I have caught up on some reading and audio book listneing in the last month or so. I have listened to Brain Zahn's audio book Uncondtional, Rob Bell's book Love Wins, What we talk about when we talk about God, Velvet Elvis, and last but not least Jesus wants to save Christians. Through reading and listening to these books I am finding that my God is getting much bigger and much more tolerant and much more with us and for us. It has caused me to realize how much of what I have adopted over the years has been doctrine that has had at its core been a rigid set of beliefs. I found comfort in having a set of rigid beleifs becuase they gave me a sense of security and power. I am not saying that we should not have a set of beliefs. Those beliefs should never become the point, the center or the end of the conversation. I am discovering that my God is big enough to use an atheist to do His will as well as a spirit filled man or woman. I am discovering that God is not so much interested in whether or not we confessed a belief in certain things as much as He is interested in how we treat our friends, neighbors and enemies. What am I thinking, doing and saying when no one is around to watch or listen? These are the things that serve as sign posts to us and others as to which journey we are on:one of proselytizing or one of follow me as I follow Jesus.
So in a nut shell I am re-examining what I believe and how I have come to believe what I believe. I am re-thinking what is the most Christ-like way to invite others to consider what change it would make in them if they truly believed that God loved them, accepted them, and was for them. This includes me as well.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Power of Super Natural Language
I want to put down in words for myself and whoever else might read this that there is a power that those who follow Christ have not fully embraced. We have left it to be sought out by individuals as they so desire instead of preaching, and teaching about it. I know the subject has been used to divide. That should tell us all the more that there is power in the use of super natural language (speaking in unknown tongues). Select any women or man of God that has demonstrated consistently that signs and wonders follow their ministry and you will find a person who speaks in unknown tongues on a regular daily basis.
Why has this truth not been taught by most churches? Is it out of fear? It is out of a desire to avoid conflict? God has given us a spiritual weapon to use in prayer that most followers of Christ do not employ. I have had my super natural language since I was 16 years of age. I have not always availed myself of its power over the years. I guess that is why I am desiring to write about it. I want to stir myself up about how important it is not to let what others think cause me to change my spiritual routines.
During the past few months I have used my super natural language more and I have seen a dramatic increase in the effectiveness of the prayers I pray in English. I have noticed I have more favor at work and I have experienced more victory in my personal life involving relationships and my own battle with weight issues.
God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. I know it sounds crazy that babbling in an unknown language would result in any positive outcome other than making you sound crazy. But the truth is God tells us in His word that our spirit prays His perfect will when we use our super natural language. We are afforded the ability of by passing our unsaved mind and we connect directly to the Spirit of God that dwells in us.
The Bible says the the mind is at war with the spirit. The mind needs to be renewed. It is renewed by the word of God. The more we spend time in the word the more the prayers we pray in our natural tongue will be in line with God's will. But many times I truly do not know what God's will is in a given situation. There are also times I may be unaware of other situations that need prayer. But the Spirit of God in me knows all things. I can pray effectively about even unknown situations correctly by using my super natural language.
Now some of you reading this may not even know how to go about starting to pray in your super natural language. It is easy. The model of receiving this gift that is laid out in scripture is to find someone who you know does pray in a super natural language and ask them to pray for you to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that our Heavenly Father would not deny anyone who asks for the Holy Spirit.
Just like salvation it is a gift of faith. Once the prayer is prayed you just open your mouth and let the sounds fall out. Initially you may just have a phrase or two that you find yourself saying over and over. As you continue to use your super natural language your vocabulary will increase over time. Some people may even find that the sound of language changes. Sometime I sound like I am praying in some tribal dialect and other times I think it sounds Asian.
I challenge you to ask Jesus to give you your super natural language if you have not done so and if you have your super natural language start using it everyday. I try to pray in my super natural language everyday. I usually do it when I am alone in the car. I believe you will begin to see a difference in those areas of your life where you have struggled with experiencing breakthrough.
What have you got to lose? I would love to hear about your experience. Please share so that others will benefit form your experience.
Why has this truth not been taught by most churches? Is it out of fear? It is out of a desire to avoid conflict? God has given us a spiritual weapon to use in prayer that most followers of Christ do not employ. I have had my super natural language since I was 16 years of age. I have not always availed myself of its power over the years. I guess that is why I am desiring to write about it. I want to stir myself up about how important it is not to let what others think cause me to change my spiritual routines.
During the past few months I have used my super natural language more and I have seen a dramatic increase in the effectiveness of the prayers I pray in English. I have noticed I have more favor at work and I have experienced more victory in my personal life involving relationships and my own battle with weight issues.
God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. I know it sounds crazy that babbling in an unknown language would result in any positive outcome other than making you sound crazy. But the truth is God tells us in His word that our spirit prays His perfect will when we use our super natural language. We are afforded the ability of by passing our unsaved mind and we connect directly to the Spirit of God that dwells in us.
The Bible says the the mind is at war with the spirit. The mind needs to be renewed. It is renewed by the word of God. The more we spend time in the word the more the prayers we pray in our natural tongue will be in line with God's will. But many times I truly do not know what God's will is in a given situation. There are also times I may be unaware of other situations that need prayer. But the Spirit of God in me knows all things. I can pray effectively about even unknown situations correctly by using my super natural language.
Now some of you reading this may not even know how to go about starting to pray in your super natural language. It is easy. The model of receiving this gift that is laid out in scripture is to find someone who you know does pray in a super natural language and ask them to pray for you to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that our Heavenly Father would not deny anyone who asks for the Holy Spirit.
Just like salvation it is a gift of faith. Once the prayer is prayed you just open your mouth and let the sounds fall out. Initially you may just have a phrase or two that you find yourself saying over and over. As you continue to use your super natural language your vocabulary will increase over time. Some people may even find that the sound of language changes. Sometime I sound like I am praying in some tribal dialect and other times I think it sounds Asian.
I challenge you to ask Jesus to give you your super natural language if you have not done so and if you have your super natural language start using it everyday. I try to pray in my super natural language everyday. I usually do it when I am alone in the car. I believe you will begin to see a difference in those areas of your life where you have struggled with experiencing breakthrough.
What have you got to lose? I would love to hear about your experience. Please share so that others will benefit form your experience.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Reconciliation: Oh how sweet it is continued....
Now to pick up where I left off....
I eventually left MCC to attend another gay affirming church called New Creation Christian Ministries. It was during my journey there that my acceptance in the eyes of my Heavenly Father was solidified. My spouse and I had been debating with each other about tithing. I believed in tithing and she did not. One weekend she went away to a Holy Spirit conference being held by Benny Hinn in Orlando, Florida. God took that opportunity while He had me to Himself to begin to speak to me about the call on my life. He made it clear that in order to follow this call I need to be obedient in the area of tithing. I begin to tell him that my spouse was the problem. He told me he would take care of my spouse that all I had to do was be obedient. I shared this at worship practice and asked for special prayer.
When my spouse came back she was on cloud nine. I was in fear and trembling of telling her that I tithed while she was away. I started by saying I have something to tell you and I don't think you are going to like it but God told me to do it and that He would take care of you. I told her what I had done and her response was I have something to tell you as well. When she went up to receive a confirming prayer after receiving a healing touch in her body she stood before the Lord and surrendered everything to Him. She told Him she would do whatever He told her to do even if it was to leave me. As Benny Hinn came to lay hands on her she fell out under the power of the Holy Ghost and God spoke to her heart and said I want you to start tithing.
After that experience I have never looked back. God on that day dealt with us as a family unit in His eyes. I do not care what law is passed or not passed. I know that my Redeemer lives. I am accepted by Him. We have had several similar situations in our lives over the years where God has answered our prayers and spoken to us as a couple. You can not buy or sell that experience!
Now how does this all related to reconciling with my brother? He did come to faith in Christ several years ago while serving one of his many terms in prison. He was accepting of my relationship prior to accepting Christ but after no so much. I cut off any further communication with him. He was convinced of his position as I was of mine. For a season I lost my brother. He really was the only one from my natural family that has ever reciprocated in staying in touch, with either cards or phone calls.
Ten years passed. Just last week I received an e-mail from him asking me to forgive him.
Here is an excerpt from his e-mail:
My prayer is that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for ever trying to judge you with, or without God's word. What I have learned over the past 9 years is that in regard to god's Word, love is always the most important thing. Jesus taught us that. Paul echoed it in 1 Corinthians 13. That is what the Jews, and unfortunately I, forgot. when I lost sight of the love aspect, I lost sight of God's true intent all along: to bring us all together under one umbrella. Loving Him and each other in a way fitting for those that would be in His presence one day.
In my journey to biblical truth I went to the far extreme, believing God's law, all 613 commandments, are to be obeyed w/o question or it is sin. But God was faithful in His teaching, and I eventually came to see the similarity in that mindset, with that of the Pharisees and the Sadducee of Jesus' time on earth. we know where that got them....don't we?
Do I need to say that I e-mailed him pretty quickly and told him that I did forgive him. That morning on the way to work I had church. I am so thankful that God is so alive in my life. He is stilling healing, forgiving, and restoring people's lives, including mine.
I eventually left MCC to attend another gay affirming church called New Creation Christian Ministries. It was during my journey there that my acceptance in the eyes of my Heavenly Father was solidified. My spouse and I had been debating with each other about tithing. I believed in tithing and she did not. One weekend she went away to a Holy Spirit conference being held by Benny Hinn in Orlando, Florida. God took that opportunity while He had me to Himself to begin to speak to me about the call on my life. He made it clear that in order to follow this call I need to be obedient in the area of tithing. I begin to tell him that my spouse was the problem. He told me he would take care of my spouse that all I had to do was be obedient. I shared this at worship practice and asked for special prayer.
When my spouse came back she was on cloud nine. I was in fear and trembling of telling her that I tithed while she was away. I started by saying I have something to tell you and I don't think you are going to like it but God told me to do it and that He would take care of you. I told her what I had done and her response was I have something to tell you as well. When she went up to receive a confirming prayer after receiving a healing touch in her body she stood before the Lord and surrendered everything to Him. She told Him she would do whatever He told her to do even if it was to leave me. As Benny Hinn came to lay hands on her she fell out under the power of the Holy Ghost and God spoke to her heart and said I want you to start tithing.
After that experience I have never looked back. God on that day dealt with us as a family unit in His eyes. I do not care what law is passed or not passed. I know that my Redeemer lives. I am accepted by Him. We have had several similar situations in our lives over the years where God has answered our prayers and spoken to us as a couple. You can not buy or sell that experience!
Now how does this all related to reconciling with my brother? He did come to faith in Christ several years ago while serving one of his many terms in prison. He was accepting of my relationship prior to accepting Christ but after no so much. I cut off any further communication with him. He was convinced of his position as I was of mine. For a season I lost my brother. He really was the only one from my natural family that has ever reciprocated in staying in touch, with either cards or phone calls.
Ten years passed. Just last week I received an e-mail from him asking me to forgive him.
Here is an excerpt from his e-mail:
My prayer is that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for ever trying to judge you with, or without God's word. What I have learned over the past 9 years is that in regard to god's Word, love is always the most important thing. Jesus taught us that. Paul echoed it in 1 Corinthians 13. That is what the Jews, and unfortunately I, forgot. when I lost sight of the love aspect, I lost sight of God's true intent all along: to bring us all together under one umbrella. Loving Him and each other in a way fitting for those that would be in His presence one day.
In my journey to biblical truth I went to the far extreme, believing God's law, all 613 commandments, are to be obeyed w/o question or it is sin. But God was faithful in His teaching, and I eventually came to see the similarity in that mindset, with that of the Pharisees and the Sadducee of Jesus' time on earth. we know where that got them....don't we?
Do I need to say that I e-mailed him pretty quickly and told him that I did forgive him. That morning on the way to work I had church. I am so thankful that God is so alive in my life. He is stilling healing, forgiving, and restoring people's lives, including mine.
Reconciliation: How Sweet it is!
I have been a Christian since I was 16 years old. I am now 47 years old. During this time I have had many ups and downs. The most difficult times I have had in my Christian walk are the times where my faith has caused me to be disconnected from certain family members and some friends. It seems so paradoxical. The thing you would think would draw you closer together is the thing that ends up separating you.
The most recent illustration of this in my life has been my ongoing relationship with my brother. We have the same parents but we did not grow up together because I was adopted by my father's brother and wife when I was 2 1/2. There is 3 year difference between my brother and I. I always wanted to hang out with him when we went over to there house as kids. I wanted to be just like him. He had bit a of a bad boy image. He seemed to always find ways to get into trouble and eventually that led him to getting into trouble with the law.
He left home got married had a child and through the influence of one of my cousins got involved in drugs. His marriage did not last long and he ended up in and out of jail. Throughout that time I tried to maintain a relationship with him and after I came to faith in Christ I reached out to him with the hope he would come to faith in Christ and get his life turned around.
At that time I was attempting to live as a straight woman. I realized I had gay tendencies when I was a teenager. I was told that they would send me to hell if I lived those tendencies out. I obediently submitted to that advice and for the next 12 years struggles with wanting to love God and live passionately for Him and realizing that I did not connect with men in the way I was suppose to according to the mainstream view.
I eventually came to a place where I told the Lord I needed to reconcile my sexual orientation with my love for Him. I begin to seek out a church fellowship that could assist me with that and I ended up at Metropolitan Community Church. I met my spouse 6 months later and teeter on a thin line having constant debates with myself concerning the theological soundness of what I was doing.
See future post to hear the rest of the story!
The most recent illustration of this in my life has been my ongoing relationship with my brother. We have the same parents but we did not grow up together because I was adopted by my father's brother and wife when I was 2 1/2. There is 3 year difference between my brother and I. I always wanted to hang out with him when we went over to there house as kids. I wanted to be just like him. He had bit a of a bad boy image. He seemed to always find ways to get into trouble and eventually that led him to getting into trouble with the law.
He left home got married had a child and through the influence of one of my cousins got involved in drugs. His marriage did not last long and he ended up in and out of jail. Throughout that time I tried to maintain a relationship with him and after I came to faith in Christ I reached out to him with the hope he would come to faith in Christ and get his life turned around.
At that time I was attempting to live as a straight woman. I realized I had gay tendencies when I was a teenager. I was told that they would send me to hell if I lived those tendencies out. I obediently submitted to that advice and for the next 12 years struggles with wanting to love God and live passionately for Him and realizing that I did not connect with men in the way I was suppose to according to the mainstream view.
I eventually came to a place where I told the Lord I needed to reconcile my sexual orientation with my love for Him. I begin to seek out a church fellowship that could assist me with that and I ended up at Metropolitan Community Church. I met my spouse 6 months later and teeter on a thin line having constant debates with myself concerning the theological soundness of what I was doing.
See future post to hear the rest of the story!
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