Anatomy Of A Spiritual Union Pt 3: Lost And All Alone

Jul05
by Michael King on July 5, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Posted In: fundamental truths

Continuing on…

Have you ever felt completely alone?

Alone. Completely. Just me and my Savior.  Tears streamed down my face as the pain and hopelessness in my heart swelled.  My Savior was with me, I could feel it, yet I laid alone on the living room carpet – no pillow, no blanket, not touching any furniture.  How had it come to this? I knew His Spirit – He was leading me, I knew that.   Yet I was forced to be here by another who also knew I was following God’s Spirit.

God had confirmed it over and over and over.  God was taking me on a journey of hearing His voice and leading me by revelation,  and I was moving into this picture that God was revealing to me, the picture that was so true and truly from God’s Spirit, yet was so different from anything I had known, far beyond anything I had expected to learn, and there was so much He was revealing to me and reminding me of that He had shown me years ago – yet no one understood.

Cowed no longer

Jealousy? Pride? Rebellion? Control? Were these the demonic forces that I felt swirling around me tonight? The same forces haunted me day after day and kept me pressed to the ground and cowering in fear of further mistreatment and pain. 

But wait, no, I needed to stand up. I needed to fight. This was the Spirit of God teaching me and leading me.  He was revealing to me a move of His Spirit in divine love, a move to connect people together in that love as His Spirit desires – this was from the Spirit of God, not myself, and I had and will continue to embrace it.  As I did, my soul and mind and spirit were flooded with peace – even now.  I reached out to my Savior, and He was there. He brought me peace and comforted my soul and assured me He would protect me – even in the midst of the demonic oppression, He would protect me. 

The truth is that Jesus is with me

Alone…yet, I sensed, not completely.  As my soul reached out to my Savior, He drew me beyond…deeper into Him where He had more for me.  There it was again – what I had felt almost 35 years ago and so often since that time…that drawing, that sense that something out there needed me, yet I could feel again that I needed it too – and it somehow knew that…what was it? A calling? A destiny? A place? A time?  Timeless, endless, beyond space…it was reaching for me as it could feel me reaching for it…something in my Savior and more…almost like it could sense my distress and desperation and was coming to rescue me…

Soldiering on

Put it out of your mind…Tomorrow was Sunday, and I needed to put on my ‘happy’ face.  Oh, the ice, I said I would bring ice for the potluck…now I’ll have to make a stop before church tomorrow.  I needed to sleep… was that possible? God, get me through this night and rescue me! The sun began to rise…

Drive south my son

The light from that same sunrise streamed through his motorhome window. Not that he needed that sun to wake him.  He had been watching the light creep into the atmosphere as he lay awake for the last several hours.  Good thing this was Sunday – his day off. He had to go, he had to drive.  Where?  The Spirit of God was leading him.  “South.  Go south.  Down into the valley”. Why? There’s nothing I know there!  

However, Michael knew the voice of God. He knew it and had lived it.  Sometimes to a place of confirming the Word of the Lord, sometimes to speak as His prophetic voice, and sometimes to pray over a town in need of the presence of God, but whatever the need, obedience was his call, his drive: Listen for Him, hear Him, and obey Him – whenever he called – on time.  So this day would be no different. 

Moved by God

As he drove, he felt the presence of God.  The Spirit was definitely leading him, and the knowing got more and more powerful as he drove further south. The mountains were beautiful in the day’s sunlight.  A deer ran across the road just in front of him, and even as he braked to miss her, there was peace all around him.  What is it Lord? What am I looking for? Let me find it, please.

His thoughts drifted as he focused on the Spirit’s leading…memories, painful ones, edged into his mind.  Too much rejection, disappointments, especially as he followed his Savior’s leading – but so many blessings, too.  God had brought him enough blessings to satisfy any man. Yet why did he feel so restless, why did he feel there was more? Why had he felt for almost 35 years that he was missing something? People accused him of being discontent, not satisfied with God’s blessings, but it was more than that.  Michael knew it was a calling his Savior had for him – had promised him. 

Trying to find that missing piece

It began years ago and was part of the calling – a vital part of the blessing that God intended him to pioneer. Reaching for that calling, Michael couldn’t quite grasp it, there was something more: That missing piece he needed, and something that right now he could feel so strongly needed him.  Was it here? Why did Montana feel so right? No, it was more than a place.  Someone was calling to him, no, crying out for him; needing him, and he needed them.  Like an unfulfilled longing, a magnetic pull, drawing on his heart. But where? It was close, so very close.  Lord, let me find what you are leading me to, what is calling to me.

Close, but no connection

Suddenly the peace was gone.  A dark, demonic presence surrounded him.  It strengthened as it flooded his vehicle. Where to turn…left, right or straight?  Confused and somewhat bewildered, Michael stopped at a gas station.  Praying and trying to shake the demonic presence, he filled his vehicle with gas then walked towards the store to grab a diet cola.  Stepping to the side, he held the door for a woman carrying two large bags of ice. 

Walking through the door, Emma looked at him briefly and caught his eyes for just a moment. “Thank you.” She said, walking past him.  Such pain, he thought as he caught her eyes.  That woman is in deep pain. He looked over his shoulder at her getting into her truck and said a quick prayer for her.  The demonic forces tightened around him as he did, and he prayed even harder for himself.  God help me, fight the enemy for me.  I need to know what you are leading me to.

Night fell as he returned to his motorhome.  What was I looking for? Why didn’t I find it? As he gave up his search, the enemy shrieked in delight.

Lost And All Alone by Bread

To be continued…

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Weightier Matters: Is Our Doctrine More Important Than People?

Jul04
by Michael King on July 4, 2019 at 8:00 am
Posted In: legalism

What Are The Weightier Matters Of Our Faith, Pilgrim?

How important is doctrinal purity?  Many Christians would say that it is almost the most important thing of all.  Some assert, “how can we walk with God if we do not accurately know what He wants us to do?”  After all, we must earnestly contend for the faith like Timothy, shouldn’t we?

Many believers will not fellowship with other believers because of doctrinal differences.  Their beliefs are so important to them that it actually creates division in the body of Christ.

Let us not do evil that good may come of it

Religious people sometimes say “well, you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.”  Likewise, some might assert that you can’t live for God without having correct doctrine and if that brings division it is just the price we pay for believing in the truth.

However, is that really the case?  Is it really true that our doctrinal purity is what is most important to God? Is it possible that we focus on the minor while ignoring the weightier matters of our faith?

Purity of heart

I believe what may be more important is the purity of our hearts and actions rather than our theology.  If the working out of our theology ends up doing harm, perhaps we need to change our way of thinking.  If we blindly follow what we believe even though it prevents us from acting like Christ, maybe we are ignoring the weightier areas of our religion.

Jesus says,

“And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

Luke 10:30-35

Then Jesus said,

“Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

Luke 10:36-37

It is what we do that matters, not just what we believe

In this parable, we learn that it is not who believes right but who does right that matters.

Jesus said,

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

Matthew 23:23

I ask you, “why are people so concerned with doctrinal purity when most do not live up to a fraction of what they believe?”   It is like an alcoholic being very careful to only drink the purest bottled water he can find. 

It’s the weightier matters that truly matter

Is not being like Christ more important than having perfect doctrine?  Are not Christians known by what they do? Is it not our actions showing forth judgment, mercy, and faith that define us? Is not one good Samaritan who cares for the wounded better than two doctrinally correct people who don’t?

I have met and been ministered to by all different types of Christians from many different faiths.  The common thread they all share is that they showed love and compassion to me. The other trait they had in common is that they were Spirit led.

Don’t let your doctrine prevent you from being a decent human being

In conclusion, it is good to believe the scriptures to the best of our ability, but let us not allow our beliefs to prevent us from being decent human beings and loving one another as Christ loved us.

The Road To Jericho by Keith Green

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