Leave Your Country

Brad D.

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Genesis 12:1 Get out of your country: From your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

Everything began with a first step for Abraham and so it will for you. To get to the heart of what God is after is going to take courage, it is going to take separation, it is going to take desire.

I am sure Abraham was just like us. He was surrounded by influences of every kind. I am sure there were strong traditional beliefs both culturally and spiritually, strong family ties, financial considerations, and all manner of other things and considerations that bear down and weigh upon one's life.

But somewhere in Abraham's life there was birthed a desire, a receptiveness if you will to know God, to know His ways, to know who He really was. And God spoke into that desire and initiated a command. And the Command was get away from all of that, to separate yourself from it and come out of it to a land I will show you.

I have been praying for a similar thing for His people of late. I have been praying this desire would also be birthed in you. It all begins with that desire, that yearning, to know who He really is, what is He really after in our life, what we must do to go onward? God initiates such desires. And that is why I have been praying He would initiate one in you.

For Abraham, and for all of us, when God speaks into that desire, when He answers that prayer, it requires a first step. That first step will mean everything. For when we take that first step towards what God is really after, He begins to energize and strengthen us to do what He has given us to do, then we find His grace is sufficient for the next step and the one after and so on. We come from that day forward more and more under the divine influence of who He really is and what He is really after, what He is really aiming for.

The Land Abraham came into is symbolic of who God is and where He stands. For you it will be different for me, but the objective will be the same. We simply become part of the greater whole. But the only way we can truly do our our part, is to stand where He truly is. No other place will do. And to do that, we might find like Abraham, we are going to have to leave a lot of things behind. Things that are difficult, things we thought important, things we thought culturally and spiritually significant, things we thought were significant and true.

There must have been tears, and debate, and long good byes, and perhaps even second thoughts and struggles for Abraham. I am sure many spoke against it, many maybe felt hurt or even betrayed. But somehow Abraham fought through it all to get to God. That burning desire had been placed there by God which drew Him onward. He had to entrust whatever He was leaving behind and all the misunderstanding thereof and put it into the hands of God. And then somewhere in that deep long night, also I am sure filled with joy and anticipation, He packed His things and began the journey to the Land God had promised.

When I think of the debates and the strife and the conflict and the confusion of Who God is and what He is after that rage on and on within the walls outside of this forum, I am strengthened by the fact that God's still small voice can still break through. His ways can still be made known. He can still initiate that Abrahamic desire. He can still draw us onward and bring us into that land He is really after.

Prayer: Father I pray for your people today and even those that don't know you. I pray for your sake precious Lord, that you would have a people for yourself who yearn after you so much Lord that they become willing to take that step you give them to take, to act upon it, to take you at your word and leave all behind that must go. For I know when they make that transaction with you it moves your heart and you begin to act in their lives to give them the strength and the manna they need to go onward with you, to come into that which you always intended for them to be. For your sake precious Lord. For all that is important to you, may you have a people who truly desire you, desires to know your ways, desire to know that which you are really after, for in the end only that which was really of you will be able to stand. May you do it in this day Precious Lord. In your Son's name we do pray.

 

Brad D.

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I smiled when I read your words, for I know a man who did this, who took such a step.

I guess for me the important question would be do You feel God initiated the steps in his life, and if so what were the results?

Secondly I just want all who read this to know I don't have any preconceived ideas of what those steps should be in your life only God does, and He usually doesn't ask for everything in a day. Just respond to what He gives you today. He is a good guide. He knows the way and He will take you from there. My real prayer is not so much what He will do, but that you will have a burning desire to know what you should do!, to go onward, because your heart burns and longs to know Him more, You sense deep within your Spirit there is more to this, and at any cost you want to know what it is. He initiates, sees and answers such a desire as that!
 
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I guess for me the important question would be do You feel God initiated the steps in his life, and if so what were the results?
The answer is yes, absolutely it was God who initiated the steps.
This was a priest in Nigeria, who answered the need for a priest to fill a vacancy in our diocese.
He flew over, and fit in nicely!
In fact he did so well, that 4 years later, our Bishop issued a second invitation, and this time, 4 more Nigerian priests answered his call.
Two years later, there was a small parish two hours away where the members spoke Nigerian, so our priest offered to lead mass for them once a week. He was well received there too.
And finally, this past year was his 8th year with us. He was scheduled to return to his Diocese in Nigeria, but a parish with two churches and a shrine was facing closure because--you guessed it--lack of a priest!
So our priest transfered to that assignment, and our Bishop put out a call for a priest.
This time a priest from the Philippines answered the call.
 
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Brad D.

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The answer is yes, absolutely it was God who initiated the steps.
This was a priest in Nigeria, who answered the need for a priest to fill a vacancy in our diocese.
He flew over, and fit in nicely!
In fact he did so well, that 4 years later, our Bishop issued a second invitation, and this time, 4 more Nigerian priests answered his call.
Two years later, there was a small parish two hours away where the members spoke Nigerian, so our priest offered to lead mass for them once a week. He was well received there too.
And finally, this past year was his 8th year with us. He was scheduled to return to his Diocese in Nigeria, but a parish with two churches and a shrine was facing closure because--you guessed it--lack of a priest!
So our priest transfered to that assignment, and our Bishop put out a call for a priest.
This time a priest from the Philippines answered the call.

Nigeria with the unrest and Boko Haram I am sure can be a tough place. Perhaps God used some of that or at least his experiences living in Nigeria to shape Him into the man that seemed to touch your life so. Thanks for the story! I am thankful you find my devotionals a safe place to fellowship. Thank you for your encouragement to me.
 
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Kees Boer

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Genesis 12:1 Get out of your country: From your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

Everything began with a first step for Abraham and so it will for you. To get to the heart of what God is after is going to take courage, it is going to take separation, it is going to take desire.

I am sure Abraham was just like us. He was surrounded by influences of every kind. I am sure there were strong traditional beliefs both culturally and spiritually, strong family ties, financial considerations, and all manner of other things and considerations that bear down and weigh upon one's life.

But somewhere in Abraham's life there was birthed a desire, a receptiveness if you will to know God, to know His ways, to know who He really was. And God spoke into that desire and initiated a command. And the Command was get away from all of that, to separate yourself from it and come out of it to a land I will show you.

I have been praying for a similar thing for His people of late. I have been praying this desire would also be birthed in you. It all begins with that desire, that yearning, to know who He really is, what is He really after in our life, what we must do to go onward? God initiates such desires. And that is why I have been praying He would initiate one in you.

For Abraham, and for all of us, when God speaks into that desire, when He answers that prayer, it requires a first step. That first step will mean everything. For when we take that first step towards what God is really after, He begins to energize and strengthen us to do what He has given us to do, then we find His grace is sufficient for the next step and the one after and so on. We come from that day forward more and more under the divine influence of who He really is and what He is really after, what He is really aiming for.

The Land Abraham came into is symbolic of who God is and where He stands. For you it will be different for me, but the objective will be the same. We simply become part of the greater whole. But the only way we can truly do our our part, is to stand where He truly is. No other place will do. And to do that, we might find like Abraham, we are going to have to leave a lot of things behind. Things that are difficult, things we thought important, things we thought culturally and spiritually significant, things we thought were significant and true.

There must have been tears, and debate, and long good byes, and perhaps even second thoughts and struggles for Abraham. I am sure many spoke against it, many maybe felt hurt or even betrayed. But somehow Abraham fought through it all to get to God. That burning desire had been placed there by God which drew Him onward. He had to entrust whatever He was leaving behind and all the misunderstanding thereof and put it into the hands of God. And then somewhere in that deep long night, also I am sure filled with joy and anticipation, He packed His things and began the journey to the Land God had promised.

When I think of the debates and the strife and the conflict and the confusion of Who God is and what He is after that rage on and on within the walls outside of this forum, I am strengthened by the fact that God's still small voice can still break through. His ways can still be made known. He can still initiate that Abrahamic desire. He can still draw us onward and bring us into that land He is really after.

Prayer: Father I pray for your people today and even those that don't know you. I pray for your sake precious Lord, that you would have a people for yourself who yearn after you so much Lord that they become willing to take that step you give them to take, to act upon it, to take you at your word and leave all behind that must go. For I know when they make that transaction with you it moves your heart and you begin to act in their lives to give them the strength and the manna they need to go onward with you, to come into that which you always intended for them to be. For your sake precious Lord. For all that is important to you, may you have a people who truly desire you, desires to know your ways, desire to know that which you are really after, for in the end only that which was really of you will be able to stand. May you do it in this day Precious Lord. In your Son's name we do pray.
 
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Brad D.

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I am a missionary in South America. But I believe that it is best to start of being a missionary in one's own country, which I did. But nice to meet you all. (Still don't know how to start a new thread).

Hi Kees welcome to CF! I just happened to be up while this came across. To start a new thread simply go to the forum you are interested in posting to and once in that forum you will see at the top of the page a Red Tab entitled Post New Thread. Click on that button and it will allow you a place to Title your Thread, and then to put in your content like you did here. Then at the bottom just like here it will give you a chance to preview it if you like and then a button to post it. Hope that helps!

As far as this thread "Leave Your Country" I wrote it as a Metaphor of what it means to spiritually go on with the Lord, and the encouragement to do so, to take hold of Him for all that He has taken hold of you, rather than a literal call to leave one's country, though that certainly could be the case for a few. I nevertheless am glad you found some interest in it.

So what country in South America, and where do you come from originally? I have often wanted to go to South America, but have not been so fortunate.
 
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Kees Boer

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Hi Kees welcome to CF! I just happened to be up while this came across. To start a new thread simply go to the forum you are interested in posting to and once in that forum you will see at the top of the page a Red Tab entitled Post New Thread. Click on that button and it will allow you a place to Title your Thread, and then to put in your content like you did here. Then at the bottom just like here it will give you a chance to preview it if you like and then a button to post it. Hope that helps!

As far as this thread "Leave Your Country" I wrote it as a Metaphor of what it means to spiritually go on with the Lord, and the encouragement to do so, to take hold of Him for all that He has taken hold of you, rather than a literal call to leave one's country, though that certainly could be the case for a few. I nevertheless am glad you found some interest in it.

So what country in South America, and where do you come from originally? I have often wanted to go to South America, but have not been so fortunate.

Thank you so much, Brad!!! I appreciate your reply. I'm still trying to find that Red Tab named "Post New Thread." Do you by chance have a screen print of that? I'm trying to find it. I would love to talk with you all more.

I always write South America, because I'm a missionary. I'm careful what I write publicly. I'm sure if we were talking, I would right away tell you.
 
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Brad D.

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Thank you so much, Brad!!! I appreciate your reply. I'm still trying to find that Red Tab named "Post New Thread." Do you by chance have a screen print of that? I'm trying to find it. I would love to talk with you all more.

I always write South America, because I'm a missionary. I'm careful what I write publicly. I'm sure if we were talking, I would right away tell you.


Hmm so sorry I couldn't figure out my screen shot gizmo. Can't understand why you don't see it though?

So like for this Forum you would click on the
(1) Discipleship: Follow Jesus
(2) When that comes up you will see a list of all the threads in that Forum The first thread you will see is where you Read and agreed to posting a thread in this forum which I saw where you did.
(3) Right above the read and agree thread just above where you see your name Kees Boer you will see the red post new thread button. It is always in the same place in every forum. That is the button you will click. Hope this helps!
 
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