Out Of The Fire

Faith, as I have said before, has nothing to do with our will. Faith is more connected to awareness and is rather spiritual.

Faith in God comes from God. It is a gift. Basically, He introduces Himself. It could be a touch, a voice, or an all encompassing hug, but like with a friendly meeting with anyone, they themselves have to want it.

If they don't, then they will pass you by like any person walking on a street. You might be barely aware they exist, but you know nothing about them. There is no relationship.

Faith comes from relationship and grows because of it. The more you know someone, and find they are trustworthy, the more you trust them. It just happens, and it is always dependent on how close you are getting and the nature of the contact.

Is the contact neighborly, or intimate. Is it like a first date, or like an old marriage. Is it like a distant fan boy, or a business manager.

Yes, you may know God, but your closeness depends on your heart towards Him.

Psalms 37:4

[4] Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Of course, since God gave you your heart and it's desires, you still have nothing to do with it.

You are His work...not yours.

This is why you, if you are one of the crazies who really want to know God, get so frustrated by those who seem so happy just sitting on a church seat, or simply busting their butt in some ministry effort.

Sitting, and doing, are not wrong, but it just seems so "limited".

"They are missing out on SO much!

That is true, but as you get closer to God and know His power, you will see that even their limited relationship, is because of Him.

Not everyone is called to walk with Him.

Look, I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but God's power and authority are complete. Though Satan has to ask permission, God The Father, has always orchestrated even the devil's rebellion, just like He did with Pharaoh, Essau, and Judas.

Sure it bothers you. You want to believe that your "choice" matters. That your "choice" has power. That your "choice" decides your path.

It does, but your choice has been decided by the Father before the book began with the words "Let there be light".

Big bang?

I imagine there was.

To trust God, you must know God. But if you can't accept Him as He is, how can you trust Him? I've written many times that if you limit God to make Him seem more comfortable, you are changing Him into something He is not...and idol.

You can't have a close or intimate relationship with someone, if you don't know them. That means your faith is in a false god.

Yes, that is why He rather hates the whole idol worship thing.

HE, like any guy or girl, picks who He wants to be intimate with. If you know Him at all, you were picked.

That's what it says.

Additionally, if you have a heart to get into a deeper relationship, He gave it to you. Ah, but even if you limit that relationship, because you are not comfortable with the scary, powerful, absolute blinding nature of who He really IS, that limitation was instilled in you before your parents met.

I'm sorry, but it was.

Again, that is what it says in the book.

It's OK though! You are His work either way. It is not my job, or anybody's job, to insult, degrade, or look down on HIS work.

The wonderful thing though, if you are really called to know Him in a more intimate way, you will understand this. Though the limited ones will look at you like you are the loser, lost in a bad idea, you can do nothing but hope they see the truth of Him too. You cannot diminish them for they also represent the handiwork of the One you love.

This, in fact, is how you can recognize the more intimate ones.

We are all on a journey, from our perspective. The truth is, we are all on the Potter's wheel. Each one is made for a purpose. Some are background characters, made to mold and shape the ones who are permanent. Some are made for sitting in important places in The Father's house.

Some, are made to be closely connected for all time.

No, we are not all equal. It says that in the book.

Want to know where you sit? Look at how you look at others. Look at what scriptures you are avoiding. Look at where your heart starts to squirm as you read.

There is a great freedom in understanding and accepting God's power and authority. It won't make you impressive in this world, no it will do the opposite in fact. It will, however, make you much happier, even in the trial of the furnace.

Why? Because you KNOW, that every degree, every flame, is made solely for the beautification of what you really are...to Him.

Yes, death, then, is when He pulls you out of the kiln, and places you on that top shelf in His bedroom.

Knowing it is going to happen and there is nothing you can do to mess it up, is freedom...and Faith.