Discovering Your Desire

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said: Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Come to me. Get away with me and you will recover your life. Ill show you how to take a rest.Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. (The Message) 

The desire for a different sort of life doesn't appear out of thin air. The longing for something more, no matter how weak or crackling with heat, is evidence that God is already at work in your life. You wouldn't want more of God if the Holy Spirit wasn't first seeking you. It is the Trinity's action within that fans the small flame of desire motivating us to "Keep company" with Jesus. In fact, the very desire or desperation you feel can be God's way of readying you to walk and work with Jesus. Take heart, transformation happens as you keep company with Jesus. 

What do you want Jesus to do for you? 

Wanting to to work with and watch Jesus is where transformation begins.Willpower and discipline alone can never fix your soul. Striving, pushing, and trying harder will not recover your life. Unforced rhythms of grace depend on something more than self-mastery and self-effort. 

 

 The simple truth is that wanting to keep company with Jesus has a staying power that "shoulds" and "oughts" seldom have. Jesus wants us to recognize that hidden in our desperation's and desires is an appetite for the Lord and Giver of life. In fact, he says, "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat." (Mathew 5:6 The Message)   

The very first thing Jesus asked his soon-to-be disciples wan, "What do you want?" (John 1:37) Over and over again he asked about desires: * "What is it you want?" (Mathew 20:21) * "What do you want me to do for you?" (Mathew 20:32;Mark 10:36,51) * "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6) 

Jesus knew you wouldn't get well if you didn't want the responsibility that came with wellness. He also knew that the mother of James and John was clueless about the meaning of her request to have her sons be power brokers in Jesus' Kingdom (Mathew 20:21). So he pressed her to consider what her desire might mean. Jesus never attempts to shut down people's longings; nor does he ask people to transcend their longings as some religions do. He knew human desire to be an incurable black hold of opportunity. Accompany him and watch his welcome people who want something more: * "A man with leprosy ... begged [Jesus],... 'if you are willing, you can make me clean." (Mathew 8:34) * " They pleaded with [Jesus] to leave their religion." (Mathew 8:34) * "Save us! We're going to drown!" (Mathew 8:25) * " Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left." (Mathew 20:21) * " Sir give me this water." (John 4:15) * " If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." (Mark 9:22) * " The man who had been demon possessed begged to go with [Jesus]." (Mark 5:18) * "Lord teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1)

 Jesus doesn't grant requests like a genie in a bottle. He works with people, allowing their desires to draw him into the core conversations of life. For Jesus, requests for water, healing, rest, vindication, approval, status and so on all engage soul hungers. 

Misguided, self-destruction, true or addictive desperation's and desires opened doors to relationships. Learn from Jesus as he keeps company with people who want something. Watch him attend to the hole in their heart that is bigger than the galaxy. Many of his deepest interactions with people get at two things: (1) the true nature of people's desires, and (2) a spiritual practice that helps them make space for God in their lives.  

Five Definitive Characteristics of Righteous Leadership

In the versus, the spiritual discipline is in quotation marks. * Martha desperately wants Mary to help her. Jesus tells Martha to "detach" from her drivenness to serve and attend to the first thing-to him (Luke 10:41-42) * The man cured of demon possession wants to go with Jesus , but Jesus calls him to be a "witness," Knowing that telling his story to those who know him can change their lives (Mark 5:19).

* The rich young ruler wants eternal life, but he doesn't want it enough to give his earthly wealth away. Jesus calls him to "confess" and reorder his priorities (Mark 10:21). 

 Love the fact that the lord's prayer comes to us through a disciple's desire to connect with God like Jesus did. "Lord , teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1) Jesus gave the disciple a spiritual practice to learn and do. He offered him a prayer to say. There was no seminar on prayer, No steps and techniques for talking to God. Through praying this prayer the disciples had access to the same relationship with the heavenly Father that Jesus did. 

Educational Edit book share : Spiritual Disciplines Handbook. Practices That Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. No infringements or ownership implied. 

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Since then many have quoted him; was Acton one hundred percent correct in his assessment? Not really. I understand this is the case when a person’s morality rebels against God’s moral law his moral principles are dominated by ulterior motives. It is also true that if a person understands that he or she will be held accountable, not only in this life but also in the one to come before Almighty God who is the sovereign ruler, the supreme lawgiver and judge of the world, the universe and heaven, then there is no power on earth or hell that can cause that person to be corrupted.

 God has absolute power, He cannot be corrupted; Jesus in His public life manifested self-control that not even Satan’s best offer of power and prestige persuaded Him to consider even for a second to accept such temporal earthly fame to corrupt himself. Jesus had power over the enemy and his host of fallen angels and humans who followed his lies (Matthew 4; Luke 4). Jesus, in his earthly body, left us a testimony that absolute power given by God cannot corrupt a heart whose delight is to do God’s will. Christ conquered death by His resurrection; before His ascension he declared: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). He delegated that very same power to His disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, …and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" Matthew 28:19-20). Since then the true followers of Christ cannot be bought or corrupted by any power or fame. History is filled with testimonies of men and women of all ages who left a testimony to their generation as well as future ones that absolute power does not corrupt.

Are voters serious about restoring America's original foundation in biblical principles which made it the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world? 

WE’RE CALLED TO PRAY FOR BIRTH RIGHT LEADERS WHO RECOGNIZE HONORING GOD COMES FIRST.

TODAY is Americas time to start making 'We get out of God what we put into God.' it's number one priority in life, in thoughts, and actions in accordance with the truth of His New Testament word.

In Gifts for the Journey, one of Sister Marilyn's "Wisdom" songs begins with "Wisdom is a Spirit." Its refrain is "And I say: ask and you shall receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be open to you. And I say: the Lord will make you his Light." The Lord will Actually Give Us His Mind. If we become conscious enough, we can actually begin to think with the mind of God. 

The development of consciousness is thus, among other things , a Process of the Conscious Mind Opening Itself to the Unconscious in Order to be Congruent with the mind of God. 

When we become Aware of New Truth, it is because we Consciously Re-recognize it to be True; We re-new that which we knew all along in our Unconscious mind.