As I have mentioned in previous posts, we are in the midst of a a massive transition, where things are rapidly shifting and changing. As we literally move from age to age, we must let go of old, outdated mindsets and ways of doing things, while remaining firmly grounded with our foundation in tact. Even those who are mature and confident in their relationship with the indwelling Spirit of Truth may find this season unsettling. Recently, the Father has placed me in a classroom where I have been exposed to many “new” concepts. They have come so quickly that I was not able to mentally process them and actually did not have time to thoroughly inquire of Him about each one before the next thing came along. It is a deeper level of learning to trust His leading, discern His Truth and follow His Spirit. In this classroom, I am learning to tell the difference between the thoughts that originate with Him and the thoughts that originate with the mind of man. His thoughts emerge from the place where my spirit is one with His Spirit and then flow out through my mind. The thoughts that originate with the mind of man may be very logical and may even sound very spiritual, but they usually flow out through a place of brokenness or presumption in the soul and are always void of His manifest presence.
Always remember that what is God-initiated is Spirit and what is self-initiated is flesh. And flesh – even “good” flesh – produces the works of the flesh.
But when you follow your own wrong inclinations,
your lives will produce these evil results:
impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry,
spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself,
complaints and criticisms,
the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group—and there will be wrong doctrine,
envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing….
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
–Galatians 5:19-22
Often, self-initiated judgment is our response to hurt or offense, is attached to unhealed soul wounds and strongholds and is energized by familiar spirits. Sometimes we are driven by distaste for the religious system or the pain of unanswered questions. Sometimes we are gripped by fear of deception or fear of change. Because the demonic realm has legal ground in the unrestored soul, demonic spirits will traffic through it, and their vehicle is often judgment.
Adam and Eve chose “knowing” over depending upon God, so our Adamic nature is very uncomfortable with not knowing. When we are wounded by the old or are exposed to something new or different, we tend to judge by whether that thing is familiar or unfamiliar, rather than asking the indwelling Spirit of Truth. MANY CHRISTIANS ARE SO AFRAID OF BEING DECEIVED THAT THEY NEGLECT TO DO THE VERY THING THAT WILL KEEP THEM FROM DECEPTION: ASK GOD!
Acts 3:21 talks about the “restoration of all things.” God is restoring to His church, layer by layer, all that Adam lost and more. Though these things may seem new to us, they are actually ancient. Over the past several hundred years, we see things like salvation by grace through faith, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of healing and faith and prophetic ministry restored to the church. If we are not changing, letting go of the old and embracing the new, we are not growing and maturing. The enemy knows that when we judge something because we don’t understand it or haven’t heard form God about it yet, that judgment blocks us from receiving it when it is our time. So, unless you have heard from God on something, just put it on the shelf and wait. Do not blindly receive it. Do not blindly reject it. Do not judge.
Therefore I speak to them in parables,
because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear,
nor do they understand.
And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
and seeing you will see and not perceive;
for the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
so that I should heal them.’
–Matthew 13:13-15:
Jesus taught in parables so that those with a heart to receive truth would understand. Those who did not have an open heart would be judged for simply not understanding what He was saying , rather than for blatantly rejecting truth. It was His mercy preventing them from the consequences of false judgment.
Psalm 97: 2 says that God is surrounded by a dark cloud, which He has revealed to me as a “cloud of unknowing.” As we grow and mature, learning to trust Him more, we become confident in His love and we learn to rest in the silence. We release ourselves from the need to understand or to judge, and we wait… listening for the voice of the One we love.
Are you in a season where you feel your paradigms shifting or your foundation being shaken? Have you embraced some new thing that “sounds good” without first inquiring of the Lord about it? Have you rejected something just because it was unfamiliar without even asking the Father what He thinks about it? Do you feel driven by a distaste of the religious system or by situations and circumstances that have wounded you? Do you feel that answers will heal the wound or fill the void? Are you afraid or uncomfortable in the “unknowing”? Remember, the Father loves our questions and will meet us there, just as He did Jacob, whose wrestling transformed him into Israel, a “prince with God.”
Pause with me now and turn your awareness to Holy Spirit, who lives within and who will always guide you into all truth. Yield to Him, resting in His ability and faithfulness. In the presence of your Father, breathe out all anxiety and fear, allowing Him to bring perfect peace and stillness to your restless heart and mind. Present to Him your every question and then wait in confidence knowing that He will always speak, lead and guide, as long as you truly desire His truth.
Pray with me today: Father, forgive me for any ways in which I have leaned to my own understanding, either receiving something or rejecting something without pausing to inquire of You. I yield to the process of conforming my thoughts to Yours and, as I present to You my questions, I trust You to speak. I approach You in Your cloud of unknowing and absorb Your peace which transcends words. I am at rest in Your presence and in Your faithfulness, and from our union, the answers will come….
In the last 2 parts of this teaching, we will talk about love and maturity, and you will see that becoming free of false judgment allows God to trust you to judge with Him righteously as His elohim. You won’t want to miss seeing where this is going!
And if you happened to miss this in earlier posts, here is the link to the FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD and the AUDIO TEACHING ON YOUTUBE
And be sure to check out my entire website, including more free music and teachings.
Miracles Are Normal now available as audiobook!
Miracles Are Normal is finally available as an Audiobook. Much thanks to Sharon DiMuro for doing such a beautiful job of narration!
Click here to get Audible for the first time: MIRACLES ARE NORMAL – AUDIBLE
Or click here, just to purchase download on Amazon: MIRACLES ARE NORMAL AUDIOBOOK ON AMAZON
And I should have it up on my website soon, so stay tuned!
This is a glorious time to be alive! Thank you for joining me in beholding the beauty of the King and in making Jesus famous in the earth!
-Virginia