A Journey to Doing 'Yes'

DOING 'yes'- that's the decision. 

And it is a 'decision', a choice. We do not often just accidentally stumble into 'yes'. 

Rather than waiting to decide yes concerning a 'certain particular thing', what if we decide before God TODAY (and every today) to say 'Yes' to 'whatever' and follow that with 'obedient action' as we trust Him to lead us and enable us?

Obedience is not just saying yes. 

Matthew 21:28-31 "'But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.  The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. 'Which of the two did the will of his father?'

It is not the one who says 'yes' who does the will of the Father, it's the one who DOES 'yes'....even if we initially say 'no'.  

God will meet us with His power as we DO 'yes' in answer to His request.

I have a good track record of saying 'yes', but then I let the enemy (and my flesh) intimidate me and make me sit down on the bench (or even back in the stands again).

May we daily, in the Word and prayer, 'kindle afresh the gift of God which is in us' and remind ourselves that we have NOT been given a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline. 'Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord... but suffer for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.' (2 Timothy 1:6-9)

A.W. Tower wrote in The Knowledge of the Holy:
"The decline of the knowledge of the holy has brought on our troubles. A rediscovery of the majesty of God will go a long way toward curing them. It is impossible to keep moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate. If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is." 

And that comes from time in His Word and time in His presence in prayer and worship and listening to His voice, as His sheep know His voice, and this all results in an increase in FAITH.

Let us not be held back in unbelief from action, but may we arise in faith to action.  May faith in our big God speak 'move' to our feet.

I once said, 'I serve a 'BIG' GOD, but live a 'little' life and this should not be'. That statement will always be true when you think about it.  He will always be bigger than we are currently living out, and there will always be more depth and more potential and more and more to know. 

Excel still more!

Joshua 18  "There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, 'How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?"

Then the instructions: 
Arise
Walk through the land
Write a description of it according to your inheritance.

Oh, how long will we 'put off taking possession' of all that we have been given in Christ? Arise, Walk, Write (a description to remind yourself!) 

May we take possession in obedience. 
Walking by faith and not by sight. 
Saying, 'Here am I. Send Me,' rather than, 'Who am I? I can't'.

And may that 'obedience' break open a new freedom within us that the 'disobedience' has allowed to strangle in fear.

A Journey to 'Yes'.

Believing and Acting Upon that Belief Today

On Jan 12th of this year (wow, just last week), I wrote this in my journal:

'Yesterday I found myself describing myself in my head as a professional dreamer. I just 'dream' and 'long for' and enjoy the excitement of thinking of 'what if' and making plans, but I never 'DO'!!!    I don't want to just be a 'dreamer' and a 'thinker' all my life... I want to ACT!, to take the first 'known' steps and not worry about all that I don't know after that. And Lord, I know that that's what You want! Maybe we even need a class on 'faith infusion', to champion one another and whatever God is calling each of us to do: to build up and encourage one another in the midst of a 'world' that is constantly tearing everything down and apart with criticism and shuts us down. So Lord, let me do the next thing... Let me believe and follow Your lead. I don't want to only be a professional dreamer. I CHOOSE to be a 'professional BELIEVER', which always means 'acting upon'.

Then yesterday our pastor spoke at a conference and ended with this challenge (and these are rough notes, but essentially): 
1) what are you supposed to be doing that you are not doing?
 2) (fear of man is a snare) who comes to mind as you think about doing it? Probably that's the person who is impeding your obedience and 
3) what will you do about it TODAY? Be obedient to what God has asked you to do. If He has put something on your heart, you are responsible to obey. 

Well, that last one with the 'TODAY' word worked for me. I sat down and put on paper something that God has had on my heart for years and had shown me the first steps to (that I really, in my flesh, do not long to do/it is on the bottom my dream list honestly). And then I acted on it yesterday so that I couldn't just think about it and decide not to do it. 

For months He's been encouraging me to just do what I already KNOW without all the how's and why's fully answered and has stirred my heart with what it would look like if we ALL did just that with that 'thing' that He has put on our hearts. Just take the first known steps. 

My actions yesterday still seem foolish, and I'm not sure how I am going to follow through (it will ONLY be through His strength and leading, and isn't that where He wants us!) He shows Himself strong in our weakness.  

And THIS right here!! is another that I know that I'm supposed to do and am not.  To write on this blog is never 'urgent'.  You know what I mean? You go from assignment to assignment and deadline to deadline and are constantly trying to keep up with never-ending life responsibilities.  It always seems more prudent to clean my house rather than sit here at the computer writing.

BUT GOD.. (don't you love those words in scripture), but God has asked me, and that makes all the difference (or it should)! I can't even tell you how many times I have argued that someone else could do this better or that someone else already IS doing this better.  Who needs another blogger?!  But He won't have that argument :).  He just responds, "But I've asked you."  And sadly, I have continued to be 'lazy' in this area (forgive me, that word actually is disobedient). I have known that my refusal has been disobedience for years, so I have been obedient is little spurts.

And in recent years, honestly, I feel like I have been stymied by all the loud 'opinions' out there about EVERYTHING with no grace.  Who wants to expose yourself to that, right? And then when I decide to obey, my perfectionism kicks in.  I don't have the time to make it perfect, or my journals are so full of stuff where is the perfect starting place? (what a problem, right?!)

So I have had moments of just desiring even 30 days of just putting it out there and it not needing to be perfect or caring what anyone thinks, etc.  Oh just freedom! Fling it out there and allow my overly careful, perfectionist self to be as much of a 'loose cannon' as my overly careful, perfectionist self could be.

Maybe that's what this TODAY will start.  I give myself to that possibility.  I hope you will too.

I'm an over thinker. I choose to not overthink for the next 30 posts (even if they can't be in consecutive days- I don't think they will but maybe). I choose to be a 'professional believer' for the next 30 posts (and hopefully longer than that), putting my full trust and hope and protection in Him, and I will ACT! (I will start by posting this post! Today.)

Oh, will you join me in that decision if you relate to this? What are you supposed to be doing that you are not currently doing, and what are you going to do about it TODAY?!

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them (does them), may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." Matt. 7:24,25

"'I love you, O Lord, my strength.'
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:1-3

Let me say it again! 'I will not overthink. I will act. I will obey. I will be brave.' Because really, what's the worst that can happen, right? 

I will believe and trust in Him who is able and loves me, and I will rest in His love (no matter what anyone else out there thinks of me :).

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content.." [O Lord, help me to be well content with...] "
with weaknesses,
 with insults, 
with distresses, 
with persecutions, 
with difficulties, 
for Christ's sake; 
for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9,10

I step across the line of fear, and I RISK. 

I say that, and He reminds me that I've actually done that a long time ago/doing things for many years that I would never have done had I not. 

So the difference is: I've stayed very close to that stepped over line and often put at least one foot back over on the other side and have tottered there ('like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind' James 1:6) in doubts. I choose to turn my back on the line and all the doubt that accompanies it and RUN towards THE ONE I TRUST in faith, to care deeply about what He thinks and has asked me to do.

(I choose to post right now as I head out the door even if this is not perfect!)

Bow to No Other

"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;

For I AM God, and there is no other." Isaiah 45:5

So bow to no other: fear, criticism, opposition, persecution, comfort, safety, likability.  Bow to no other thing but Me. Jesus said, "My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do." Luke 12:4

I AM God, and there is no other.

Require My Presence as your greatest need. Psalm 27:8 AMP

I exalt, I put down. I 'trim', I lengthen. I am moving. I am not sitting idly by.  I am at work, and I AM reviving hearts to whole-hearted devotion. 

Even yours. 

Respond.

Lord, You are our greatest need. So we do lay aside all other 'things' that work, actually work, to distract us from wholehearted devotion to You and the ONE thing necessary (sitting at Your feet, listening to Your word- Luke 10:39-42). 

We lay them down. And we choose to come, follow You, denying ourselves (show us Lord what that means for us this day and each day), take up our cross, and follow You: following Your heart, Your walk, Your directions, not just 'hearing your directions' but 'following them' in the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. 

Lord, may we step up into our identity in You and shake off any and all unholy fear, fear that is not of you.  May we fear, reverence, and give deference to You alone.

Lord, raise up an army of the 'serious'. May we love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and live for that day when we stand and give an account to You.

May this express our daily belief, moment by moment:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?

When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear;

Though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident." Psalm 27:1-3

"The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, 

But the righteous are bold (confident) as a lion." Proverbs 28:1

 "On the day I called, You answered me;

You made me bold with strength in my soul." Psalm 138:3 

May that prayer be on our lips in these days!

"Do not be afraid of sudden fear

Nor of the onslaught (storm) of the wicked when it comes; 

For the Lord will be (at your side) your confidence

And will keep your foot from being caught." Proverbs 3:25,26

"For I AM God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is no one like Me.

Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things which have not been done,

Saying, 'My purpose will be established,

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure;..." Isaiah 46:9,10

Free to Obey

He loves you with an unfailing love.

He will not fail you, leave you, or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

Therefore you HAVE HOPE because He, 'the God of hope', (Romans 15:13) is with you.  

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).  Your mind is the seed-bed of life.  What you allow to grow (and what you cultivate there) affects all of life because the way you think inevitably influences the way you live.

Therefore 'think' His TRUTH.

If you have hidden and "treasured" His Word in your heart that you may not sin against Him, you will KNOW truth, (John 8:32) and the truth will make you free to obey.

'Free? to obey? doesn't sound very freeing', you say?

Rebellion to the Word of God, sin, and living in any way that is not according to His truth set forth in His Word, 'handed down once for all to the saints' (Jude 1:3) is actually setting yourself up for slavery. "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience, resulting in righteousness?" Romans 6:16

It is for freedom that Christ has set you free (Gal. 5), freedom from sin, from the power of sin and its devastating consequences, and freedom to walk in obedience to how He 'knows' that it 'works' and how it works well, for peace and abundant life and eternal life.  He knows, because He is THE Creator of all of life. He does have the right and rule and reign on how it all correctly functions well, for our good and His glory.

Therefore, freedom, real freedom, is in the Holy Spirit empowered ability to live in obedience to Him alone, not an 'I can do it myself how I want freedom' or in obedience to the "lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, which is not from the Father, but is from the world." (1 John 2:16)  No, a freedom to obey God and find LIFE: dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11,13). That is what Jesus has miraculously done for us, Church.  God forbid that we ever find ourselves fighting for the right to encourage sin! Do you realize that it is the LEAST LOVING thing we could do!  Don't fall into that trap of the enemy. 

The TRUTH is... 

(and I feel like someone out there may want me to be softer and kinder and not include these next few verses, but I feel like we are in a 'serious' time where God is not calling us to be 'softer' and edge around the truth and allow the enemy to continue deluding and 'creeping into' even the church's thinking, but it IS time to hide, store up, 'treasure His Word'- all of it's truth, not just the easy, feel good- and not only hear it but DO it.  -"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord', and do not do what I say?" Luke 6:46-  Free to obey. And another honest side note here: I would kind of like to stop there and skip to the last line and verse in my notebook, but I put pen to paper this morning for this assignment-what to put on my blog TODAY- and prayed and asked God what He wanted to talk about, and this is what just came and these are the verses that He brought to mind in this context.  This is what He says in His Word. And it is truth that we need to live by and teach and not lower any of His standards for our own lives and the lives of others. And let us NOT listen to the enemy's lie that whispers, 'Well, maybe we don't know how to correctly 'interpret' that.  That may not be what it really means.'=LIE!, a pervasive current lie of the enemy.  Let's love one another enough to not be part of the 'deluding' (2 Thess. 2:11) problem.  Let's not be influenced by the 'persuasive arguments' (Col. 2:4). And honestly, we are so bombarded that to not be negatively influenced, we ALL MUST know His Word like the back of our hands, having it always before us! Are you 'treasuring' it?!)

The truth is: 

"Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4 .."Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. 6:9-11 That is what we were, and now we are free to obey and live abundant life with the peace that the world is desperately SEARCHING for! That is good news. 

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions (heresies), envying, drunken, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:19-24 

 We live in a society that is fighting for the rights of its citizens to freely live in that first list.  And if we come alongside that movement with an attitude of 'live and let live', we are not caring about the eternal consequences nor the peace and fruit of the Spirit that we are able to enjoy but is kept from those who do not know Him as their personal Savior.

Therefore, speak the truth in love. And if I may put that in other words: 

Love enough to speak truth! All truth.

"All scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16


Even though this is long and I've probably already lost a lot of you, rather than just writing the reference to that familiar truth of speaking truth, let me close with that verse in its larger context from the Amplified Version Eph. 4:12-15

 "...12 [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; 13 until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]. 14 So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit]. 15 But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ."

Serious Times Take Serious Measures

 God says, 'I AM serious, and you cannot be 'too serious' about Me.'

Do not be deluded by "persuasive arguments" (Col.2:4). 

They may be persuasive, but "see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Col. 2:8). 

Oh church, may we have our eyes wide open. And may we be used by God, to whom He sends us to, 'to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:17,18).

These are not times to encourage people in so-called 'freedom' that leads to sin and death, but to encourage death to self that leads to righteousness: dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:6-11).

  These are serious times.  

Without the truth of THE Word, we will not make it. It is the Word that cleanses, washes, and is the power to change and to build faith. 

If truth is not lifted up, along with the call of obedience to it, then we have the opposite: unclean, without power, no change, and lack of faith.  And without faith, it is impossible to please God. 

Has God been calling you to something that you've had some inner resistance to, thinking it to be a little too 'serious', too radical, being 'too hard on yourself', too risky, or thinking 'I don't see anyone else doing that, so why must I?', etc? 

If you seek Him for clarification and, following Paul's example, don't 'immediately consult with flesh and blood' (human beings, Gal. 1:16),  He'll confirm if that 'serious, radical' call is of Him or not. 

Serious times take serious measures. 

God IS serious, and you cannot be 'too serious' about Him.'

Oh may we have hearts that He can strongly support because they are completely His!

Stand On the Truth of the Word

I believe that there will be more and more lines drawn in the sand, more and more issues for those who carry the name of Christ to decide: 'Where will I stand? Will I STAND FIRM WITH God and on His Word or will I stand on the wrong side of truth and therefore against Him (Matt. 12:30)?'

 This is no time to be neutral, undecided, or double-minded (wavering, uncertain).  Double-mindedness only leads to being unstable in ALL our ways (James 1:5-8, 4:7,8) and therefore 'unable' to STAND, being 'tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming...'  (Eph. 4:14). 

We are warned of those who creep in unnoticed (Jude 1:4) and twist the application of truth (turning the grace of God into licentiousness). We are told that some will pay attention to 'deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons' (1 Tim. 4:1) and are told to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all handed down to the saints (Jude 1:3).

Choosing to be 'neutral' is not an option. On the issue of sin, God is not neutral, and the culture cannot redefine sin. Being 'neutral' and 'silent' will not only be part of the problem, but it will also be siding with the enemy.

One 'whose heart is completely His' stands on the truth of the Word and is not afraid to proclaim it.

"Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.  What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." Matthew 10:26-31

A Heart Fully His

"For the eyes of the Lord 

move to and fro throughout the earth 

that He may strongly support 

those whose heart is completely His." 

2 Chronicles 16:9 

Globally we are living in a time of great trouble, strife, shaking, and demarcation, and many are in need of the strong support that only He can give.

We MUST have His strong support to be victorious overcomers in 'this present evil age', and His Word says that He strongly supports those whose hearts are fully given to Him. Because we want His strong support (but even more than that, because He deserves our whole heart), shouldn't this be a goal not only for our own lives but also a goal in the forefront of our discipleship, mentoring, parenting, and friendships? 

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen." Galatians 1:3-5

Welcome to my write31days start page. (I have company visiting until mid-october, so I plan to fully start my 31days then.  But here are some thoughts until then.)

Click on the link below to be directed to the other days of this series: A Heart Fully His

Day 2: Stand On the Truth of the Word
Day 3: Serious Times Take Serious Measures

(Okay, here we go.)
Day 4: Free to Obey
Day 5: Bow To No Other