Do you know how important perspective is? How we respond to all that life “throws” at us, and our subsequent responses, will be driven by our perspectives- or our “filters” as I like to call them!
Our filters are shaped and made from our past experiences and what we did with them. If our filters are formed based on Gods Truth we will perceive all of life, the good, the bad and the ugly through a faith filter. But, if our filters are made or formed in fear, distrust, and the lies of the Evil One, we will process life through fear and distrust- which left unattended, will grow deep roots into our souls. These roots of doubt, fear and distrust will rear their ugly heads over and over again as we walk through the storms of life. Causing us to see God as someone who is mad at us and can’t be trusted. Hindering all of our relationships! Fear is the “relationship cancer”!
Fear is a choice that is made out of our deepest wounds that must be dealt with for Real Life and relationship to happen.
You see, I was blessed with a firm foundation in the truth when I accepted Jesus as my Saviour and Lord at the age of 15. I was blessed with great training in the scriptures. Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Westminster Academy, Liberty Baptist College and Campus Crusade for Christ. Now, I share this not to boast in any way,but to prove a greater point. You see, we humans are far more comfortable with gaining knowledge and degrees than we are in dealing with matters far deeper and important- our hearts!
We would much rather be given a systematic list that gets us from point A to point B, something safe and controlled. Many of us will avoid at all cost, delving into matters of the heart. And you know what? It is all fear based! Fear of being exposed to our true selves. The broken and wounded self we have hidden away. The reality is, it is our hearts that we have buried under the false self each of us create. The poser as I like to call my false self. As I have confessed, mine is the good Christian answer man. Wise, intelligent, funny, insightful, creative- someone who has it all together! Gag me,right! Who can relate to him? And more importantly, who can he truly relate to and empathize with?
But the message that must be told is this- what did the Church do about the first foundation that was built in my life. A foundation of pain, generational brokenness and an inability to experience or receive real relationship. You see, I come from a long line of relationally broken people! This wound is not something that will go away over time! It is carried forward from one generation to the next. I don’t care how much education, success and hard work you throw at it, that is, if you are enlightened enough to know it exists!
The problem is- I had a great foundation built atop a broken one! If the Gospel of Christ does not include counseling,healing,Spiritual warfare and discipleship – it will continue to produce broken, powerless , bound possessors of a head faith that will leave them living frustrated lives wondering why they have not experienced the Living Waters that Jesus talked about. Sure they may be great at “doing church” but lousy at being the Bride of Christ with no real heart to bring their Glorious Groom. For their hearts were left behind, covered over with striving, posing, pride and all forms of idol worship!
I know! For the above description was me! Until God set me apart, took away all my trappings of success and began to precisely and surgically work His way through my idols and my wounded heart- my brokenness – I was like a Pharisee – full of knowledge but without a healed heart! A scarecrow of a man! Sure, I was still “Jon”, with glimpses of my original glory shining through. Brief glimpses of His original intent. But If our “first foundations” are not addressed and healed under Jesus’s cleansing flood, we will never experience the abundant, powerful and Glorious life Our Loving Father intended from before time!
When the “Direct Hits” of life come and crumble our first foundations , anything we have built on them will crumble as well. Over the last 7 plus years my loving Father has put me through His Restoration process. It has been the hardest but best years of my life! If you have read my blog you know it took me a while to see all the “bad stuff” as gifts wrapped in darkness, pain and suffering. Much time was needed in the dieing to the poser and forsaking my idols and lesser lovers phase of the restoration process.
Then the healing and rebuilding processes began to take shape- the building of a palace suitable for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Where, you say? Where is this glorious palace fit for the King of Glory? ………,My healed and restored Heart!
Mind you, it is still under construction and will be til I meet Jesus face to face. Until then, I have just begun to truly live. Sure, there are still many challenges before me! But challenges I am now equipped to face with my Lord and Saviour leading me into battle each day!
With my charge to “speak into their brokenness” a message of honesty, transparency, healing and hope- a message from the Heart of a Good and Great God to a broken world!
If the above describes you to some degree and you want to change. You desperately want to experience the John 10:10 life but don’t quite know how or where to begin.
John 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
It will not come easy! There is a tremendous cost! Jesus says
Luke 17:33
33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
Matthew 16:25
25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Matthew 13:44
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
If you are like most people, you are too busy juggling the facade of your poser and life in general to delve into the deep. We are, by and large, a very superficial culture. We are expert anesthetizers! Addicts and idol worshippers, the whole lot of us! If you think you are exempt from that statement – you are in for a big surprise one day!
Your first step! Answer these simple but profound and penetrating questions?
Who/ what are my idols?
What am I addicted to?
What have I rationalized away as “not being so bad!”?
Who and what have I given my heart to more than God?
I suggest you direct these questions to God who knows you through and through. Ask Him to show you!
Next- i suggest you start a journal or a blog and begin down the scary path to the Abundant Life- a life flowing with Living Water! A Love Life like no other! I life of fulfillment and purpose and adventure that will exceed your wildest dreams- above all you could ask or imagine!
This is what Jesus is lovingly and longingly calling you to my friend. And you want to know the truth- He has been all along!
Lastly- Go to my website- over and over – it is meant to be a resource for you. Check out the reading list, the devotional link, the video link and of course my blog. It is full of scripture and insights that will help you on your own Adventure of the Heart.
I pray that, through faith via His Glorious Grace, you will see your current obstacles as perfect gifts from your Loving Father in Heaven.
That He is lovingly and tenderly calling you on an adventure of the heart.
Warning!!
Gaining this perspective will always lead you to the cross. For hope of real life is only found through Christ’s perfect work on the cross and our acceptance of it by grace through faith –
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
In closing, here are my two favorite promises I began clinging to when all hope was lost inside of me!
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The following Devotion ties in great! It is from Streams in the Desert… Of Course! 
Our Great Opportunities
“Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the day of trouble?” (Job 38:22-23).
Our trials are great opportunities. Too often we look on them as great obstacles. It would be a haven of rest and an inspiration of unspeakable power if each of us would henceforth recognize every difficult situation as one of God’s chosen ways of proving to us His love and look around for the signals of His glorious manifestations; then, indeed, would every cloud become a rainbow, and every mountain a path of ascension and a scene of transfiguration.
If we will look back upon the past, many of us will find that the very time our Heavenly Father has chosen to do the kindest things for us, and given us the richest blessings, has been the time we were strained and shut in on every side. God’s jewels are often sent us in rough packages and by dark liveried servants, but within we find the very treasures of the King’s palace and the Bridegroom’s love.
–A. B. Simpson
***
Trust Him in the dark, honor Him with unwavering confidence even in the midst of mysterious dispensations, and the recompense of such faith will be like the moulting of the eagle’s plumes, which was said to give them a new lease of youth and strength.
–J. R. Macduff
***
“If we could see beyond today
As God can see;
If all the clouds should roll away,
The shadows flee;
O’er present griefs we would not fret.
Each sorrow we would soon forget,
For many joys are waiting yet
For you and me.
“If we could know beyond today
As God doth know,
Why dearest treasures pass away
And tears must flow;
And why the darkness leads to light,
Why dreary paths will soon grow bright;
Some day life’s wrongs will be made right,
Faith tells us so.
“‘If we could see, if we could know,’
We often say,
But God in love a veil doth throw
Across our way;
We cannot see what lies before,
And so we cling to Him the more,
He leads us till this life is o’er;
Trust and obey.”
