MISSION TIME: Leaving the comfort of Lukewarm, choosing a side

[Alexander_M642]

Ok, I'm going to lay it out on the line here.

I've recognized the holy spirit is trying to reach out to me. Recently, I've been 'experimenting' with some 'alternative' means to bypass God's will...hypnosis, NLP, programming, alternative study...and I've been using some of it to alter my subconscious to put myself in a better position.

When I woke up this morning, I felt a heck of a lot more confident and strong, and was resolved to go out and make a mission of my day. No prob.

...the spiritual tug came back. It was a very tight tug.

"Alexander, you're going the wrong direction. You're messing with God's will for your life, and it's putting you in danger".

I told that spirit to piss off, and go away. It wouldn't.

"Alexander, it's not the programming or the self-help talk programs. those are fine. It's your motive. You're running away from the Bible. You can improve yourself, but your ultimate objective is hidden within the word of the LORD"

I basically told the spirit I dont care, that it's useless, and that I'm the gamechanger.

"Yes, Alexander, you are the gamechanger, but this isn't about playing a game. You're not on God's side of the grass. That's why you have no blessings yet. That's why everything he promised you hasn't come to pass. You're on the Away Team's goalpost, and he's beyond the barrier, on the Home team's goalpost"

After hearing the spirit out, I asked for clarification.

"The Bible, Alex...not the Septuagint (You werent supposed to know of that yet, until you fully knew the WORD of the New Testament)...the BIBLE is the way to perfect communion with God. You need to know his history, you need to know Jesus and why he came, and you need to know AND believe that Jesus led the apostles after his death around the known world at the time to spread the gospel, knowing very well they ALSO had to die for the sake of the elect"

I told the spirit to piss off, and I was going to win my money, at the expense of my relationship with God. The spirit replied:

"Why go through all the heartbreak? If you fully understood the message of the bible, you would know God. The Psalms, the Proverbs, the letters of Paul...yes, the New Testament doesn't talk about a glorious existence in Christ, but THROUGH CHRIST, you find THE FATHER, and when you find THE FATHER, you will be free"

I again told the spirit I dont care, I dont want to hear it, and to give me a better deal.

"Alexander, there are many around you, including that Christian chat site you always go on to try and extract answers from people, who care. God cares. You desire ultimate power, influence, and command. If you let go of that desire, which is rooted in something others can take away, God, ONCE YOU KNOW HIM FULLY, can give you the power, influence, and command you NEED, and specifically, the power, influence, and command HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU in abundance, along with other blessings"

I again told the spirit that's a load of crap, and I cant trust that.

"It's only a load of crap to you because you never truly went all in with the LORD to begin with. A verse:"
Revelation 3:15-17 (NKJV)
- 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,[a] I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked



And that's when I shut up, and understood why God never helped me.
I am lukewarm.

I am neither cold or hot. I keep complaining to the LORD, and I keep coming back to the LORD. He wants me 100% for him, or if I am serious, then for me to decide to 100% cut him out (He doesn't want that, but in context of 'lukewarm', that is the case)

...I hope that explains my behavior since joining this site, and on chat rooms.

A decision I have to make: 100% all in for Christ.

How many of you have went all in?

 

[themusicmiss]

Not me.
I'm exactly as you are.

It's to the point where I'm comfortably wrong on what I feel is the wrong side, hence why I'm very anxious most of the time...

However
I don't ever think my faith will drop dead as I have had very good spiritual experiences that happen now and then but I know its like 1% of my potential with Him....hmmmm

Good thread

 

[coby]

Well I'm out of the occult stuff and everything I wanted because the devil couldn't hide his hate to me and almost killed me and made me feel so rotten and posessed that I really had no other choice. I've started to pray again for souls and revival but I have to do it on my own and feel like starting to get out of this lukewarmness. If I had one or more prayer partners it would be much easier to lay my life down in prayer instead of being addicted to internet.

 

[coby]

It's easier and more comfortable now to make a choice then when the ac lets your head get chopped off for it and risk my salvation? No thanks.

 

[Alexander_M642]

Well I'm out of the occult stuff and everything I wanted because the devil couldn't hide his hate to me and almost killed me and made me feel so rotten and posessed that I really had no other choice. I've started to pray again for souls and revival but I have to do it on my own and feel like starting to get out of this lukewarmness. If I had one or more prayer partners it would be much easier to lay my life down in prayer instead of being addicted to internet.

This spoke to me, because the holy spirit told me in the scenario that I, or any other human being, were to fully immerse ourselves into the occult, and let demons possess us, and lead us to the use of talismans, scrolls, relics, chants, and other occult nonsense, the devil would kill us within 15min-1 year, nullifying any profitability we could have had with the occult, and leaving our soul to belong to him.

I would say prayer partners help, and I would not be the best authority to help right now, but from my experience, I think God wants his people to go all in. Maybe we have a hard time. Maybe others jump in full forward. We'll see what happens

 

[themusicmiss]

I think the thing to realise is we are fully aware of how lukewarm we are, its probably the first step in change as most people refuse to believe they're not 100% for Jesus...... Also admitting to it feels more genuine than "yeah yeah my faith is good..anywyayy"

 

[Depleted]

Ok, I'm going to lay it out on the line here.

I've recognized the holy spirit is trying to reach out to me. Recently, I've been 'experimenting' with some 'alternative' means to bypass God's will...hypnosis, NLP, programming, alternative study...and I've been using some of it to alter my subconscious to put myself in a better position.

When I woke up this morning, I felt a heck of a lot more confident and strong, and was resolved to go out and make a mission of my day. No prob.

...the spiritual tug came back. It was a very tight tug.

"Alexander, you're going the wrong direction. You're messing with God's will for your life, and it's putting you in danger".

I told that spirit to piss off, and go away. It wouldn't.

"Alexander, it's not the programming or the self-help talk programs. those are fine. It's your motive. You're running away from the Bible. You can improve yourself, but your ultimate objective is hidden within the word of the LORD"

I basically told the spirit I dont care, that it's useless, and that I'm the gamechanger.

"Yes, Alexander, you are the gamechanger, but this isn't about playing a game. You're not on God's side of the grass. That's why you have no blessings yet. That's why everything he promised you hasn't come to pass. You're on the Away Team's goalpost, and he's beyond the barrier, on the Home team's goalpost"

After hearing the spirit out, I asked for clarification.

"The Bible, Alex...not the Septuagint (You werent supposed to know of that yet, until you fully knew the WORD of the New Testament)...the BIBLE is the way to perfect communion with God. You need to know his history, you need to know Jesus and why he came, and you need to know AND believe that Jesus led the apostles after his death around the known world at the time to spread the gospel, knowing very well they ALSO had to die for the sake of the elect"

I told the spirit to piss off, and I was going to win my money, at the expense of my relationship with God. The spirit replied:

"Why go through all the heartbreak? If you fully understood the message of the bible, you would know God. The Psalms, the Proverbs, the letters of Paul...yes, the New Testament doesn't talk about a glorious existence in Christ, but THROUGH CHRIST, you find THE FATHER, and when you find THE FATHER, you will be free"

I again told the spirit I dont care, I dont want to hear it, and to give me a better deal.

"Alexander, there are many around you, including that Christian chat site you always go on to try and extract answers from people, who care. God cares. You desire ultimate power, influence, and command. If you let go of that desire, which is rooted in something others can take away, God, ONCE YOU KNOW HIM FULLY, can give you the power, influence, and command you NEED, and specifically, the power, influence, and command HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU in abundance, along with other blessings"

I again told the spirit that's a load of crap, and I cant trust that.

"It's only a load of crap to you because you never truly went all in with the LORD to begin with. A verse:"
Revelation 3:15-17 (NKJV)
- 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,[a] I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked



And that's when I shut up, and understood why God never helped me.
I am lukewarm.

I am neither cold or hot. I keep complaining to the LORD, and I keep coming back to the LORD. He wants me 100% for him, or if I am serious, then for me to decide to 100% cut him out (He doesn't want that, but in context of 'lukewarm', that is the case)

...I hope that explains my behavior since joining this site, and on chat rooms.

A decision I have to make: 100% all in for Christ.

How many of you have went all in?

Honestly? You're still talking to yourself. God didn't give you most of those answers. You did. And now you're still in this, (albeit supposedly 100% now), to get what you want out of it.

Nothing has changed.

I'm all in, but I never went all in. Let's get real, it is easier if to try to rein in life as we want it. I've told you. I can do sales calls. I can do sales calls, therefore, I can hoodwink people into buying whatever I'm selling. I could get rich that way. Except, I CAN'T! It's no longer in me to hoodwink people, because God changed me.

And because of that, I'm poor. And because of that, God has had to take care of me, and then us, for quite sometime. And then he gave us middle-class. And then he took it away. And because we're no longer able to work, God has taken care of us for a long time. And because of that, we've learned to trust him. And because of that, he's changed us in good ways, (and is still thrashing us around to change us some more. lol)

Your voice/your mind has multiple ways of talking. There are always pros and cons. You simply are going to keep some of your old methods (NO, "programming," any kind of programming is a bad thing. God grabs us deep inside, not surface mind games. No, you're still playing games. Yes, you really are.) You're getting closer, but you're not there yet. I've been you. You are me when I've tried to quit smoking and/or drugs, constantly trying to figure out the easiest way, and the only thing you've gotten to is maybe, if you give "100%," God gives you what you want. Usually God gives what you don't want! And there is no easy way! There's only His Way.

The deal with God is to trust him and love him. You're still trying to manipulate him. It can't be done. Trust him means giving up on you. It means handing over the reins to him forever and saying, "Thy will be done." It is depleted. You're still filling yourself.

 

[Alexander_M642]

The deal with God is to trust him and love him. You're still trying to manipulate him. It can't be done. Trust him means giving up on you. It means handing over the reins to him forever and saying, "Thy will be done." It is depleted. You're still filling yourself.

And let's say I DO hand over the reigns to him...let's say I go all in for him 100%. Let's say I submit and say "Thy will be done"...

What do I expect?
What will God do for me?
What will he expect of me?
Can I hope for him to restore my 20+ years of lack of EVERYTHING?
Will he fix my losses into gains?
Am I wasting my time?

On this:

And because of that, I'm poor. And because of that, God has had to take care of me, and then us, for quite sometime. And then he gave us middle-class. And then he took it away. And because we're no longer able to work, God has taken care of us for a long time. And because of that, we've learned to trust him. And because of that, he's changed us in good ways, (and is still thrashing us around to change us some more. lol)

I dont want that. I dont want God riding me on a random roller coaster. What you just described...is my worst nightmare. I have no control, and God, from what you described, has taken you on a roller coaster ride, giving and taking, with no determinate control you can exercise over your life, thinking he is 'taking care' of you, when he's just toying with your life, giving and taking to see your response.

If you prefer that, good on you. But I cant trust a God like that. Not 100%. I'm lukewarm...because I dont want God playing games with my life as if I'm one of his G.I Joe action figures. I dont think I cant find my answer on here, but what you just described is 100% accurate with who God really is, and that makes me consider whether I even want to commit 100% to him.

You understand...what you just described of God was the equivalent of him being a bully in the sandbox abusing his toys, right?

 

[blue_ladybug]

You sound very much like another user here, who left recently. His name was Funrider, and he couldn't make up his mind about God. You need to realize that YOU are NOT in control of your life, GOD IS. God does not play games with people's lives. Never has, never will. If you think he's some sort of genie in a bottle who will grant your every wish, you are sorely mistaken.

 

[blue_ladybug]

God gives us control over our lives. It's called free will and we all have it. You can wallow in your desperation that you have no control, OR you can cede to God and let Him take control, because ultimately he knows what's best for us in the long run. If you think your life will be easier WITHOUT God in it, then try it for awhile and see how much more difficult life becomes when YOU try running the show. :/ You seem to expect God to cater to your every want, and that's not how God operates. We don't demand what we want from God, we ASK him, and he either says yes, no, or not yet. Simple as that.

 

[Alexander_M642]

You sound very much like another user here, who left recently. His name was Funrider, and he couldn't make up his mind about God. You need to realize that YOU are NOT in control of your life, GOD IS. God does not play games with people's lives. Never has, never will. If you think he's some sort of genie in a bottle who will grant your every wish, you are sorely mistaken.

At the same time, I definitely understand that, and it may be the case. Maybe the LORD wants me to give up that desire
(BTW, read your threads you posted in your sig. You have my respect in your faith, and I hope to trust in him like you have).

I will make an effort.

 

[coby]

And let's say I DO hand over the reigns to him...let's say I go all in for him 100%. Let's say I submit and say "Thy will be done"...

What do I expect?
What will God do for me?
What will he expect of me?
Can I hope for him to restore my 20+ years of lack of EVERYTHING?
Will he fix my losses into gains?
Am I wasting my time?

On this:



I dont want that. I dont want God riding me on a random roller coaster. What you just described...is my worst nightmare. I have no control, and God, from what you described, has taken you on a roller coaster ride, giving and taking, with no determinate control you can exercise over your life, thinking he is 'taking care' of you, when he's just toying with your life, giving and taking to see your response.

If you prefer that, good on you. But I cant trust a God like that. Not 100%. I'm lukewarm...because I dont want God playing games with my life as if I'm one of his G.I Joe action figures. I dont think I cant find my answer on here, but what you just described is 100% accurate with who God really is, and that makes me consider whether I even want to commit 100% to him.

You understand...what you just described of God was the equivalent of him being a bully in the sandbox abusing his toys, right?
[/COLOR]

You trust Satan and you don't trust God?
He gives you life abundantly. The devil wants to destroy you.
He cares for you if you let Him. Two guys from church had huge debts. One had to go to prison. He prayed. He didn't have to go, debt was gone miraculously, with the other one too. He lived on the street, God gave him a house.
Trust me, you can trust Him.
Check it out. If He turns out to be evil you can always go back to the devil.
Watch T.B. Joshua on youtube where people get set free from witchcraft and see what a sweety the devil is. Ahh he gives you power and money so he can kill you and torture you an eternity, such a sweety.

 

[pwrnJC]

Alexander M642...I noticed that you said, and I quote: A decision I have to make: 100% all in for Christ.
I notice that it is in the 'I have YET to " folder, right? I don't read "I have made my decision to be 100% all for CHRIST."
This puts you back to where you started from....experimenting, questioning, and still verbalizing your thoughts online and not acting or producing results...in short, talk is cheap..blah blah blah. Ok, so you feel this 'tug"....like millions do when the Holy spirit is trying to get your attention. You share what you feel and what you are going through...but where is the Victory March? Are we to hold our breath until you post that you've made your decision and a testimony follows? Get real and get Full of His Holy Spirit, complete with signs and wonders and begin to win this lost world over to JESUS...otherwise, shall I direct you to youtube . com to download "DUST IN THE WIND" by Kansas?

 

[Alexander_M642]

Alexander M642...I noticed that you said, and I quote: A decision I have to make: 100% all in for Christ.
I notice that it is in the 'I have YET to " folder, right? I don't read "I have made my decision to be 100% all for CHRIST."
This puts you back to where you started from....experimenting, questioning, and still verbalizing your thoughts online and not acting or producing results...in short, talk is cheap..blah blah blah. Ok, so you feel this 'tug"....like millions do when the Holy spirit is trying to get your attention. You share what you feel and what you are going through...but where is the Victory March? Are we to hold our breath until you post that you've made your decision and a testimony follows? Get real and get Full of His Holy Spirit, complete with signs and wonders and begin to win this lost world over to JESUS...otherwise, shall I direct you to youtube . com to download "DUST IN THE WIND" by Kansas?

pwrnJC, I've been trying to get closer to Jesus for months already. Every time, something happens that ruins my trust in him. To date, I have not had a genuine conversation with Christ. I have not experience true relationship with him. Like the above I've shared, most of my conversations with 'Jesus/God The Father/The Holy Spirit' have been one-sided affairs. There was never a loving dialogue. I'm not even sure if I did talk with the LORD, or if I was talking to myself.

Suprisingly, to many of you, I have read my bible...the gospels, specifically these:

Acts 17:27

That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us



Jeremiah 29:13

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.


Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.


Matthew 7:8

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.


Deuteronomy 4:29

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.


Ephesians 5:8

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light


Jeremiah 33:3

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.




So here are these verses...
WHERE IS HE?!?!?!?!

Do I have to turn over crates and tables? Do I have to punch a pastor or preacher in the face repeatedly? Do I have to burn a piece of wood to smoke him out? Where's he hiding, and why is the creator of all things, alpha and omega, playing hide and seek with simple ol' Alexander? WHERE IS HE?

I'm less angry about it, and more like a little boy on Christmas trying to find his present. WHERE IS HE?

 

[blue_ladybug]

Where is he? He's with you right now, where he's always been. The reason you can't "hear" him is because of your anger and frustration, trying to do it your way, etc. Clear the garbage out of your head, get rid of the noise, THEN talk to him. I promise he WILL answer and you WILL hear him. God is never far from those who earnestly seek him.

 

[Depleted]

And let's say I DO hand over the reigns to him...let's say I go all in for him 100%. Let's say I submit and say "Thy will be done"...

What do I expect?
What will God do for me?
What will he expect of me?
Can I hope for him to restore my 20+ years of lack of EVERYTHING?
Will he fix my losses into gains?
Am I wasting my time?

On this:



I dont want that. I dont want God riding me on a random roller coaster. What you just described...is my worst nightmare. I have no control, and God, from what you described, has taken you on a roller coaster ride, giving and taking, with no determinate control you can exercise over your life, thinking he is 'taking care' of you, when he's just toying with your life, giving and taking to see your response.

If you prefer that, good on you. But I cant trust a God like that. Not 100%. I'm lukewarm...because I dont want God playing games with my life as if I'm one of his G.I Joe action figures. I dont think I cant find my answer on here, but what you just described is 100% accurate with who God really is, and that makes me consider whether I even want to commit 100% to him.

You understand...what you just described of God was the equivalent of him being a bully in the sandbox abusing his toys, right?
[/COLOR]

No, what I described was reality. We HAVE NO CONTROL. Never did, never will. If you truly had control wouldn't you already be rich? People merely think they have control. What they really have is rebellion against God.

What I am describing is being used for the exact thing we were created to be used for -- the only purpose for life. To serve God and enjoy him forever. If you want to consider yourself a toy, I'm fine with that. You ARE Christopher Robin's Winnie the Pooh. Much loved, much cared for, and learning to love that even as your head hits each step as Christopher Robin walks up and down stairs.

Winnie came to Christopher Robin as a new toy in a box. He wasn't Winnie yet. He was just some teddy bear. The way Christopher Robin treated him -- all that love, all those adventures, all that attention, all those bumps, bruises and an occasional seam stitch repaired -- made him Winnie. So, okay, you're a toy, but you're not abused if or when (because your answer told me I was right -- this is still very much a ame to you and you're still out to get what you want out of God) God loves you!

You abuse yourself by fighting that love. A toy becomes trash when it doesn't serve its purpose.

As for biggest fears? Mine was that God would make me a missionary in Haiti. 40 years later and I finally know he didn't ever plan to give me that. Whew!

He gave me disabled and destitute. Yay! Cool deal compared to what I feared. lol

Moral of the story: All your fears and desires matter to God, but he's still going to give you what he needs you to be to show his love through you.

He's waiting for the day you stop thinking love is making him do YOUR will. He's not a toy that gets abused by you either. Nor can you trash him. Learn to deal with that versus playing the mind games you're resorting to now all in the hopes of appeasing him to get your way.

So much for that original post, huh? 100% didn't last long.

 

[Depleted]

Spurgeon's morning devotion. I needed it. I think you do too.

“Have faith in God.”
- Mar_11:22
Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of earnest piety to move well; and without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot, and we drag heavily. With faith I can do all things; without faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do anything in the service of God. If you would find the men who serve God the best, you must look for the men of the most faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God. Poor Little-faith could not have fought “Apollyon;” it needed “Christian” to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have slain “Giant Despair;” it required “Great-heart’s” arm to knock that monster down. Little faith will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nut-shell, and it frequently loses all but its jewels. Little-faith says, “It is a rough road, beset with sharp thorns, and full of dangers; I am afraid to go;” but Great-faith remembers the promise, “Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; as thy days, so shall thy strength be:” and so she boldly ventures. Little-faith stands desponding, mingling her tears with the flood; but Great-faith sings, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:” and she fords the stream at once. Would you be comfortable and happy? Would you enjoy religion? Would you have the religion of cheerfulness and not that of gloom? Then “have faith in God.” If you love darkness, and are satisfied to dwell in gloom and misery, then be content with little faith; but if you love the sunshine, and would sing songs of rejoicing, covet earnestly this best gift, “great faith.”

 

[Alexander_M642]

...figures I never watched Winnie The Pooh growing up.
Oh Bother.

. I think I understand better now.

 

[coby]

pwrnJC, I've been trying to get closer to Jesus for months already. Every time, something happens that ruins my trust in him. To date, I have not had a genuine conversation with Christ. I have not experience true relationship with him. Like the above I've shared, most of my conversations with 'Jesus/God The Father/The Holy Spirit' have been one-sided affairs. There was never a loving dialogue. I'm not even sure if I did talk with the LORD, or if I was talking to myself.

Suprisingly, to many of you, I have read my bible...the gospels, specifically these:

Acts 17:27

That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us



Jeremiah 29:13

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.


Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.


Matthew 7:8

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.


Deuteronomy 4:29

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.


Ephesians 5:8

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light


Jeremiah 33:3

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.




So here are these verses...
WHERE IS HE?!?!?!?!

Do I have to turn over crates and tables? Do I have to punch a pastor or preacher in the face repeatedly? Do I have to burn a piece of wood to smoke him out? Where's he hiding, and why is the creator of all things, alpha and omega, playing hide and seek with simple ol' Alexander? WHERE IS HE?

I'm less angry about it, and more like a little boy on Christmas trying to find his present. WHERE IS HE?

Why don't you just pray the sinner's prayer or the Lord's prayer or say: I open the door. Welcome. Since He's been talking to you all the time and knocking at the door. It's quite easy. You can also go to a good church where He is and pastor and ask help.

 

[Depleted]

...figures I never watched Winnie The Pooh growing up.
Oh Bother.

. I think I understand better now.

Me either. I didn't get into him until I was 50. lol