jashyfry-blog

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Where We Have Never Been

There is something happening that is so hidden only God really sees it. It’s like an intricate root system that exists underground. It is hidden and strong and very exciting. It is like the thoughts of a man. Who can know the thoughts of God? You can reveal what is hidden! But in our lives we will see that which is currently hidden. We want to see that thing that is hidden from us because it means more connection with the father! There is a place that Jesus has gone out from us to prepare for us. We are on our way to a place where we have never been. As a church family and body and bride of Christ we are on our way to a place that has been hidden for so long. We have never been here. But Jesus is there. He has been preparing our future before we were conceived. So do not be anxious if you find yourself in a place you’ve never been. God is doing something. And if He brought you to a place then he will bring you through it. We are on our way to a place that may be uncomfortable. But we we will (and are) always taken care of. So much revelation will be ours. The vault of the mysteries of God is opening. There is an anticipation that is happening in the people of God. Victory is ours. We are on our way to the hidden things. And with every thing we see, hear, experience, we will praise God and we will see heaven come to earth. Let us rejoice! Resurrection is not just in the past! It is a testimony for the future. The things that were hidden in the grave could not be held any longer. And Jesus burst from the tomb as a testimony of how anyone who believes will burst from their grave. We have spent our time in the grave. We experienced death on earth. But pain may endure for a night but Joy comes in the morning! The things that were hidden in the grave are bursting forth. After Jesus is risen the world will never be the same! The world changed when Jesus became the first man to resurrect himself! We have never been here before! But Jesus did not leave us in an world that was forever changed. He went to prepare a place for us. And that place is with him. And he gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us today. We have freedom! What happens after the world forever changes? We trust God. He will do what he wants. And we will praise him for it!

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Wisdom is Obedience

People often tell me that I am wise. I am flattered, really, and I seldom correct them. However, My wisdom was a gift that I accepted, and it became mine through God’s grace. I will never tell someone that I am not wise because i am. But what they see is not wisdom as much as it is obedience. Before finding Christ I had a habit of acting unwisely. However, once Jesus came to me and presented Himself to me as the only thing that deserves my focus, I stood in reverence to his wisdom and Glory, and therefore, I found myself becoming wise. I am increasingly confident in my wisdom because Jesus makes me that way. I asked and waited, and He gave me a gift. But in truth, there is no true wisdom apart from him. As I stray away from his love, which is very unwise, I find my wisdom, not leaving, but transforming into a conscious contradiction of what I knew to be right.  Therefore, wisdom, as a gift, is irrevocable. But the use of wisdom is what becomes optional. When I was given God’s gift of wisdom it would either be a curse or a blessing. Wisdom is a curse to those who only want to walk in their own ways. Show to a man who hates the light the brightest light in the world and he will try and destroy it. Instead, that man would be happier in darkness, for it is his natural state. But show a light loving man such a light and he may hide his eyes until they are adjusted, but he will not run away and find darkness. If wisdom is the light then those who wish to walk in things that are unwise will run from the wise and seek the council of fools, for their nature, is foolish. But those who walk in the spirit and in truth seek the truth no matter how much they may want to hide. Wanting to find darkness is different than finding darkness. Have you ever noticed how fools congregate and cast out those who seek to bring wisdom? That is because of the foolish person’s distaste for seeing a contradiction in their justification for being less than they are. I do not want to live a life justifying my every action and then blaming circumstances for my failures! That is the biggest lie from the devil. Wisdom is sometimes hard to look at, but when we adjust to the light then it is worth it.

People call me wise. And they are correct. I am. God made me such. But what one claims is wisdom was just my acceptance of an invitation to trust God with my life and do what he calls me to do. Wisdom is finding the best counselors. The best counselor is Jesus Christ. But knowing Christ is wise, but wisdom comes when we say yes to his prompting. Wisdom is doing what we know is wise. And there is no excuse! For we have all we need to live a righteous life (2 Peter 1:3). That includes wisdom! Every Christian who accepts Jesus is by default a wise person because they have the wisest being in existence living inside them. But the reason people call me wise is that I put God to work in my life and was obedient to do what he asked me to do. Jesus freed me to be who I am. All I did was say yes to God’s work in me. And people see that I am wise because of my distaste for any ‘wisdom’ that is not from God. Do not listen to the counsel of fools who try to give you permission to be less than who you are! Only listen to the wise counsel of those who say you are more than your worst mistake, and remind you of who you truly are! I hate seeing a generation of people preaching the ‘you do you’ mentality. The bible preaches obedience and not self-indulgence and pitiful justifications for what we know is wrong. You no longer have permission to live the life you know is wrong. But regardless of your previous shortcomings, we can step into the fullness of wisdom that the Lord may make us who we truly are. When you walk in spirit and in truth then you may act in such a way that hell will treble because of ‘you doing you’. Make no mistake, we must let God teach us obedience before we can trust ourselves to do whatever we want to. A Christian life is impossible to lead without a strong relationship with the only true God, Jesus Christ. Press into him and submit to his Grace and let his power transform you while you rely on every breath. Then and only then will you have license to act in such a way that you deem appropriate. But if you lose sight of God then the wisdom you gain will only torment your heart because it will contradict your justification to be less than you are. I signed up for exactly that. And that is why I am called wise.

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Faithful God

I will only be as confident as God is faithful. And since Gods faithfulness has no bounds, neither should my confidence. It takes faith and courage to act in such a way that demonstrates the confidence that God destined us for. But it is the only way to be truly free. Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). The thing about books is that the end was written before you read it. In fact, every event in the book is happening at the same time, but it is only your perception of a single page that helps you get to the end. So if you read a book you know there will be an ending. And if you do not believe in a faithful God you will be anxious about the next chapter. But God, the author and perfector of our faith, calls us to have confidence in who he made you to be. But that means trusting him to be faithful when you step out in faith. Your confidence has nothing to do with your perception of who you are. It has nothing to do with your ideas about yourself. Your confidence in God should be unshakable. And that has nothing to do with circumstances or trials. God is faithful. He always will be. Be free from relying on yourself, and thus need to be confident in yourself. But your confidence is only as good as God’s faithfulness. And the truth is He would rather die than let you down.

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Love is Sacrifice

I see the world and all that is under the sun and I think, as I’ve thought for years now, that there is nothing new. The repetitions of humanity echo through the world and it sounds like a drum, just beating a split second too fast. And if the drum is all we have to listen to then the sound of humanity sounds consistent and correct. Then as we walk through this life we begin to add our instruments to the drum that beats too fast. And that is the sin that is so hard to be undone. And we would not know that the beat is out of time unless we listen to the true and consistent drum that is Jesus.

Jesus says that we must be willing to lay down our lives for our friends. Sacrifice is the purest expression of love and there is no greater love than to sacrifice ones life. So where is the sacrifice? Are we waiting for a big way to lay down our life for our brothers and sisters?

Believe me in this, if you are not willing to sacrifice your time, money, body, and even your immediate happiness for someone then you surly will not sacrifice your life. But, if you believe that you are willing to sacrifice your life for someone you have just admitted that their life is as valuable as yours. And therefore you will be willing to give what you have away to your neighbors.

The true rhythm of heaven teaches us to situate our life under the consistent and true beat of love. And the only way to do that is to be willing to sacrifice your life.

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Love With Understanding

Be careful. You were not called to love the world. You were called to love God and to love others. Out of that love, you can then disciple to the world. You are called to transform the world through discipling it not conforming to it. Do not run from God for the sake of a dying world that is enemy of God. Instead, love God with everything you have and, love your neighbor as you love yourself. After all, that is the golden rule.

You are called to love people, not the worldly things they do. Understand the true, sacrificing love that Jesus is talking about. It’s a daily choice to love people, love God and love yourself. (Yes. You can “choose” to love yourself just like you “choose” to love anyone else). Make no mistake, God is fighting your worldly nature. If you align your heart and mind with that worldly nature, then who is He fighting? He will win in the end. You are saved by his power through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

If you have a friendly relationship with the world, then God is your enemy.

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Mercy

Mercy triumphs over judgement. Jesus had mercy on us. So now we are called to have mercy on others. Choose love and not unrighteousness judgement.

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Worth It

Firstly, you are worth Jesus’ death on the cross. You are worth every pain he endured. You are worth every tear, every scream, every step of absolute anguish. You are worth it all. However, are you acting like you’re worth it? Can you honestly say that the way you’re living your life right now is worth his death? Jesus died so you can step into perfect freedom. He paid for your perfect freedom. But if you are still a slave to something then you are not walking in all he purchased. Your life is worth the death of God. God knows and understands everything and because of the mystery of grace He decided you were worth dying for.

Yes, he paid for you to go to heaven. If you confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that Jesus is the son of God you are saved (Romans 10:9). But eternal salvation was not all Jesus died for. He died to have a life with you and a growing relationship. Eternal salvation is the lowest level of blessing you can get through Jesus. And we are somehow content with just that. Perfect freedom is the highest level of blessing. If you choose it then your life will be transformed.

But ask yourself, is this life your living worth all of Jesus dying for all of you? He gave you all of him when he laid naked on a cross. If there is a part of you that you haven’t given to Jesus then do it. He didn’t die for himself. He died for you. And he paid it all for you so that you may step into freedom. He has a bank account of infinite amounts of wealth. All of it was paid for on the cross. And he wants to give all of it to you. But you only accept the level of intimacy you share with him. You will need to give things up. But it’s worth it because if you, a person who was desperate for salvation, are worthy of the death of God, then how much do you think God, the only one who could save because He is perfect, is worth? He is worth you offering your body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). He is worth you taking up your cross daily and following Him (Luke 9:23). Make no mistake, following Jesus is not a one time decision. It is a daily descision. But he gave up his life for you. That is worth your life at the very least. Jesus loves you too much to watch you remain in slavery to things he conquered on the cross. So step into freedom because it is your promise and your inheritance.

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Walking in Power

The truth about you is greater than you know. You are more powerful and more explosive for the kingdom then you can fathom right now. Do not be blinded. God is powerful, and even more, he lives inside of you. The idea of God does not live inside of you, but the one true living God. You are a temple. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11). Remember what you believe and how crazy it is. Jesus raised himself from the dead. And then promised to raise you from the dead as well. That is power. Believe me. I will only listen to the person who demonstrates the power they talk about. People always say “God is all powerful!” And then they don’t consult him or trust in him. Yes we all believe God is all powerful. And so do demons. But where does He live? He lives in you. And every day he goes to work in you. So if you’re obedient to him, then you have His power. If He abides in you and you in Him then anything you ask will be done for you (John 15:7). Anything! But first you must abide. You must let the author and perfecter of your faith work in you (Hebrews 12:2). (Side note: When Jesus healed someone he told them “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” And if he is the author and perfecter of our faith then what is left for us to do?)

Do not be deceived! You have the fullness of God within you! “For God does not give his spirit by measure” (John 3:34). He did not give one part of himself to you and another to a different person. He gave all of himself to every person who accepts Jesus into themselves. So you are lacking nothing.

God came to earth by word first, through Jesus. For in the biggining was the word and the word was with God and the word was God (John 1:1). Just before Jesus left he told his disciples to stay in Jerusalem until “you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49). Firstly, Jesus said to wait on Him. If you’re struggling and you are in the middle of a hard time and it’s hard for you to think or love or be with people, Jesus is telling you to just wait on him. Because what good thing is not worth waiting for? Secondly, he said that they would receive power from on high. So the gospel came first by the word of God and then it came in power. To hear the word of God is good. But signs and wonders follow those who believe (Mark 16:17). So if the God you are serving has no power then you are not serving the right God. Because the God I read about in the Bible had/has power. He did not hold his power for himself. But he gave his whole Holy Spirit to everyone who accepts Jesus. And with the Holy Spirit comes power. In fact when Jesus is talking about power coming from on high he is talking about the Holy Spirit. God has many names, and the one he was called here is “power.” The Holy Spirit is literally power. That is His name.

If you accept the word of God (Jesus) then the gospel came to you in word. If you stop there then the gospel came in word only. But the gospel did not only come in word, but also in power. And in the future you will experience the Power of God when he raises you from the dead! Therefore, if he is that powerful, and all of Him lives in you, then what excuse do you have to not be free of everything that holds you back from your destiny? Do not doubt.”for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord”(James 1:6-7). God promised you freedom. Let Him give it to you. And RUN From all that keeps you from freedom. He loves you so much. (In the quiet place ask Him how much he loves you. And then wait.)

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Confidence

I know the world hates me because everything I stand for is against it. If you know someone hates you then how often do you suppose you will want to meet with them? Probably not at all if you can avoid them. On the other side, if you know someone loves you won’t you try your best to be with them as much as possible? A lot of us try and get the world, who hates us, to love us. It doesn’t end well. And the longer we spend in the world the more we begin to hate ourselves because we are listening to what the world says about us. But! If we just listened to what Jesus says about us then we will be filled with confidence and power. So if you are struggling with confidence then ask yourself if you are spending too much time communing with the world who hates you. Make no mistake, you are in a world that hates you, but that does not mean you have to listen to the world. You can be free from being unconfident! Listen to the freeing voice of Jesus and accept his love for you. It matters who you listen to. Spend more time with Jesus than in the world and you will see transformation happen in your life! Be free!

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Freedom from Striving

Contentment is something that has convicted me greatly as of late. So often I say in my heart “I want that” or “I deserve that.” But make no mistake, I deserve death, but through the benevolence of Christ I have received life. The inevitable end of my lack of contentment is very sad. I saw myself with everything I could ever want and still wanting more. The verse makes very clear what is great gain, and willfully omits all that is not great gain, which is money, lusts of the flesh, power, greediness, and so on. All these will give you gain in accordance to a world that is quickly passing away. But contentment and godliness will give you truly great gain. Be free from the patterns of this world. Striving for worldly gains will end in a way we will not like. But contentment with what Christ has already given will lead to freedom and life. Be free from entitlement and self satisfying. You who accept Christ are co-heirs of the kingdom of heaven. Be content with the riches of heaven inside of you. For the Holy Spirit, the most valuable man in all the universe, lives in you and will allow you to be content and godly. It is done by his grace lest anyone should boast.

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Listening to Truth

If the thoughts you’re thinking do not promote a sound mind then they are lies. Do not listen to lies. Lies want you to feel fearful, anxious, weak, and even hate. But the spirit of truth that lives in us promotes power love and a sound mind. You have the promise of a sound mind. Any voices that say anything else is simply a lie. Jesus came to set us free. So accept freedom from anxious thoughts. Because who the son sets free is free indeed.