Visionwriters - All Forums http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/ Simple:Press Forum Version 4.1.2 SaraMcD on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/page-2/#p890 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/page-2/#p890 I liked your response too John. It took something that's difficult to explain and made it simple to understand. Thanks for posting!

Bren, you're right on track! I have had those same feelings SO many times. It's all part of the adventure as He stretches and grows us. Let His voice be the one you're listening to. When he calls us to do something we feel unqualified to do, he knows how we feel. As long as you keep pressing in to Him like you are and listening and don't run, hide, and avoid Him, then He will keep speaking to you, addressing issues, until you are ready to choose courage over fear because of who He is and because you love Him. ie He puts the "want to" into us. Wink Don't do things because you feel you "have to"! The 'want to' may just need to be uncovered by Him and shown to you. We have to focus on simple willingness to take the next step when we hear Him call.

Just a reminder to all as we are on the last week of our course, please take the time to fill out the evaluation questions that you'll find on the website below the response questions for each week. We'd like all the feedback you can give us to help us continue to improve our online classes.  If, by any chance, you haven't listened to the Lesson 6 audio yet, please make the the time to do that. Its only 38 mins and its a wonderful message which pulls together all we've been studying.

In this journey we are discovering who we are in Christ and learning to live from that place fully. When we get it, everything becomes simple and we discover that He has been saying it all along. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. We enter freedom and rest.

And its also a daily choice to listen that keeps us there.



]]> Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:56:40 -0600 Jaque on Health Forum http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/lets-talk-about/health-forum/page-3/#p889 Let's Talk About... http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/lets-talk-about/health-forum/page-3/#p889 Right.  The true self in Christ is not tempted.   However, since we have this treasure in "earthen" vessels, temptations are always going to part of our earthy lives. And since we don't "always listen to the real self alive in Christ" we are going to (necessairly) feel the pull between flesh and spirit.  The beauty of this scenerio is that the better we know ourselves in Christ the quicker, in the face of temptation, we are to return to our (true) self.  The purpose of temptation then is in helping us learn to make QUICK RETURNS! You see, the flesh (poor me, I'm addicted to thus and so and this and that Cry) is the necessary negative tension that drives us to make our return to Christ.  This is our continual "WAKE UPYell!" call; so our return–after return–after return– is precisely how God gets the glory!  Now, how brilliant is that?


Love,

Jaque ]]> Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:35:31 -0600 Bren Harris on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p888 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p888

AWESOME insight with the "not normal labs"  Laugh  I  just experienced that very issue with some routine blood work.  How timely and appropriate.  Thank you for taking time to share with us!!  

My husband (also named John) has had to go through the 'empty nest' phase when his two older children left for college.  Here's a passage that helped during that time.  It continues to minister to us on a number of levels and reminds me of what "draws" the Spirit in me, to those who live out this Visionwriting in their day-to-day lives (Sara, Jaque etc.)   Blessings to all, Bren

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the   door ...  and I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Eph 3:14-20 MSG)

]]> Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:28:24 -0600 jking on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p887 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p887 Hello everyone!  Sorry to have not written/participated more.  Just to bring you up to date, Marji and I dropped off our only child (oops, young adult) at college last week.  It ended up being a very blessed time, but a time of sadness as well.  We are in process of adapting to our now quieter and bigger home.  Yesterday I went for a bike ride and ended up having a "vision-rider" experience about this whole process.  I'll post it later.

I was asked to share one of my responses from lesson 5:

What is the purpose of God's Law?
To point out our sin and need for healing  As a doctor, it reminds me of "normal" lab values.  If you're anemic, the "normal values" point out that you're not normal, and you need a transfusion.  Same with the law.  It points out that we're not normal, and we need a transfusion of Jesus' blood!

God bless,

John

]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:15:22 -0600 Georgia on Health Forum http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/lets-talk-about/health-forum/page-3/#p886 Let's Talk About... http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/lets-talk-about/health-forum/page-3/#p886 Wow, Jaque, I love how you stir things up!  Just when we have out neat little categories in place…

So what I hear you saying is that it's not the diet or addiction or the whatever I'm craving that's an idol – it's the seperated self thinking it's still alive.  That goes along with what the Lord spoke to me that " The flesh masqueraded as you for so long that you were deceived into thinking it WAS you.  But it was not."  

So if I listen to the real me – who is alive in Christ – then I wouldn't be tempted anymore?

Pondering,

Georgia

]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:07:13 -0600 Bren Harris on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p885 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p885 Hi everyone!  

Deep  treasures of Spiritual wisdom abound on this forum. Thank you so much for sharing what our King continues to reveal.  It's beyond cool Cool how He takes our own personal journey and weaves His teachings in and through them.  Whoa...

I'm not naturally a transparent-wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve-person, but God has been on me all morning to share the following:

My most recent journal centered around me feeling "grossly under qualified" to step into a Visionkeeper role ...even though I've gone through the training and have facilitated a few small courses.  My flesh kept saying "no no no! it's too soon! i'm not ready! there's too much technology! i'll never know how to get up to speed!"  Then I realized I needed to dedicate some specific time with God about it (duh! Yell).  


Deep breath. Let go. Get still. Listen to The Voice of Truth.  Here's what I discovered in Ephesians 3:12 NLT:

Because of Christ and our faith in Him we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.


The study notes went on to confirm something we've talked about in Visionwriters a number of times:

It is an awesome privilege to be able to approach God with freedom and confidence. Most of us would be apprehensive in the presence of a powerful ruler.  But thanks to Christ, by faith, we can enter directly into God's presence through prayer.  We know we'll be welcomed with open arms because we are God's children through our union with Christ.  Don't be afraid of God.  Talk with Him about everything. He is waiting to hear from you.

So He and I talked.  If you're 'struggling' with any life decision drink it in.  Love in Christ, Bren

God, Let's chat. To VK or not to VK?!?!  That is the question.  I'm stunned.  But why?  I mean, I've taken the training. I've even facilitated a few 'in person' classes.  What's the hold up for me?  Speak Lord Speak!  Fear will NOT rule this decision.  Let Your Word and Your Way speak.  Nothing else will do here.  -B


Child,  Of course you have some measure of peace now that you've put pen to paper...a peace amidst reactive fear or confusion. That's just your old nature (flesh) and it is beaten/conquered.  And that old nature is pulling out all the stops!  Let go.  Let My voice  --the only voice of Truth-- be the only one you're listening to!  It brings peace that really does surpass all human understanding. Pray. Stand Firm.  Believe.  Know. Trust. Let go. Let me -God The Great I Am- bring this decision to clarity.  Not your own way or your own strategic plan or vision in the natural. My way.  My will.  Only Me.  -Papa

]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:10:49 -0600 Jaque on Health Forum http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/lets-talk-about/health-forum/page-2/#p884 Let's Talk About... http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/lets-talk-about/health-forum/page-2/#p884
Great thread of thoughts and sharing. I want to introduce another idea to you. Julie said "For me, food
isn't a god, dieting is a god." What if none of the things we define as "gods" or "addictions" are what they
seem? What if our basest addiction—is to the self—that cannot end it self and can never think of itself
as dead?

This revelation broke ground zero for me. I have become aware of a self that doesn't think of itself as
dead, it never wants to die, never wants a problem to be solved because the problem continues to make "it"
feel alive. It's a self that never wants me to quit thinking I'm addicted to anything but IT. Here is a self
that proclaims it is still alive, that it never died in Christ. Here is a self that CANNOT let go of any other
conclusion, a self that fools me (as long as it can) into believing it is still alive; thus I can never fully
experience victory as God means me to right now, I can never get beyond that one (or more) nagging
problems always on my mind.

Here is a self that doesn't know how and doesn't want to live apart from the illusion of independence. It
cannot do less than live a deluded existence.

When the light goes on we will know that we know that we know, THIS self is indeed dead in Christ.
Victory is ours. Then the problem will no longer be a problem. We will live free and "all these other
things" will fall into line.

Seeing is everything.

Enough said for now,

Jaque ]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:28:56 -0600 SaraMcD on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p883 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p883 Hi Jaque,

Thank you so much. Along with Georgia, I loved the way you stirred things up in the dieting discussion last week too!

 In our notes for RIR Lesson 7 you wrote from a past journal and Father said to you:
"The greatest quantity (crowds) of people are looking for rest and peace, and your life will be like a drink of fresh water to them because you're settled in my rest. Your life will be My sign and My wonder and I will use it to draw them unto Me."

This is a true fact about you! You always challenge us to go further and further and not to settle for what we think we know. Your life and example draw me to God because I see Him in you, I see your surrender and peace and rest and your continual walk into deeper and deeper things with the Lord. There's no stagnation and no preaching divorced from living it! You are the one who continually challenges us to take another step, go deeper, there's more to see. These are the words you've used for a long time but to see it in your life is what makes you a mentor to so many, and as I said before, a pioneer! Thanks for participating in our forum, it means a lot to everyone and adds a certain element of value to this that can only come from you.KissSmileSmile


]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:47:35 -0600 Jaque on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p882 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p882 Sara,


It couldn't have been said better; I so appreciate your thoroughness. 


What a gem we have in you.


Love,

Jaque

]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:08:30 -0600 Jaque on Lesson 4 The Essence of Personhood http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-4-the-essence-of-personhood/#p881 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-4-the-essence-of-personhood/#p881 Indeed it does Virginia...thank you!


It's the truth,

JaqueSmile

]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:55:10 -0600 SaraMcD on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p880 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p880 Good stuff, we are far richer than we realize! Love it. This journey is all about realization.

Georgia, thanks for sharing your aha moment. I have felt the same thing, sometimes the new revelations flow deeply and other times it feels as though I've heard it all before. I have done all the VI courses at least 8-10 times now and have a stack of response questions for each course. It always amazes me when I go back and read them and am in wonder over the insights the Lord has given me previously. I've learned especially with the response questions, to answer them specifically from the angle that the Lord is focusing on right now with me, the new perspective. That's partly why we say there's no "correct" answer, you don't have to give the definitive answer every time, I like to incorporate the new perspective I am seeing THIS time as my answer otherwise I would only be saying the same thing every time. This turned answering response questions into a wonderful tool to capture it all rather than a dry "Oh, not this question again!" (I had those moments too).

You're so right that its the application to the circumstances that you are currently experiencing that makes it all fresh. This is about living His word, not just reading or hearing it. Each time you come back to a course you're in a different place spiritually and you have more understanding than the last time so the Lord can take you deeper and higher and give even more understanding. That's what I was saying back in lesson 4 forum with this:

I know how it is when it feels as though you aren't finding anything new. Sometimes it helps me to also be reading another book or devotional along with my Visionwriters course and verses. If I am searching and seeking for God in all my reading, He starts to tie it all together in new and deeper ways. There is no end to our seeking and learning, to our letting go and to the renewal of our hearts.

I find that God not only uses my particular circumstances to speak to me each time but also the other things I am hearing and reading. It's so much more than a "coincidence" the way everything always seems to mesh together. I've been in wonder over that too. Now I feel as though God is just holding out His hand to me and I walk along with Him today as He leads me along the path showing and telling me what I need to know like a vast scenery unfolding. I can't take it all in at once but it's a case of focusing truly on what He is showing you in the moment and then being excited and expectant to see what He is going to show you next. Go with the flow and follow the connections. I expect the Lord to speak to me not just in my journals but through other speakers, books I'm reading, movies I'm watching etc etc. Everything ties together when we capture it in our journals because God is educating us! God's speaking and our walking mesh. We keep doing this to cultivate that constant listening, responsive quality. E. Peterson says:

If language is reduced to information or flattened into explanation, that is, if it loses its connection with a living voice, calling and commanding and blessing, and if there are not open ears, listening and responding and believing, language goes dead. Words, lively verbs and luminous nouns, severed from the living voice soon become dead leaves blown around by the wind.

The reason I keep doing Visionwriters courses is because the disciplne keeps me in that place of connection with God's living voice. It keeps my ears open to listen and respond and believe. ( and also of course because I need the sharing that we do together in the relationships and communities that form through this). Peterson also points out that the Hebrew word for Bible is Miqra, a noun formed from the verb "to call," qara. He says,

The Bible is not a book to carry around and read for information on God, but a voice to listen to.

I like that. Just as journalsing is a tool, even the Bible is a tool that gets us to the place of hearing God and walking in intimate real relationship. His Holy Spirit in us is the one who gets us there and completes His work in us. So, as always, it just comes back to what do we have to do? Only believe and how can we believe unless we listen first?

I loved what Jaque wrote this week that;

As we accept His plan, we are putting ourselves "under" Him in the place of accountability, the place we have always belonged. Here we are becoming one with our meaning and in unity with that, there is rest.

The more we listen and walk with Him, the more he shows us, and we discover our meaning and become one with it.

Amen

This is our last week of study, I pray that the eyes of your hearts will continue to be opened! Laugh

]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:30:56 -0600 Bren Harris on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p879 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p879 Well said Georgia Smile  One of the online devotional I get seems to echo your very sentiment above.  Powerful!   Love in Christ, Bren


"You are far richer than you realize."

God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 1 Peter 1:4 (NLT)

The New Testament gives great emphasis to our rich “inheritance.” As children in God’s family we get to share in the family fortune, that everything God has belongs to us (Galatians 4:7). The apostle Paul adds, “I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people” (Ephesians 1:18 NLT).

What benefits do we inherit?

As children in God’s family we are given “the riches ... of his grace ... kindness ... patience ... glory ... wisdom ... power ... and mercy” (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 2:4; 9:23; 11:33; Ephesians 3:16; 2:4). We also inherit eternal life and God puts his Spirit inside us now as a guarantee of all that is to come.

What an inheritance! You are far richer than you realize, which is why Paul could write with confidence:

“My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NIV).

Your eternal inheritance is priceless, pure, permanent, and protected; no one can take it from you. It can’t be destroyed by war, a poor economy, or disaster. This inheritance, not retirement, is what you should be looking forward to; retirement is a shortsighted goal. ]]> Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:12:53 -0600 Georgia on Lesson Seven: The Rest of Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p878 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-seven-the-rest-of-righteousness/#p878 Good morning and happy Labor Day!

Last night, the Lord showed me what has been going on with me during this study.  I've been feeling pretty dry when I do the lessons, and have not been having much to journalize about, but I don't feel out of touch with the Lord.  I looked at my notes from last time and I had gotten so much from the Lord, so it was puzzling to me.  But the Lord showed me that I can't just go back over the same track where I have been before.  He wants to give me fresh manna for today, not re-feed me from the past.  So now I see that I need to apply the scriptures to whatever the Lord is doing in my life at this time.  This seems like a pretty basic idea, and I don't know why I was compartmentalizing my life like that. So anyway, I'm encouraged that He showed me what was going on!  

So here we are on the last week and wrapping it all up, as we learn to enter His rest!

So be it.

Georgia

]]> Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:37:10 -0600 virginiaf on Lesson 4 The Essence of Personhood http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-4-the-essence-of-personhood/#p877 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-4-the-essence-of-personhood/#p877 Hi Everyone,

Well Julie said to share this on this weeks forum. It was from week 4. Answer to question 2.

2. What is the essence of true personhood? Please thoroughly explain.

    The Holy Spirit has been my teacher, mentor, etc. since the beginning of my walk. He has been the one to show me what the essence of true personhood is.  For me it was seeing in the spirit, God the Father, Jesus the Son, Him the Holy Spirit, then me and then in others. He showed me how God the Father sees us, not how we see ourselves. For me is seeing beyond the veil or exterior into the interior. True personhood does not require a body. 2 Corth. 12: 2-3  God reminds us that we are spirit beings. 

I pray this blesses you all.

Shalom, Virginia <")))><


]]> Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:13:21 -0600 lee on Lesson Six: Christ, the Law Fulfilled in Me http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-six-christ-the-law-fulfilled-in-me/page-2/#p876 Reflections in Righteousness http://www.visionwriters.com/forums/reflections-in-righteousness/lesson-six-christ-the-law-fulfilled-in-me/page-2/#p876 I love this truth reiterated again and again....that it's not about the "arrival"...it's about the journey...the BEING with God moment by moment!  I love your explanations Jaque:    

"The purpose of temptation then is in helping us learn to make QUICK RETURNS! You see, the flesh (poor me, I'm addicted to thus and so and this and that Cry) is the necessary negative tension that drives us to make our return to Christ.  This is our continual "WAKE UPYell!" call; so our return–after return–after return– is precisely how God gets the glory!  Now, how brilliant is that?"

I love it!!   It's NEVER about what the lie (the illusion of a separate self) says it is:  getting it right.  Arriving.  Finishing the to-do list.  Fixing this, or that, or me.  It's always about surrendering to love in the present moment presence of Jesus here and now in me,  "accepting myself in HIS total acceptance of me" that puts me on the side God is already on!!    Wherever I  am on the journey, I'm always in the right place, because Christ is HERE and He's always right.  To SEE this is everything, and the focus of my life is to see Him (Truth) more and more that I would surrender more easily my expectations of fixing and outcomes, to live from that peaceful place of yieldedness to TRUTH that the lie battles ceaselessly.


Thank you guys again for the great postings here....

Lee :)


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