I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth; for you have made your word [even] greater than the whole of your reputation. Psalms 138:2
We spent the last few days celebrating our 15 anniversary in Puerto Vallarta. It was hot, but a very good experience and learning for a few reasons.
The first thing is most of it was high end and free. A new client of ours, a buyer of one of our listings, invited us to stay in their condo beach front. For no cost. They also picked us up at the airport, took us to their home first and then out to eat, he paid. He also gave us a car to use for the 4 days we were there. Later that night we went out to eat again, and he paid again. The next day again, we met for breakfast and we invited them and told them we were paying, but he paid again by saying he was going to the bathroom and he paid.
I have never experienced anything like the generosity this man and his wife showed us. Normally we are on the other end, the ones giving to people, mostly my wife’s family. But also a sharp contrast to the development I built and how demanding the owners are always expecting me to pay for everything. And in their way.
We did not tell the guy where we wanted to eat, he took us to high end restaurants. Better than I would have chosen. When my wife and I went to find food, we chose taco stands, or simple places.
The point or message is a few things. The first one is the difference in the kind of people there are. The givers and takers. We in the Kingdom of God are both. You take when you are given and be grateful. And give when it is time to give. But you do it according to the will of God, not the will of man. Because the will of man is evil and demanding, and you will never please them. But the will of God is perfect and righteous. And it works for your good. Even sometimes you get spoiled like we just were in PV.
There are some things in my mind that still need to be worked through, because I do not get some of it, and what God is showing me, or maybe showing my wife? Because it was also very special with our time and with God. We had some very good conversations, the main one on the plane coming home. As said before, the last year or so has been tough, like the craziest roller coaster ride ever. Like the waves of the ocean being tossed to and fro. And it is a spiritual fight.
But instead of my wife fighting against me and what God is showing me. She now is seeking it, and wants to live in it, the truth. Before she was demanding me to honor her feelings and change to make her happy. Which is NEVER possible. I kept telling her there is nothing biblical about honoring your feelings or your spouse’s feelings. There are all kinds of teachings about getting rid of yourself and obeying the word of God (which is his voice). Before she wanted nothing to do with this truth, and hated me for not changing to please her. Now she wants the opposite, to stop her roller coaster ride and walk in truth.
It does not surprise me too much, because I have been praying for this. I know God has a plan for her, and he has a plan for me and our kids. And I know we are being groomed into those plans through the experience we have, mostly the difficult ones. I know God has a purpose in pitting us against each other. Letting her be demanding in her own way and testing me to see if I would remain true to God or my wife. This is not the first test, probably not the last one. I hope it is the last one, because if it is, it means my wife truly is seeking to be one with the Lord Yeshua as he is one with the Father, and only do his perfect will for her life. And being I am one with the Lord, we would both share the same doctrine and way of living.
It is still a battle, not only to learn God’s truth and how he works. But also to keep living in it. Because the evil one, the adversary does not stop coming at us. And he clothes himself in light or tries to make himself seem like the truth. ANd most people side with the adversary because they think his whispers into your mind sound more like who we think God is or should be, then the hard truth Yeshua whispers into our ear.
Yeshua taught on the wide path again this morning, and made the same point that we all are on the wide path from birth, and that the direction of those on that path is towards death, and it feels right and by far the majority of the people keep heading in the direction of death.
But the real point is when those of us who figure out we are on the wrong path, and turn and start going back. The people tell us how wrong we are, that the truth and way is ahead of them, and not backwards. Most are so sure they are right and throw twisted doctrine around to support their lies. And they do not listen, even when you tell them the true doctrine and they have no argument for it?
For example Paul wrote in Phillipians 3:13-15”Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua.” This verse completely destroys the saved by a sinners prayer grace and once saved always saved doctrine. If there was ever a man who should have a fast path to heaven, it should have been Paul, not the men like us who live a sinful life and very worldly. But he did not say a word about a sinners prayer and salvation without works, yet he is the leader or main one that is quoted as the grace doctrine because of how men have taken a few of the things he said out of content.
I have obtained a lot in the Lord Yeshua, but I also know I can choose to go backwards easily if I let my guard down. Paul continues to write “Therefore, as many of us as are mature, let us keep paying attention to this; and if you are differently minded about anything, God will also reveal this to you.”
Note the last part, if you have a different mind or thought than what is right in God. Then God will also reveal this to you. That is if you are listening and seeking his voice, and not listening to men teachers telling you the lies which keep you on the path to death and hell.
The answers are not in throwing bible verses at people. Because until they decide they really want truth, and to know the truth and then live in the truth revealed by the Lord. Nothing will matter.
In my life, I have come to understand this and the power that is in words and doctrine. And no amount of arguing is going to change a person’s doctrine, which then will change a person’s life. It must be done with truth, and you and I are not the truth, Yeshua is.
Yeshua said to go and make disciples of the nations! Not to go and tell everyone about your doctrine and quote bible verses. Keep in mind they did not have bibles back in those days, and didn’t actually until the 1,600’s. Up to this point it was all from word of mouth and the gathering of the church so the elders could make sure the newbies in Yeshua would go down the right path. It was not about reading a bible and going to church it was about hearing Yeshua and obeying his voice, and the elders telling if it is Yeshua or the evil one clothing himself in light trying to pretend to be God.
The focus was on the relationship, and also getting rid of anyone who refused to do this and pushed their own doctrine.
So looking at the history of the church system and bibles. Pretty much from the beginning satan was changing things in people. Just read revelations 2 and 3 about the 7 churches. But then look at the role of the Romans in forming doctrine, but not in a good way. Consider why they killed the true disciples? It was simple, because the true disciples knew the truth and followed it even to death. The men leaders in those times were changing doctrine, translating it into their own language while they changed it. And the real Messians refused to bow down to the new doctrine, so they killed them.
This happens over and over, they keep changing doctrine until now the bible is nothing like it was. So you have twisted written doctrine, then being twisted even more. And pushed as truth, and no one who tells the real simple truth, which is hear and obey Yeshua, and let him perfect you because he is the only way to be perfected. Instead the doctrine has become what my wife wanted it to be, honor my emotions because God loves us how we are. So support me in my dysfunction so I do not have to change.
That is the opposite of the truth, it keeps you weak and in the dysfunction. This is not what the Lord God wants for you. His way is a better way, because when you get rid of your emotions and die unto yourself, and let him teach you his truth. Then these emotions do not keep you in dysfunction, you grow and become strong in the truth of God. A truth which does not sway you, your feet get planted on solid ground and you no longer are tossed to and fro by the waves of the ocean. Which by the way two times we were in the ocean getting tossed around. It is enjoyable for a while. But in life I would NEVER get back on the waves of my emotions. It is not worth the excitement and fun.
The things of God seem cold to people because the emotion is taken out of your life. People like emotions and stories and entertainment and the things the emotions bring to you. They do not like a simple boring life without the waves. Basically people like the things satan tells them about and gives to them, and they think it is God’s will because we get so accustomed to them we think it is right and God’s way are wrong.