GETTING RID OF THE THINGS THAT BIND US TO THE WORLD AS GOD PULLS US TOWARD HIM

I have spent a lot of time lately focusing on two main things in my life. The first is how to unchain myself from the things in my life that I don’t need any more, as well as the things that keep me in servitude to the world’s focus as meaningful and important. Many of those things hover between Idolatry and Coveting. Many of these things are also truly Destructive For Us. Worldly things that we are told we must pursue to be successful and noticed. They are the things that I am finding seem to hold a hollowness that slowly lose their value over time. Things that pull us Away From God ! Things we tend to Idolize. Like Wealth, Titles, Careers of Importance, Clubs, Memberships, Awards, Positions, The list is endless. The many things that Other people have that one can be envious of and wish were ours. A Big House, Fancy Cars, Bedazzling Jewels, and also in many ways common things that aren’t common or easy to obtain for everyone. Shelter, food on the table, a job, health, happiness and joy. I am blessed to have a Friend, Brother, and Mentor, Matthew Bachalli (Emmanne Ministries - Emmanne.Org) that has spent his life as a Pastor and Missionary studying this very phenomenon in detail. We discuss it a lot ! It brings us to a place of realization that GOD IS CONTINUALLY STRIVING TO PULL US TOWARD HIM AND AWAY FROM WORLDLY THINGS AND FOCUS. Each of us are at a different place in this journey. From 1 to 100, we start at zero. Sinners, dead in our transgressions. ONLY WHEN WE GIVE OUR LIVES TO CHRIST CAN WE BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD AND UPWARD. Our movements are incremental and at times may even slide backwards. You may ask what we are moving toward ? We are moving toward CONSECRATION AND HOLINESS. To devote oneself to the irrevocable Worship Of God, Dedicating Your Heart To God. Repenting Of Sin. Separating Yourself From The World. DRAWING CLOSER TO GOD. At times this may feel daunting and difficult. Letting go of things is HARD, but thankfully we are not striving alone. GOD IS THERE AND HE IS ALWAYS PULLING HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS CLOSER TO HIM. ALL WHO HE CALLS HIS OWN.

THEREFORE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN VIEW OF THE MERCIES OF GOD, I URGE YOU TO PRESENT YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE , HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD; THIS IS YOUR TRUE WORSHIP. DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS AGE, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, SO THAT YOU MAY DISCERN WHAT IS THE GOOD, PLEASING, AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD. Romans 12:1

FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, AND ARE JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE AS A GIFT, THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS, WHOM GOD PUT FORWARD AS A PROPITIATION BY HIS BLOOD, TO BE RECEIVED BY FAITH. THIS WAS TO SHOW GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS. BECAUSE IN HIS DIVINE FORBEARANCE HE HAD PASSED OVER FORMER SINS. IT WAS TO SHOW HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AT THE PRESENT TIME, SO THAT HE MIGHT BE JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER OF THE ONE WHO HAS HIS FAITH IN JESUS. Romans 3:23-27

THE TIMES OF IGNORANCE GOD OVERLOOKED, BUT NOW HE COMMANDS ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE TO REPENT, BECAUSE HE HAS FIXED A DAY ON WHICH HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD ON RIGHTEOUSNESS BY A MAN WHOM HE HAS APPOINTED; AND OF THIS HE HAS GIVEN ASSURANCE TO ALL BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD. Acts 17:30-31

Taking inventory of the things that we idolize and crave besides God is an eye opening and humbling experience. It is of utmost importance, but IT IS A JOURNEY OF STEPS AND INCREMENTAL PROGRESS. It is the process of Recognition and Surrender. The process of Throwing Off The Things That Bind Us and Letting God Pull Us Away From Them And Toward Him ! Breaking those Bindings and Chains are difficult, but once you begin letting go to be pulled upward, God Can Use His Authority And Power To FREE YOU ! It is Impossible to do on your own, but it does require you to make a Choice. Dedicate my Life To God, and Move Ever Closer To Him, or simply Stay Where I Am. Many choose to believe that once they are saved that they are safe from death. It may be true, but then again, God makes it pretty clear that Luke Warmness toward Him is not a good place to be. Looking like a branch of Wheat while actually being a Tare is not a good thing. We must realize that among the Wheat will be many Tares, and the Tares are separated from the Wheat and cast into the fire. Upon superficial glance they seem to be wheat, but they are not. IF WE ARE TRULY OF GOD”S KINGDOM, WE MUST LISTEN TO AND RESPOND TO HIS WORD. THIS is where we find Salvation, Freedom, and Eternal Life :)

ANOTHER PARABLE HE PUT FORTH TO THEM, SAYING: “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MAN WHO SOWED GOOD SEED IN HIS FIELD, BUT WHILE THE MAN SLEPT, HIS ENEMY CAME AND SOWED TARES AMONG THE WHEAT AND WENT HIS WAY. BUT WHEN THE GRAIN HAD SPROUTED AND PRODUCED A CROP, THEN THE TARES ALSO APPEARED. SO THE SERVANTS OF THE OWNER CAME TO HIM AND SAID TO HIM, ‘SIR, DID YOU NOT SOW GOOD SEED IN YOUR FIELD ? HOW THEN DOES IT HAVE TARES ?’ HE SAID TO THEM, ‘AN ENEMY HAS DONE THIS.’ THE SERVANTS SAID TO HIM, ‘ DO YOU WANT US THEN TO GO AND GATHER THEM UP ?’ BUT HE SAID “NO, LEST WHILE YOU GATHER UP THE TARES YOU ALSO UPROOT THE WHEAT WITH THEM. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST , AND AT THE TIME OF HARVEST I WILL SAY TO THE REAPERS, “FIRST GATHER TOGETHER THE TARES AND BIND THEM IN BUNDLES TO BURN THEM, BUT GATHER THE WHEAT INTO MY BARN”’” Matthew 13: 24-30

THUS BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM. NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, LORD, LORD, WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT ONLY THE ONE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN. MANY WILL SAY TO ME ON THAT DAY , LORD, LORD, DID WE NOT PROPHESY IN YOUR NAME AND IN YOUR NAME DRIVE OUT DEMONS AND IN YOUR NAME PREFORM MANY MIRACLES ? THEN I WILL TELL THEM PLAINLY, I NEVER KNEW YOU. AWAY FROM ME YOU EVIL DOERS. Matthew 7:20-24

“ I THE LORD SEARCH THE HEART AND TEST THE MIND, TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS, ACCORDING TO THE FRUIT OF HIS DEEDS.” Jeremiah 17:10

All of us should take a serious look at exactly where we stand in our relationship with the world, and our relationship with God. It is imperative to see the things that we idolize and covet. It is imperative to look deep into our hearts and see the things that bind us and resolve that we must break free from them. It is imperative that we strive to be as Close To God as we can be, and Thirst and Hunger For His Love And Presence. No time for being Lukewarm and satisfied. We must Seek Him and Ask Him to PULL US CLOSER AND CLOSER TO HIM AND BE WHO HE WANTS US TO BE ! No more living our life in the uncertainty and pathway of the Tares ! It is OUR PATH AND PURPOSE TO DO HIS WILL AND SEEK HIM. God will give us all we need if we Trust In Him and Abide in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus will Free You. The Holy Spirit will Guide You, and The Father Will Love You as His Precious Son or Daughter. Worship, Pray, Learn, Surrender, and Become ALIVE IN HIS GRACE ! BE HIS/JAA

SEARCH ME, O GOD, AND KNOW MY HEART ! TRY ME AND KNOW MY THOUGHTS ! AND SEE IF THERE BE ANY GRIEVOUS WAY IN ME , AND LEAD ME IN THE WAY EVERLASTING ! Psalm 139:23-24

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