Day 7: Sinner? or Saint?

Forgetting:  I am a sinner.

Remembering:  i WAS a sinner, now I am a saint.   I am now dead to the law.  The law served a purpose, to show me my need for Jesus.

Just as Jesus died I died with Him.  I know am not to worry about the law of sin.  Now I am to live as Jesus lived.  He will help me so that I can bring about Gods will for my life.

Jesus changed my spiritual DNA.  Now I look like Christ.  It's not always easy but worth it.

Update 11/11/17
While the above is true.  It is also true that I do sin, everyday.  It's important to remember that when we sin, we confess our sins in order to be set free. I John 1:8 -10
⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Day 6: Pleasing God First

Forgetting:  the ideas that come to my brain that people don't like me.

Remembering:  people can only like me to the extent I love myself.  I was not put on earth to please people, but to please God.

Update:  11/11/17:
This one is almost funny.  The Bible teaches us that we can capture our thoughts and bring them into submission to the truth of scripture.  I am learning it does not really matter if people like me or not.  I'm here to do my job, regardless of what I am doing.  

Day 5: Change

Forgetting:  it won't change anything.  I wonder how many people don't speak up because they do not believe it will make a difference.

Remembering:  that silence can be condoning.  If no one speaks up nothing will change.

Change may be hard at times, but change is needed for growth.   God's ways are higher than my ways.  

Update 11/11/17:
I do make a difference.  Fortunately, I do know that how I make a difference will likely not be known in this life.  It's the little things that are the biggest.  A cup of cold water in the name of the Lord, is a good example. 

Extra, extra

Sometimes when you start out on a journey you don't know what the route looks like.  At times you may go through a place you have never been before.
When I started out on this journey, I didn't realize some of the implications of what I was doing.  One thing I had been doing monthly I will no longer be doing.  This is a ministry I had been involved in for a number of years.  It was very difficult to stop.  However for over a year God was preparing me.
Per prophecies I have received and what I have received from God, I have three main ways God uses me.  These are:  prophecy, prayer and healing.
In my case I believe that God is helping me to unlearn somethings so that I can re-learn kingdom principles.  What makes this hard is that most of my Christian friends probably do not understand.  The fact remains that God works differently with me than others.

Update:  2/3/15
I am happy to report growth and repentance in my life.
I have the release to begin praying again for the ministry mentioned above.
God has done work in my heart.  He has re-ordered priorities, put relationships in correct places in my heart.  It is such a joy to pray for my fellow workers for the gospel.  Also, this means being able to be a helper to a dear friend of mine.  My helping her, I am helping the cause of the gospel of Christ.

Update:  2/7/15
I have yielded to the call of the Holy Spirit, regarding my call to being a watchman.  I know it will be hard, I likely will suffer in many ways.  

Update 11/11/17:
I had no idea how I would suffer.  This journey is hard at times.  My friends and family often do not understand where I am coming from.  They want me to toe the "Christian line".  Change is not easily embraced by "Christianity".  However, the deep, abiding peace of God is worth it all.  When I stand before God, I want to hear him say "Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord."
Unfortunately, I have seen relationships change that I thought would always be there.  I've seen problems where I could not imagine.  BUT it's time for me to rise up and put my faith in the ONE who will not fail me.  That is my everlasting Father, the prince of Peace, and my Lord and Christ Jesus.

Day 4: Spirituality

Forgetting:  a poverty spirit

Remembering:  my God and Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  He uses gold to pave streets.   He creates universes.  His worlds are songs composed of light and music.  Despite all He has he chooses to love the people He created.  He promised that He would meet all my needs according to his riches in glory.

Read:  Psalms   David talks about the majesty of God.  While I don't understand it,  I do know that God cares about my every need.

Update 11/11/17:
While I believe that this idea of a purpose driven life is akin to heresy, I do believe that God has work for me to do.  My "work" is to do the will of the Father.  I am to do good works daily.  Those good works could be many things, such as:  a smile at a disheartened co-worker, crying with someone in pain, listening patiently instead of thinking of all I could be doing, being patient in a line at a store, cooking a meal for my family.  These are the will of the Father, and a whole lot more. 

Day 3: God's Love

Forgetting:  I am just_________ (fill in the blank.)

Remembering:

I am the apple of the Lords eye

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

I live in the shadow of Almighty God

I am the righteousness of God in Christ

I am seated in heavenly places.

Read Psalm 139

Update 11/11/17:
This is a great reminder.  I'm very glad I'm taking another look at these blogs before I start writing new blogs.  I want to show others my path so that I can hopefully keep someone from being deceived.

Day 2: Influence

Forgetting:  I have no influence on anyone.

Remembering:  I am called to be salt and light in this world.  It is not about how it looks but about God.  If I obey God the results are His responsibility.

Light dispels darkness.  Darkness automatically leaves when light enters.  Isaiah 60:1 says to:  Arise SHINE for you light has come.

Salt is a preservative and brings out the flavor.  All Christians have a responsibility to the world around them.  I am no exception.
This is one of the things that should be basic Christianity.  Unfortunately, it seems that even seasoned Christians are not immune to deception.

Update 11/11/17:
I feel like I'm running in place.  Expending energy, but not getting anywhere.  However, I'm more convinced than ever that most American Christians are very deceived.   I had no idea until I stopped listening to the propaganda of the "Christian" community at large.  More on that to come.

Day one: The Tongue

Forgetting this:  thinking that I will always  get into trouble because of my tongue.

So before too long into my day I found that I had done it again.  Opened mouth and I inserted foot.  It seems that many people do this and it doesn't bother them.  

It did bother me.  I want to change.  According to the book of James, taming the tongue is possible.  It's hard but possible. 

Learning:  to tame the tongue.

It seems that in order to succeed, I should be wise in my speech.  I probably would benefit from reading James 3 often.
Another good thought would be to read Proverbs daily.

Future:  reading James has brought up other issues I believe I need to deal with.

Update 11/11/17:
I am still having trouble with the tongue.  I am still hopeful that I will grow closer to God and part of this is taming that tongue.  I do talk a lot less than I did, but it seems like talking gets me into trouble.  I am trying to listen more and talk less.  

The Beginning

I was reading Kris Valloten's book Spirit Wars this morning.  This one sentence jumped out at me:  "What I did not realize until that night was that I had been educated right out of my solution."  That hit me hard.  This thought came to me, "what if I could forget what I thought I knew about God and start fresh and learn again"  It sounds crazy.  That is the purpose of this blog, a reset, a new beginning.  Starting without preconceived ideas about God.  Doing what new Christians do.
My plan:  to write what I am forgetting and what I am learning.

Afterward:  Coincidentally?  Tonight I watched "God's Not Dead".  It is about a student who chooses to accept a challenge to try to prove that God is not dead.

Update:  2/16/15
This has been a much different journey than I had expected.  But just as a plant is pruned to help it grow and produce more, so have I been pruned.  This winter has been long and cold.  In many ways it has been hard but joyful.  It won't be long until I hear the words, "Lo, the winter is past....."

Update 11/11/17
How far this journey has taken me.  I believe that if I had not left the Standard American "Church", I would be a dead and cold Christian.  I am shocked to see where I am now.  But there is the "life" of God stirring in my heart and I believe that I am closer to being like Christ.  Is that not what we are meant to be?  Formed in the image of Christ.  I am planning to update my blogs first and there continue on, by relating how I have gotten from where I was to where God has brought me.  I have a glimpse of my future.  I believe that many Christians all over the world are escaping "church" in order to become the body of Christ, His church, also called the "remnant".