Category: Purpose

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Discipleship Father Holy Spirit Jesus Key Article Purpose

Your Purpose in Life

Jesus Sitting on a Mountain by the Sea of Galilee Matthew 15:29

You have a Purpose in Life.

Father always knew what is is. Jesus knows what it is. Holy Spirit can help you find out.

You can discover your Purpose in Life. You can have such clarity. You can have certainty. Suddenly, many things become clear.

It is simple. Oh, so very simple. And not always easy!

I will tell you what it is, your Purpose in Life. Yet, you will, at best, need your own revelation from God. Then you will understand your Purpose in greater depth. And probably in a way different than I put it, though this way is certainly correct and true.

So be prepared to Ask Jesus, and listen to and listen for what Holy Spirit shows or tells you. Or what thoughts or feelings or memories come to mind. Remember, God’s first language is not English. So be alert and pay sharp attention, notice what you experience. Ask for greater clarity.

Ask, seek, and take actions, such as knocking at a door. (See Mt. 7:7-8)

Your Purpose grows out of being a sincere disciple. A disciple is someone who takes action and does what they are shown. They learn to do what their teacher demonstrates and shows and tells about and teaches.

Your Master and master teacher is Jesus. You are, I certainly hope, a disciple; if you are not sure – please pray and ask for forgiveness and make a new and deeper decision to learn to be a good disciple.

So you can grow into the character and ministry of Jesus (start with the Fruit of the Spirit, see Gal. 5; and go on to the Gifts of the Spirit so you can minister more like Jesus does, see 1 Cor. 12).

Your Purpose in Life is to learn and grow into being more like Jesus. Having the character and ministry of Jesus, becoming more and more like Jesus. In how you are, who you are, and in what you do. Express more and more of Jesus in your life.

And you get to these things with your own unique gifts and abilities – all given by God. You get to do this in your own way, learning from others, yes – but being your unique self in your own sphere of influence.

I encourage you to pray, to ask, seek and yes, to knock – and let Holy Spirit impart a revelation to you of this, a revelation Father saw for you from before time, let Jesus model and teach you through scriptures and in your life, and Holy Spirit will give you access to the character and ministry of Jesus in your own time and place and in your own unique way.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor. 3:18, NKJV)

Pause in the Presence of God.

Categories
Kingdom of God Prayer, Intercession, Angels, Presence of God Purpose Spiritual Warfare Worship

Putting Kingdom First can be Surprisingly Powerful

Angel Wing over man – Art by Orit Martin

Putting righteousness and the Kingdom of God first — has the side effect of helping us sort all our priorities and values, automatically. Putting things in Kingdom perspective – the best perspective in the universe.

When something is disturbing, return to righteousness and Kingdom first, and restoration of values and priorities is automatic. And good for us:

  • The Kingdom of God is easier to experience.
  • Prayer is easier and more effective, and in line with what our Lord wants us to pray for.
  • Presence of God is much easier to experience. Our purpose and purposes are extremely clear and keeping us focused, and easily, too.
  • Spiritual warfare can be done in just this way, and Satan’s kingdom is disturbed and knows it’s losing.
  • Worship is a powerful side effect, and easy.

Especially in times like these, where there is so much that is disturbing going on, and so many people disturbed.

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Create Discipleship Faith Getting Help Hearing God Holy Spirit Intercession Joy Prayer Purpose

Intention & Intuition

Intuition reveals what or how, intention helps you accomplish your target

Here’s an interesting and fun way to look at Intention & Intuition.

From the point of view of how we humans experience things, intention and intuition are the same thing, but going in different directions. Let me explain. And try to put this into words.

Especially when experienced as the Still Small Voice of God, we experience deep intuition as something that comes into us from outside. We receive it on the inside, but it doesn’t really come from us.

We experience intention as something inside us with which we want to use to change the world outside of us.

Intuition comes from outside of us into the deep center of us, often transforming us. Intention goes out through our deep center into the world outside of us, changing the world.

(I’m trying to put into words things that are far deeper than words. Not everyone will describe these experiences the same way.)

Intuition is heard or experienced through our Still Center, a place of stillness that feels like the very center of our being. This is where we experience the Small Still Voice of God. We experience intuition as coming from outside of us into the inside.

Intention is felt or experienced through our Still Center, as something that is already inside of us and with which we intend to affect the universe outside of us. We experience intention ad coming from the inside of us and going out into the world.

It’s an odd and unusual thought, but intuition and intention have far more in common than has been recognized. They might even be the same thing, just coming from and going to opposite directions.

In terms of how humans experience two-way conversation with God, intuition is vital for hearing from God. Praying in the Spirit may be related to intention. I have often prayed with intention, especially after hearing from God.

Hearing from God and praying to God seems very much related to intuition and intention, at least sometimes.

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Conversation with God Lessons Purpose

Appointed Lessons

Photo by Nick Scheerbart on Unsplash

Like a Divine Appointment, the Glory of God became more available, like the sun hiding behind dark clouds that cover....

The sunsets and sunrises where I currently live, in the highlands of Panama, last about 15 minutes. Look away for a minute, and the clouds and whole appearance changes. Go get a cup of coffee, and you miss most of it. (We are so close to the equator that sunrises and sunsets are rapid.)

I saw the sun hidden behind clouds, recently. The clouds were dark, but the edges which were thin were extremely bright with the very bright light of the sun.

Like the Glory of God, being hid from us, and yet being revealed….

I didn’t know it, but I was experiencing an Appointed Lesson. Not unlike a Divine Appointment, it was a Divine Lesson, appointed by God. An object lesson. Our Lord inspired me, and I learned….

The Glory of God is so bright and huge, God’s glory is dangerous when too fully revealed to us mere mortals. Just like looking directly into the sun is dangerous for us. The lesson was deep, and it was as if I were seeing and knowing this deeply and for real for the first time.

In life, when we have a glimpse of this reality about the Glory of God, it is our job to be so overloaded and overcome that it overwhelms us.

The Light Display that our Lord gives us every morning and evening, and the often less dramatic and more subtle displays during the day – are lessons – if we will only really look and see. The night sky is no less glorious, yet not nearly so bright, so not as useful for this lesson I was receiving.

First, the Glory of God is too much for us to see completely and thus is dangerous to us.

Second, what looks dark and foreboding in life can be a protection for us. Because darkness hides our Lord and God, yet we can safely see how his Glory leaks – especially at the edges of darkness – you can discover inspiration when you can take time to see and know. Deeply know.

Third, darkness may seem to hide God’s Glory. It really only makes it safer for us to see some of his Glory. What a lesson there is in this.

Especially at a time like this, when we can really use such inspiration, and such a lesson.

Meditate on these things. And give thanks!

-David

P.S. As I write this, I remember my wife who unexpectedly died some months ago. To me at least, I feel as I write this that she is here.

Wow…the lesson in this!

Categories
Discipleship Faith Friendship Getting Help Pain Purpose

Improve & Transform Terrible Memories

Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist - in pictures
Father and son observing Comet Pan-Starrs in Massachusetts

There is a straightforward way to transform terrible memories, which I just recently discovered and noticed through a Facebook friend, Henry Kanu, who lives in Sierra Leone.

This works so well for me because I already have experience with and belief in a particular promise of God: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good”, Romans 8:28a., ESV.

Henry Kanu and I were discussing and exploring this promise, when Holy Spirit prompted me to test this out and prove it to myself – even further.

So I thought of two memories that I considered terrible memories of things I had experienced. (My wife’s unexpected death and a painful childhood time.) Then I applied God’s promise to those two memories.

Remarkably, they no longer seemed like terrible memories; there were just precursors – things that happened first, before God tuned those experiences into good things – which I can now easily notice and appreciate. I am grateful for what has happened.

Applying God’s promise literally transformed the memories from being of things I felt were bad – into memories of how God made good out of those things. I literally remember and experience the blessings that God gave as a result of these experiences.

They no longer were terrible memories for me.

If you have enough experience &/or enough trust in this promise from Romans 8:28a, I believe this transformation can easily happen for you, too.

And if you need more experience with this promise, I recommend you do two things. First, meditate on God’s promise. Second, remember some specific things that are terrible memories, and notice how God turned these experiences into something good for you.

After doing this for a while, see how the promise may help you transform a memory of something that felt bad, and that you thought of as a terrible memory.

I believe you will notice as I have, a memory of something you thought of as being bad and that felt bad – can be transformed by applying God’s promise of Romanss 8:28a.

Oh – and it’s an excellent idea to give thanks for the improvement and transformation to Jesus. And to praise him for this. Which will have the side effect of nailing down the transformative experience of a bad memory into being the start of something good that God has done for you.

Thank you, Henry Kanu. And most of all, thank you, Jesus Christ!

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Intercession Jesus Ministry Pain Purpose

Empathic or Spiritual Gift?

Jesus is my Pastor – empathic and gifted

You might not know; you may even be doing both – being empathic and receiving a Word of Knowledge – one of the Spiritual gifts – about someone else.

Add compassion, like Jesus, to your gentle awareness of pain – the healing and ministry is better, easier, faster.

You can do these things for others, especially when you have a Word of Knowledge that allows you to feel and experience what is going on with the other person. You can often do this for others in intercessory prayer.

I wonder if this is is how Jesus sometimes healed. I think probably so.

Jesus as the Word who created all, including us, has given us these gifts to gently and lovingly use.

Jesus literally has created us to heal trauma and pain.

What amazing and wonderful gifts he has given us.

And he has sent Holy Spirit to help us discover, learn about and do these things. Which, with our Helper and Guide, goes so much better, easier and better.

So do as he told us, and as he showed us. Heal pain and trauma in yourself and others with gentle compassion and Holy Spirit.

Do not wait, do not be passive. He tells us today, go: heal the sick and free the bound. With gentle compassion and love, go forth and heal. You do these things.

He has equipped us and given us all we need to do as he says.

Those of you who are (HSP’s) Highly Sensitive Persons or who are highly empathic have been especially equipped to heal this way, with your gentle, compassionate and loving attention, first with front of the mind awareness, then with back of the mind awareness which resolves trauma and speeds healing along. These are gifts from our Creator, the Word. Jesus.

And, you can always ask Holy Spirit to adjust your emotions, energy body, and relationships.

What an amazing and wonderful Lord he is!

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Learning Miracles Prayer Targets Purpose

Calling, Part 3 of 3

Part 1 is at: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/calling-part-1-of-3/

Jesus Invites – by Sitara

Part 1 is at: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/calling-part-1-of-3/

You have a calling.  God has called you to be and to do.  You’re calling does not go away, God does not change his mind about such things.  This makes it easier to notice you’re calling, because there is a pattern in your life that can be seen.  Making your calling easier to notice, perceive, and discover things about.

What do I mean, discovering things about your calling?  You are called to serve and to minister to certain people, certain kinds of people.  And those people are generally called to receive well from and through you.  What this means is that you do better when you serve and minister to such people: they are more receptive and eager, you are more gifted and skilled.  Much less frustrating than ministering to those to whom you are not called.

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to make you “dumber” than you are?  I’ll bet you have; we all have.  This is something that happens to all of us.   

Other people bring out the best in you, help you to be better and smarter and more effective than is usual for you.  These are people you are gifted for, and people who are gifted to receive from.  People you are called to, and people who are called to receive from you.

It’s important that you discover who such people are, what kinds of people these are in your life.  So you can recognize them and search them out.  So you can serve and minister to them on purpose.  So you can discover and learn how you are called to serve and minister to them.

Because God called you to this.

Because you’ll be more successful when you respond well to your calling.

Because these people-groups and individuals will receive through you what God has called you to do for them.  Such people hunger and need what you can offer to them.

It is a joy to serve such people.  To succeed more effectively and more often.  To be received eagerly and well by these people.

It is a  *joy*  to serve and to do what God has called you to be and to do.

.

So pray, remember things that have happened.  Ruminate. Meditate.  And discover more about how and to whom you have been called and created for in unique and wonderful ways.  To serve.

It is a joy to be your best self.  It is fun.  It is wondrous and you will learn much as you serve.  

Discover and learn about your calling, who you are called to serve, and how you are to serve them.  Even where you are called to serve them. 

Ask God to help you understand and respond well to your calling, he knows and knows well – he’s the one who called you!  

Since God has called you, respond, and respond well.  Be and do who and what you were  *literally*  created and made for.

And rejoice!  Rejoice in our Lord.  And follow – follow how you are called – and be filled with joy and wonder, rather than with frustration and pointlessness.  This is a much better way to live, and too few do this.  Too many suffer needlessly, not doing these things.

This  *is*  an amazing and wonderful way to be living!  Do this – discover, learn and explore.   You may have to experiment to discover such things – do so.  It’s okay!  And expect and be alert for clues and hints from Holy Spirit as you do so. 

Who are you called to be?  What are you called to do?  With and for whom?  

Be filled with so much joy you have to rejoice out loud.  Rejoice!

Part 1 is at: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/calling-part-1-of-3/

Categories
Learning Miracles Prayer Targets Purpose

Calling, Part 2 of 3

Part 1 is at: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/calling-part-1-of-3/

Face of Jesus

Part 1 is at: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/calling-part-1-of-3/

You can call on God.  You can call on the Lord.  You can call on “I am”.   Wow!  And what can you expect to happen?

You can call on the Lord and be saved.  It’s a promise.  God does not change and keeps his promises.  So you can call and you will be saved.

Saved as in the Greek word “salvo” which can mean saved, made whole, and healed.  What a wonderful word!

You can call on “I am” to save you – from whatever you need saving.  

You can call on the Lord to be made whole, and to experience your wholeness.

You can call on “I am” to help you and you will be helped.

You should experiment with this, explore and personally discover what you can discover. Learn and be surprised and filled with wonder and awe.  

You have been privileged  to call on God, to call on the name of the Lord, to call on “I am”.  To call on Jesus.  And you will be saved.  That’s a promise.

I wonder about how many ways you can call on our Lord; how many ways you can use his names. How many he can save.  How we may be made whole and even healed.  I hope you do, too.

I hope you will join with me and explore and experiment with this.  What can you and I learn about this?

Let’s share with each other what we do discover.  It’ll be fun, exhilarating, and full of good surprises…I am sure of this.

Call on our Lord and be saved.  Be “salvo-ed”.  And discover what this means and what practical results you can experience in the real world.

I believe that when you call on a thing or a person for a response; it goes best when you do this in calling on the name of the Lord, first.  Like putting the Kingdom first.

See next, Part 3: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/calling-part-3-of-3/

Categories
Learning Miracles Prayer Targets Purpose

Calling, Part 1 of 3

robert-nyman–ysyCHixMHU-unsplash

I once had a cat that came when SILENTLY called.

I used to call the cat, even when the cat was far away. Even when I could not see the cat. This was not a dog that loves to come when called…this was a cat.

Gradually I noticed something peculiar, odd, strange…and wonderful. I usually knew when the cat was coming. Shadow was his name. He was nearly all black. I would see him running through the field, coming. I knew when I had connected with him, and I knew when he was coming. Even when I could not see him. Sometimes I felt no connection, and Shadow did not come at such times.

Then I experimented, and I am not sure why I did – but as I experimented, something even more strange and wonderful happened.

I did not call the cat out loud, I just called for Shadow to come, mentally. And to my amazement and delight, I still knew when we connected and when we did not. Most of the time we connected, and he would come running. Other times, nothing happened.

I remember wondering what was happening when we did not connect. Was he busy? Preoccupied? Purposely choosing to ignore my call? I still do not know, I have no idea. And sometimes I still wonder.

I learned that I could call Shadow with an intention to call, and I would know when we connected and when we did not. And when we connected, which was most of the time, he would come running.

So I experimented some more. I called things that were not as though they were. When the electrical power went out, I would call for it to come back on. I called for circumstances to change. And here is the odd and surprising and wonderful response – I called, and they would come. But only when I *really* meant it, wanted deeply, and when I was single minded in my intentions.

An intention to call something that was not as though it was would work, and mighty quick. Power would come on in a second and a half or so. But not until my wanting was thorough, deep and profound. Not until I was deeply sincere about it. And single minded.

I need to explore this and experiment and see what happens when calling by intention. I need to learn more about this.

I invite you to explore and experiment, too. Call whatever you want. Deeply want. When you are sincere and ready and determined to have what you are calling come to you.

I wonder how you will do this? How you will explore? What you will learn on the way? I hope you will share your discoveries with me. I deeply want to learn more about this. Do you?

See next, Part 2: https://ministermorelikejesus.com/calling-part-2-of-3/

Categories
Key Article Leadership Purpose

A Surprising Purpose of Leadership

A purpose of leadership is not to do all the ministry. It is to equip the saints (that’s all of us) for the work of ministry!

 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherdsc and teachers,d 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,e to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

https://biblehub.com/esv/ephesians/4.htm

I wonder what our churches and the Christian community would be like if we followed this scriptural teaching?

Serve. Love. Show. Equip: equip for ministry! (reparteegallery.com/foot-washing)

I believe:

  • More effective and powerful ministry will be accomplished. And become normal.
  • More people would be reached for Jesus Christ – and fast.
  • Local churches would become centers of personal and numerical growth.
  • Churches would begin to grow more at New Testament speeds.
  • Joy and love will increase.
  • Jesus may return sooner than otherwise.