Catching Up

It seems that everytime I go to the Helser's men's retreat my life is changed. Of course that is truth as anytime you are in the presence of your Father your life has to change. Circumstances have to change and hope has to be renewed.

As I was praying this morning God really impressed it upon my heart to take the time and begin to blog. Eventually there will be a biography and these blogs are going to help create a time-line.

First off lets catch up on the past year. Suicide, God intervention, job, no job, misery, marriage cracking at the foundation, frustration, meeting with Rick Sizemore, sent to another location, realized this was where God was sending me. And then this past weekend I was able to attend the Men's Encounter down in Sophia, NC at A Place for the Heart (www.aplacefortheheart.org).

A week or two before Easter of this year I was sitting with Rick and Mitch. Great guys. The thought was I was not going back to church anymore. I was tired of everything that I was feeling. I had no clue what was going on. None. Rick thought that maybe I needed to head to Dwelling Place Smith Mountain Lake http://dpsml.com/home and see what God was doing. Easter was our first Sunday back in almost two years. (Shelly and I knew that we were called to the area but I missed the timing the first go around and was very fortunate to have Sizemore in my life to help me from getting my goose cooked). It felt like home. I felt so released and free and it really felt like we were home.

As we were coming home Easter Sunday I surprised my wife by saying let's pray and seek Godly council on this matter. I also was adamant that we were not doing anything until we knew what God wanted for our lives AND we had spoken with Daniel at SML and Sizemore who has overall oversight of all three (currently) Dwelling Place Churches. She jokes that she should have known then that something was going on as I am a full speed ahead type of guy but I was wanting to be slow and cautious and definitely wanted to hear what God was saying.

As of today we have met with Daniel and are meeting with Rick tonight to see the timing of this. We have sought the Father's heart and listened for His direction and we feel strongly that we are to move on from Christiansburg Dwelling Place and move we feel that it is SML but we won't to be sure. I only do what I see the Father do.

As I was studying and praying and really seeking God's heart on this matter He took me to Numbers 14:39-45. Joshua and Caleb had went with the other spies and had saw the promised land. They saw that it flowed with milk and honey and there was fruit but the land was occupied. So the people decided to listen to the bad report instead of listening to the voice of reasoning from Caleb who said that hey God said this is ours let us overcome it. Sound advice but the people would not listen (Num 13:30).

See the promised land was on earth and there was obstacles to overcome but if God be for you who dare stand against you? Where is the faith. As the story progresses God informs Moses that for their unbelief this is what I am going to do. They are not going to see the promised land except for Joshua and Caleb. So the Israelites decide that hey we don't like that idea so we are going to go up there and take the land now that we have seen the choices and are no longer operating in faith.

The part that really stuck with me through this was the fact that the Israelites go and attempt to take the promised land while a) directly disobeying spiritual authority (Num 14:42 b) went to battle with out their spiritual authority (Num 14:44) and the most tragic of all was the fact that c) they went without God (Num 14:44). How did that work out for them?

Num 14:45: Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hornah.

That has served a valuable lesson for me and moving forward I will ensure that first off I am under authority, that I listen to said authority, and most importantly I will seek the heart of the Father first.

In closing another issue I would like to address the fact of bitterness, hatred, or rebellion. The fact of the matter is that should Rick decide that the time is still not correct (Rick will get mad at me for writing like that Rick did not make the decision Rick positioned me to hear from God concerning the timing but more on that later) I will continue to move on and do the things that God has placed on the inside of me. To be in authority you have to be under authority and to much is given much is required (Luke 12:48).