Responding to God...

Happy Wednesday, Friends!  Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way! Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So leave a comment, share an insight, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend!

Also, I want to encourage you to check out my Faith Radio Blog. I post there more often than I'm able to here (several times each week). The posts are shorter and connect to our show themes, but people are enjoying them! And you can share the blog or a show with a click of a button. Every month we give away books from our Faith Radio shelf along with a Starbucks gift card to someone who posts there as well! Check it out: Susie's Faith Radio Page...

Now on to my topic...

Recently I read through the book of Acts and noticed something kind of profound, something that's still happening today. 

In chapter 14 we read about Paul and Barnabas in Iconium, preaching at the Jewish synagogue. Paul and Barnabas spoke with power and influence and the Lord our God was with them. Clearly, they loved God more than their personal safety. There was nothing self-serving about their ministry. Christ in them, was their hope of glory.

And as a result, Christ could trust them with His glory. 

God moved powerfully in and through Paul and Barnabas. And what was the result?

• Humble, reverent earnest-God-seekers, responded to this movement of God in their midst. These sincere seekers were healed, encouraged, and saved. 


• Rigid, pharisaical leaders stiffened up, got territorial and jealous, and viewed things from an earthbound perspective. These prideful unbelieving people stirred up trouble and tried to find fault with their supposed opponents. In fact, they wanted Paul and Barnabas dead. Ouch. 

Read this passage from Acts 14: 1-3

As Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against their brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. 

Even now, within the Kingdom of God, we have plenty of people building their own kingdoms. Maybe it's a kingdom of comfort, or association, or reputation. Maybe it's a kingdom of celebrity, or mega-status, or political correctness. 

But the Kingdom of God is always about Christ's saving work in our lives - moving and advancing to reach others with that same saving message.

The fact is, the Kingdom of God is ever moving, always flowing, and He is not interested in our fossilized methods, especially if they serve as obstacles to His presence. He wants us. He wants a living-breathing, freely-flowing relationship with us. He wants to move in us and through us and He reserves the right to disrupt our plans, our methods, and even our ideals in order to accomplish His other-worldly plans upon this earth.

Jesus didn't have a one-method way of doing things either! He healed people in a whole plethora of ways. He is not at all bound by the 'way we've always done it.' 

If Christ wants to move in our church or in our business or in our family in a new and fresh way, may we be the first to get out of the way and let Him have His way!

And what happens when we do such a thing? Fruit happens! Life happens! Power happens!

And how will people respond?

The sincere-earnest-Christ followers and seekers will be drawn to the fresh stream flowing from our lives, churches, and businesses. They will be nourished, healed, saved, and encouraged. Yes, Lord.

And the rigid-unbending pharisee? Well, they'll hate everything about it. They'll stiffen up; they'll find fault; they'll become territorial, and they'll turn into the sin police and watch for the slightest deviation from what they know to be right and true.

Now granted, we never want to deviate from the TRUTH. But in following Christ - who is the truth - we must know that He will lead us in ways we have not known before. He loves to do that and invites us to willingly trust Him, even if it disrupts our affection for appearing civilized and packaged at all times.

When God moves, may we move with Him. May we resist the urge to control our zone and to manage our methods. Let's put it all on the table and give God room to work.

Move powerfully in and through us, Lord!

~ Until next week

Comments

[Linda McGraw]

I have found your last paragraph to be so very true recently. After waiting and praying for God to move in my life about a prayer that I hoped He would answer regarding a person in my life that made choices that I could not agree with as it would clearly dishonor God and His Word. I have wept and waited and waited and wept. I felt no value to this person even though he confessed his love for me while he was with other women. This weekend God brought back into my life a man that I dated over 30 years ago. He and I worked together and then he disappeared. I was heartbroken. Well he came to the Lord was married and then divorced. We sat in the same pew in church last Sunday and didn't even know the other was there, until after services. He reminded me of someone and it was the person I was thinking of. We hugged and cried and hugged some more. We talked about old times and where we have been. He said to me... "You are a cup of cold water to me" Answered prayer... After I told him my life story, he said.. I see no anger or bitterness in you.. I wept. He remembered and spoke of my integrity which I had beaten out of me by how the other person spoke of me to blame me for his unfaithfulness. Even though I'm not looking for my old friend to replace anyone, and if I never see him again, God moved.. It was clear that it was a God thing last Sunday. I was encouraged and so was my friend. The both of us came to the Lord and spent time praising God in how He has worked in our lives over the years...and also lifted us up by each other and how we both have suffered from broken relationships. I have a "new" friend in Christ. I don't know what will happen with the other person.. but what I do know is this. I have a value and not just a use.. someone from the past was sent to remind me of that. God moves in mysterious ways. I never would have thought that my friend from 1977 would be the tool. When I would pray and ask for answers. God would say "Be Still and Know that I am God".. Funny but my old friend brought up that scripture. I wept again.. Tears of Joy..It was all about trusting God.. even though He was silent.

[Nena Harvath]

Wow, Susie! I can't believe you just said what I have been seeing and feeling in my own life. God is moving in my life in ways I have not known before and it's a bit difficult for the "rigid Pharisees" to see this "new power" at work in my life. God is certainly disrupting my "God in a box" methods.

Believing that we are in the end-times, I am clearly seeing in our midst a revival of certain gifts that have laid dormant (due to our own lack of faith) in the evangelical church for centuries: prophecies, healings, and miraculous signs coupled with a bold message that the kindgom of God is at hand!

I'm ready to put it all out there on the table and see what He can do when we are fully yielded to Him!

Thanks for this awesome post!!!

[Cherie Wilson]

Aye, yie, yie!!! If that is even a word....but that is what I said out loud when I read your post!Amen Sister! I really need to print this off and chew on it. You see, I have my "Art Saves" story up on a popular national blog for women artitsts who I am in community with this week. (See bottom of this post for the attachment) It is.....my testimony for ARt, and GOD amongst many who do not know him. It is drawing out those that love Him and know him and those that are seeking, just like you said. (As they post on my blog) Let me tell you that is not too many, as far as I see from this vantage point. I feel like he is using me So that he can call some of His sheep in from this specific art community. Last call...I don't know but I agree He is calling us to use our specific gifts in profound ways right now. Also, I loved how you repeatedly used the term God's Kingdom.............with all the unrest and threat of our economy and national security crashing, He keeps showing me nuggets of truth with this opening line...."In My (God's) Economy...."Also,He has me in study of His word~ developing some practical ways in Creativity (And everyone is creative!)to connect and grow closer to the Hope for which we are called thru the Power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13. And I have to add~ Aye Yie Yie!! ............With Joy and Peace as we TRUST in HIM! Sending Love Susie!

[Susie Larson]

Wow, Linda,

That's an amazing story! May God continue to heal and restore you in every way (and may He bless your relationship with your new/old friend). :)

[Susie Larson]

Nena,

Thanks for the powerful testimony! I want to hear more about what God is doing in your life! He is on the move. That's for sure. May we move with Him!

Bless you, sister!

[Susie Larson]

Cherie,

So cool to read about how God is leading you and using you! More and more I'm hearing stories about how He is using art to reach the lost. He is the One and Only Creator of all things lovely - and He is the pursuer of the lost - so it makes perfect sense that He'd commission some of His children to use art as a means to touch those He loves. :)

[Laurence Ahearn]

Hello SusieI heard you today on Focus on the Family. I'm single so I often find it difficult to tune into Focus. I have ageing parents who I'm trying to assist but it's difficult. I have some good friends who I can visit in the countryside just to get away. When I got to a very low point last year, I went to be with my friends on consecutive weekends. Unfortunately when I returned to my church at the time, rather than try and sympathise with what I was going through, someone there in leadership questioned me and in the end said:"If you don't come along to church then that's when Satan can get in". Well, it wasn't long after that I left the church to the surprise and chagrin of the pastor. At the moment, I'm surviving spiritually via wonderful Christian radio, so I'd like to thank you for your message today and I believe you will be on again tomorrow for the second half. It's messages like you present which are real to life rather than the charade that many churches seem to portray these days. Thnk you so much.Laurence Ahearn (Australia)