Getting Old Ain’t for Sissies…. BUT GOD

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aging, blogging, diseases, dying to self, experience, faith, family, following Jesus, God's love, hope, love, marriage, my grandparents, my parents, the old self, World War II

My parents in the 1970s

I know it’s been a while since I published the last blog article (five months, oh well). Even just yesterday I was wondering whether I would be done with writing publicly as I have felt NO inclination to jot down my experiences with God for a rather long time. No time and no interest in blogging at all! Furthermore, I have experienced a very dry spiritual “blah time”. You know these times when everything seems to be so “normal”, so arduous and boring that you might wonder whether you had known God at all. 🙄

On the Consistency of Thought and Deed

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agape, carnal mind, consistency, deeds, demons, discerning the spirits, ears of the heart, experience, false spirits, God's love, God's voice, Jesus Christ, Michael Clark, Satan's voice, The Truth, the Word of God, thought life, true faith, words, worldly spirits

Picture credits http://stores.jkmstore.org/spirits-that-hinder-the-flow-of-god-in-your-life-mp3/

Michael Clark and I wrote this blog post together, once again. As it has often been the case, I, Susanne, start with writing and share my thoughts on a certain topic with Michael and then God gives us a confirmation about writing another joint article.

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Can you force yourself to seemingly like what you basically do not like? What a strange question, Susanne! I need to admit that I can’t do it any longer although I tried. My heart won’t let me deceive myself anymore. Even if I like or love someone, I cannot like nor love what they do when their twisted thinking and doing contradicts the truth revealed in Christ. Not that I stop loving them, but my heart is grieved, often very deeply grieved. That hurts a lot indeed!  😦 In the past, I tried to do the impossible, that is, to encourage someone despite their wrong thinking and doing, simply because I liked these people. Well, God showed me how hypocritical that behavior was and how much I put myself in a state of bondage of the wrong spirits through that seemingly “kind” behavior. No, Susanne, that was not kind, it was only “nice.”

Instead of Christ: The social gospel spirit

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charity, darkness, demons, discerning the spirits, dream, entering his rest, finished works, following Jesus, joy, light, Michael Clark, peace, serving others, social gospel, spiritual power, thought life

The most obvious thing to do is not always what is right – in God’s sight
(Picture credits to http://dianawaring.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/iStock_000011493906Small.jpg)

The night before last I had a really strange dream in which I found myself standing on a sandy beach, knowing that the ocean was right behind me. I did not look back since what I saw in front of me was more interesting and quite amazing, so to say. Just a few meters before me a huge sand wall rose; actually, it appeared to me it was about 300 meters high (i.e., almost 1,000 foot). What was so stunning about this wall was that it looked like a mountain, but there was no way to ever climb it at the front side because all I could see was smooth. No rock overhang, no plants, merely smooth and hardened sand it seemed. Only at what I saw as the top of the mountain there was a sandy overhang of which I immediately knew it would be a lethal experience to step out on it since it was already cracking. Since we do not have such natural phenomena in Germany, I told Michael Clark about my dream and he said that there are sandstone cliffs in Western Washington that might look that way.

Being Made Perfect in Love – By Michael Clark and Susanne Schuberth

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beauty, eyes of the heart, following Jesus, glory, God's love, love, loveliness, Michael Clark, Oswald Chambers, rest, spiritual power, T.A. Sparks

Becoming as still as the surface of a lake…
(Photo by Michael Clark)

Oswald Chambers wrote,

The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.

Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring. (http://utmost.org/the-ministry-of-the-unnoticed/)

Entering His Rest – but HOW???

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experience, feeling, God's voice, heart, listening, Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, rest, Satan's voice, the new self, the old self

“One day, Philipp Melanchthon told his friend Martin Luther, “Martin, this day we will discuss the governance of the universe.” Luther answered, “This day, you and I will go fishing and leave the governance of the universe to God.” What allowed Luther to respond in this way? His knowledge and belief that God could take care of things. As we move close to God, we realize that he will take care of things, and we can rest.”

Growing up into Him with Heart and Mind

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charity, following Jesus, God's love, head knowledge, heart, heart knowledge, love, mind, repentance, spiritual power, truth

Source Pinterest

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Eph 4:15-16 ESV)

Here are two excerpted commentaries on Ephesians chapter 4 which describe more detailed how Christian growth should look like.

Been There, Done That

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compassion, darkness, experience, God, God's love, heart, Leonid Afremov, light, listening, love, peace, righteousness of God, Satan, talk, thought life, truth

Walking in the Light Despite Darkness (Painting ‘Romantical Love’ by Leonid Afremov)

Just recently it began to dawn on me that many of the misunderstandings we experience every day could be easily avoided if we tried to listen to one another more carefully. We hear someone say something or we read what someone wrote and immediately think, “Oh well – been there, done that,” without thinking further and deeper about what that particular person might have really meant.

Inspired by His Love

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charity, experience, following Jesus, freedom, God's love, heart, homeless people, inspiration, joy, light, love, Nürnberg, peace

Weißer Turm (White Tower) in Nürnberg
(Source http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weißer_Turm_Nürnberg)

“It is said that love and a cough cannot be hid.”
― Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night

Or in other words,

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:14-19 NIV)