"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint..."
Proverbs 29:18 NIV
Have you ever met people who seemingly have no vision, no thoughts about their future? It is a very sad situation to watch. People who are content with today and just getting by with virtually nothing. Or they say, let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we might just die. And so life goes on without accomplishing anything really. But is that the way of God?
Through biblical teachings we have taught that God will give us a vision showing the purpose of our life, and that we should do everything we can to accomplish it. I submit to you that the same principles work in the occult or dark side. Let us not forget that satan and his angels were once submitted and worked for God instead of against Him and his creation.
The last three months on our early morning prayer line, we have given the encouragement to have a personal relationship with God through prayer, Bible study, and meditating upon the Word [not the same as contemplative prayer, which we feel is not biblical]
How can we tell the difference of where the vision comes from? Let me give you an example:
When I was operating in the occult--Kabbalah and New Age the prayers and relationship with what I thought to be a form of God worked very effectively. Demons do not present themselves to you as demons as they truly are, but are transformed into what you would be comfortable talking with or being around. You get visions of what to do, how to take care of issues in your life. Does that sound like God Almighty?
So we have people who are receiving the "goodies of the world" who don't know God, and believers in the True God who are not. It could be because we pray amiss as described in James 4:3 "You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss...that you may consume [use] if upon your lusts." Christians don't receive because prayers are often requesting lustful objects or attributes. [I will speak more about this later]
Holiness is seeking the heart and living the life of Christ to the best of our knowledge, receiving wisdom and gaining understanding. We grow day-to-day, casting off the old man or the lusts of our flesh. We are transformed into the mind of Christ [Romans 12:1-2] and receive vision or insight into our purpose that serves God bringing him glory and being a yielded vessel for His service; that would also bring an attitude of service to others.
Summary: Who gets glory from the vision outcome? Does it serve mankind? Does it line up with the Word of God?
How do we discern the differene? It is through the Holy Spirit alive in us, walking with God daily, knowing His voice and no other will we follow.
If you have any questions about this, leave a message, or email me at this address. This is such an important subject in our daily walk with the Lord.
May you receive the vision for your life that God has designed just for you. Don't accept a counterfeit.
A Fiery Flame For His Service
Susan Storm Smith
www.mudministries.org
Through biblical teachings we have taught that God will give us a vision showing the purpose of our life, and that we should do everything we can to accomplish it. I submit to you that the same principles work in the occult or dark side. Let us not forget that satan and his angels were once submitted and worked for God instead of against Him and his creation.
The last three months on our early morning prayer line, we have given the encouragement to have a personal relationship with God through prayer, Bible study, and meditating upon the Word [not the same as contemplative prayer, which we feel is not biblical]
How can we tell the difference of where the vision comes from? Let me give you an example:
When I was operating in the occult--Kabbalah and New Age the prayers and relationship with what I thought to be a form of God worked very effectively. Demons do not present themselves to you as demons as they truly are, but are transformed into what you would be comfortable talking with or being around. You get visions of what to do, how to take care of issues in your life. Does that sound like God Almighty?
So we have people who are receiving the "goodies of the world" who don't know God, and believers in the True God who are not. It could be because we pray amiss as described in James 4:3 "You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss...that you may consume [use] if upon your lusts." Christians don't receive because prayers are often requesting lustful objects or attributes. [I will speak more about this later]
Holiness is seeking the heart and living the life of Christ to the best of our knowledge, receiving wisdom and gaining understanding. We grow day-to-day, casting off the old man or the lusts of our flesh. We are transformed into the mind of Christ [Romans 12:1-2] and receive vision or insight into our purpose that serves God bringing him glory and being a yielded vessel for His service; that would also bring an attitude of service to others.
Summary: Who gets glory from the vision outcome? Does it serve mankind? Does it line up with the Word of God?
How do we discern the differene? It is through the Holy Spirit alive in us, walking with God daily, knowing His voice and no other will we follow.
If you have any questions about this, leave a message, or email me at this address. This is such an important subject in our daily walk with the Lord.
May you receive the vision for your life that God has designed just for you. Don't accept a counterfeit.
A Fiery Flame For His Service
Susan Storm Smith
www.mudministries.org
Posts
3 comments:
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply to my Twitter question. Let me see if I can summarize your point:
* Vision that serves our own lustful purposes is not of God
* Vision that glorifies God is ultimately of God
* It is through our walk with the Holy Spirit that we are able to discern what is of God.
* That ability to discern is a day to day process of growth we embark upon by spending time in the Word.
Hi Susan, I found you through Howard. I enjoyed reading your words, thoght provoking. Hugs
Oh yeah, the enemy counterfeits everything good from our Lord. I participated too long in those counterfeit ways. I've been with the Lord 15 years and I never want to go back. I'm passionate about spending time with the Lord, in His word, prayer, desiring and yearning the personal relationship. My prayer is all believers walk in the intimate personal relationship with our Savior Jesus for if they experience it, they will never want anything else.
Engrafted by His Grace-
Shonda
Post a Comment