Moving

Moving

6/25/17

Many of us in these modern times have moved from our birthplaces and ventured elsewhere.  Some have completed this task a few times and others many times, and the reasons why these moves were necessary vary as the number of inhabitants of this nation.  There are times, however, that God says for us to move to a place that He desires for us to be and while it still may be a tad nerve-racking it is a calling that sometimes we cannot explain when asked.  The main knowledgeable fact that we must keep in mind when God says things of this nature is to keep our spiritual ears open so that we understand exactly where He wants us, for if we close off our hearts to His will, then our lives become totally miserable and could mean our end in disobedience.

Many of you know that I am a preacher’s kid and moving around comes with the territory when your parents are following the call of God that is upon their lives.  I see and understand why many of us PKs have trouble with this kind of life and that if we continue to see this part of ministry on self-centered focus time will be difficult for everyone.  Picking up and moving about the country or to other nations can be quite traumatic and often leave long term scars if not understood why it is necessary to move at times, but it is a must for anyone who is thrown into this situation to know that there is a reason for hearing what God is saying to your heart and to be a willing participant in the move instead of dragging your feet and heart in the sand.

A while back, God laid it on my heart to forgive a city and everything that occurred in my life while we had our short stay there. But as I look back at that time in my life I understand exactly why God had us there and it was for all of us to know exactly what the condition of this nation was turning towards.  Now, I must admit that I have not fully paid attention to each word that has come from my dad’s mouth while he was on the platform but it was clear to me that his sermons during this time were of a different measure, even teaching repentance on a Wednesday night service, who does that on a continual basis?  Anyway, our six months in this city was an eye opening experience that included threats to my parents’ lives and contracts out on my life and ending with me leaving early due to a health crisis and a flash flood as soon as dad obeyed God and shook the dust from his feet as they pulled out of the city.  God has His reasons for our time in Hobbs, and while it was only a short time God showed His mighty hand to that town but was forced to change His stance when they refused to obey.

Hobbs, New Mexico was only one of the experiences of my life and basically the only one where I really was in constant danger, and notably why.  Other experiences concerning moves went mainly uneventful with some of the stays being two years or so to four years in duration.  All was well I guess but whatever the cause or reasons I did not take too much beef with the moves and God allowed my heart to stay soft and tender to Him and through this condition I learned a lot from each move and can honestly reflect with a pure heart and still learn from those experiences.  Those experiences came at a price with some being friendly and others painful but through it all, I understood exactly why I was asked to make a change.  One can physically move about the country each year but it is the steadiness of your heart to God that He sees and will use as a witness for His Kingdom and it is this truth that He wants everyone to know about Him.

With each move that my family made, we packed up our entire belongings and left the area and headed for our new destination. When we left we took everything that we owned and deemed worthy enough to keep and take with us on our new journey.  Of course, not everything went according to plan and at that time some of these sessions were a tad uncomfortable but when we look back on them now we cannot help but laugh, well, most of us at least.  All of our possessions came with us to our new place of residence and our presence at the old place was now just a memory in our hearts and of the people that we knew there, and what lied ahead we had no idea what going to occur but I know that my parents trusted God for everything and as always He showed up and provided for all our needs.  You know, it is amazing just how many things a person or family acquires over a lifetime, and it is these moments that we should really reflect on just how much we actually need for survival and we should ask ourselves are these things that we possess really worth their weight?

I will be using two different settings and examples in this article from God and both of these are very familiar to anyone that has studied the Word of God at any length.  Adam and Eve along with Abram are famous people that many have heard about and both of these families were changed by God in many ways but when God told them that they had to move on their circumstances were totally opposite from each other and presented many different challenges when their moving day arrived.  I do not know what is coming to this nation specifically but I have felt like certain events, from God’s hand and not from human’s, is going to set back this nation and place it on its knees.  Many people have had similar dreams and visions which correspond to what God has shown me personally and even though it does not look too bright for this nation God wants us to know that He is still speaking to His children and giving them instructions on what to do before things occur, what to do when these events occur, and more importantly how to deal with issues afterward.

In the beginning of Genesis, we see the beautiful creation of the world and all of its inhabitants, all living in a perfect and equal unity with God and serving as the definition of eternity.  As the book of Genesis progresses we encounter a being that does not want harmony with God or His Creations and seeks to do his best in deceiving them into accepting his way of existence instead. This deception that was presented to them is successful and Adam and Eve’s lives are radically changed forever and are handed out consequences of their choices.  By the middle portion of Genesis Chapter 3, we find the consequences of all parties involved being told and then a prophetic covering being given to Adam and Eve and no one else.  The end of Chapter 3 concludes with Adam and Eve being told about their imminent move from the Garden of Eden, a huge shock that must have been overwhelming.

When God created Adam and Eve He did so in such a manner that they entered into existence with nothing, they did not even have any clothes to wear for God had established their existence in such a way that their innocence warranted no such need for cover.  God provided every single detail for their lives and had it conveniently ready before their creation and all they had to do was to inhabit the perfectly created place that God placed them into, plain and simple.  However, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and His single command and thus allowed their lives to be altered enough that God had no choice but to end their stay in paradise.  This may seem a bit cruel but it gives us the very detail about obedience that we need to keep harbored in our hearts at all times, just don’t disobey.  God gave us a mind and a heart and through these gifts, we have the ability to understand the reasons why it is important for us to stay with God’s boundaries of protection.

At the end of Genesis 3, we find that God is saying to Adam and Eve that it is time for them to leave the Garden of Eden which must have comes as a huge shock to them, especially after the day that they had just been through.  Yet, it was a necessity that had to play out for God could not allow sin to inhabit His perfection in accordance with His own definition of existence thus the prized creations had to move.  God had to move the sin for His existence and eternal status cannot inhabit the same area, which means that God’s Kingdom cannot and shall not ever share space with sin.  If God could share space with sin then He would not be God and would not have any further reason to give us His Word (the Bible).  This is a very important detail that we need to remember AND share with our loved ones and those who do not know God or follow in His Ways because if we continue down the path that we are in we shall experience a great devastation that will not only change our nation but the course of society as we know it today as well.  Therefore, requiring us to move from our homes for the conditions of living standards will not be readily available any longer.

When we take matters into our own hands and believe that God’s ways and laws are beneath our recognition it will only be a matter of time before we find ourselves moving from our homeland in disgrace.  God has no intentions for any of us to live in this capacity or have to face eviction from our way of life for He is the eternal Creator and wants nothing less than perfection of life for our hearts.  But if we do not hold His standards high above all others and keep His Word and Ways first in our hearts, we shall bear witness to this type of disgraceful moving process and thus be subject to complete loss instead of a great gain.  We also must consider such an ordeal when it comes to the destination of our lives who have taken such a dramatic turn.  Ways of communication were quite limited back in the days of Adam and Eve and once driven from the Garden of Eden their direction of advancement must have been limited, but they found their new destination and while totally different from their previous living establishment God was with them and watched over their lives as they learned about their new living space. 

There is a huge detail that we need to keep in mind here, one that is just as important as the single command that was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and one that will have a dramatic truth unfold if not followed.  All throughout the Word of God, it is clear that if an individual or nation totally and completely recognizes their sin against God and permanently turns from these sins God shall restore their lives and make things like new again.  However, if this change of heart actually is lip service and comes not from the heart, these changes and further destruction will come to these people and each time will be harsher than before.  It is this setting in which God states again that it is our choice to either obey God’s Word and to live in perfect peace or to take our chances with ultimate devastation by not obeying His commands.  Always remember that God has a plan for each one of us and He will bring us to the point of us understanding this plan of His if we just have an open heart to Him alone.

Finally, we come to the second example that God wants us to understand in this message and that is the one that occurs in the same book of Genesis and concerns Abram.  In Genesis Chapter 12 we find that a man called Abram who has recently been in conversation with God.  These conversations have led God to understand Abram’s heart and while God knew him from birth and before, God understood that it was time for Abram to begin the journey that God had for him.  In verse 1 of Chapter 12, God tells Abram that it is time for him to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house and go to a place where He will show him.  Now, when I was a kid and we moved, I was always told where we were going to be headed and while I might not have been directly involved with the directional choices of that day, I always knew where we were destined.  To trust in a voice that has only been heard and no physicality witnessed takes a large amount of faith for anyone to accept much less obey.  Yet, Abram did exactly what God had told him to do and within a short amount of time Abram and his immediate family were on the “road”.

Up until this time, we do not really know too much about Abram and his life.  We have a few details about his family and who he married but for the most part, Abram’s history is limited to such few verses and even simpler descriptions.  But the most important part of Abram’s history is that God knew his heart and understood exactly when it was ready for the purpose that God had for Abram’s life.  Was Abram prepared for what God had him to do?  It is a fair question to ask and one that is easily answered, no he was not yet after the big step away from his father’s house Abram did as God commanded, with a few bumps along the way.  While many times it is easy to step out from a situation at first but as time rolls by it becomes difficult to remain celibate and not look back or return to the previous comfort levels.  The important detail here is that Abram was willing to obey God when God asked him to leave.

Abram and his family’s story is quite a bit different than what we read about Adam and Eve, for Abram left his father’s household and dwelling voluntarily and had no clouds hanging over his head spiritually.  God had asked Abram to leave and trust Him in all of what He had planned for his life, whereas Adam and Eve had disobeyed and were told to leave their place of residence.  There is a connection here and a detail about God that may have been missed before but it states about the completeness and holiness of God and it refers to Abram leaving his house and family so that God can operate through him.  The connective detail comes from Genesis 2:24 where God commands the husband to leave the house of his father and mother and cleave to his wife, another detail that throws things into a tizzy for Abraham and Sarah along with the present day world.  God wants us to see Him as the sole provider for our lives and the One who represents our life without any compromises which are the reason He asks us (men) to leave our homes and trust our spouse and Him for all our needs, a concept that is almost completely ignored today.

From all indications, Abram came from a nice family that really did not lack in sustenance and been supplied with all their needs being adequately met.  When Abram left he took his wife, servants, cattle, money and his brother’s son Lot with him and set off into the desert to a place where God would at some point in time show him.  Now, I remember my small family setting out and moving across the country with all of our possessions in a truck headed to a specific location but Abram had much more sustenance than what my family had plus being led into a hot and dry place without a final destination known.  And, Abram willingly volunteered to obey and to complete what God had asked him to do.  This act placed Abram into a separate category than Adam and Eve and one that if understood and then followed would save a lot of problems in our lives before the situations become entangled with trouble.  It is far greater to trust God first and do what He says than to disobey and then have to reap those seeds sown down the road.  As we will see, Abram kind of forgets this aspect of God and tries to do some things on his own and when he does it costs him dearly. 

It is this attitude and heart of Abram that God saw and then used for His purpose and advancement of His Kingdom and one that we need to study thoroughly and place into our lives as an obedient servant of God.  To this day, there are many times that I look back at some of the things that I have done over my life and wonder why God continues to give me items of His Word and His Life to share with others because I can clearly point out where I have failed Him and His Word miserably.  It is difficult for me to get passed all of my heart issues and habits that reflect the definition of sin.  But we read about Abram it becomes clear that God had a reason for the path of Abram and we know that one day in Abram’s future his name was changed and he began a nation and lineage that would one day bring into being God’s own Son, the Savior of the world.

There is one consistency in these two examples that pertain to us today and that is the world and how we face the travesties that it brings to our lives.  Adam and Eve succumbed to these issues over time through wayward beliefs concerning God and His Ways, the same occurred in Abram’s life as well and when he decided to allow a small detail about Sarai slip, it would later define an entire spiritual division that we still face today concerning Israel and the enemies she has.  The steadfastness of those who trust God with their lives is a fabulous opportunity and when combined with the fact and truth of obedience, one cannot doubt the sovereignty of God or the purposes that He has for humanity.  Taking steps away from one’s own home and venturing out to fulfill a request takes courage and guts along with a bunch of faith and it is this faith that we must entrust on a continual basis so that when trials of the world appear we can stand with a holy resolve as Daniel stood against the world in captivity. 

The question now becomes which life and path will we take, the one of selfish gains or holy obedience?  We have many examples in the Bible where intentions began good yet ended in tragedy when eyes became focused on other issues instead of God.  The children of Israel quickly come to my mind when thinking about this question, and how many times have you found yourself in such settings which you had to choose which path you took?  And, what was the outcome?  We all have the opportunity to set our goals for God and to live through His Laws to achieve what He wants for our lives, but it is our responsibility to allow God to continually sweep across our heart’s floor so that He may clean out the dust and dirt that we bring upon and into our lives.  If we do not, then our path will be directed elsewhere and once off the correct path, our enemy will then be allowed to direct our steps into destruction.

We need to understand that both of these examples plus the example of our lives represent a path and a purpose from our Creator. This path is an active one and one that needs to be cultivated in the proper manner and by proper standards at ALL times.  It is our responsibility to look at our path (dominion) and to ask God for guidance about what to prune and what to let grow for another day or two.  God sees things about our lives that we do not and if we allow Him to take control of our lives our paths will be glorious and beautiful as God designed them to be.  It is easy to trust God at the beginning but when times become tough or tempting it is then that we need to ask God to prune and to help us, groom.

This nation and the societies that are vibrant today have faced this same question and setting and unfortunately, the majority of them are following the exact same path as Adam and Eve took.  And just as it cost Adam and Eve their dominion the path that we are taking today will result in the exact same eviction notice that they received.  No one likes to be driven from their homes through ugly circumstances or forced conditions.  The basic foundation of our way of life is grounded on family and the growth and development of a family that is independent of those around us, so why are we continually seeking those around us for the answers that only God can adequately and accurately provide?  Why would we choose to move under dire circumstances instead of in a friendly and obedient manner?  It is a guarantee that God will ask us to move at some point in our lives, not necessarily a physical move but a move within our hearts and it is our response to this moving request that will determine in what condition we will be moved.

God is not an idle God or one who can sit around and do nothing on a continual basis.  God has to be active and moving and His children were created in the same manner.  God moves us for specific reasons and when God moves us physically His purpose will be shown in His appropriate time when God moves us spiritually His reasoning is just as prominent and pure.  It is the way that we accept this moving request that defines how we will be moved and in no way does God wish to move us forcibly but only through the willingness of our spiritual hearts in obedience to His Word.

Over the past few years, the area in which I live has been witness to several families being transferred into this area.  Some of them are Christian people who have no real understanding of why they moved into this area but were in complete obedience to God when He told them to move and to place their existence here in western Colorado.  Other families have no physical or spiritual ties to God but have felt like they were supposed to move here as well, and the influx of these families continues today. The interesting fact about these people who have moved here is that they are not retired but are actively working in their own businesses and have moved their businesses here as well.  Now, for the past 8 years or so the major economic industry in this area has been under attack and for the most part severely crippled, our local economy is not in the best shape that it has been, yet all of these people are moving into this area because of uncertain circumstances or that they have been told to do so.

Why?  Why is this occurring?  There are a few certain and definitive answers to these questions and they apply directly to the direction and concerns of moving.  While we tend to focus on our physical wants and selfish desires first, God is always preparing His children for what lies within their hearts and most of the time we miss out on what God is doing because of our selfish habits.  It is easy to understand or to find out where local economies are thriving and the ones that are not, logically this area would not be one of the economies to trust but it is the exact place and setting that God wants people to move into.  It is this type of moving that God is asking and laying on hearts to move where He wants them to be, a voluntary movement such as He requested of Abram.  Jesus understood this commitment and did it Himself at times during His ministry and it is important for us to see the true intentions of the people that He ministered to after His presence went down the road.

We also know that there is another side of the coin for God prepares His lands for upcoming settings no matter what the circumstances may be in the future.  If God is asking people to move their stakes into this land there is a reason for that means that reason has not been noticed yet and will one day arrive.  At that time people that will be arriving will not be in the perfect of conditions or supplies and will need help as soon as they arrive.  Can you imagine what their eyes will have experienced as they arrive?  It also means for this amount of people to influx this area, a great disaster has occurred somewhere else in this nation. What is even worse to comprehend is that when this event occurs, some will understand why things transpired in the manner in which they did but many will not which is the exact reason God has voluntarily moved people with willing hearts to prepare for such specific heartache and personal devastation.

I would love to say that this nation is on the correct path to divert this type of devastation but I am sorely afraid that a great influx of Adam and Eve movements are about to come to pass.  I do not know exactly what shall occur to bring about these movements of people and I definitely do not know when this shall occur but I can absolutely be sure that I know why it will be completed and that is because we have turned our hearts away from God and have allowed our paths to be lined with lust, greed, selfishness, and every other prideful want from the world instead of allowing God to examine our hearts for these roots and cut them from our lives.  Church, we have allowed this exact worldly policy to invade our hearts and we are now contributing to this deceitfulness instead of exposing it for what it is.  You are the foundation of eternal light and not the supplier of lies of the darkness.

God has not shown me or my family to move from this area and I have no plans of disobeying God either.  If God tells me to move or to move in another direction I shall do it but I do know that whatever He has planned for my life I am doing what is necessary to be prepared.  God has definitely moved my heart over these past few years and has opened my heart to a realm of knowledge that has yet to end.  It is my duty and responsibility in love to share what God has given me so that His people will understand when the time arrives.  God is actively calling for people to listen to His voice and to obey His words and it is the job of the Church to relay those words of truth to those who do not know God.  Anytime God moves, the ruler of the world rattles his chains and when this occurs God’s people must be ready for the consequences.  The one detail about the influx of people into this area that is exciting and scary at the same time is that I know personally of four families that moved in the area that are pastors who listened to God and He specifically said to move here. 

The exciting part about this movement is that there are pastors who still believe they need God for direction and truth and are willing to obey Him at any cost.  I pray blessings over these families and ask God to continually drive them with His Word as they start churches for people who are about to arrive.  The horrifying part of this influx is that while many pastors are moving here, this area already has numerous churches in the area, which means that many are asleep to what is about to occur and that the influx of people shall be enormous.  It is time that the Church opens her heart back up to her Creator and allow Him to thoroughly clean out her heart so that she understands why the moving of people is important.  Oh, change our hearts God and open our spiritual ears to your truth so that we may once again fulfill your command to teach the world about you and your holy and eternal Salvation.  At this very moment, we can still move in the way God wants us to move as Abram did but soon this movement status shall change and once again the Adam and Eve setting will appear, but we can avoid this if we will just turn to back to God.  Which moving place would you rather be involved in?  We must never forget that no matter which type of move we make, it will influence a certain amount of people in one direction or another and produce a series of emotional responses that can either be detrimental or harmonious to a countless number of people.

DLB