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If you are saying right about now “I don’t have a problem with Judging Others“, maybe ask yourself this; do I ever get angry or disagree with my parents, spouse, boss, government, banker, barber, children, best friend, God, yourself or any one else? Then you may well benefit from this 3 Part video series “Judging Others” How to Overcome.
Every Blessing ~ James 1:17
Bob
It's About Relationship
In the business world and contemporary society, success is measured by our social, religious, or occupational status. We tend to get in a rut seeking our identity in “doing” rather than “being”.
But in the Kingdom of God, success is measured by “knowing” Him.
It’s about relationship.
In Gods Kingdom, He is calling many rebellious sons and daughters to come home.
The Bible suggests that many of us are deceived into thinking that we are secure in Him because we prayed a nice prayer once upon a time.
Jesus explains it well in Matthew 7:21-23.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
All relationships require relating to someone. Relating is active, consistent, and meaningful, not mechanical, hyper-structured, and dry. The sky is the limit to how intimate you want to get with God. Proverbs 3:5,6 encourages us to acknowledge Him in all our ways and He will direct our paths.
God longs for relationship with you and I.
But in the above passage V 23…Jesus says that to some He will sadly say, “I never knew you”.
This is a wake-up call for some of us, a sobering reality that touches our eternity!
If you find yourself in the category of being a “policy holder”, but you don’t ever talk to your “Agent”… there is hope!
Suggested Steps for coming home;
- Repent; Change your mind and ways.
- Reconcile; Ask forgiveness for not seeking to know Him and be known by Him.
- Re-order; Re-order your steps, spend time in the Bible, a fellowship of believers, talk to Him.
- Receive; As you give to Him simple acknowledgments, receive what He has for you.
- Rest; Enjoy a renewed relationship with the One who created you with love in mind.
It’s your life, but I challenge you to share it with Him. He is knocking at the door of your heart, seeking relationship! (Revelation 3:20)
For personal “Prophetic Prayer Ministry” or “Spiritual Life Coaching” sessions in our home office, Skype, or over the telephone please contact us at Freedom Quest International.
Our NEW – Freedom Quest Introductory Video
We encourage you to share this post with your network on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks, click the “Bookmark” button. Thanks for spreading words and connections that heal! Every Blessing to you!
A Sub-Divided Life
Many people subconsciously organize their lives into categories. We see this clearly in statements like T.G.I.F. (Thank God it’s Friday)! We have our work-week and then we have our week-end. Two very clear divisions. Subsequently within those two divisions we build “sub-divisions”. Let’s face it… we all compartmentalize our lives!
Our work-week “sub-divisions” may look something like this…
• Monday night football
• Tuesday out with the girls
• Wednesday we have church
• Thursday night MY time
• Friday night date night with your spouse!
Followed by our “sub-divided” week-ends….
• Saturday morning may be chore time, cutting grass, home care, car care, etc.
• Saturday night with family, friends, or some type of entertainment.
• And of course Sunday is our primary “God-time”!
As we examine our lives closer we also see that we tend to compartmentalize our relationships as well. Hence we act differently when we are with certain people than we do with certain other people.
These “sub-divisions of life” are all areas that God desires to be included in, however the level of acknowledgement of God within all of these “sub-divisions” varies greatly.
Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
May I emphasize Verse 6… “In ALL your ways acknowledge Him.”
Our “sub-divisions” are separated by walls with doors. Some of them we allow Christ in to, but some of them we wouldn’t dare. Why not? Perhaps fear of man, shame, guilt, insecurities, pride and many more.
Let me suggest that if we dare to open ALL the doors in every part of our lives, and tear down all walls, we are then no longer concealing anything!
Matthew 5:14-16 encourages us to “let our light so shine, that men will see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven”. (My paraphrase)
Allow God to transform our compartmentalized lives and make them into a public platform where our “Christ-centered” life can be shared and experienced by everyone we come in contact with.
Dare to transform your sub-divisions!
For personal “Prophetic Prayer Ministry” or “Spiritual Life Coaching” sessions in our home office, Skype, or over the telephone please contact us at Freedom Quest International.
Our NEW – Freedom Quest Introductory Video
We encourage you to share this post with your network on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks, click the “Bookmark” button. Thanks for spreading words and connections that heal! Every Blessing to you!
Passionate Son
PASSION!
- What is it in your life that makes you “pound the table” with great intensity?
- Or is there anything?
Passionate or Passionless?
Jesus passionately took action to preach, teach, heal, raise the dead, and even suffer emotionally and physically unto death. He was passionate to fulfill the purpose of God the Father for His life! I am not saying He had a smile on His face as the soldiers whipped, beat and humiliated Him, but inside His heart, He was passionate to complete the destiny His Father had spoken into Him – His life for ours.
Jesus heard His Fathers voice because of the intimate relationship He shared with His Father.
John 5:19 (NKJV) Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”
Our fathers are to speak destiny into us. So, did yours?
Generally, we all experience highs and lows emotionally throughout our lives. This is partially due to the fact that our lives are made up of a series of transitions; Like Jesus, some exciting, adventurous, and fun, while others are painful, unpleasant, and draining. Without purpose, it’s all but impossible to be passionate in the midst of an unpleasant transition. Again, Jesus was not without purpose! How about you?
Passionate or Passionless?
Passion always precedes action that accomplishes great things! The lack of passion produces mediocrity, with an anemic contentment for life. You are called to great things, that is… your destiny. When you begin to hear your destiny spoken from a father- figure, you will become passionate and that will activate your destiny call to greatness.
If you are “unmoved by feeling” or passionless, perhaps your earthly father couldn’t or didn’t speak destiny into you, or maybe like me, you closed your heart to hear anything from him. Regardless of the why, are you ready to tear down the walls, and open your heart to fathering? Maybe you have closed yourself off to other authority figures that saw your potential, but sensed your resistance.
What better time than Fathers Day week to sow freedom into your relationship with the father-figure/s in your life! If you are ready to become that passionate son/daughter… read this prayer out loud with me.
“Heavenly Father, I acknowledge my emotional wounding that has hindered my ability to feel passion. I am choosing right now to forgive ___________ (say their name/s) for not speaking destiny into me. I ask your forgiveness for closing my heart to dad and/or other authority figures in my life. By faith, I believe I am forgiven, and I ask Father that you would open my spiritual ears to hear you everyday concerning the plans (Jeremiah 29:11) that you have for me.
In Jesus name I pray… Amen!”
You are destined to greatness by Almighty God!
For personal “Spiritual Life Coaching” sessions in our home office, or over the telephone please contact us at Freedom Quest International.
We encourage you to share this post with your network on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks, click the “Bookmark” button. Thanks for spreading words that heal! Every Blessing to you!
High Visibility Boundaries
When the Fall of the year is mature, landowners re-establish and re-mark their land boundaries with (high visibility), “No Hunting” or “No Trespassing” signs. This is done to help control who is welcomed on the land to take of its bounty, OR NOT! Permission is required by the owner. The signs are usually fluorescent so they are (highly visible). There can be no question “Where is the Boundary Line?”
An abuser of control in our lives, be it a spouse, a parent, a child, a co-worker, co-student or whoever, can often be identified by their “extreme high to low emotions”. They use emotions to CONTROL and sometimes their physic. They establish or set up “illegal” or “unhealthy boundaries” in the relationship! The victims response often is “Oh good, he/she is in a good mood, or Oh no, he/she is angry and I need to avoid or appease them!” Sound familiar? “Where is the Boundary Line?”
Similar to the analogy of the land owner, the “trespasser” establishes control because there are no (high visibility) signs or healthy boundaries used to keep un-welcomed people (controlling abusers) out. In this unruly relationship, mental and sometimes physical molestation is commonplace. The heart attitude connected to this abuse is often rage, division, and word cursing. Lawlessness abounds, joy is manipulated at best, and bondage dominates. Matthew 24:12 “Where lawlessness abounds, the love of many will grow cold.”
Establishing healthy boundaries (high visibility signs) with the said abuser allows you to separate yourself far enough from them, so you can seek God and seek counsel for God to bless them, and heal them at the root of their problems. The question is are you tired enough of fear and intimidation to establish healthy (high visibility) boundaries that can bring change? “Where is the Boundary Line?”
“Healthy Boundaries” is another part of our Quest for Freedom! Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free…”
For personal “Spiritual Life Coaching” sessions in our home office, or over the telephone please contact us at Freedom Quest International.
We encourage you to share this post with your network on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks, click the “Bookmark” button. Thanks for spreading words that heal! Every Blessing to you!
That title reminds me of the movie “Matrix” where Keanu Reeves is “The One”! I am addressing family systems in this post, and how to improve or repair the way we do family. “Will you be the one” in your family that initiates change?
How does your family operate? Probably similar in many ways to your personal childhood experience. The added ingredient is your spouse and his/her childhood family experience. It gets tricky when we marry these two different experiences, and the meshed reactions to our personal experiences. If we lived in an abusive home, we often either mimic that as adults to our families, or we go the other way and make changes based on judgments we have harbored against our parents, and or siblings. Drastic change, based on fear, motivated by judgments. The variables are numerous! This usually produces an extreme family system that operates in shame. The judgment in our heart against our fathers house will only reap….JUDGMENT! Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked ; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Have you ever said or thought “I will never do that to my kids” or “my children will never have to experience that”. How do you determine whether or not your judging or only observing? My definition of judgment is “an observation with teeth!”
If we choose to mimic our childhood family experience, we lose and so do our loved ones. If we choose to change our family values based on judgments, we are only stuffing the issues deeper. Now the problem has gone into “stealth mode”. Our family system appears to be “better than our parents way” but the problem areas manifest in other attitudinal ways that are more “socially acceptable” than blatant abuse, like anger, passivity, drinking, workaholism to name a few! We call this behavior “having an elephant in the living room”, that no one will address. Control! “I don’t trust you enough to talk to you, about my feelings.” Don’t Trust, don’t Talk, don’t Feel! These are 3 unspoken, dysfunctional family rules! Make no mistake, if we mimic our abusive experience, our children will inherit suffering, and we will inherit being known and feared as an abuser.
I realize that not everyone can relate to what I am speaking of here, but here is some truth for those of you that can, to help heal your family dynamics for generations to come! Shame based family systems have plagued mankind for centuries. This is the way most of us have experienced family. If you do right, you are acceptable, if you do wrong there are divers consequences. The worst perhaps is feeling unloved, no value, and that your opinion does not matter! Selah
It’s time we apply what the Word of God says, into our family systems. (See my post above “Walk it Out”) We can restore dignity to our loved ones, and to our family name. Selah – Try to think in terms of generations!
Proverbs 22:1,4;
1 A [good] name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
4 By humility [and] the fear of the Lord [Are] riches and honor and life.
If we identify with the “judgments” method, the issues WILL manifest in the generations that follow (See Exodus 34:5-7). No eradication until the issues of abuse are appropriated through forgiveness toward the abuser/s. “Will you be the one” to initiate the “renouncing of judgments” both spoken or entertained in your minds in your family? This is the initial response needed to bring generational restoration. Secondly, we begin to speak blessing, and honor, and thanksgiving over our families. Not just in prayer, but directly to the people that represent your living family. “Will you be the one” to initiate change in your family? Will you be “the Repairer of the Breaches, the Restorer of the Streets to Dwell In” (Isaiah 58:12).
- Renounce judgments we have made against those who sinned against us or our families!
- Speak blessing, honor, and thanksgiving over them as they press through their experience or journey. It really all boils down to Romans 12:1,2! The renewing of our mind, our thinking!
“Will you be the one” in your family to begin to think differently? Every blessing as you press in!
If you desire more information on this subject or ministry personally contact us for scheduling @ http://www.freedomquestinternational.org/invite.htm
I hope this post has stirred you for appropriating godly change in your family generations. Please leave a comment. Love to read your thoughts!
To share this post with your network on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks, click the “Bookmark” button. Thanks for spreading words that heal! Every Blessing to you!
We often times hear and read slogans being chanted on the news and newspapers “save the whales”, “hug a tree”, or “protect the environment”. I would like to suggest to us that God is ready for us to “change the environment”. Yes, I believe God would want us to become “environmentalists”. Many of us operate in life according to what we have experienced, and in many cases, we like our parents, continue to hurt and be hurt. We either move into control or we cower down and become passive or complacent, which is shame based, never really talking about what is really in our heart. There is a better way!
Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” and we would do well to unpack that just a little bit more. Let’s focus on “Jesus the Way”. Let’s look at the way Jesus related to life. He was not afraid of anything, he was not insecure, we saw that in Luke 2 when Jesus was only 12 years old and teaching the religious leaders. He never robbed people of their dignity even when rebuking them, he only addressed their hypocrisies. And according to Paul in his letter to the Philippians, he highly valued humility, honor, and agape’ (love that meets others needs, at my expense).
Jesus had no fear because He postured Himself in His Fathers presence always. 1 John 4:18 says that God is love, and perfect love casts out fear. Oh how our environment would change if Father God’s presence was always in our mind & hearts! If we truly lived our lives without fear of man, fear of death or sickness, fear of rejection, fear of lack, fear of future, imagine how our environment would be. No more need to control relationships, peace within and without, trust between former rivals. We would naturally be able to walk out humility and honor for one another. And this, my friend would be pleasing in the sight of God. Change your environment! Choose to love in ways that it costs you something, honor even those who don’t deserve it, and stop considering yourself more than you really are. Ouch!
Please leave us a comment!
On the Way,
Bob
As we experience the current worldwide crisis in the financial sector we all are effected one way or another. The recent US elections turned out a new Federal Government that promises “Change”, and for many Americans this creates a sense of crisis especially if you did not vote for “Change”. Relational crisis is something that all of us face at different degrees throughout our lifetime. Differences and conflicts with parents, siblings, children, special friends, bosses, subordinates, peers, pastors, policemen, strangers, and acquaintances too! Often times this fallout in relationships is devastating. We also have to consider these following (Barna Group) statistics that I categorize into the arena of social crisis right here in emotional America!
58% of Americans suffer mild to moderate mental/emotional health problems.
24% of Americans suffer moderate to major mental/emotional health problems.
82% of America is emotionally unhealthy.
These figures are alarming, but any of us that take into consideration what constitutes mental/emotional issues, know that we ourselves are either a negative part of these stats or we are floating right on the border due to the way we process CRISIS in our lives!
I John 4:18 tells us that perfect (mature) love casts out all fear! Crisis produces fear, and fear entertained robs us of our peace. In essence mature fear casts out love. “You and I were created by Love, for love, to love!” (Jack Frost) God is love and if we are comfortable with love, then fear and crisis will not shake us because we find our peace in the presence of Love. Jesus, in His final crisis modeled a healthy reaction to crisis, as He hung on the cross, bleeding and bruised, rejected and mocked, physically dying with His expressed sense of peace through His prayer “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
Let me encourage you in these times of financial, political, relational, and emotional crisis to not react in fear by running to false comforts (addictions, eating disorders, illegal sexual pleasures, isolation, or any type of unrighteous behavior), but respond by reflecting your Creator (Love) as you express love back to Him, and give it away to your fellow man. This, I promise will bring you much more peace in these times of crisis we all face.
Where will you run? Love or fear?
Freedom Quest International launches new website created by www.johnburtondesign.com . Thanksgiving week 2008 marks the launching of the new FQI website. Bob and Kelly have been working with John on this new site for approximately 1 month and are very excited about what it offers. With blogging technology stay updated with Freedom Quest International news, itinerary, and what we are passionate about. Click on the homepage slideshow and learn about what we offer in terms of ministry events. See our Gallery page to view some of our favorite photos from the nations, and here in the USA. Sign up for prayer ministry and come see us in South Carolina.
We affirm that johnburtondesign.com is creatively gifted, incredibly speedy, and fun to work with! Our homepage is an example of Johns wit, creativity, and experience. I would recommend John Burton Design to any and all that are seeking web design at any capacity. Thanks John! We think your great!
