A Way Unknown: The State of Things Today The Desperate Need Final Chpt.

[Brad D.]

But what is this writing getting at afterall? Though they may be helpful, it is not about personal testimonies mine and others. We might begin to focus on the means rather than the objective if that is all that it was. It seems we are always getting bogged down as Christians in the wrong thing. I am rather trying to get to the desperate need of the hour. I am trying to get to the message.

Psalms 9:15-16 Is a picture of the world we live in today. The Nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

The Lord is quickly handing man over to the things of man to show us it is not in man. The world is unraveling as we speak and we as Christians are on the bus headed rapidly for the edge of the cliff arguing about everything and focused on everything but what the hour really needs. Martha, Martha you are worried and troubled about many things. But there is but one thing needed (Luke 10:41-42)

I once pressed a Christian pastor if he thought the church was so divided, so worldly, so distracted, because the cross had not been applied to our hearts as Christ said it should be. He had no trouble though with the state of today's Christianity, he likened it to an ice cream store where the Lord had in it many flavors.

Needless to say I don't think we are the Lord's ice cream store. The real purpose of the church is explained in Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

This holds in it the vision of why he suffered so, why it cost Him so. We were to be the firstborn to rise up from the dead of the fall. We are the first part of His work in creation to gather back all He lost in the fall, that He may once again be all in all, that He may have the preeminence beginning with the church. It may explain then why all of hell fights against it so. Anytime the principalities and powers see the least hint of any authentic manifestation of Jesus Christ being raised up on this earth it signals their end. It reminds them that He will once again establish His preeminence. He will once again be all in all. The church should be a sign to them of the things to come.

We cannot be that sign, however, if we make God become whom we desire Him to be to shield us from that which He desires us to become. We are admonished not to make God into our own image. But when we become an ice cream store believing we can become any flavor we choose to be, that is exactly what we do.

What the Lord is really after on this earth, however, in us is authenticity. A true expression of His Son manifested on this earth. A people after His own heart.

Something like that doesn't come cheaply though. It is no small thing to come into the reality of the Lord. He truly does leads us by a way unknown.

For Moses everything was found out in Midian. No stone was left unturned. He knows what He is looking for. He knows How to bring it out. It is all exposed then. Nothing is hidden. It is there we find all the things that must go, in order for the Son to come in.

In some ways the Moses of Egypt before Midian is a picture of the church today. Moses was a man in Egypt, with all the ways and wisdom of Egypt, who was arrayed with all the power of Egypt, living in all the pleasures of Egypt, who was totally inept to deliver His people from Egypt. Does that sound familiar? The one must go in order for the other to come in. Moses was a man trying to find a worldly solution to a spiritual problem.

It is not easy to be led by the Spirit into the desert and men do everything to avoid it. It is much easier to go the ends of the earth in His name, than come to the end of ourselves at the cross. If you remember nothing else about the cross remember this. If we stop at the blood we miss the journey. Salvation is not a thing we come into in a day. Salvation is something that is worked out over a lifetime.

We can make Him be whomever we desire Him to be to shield us from How He truly desires to be known. But authenticity only comes when we have that burning desire in us for reality. When we are able to say to Him. "Lord I cry out for authenticity. I cry out for the reality of you manifested on this earth. Whatever must go take it. Lead me precious Lord to the backside of Midian. Leave no stone unturned. For your Sake precious Lord. For Your sake have your way with me that you may have something real, something true, something that truly springs forth from you on this earth, that spills out into the world around me and touches everything it encounters with the living springs of life."

This is what will really matter in these dark and treacherous days. That which is really out from Him. It will not be easy. It is a way unknown, that test everything we believe to be true, all of our ideas of how to serve Him, even perhaps what we thought Christianity to always be. He will lead us to places we never imagined we would be, through ways and by means we would never imagined He would have used. But He knows how to get what He is after. It is a strangely beautiful place, but poignantly painful. It is a series of enigmas, often intermixed with the darkest of nights, yet often followed by the most glorious of days. It is in these places though that He forges us into the image of Christ, into the reality and authenticity of His Son. And when we think we have lost our way altogether, suddenly a great light will shine in the darkness, and it will all become clear. And this place so painful where everything seems to come to end, is suddenly Holy Ground. We find like Jacob that Surely the Lord is in this place and we knew it not.

May you be blessed in these days and I pray this be a cup of water to you for your journey.
Final Chapter

 

[Trusting in Him]

We are told that God is about to shake all things that only that which cannot be shaken remains and that includes you and me! I strongly suspect that the days may be much shorter, that we think!

For the sake of the elect the dys will be shortened!

 

[Brad D.]

We are told that God is about to shake all things that only that which cannot be shaken remains and that includes you and me! I strongly suspect that the days may be much shorter, that we think!

For the sake of the elect the dys will be shortened!

We may very well be at those days. But even if not let us go onward and serve Him as though it is, the way He always desired it to be.
Thank your for your comments dear brother and your encouragement.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

When we are seeking another city, the heavenly one, Hebrews 11:16 then the faith He is seeking Luke 18:8 will be found ...

I really enjoyed the depth of passion that went into your telling ... thanks for sharing!

 

[Brad D.]

I really enjoyed the depth of passion that went into your telling ... thanks for sharin

There was a period of about 5 years where I wrote quiet a bit ( Though never in any form on the internet), but that ended and for the last 10 years or so by The Lord's restraint I have felt my assignment to be more a man of prayer and a simple man in the Spirit in the everyday. So into solitude and silence I went so to speak. And I have felt strongly in these times that there is more we can do for the Kingdom sometime in giving up our lives in the fires of silence and nothingness than we ever could in the busyness of doing. It's all the energy and the Spirit in which we are doing things ultimately. There is a scripture, however What I tell you in the dark speak in the light and what is whispered in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops! Perhaps this is my season the Lord has called me out for a time to proclaim what I have heard in the dark. 10 years is a long time there. I can only pray I will honor Him with my words before He perhaps assigns me back to my hermitage.

Thank you for you continued encouragement and support to me since I have been here!

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

There was a period of about 5 years where I wrote quiet a bit ( Though never in any form on the internet), but that ended and for the last 10 years or so by The Lord's restraint I have felt my assignment to be more a man of prayer and a simple man in the Spirit in the everyday. So into solitude and silence I went so to speak. And I have felt strongly in these times that there is more we can do for the Kingdom sometime in giving up our lives in the fires of silence and nothingness than we ever could in the busyness of doing. It's all the energy and the Spirit in which we are doing things ultimately. There is a scripture, however What I tell you in the dark speak in the light and what is whispered in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops! Perhaps this is my season the Lord has called me out for a time to proclaim what I have heard in the dark. 10 years is a long time there. I can only pray I will honor Him with my words before He perhaps assigns me back to my hermitage.

Thank you for you continued encouragement and support to me since I have been here!

I can relate because after 15 yrs of posting on CF I feel drawn into the silence myself. It seems a difficult place because I got my sense of belonging from here. As well as a certain sense of self-worth. Declaring from the rooftop what was given to me mattered. Now they are personal matters better dealt with in family situations than familiar situations that CF offered, more suited to real life matters where throwing scripture at the matter didn't always find the answer needed.
Hermitage may be the answer to the piles of book of authors like Origen and others left unread as my travelling companions for the future perhaps. Whatever He has designed for faithful followers can only be good and having an ear and eye open to Him our ready prayer.

 

[Brad D.]

I can relate because after 15 yrs of posting on CF I feel drawn into the silence myself. It seems a difficult place because I got my sense of belonging from here. As well as a certain sense of self-worth. Declaring from the rooftop what was given to me mattered. Now they are personal matters better dealt with in family situations than familiar situations that CF offered, more suited to real life matters where throwing scripture at the matter didn't always find the answer needed.
Hermitage may be the answer to the piles of book of authors like Origen and others left unread as my travelling companions for the future perhaps. Whatever He has designed for faithful followers can only be good and having an ear and eye open to Him our ready prayer.

It is a profoundly honest post. I would just say silence is one of the most formidable trials we can enter into. Perhaps that is why He sent Moses to Midian. You lose everything there. Everything must go down into the ground and die. But I am convinced it is going to take the Daniel's before the throne of God in this day and those living this thing out before the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, than it will be those out there writing books.

 

[Trusting in Him]

I can relate because after 15 yrs of posting on CF I feel drawn into the silence myself. It seems a difficult place because I got my sense of belonging from here. As well as a certain sense of self-worth. Declaring from the rooftop what was given to me mattered. Now they are personal matters better dealt with in family situations than familiar situations that CF offered, more suited to real life matters where throwing scripture at the matter didn't always find the answer needed.
Hermitage may be the answer to the piles of book of authors like Origen and others left unread as my travelling companions for the future perhaps. Whatever He has designed for faithful followers can only be good and having an ear and eye open to Him our ready prayer.

Being drawn into silence, really speaks about God's hand upon the individual lifes of so many of God's people. This often can be how we become more fruitful for Him.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I don't mean that we are to avoid the trials that our armor supplies to fight the darts of the enemy. The Word of God is our sword. Rather to not use the word of God to fight each other. (debating things of elementary importance) It's not something that I feel at peace with. But shouting from the rooftop what He places in my heart to share. That I still delight in

 

[Brad D.]

Rather to not use the word of God to fight each other. (debating things of elementary importance) It's not something that I feel at peace with. But shouting from the rooftop what He places in my heart to share. That I still delight in

I think you make good points about the misuse of scriptures and the misguided focus and emphasis people use to wield them. These forums are unfortunately filled with the "debating of things of elementary importance". I referenced this very concern above.

The world is unraveling as we speak and we as Christians are on the bus headed rapidly for the edge of the cliff arguing about everything and focused on everything but what the hour really needs. Martha, Martha you are worried and troubled about many things. But there is but one thing needed (Luke 10:41-42)

On the other side of the Spectrum it seems there is the constant misuse of scriptures as some kind of magic words, that you just throw into the pot and poof everything is better. A believer in another thread was asking if God really does "never give you more than you can bear" ? I posted this in response as to how sometimes the realization of a scripture comes over a much longer period of time and at much more of a cost than one magic day.

Begin Quote:
{I think one of the most helpful things in this night of faith is to be able to simply sit in the furnace and dare not move. In our struggle we keep trying to free ourself, say the right scripture, look up the right Bible verse, come up with the right formula, but in so doing sometimes we only get ourselves more entangled in the net.

But If we stand where God has placed us and do nothing to save ourselves, such as David in the Cave with Saul. He could have taken matters into His own hands, but it was as if he said, " O precious God, You have put me here, This is who I am, this is where I am at. Somehow this is of your doings, I will not take the matter into my hands, do with me as you will" And when we can begin to do that we begin to notice there is a sweetness there with us in the fire.

I have found God is more of a long term God than a flash and bang God. His work is thorough. Sometimes it takes a long time to complete. He does fulfill everyone of His scriptures. But sometimes we look at them more as magic words to say, rather than things to be completed in us. That takes more time and comes at a much greater cost. END QUOTE}

I know it is wearisome sometime. I often think of Anna and Simeon and Daniel and the likes who stood before God on behalf of the people when all around them the world seemed to be going to pots, and the state of God's people was in such disarray. May He ever give us such patience. I pray you will speak from the rooftops as long as He gives it to you speak, and have the discipline to sit still if He ever says enough.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I think you make good points about the misuse of scriptures and the misguided focus and emphasis people use to wield them. These forums are unfortunately filled with the "debating of things of elementary importance". I referenced this very concern above.


On the other side of the Spectrum it seems there is the constant misuse of scriptures as some kind of magic words, that you just throw into the pot and poof everything is better. A believer in another thread was asking if God really does "never give you more than you can bear" ? I posted this in response as to how sometimes the realization of a scripture comes over a much longer period of time and at much more of a cost than one magic day.

Begin Quote:
{I think one of the most helpful things in this night of faith is to be able to simply sit in the furnace and dare not move. In our struggle we keep trying to free ourself, say the right scripture, look up the right Bible verse, come up with the right formula, but in so doing sometimes we only get ourselves more entangled in the net.

But If we stand where God has placed us and do nothing to save ourselves, such as David in the Cave with Saul. He could have taken matters into His own hands, but it was as if he said, " O precious God, You have put me here, This is who I am, this is where I am at. Somehow this is of your doings, I will not take the matter into my hands, do with me as you will" And when we can begin to do that we begin to notice there is a sweetness there with us in the fire.

I have found God is more of a long term God than a flash and bang God. His work is thorough. Sometimes it takes a long time to complete. He does fulfill everyone of His scriptures. But sometimes we look at them more as magic words to say, rather than things to be completed in us. That takes more time and comes at a much greater cost. END QUOTE}

I know it is wearisome sometime. I often think of Anna and Simeon and Daniel and the likes who stood before God on behalf of the people when all around them the world seemed to be going to pots, and the state of God's people was in such disarray. May He ever give us such patience. I pray you will speak from the rooftops as long as He gives it to you speak, and have the discipline to sit still if He ever says enough.

It is very difficult to find the balance of what to act upon or not. Staying out of the chaos is a choose imo. Recognizing it is another thing too. Proverb's description of wisdom and folly can help identify much of it I find, but as we talk about those same things coming to our awareness the folly of swordfights between professed believers and real life wisdom used for family scenerios, I don't know which is more difficult to remain in peace and quite. The challenge remains in both *-* great chatting with you.