Never in my life have I met anyone who has absolutely no spiritual endurance. Last semester I have ran into followers of Christ who try their hardest to avoid all drama, not understanding that SOME tribualtion God allows for you to grow. I'm a total fan of ridding unnecessary drama. However, when God speaks something...it's sealed and written in stone. The rest is up to you to have the patience to stick it through to find out the outcome.
Time after time after time again I've ran into Christians claiming things to be so hard, and thinking that this possibly cannot be God because there's too much pressure. How can we complain about anything when there are Christians in developing countries that are going through much more hardship? My life consisted of many times where God allowed tribulation to test me, and I came out much stronger and physically healthier.If it's God ordained tribulation, he will preserve you. Going through trial after trial is like a athlete who fights for the victory, God's tests require patience, endurance, preserverance, longsuffering, and you name it and more. If Christ endured pain for us, how come we whine and complain when it's our turn to do His will. Athletes are strong, disciplined, patient, strategic in thinking, fit, and healthy, and if you feel that you cannot endure through anything....than you are not fit to run this race. Though Christians in America live in a individualistic society, Christianity requires us to be collectivists. Therefore we should encourage others in the body to continue to run, but after the encouragement and many planted seeds, it is our own responsibility to get up and run. I ask you kindly to please move out of the way of those who are trying to press to the top, and jump back in when you are absolutely sure that you are ready. "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; " { Romans 5:3} "An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end." {Proverbs 20:21} "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. " {Ecclesiastes 5:7} Lord, give us the mind of an athlete and patiently endure through tribulation. In Jesus name...Amen. Be a Blessing, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 ©
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God: Ashley, Jump!
Ashley: WHAT?! NOW?! God: Yes! NOW! …Why are you hiding in the back, when I’ve called you to the forefront? JUMP and I’ll catch you! Trust me. (I stand up…I hesitate…contemplate…analyze, and I sit back down. Like a Doubting Thomas, I question if God will really catch me, if he really spoke.) Ashley: Nah! That can’t be God. It surely can’t be my time…not now. Hahaha lol! God you are so hilarious! That’s a good one! Hewww! (God looks at me with a straight face.) God: MOVE!!! (I tremble.) Ashley: But, but, I’m undone! I’m not prepared! Let me sit under a mentor for just a season…Just one season. Please. God: Nope. I’ve already invested all that was needed to be invested, the rest requires that you have the faith to transact that which I’ve deposited. So, I take one step. And then God THRUSTS ME!!! The rest of the time remaining, breathing hard, I panic while flustered to find something to float on, something to keep me stable, asking God to send me some assistance. And well... he sends me nothing, but clues, messengers along the way. He lets me continue to doggy paddle, until I swim, and then from swimming, I finally began to float. My lungs expand; I breathe smoothly; and my body releases tension…the kind of tension that gravitates on my flesh; and well…I unwind. This entire year has been an assessment of my faith. I’ve never grown so rapidly, so beyond how I actually felt, as if my spirit up and ran, and I had to chase after it. I enter into a land of the unfamiliar, mentally holding a conjured up vision of purpose with unanswered questions, and a curse that was yet to be broken. I walk with a blind fold matted to my eyes. Pitch black, I run…walk…run…walk…patting the walls of grace that God uses to surround me so that I will not be completely knocked off course, in error. Seeking…running…hitting walls, and finally I stumble upon an area called solid ground. I’ve reached a place of permanence, a far-reaching transition that I thought I would never be able to attain. And I’m no longer chasing it and allowing it to drag me, but I’m on solid ground holding it in the palm of my hand. I never knew I could be this whopping huge, this strong, and this sharp. God knew what was inside of me, that which I could not see, pruning me, and birthing it from within me. After taking a quick vacation to run a six mile marathon run, I finally reached a place of stability, and I clearly can see the evidence. God is beyond good, He’s magnificent! :) John 2: 1-9a “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.” And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine. ” Lord, thank you for seeing our potential and having the faith in coaching us until it buds, unfolds, and fully manifests. In Jesus name…Amen. May God Bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. Be a Blessing, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © God...I'm so wretched and full of flaws!
Either I can continue to fester with grievance, or perpetually seek you and run under your blood and be kept by your grace. Sometimes I wonder how long it will be until I reach the ultimate level of perfection. If only I could walk out the word wholly just as Christ was the walking word. He did no sin. When will I reach that level? Then I remember...I'm only human... I'm a human striving to emulate this Spirit that I cannot see by worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. And it's his grace that keeps me from falling; His patience that allows me to grow at a healthy pace that I may be established; His forgiveness that releases His grace and mercies; And his love that affirms me. And though I'll never be perfect, my heart will continue to strive. And though I will fall along the way, He will always catch me. That is Love. As followers of Christ we either walk around with facades of perfection or put so much effort into being perfect. We appear invulnerable. But in God's eyes we have a loooonnngg ways to go. So why are we so scared to be vulnerable to each other along our journey? Because man's love is conditional. But God..your love is true and unconditional. Lord, I don't want to love conditionally. I want to love unconditionally and be loved unconditionally. But who will love me for me? Though I'm sure I'll be judged by man at some point along the way...I will try my best to be authentic and open. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." { Colossians 3:12-14} Lord, Help us to slash the walls of our facades. Continue to perform a life long operation on our hearts until it is an exact reflection of your truthfulness and unconditional heart: pouring out our weakenesses into the open for the world to see, and yet still being loved to perfection unconditionally. In Jesus name...Amen. May God bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Phillipians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © Be quick to forgive. I know it sounds like a breeze, but it’s a lot more in depth than the four short letter words. Forgiveness will take you a long way. Unresolved forgiveness will push you back in time.
Every minute, second, and millisecond, someone has made up in their mind that they want to change, and has repented in secret of their flaws. Therefore in the spirit a man might be forgiven, and God approves. However because it takes a while to condition one’s heart, renew one’s mind, and outwardly appear repentant, man is constantly not forgiven by man. Man can only see the outer appearance of a man, but God knows the heart. When you first become saved, your heart is conditioned towards seeking truth, but your mind must consistently be renewed and your actions must be reconditioned. So on the outside you may not appeared to be saved at the moment, but in the spirit God has written your name in the Lamb’s book of life. Like an alcoholic who has just made up in their mind to abstain from any alcoholic beverage, his mind is saying no, but his eyes are still blood shot red, and his veins may still be full of the remnants of alcohol. You never know what’s going on in the spirit of a man. If not healed from unresolved forgiveness, our wounds will sometimes speak louder than the voice of God. And we think we may be hearing the voice of God in regards to someone, but really it’s our mind stuck in the past on an issue that God has thrown in the Sea of Forgetfulness a long time ago. Forgiveness is not: -the denial of emotional hurts -does not repress or hold down feelings -does not surpass the fulfillment of pain -not pretend that everything is fine, and acts nice as if nothing existed Dr. Dexter Easley of New Life Christian Fellowship Church stated, “Forgiveness is an act of faith, pressing past the pain. By faith you are forgiving someone, and by faith you are claiming to be healed.” We should wake up each morning, and though we may feel like the scum of the earth, we should claim that each day is a new day. Rejoice! God sees our faith and blesses it! And before you know it, forgiveness has manifested in your heart, and you are healed. Embrace it quickly or you will be stuck in the past. I believe God deals with us based on the conditions of our heart. Some of us, God causes us to stay close to the ones that offend us because He knows that we are spiritual and emotional strong to endure the pressure and grow. Some of us he causes them to depart for a season because He sees that our heart is not strong enough to take it. Either way, it is our duty to quickly forgive despite how we feel for their sake and for ours. If not, it is impossible to keep up with God’s new seasons. “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespasses against thee seven times in a day, and seven time in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” -Luke 17: 3-4 (KJV) What if they don’t repent? My opinion? I would rebuke them, and then forgive anyway knowing that they are man, simply so that my slate will be clean and I can move on. A wounded heart distorts your hearing from the Lord A wounded heart causes unnecessary tribulation Everyone is a piece of flesh that is bound to do fleshy things. The Bible says walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Know this, that it is hard to keep up with our spirit man on a consistent basis. God, may we have the spiritual maturity to forgive a man the way you literally intended for us to forgive. We’re only human. In Jesus name…Amen. May God bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © Our worldviews distort our perception of God and the spiritual world. Each one of us is born into a system, whether it is political, social, or spiritual. We are bombarded with man-made, indoctrinated, and monopolized views of who God is. Little do we know that our worldviews and our perceptions have been skewed by this gray layer of false information that has been decoratively packaged to look like it’s the absolute truth of God. We believe and embrace the counterfeit spirituality thinking it’s the raw truth, but have no idea that it has been stained by the head knowledge of man. Before you know it, our ability to hear God accurately has been dulled. When will we come to grips that carnal, head knowledge and divine wisdom will never coincide, but will forever remain parallel? What might look right to the natural eye is totally wrong in the spirit. The spirit is what’s more important, because the spirit is the foundation of natural things. Before God spoke this world into existence, everything was already established in the spirit realm. If God approves of something in the spirit, how much more strong will it be in the natural? No one has God fully figured out, not even the most influential motivational speaker and prophet. I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to know the rawness of God. God, what is your absolute truth? Remove this gray layer that clutters my mind and taints my spirit, being full of the southern doctrine and traditions, and any systematic man made law that has been embedded in my natural and habitual character. Pour in me your spirit, your untouched, raw and uncut, absolute truth! This way, I can understand you better, hear you clearer, and be able to tell when it’s you speaking to me, or my carnality, my head knowledge that I have gained from the world. In that way, I can see your full manifestation.
We point the finger at Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Holiness denomination for preaching false doctrine, but we must understand that every pastor has the ability to preach a false doctrine. Each pastor is a piece of flesh that is bound to distort God’s truth. However, whatever you do, don’t judge the pastor. Pray for the pastor, that his flesh may be crucified so that the word of God may be taught accurately without any form of manmade doctrine. Dr. Dan Backens, pastor of New Life Providence Church, stated that we must be self feeders of the word of God. Church is a power house, a place to be empowered and to serve. The rest of our Christ walk consists of us seeking God on our own in who He really means to us, and individually walking the predestined path that he has in store for us. I write all of this in reference to the fact that I have realized that I have drawn many conclusions and made drastic decisions based on my ignorance in realizing that I was indoctrinated by a false doctrine. Lord, may we pray for pastors that you will literally continue to increase in them as they decrease…In Jesus name, Amen. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." {Colossians 2:8} May God Bless you According to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © If you are reading this…drop what you’re doing…. Draw close and take heed: Pay more attention to the spirit of God. Listen to what he’s really saying, and see what He’s trying to show you. After he reveals to you the truth…STAND ON IT!! Grab hold of it and guard it with your dear life. Please…don’t let the deceits of man and the enemy seep it from between your fingers.
I emphasize the point of being sensitive to the spirit because for the past months I have gone through a crazy season of hearing the voice of God. God would show me the spirit of man that’s pure, who everyone labels as wretched. Then God would show me the spirit of a man that’s tainted with the obsession of self, but on the outside appears to have everything in place, but everyone else would want to cling to. I asked God, what is it that I’m seeing that they aren’t seeing? Why am I getting something different from what they are telling me about certain individuals? And God revealed to me in my spirit and whispered, “Because you see the spirit and heart of a man…and their heart is gold. What others are telling you are mere observation and head knowledge, but not divine wisdom.” Suddenly, my spirit rested, I smiled, I exhaled, and I laughed because finally it all made sense. Many Christians today have the heart of a Pharisee. We view people with our natural eye and carnal mind. We cast stones from our tongues with words of slander, judgment, and gossip. We don’t see that the spirit of the man is actually pure, and their heart is geared towards truth. We only see the outer state of a man, the mistakes of their flesh, and subjective behaviors that can be misinterpreted in every way. Jesus was a just man…He knew no man after the flesh. Like God, he saw the spirit of a man and who they can become in Him. Jesus preserved the life of the harlot from the condemnation of the Pharisees, attempting to cast stones upon her. He simply told her to that her sins are forgiven, and to rise and sin no more. Jesus saw her spirit, while the Pharisees saw her flesh. Just as the Pharisees, being Jews and chosen children of God, condemned someone of their own nationality, the harlot also being a Jew and child of God, God’s modern day children judge not only sinners, but each other within the body of Christ. We are the Pharisees. The Pharisees viewed Christ with a natural eye and natural mind, and never once tapped into the spirit and viewed Christ with a spiritual eye. Never once did they receive the revelation of the Holy Spirit that He was the son of God. They missed God, all because they, with their indoctrinated, finite minds, could not come to grips with the fact that this quirky looking guy with bad facial hair, a jacked up hair dew, and no class could possibly be Son of God. Look at Him, he looks like a bum and he operates like a bum. For crying out loud he heals the blind with dirt from the ground and his own spit…yuk! He can’t be royal, he doesn’t look royal. As Christians we scorn at the Pharisees for how they treated Jesus, but we are blind in realizing that we condemn Jesus as well. How? We condemn his very children. Those who may seem to struggle with their flesh on the outside, may have a heart of gold, a heart of repentance, and a heart of perseverance, but because we view man with a natural eye and carnal mind, we surpass and override our own siblings in Christ. Before you know it, they have entered the kingdom of Heaven before we have. Lord I’d rather be viewed as an outcast, and go against the odds of social tolerance and popularity, than be out of your will. May I never overlook an individual based on their past history, or present struggles. “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” – II Corinthians 5:16 Lord, may view people with our spiritual eyes, and fall in love with the spirit of a man. For a man’s spirit is his/her true identity. May God Bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © If you ever watch the original Peter Pan, you’ll come across a scene in which Peter Pan tries to keep up with his own shadow. His shadow has a whole new personality of its own that Peter Pan was never aware of. For some apparent reason, his shadow is detached from his body, and he spends much time in trying to reattach it to the bottom of his feet. Call it hilarious…I know. However, though it seems outrageously funny, this scene is actually the perfect illustration of the battle that everyone has in coming to grips with their spirit man.
II Corinthians 5:117 states: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Every follower of Christ is fully aware that when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we are reborn and made new. We are made dumb; we learn how to walk and talk again. Losing all of our innate abilities, like a fresh new born we study how to live; we learn about the newness of life. We pump our spiritual muscles with an in depth meditation of the word of God, unremitting and exhaustively pray our way through the narrow path that leads to life, and press against the natural grain of living with the daily routine of true worship and application of the word. We retrain our thought processes and behaviors to align with our new spiritual being. And though our outer, natural man stumbles and falls at times, for some reason God graces us. Why does He grace us? Because he sees us in the spirit; that new spiritual man that for some reason God sees, but many of us are unfamiliar with. That spirit man that walks around with a personality of its own that we can’t seem to keep up with. To our amazement, there are two of us walking around on earth: our spirit man that we don’t see that God sees, and our natural man that man sees. Our spirit man is our identical stranger whom we have never met. The majority of us are perpetually chasing our shadows, our spirit man, trying to figure out our new creature, and missing each time. Who is this person that I’m trying to become one with? Who am I in Christ? Like Peter Pan, until each one of us come to grips with our spirit man, that new spiritual being that God has made us and knows us by, we will forever run parallel and detached from who we really are…our true identity; because our true identity is our spirit man. Some of us, after much perseverance, catch our shadows, learn how to be one with our spirit man, and become the most influential people on earth. Others, don’t try at all, they just accept Jesus as their Savior, but not their Lord. And live the rest of their lives unfamiliar with their true identity, never answer their true calling and purpose in life, constipated with gifts that seem to never flow freely, and remain inflicted by their natural man. If you’ve ever wonder why there hasn’t been much progress, why there’s so much chaos and confusion in your life, why things are out of order, and why so many of God’s people miss their calling, it’s because they did not ever grab hold to their new and true identity. They never tapped into the spirit and remained sensitive to what God is doing in their lives. They continue to miss God. Before you know it, time passes you by, and you’ve accomplished only 10 percent of what God has ordained to do and be. The natural Ashley is loaded with spiritual gifts but hates being in the spotlight. The spiritual Ashley is bold, an ordained leader that has to be in the spotlight. I'm tire of being spiritually constipated...I want my gifts to flow and overflow for the world to see. I am who God says I am because he knows me more than I know myself. After all…he created me. So for Pete’s sake, I might as well get to know and become one with the new Ashley that God is trying to introduce me to. That way, I can fulfill my purpose. I’ve had a constant battle in my spirit, and I asked God, “How come I’m not consistent, I’ll stand strong one day, and shy out the next.” Then He simply stated, “Because you are afraid of yourself.” I cried with tears of joy because God, as always, was right. I was scared of myself; I’m fully aware of all the talents and gifts he has invested in me. And though I was bold, my boldness was shattered because of individuals who had mistaken my boldness for arrogance. So because I didn’t want to be labeled as arrogant, I silenced. Little did I understand that the ones who had mistaken my boldness for arrogance were those who were merely insecure, lacked confidence in their own gifts, and projected it out onto me. I had become afraid of my own abilities and how great I could become. Thank you, Jesus, for your many revelations. I want the real Ashley to SHOW UP!! “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.”-I Corinthians 9:27 Lord, help us to come to grips with our spiritual man. Cause us to look at life through our spiritual eyes, and may we know who we really are. Let us not run from our callings, but be bold enough to become one with our alien being, and take on the cost of our purpose. In Jesus name…Amen. May God Bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © A piece of coal with applied pressure is metamorphosed into a diamond. This scientific principle gives you a small glimpse of how God moves in hierarchic order. With each new level of spiritual growth, God applies added pressure to your life, peeling off layers of your flesh and removing that dark cloud of confusion that hovers over your mind. That God given fragment ,or piece of puzzle, to your life that at one time didn't make sense to you, begins to finally make sense. The big picture finally registers, and the puzzle becomes complete.Your spirit becomes at rest. And before you know it, your keenness in accurately hearing the voice of God, and understanding His direction and purpose in your life begins to develop even stronger and becomes clearer to you.
After each test that comes with your next level in life, you realize that you shine brighter. You're wiser.You have officially become a diamond. All because God saw that the condition of your heart was to persevere towards seeking truth, and well….he allowed you to find it. I said all that in reference to the miracle that I have experienced this morning. Though I've always known the gist of my purpose in life, there were still loose ends that left me in question. During undergrad, God specifically told me to major in psychology, concentrating on media psychology, and minor in dance. So trusting God, I did just that. I began to study the media's effects on the development of a human being. Now I'm in graduate school, and God tells me to get a Masters in Digital Media Studies, aka marketing, and human services counseling. Huh?! So again I stepped out on faith believing that God will give me the big picture. Then finally, while praying this morning I heard the voice of the Lord say, "your calling is to market truth." I began to smile because now it all makes sense to me. After many years of studying and evaluating human behavior and the media's tactics in marketing to the masses their identity and what reality is, it finally registers. My calling is to counteract against the false information that the media markets as truth: how a woman's beauty is based on her figure, complexion, and hair; how sexual activity means true love; how material consumption defines happiness, and etc.... As media illiterate individuals, we set our minds on autopilot, absorbing what the media markets to us as truth and reality.Therefore, we develop these cognitive processes and behaviors of how we think we should be based on these subliminal messages. So as a business research and development consultant I will do marketing research to study the habits of man, and learn how to counteract by marketing truth. "Marketing truth to redeem our culture"....Ahhhh.... i love it !! It's a great feeling to see clearly where my life is heading. I sought God's plan for my life and found it. In conclusion, each one of us has the Liberty in Christ to discover the mysteries of God and the plans he has for our lives. With it comes a hierarchic ladder of growth and discovery. So continue to run…run after God, climb the ladder of discovery, and hunger for Him until all is fulfilled in your life. And at the end, you see clearly, and you shine brighter. "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." {Philippians 3:14} May God Bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © Continue to fall in love with God's raw and uncut truth. Devour its unprocessed & uncompromising matter. For Swallowing God’s uncut truth is like a baby digesting its first solid substance. It’s hard to swallow, but it contains the nutrients we need to maintain vitality. Though God’s truth scrapes the soul, pierces the heart, and is emotionally and mentally hard to digest, out of it comes a true, authentic, and healthy relationship with a loving Father that grows through eternity; plus the opportunity to experience His realness and His fullness.
Take a minute to be your own psychologist. Better yet, allow God to be your ultimate counselor. Perform a detailed introspection of your behavior. Allow God to reveal to you who you really are ( your wretched soul, sinful nature, and the idiosyncrasies of your heart). Don't cheat yourself by skimming the surface of your habitual nature, but ask God for the specifics of where it comes from, whether it’s a generational curse that is genetically and spiritually embedded in your chemical makeup, or just mere insecurity, pride, greed, & selfishness. What is the root of your repetitive actions? After many years of frustration, I have finally come to the conclusion that only a few of us on earth actually experience the ultimate fullness of God and his abundant life on earth. A sample of the Christian population actually seeks God’s face and his truth. The rest of us, though still in the Body of Christ, are seeking his hands, the goods He has to offer, and the hype of the Christian image that comes with a package of religious fads. In other words, the rest of us thrive off of matter that the church caters to us as cheap grace. The material promises that God has in store for us should just be icing on the cake, not the essence of why you fall head-over-hills in love with Him. We should love Him for being who He is, and continuously thanking Him for His existence. God is a God of order, and because we do not seek his truth, we never obtain the promises that he has in store. So the one who is destined for riches, may never see those riches because you have not faced the fact that you have an unresolved issue of selfishness. Or the one who has trouble attracting the opposite sex may continue to be ignored all because you have not faced the fact that you do not love yourself. Or the one who is constantly traumatized over simple matters will remain emotionally distracted because you have not faced the fact that you simply do not trust God, nor keep Him as your focus. Be honest with yourself today, and may your relationship with God be authentic, not religious. The humor in the matter is that God already knows the complex ins and outs of our issues, and like a daddy He just sits and waits on us to be honest with ourselves. We are the hindrance to our own deliverance and emotional, spiritual, and physical prosperity. How come we have the hardest time in deciding to move out of our own way? Simple. Christians call every life test a tribulation that God allows the enemy to create, but honestly a lot of our tribulation is unnecessary temptation in which we have inflicted upon ourselves. "I had been at the same mountain long enough. I have spent 40 years making what could have been a much shorter journey had I known the truth of God's Word."-{Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers} May God Bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © Our minds are constantly cluttered with incessant noise. The sound of the rushing car, the chattering of conversation in the public arena, the brushing wind against a tree branch, the instant images and sound effects that flash across the television and laptop screen, the ticking second hand of a clock, water dripping from the faucet, and the blowing AC unit. Because we’ve become so habituated to these sounds, we have created a false perception of what silence is. Come to think of it, silence never exists. Then what is silence? It is the unattainable, quiescent peace that is spoken of by mankind, but has never really existed. Why is silence significant? Because within silence lies God’s truth: the fullness of God’s presence, the clarity and stillness of His voice, and the unspoken truth and inner dialogue of man that is rarely carried in a casual conversation. So, what’s the likelihood of its full existence? Never…. It is likened unto an image of the perfected Christian; you can come close to its manifestation, but it’s impossible to attain. I believe it existed once in the beginning of God’s creation, but as time has progressed up to now it has been ruined.
To be called “Christian” is overrated. So I prefer the term “Stewards”. As God’s stewards it is our duty to restore this silence, so that the peace of God can reign on earth, and our society can reflect His existence. If you get the chance, lay your hands on the book Communicating Life by Quentin J. Schultze. Within this book, Schultze speaks on How God is the ultimate creator of Heaven and Earth, and as humans He has given us the task to be stewards over His creation. What does it mean to be a steward? A keeper…guardian….supervisor. Because we are stewards who are given the task to care for God’s creation, we are therefore co creators of our culture and society. So as communicators, whether an artist, politician, educator, pastor, and etc…, we should be stewards over what we communicate. Speak life into the culture, speak truth. Restore the peace of God here on earth. How is that possible when we live in a fleshy body that is bound to make mistakes? Yes, we naturally tend to compromise God’s truth. We break the Silence. In the midst of silence lies the fullness of God, and all the answers to life. As vessels, or funnels, we sometimes filter out the real truth of God because our minds are carnal and finite; we cannot comprehend all the things of God. So in our ignorance and short comings we communicate his truth as accurately as possible, though it’s still distorted. As God’s stewards, because it is our duty to communicate his truth accurately, we should constantly remain on the potter’s wheel. Fast, pray, allow our flesh to be crucified daily so that the fullness of God can outshine from within us, and everything we do be a mirror image of who He is. We must remain sensitive to the spirit, and pay attention to what he is saying. The more we take on this life process, the clearer and more accurately we hear from God, the clearer we see, and the better communicators we become. God give us the tongue of the learned, so that we can accurately communicate your heart. In Jesus Name, Amen. Restore the silence that was broken. “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it.” {Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)} May God bless you according to your faithfulness and obedience to Him. In Him, Ashley Philippians 3:7 Ashley Card 2008 © |
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