To be reasonable with God, we must be willing to change our way of thinking and seek to see all things through the lenses of the Holy Spirit looking intently for God’s perspective.

Pride is an unreasonable negotiation with God, because God is God.  We need Jesus.  God’s Holy Word is our new perception, but we need to read it to know how to respond to all situations that come to us in this life.

Life is not always easy, but life is possible if we believe! What is life to you?  Life is with God; and we must learn more and more about who is God to reside with God by learning how to abide in the love of God.  There are benefits to agreeing with God by our faith!  God is God!  God is God is the benefit that is enough to life with God!!!

Wow! That blows my mind!  Glory be to God!

John 14:6Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Who is Jesus to you?

Recognizing the joy and happiness in serving the Lord is the beginning of understanding God’s Way is good and good for us. Yes, the fear of the Lord is respecting who God is, which drives us to being willing and desiring to be pleasing to God.

Proverbs 9:10 King James Version

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

I hope to encourage you to discover your blessings, as I do, by encouraging you to ask God for His help in uncovering your heart for you to see what God already knows.  I am responsible for allowing the Holy Spirit to unveil my heart to me about the things God wants me to address by my faith.  You are responsible for you; and by your faith.  God has given us a measure of faith to believe in Jesus … and then we must ask, seek and know to grow in our faith that pleases God.

It is the same Holy Spirit of God directing each believer’s path God’s Way; in Jesus Name; and I convinced, that believers face similar battles in this world, but overcome by the same faith … just different measures according to the purpose we are called by God’s all-knowing Wisdom and plan.  For those who have not placed your personal measure of faith to believe in Jesus as your hope yet, there is only one hope, whose name is Jesus!  Apply your faith and believe.  God’s Spirit will welcome you if you open your heart to invite Jesus in your life.

As we dive in to today’s study, my only goal is to encourage you in your time with the Lord that even by reading this, the Spirit of the Lord will direct your mind closer and closer to God; and this is my only goal:  Not to govern your faith, but to help you find your joy.

Not to govern your faith, but to help you find your joy.

2 Corinthians 2:24 (NLT translation) says my heart best:

But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

Focal questions:

1. What would happen if we changed our way of thinking to God’s?  The Holy Spirit has a mind; and so do we –Which mind is our personal priority to listen to?
2. What would happen if we changed our way of thinking from my way to God’s Way?
3. What would happen if we would strive to do what God wants, instead of what we would prefer?
4. What if we stopped negotiating with God and started agreeing, by faith and understanding … seeking Wisdom from Heaven in Jesus Name, with our personal obedience to the things that we learn to know pleases God?

 

The difference we should all notice is the fullness of joy, with blessings from Heaven in our life!  This is the great reward that no money can buy.

Connecting to God is blessed; connecting to our pride is a dangerous hindrance, because prides opposes God and says, my way is right and there is another way apart from God’s Way, Jesus.

Humility is a doer of God’s Holy Word showing God how much we believe and how grateful we are.  If you are already struggling with these words, perhaps God is revealing to you what pride looks like; and because God loves you this much, He wants to set you free from those chains that have choked out your peace and joy for far too long.

“I can …with my help that comes from the Lord”!

Pay attention to your words –Do you say, “I can’t”?  Or, I won’t?  What if, you changed your words to “I can with my help that comes from the Lord”!  Yes, there is purpose in doing what God nudges our heart to do!  Are you really willing to negotiate with God IF you see that is what is really happening in your spiritual walk with God?  Really, if you were really honest with yourself, do you prefer to negotiate with God, because you have reasons of why your way of thinking beats God’s?

If I were honest, I thank God I have learned from the Bible that God has problems with my way of thinking!  Again and again and there will most assuredly be another again, God is correcting my way of thinking to better and better align with the plan of my Salvation!

We were not saved to do as we please.  We are saved to be the light and salt of the world to serve Jesus, because we know and believe in the love God has for us (whosoever might believe).  We have purpose on this earth at this time!  Our purpose is not to “get by” each day and make money and paying bills and love those easy to love, sure in part loving those we love is surely a part, but our purpose on this earth is bigger!  Our purpose is to discover the love of Jesus; and learn how to apply God’s love to our personal life.  And then, if we are called to teach, or minister in some way or another, let us serve God in a humble way, according to how the Holy Spirit teaches us and serve in the ministry gift that God has given us, according to the purpose each believer is called to demonstrate the love that has saved the world; whosoever might believe.

Painting a picture …

This series is built on a practical experience of removing old wallpaper; and how I dreaded the job.  I had more thoughts of “I can’t” …that I even grew angry that I felt like I had to do this task, when I thought there was a better way in the first place.  This my friend is that dangerous pride that the Bible teaches us about.  But what I discovered was a freedom and an empowering joy and happiness, when I accomplished by faith what God knew was possible, and good for me, all along!

Honestly, I needed my husband to believe in the purpose set before me, for me to begin a job by my faith.  I have great believing faith, yet I really experienced the power in doubt!

I doubted the purpose in my faith in this particular situation that I was face to face with!

My self-will rose up to wrongfully negotiate how I should apply my faith.  Should I even try?  Or, would my faith be a waste of my time?

Friend, whose time it is anyway?  Isn’t time in God’s possession?

Now this is my wallpaper story, but still this is  painting a picture of seeking God’s Vision and trusting enough to do what God says to do. We can’t know what God want’s to reveal to us, unless we are willing to walk by faith!  This is just a picture, but this is still a very real way of walking in our relationship with God.

What opportunities to walk by faith are you face to face with today?  What does God have to say about it?  You faith is the key to overcoming by grace in the trusting God. Doing all you know to do that pleases God; whatever that may be, but always faith will align with God’s Holy Word (in Spirit and Truth; in Word and in evidence of peace and joy).

Yet, what I see in this “wallpaper” picture is that our believing hope can become buried under a bushel of doubts when we can’t seem to grasp a real purpose in what we are called to do by faith.  This is when self-will will want to rise up to justify and compromise with God’s will.

Are you willing to be honest with yourself is your question.  Am I willing to be honest with myself is my question that I must answer when I am face to face with a decision.  We need to dive into God’s Word and through prayer to discover God’s Will.  Then apply the faith by God’s direction alone and trust God in doing the very work that is spiritual and very real!

 

Obviously, I am thinking of personal experiences of just these kinds of things of how I ask God, “Okay I hear you, BUT HOW?  God you know ____.”  God told me how and directed me to know what to do and how.  And as always, God knows what HE is doing!  God works all things together for the good according to the purpose we are called to be transformed into the image of God’s Son!

Glory be to God!  Please hear me testify.  God is Holy and good.  God will not let you down.  Pray and seek God’s Way!  He will do the work for you.  Seek God’s vision always and in all things!  God will never leave nor forsake you.  God really does love us so much!!!

At these times, I at least the faith of a mustard seed to do the work of faith until I discovered the size of the life that lives in that seed of faith!  The Seed is the Word of God. This wallpaper story is relational to every situation that we are called to face in this broken world, BUT that we are saved by grace in!

Thank you Jesus!

What if we just focused on the example of Jesus; and turned away from our pride and toward learning more and more in the Word of God about the character of God and the devotion of His Son?  What would it look like if all believers showed the world how grateful we are –even when we don’t understand, (by faith)?

What is that wallpaper you have been called to deal with that you have tossed aside as even having purpose to use your faith toward the mission or cause?  Are you willing to give your time to the Lord for something God has put on your heart to do?  If you want to hear from God; honor God by your faith in Jesus Name; and be a doer of the Word of God.

The wonderful thing about the Word of God is that every answer that we need is contained in that book waiting for anyone to discover and apply to our life.

Why do you think Satan tries to slander the Word of God so much?  Even Satan knows the power of life that is written in that good book.  The Word of God (written and living) is a gift from God to help us survive in this world AFTER the miracle through Jesus!

There is a bigger picture here!!!  Just as there was a bigger picture waiting to be seen with the wallpaper that first had to be removed, before I could see the final finish!  To me, this picture is bigger than the wallpaper.  The picture is grand, because of the work God did in me to show me how powerful it is to believe God has a purpose in every challenge that comes to our faith!

I wish I could tell you more details in just how much this means to me, but what I can do, is encourage you in your situations to let God show you what HE already knows about the things relevant in your life!  God cares about every detail in your life!!!  God will help you, but God won’t do for us what HE has told us HOW to do for ourself…

This is the faith that moves mountains! Speak to your mountains!  See with God’s vision there is purpose beyond that mountain that is in your view.  Look beyond your capabilities alone to God’s ability, who lives in you and abide in HIM through His Son!  There is purpose to apply your faith to believe and hope to see what God already knows!  God wants you to reach that place to experience life with Him through Christ!

Walk by faith my friends and discover hope that exceeds human perception and capabilities!  There is a happiness that is called joy; and this is a living hope that is alive through the Name of Jesus.  Will you trust in God and trust also in His Son.  You can!  will you say, I can?  Please don’t say, I can’t with reason; or I won’t with doubt.  Follow Jesus; and obey what the Holy Spirit speaks to you to believe and come into a real authentic agreement with the Word of God every time doubt enters your mind!

Choose the Mind of Christ and make this Mind of God the priority of your Faith!

Focus on that with the Lord says; and hear His voice minister help, comfort, strength and courage in the truth, the way and the life of following Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God.  Peace and Joy are the blessings of life with God to you!  The Spirit of the Living God through Jesus Christ will give you a better Wisdom than Satan’s wisdom that comes to you to stop you from discovering the blessings of peace and joy that are relevant to our personal new life with God that is everlasting and eternal!!!

Praise be to God!

How can we refuse Jesus now?  Think about that the next time your pride rears up to give you a better plan than God’s?  Really?  There is no other plan to exceed the knowledge and Wisdom of God from Heaven that comes to us to lead us in the path of Righteousness for Righteousness’s sake!

 

Yes, there is Hope!  And, yes, God has a purpose!  Use your faith.

I believe it is good to also share that there is a joy set before us with Jesus; the same joy that God set before Jesus that He loved us enough to pray for us, die for us and Jesus knew that He would also live for us!  The church, following in unity, with God is the joy that is set by God to Jesus.  Jesus died to set us free from anything that steals our joy.  In other words, WE CAN overcome challenges to our faith if we keep our minds on the Mind of God following our Lord and Savior.

Joy comes to us –when we discover hope that is already there; and we please the Holy Spirit by following His guidance by faith that trusts in God’s plan and believing the purpose God has set for us in motion!  Will you walk by faith is as simple as believing God wants you to be obedient to His Voice.

Faith goes beyond what we notice and see …

Like a diver puts on his gear and goes under the water to discover what is already there, will you pray and see what the Lord may speak to your situations that you need hope for, but perhaps have lost the ability to believe in the purpose of hoping?

Perhaps, have you misplaced your hope

Perhaps, have you misplaced your hope; like I did when I was faced with the struggle to align my way of thinking to another’s faith, but of the same Spirit of God? Literally, I had to align with my husband; and in Christ, this is a powerful experience to understand the value of adding my faith to my husband’s faith!!!  Then, my faith arose!!!  And mercy me, and praise to God, this is a picture of how hope arises when we believe enough to add our faith to the virtue of God. We will discover the purpose!

Do you hope to give up on ___________?

Now, I cannot tell you the answer, but what is God saying to you?

And does the voice you hear agree with God’s Word on that subject?

I could tell you testimonies, but God will give you your own!

I could tell you testimonies, but God will give you your own!  It is good to seek God’s will by faith; and then Press on according to how the Holy Spirit guides… Until you discover what God already knows!  The thing is too, what is it that Satan is trying so hard to destroy?  And, Why?

what is it that Satan is trying so hard to destroy?  And, Why?

It is good to know God’s thoughts and read His word.

 

It is good to seek the Holy Spirit –Have you been introduced to the Holy Spirit?  Perhaps the next post –Lord willing we can discuss more in detail, but ask God to help you understand and invite the Holy Spirit as your helper and make Him welcome in your heart and in your home; and in the Name of Jesus Christ, who died for your sins to be forgiven and rose again for you to have life through Him, because you believe by faith; and by grace your are saved.

Read the Bible and hear the Voice of God!

The theme of this post is to explore your heart with God; and get God’s vision, before you toss away your hope of seeing the possibilities in what is already there!  To pick up the tools that you have been provided through Jesus (the Bible and the gift of the Holy Spirit); and apply your faith to be a doer of God’s Will; God’s way …for the benefit of your joy to be complete!

Honestly, Love works!  Give God the microphone to your brain!  And feed your brain the Truth of God’s Word!  Don’t deny yourself because of pride.  Pride is the hindrance to hearing from God.  Are you listening for God?  Are you willing to hear God’s Voice?  Are you willing to obey the Voice of the Lord?

weighing our thoughts of our soul against our heart of God

These are honest to God questions that we must be willing to address in our own mind, while weighing our thoughts of our soul against our heart of God.  Do you want a stubborn heart filled with pride; or a heart of God filled by grace of the things that please God?

Really, this is so simple and doesn’t even seem offending, because this is the honest to God truth that we need to explore to see how much does our heart really trust and believe in God?

we need to explore to see how much does our heart really trust and believe in God?

What good things could God be trying to reveal to you, that you don’t see God’s purpose in the work that is involved / required by you, by your faith?

Like the wallpaper temptation that I experienced …That it may be easier to replace the supporting structure with new, than to remove, renew, restore and replenish what is right in front of me? 

In other words,

In other words, as I removed the old and ugly outdated and tattered wallpaper (representing the human nature oppostions to God), the surface (representing our souls, marriages and relationship with God) was prepared to be renewed like Christ renews us and in us all good things…

…In relationships, with God, with people; and even the wallpaper of your heart that God wants to remove the old ways of opposing thinking and doing; and replenish to make new in Godly attitudes and approaches, in Christ!  It is not always easy to surrender pride to do God’s will, but there is a miracle of Joy in Jesus that is free flowing once we do God’s Will.

Satan can’t imitate peace.  And, he can’t give joy.  But he will tempt you with a mirage of immediate human satisfaction, but that opposes God’s intentions.  Seek Jesus; and discover what God does for me.  I won’t trade my blessings from God for an imitation that will never last!

My mind whirls with a renewed idea about the power of believing that comes from seeking to understand possibilities from God’s perspective (Upper knowledge Wisdom of YES there is purpose; and Yes there is hope!) –and this is when HOPE arises, by our faith in obeying the Voice of God!

Holy Spirit you are welcome here!

At the end of my wallpaper removal day, this was my final reflection on my day:

“When you try something you thought was impossible; and accomplish the task ~ it is a work that makes you happy!”

Hope looks like:  The power of believing!

I believe it is our job to share a light of hope in [how to believe] when we can’t see the purpose in what we have to go through.

Pause right there …

Please don’t think that I am comparing your situation to Wallpaper; I am only using something in a way that God showed me the effect that faith has on our ability to believe something is possible!

Hope is living!

Hope is a living spiritual organism!

The effect by faith is to align our heart to hope (CHOOSE HOPE) to press through what we believe is good to do (Pleasing God). The power of believing fuels our faith when hope arises by faith; the same faith that it took faith to 1^st believe!

The power of believing fuels our faith when hope arises by faith; the same faith that it took faith to 1^st believe!

It is a spiritual experience!  God reveals hope through faith.  God won’t do for us what He has called us to do for our self.  As we work through difficulties and challenges, by faith –even faith as small as a mustard seed, when we can retain & seek to have a higher focus on Jesus, whom is our view of the seemingly impossible; and the Spirit of the Lord convinces us to believe (the possible)by faith, and until we see.  Faith works & Believing is powerful; and once we discover hope –all things become possible!

 

Will you pray to hear what God wants to speak to your heart about something relevant in your life?

In closing,

Pay attention to your words –Do you say, “I can’t”?  Or “I won’t”?  What IF you changed your words to, “I can … with my help that comes from the Lord!”  Focus on God’s will and purpose in Jesus, with the Lord and hear His voice minister help to you!  Jesus will give you a better Wisdom for a significance, than Satan’s wisdom that come to you to stop you.

I hope this is a blessing of encouragement to you to seek to find the prize of beautiful blessings of grace, which is full of the freedoms in Peace and Joy and happiness that is in the Lord; and meant for you; and is in front of you to discover.

What IF you changed your words to,

“I can … with my help that comes from the Lord!”

I hope this is a blessing to you.   I am a volunteer.  I don’t get paid for ministry work.  God blesses me with other work.  Yet, I am grateful for this website to reach you and I have been given the okay by God to support FGGAM with my financial support; as well as my time in writing to you.  I serve God not man, yet it is good to be a good steward of all God provides.  Blessings forward because we are grateful.  If you are blessed by God in this website, will you also join me in supporting FGGAM with a nominal donation to further this work in the great commission of reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus?

Here’s the picture:

Here’s the picture:  Put your finger up in the air and point to you and say “I”  You are significant and valuable to God.  God loves you and values you.  Don’t underestimate how much God does value you.  Through your struggles, God has purpose!  Use your faith to get all the knowledge God has for you to know how to respond with the grace of God!

Together, we can say, “I” am the church, because we believe in Christ, which our personal position with God in the Kingdom of God.  You are the church the same as me when you believe; and I the same as you, because of Jesus.  Don’t be surprised to learn that Satan hates you.  The enemy’s mission is to keep you from your knowledge of God’s love for you.

You are invited to be the kingdom of God!

You are invited to be the kingdom of God!  Once you believe, you can serve.  This, my friend, is ultimate purpose! Are you furthering the Kingdom of God’s Work?  You can by your good deeds by faith according to what God speaks to your heart personally.

 This, my friend, is ultimate purpose!

Key words:

• Perception: Higher understanding with God’s view for faith to attempt to understand there is purpose in what God is calling you to do as your thoughts align with God’s Word.  How does God see what you are looking at?  God’s perception is beyond what we think.  God is God.  What does God have to say about it?  If you give, Give, because it is God’s.  If you do, Do, because God did for you; and the Bible has directed your heart to agree with the voice that God’s Spirit speaks to your heart things we did not know.  If you love, Love because you are loved.  If you are grateful, show God how grateful you are.  WE can love others as Christ has So loved us, we just need to learn God’s method of how.  We need to be willing to discover what God already knows.

Hosea 4:6King James Version (KJV)

⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

 

• Happiness: Discovering the true JOY in the Lord.
• Freedom: Will you write our own story?

 

I hope this is a blessing to you!

Love in Christ,

Karen Rowe

Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.

The Train Whistle, Sounding the call of God’s Love [2012 Published Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC]