Following God & Loving Others

On April 14th, 2014, I wrote

"

Letting Go - Serving God Not Mankind

"

because I'd realized that I'd gotten stuck in making sure everyone is happy. There's a difference, however, between being responsible in your treatment of others and being responsible for the happiness of others.

Source:http://lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2014/06/following-god-loving-others.html

Yesterday, I posted something on Facebook (I tend to post only encouragement, so this was rare):

"

I fell for that age-old trick. No more. I will not compromise. My ability to do what is right is not an affront to you. Be where you are, I will celebrate your successes, but don't ask me to be less so you can feel validated.

"

I was having a rough day - a downward spiral in my mind of everything I've done wrong and how my mistakes may have made others' stumble. I sometimes think I'm alone in this, but yesterday, so many people related so strongly to this post, that I started to realize that this is an issue many others probably face. We have to find a way to stop. Happiness is not perfection; it is being in Christ.

Right now, thanks to my Church,

The Well on Bayview in Toronto, Ontario

, I'm doing the

Leadership Development Program, Level 1 (LDP1)

developed and delivered in Christ by the

Bethel Church in Redding California

. This month, we're building a

culture of Prophecy

into our lives, built on the foundation of God's Love - and never on condemnation. We meet monthly to share how the culture is showing up in our lives. Yesterday's session, which preceded that Facebook post, was really amazing. The whole meeting was about the myths that hold us back from speaking God's positive truth about people's lives into being, and it made us face a lot of our obstacles.

By the time I'd gotten home, however, I'd started to see how many people in my life I've fallen into "holding myself back" for, so they can feel better. Whether that's a sin they're still struggling with, that I don't struggle with anymore, or my drive and discipline around work and quality, that they either don't care about or haven't achieved yet.

The opposite is also true, though. There are things I still struggle with, that others have probably never struggled with, and they really look down their noses at me for it. Often, the same people I don't come down on for being weak in my strengths.

Yesterday afternoon, I felt like I was drowning. The burden of walking on eggshells:

holding myself back because of other people's need for validation, and

beating myself up because I make mistakes and I'm afraid I've corrupted others by sharing,

is simply too much. Recently, however, I've been repeatedly reminded that that is not my burden to carry. God gets my attention, however He does it (bless Him) and says

"stop! You answer to me. Not everyone's needs/expectations."

It's still hard to move that knowledge from my head to my heart, but I caution those of us who spend all of our time in community and carry this burden, that this is a big part of why we all need some time alone with God. Lately, I've been hearing a lot of teaching about "community in Christ", and that is very important, but the message on "personal time with Christ" has been dangerously silent.

For your sanity and your relationship with Christ, make the time to simply

sit with God and 'BE'.

Share all those those inner thoughts you have never shared with anyone, release all of those emotions you never release because they're "bad/wrong/evil/not self-controlled", in your moments alone with God. Only then, when these things are all brought into the light, that God can heal them in you. Community offers support, yes, but faith comes from your own personal

Love Encounter with God in Christ

.

Make the time.

If you're on Facebook, feel free to follow me on the

"Love covers All . God is Love" Facebook Page

,

for daily or at least weekly, encouragement. Bless you in the Love of Christ! Amen.

A Glimpse at the Price of Surrendering to Christ (Mark 8)

This morning, on "

God is Love - Love Covers All (Facebook page)

, I posted

Mark 8:35 (NIV)

 and said, "I'm starting to see this in so many different ways..." If you read it in context (

Mark 8 NIV

), there's so much in that chapter.

The Feeding Miracles

Miracles:

He fed 4,000 with 7 loaves and collected 7 baskets of leftover. He reminded them that he fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 12 baskets leftover.

Interlude:

A few minutes later, He warned the disciples to "beware the yeast of the Pharisees, and that of Herod". As with most of us, who keep seeing our sin, forgetting that we have a Saviour, they though 'oh no! It's because we left the baskets of bread! We just have one now!' Jesus had to spell it out. He said their eyes were closed and their hearts hardened. What keeps your eyes on your circumstances instead of on Christ? Do you remember why Peter was able to walk on water? (

Matthew 14:22-33 NIV

) Do you remember why he started to sink?

Lesson:

All after He'd given thanks and broken the bread. God's math surpasses our logic. Give thanks and walk in faith and He'll move everything to meet your needs (came to mind that if all you have is bad food, He can make even that, nourishing!). There is nothing He cannot do. More, there is nothing we cannot do when we walk in Him, in Love.

The Healing Miracle

Miracle:

He took the blind man out of the city to restore his sight. He put His spit on the blind man's eyes to restore His sight.

Interlude:

Do you have that kind of faith? In his shoes would you have said "what the hell?!" and walked away without ever knowing what you missed because of pride? Or would you have surrendered your pride (riskyyy) and stepped out in faith to 'watch Christ work'?

Lesson:

(obviously) if you walk with God in Christ through the intercession of the Holy Spirit by faith, then regardless of how ridiculous the task you're called to, you'll do it. That is what says you know the God you serve.

The Point

Then He closes with 'if you fight for your life you'll lose it, but surrender it to me, and you will gain all'. Those were examples of what we could do, if we trust Him, walk in Him! This doesn't even scratch the surface of all the meaning in, the depth of, this chapter. (The Word is so awesome.)

Source:

www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/large/Mark_8-36.jpg

 for this post - 

lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2014/06/a-glimpse-at-price-of-surrendering-to.html

Everyone reads

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

, and says lightly that they'll drop everything to 'seek first His kingdom', so they could have everything. Well, that means laying down all of your idols to make God in Christ Jesus first. Pride, power, stability, control, money, some friends and relatives - all that you hold above God - lay it down. Ready?

Praying for you to have such a strong love-encounter with God, that it would be inevitable that you put Him first. Amen.

Suffering in Christ is not Suffering for the Sake of Suffering

I wrote this on 24th July, 2010, as an e-mail to my beloved brother and close friends, but thought someone else might benefit from it.  Bless you.

This has been my challenge for many years, as a Christian - knowing that suffering is an understood part of our journey can often lead us to believe that all suffering is something we have to "stay under".  We are all taught to overlook this, but

suffering is not something Christ calls us to do blindly.

  If you're in a bad situation - being abused at home/work, under an oppressive political leader - He never said the 'rule of thumb' is to take it!  The only rules are love, faith and obedience of Christ!

Sources (left to right):

 http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1415/5169438714_903a0ef9f7_z.jpg | http://www.pinterest.com/pin/258394097345108483/

It is through prayerful consideration, guidance from the Holy Spirit and confirmation through sound Christian counsel, that you make that decision.  If He says stay, that your 'work or learning is not finished here yet', then you're called to endure it by Him; you're backed by His strength.  If He's telling you leave, and others 'in Christ' or anywhere tell you stay, He is to be honoured above all men.  If you don't know, but you're dying, I'd say it's safe to leave.  Don't sit there, however, and tell everyone (leading them astray) that you are suffering for God's glory, if you are being disobedient in the very act of suffering; it will only harm you and those you advise to do the same.

If He says love others as you love yourself, then you must first love yourself!  You only learn how to do that when He fills you with His love.

Suffering for the sake of it, apart God's purpose in Christ and Holy Spirit for you, is neither love nor obedience.  1 Peter seems to be the word on this, but in reading I'm sure you will find the other sources.

1 Peter 2:18-19, ESV "18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly." - not 'mindful of suffering before men'.

1 Peter 2:23, ESV "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." - not entrusting himself to man.

1 Peter 3:17, ESV "For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil." - suffer if it is God's will.

He is only glorified in your suffering

if your suffering is His will,

because it is actually testing you if you suffer in obeying Him (

1 Peter 4

:12-13, ESV).  Suffering otherwise just erodes your Spirit's strength, because you aren't leaning on God anymore if you're out of His will.

Food for thought (FFT), right?  Hope this helps you to learn to hear God's voice more, daily, trusting Him, living for Him, rather than following traditions blindly.

[

Note:

Timelines got messed up. This post was created in 2013, and the image added on March 25th, 2014.]