Truefaced

Friday, December 30, 2005

TAKING OFF YOUR MASK
JUST WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

For most people it means letting something be known about themselves that was before a secret. Just being willing to show and tell is not the point in Truefaced Experience. Being able to accept forgiveness , grace and gifts of repentance for the thing you were hiding, this is the goal. However, it is possible to get hung up in the process. That is why it is good to be in a group or at least to have some loving support from other believers. Just in case you get hung up.
The process of determining just what kind of hiding styles you use the most are really your masks. These are talked about more in the book Hiding From Love by Dr.John Townsend. To explore these styles with others would also be helpful. Loving others that is. Not people who will put you down and say things like, "You're a Christian. Don't do that." If you can finally find someone who realizes that hiding styles are what we humans are about and won't be critical of you while you try to stop using them............
Consider yourself blessed of the LORD ! Truly. This is what has happened. The LORD has heard your cries and answered your prayers.
Most of us don't mind if you confess your sin to us, but please stop sinning now. I have found the exhortation on the earlier blog to be very convicting. Also I have found it to be the very answer I have sought. YOU CAN NOT COPY THIS is exactly true. Unless our heavenly Father, (in whatever way He chooses)reveals to you , who that brother or sister in Christ really is, we have a copy of what the church is suppose to be.
On the other hand if we seek Him until we find Him, (as the scriptures encourage us to do) and then ask Him, "please, Who do You say this person is here, who just confessed this sin to me." Or maybe you want to say ," this person who is sinning but doesn't seem to be aware of it." When the LORD God Almighty answers that question, you have everything .
Before you have your fleshly attempt to "do as Jesus would" after your prayer is answered, you have the divine ability "to do as Jesus does" . However , you don't take credit for it. NO NO NO NO . What did you do? You just asked. Why did you ask ? Because the Holy Spirit revealed to you the secret of the church. So you know you did not do anything.
Except be willing to let it happen. If any of you have come this far with me, you know we can not take credit for that. This whole work began because of HIM and it will only continue because of HIM and there really isn't anything we can take credit for.
So taking off the mask, not using a hiding style, any more what does that mean ? It means what you were before you hid, that is what you are now.
However, as we go through the book of Truefaced Experience we see there is forgiveness, grace and gifts of repentance waiting for us, if we will only enter the room called trusting God. It makes taking off the mask a little easier. However, you will have to trust God. You may not be surrounded by people who will accept you like you are.
God will though. You may have to look to His Word like you have never looked before. He will tell you there, He accepts you like you are. He may hear your cries and put it into someone's heart, this is who He says you are. Oh, how wonderful that would be. Just remember, the work He began and has been doing in you did not happen overnight, the thing He might do in your brothers heart towards you , may not happen over night either.

FOR ALL THE PRODIGAL SONS AND ELDER BROTHERS OUT THERE MAY I PROCLAIM : LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR. HE THAT HAS BEGUN A WORK IN YOU HE IS ABLE AND WILLING TO COMPLETE IT. FOR ALL HAVE COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. YET IN HIS MERCY HE LOVED US AND REDEEMED US THAT ALL THE BENEFITS OF HIS SON MIGHT BE GRANTED UNTO US. WE WHO ARE NOT WORTHY TO TOUCH HIS SANDAL STRAP ARE GIVEN THE PLEASURES OF THE KINGDOM. LET US NOT HESITATE TO GIVE HIM OUR ALL. LET US NOT HOLD BACK IN UNBELIEF. LET US NOT HIDE OUR SINS FROM HIM ANYMORE. LET US TRUST HIM TO LOVE US AND GRANT US MERCY AND GRACE. HE IS THE KING. HE IS THE LORD. THERE IS NONE WHO CAN COMPARE TO HIS GREAT LOVE. HE HAS LOVED US SO MUCH THAT HE CHOSE TO REDEEM US AND NOTHING CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Where We Are ....Who We Are....Who Is Our God.

We are The Church, The Bride of Christ,
The Called & Chosen.

Being able to accept the truth about
where my spiritual growth area is means I can take off a mask here.
Being able to accept the truth about
who God says that I am
means I can take off a mask here.
Being able to accept the truth about
Who God really is
means I can take off a mask here.
In my life of de-masking , I can see it effects all three areas.
The masks hinder the truth. Being willing to take off the masks allows truth to flow like a river.
Then I get around people.
First of all l thank God that I can go and get around people. May He be glorified today that I do not retreat physically from all involvement of people. That I dare to even try , may He be glorified.
Now I look forward to the day that my masks stay off. Only then will the river of life that He is willing to pour into me will be able to flow out of me.
See , the masks dam it up.
Maybe that is why I think that having an over flow of the Holy Spirit is so helpful. Perhaps it just bursts those dams and flows over the tops of others and allows me to be useful in the kingdom anyway.
It certainly isn't because my flesh has been perfected. It is still in a state of being perfected the last time I looked. (Ugh !)
However, this is a mask area remember ? It is my belief that the longer I can remain honest about my need to be perfected, He is working.
The soapbox I was on in my last blog was a hiding style. I was using it again. However, our Heavenly Father is so gracious to us. He helped me accept I had made a mistake again and helped me to do what is right.
That was to confess my own sin rather than be so concerned about other peoples sins. I was deceived because I thought I was fighting for a good cause.

Did my falling back into using a hiding style (hiding from God's love) change where am I ?
No , where I am is how am I abiding in the Word of God. This is what "where " is . Am I digesting the Word as milk , am I digesting the Word as bread, or am I digesting the Word as meat ?
Knowing where am I according to God's Word is so important. More important than whether I am bearing fruit. If I do not continue to abide in the vine , there will not be any fruit. Fruit is kind of check point for us when we are thinking that the Holy Spirit is leading us to start doing something different. No doubt leaving a comfort zone is going to feel like I am now eating meat, or bread if before I was drinking milk.
The truth is we never out grow our need for milk. When I abide in God's Word I expect the milk, then I open my heart for bread, and if the Holy Spirit chooses to be gracious to me , I receive meat. Although, I wonder if He doesn't grind it up for me like baby food sometimes. It seems to take me forever to get some truths that others just seem to walk in naturally.

Did falling back into a hiding style change
who am I ?
No, whoever God said I was from whenever He first said this is who I am, it never changes. My understanding and awe of who He says I am increases as I abide in His word. However, my mistakes never change the fact that I have been tattooed (as it were ) into His hand. He won't forget who He said I am either. I might forget, or not believe, or not be willing to accept, all are symptoms of mask wearing I've found.

Did falling back into a hiding style change
who God is ?
No, the True and Living God. It did not change Him at all, He never changes. The little god IDOLS and the gold calf FAKE god always seems to get damaged when I fall. It must be that every time I need our True and Faithful God and He catches me when I fall , the comparison is then so great I can see more clearly and gifts of repentance are granted unto me.
Repentance is a gift that I can not copy. I can copy a life style that would appear to all that I have no gods before Him but is that the way I want to enter Heaven ? No. Yet the only alternative is to receive His grace, receive His gifts and believe to apply His Word to my life as He (Jesus) showed me how to do. Newcomers should read these parables : Sower and the seed. Prodigal son and elder brother. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Plus read the whole Bible as I know you will if you are hungry.



Tuesday, December 20, 2005

IT IS UNBELIEF ! HELP THOU OUR UNBELIEF,
MAY WE BELIEVE WE ARE WHO YOU SAY WE ARE.
MAY WE BELIEVE WHO YOU SAY OUR BROTHER IS.

Do you sing this song at church ? I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind. Still you hear me when I'm calling, Lord you catch me when I'm falling, You tell me who I am. I am Yours. Every word of this is so true. Spoke with the inspiration of the Psalms it speaks for us today.

If this song rings true to your own experience, please be encouraged it is hard to believe when He tells you , "you are His." Believing this is what it is all about. This is walking without falling, yet He catches us when we do.

I don't know of anyone who never falls. "Lord, help thou my unbelief ," can be heard from my lips often. Yet , I say them. I say them because the opposite of believing is not believing and people , "Don't go there."

Please , if for any reason you have thought it was okay to think less of yourself than what He has told you. REPENT. REPENT now.

I didn't say go off half cocked (as my daddy use to call it ) and do a bunch of fool stuff. Do a little , then look for fruit. Expect rebuke. You are going to make mistakes. Get up, didn't He catch you when you fell ? I know He did .

Why am I on this soap box ? I wouldn't be , except that I just realized , what has held true for me , holds true for my brother and sister.
To the extent that I am willing to struggle to believe that I am who God says I am, I ought to be able to do that for them. I am being a little hard on myself. So I am sure I am being hard on you. Please, forgive.

Let us together, realize we do serve a loving God who will forgive us for all our sins. If we confess them to Him ,He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Self centeredness , selfishness, and self interest are sure to be included.

Come dance with me ,
in my Father God's field of grace.

Monday, December 19, 2005

YOU CANNOT COPY THIS !
How do I know ? Because I have tried. It is absolutely impossible. There is no way created or that will be created that will let you copy this.
May I now define THIS.
The Church. The Bride of Christ. There are probably a few more names that are not coming to my mind right now. Basically I hope you are getting the picture.
There is one very unique quality about The Church that you will not be able to copy. For those of us who have been reading Truefaced Experience and have been attempting to take off our masks this blog will make sense.
I am putting into words for you what you have by now figured out.
Masks on : we have a copy of what the church is suppose to look like.
Masks off : this is the church ? Are you looking around at what use to be your church ? What happened ? Isn't it strange ? Before you skip on to another blog I have something to say here.

I am going to write some scripture here. Before I do I want to share with you what I learned in Theology 101 . Always look at the context. If what I write today is new to you please, get your Bible out and read all of Matt 16.

vs. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? vs16 And simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. vs 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjo na for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. vs 18 And I say also unto thee. That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. vs19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

What did Jesus say here ? He described The Church. The one that cannot be copied. How do I know ? Because of what Jesus said to Simon Barjona, flesh and blood has not revealed Who I am to you, but My Father in heaven. The Church will be a people who know each other . YES. The Church will be a people who know who each one is because Jesus' Father in heaven revealed to them who they are.

That will only happen if you and I take our masks off to God and let Him know we are serious about being part of The Church.
This is hard enough , I know , but you better get ready for part two.
immediately the elder brother shows up. He is not going to take this sitting down. He is going to point out every log in your eye, (well, it looks like a log to him ) that he can find. This is so very hard on him. He does not like it that you, who was once willing to just be a servant, a slave even, has been told that the Father wants a relationship with you. No........I can assure you he does not like it.

What is wrong here ? Where is The Church ? I'll tell you where they are.
They have been hood winked into believing that it is all about serving. It is all about doing. It is all about pleasing. All about keeping the law. Somebody forgot to tell them that the Holy Spirit is vital to their well being. Without it they are not going to have clue who the Father says you are. So there you are . A people who think they are The Church and you who is trying for the first time to really become The Church. Real and without pretense. They want you to immediately have no sin. There is no reason why you should have any sin in your life today.

What can you do ? First of go in and enjoy the party. You know , the one your Father said he'd kill the fatted calf for. Go on in and have fun. His grace is enough. Yes, He does not want you to ignore or be in denial about your sins. But His grace is enough. Go on and enjoy the party.

Second ask the Father to reveal to you who the elder brother is.
Ask the Father to reveal to you who that other mask taker offer person is in that group with you. Ask the Father to reveal to you who that is that you are taking those Christmas presents to. Ask the Father to reveal to you who that is who is sitting on the back row of your church all by themselves. Ask the Father to reveal to you who that is who is up on the platform of your church, attempting to be led by the Holy Spirit and doing the best he can.
Ask the Father to reveal to you who that is who is coming to church regularly but still is struggling with habitual sins. Ask the Father to reveal to you who that is ........your sons ,your daughters, your spouse.

It is upon this rock ,The Church is built. And we missed it. Until now.
How are you going to love that elder brother unless the Father reveals to you who he is ?
What is so special about that ?
Who he is is someone He knows and loves personally. When the Father reveals that to you it is going to be a whole lot easier to forgive him for being an elder brother. It is going to be a whole lot easier , in fact easier just is not an appropriate word. Something happens when revelation comes. Something you cannot copy that is for sure. Something solid like a rock.

I know who you are. You are someone God loves. You think I have a log in my eye that I should deal with . You are so right. Can you help me ?
Have you ever needed to repent of this sin? Is there anything you can say that might help me repent ? I do want to repent just as fast as I can.
Did you think because I was dancing with my Father God in His fields of grace it was not bothering me ? I am sorry . Did I hear you say yes , you do know about this sin I am struggling with ? Did you say , well actually you have not been able to get rid of all of it yet ? I know. Something about the way our Father set this up. Ours sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. Just like washing . The stains don't always just disappear on the first time dunking into the water. We have to keep coming back to the Word don't we ? Would you like to come and dance with me and my Father God in His fields of grace ?


Friday, December 16, 2005

Relationship. Yes, He wants to have a relationship with us. Maybe not constantly be by our sides. Maybe for us to realize He considers us His children and not servants.
As His child I have more reason to obey than the servant. I also have more to be joyful about .As my work is for my Father Whom I love and He loves me. To allow this relationship to develop I obey Him. Knowing at all times He is aware of what I am doing and if I need help, all I need do is ask.
He tells me to give . Not as the world gives. As He gives. Two things here are very evident. One: I will need a new nature . Two: I will need to be involved with other people.
In Chuck Smith's book LIVING WATER he so clearly shares about the spiritual gift of giving .
As a little child who was just taught : this is what you do. I have found it hard to stop giving as a little child. There certainly can be a more mature way to give. It involves more than just counting out your money at the end of the week and giving a tenth.
Probably the first step to a more mature giving is realizing that the money you are counting out is not yours, but your Father's. It seems like soon after that you realize that everything is your Father's. Time , people , places and things all are His.
Then comes accepting that it is all His to do with as He pleases. Probably a life long challenge, as I find after I am able to accept this truth to all that applies to me, I turn around and find : here is more .
When He reminds me that people are His and not mine for the keeping I have found this poem in Charles Swindoll's book GRACE AWAKENING very helpful.

To "Let Go" Takes Love

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring, it means that I can't do it for someone else.

To "let go" is not to cut myself off, it is the realization that I can't control another.

To "let go" is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To "let go" is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another, it is to make the most of myself.

To "let go" is not care for, but to be supportive.

To "let go" is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To "let go" is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes but to allow others to effect their own destinies.

To "let go" is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality.

To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.

To "let go" is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.

To "let go" is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes, and to cherish myself in it.

To "let go" is not to criticize and regulate anybody but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To "let go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and to live for the future.

To "let go" is to fear less and to love more.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Lord we need You here!
Last week we were looking at a map. I was trying to help you identify landmarks that you might see on your journey.
That sounds like a very noble cause. Offering you the gift of my understanding seemed good to me.
Telling you to know just where you are on that map, seems like it is good advice.
If you are still interested in my advice. Please consider this before you start out on your journey again. Don't go alone.
If you have found out where you are, you probably did so with the Lord's help. You may think that all you have to do now is take off and He will follow. This seems to be logical. After all He just met you didn't He ?
Kindly and graciously revealed to you where you are.
He also loves those people around you. He says He identifies Himself in them. If you want His company I suggest , "Don't go alone."

All the reasons I give God for why I must travel alone are really lies.
It is true that some people I would be better off not being with.
However when I start picking and choosing who would be fit to travel with me I begin to get a little pious. Little self righteous. Just a little better than them. Next thing you know there is no one fit to travel with me. I must go alone. Then I say ,"Okay, Lord, I am ready . Let's go."
What do you think He says ?
So I start crying ,"Lord,I want You to go with me."
So if He doesn't show up I just go on alone. I know what the Father wants me to do today. I'll just please Him.
Now that seems to work for awhile , until burn out or some other tragic thing happens. Then I find myself back on that map, somehow right back where I was when I said,"I'll go alone." Then I remember. I cannot harden my heart towards His people and expect Him to tag along.

Being able to go along with His people is just one more step . Just like being able to let Him show you where you are on the map. For me it is step fall, step, step fall. Reaching out to you all is somehow helping with my walk. I don't want to give up when I fall. I want to let the Lord help me up. Show me where I am again, try to love again , and step again.

Monday, December 12, 2005

LORD WE NEED YOU HERE ! No matter where we are , no matter where I am, this one thing I know. Lord, I need You , here. Today, as I go about doing the will of our father, I need You .

Friday, December 09, 2005

YOU ARE HERE ! HERE AM I .
Maps are wonderful ! You can find the path to your destination just by studying the map. However, how much good is a map if you do not know where you are ? A person comes along and sees you studying the map.
"Oh, hello ! I see you are planning on going somewhere. You are looking at a map."[Journey man] "Yes, " you say," but because I do not know where I am on this map, the map is not doing me much good."
" I do not know where you are either," the Journey man replies. "but that is a beautiful map you are holding. I know about your destination ! I have been traveling to that spot for quite some time now. Would you like to hear about some of my adventures ? Perhaps then if you find yourself on the same path some of the landmarks will look familiar to you . "
And so it is that I am blogging today. Talking to fellow map lookers who have in mind the same destination as mine. I do not know where you are.
Here am I.
The recommended steps for changing my hiding styles are (taken from the book Hiding From Love ) : accept own mediocrity and that of others.
allow loving others to see badness and imperfections.
repent of omnipotence ; recognize freedom of others to leave us, allow them to choose them to choose to suffer.
Accept, allow and allow. Sounds like giving up control to me.
Trusting that there is a LIVING LOVING GOD available to us all.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Thought for the day: How do I know that God really wants to have a relationship with me ?

My whole concept of God has been that He has been trying to do a job.
Everything He has done ,it had to do with the job He was doing.
It never occurred to me that He might want to do a job ,plus have a relationship with me. I do not suppose I have ever thought about being able to do a job right plus have a relationship. I have always wanted to do the job right so that I could have the relationship. Tell me I do not have to do it right and that I can still have a relationship and I am baffled.
I thought that was what it was all about. Doing the job right.

Some of you are glad that I have found this out. Some of you are right where I am so I hope you are encouraged to know you are not alone.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

A GOLDEN CALF was worshipped by a people who thought they were pleasing the One who had delivered them from bondage.
It has occurred to me why people might prefer a god who was a golden calf rather than a living God.
No relationship is required.
It is safer when you are just doing and pleasing.
My flesh would rather do it that way.
My flesh does not really want to lay itself out there and risk being hurt.
Is there some way that it can appear I have done it but be safe ?
Fellow mask wearer's , you know there is . How well we know.
Today I will be honest.
Today I will say I am sorry that my flesh would rather serve Him without relationship.
I will trust Him, to work it within me to will and do His good pleasure. It is not okay to continue wearing a mask. I will accept that His grace is sufficient for me.


Monday, December 05, 2005

Nope , I did not walk on water ! Perhaps, I was in Narnia when the snows were melting . Walking , sliding, slipping, half falling, crawling, feeling very muddy before it was over is a close description of my adventure.
Turning to the LORD and crying help I remembered a book that has helped me many times before in this journey. HIDING FROM LOVE by Dr.John Townsend. It is a resource book about hiding styles people commonly use . However, I have only found this book helpful when I was really ready to let the LORD help me. Only then have I been able to identify specific hiding styles and comprehend the recommended steps.
An important change in my attitude had to take place before this help ,helped. That was learning to receive grace. Only then could I accept that it would be okay to not be okay. GRACE AWAKENING by Chuck Swindoll really helped me there. Kind of beginning place for the Holy Spirit to start working in my life.
Today as I walk with the LORD, I will be mindful of those hiding styles He showed me . I will ask Him to help me change . I will trust Him to do a work in me.
The prayer Paul prayed for the saints in Philippi encourages me today.
Phil.1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

STANDING YET MOVING ? How can that be ? Yet, that is what I feel is happening. The answer of course ,is that the world around me did not stop moving while I was standing. Thus standing , I was moving.
Suddenly I felt that I was being beckoned to walk on water. I was reminded of Lucy's trip through the wardrobe into a new land but my land this time was on water. I smiled as I realized at least one of the Chronicles of Narina started with the adventure in water. C.S. Lewis' books do so remind me of my adventures sometimes.
However, I find greater comfort in seeing parallels with those in the Bible. I have felt that the things the Holy Spirit is leading me to do now can only happen if I keep my eyes on Jesus. Not look at the wind and the waves.
Although some might say, "Don't you mean , to do as Jesus said in His parable about the sower and the seed ?" "Aren't you trying not to let the cares of this world choke out His word ?" I would answer ,"yes ." However while I am doing that, I am expecting miracles to happen. So was the sower of the seed. Could a little seed bring forth anything on it's own ? What brings life to a seed ? Isn't it a miracle that God performs ? However the sower does things to, doesn't he ?
These inspirational thoughts are being fueled with the teaching the HOLY Spirit is pouring through my Pastor at church, as we are studying 2 Kings.
The reason I bring this up is because the Old Testament is so important. The events in the Old Testament helped the people understand what was being taught in the New Testament. These stories were different than that of C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan.
I am so glad my pastor does not go lightly over events such as Elijah & Elisha's stop at Gilgal. He takes the time to make it clear what that means for us today. Same thing as the story of the seed. It must die first before it is fruitful.
My standing is with the hope I am submitting to my flesh being cut off.
It is in hope that as I stand and refuse to go back to my old room of pleasing God but stay in this new room of trusting God , my flesh will someday drop off. It is happening. However, all of my flesh is not gone yet. So I caution others , do not look to me, but look to the author and the finisher of our faith. For I am but an encourager to aid you in your travel.
He alone is the one who can give you strength. He alone is all you need. You do not need me. However, I need Him. If it is His desire for me to encourage you as you read Truefaced Experience then I will trust and obey the best I can. This book has been an encouragement to me to attempt to overcome my fears of being myself and trusting in our Lord's love .
However I am sure that just like any book written ,other than the Bible , there are mistakes. My admonition here is that we look not to the writers of books for anything other than encouragement. Let us look to the Bible for the Way we are to go.