Us Being Honest.

Sin is disgusting because God isn’t getting glory that He’s worthy of.

When I think about the glory of God*, I become so terribly overwhelmed and what was on my heart to write starts to quiver and become clouded by my lack of understanding of His true value and worth that I cannot describe with human words.

 

With that being said, I want to approach something that I am being taught. It is a very, very sensitive teaching that God has so graciously been writing into my heart and I will try to get language for it.

 

We tend to use “gray areas” to endorse sinful lifestyles, habits, or ways of thinking very much. I believe that we have cried out for revival but neglected areas of sin in our lives that hinder this great outpouring to the masses and in the secret place that we truly desire.

 

I have heard people most often use Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:19-24* to advocate these “gray areas” of sin in their lives. When I say “gray area,” I mean sin that people are convicted about by the grace of the Holy Spirit but don’t necessarily have specific ‘evidence’ to back up its wickedness. They don’t necessarily have to be secret, hidden things, and they don’t even have to be things that are used as excuses because they aren’t clearly stated in the Bible. Many times they are things that are “justified” to other brothers based on differences in doctrinal belief, justified by accepting lies of weakness, or justified by using oneself as a point of exclusion from a certain sin.

 

However I believe that this is very black and white. I believe that we are to love the justice of God just as much as we love the mercy of God.* He is just because He is just, and merciful because He is merciful. And for that we should rejoice and not diminish either quality. He desires to draw from the depths of His mercy to destroy your sin so that you can see Him for who He is. There is no middle ground between righteousness and wickedness. Having addictions (the way you look, overeating, drugs, sex, etc.), listening to music that doesn’t bring GLORY to the name of Christ, watching movies that don’t bring GLORY to the great God worthy of all glory is wicked junk that must be taken care of by the casting of it onto the powerful God in flesh who has so graciously offered* to take it and dispose of the wickedness. That is the beautiful part of the equation.

 

The sin I have struggled with the very most in my life is the way I see myself as a woman in comparison to other women that I see on the magazines in the checkout aisle, or women I’ve seen in movies, or women I see on giant prints as I pass by Victoria’s Secret. It has been a long time coming for me to see this come to an end by a deep, true deliverance in my life. Although I have been with Jesus for a long time, this is something I am JUST NOW truly beginning to go to the root about to pull up. The world is not my standard—heaven is my standard. I have neglected pulling these self-degrading mindsets to the surface for fear of letting go of control and because of a lack of the fear of God in my life. What I have been praying into is that this sinful mindset would be so overshadowed and therefore erased by a tidal wave of understanding of the glory of GOD. It’s a phrase that has become so regular to me from being brought up in church; “the glory of God,” “to God be the glory,” “show us your glory, God.” But when I think about His GLORY, and His worth above everything in this carnal place, I completely relinquish the things of the world that I have held on to. It is like I have no choice, and not because some God in the sky is forcing me to let go, but because I become so distracted from the world when I actually meditate on Him and catch a glimpse of His true beauty. I think this is one of the grandest things I have ever encountered.

 

If there is something in your life that you are unsure about being a “sin,” or if you want to go deeper into the knowledge of God but something is holding you back, pray into it and ask the Lord in his great mercy to reveal whatever it is that is standing in the way.

 

When He shows you, or if He’s already convicted you about something but you are unsure in your mind how to see change, ask yourself what spirit it endorses. If it is anything that detracts, deters, hinders, or completely prevents God from getting ALL glory, then something is wrong. Plastic surgery? It’s wrong because it is endorsing a worldly culture made by man instead of a heavenly culture created by God. Smoking? It’s killing you and God created you for life. In an adulterous relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend from your relationship with God? Start being faithful and do whatever it costs. Eating too much? Start using the self-control provided to you by the Holy Spirit. Do you starve yourself? Do you look in the mirror and think, “I am junk,” or “I really need to look like ‘this’ or ‘that?’” You are allowing a lie to dwell and control a piece of your sacred mind, and you will not be brought further into the glory of God until it’s dealt with.

 

I am at the beginning of this journey, only starting to really practice this from the moment-to-moment. I compacted it a lot so I hope it makes sense. But the important thing is that He is changing me and I am becoming more free with every moment that I choose to not embrace the lie of the world. I hope that you as well will choose the freedom of God.

 

 

1 Corinthians 10:19-24 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too. What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is? You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Psalm 58:10-11 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”

2 Corinthians 10:4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

 

John 14:13-18 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! “If you love me, obey[a] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[b] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.[c] 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.

 

1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19,20 Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are… Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

1 John 1:9-2:2 f we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

Deuteronomy 10:17 “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.

Psalms 50:6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge.

Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Hebrews 11:16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

 

Psalm 29:3-9 3 The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning. The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

Revelation 1:14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire.

Revelation 4 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.

   In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

   “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
      the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

  Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,

   “You are worthy, O Lord our God,
      to receive glory and honor and power.
   For you created all things,
      and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

 

 

Lovesick- By Susanna

This is my word not only for this season, but it is the word that I am placing over the remainder of my life: lovesick.

Lovesickness. I’ve begun a new part of my journey with Jesus. When Mike and I got married, I started feeling restless in my spirit. I began to think, “Okay, God, I’m married, now what do you want me to do?” And, in talking to spiritual authority about it, I became aware of my desperate need to put this religious mindset to death and learn to truly live and be with Him. This has been a long road for me.

That being said, I want to clarify how important it is to operate from peace and joy as opposed to fear and chaos. When we abide with God, those good and perfect things are a by-product of simply being with Him. If you are feeling stressed out, looking for vision for your life and feeling claustrophobic about everything in life moving close to you, remember this one thing: the only thing that you need to focus on is your life with Jesus.  Get real about living alongside Him. EVERYTHING else will follow suit.

There is one thing that I believe is extremely crucial for our generation at this point in time: consecration to the Lord in prayer and the knowledge of His presence. John the Baptist’s duty in life was to prepare the way for the Lord. He looked like a total freak, eating locusts and honey and he lived in the wilderness. He had one purpose: to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. That is also our job. That being said, it is our job to take everything captive to a mind set on the glory of God. The ones who truly become consecrated to the Lord to fulfill His duties on earth are the ones who will be excited for the return of Jesus. 

First of all, though, we must determine HOW much we ACTUALLY care about remaining aware of the presence of God. How important is it to you? Is it important enough to make sacrifices? This is not religious obligation I am proposing, but a question of the purity of our hearts. When our lives start to become a matter of power rather than a matter of talk we will be faced with the challenge of whether or not we are willing to part with the things of the world that separate us from the things of God.

I believe that the key to this happening is a true longing for His return and a heart that is lovesick for His nearness.

I started to do something new to empower this revelation in my life. When I wake up in the morning now, instead of just checking my phone, getting up, and getting ready for the day, I wake up and I lay in bed and focus on the nearness of God. I say to Him, “Jesus, I am not getting up until I am lovesick for You.” And I meditate on His love and think about His nearness, goodness, power, and mercy until I feel the joy of Jesus. And then I get up. This has revolutionized my life.

I will tie this into purity and sexual relationships although it can be applied to any part of our lives. Through this practice (focus and meditation on God’s nearness), we learn spiritual rest and how to abide with Him and meditate on Him all day, every day. This sets us up to abide in the victory all day. I can start my day aware of the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control of God’s spirit that I possess and my actions follow suit.

Jesus has the victory. We have Jesus. This means that instead of falling in and out of sin, we can be constantly aware of the power in us to overcome these struggles. When we are confronted with temptation, we have choices to make. If our hearts, minds, and bodies are set in accordance with God, it becomes easier and easier to make choices that agree with the Holy Spirit. The more that we fall to compromise, the easier it is for our flesh to fall when we are confronted again. If we get our minds right at the beginning of the day and we come to the place where we can be aware of the victory all the time, it will be way more natural to us to make wise choices instead of trying to get drops from the bottom of our cups to get us through the next struggle. We have to get real with ourselves first though. We must make ourselves willing to confront the things standing in the way, instead of saying, “But my relationship with God is really good already and I still struggle.”

If you are in a relationship where you are constantly in a struggle, you must get real with yourself about how much it really means to you to be near to God. Are you making excuses, saying “But we have been trying to get better!” or “We could be doing worse things.” Is your relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend hindering you from truly being able to exercise your freedom? Be real with yourself, talk to the Lord, make your decision, and stick to it. 

Be obedient to His calling for you. You could be missing out on the better things He has for you if you are choosing the things that you think that you want for yourself. He knows what He’s doing and He isn’t going to leave you empty handed.

Let God take you into a place of lovesickness for Him. Don’t make excuses anymore. Choose wholeness. Choose a cup overflowing instead of a few drops in the bottom or even a cup that’s halfway full.

I challenge you to wake up in the morning, however early it is, and think about the Lord. Talk out loud if you need to work things out with Him. Talk with Him until the point of lovesickness. Stay in the awareness of His glory and His nearness.

 

If you like to listen to music to get you into awareness of how close He is to you, here are some suggestions (I’m sure you could find any of them on youtube or iTunes or whatever):

 

Songs for Joy- “The Gift” Heidi Baker & Kevin Prosch (Heidi sings in an African tongue while Kevin sings in English)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GP12joB0K8&feature=youtube_gdata_player , “Hope’s Anthem” by Bethel Live, “Marriage Wine” by Jon Rizzo, “You Made a Way” by Matt Gilman & Cory Asbury, “Divine Romance” by Phil Wickham, “So Good to Me” by William Matthews, “In This Forever” by Rita Springer, “Freedom Calling” by Daniel Bashta

 

Songs for Surrender- “Praise Is Befitting” by Will Reagan & United Pursuit Band, “Be Lifted High” by Bethel Live, “Be Exalted” Cory Asbury, “Freedom Calling” by Daniel Bashta, “Song of the Lamb” by Harvest Bashta, “Always On His Mind” by Misty Edwards, “Finally I Surrender” by Misty Edwards, “Nothing But the Blood” by Rick Pino

 

Songs for Passion- “To the One” by Harvest Bashta, “You Are My Passion” by Jesus Culture, “I Put On Christ” by Laura Hackett, “I Will Run” by Misty Edwards, “People Get Ready” by Misty Edwards, “Make Us Ready” by Harvest Bashta, “Worth it All” by Rita Springer

 

Songs about His Power/War Songs- “Holy” by Matt Gilman, “Revelation Song” by Gateway Music, “Make Us Ready” by Harvest Bashta, “You’re An Army” by Rick Pino, “Martyr Song” by Rick Pino, “I Am a Voice” by Rick Pino, “He Will Reign” by Sleeping Giant, “Dreamers” by Daniel Bashta, “I Put On Christ” by Laura Hackett

 

Songs to Soak in His Presence- “A Little Longer” by Jenn Johnson, “Till the Ground” by Jason Upton, “Come Away” by Jesus Culture, “Mighty Breath of God” by Jesus Culture, “My Soul Longs for You” by Jesus Culture, “You Are for Me” by Kari Jobe, “Pure Bride” by Leeland, “You Love Me Forever” by Merchant Band, “Lower Still” by My Epic, “Worth it All” by Rita Springer, “In This Forever” by Rita Springer

Nothing but the blood - by Mike

As Jesus’ blood was spilled and as He decreed forgiveness for his persecutors the greatest evidence was given against those who were “justified” in their own self-righteousness. They were in fact the most evil, while those around them could see through their piety, they were most deceived of all men. The most religious men of his time hung the most righteous man in history on a cross. How wicked was their righteousness. 

I recently read that Winston Churchill had commented on Adolf Hitler saying, “If Hitler would have died in 1939 he would have likely been known as the greatest leader in world history”. Up to 1939 Adolf Hilter was a true political revolutionary. In just four years he had balanced the budget of their failing economic system and brought Germany out of debt (Germany’s debt in the mid 1930’s was a higher percentage of their gross national product that America’s is today). In those four years he brought the employment rate from 50% to 100%. He even removed pornography from the nation. 

His religion alone was not enough, he built apart from the foundation, he built high and wide, but he built on shaky ground. His own righteousness. Because of his faulty foundation the population of the Jewish people is the same today as it was in the 1st century AD, because of Adolf Hitler, his reign brought about the murder of six million men, women, and children through the manipulation and deception of an entire nation. He was perhaps the greatest instrument of hell in human history. He was the Billy Graham or Reinhard Bonnke of the dominion of evil. He started out so well, but ended as one of the most wicked men who ever lived. 

This is what the Lord is speaking: the only foundation worthy of us to build upon is Jesus and Jesus’ accomplishments. I realize through my entire engagement to Susanna how unbelievably his favor, blessing, and forgiveness is not based upon me at all. This is what he wants, he wants people who trust and believe that Jesus is enough. People who live to honor Jesus, not to earn salvation. Men and women who understand that on their best day in faith they have simply honored Jesus and walked in truth… They understand that have still earned nothing eternal. Only their faith and trust in what Jesus has accomplished will get them anywhere. This is the only way to move from glory to the next glory. “From faith to faith”. 

“Anything that is not of faith is sin”. We can DO the right thing, while BELIEVING the wrong thing and be completely and entirely lost. I am so grateful to be married to Susanna, but I recognize now more than ever that all of my greatest efforts at being pure were nothing close to the purity that Jesus has freely given to me. He is the purest and I delight to live in his purity and to rely simply and completely on his righteousness. The blessing of marriage cannot be won, or earned. It is a gift from God and I never could have imagined how good it would be to live in faith in God with the woman of my dreams.

Keep relying on what Jesus has accomplished and you will finish well. 

Fasting - By Mike

We are apart again, it is wonderful to enjoy the presence of the Lord, but we fully acknowledge that there is nothing that compares to worshiping the Lord together. It took us awhile to get used to worshiping together, but now it feels so strange being apart from each other. God is doing a great thing, but it is not easy.

We have new perspective on sexual purity before marriage. We are now acknowledging it as a fast from physical intimacy until the date we have set before our families and before the Lord. We made a commitment to wait until September 9th to be committed before witnesses as husband and wife. Does God consider us husband and wife? I believe he does. Do we share everything? Yes, absolutely. The one thing missing is the physical union and we have set the date and are taking this time to pray and to fast.

The most pressing question to my spirit was, ‘since you are already committed to Susanna then there is no need to kill yourself waiting until September.’ I recognize this as a lie, but it is strangely convincing when you are on this side of marriage and your body has been ready to be joined with a wife since middle school. What this season really is: training in self-control, it is proving ground to see if I really have the virtue I claim to possess. It is also proving ground to see if my friendship and commitment to Susanna is stronger than any temptation.

“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” - Prov 25:28 (NLT)

“I was a virgin, like a wall” - Song of Solomon 8:10 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!” - John 10:1 (NLT)  

My virgin has guarded herself, built a wall of self-control around herself, and I am no robber so I, in the name of faithfulness, go through the proper process to be able to go through the gate that God has appointed for me to go through. That is a public declaration of my faithfulness before friends and family on September 9th. This includes being able to have confidence that her family, my family, her friends, my friends, and our spiritual family will be behind us and supporting our covenant.

I guarantee that if a man can prove he has the self-control to hold true to his commitment and make it to his wedding night without having sex there will be no place for a question in his wife’s mind about his ability or friendship. Friends don’t lie to one another and if a commitment is made then it must be kept or credibility will be lost. This is how I love Susanna the way Jesus loves me, being true to my commitments and to my word. Any compromise adds to the demise of my word and credibility.

This will run over into our finances, our ministry together, and everything else. We are making the point clear to one another, I can and will be faithful to God’s command to me concerning you.

“Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt because of your lack of self-control” - 1 Cor 7:5 (NKJV)

I am commanded to, after a season of prayer and fasting, be joined with my wife and to never deprive her. So right now this is where we are, fasting and praying for a season.

This is also my opinion on long engagements, if you know that you are supposed to spend your life with the one you are with then don’t set a year long or a two year long engagement. I believe this to be foolish and outside of God’s wisdom. Don’t wait for finances or education to be right, if you obey and follow Gods wisdom the rest is promised to work out. 

I’m sure a lot of this is repeat, but God has needed to repeat many things to me before being committed to my memory. He is good and worthy of honor. 

He Made a Way- by Susanna

Jude 1:17-19 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

2 Peter 2:21 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.

1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

1 Peter 1:6-7 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 John 5:3-4 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

1 John 2:27 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

 Jude 1:24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.

 2 Peter 1:3-10 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 

You are chosen, called upon, equipped, and filled with the spirit of God which encompasses love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. I don’t want to burrow so much and so deeply into the matter. All that we need to remember is that when God calls us to something, he equips us for it. He isn’t going to call you into a lifestyle of purity (which he has) without giving you the necessary tools to complete the task (and he has). You have his spirit which means that you have self-control indwelling. You have his spirit which means that you have faithfulness. It is just the matter of learning how to use these tools. If you have a desire to be pure and anything is compromising your desire or confidence, spend some time in reverence of God and what He has done for you. Enjoy your time with Him. I can’t think of anything that has been more life-giving along this journey of purity than time with the One who died so that I can even call myself “pure.”

Mike and I have spent about a month and a half together. It started out roughly as we were making so many adjustments to being together and how we were together. We have seen so much breakthrough amidst weeks of putting the things we know into practice. At times we have compromised, but afterwards we have been angry at what has diverted our attention from what we know to be right and true and have committed to growing together and seeing breakthrough together. It has most definitely been a process.

At times, I have felt confused and discouraged because we have already made commitments to each other and we are already joined in spirit, and I feel as if there is a big part of our ‘marriage’ that is missing. But we have also made commitments to each other, our friends, our family, and God to wait until a certain day to be joined as husband and wife in physical covenant. I know most of this is repeated, I have written most of this at some place or another on here, but that’s what the process is. The process is coming full circle and God is bringing us into new levels of understanding the way that He works.  

To anyone reading- He has given you everything needed for life and godliness as you have believed in Him.

Pray for us. - By Mike

We are beginning with some new boundaries and even a curfew, not much good to be done this side of marriage after midnight so we are are going to sleep earlier and waking up earlier to have more parts of the day spent with people and more time to be busy. 

We are sometimes so caught up with each other that we can easily lose our heads and convictions. Especially when we are tired. 

Last night we both went to sleep in peace, peace of mind and spirit. With fresh vision we can see that all our mistakes or failures cannot come against the peace of knowing God and knowing that he is faithful to finish what he begins. I feel like I have been under constant correction by the Holy Spirit, but it feels good to not be cold or hardened to his touch. I have learned so much being here this last week with Susanna. I have learned more places that I am weak, more places where I must lead better, and more ways that I can be led by the Spirit. Most of all I have learned to own up to being wrong and to repent for the sake of my life with God and for the sake of being a man. 

The Godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again - Proverbs 24:16

I’ll confess to not being the man or leader that I am called to be, I’ll even confess that it is my fault, but I will not confess that it will stay that way. ‘God has provided everything we need for life and godliness’ - 2 Peter 1:3. God HAS provided, he has made a way and that is the most encouraging news. 

I want to be honest, and strong, I want to be a good leader, a good friend, I want to be a good husband, and I want to be a great lover of God. Right now, I acknowledge my weaknesses and I acknowledge that because of Jesus no weak places are destined in this life to stay weak.

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  - Romans 7:24-25

Jesus, even on my best day, is still my righteousness. 

Be encouraged, keep warring, don’t give up, God has promised that we will measure up to the full stature of Christ. We will continue until that day! 

Back Together Again - By Mike

I got into Atlanta on the night of the 31st and we were met with immediate opposition. Perhaps just missing each other and a bunch of pent up tension, but we got it right and are adjusting to having almost an entire summer together. It is still difficult, but we are full of hope. The war is apparent, but we are filled with confidence. The last few days have been great and we have been experiencing breakthrough. 

In this war I have to know that we are not warring against “flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness in this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). We are not even fighting against our own flesh and blood, I am NOT fighting my flesh, or Susanna’s flesh, we are fighting against a spiritual stronghold, a deceptive lie, to see purity break out in our lives and in our generation. My flesh is renewed, I am born again and the old man was crucified and now a new man lives. I am not a slave to sin, but a slave of righteousness. I have moved camps and am in God’s service.

Adam and Eve sinned without a sin nature, their struggle wasn’t against their flesh, but against a lie! Likewise, our war is a spiritual one, an internal one, and it is violent. Jesus our righteousness was given to us and we must live in him. 

There is a scripture that has been profoundly encouraging me when I meditate on it. It is in Romans 5:4-5 and it says,

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope in salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.”

I think the faithful building of the moral character is a step of faith, it leads us to greater measures of faith, it works to assure us that we are standing on solid ground and we begin to trust more. It is steps of faith like this, whether steps of moral character or the miraculous, that lead us into greater realms of the same. Romans 1:16-17 says, 

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, it is the power of God for everyone who believes…for in it (The Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.”

“From faith to faith” means it takes a little to get more. This is why Jesus preached that “faith of a mustard seed” is acceptable. Because a mustard seed must only be planted and its small size is of no consequence. It has the ability to grow thousands of times its own size. This is the faith that pleases the Lord. 

We are filled with faith that the God who called us will finish what he started and that is where we place all of our hope.

I hope this all makes sense, so much love to everyone reading. Be blessed and encouraged. 

Standards -by Susanna

As Mike already explained, we had our struggles this last time that we were together, but I am coming to hopefully bring hope! I just want to share with you the word that was burning in my heart as I was seeking the Lord about all this:

The question isn’t ‘Can I make it?’ or ‘Can I stay pure?’ The question is, how badly do I want to stay pure?

Our hearts can be right—we can be ministers, we can abide in the Holy Spirit, we can talk with God…but when we put ourselves in situations that push our limits, distinguishing the line becomes difficult. I know this will be a strange analogy, but I kind of see it like this: You are having a problem with drinking, but a friend invites you to a party, claiming that it will be a good time. You KNOW that you don’t want to go and get drunk, yet you still go to the party. The people around you and your friend even are all drinking, and it reinstates this desire in you to drink, so you do, thinking “this is the last time.” When you wake up in the morning with a hangover, you feel regretful and hopeless that you will ever overcome this seemingly impossible feat. 

You never should have gone to the “party,” but that’s okay. Because there’s grace for it, you’ve sobered up, and you can make new boundaries. There is freedom in the boundaries, though, I promise.

Mike and I came to the conclusion a while back that our purity is more important to us than pretty much anything else in our relationship. So, in stepping back, we are refusing to even go to the “party” because we know that the temptation still lingers. The standard in my mind is higher now; the standard of purity has been raised. There is no worry or fear in my mind that we won’t make it; there’s not a single doubt or accusation that says, “Maybe we will cross a line” or “Maybe we will mess up.”

James 1:2-4 says, “Dear brothers and sisters,when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

I am completely hopeful and confident that our purity will take a blazing increase as we set our standards higher. There is so much freedom in that. It makes me feel so equipped. In a marriage (or even a dating relationship), we must know how to WAIT, endure, and be patient for good things to come about. Sometimes the processes in life are difficult, but I need to know that Mike and I are well-equipped for being patient along the processes together. We will be developing and blossoming endurance; we will be lacking nothing.

Proverbs 6:20-23 My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life.

We are hoping to only take the wisdom that has been made available to us and apply it to where we are now. It has definitely been a process for sure—one that I’m very grateful for. It will continue to be a process, but we can enter into it at a new place with a new covenant.

If you have made a promise to keep yourself pure for your wedding night, it’s a covenant that you’ve made with yourself and your future spouse. It’s a covenant that you’re in with God in order to love your partner in the purest way, and that completely surpasses just the sex life. In loving them by staying pure with them, you are promoting their joy; a childlike joy and peace in their hearts, minds, and spirits. It is so beautiful. Right now, I know that that is exactly what I want. Under the weight of my flesh, I feel weighty and my judgment is squished down. When I choose to not put myself under the weight of my flesh, I don’t put myself in the predicament where I’m trying to make a righteous decision in a tempting situation.

Even just a couple of weeks ago, at times I was at this place where I was just needy for the bread of heaven and needy for the word of the Lord, but I replaced it with indulging in the fleshly desire. If you are struggling with finding a desire for purity—as in, a part of you really wants it but you don’t really feel like taking the steps to carry it out, I just want to encourage you to come before the throne and ask for that desire for purity to increase. Ask the Lord to align your heart, ask him to take you from a stagnant state and put you in a place of hunger for righteousness. Even if you don’t feel as if praying that will do anything for you, I just ask that you’ll do it. You’ll find Mike and I at that place too, praying the same prayer—hunger for righteousness and goodness, strength, peace, wisdom…

That is basically the train of thought along this whole journey. It’s gotten off track here and there, but there’s nothing that can pull it off course for long enough that God can’t put it back on track. He’s just waiting for us to ask for His help. He’s waiting for us to stand up for real and fight against the sexual impurity of the land. This is how we have to do it, and it starts with a new standard. It starts with boundaries; it starts with a desire and hunger for purity.