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[stunnedbygrace]

He led them through the desert, where there was nothing to fool themselves into thinking they could rely on. He tested them there to see what they would do - keep trusting? Or not.

It was all by His own design and His goal was singular - to get them to keep trusting Him, to get them to see He was trustworthy.

I could make many discoveries (in theory). I HAVE seen many things about God. I have gone AFTER discovery. I wanted desperately to know all about God. But knowing about Him is far different than knowing Him.

Those who have learned about Him, in theory, on paper, think they can instruct others, and they set about trying to do just that. But it's almost completely useless and can fool/lull a man into thinking he knows God when he's only heard about God.

We seem to be quite adept at convincing ourselves we're in the promised land when we're in the desert, seeing a mirage.

Sometimes, we arent even in the desert but are still in the world, and STILL we're convinced we are in the promised land.

Hearing about God (in theory, on paper) is not, in itself, a bad thing. But thinking we are somewhere we arent or that we are something we arent, it's just a mirage.

So it's okay to read and hear about God. But it's going the wrong direction to think that qualifies you for anything.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I dont know if God leads every man into the desert alone. Maybe some go into the desert with others and some He leads off alone. But I do know this - if He leads ylou there alone and lets you become very thirsty, lonely and feeling abLeaandoned, you must not complain as Israel did, but just keep trusting His purpose is good. It's a testing. Whether it lasts 5 days or 5 years is of no concern. The obedience of trust is the concern.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I dont know if God leads every man into the desert alone. Maybe some go into the desert with others and some He leads off alone. But I do know this - if He leads ylou there alone and lets you become very thirsty, lonely and feeling abLeaandoned, you must not complain as Israel did, but just keep trusting His purpose is good. It's a testing. Whether it lasts 5 days or 5 years is of no concern. The obedience of trust is the concern.

Good word.

The desert experience is necessary, because we must be separated out from the world, and die to its desires. The 40 years in the wilderness corresponds to the 40 days of fasting that Jesus went through in the desert, which He did as an example for us. Not that all believers can do it, but there must be a time of separation unto God, where there is no one but Him. The more one can put the flesh under through prayer and fasting during this time (preferably at the beginning of one's walk), the more this increases the effectiveness of the experience, because the effect that it has on the flesh is to make us call out to Him in prayer all the more to be our Sustainer in all things. We die to ourselves, so that we may live completely unto Him, and refuse all the Devil has to offer.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

And He will take you some steps that...begin to make it easier. You entered that dry place with hope for what you would get out of it but eventually you come to staying there for hope for what it might bring to others. Then, finally, you let go of all that and just remain there because...its what God wants and He only wants what's good. He wants you to remain there and wait there and there's only one thing He asks of you as you remain and wait - trust Him.

I havent mentioned what satan will do to you there. He will tempt you to many thoughts about what you must have done wrong to find yourself there. He will try to convince you that waiting for God is you being lazy. When you cannot pray or read the word, he will tempt you to try to force God to do something different. When you find that you CAN pray and read, he will tempt you to arrogance. He will try to get you to accuse God of uncaring cruelty. He will accuse you of having abandoned others. He just zigs and Zags, because he does not want anyone to learn the obedience of trust. He knows scripture and knows what men have done through the obedience of trust - closed the mouths of lions, had their dead returned to them, overcome the world.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Receiving a deposit of the Holy Spirit does not qualify a man for anything either. Many men have received that deposit. They will then live forever. But there is something worse than not living forever, there is living forever in eternal darkness. God cancels schemes to cheat death. A man will either die now to find his life or he will find himself in a terrifyingly precarious situation later. And yet, there is hope with humility. It's all so amazing and men cannot understand it all. The only real answer is...fear God and trust God.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

So...it makes complete sense that satan would try to fool us about 2 things in particular - the obedience of trust, and humility. Those are two things he will greatly try to muddy and complicate.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

So there are 3 enemies, and one enemy tries to enlist the other two to stop the only two necessary things - learning the obedience of trust and humility.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

And it's become fashionable to say that one doesnt fear God but that they have humbled themselves before Him. It's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Fear of God IS humility. And none of us fear Him enough.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

But I should probably stop talking like I know much. I pretty much dont know anything at all, except that I'm in a race of trust and that there are sometimes mercies that make it easier.

 

[quietthinker]

He led them through the desert, where there was nothing to fool themselves into thinking they could rely on. He tested them there to see what they would do - keep trusting? Or not.

It was all by His own design and His goal was singular - to get them to keep trusting Him, to get them to see He was trustworthy.

I could make many discoveries (in theory). I HAVE seen many things about God. I have gone AFTER discovery. I wanted desperately to know all about God. But knowing about Him is far different than knowing Him.

Those who have learned about Him, in theory, on paper, think they can instruct others, and they set about trying to do just that. But it's almost completely useless and can fool/lull a man into thinking he knows God when he's only heard about God.

We seem to be quite adept at convincing ourselves we're in the promised land when we're in the desert, seeing a mirage.

Sometimes, we arent even in the desert but are still in the world, and STILL we're convinced we are in the promised land.

Hearing about God (in theory, on paper) is not, in itself, a bad thing. But thinking we are somewhere we arent or that we are something we arent, it's just a mirage.

So it's okay to read and hear about God. But it's going the wrong direction to think that qualifies you for anything.

Jesus related the story of the Pharisee and the Publican to bring this awareness into our horizon.....and he concludes the Publican went home justified while the Pharisee didn't.
Is Jesus saying here it's acceptable to behave as a 'publican'?....of course not. He is saying that unless you are broken your reality remains in the arena of 'knowing about God'

 

[Nancy]

Jesus related the story of the Pharisee and the Publican to bring this awareness into our horizon.....and he concludes the Publican went home justified while the Pharisee didn't.
Is Jesus saying here it's acceptable to behave as a 'publican'?....of course not. He is saying that unless you are broken your reality remains in the arena of 'knowing about God'

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise."
Psalm 51:17

 

[quietthinker]

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise."
Psalm 51:17

It was a broken spirit that drew from the lips of one thief crucified with Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom' ...it was a broken spirit that had the publican not consider himself worthy and asking for mercy.....it was a broken spirit that had Peter weeping bitterly at his betrayal of Jesus at the trial.

Referring to the stone the builders rejected, Jesus says
Matthew 21:44 'and whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder'

 

[Yan]

Referring to the stone the builders rejected, Jesus says
Matthew 21:44 'and whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder'

There are two stones described in here :

1. Jesus as the righteous stone of God (Acts 4:11) and redeemer of Isaac and all Abraham offsprings because Jesus was crucified in the same place where Isaac was offered (Genesis 22:4-15), whosoever anointed by Jesus will become as the enemy of the world and cursed by the world. Because the whole world are the habitant of the devil and whosoever wants to save their lives will lose (Jeremiah 30:20-24; Ephesians 6:10-20; Psalms 72:12-14; Hebrews 4:14-16; Isaiah 53).
2. Cyclone the devils as the punisher stone (Ba'al & Ifrit) was the source of the sinful desire of every fleshy temptation, according to the Moroccan description of Ifrit was the strongest devil which always carry a stone and this babylonian demon of eupherat river is the killer of all prophets and apostles (Job 4:12-18; Rev 18:23-24).

So, in this world every human was in the middle of battle between God and devil, God has our soul & spirit while demons has our body. So, that's why nobody is holy and whosoever called themself no-sins then they made Jesus as a liar.

1 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 righteous 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.