reached out to help her financially. A blogging friend, it turns out, has family connections to a foundation which aids cancer victims. She has reached out to assist w/ the pain medication.
All this was wholly w/o my prompting! The possibility of it never even crossed my mind. I can only credit God, and praise Him for His kindness. We continue, of course, to pray for healing. Whatever the ultimate outcome, however, He remains a good and holy God.
Grace unfolds daily in our lives, if we will only see. Miracles are all around us.
I know you have numerous health issues, Susanne. May God continue to uplift and sustain you. In the darkest of times, He gives us hope.
With much love,
A. ❤ ❤ ❤
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I am so very happy to hear this good news about your heart’s daughter, dear Anna!! 🙂 I have been wondering time and again how she and her family were doing. I have had a similar experience lately as God bestowed money on me for which I had not even asked. 😉 He is truly a good Father, even though we do not understand His ways, yet He is able to surprise us. ❤
You are so right about the miracles. If we only expect God to do big things, we miss the seemingly small miracles in the eyes of others. But is not everything God shows us a big thing (for us), actually? 🙄
Same for you, Anna, amen to your prayer!! ❤ I know you also have many health issues! 😦
As for me, it helps me right now that God has begun to change my perspective on some things. When we are in the midst of the dark, we cannot really discern anything clearly. But if God lifts us up above it, due to His light we can discern better. Also, from above all things look smaller, even the burdens. That gives me hope and some relief. Furthermore, I trust “that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28 ESV)
I think this is the first time you mentioned attending a church, dear Anna. I hope you found a good one and feel comfortable there. 🙂
With much love and gratitude as to what God has done in this young woman’s life,
Susanne ❤ ❤ ❤
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Thank you for that Scriptural reference, Susanne. I will cling to it. Yes, the church is a small one, but entirely biblical. The pastor NEVER requests donations, I am happy to say. 🙂
Love,
A. ❤
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You are welcome, Anna. Glad to hear this about your church. It appears this pastor might have another source of income. I met such a rarity once in a non-denominational church where the pastor worked in a worldly profession during the week. 🙂
Love,
Susanne 💖
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Susanne and Anna, Paul had much to say about supporting himself and others instead of living off the incomes of the faithful. He lived Jesus’ words, “Freely you have received, freely give.”
“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nothing; but worked with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you: Not because we have not that right, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us.For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.For we hear that there are some who walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” (2Thess 3:7-12, KJ2000)
“I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.Yea, you yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” (Acts 20:33-35, KJ2000)
“Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” (2Cor 12:14, KJ2000)
And Peter wrote,
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1Pet 5:2-4, ESV2011)
Anna, I pray that this man you spoke of is of the same spirit as these early shepherds of Christ’s flock.
Love in Him,
Michael
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Dear commenter whose name I do not want to mention on here,
Usually, I do not explain myself as to the why I delete comments. Knowing that you have suffered a lot in your life as I read your blog a few years ago, I pray that you might experience more and more of God’s comfort in the days ahead. I went through similar things you had to go through and I know it can be difficult at times to understand why God allows Job-like experiences in our lives. Therefore, trusting Him might become an issue for us in these dark valleys as well. And here comes the danger… If we are not aware that we do not trust God and Christ anymore as He took something or someone from us whom we dearly loved, we might fall prey to a human being/teacher whom we, unknowingly, trust more than God.
The reason why I deleted your response (which I accidentally just found in my spam folder) is not that I have something against you. Quite the contrary! But as a Christian blogger I want to protect my readers from the influence of false spirits. I know myself how easy it is to be led astray. You mentioned two men in your reply to me whose teachings you seem to trust. I checked them out as I felt a warning from God. Particularly the latter man trusts to deepen believers’ experiences with Christ by asking for donations from people so that he can spread his message. In my view, this is a sign for a soulish person without the leading of the Holy Spirit. Preaching the gospel should not become a business as we cannot serve God and mammon at the same time.
Take care!
Susanne
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Oh Michael,
I really prayed ‘hard’ as I wanted to share something that comforted your troubled heart yesterday. 😦 As far as I remember our talk, I asked you, “If God makes us ONE and shares His heart with us – which He does – how could it be possible then that one of us finds himself ‘behind’ the other?” 🙄
Actually, as for this vision of me sitting on the left side of Jesus, I really asked Him why I could not see our Father to the left of me. In fact, I have been longing for God as it has been some years since I experienced our Heavenly Father’s presence like Jesus’.
May the Lord enlighten our hearts more and more so that we, by beholding Him, are being changed into the image of Christ. Amen.
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Being changed into the fullness of Christ as we behold Him… Yes, Daddy, make it so, Amen.
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Dear Michael,
Like you, I have often read certain passages in the Bible and posts such as this one with a longing in my heart. We know what the Scriptures promise for us if we truly believe, and yet our lives seem to fall miserably short.
The other day I had a dream where I was on my first day at a new job, and as I sat down for a staff meeting with my new boss, I noticed I was dressed with sports pants. I wanted to hide behind the desk! I woke up thinking, this is how I feel about my Christian life. If there is a certain kind of person I’m supposed to be in order to be ready for the mission I’m supposed to fulfil, it seems I’m not properly “clothed” for it. And yet, God promised the robe of righteousness and the whole armor of God for us who believe. So how come? It is very frustrating to find the holes in our armour and the stains in our robes… Our only hope is in the blood of the Lamb cleansing and covering us!
Day by day I find comfort in the likes of David, a man with many faults and serious mistakes and yet described as “a man after God’s own heart”. We come broken before the throne of grace, always painfully remembering our weaknesses. And yet boldly. God, this is written in the Book you authored, so I want to walk in it! And as the sword in Jesus’ mouth is applied to my life, I find that the attractions of this world slowly begin to fade. In some areas, old temptations have completely lost their appeal. In others, the old flesh refuses to die and it seems I take two steps forward and two steps back. 😦
But God doesn’t give up on us. He is faithful, and will continue to work in us to help us discern between the old soulish things He wants us to leave behind and the truly spiritual things He is creating in us.
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Carina, I have to keep remembering that walking according to His plan and good pleasure is ALL by His working in us and not our soulish efforts. We are in a NEW Covenant and the prophets saw it coming.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer 31:31-34, ESV2011)
“I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” (Jer 32:39-40, ESV2011)
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezek 36:26-27, ESV2011)
In the Old Covenant it was all THOU shalt and THOU shalt not. In the NEW and lasting Covenant God is through with man keeping His laws by their own strength. Now it is I Will, I Will, I Will, I Will….. God WILL Do IT in us.
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (1Thess 5:23-24, ESV2011)
Feeeew! Thank God! Even so, Lord Jesus, come with all your fullness IN US.
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Hi Carina,
I was wondering why your gravatar pic looked differently than it usually does (cf. top left of your comment). Alas, once again, I found this response in my WordPress trash folder. Checking your email addy, I saw that an “l” was missing. That fact both changed color and pattern of your gravatar. But eventually all worked out fine. 🙂
The description of your dream reminded me of something. I recall that other people, like me (in my past history before Christ), had several dreams where they found themselves naked in a situation where all others were dressed properly. Oh, how often I awoke embarrassed after such a dream!! 🙄 Still, in my life with Jesus I had some dreams that were similar. Although I saw that I got more and more (proper) clothing over time, something was almost always missing. In my case I would have needed something to cover my chest (read heart). Whether it was a T-shirt or a sweater that were missing, I felt ‘exposed’, to say the least… 🙄
My interpretation would be that I often failed to follow His leading when I felt soulish compassion for someone. In particular, when people had suffered from diseases, from abuse of any kind or if they had lost a loved one, I felt much empathy, mistaking my natural feelings as if having come from God. Therefore, I hoped I could help them by listening to them, by writing them, and by opening up toward them regarding my own story also. Dear sister, that got me in in the hot seat soon as I had ignored His leading to refrain from doing HIS work in those people. Some things must happen, as Jesus let me know lately. I need to accept it and watch HIM save others, even though I sense their decisions are wrong. In my ignorance regarding this, God allowed my spiritual armor to have some holes through which I got continually attacked by the enemy whenever I was confronted with all these people I spoke about above.
Not that I dare to interpret your dream, Carina. Only an idea here…. Your legs were not dressed properly as it seems. While doing home office it would have been okay to wear sports pants, but not so during an official meeting. I know this feeling of embarrassment, trying to hide elsewhere.
It seems to me that our legs represent our own ability to walk wherever we want to. That reminds me of a Scripture Michael often quotes. I decided to only paste the first part of this Scripture.
“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. ” (Jn 21:18a NLT)
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Your “throne experience” is a very precious revelation, Susanne. I read this a few days ago and thought about it again when I came across something while reading Abandoned To God, the biography of Oswald Chambers by David McCasland. Upon Chambers’ sudden death in 1917 (he was 43) his wife Biddy recalled something he had said in a message called The Dawn of Eternal Hope. He had said that “we can live the actual life in the light of eternal realities.” She added that “there is only one way to go on–just praising God for the reality of the unseen things…”
Amen. That is the life of faith, isn’t it. The overcoming life eternal. Our feet may be on terra ferma, but we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies as we walk it out here.
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Thank you very much, Allan. While trying to describe this particular ‘throne experience’, I recalled you had been writing about being seated with Christ in the heavenlies before, both in blogs and in comments as far as I remember. I was always wondering what that might mean for our lives here on earth.
I have only begun to see that Christ sets me free from my natural, soulish tendency to control situations and even people. The more He has been doing this, I can watch Him govern my whole life, my family and all our circumstances. His authority in heaven and here, esp. on the earth, has commenced to unfold right before my eyes. I am also starting to see how ridiculous all my own efforts to do this before have been. Somehow it feels now like sitting on a higher elevation where there is the rest and peace I have always longed for. Lately I often found myself speechless with amazement. What a wonderful and gracious God we have!
I am partly familiar with Oswald Chambers’ life story and his early death. I recall when he died, their only daughter was a small girl, still. And his wife put all her effort into writing down what her husband had left behind.
These quotes from Biddy point to the reality we all desire to live in, by faith, as you rightly pointed out, Allan. These things that are unseen to our natural eyes will be revealed to the spiritual eyes of our heart as our Lord enlightens them. I am rather sure you are familiar with the following quote.
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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I wasn’t familiar with the Saint-Exupery quote. Very good. Thanks, Susanne.
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You are welcome, Allan.
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“These things that are unseen to our natural eyes will be revealed to the spiritual eyes of our heart as our Lord enlightens them.” Yes, Susanne, very well put.
The life of Faith in the unseen… that which is seen is temporary, but that which is unseen is eternal. Or as Paul put it,
“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.” (2Cor 4:16-18, ESV2011)
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Amen, Michael. Well put. Thanks for these confirming Scriptures. 😇🙏🏼🕊️👍🏼
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Yes, Allan. You share this quote from Chambers, “we can live the actual life in the light of eternal realities.” The Gospel of John puts it succinctly,
“In Him was life and the life was the light of men.” And HIS life STILL IS. It is much wiser to seek His life within us than to seek light. First comes His life and then comes His light. All too many Christians seek to be enlightened first. But there is no light from above without HIS life in us.
Light is an amazing thing. It exposes our darkness so we can repent. It heals us of all our past wounds and His light with its cleansing power brings us before our Father in the purity and holiness of Christ.
Thank you so much for all you have done to reconcile us with the Father, Jesus. Amen.
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You are right, Michael. That reminds me of two other Bible verses you often quoted.
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (Jn 5:39-40 ESV)
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Thanks, Susanne. Too much of western Christianity it based on intellect instead of His life and light. We still heap to ourselves teachers to tickle our emotions and intellects. But the Kingdom of God IN Christ is all about LIFE, HIS LIFE in us. Out of that life comes revelation of the reality of God’s kingdom from the viewpoint that is Christ’s. With God it is all about what is in our hearts, not our minds. When our hearts are right, our minds will follow. It is a whole different realm and this is what Chambers was touching on in that quote that Allan shared.
“…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know… (Eph 1:18 ESV2011)
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So true, Michael. I was just thinking that that which is in our hearts must be in our minds, too. And if it is in our minds, these very thoughts will come to light sooner or later, too,“for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Mt 12:34 ESV)
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You are right about what is in our hearts will eventually manifest in our speech. My mother used to say, “Open your mouth and exchange feet!” Of course we have a saying in America, “I think I just put my foot in my mouth,” when we say something from our hearts that is socially out of place. Sad to say my mom was good at it and she was the example I grew up with.
But this weakness is not all bad if we live among other saints who don’t use these occasions to condemn us and look down upon us. But if they instead love us and pray for and with us there will be healing. These times of Adamic manifestation can be times of healing if we let them show us where we need prayer and change for they bring to light those things that are still hid in darkness. Like John wrote,
“In him [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5, ESV2011)
With man the ability to overcome our sins is impossible for in our self life Adam reigns, but with Christ in us ALL things are possible. His light and grace in the repentant heart always wins! As it says in Romans,
“For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man [Adam], much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” (Rom 5:17, ESV2011)
Thank you, Susanne, for being a bearer of His Light,
Michael
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Yes, Michael, where would we be without God’s grace toward us sinners? 🤔🙏🏼🕊️🔜😇
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1:16-17 ESV)
Amen.
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Moses Elijah and Jesus we’re all on the mount together that day and Peter thought it would be good to build a tabernacle for each of them. But the Father had interrupt his building with one pregnant sentence, “this is my beloved son, HEAR YOU HIM!”
THE ERA OF building monuments TO THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS WAS OVER!!! Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 makes this clear also. Without the grace and truth that is ours in Jesus Christ we are all lost and when we try to captivate heaven here on Earth with all of our designs of buildings and doctrines we only show our lack of faith in the Pattern Son.
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I hope you are not yelling at me, Michael… 😉 Funny thing, though, I shared this tabernacle story you just described this week with my dad. He thought this was very interesting. 😇
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Not yelling at you, dear sister. But “let him who has ears hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.”
I will keep praying for your dad.
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You knew that I was just kidding… 😊
Even these ears that can discern our Creator’s voice from all others must be given us by Him. There is NOTHING we could ever do apart from Christ. Thank you for your prayers, Michael. 🙏🏼👍🏼
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That was good, Michael. That era IS over. I hadn’t seen that in that verse before…
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Dear Louise,
As Michael shared these thoughts with me for the first time, I was truly amazed as that has been an ongoing revelation for me as well. It sheds a whole new light on all things that call themselves ‘church’, claiming they belong to God, Jesus Christ, and the New Covenant. It seems that Moses represented the written law on stones (a type of Christ), while Elijah represented another type of Christ, ‘the’ prophet from God who did not see death on earth as he went up to heaven in a whirlwind. But NOW, here comes God’s only Son, who represents God’s full thought, pointed to by all these types of the Old Covenant before. I have just been thinking of these verses that appear to describe what could happen in our spiritual lives, too.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
And he said to him,“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (Jn 1:47-51 ESV – emphasis in italics added)
In Christ we find the Law of the Spirit that sets us free whenever we walk by it and, also, the prophetic voice of the Holy Spirit of truth, dwelling in heaven and on earth (esp. in the hearts of those who believe into Him) at the same time. Furthermore, our Lord Jesus Christ represents both the Son of Man AND the Son of God! While we walk this earth and try to keep in step with the Holy Spirit’s leading, our hearts and minds can be simultaneously with Him who already ascended to heaven on our behalf.
I sense there is much more to this whole event on the mount of transfiguration than we might be able to grasp yet. Perhaps, God is so gracious to lead us deeper into His truth regarding this.
Thanks for your inspiring input, my sister. ❤
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You’re welcome.
And yet, there’s more. Moses brought the stones to God. We bring our stony hearts to God. God wrote the law on the stones. He writes the New Covenant on the hearts of flesh which he gives us!
And, when Jesus speaks to Nathanael, He shows that He is the ladder to heaven which Jacob saw in his dream; and the angels of God carry messages to and from heaven on Him!
Thank you! I love how it all fits together, although I have only been shown a tiny part, and the fellowship which puts other parts in place is beyond precious.
Blessings!
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Oh my, I just detected your reply in my trash folder on WordPress, Louise.
Yes, there IS indeed more, great contribution, my sister! ⭐ 🙂
You are very welcome! I also love how it all fits together. That is what I lately meant by ALL contributions of the whole Body of Christ. It does not matter how big or small the puzzle pieces seem to be that we might be able to contribute. It is God Who builds His house and it is God’s Spirit who makes all things precious by sanctifying them, so to say. He also helps us grow into Him with the increase that comes from God alone. I appreciate our fellowship very much, Louise!! ❤ ❤ ❤
Blessings!
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You are welcome, Louise. Susanne shared that passage about Jesus and Nathaniel. Belief IN Christ is not a religion. It is a relationship in which the angels [Grk. angelos which means “messengers”], the messengers of heaven still ascend and descend upon Him in us. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Jesus promised us,
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-15, ESV2011)
The Spirit of Truth is still ascending and descending upon Jesus within us if we have been born into God’s kingdom and are IN Christ. “He will take what is mine and declare it to you” that He might lead us INTO ALL Truth. The Bible is a wonderful thing and many churches preach from it Sunday after Sunday. I remember how I was drawn to such preaching as a Catholic and longed for it. But the time came when I no longer had to rely on Biblical revelation coming through the guy behind the pulpit. In June of 1970 after a time of deep soul searching and confession alone with God (it was an unconditional surrender for the first time), He filled me with His Spirit. From then on the Bible came alive and I could hear Jesus speaking and teaching me from inside and my prayers for more were being heard. The “angels” (messages) were ascending and descending upon Christ within me. My life was never the same after that. He did not just tell me the truth, but He was leading me INTO all truth, a deep ongoing transformation of my life IN Christ. Religion is static. The founders of those religions, like in Judaism, lay down doctrines to fix in place in THEIR understanding of what is truth. In Judaism these were called “the traditions of the elders.” And it was these traditions of men that Jesus was constantly up against as they accused Him of not keeping them. In every religion it is the same today. But the Spirit of Truth is ALIVE and He is constantly carrying us ever deeper into the Truth which is our Life in Jesus Christ. What an adventure!
As for church buildings, they are fixed upon a man made foundation. Jesus saw the temple as a detriment to obedience to the Father. It had become humanized. Jesus said to the leaders of the Jews, “It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you have made it a den of thieves!” (Mt 21:13 NKJV) As the disciples were marveling at the temple system on their way out of Jerusalem Jesus said, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Matt 24:2, ESV2011). Why was Jerusalem and the temple sacked in 70 A.D.? Why were the daily sacrifices ended? Why was the Levitical priesthood ended? Steven put it quite clearly as the Spirit spoke through him,
“But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,“‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’ “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” (Acts 7:47-51, ESV2011)
Yes, where is the place of God’s rest today? The New Testament writers make it clear that the temple of God is made with LIVING stones. Those who are IN Christ make up God’s house and this fixation on church buildings by believers seeks to destroy this truth. How can we “go to church” when WE are the Church (Grk. ecclesia – called out ones)?
It is no coincidence that the the early church had no church buildings for the first 300 years. They knew the truth and the privileged place they had IN Christ as God’s own dwelling place. It wasn’t until the Church got taken over by the Roman Empire as its “official” religion that Satan’s master deception took hold and under Constantine a massive building program was stated with building patterned after the pagan temples of the Roman Empire.
So, my dear sister, I appreciate your hunger for the Lord. Keep seeking, keep asking and keep knocking and don’t let the traditions of men who “always resist God’s Holy Spirit” make void the commands of God in your life.
You are a blessing to us, Louise.
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Yes!! Michael is so right, Louise, you are a blessing to us!!! 🙂
Great insights, Michael!! ⭐ You wrote,
“Yes, where is the place of God’s rest today? The New Testament writers make it clear that the temple of God is made with LIVING stones. Those who are IN Christ make up God’s house and this fixation on church buildings by believers seeks to destroy this truth. How can we “go to church” when WE are the Church (Grk. ecclesia – called out ones)?”
So true! These verses reminded me that at an individual level each of us “who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him……… Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Cor 6:17, 19 ESV)
We can only be members one of another if we are led by the same Holy Spirit that dwells in all of us. I assume that is why God who is jealous regarding His own Spirit inside us tells us to cut off all believers who come to us with both the wrong intentions/hearts and the wrong spirits. I just saw THIS more clearly than before.
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That scripture passage is very appropriate. We are not to be unequally yoked with non-believers. During Jesus’ earthly ministry many people followed Him but it also says in different places that they didn’t not believe IN Him. We cannot have fellowship in the truest sense if we are not each ONE IN His Spirit… ONE IN Christ. The unity that we share is truly a gift from our Father.🕊️
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Yes, Michael, we are not to be unequally yoked with non-believers! As for non-Christians and worldly Christians, that is not so much a problem to differentiate them from the (seemingly) spiritual Christian.
But oh, how difficult it has been at times to find out that an apparent believer in Christ has been driven by another spirit to lead us astray, or rather, to destroy our God-given fellowship! And what is even worse, these Christians are not aware of what they are doing as they are driven by their old nature and their (more or less hidden) soulish desires.
It seems to me that discerning the right from the wrong has become more and more urgent and more subtle lately. We are being finetuned by the Lord, my dear brother!
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I agree very much dear sister. We are truly in that time spoken of in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2: 9-14. He is separating the sheep from the goats right before our eyes. This is not a time to be playing religious games. Satan loves religious people because they are easy to deceive. The spirit of Truth in US leading us into lives that are ALL truth is our only salvation. Satan always comes to us with 99% truth with only 1% of what he speaks is a lie. It is in that 1% where he hooks us into his deception and away from Christ. Only the Holy Spirit leads us into ALL truth.
Every deception that I have fallen into over the last 50 years has always been accompanied by scripture verses.
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I know that, too, my brother.
Sometimes I read through articles, comments or other writings and I start to wonder as there seems to be nothing wrong in them at first sight.
However, I get a VERY strange feeling in my guts. 🙄 I know that has come from the Holy Spirit and I also know that I must wait on Him to tell me what the reason is, what kind of spirit has been attacking me, where it comes from and what his motivation is. Sometimes I need to wait a few days, if not longer, until the false spirit manifests, finally. Yet it gets always clear that this very first uneasiness I felt was from God. His anointing is our only and best teacher regarding all things!
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I think it is discerning the difference between the voice of the Holy Spirit and that of deceiving spirits is where the catch comes. Satan uses that area in our hearts that has not yet been given over to Christ. He knows it is fertile ground for him to sew deception. It is like judo. He uses our forward motion in order to throw us. And it just occurred to me that this is why it is so important for us to enter God’s rest and remain there. It is here that we can hear the voice of the Spirit instead of the cacophony of our own minds.
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Amen, Michael!
Having entered His rest, we can more clearly discern His voice from all others.
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I know that uneasiness you speak of, Susanne. My downfall has been in ignoring it at first and getting sucked along until I see my error bearing bad fruit. I thank Jesus that,
“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.” (Ps 37:23-24, ESV2011)
Sometimes, though, we have to suffer from our fall with bruised knees for a season but that makes us more determined to listen to His voice so that we won’t have to fall again. 🙂
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So true, Michael, “[f]or a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Prv 24:16 KJV)
It has been steep learning curve as you often said. 🙂
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For sure!
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Exactly!!!
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Tremenda enseñanza de parte del Señor Susanne, gracias. Mis circunstancias ahora mismo no son fáciles, pero espero al Señor en todas las cosas como dice Isaías 40:31:
“pero los que esperan al SEÑOR tendrán nuevas fuerzas; levantarán las alas, como las águilas; correrán, y no se cansarán; caminarán, y no se fatigarán”.
Tremendous teaching from the Lord, Susanne, thank you. My circumstances right now are not easy, but I wait for the Lord in all things, as Isaiah 40:31 says: but those who wait for the LORD will have new strength; they will lift their wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not grow weary.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
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You are welcome, Patricia. I believe that waiting for the Lord is always the best choice. Even though it is not easy at times. Praying for you. 🙏🏼❤️
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Susanne and Patricia,
Most read Isaiah 40:31 out of context. The Lord showed me years ago that He had no interest in renewing MY strength, but had me wait not only for the vision of what He had for me to do, but not to act until He had put HIS strength in me for the assigned spiritual task. Satan is always trying to get us to run ahead of God. It is there that we become an easy prey. Read this passage again:
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, THE LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, DOES NOT FAINT OR GROW WEARY; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; But those who WAIT FOR THE LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] SHALL CHANGE and renew THEIR STRENGTH AND POWER; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”(10) (Isa 40:28-31, AMP)
The everlasting God’s strength does not faint or grow weary and neither does that of those who wait for Him to act (I think of the super human strength of Samson when the Spirit would come upon him and the ability of Elijah to outrun the chariots of Ahab all the way back to Jezreel from Mount Carmel). He gave His strength in exchange for theirs. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him and don’t presume to do His work without Him. YES! Wait until it is His time and then the strength for the task or vision He has shown you will be provided and not until. Our lives IN Christ are exchanged lives and so is our strength.
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That was clearly a revelation from the Lord, Michael. Thanks for sharing!
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You are welcome, Susanne, and thank you Daddy for sending us your Son to abide in us and be our life. Amen.
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Amén a esa palabra, Su fuerza en mí. Gracias Michael por aclarar ese punto o más bien reafirmarlo.
Los vencedores no serán aquellos que tengan fuerza y muchas capacidades, sino aquellos que tengan sed de Él y beban de Él, porque en Él está nuestra fortaleza. Cuando acaban nuestras fuerzas, entonces nacen las fuerzas de Él. Isaac fue concebido cuando Abraham y Sara ya estaban muy viejos, Isaac fue el fruto
del esfuerzo de Dios y prevaleció sobre el esfuerzo humano, el Señor debe aniquilar todo esfuerzo humano.
Abrazos.
Amen to that word, His strength in me. Thank you Michael for clarifying that point or rather reaffirming it.
The victors will not be those who have strength and many capacities, but those who thirst for him and drink from him, because in him is our strength. When our strength ends, then His strength is born. Isaac was conceived when Abraham and Sarah were already very old, Isaac was the fruit From God’s effort and prevailed over human effort, the Lord must annihilate all human effort.
Hugs
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One more thing about this word “wait” in Isaiah 40. The Hebrew word it was translated from is “qavah” and literally means “to bind together.” And “renew” is “chalaph” which means “to change.” Oh how appropriate, Lord! If we are bound together with you, spirit to Spirit we will receive a NEW strength to do your will. Amen!
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Yes, Michael, that’s IT! We receive HIS strength to do HIS will, not ours any longer.
The Lutheran translation uses another verb as the one corresponding with “waiting” on the Lord. Instead of the German verb “warten” (= wait) we read “harren” in German. Its translation into the English language would rather be “to long or hunger for somebody’s arrival” which seems to be more appropriate. We are to wait on the Lord full of expectation!
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Yes, Susanne, the Lutheran translation is much closer than the English in this case. Thanks for sharing this. We are both to wait in anticipation for His moving in us and become bound together in His love. It is all about Him as our only source of Life and inspiration. As that old hymn says, “All other ground is sinking sand.”
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
by Edward Mote (1834)
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
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You might not have known about it yet, Michael, but by sharing this hymn, you confirmed the message of my blog-post-to-be I just finished writing. Thank you! 🙂
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Life is a wonderful thing when we listen to and obey the Lord even in the little things. Thank you, Susanne. This is encouraging for sure. I am looking forward to reading it.
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You are welcome, Michael. Looking forward to reading yours, too. Isn’t it funny that we were writing an article at the same time… 🙂
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STST (same thing happening at the same time) once again. Yes, it is an amazing life when two people are made ONE in His Spirit.
Thank you, Jesus for all that you are in us. Amen
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Amen! Yes, lately, God made us even ‘more one’ than before. Yet we have seen that such miracles never happen without accompanying trials and affliction.
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This is so true, Susanne, yet it is His way of driving His changes deep into our hearts.
“Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.” (Ps 71:19-21, ESV2011)
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Wonderful wise words! ❤ Thank you, Michael.
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Yes, David learned these wise words by going through many trials, just as we are. Like Paul so wisely wrote,
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us.” (Rom 5:3-5, KJ2000)
With our Father is is all about working His will, His ways and His Son deep into our hearts.
“Even so, Lord Jesus, come.”
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I thank God for you both. He has blessed me through you, especially lately.
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I am very, very happy to hear this, dear Louise. 😇 You are so precious to us!! 🙏🏼🕊️💐☺️
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Yes you are, Louise. ⭐
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