|City on a Hill - Writings for Refuge

The flesh is always trying to be God. It gives itself license for lawlessness when it thinks it is right and others are wrong. This is a common error in following Jesus. Paul addressed it like this: Philippians 2:14-16 NKJV — Do all things without complaining and disputing , that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. To know what is right, but then handle that correct understanding lawlessly is to completely contaminate any true witness of God's heart! It's vanity because no one is saved by being right, we are only saved by grace, faith and the humility and obedience (love) it produces. Disputing is serious error.  Complaining is serious. It is a false witness when combined with true revelation. Those who know God obey Him.  Satan h...

Leading others by fear is a telltale we aren't looking at Jesus.  Leading others by inspiration, vision, and our own personal growth in the life of Jesus means we are becoming like Him. We manipulate others into our fears without trying. This is an antichrist spirit. Our fears can accomplish no righteousness. We aren't more loving, more righteous, more concerned, or more sober than God.  Being concerned everyone isn't taking a problem seriously enough isn't a sign of spiritual maturity... It's a sign of arrogance.  It's a gate other than Jesus into righteousness... Fear is for thieves and robbers. Many raise their kids by fear, rather than giving them a vision of how satisfying a life well-lived in God is.  I wish I would have known this early in my life. I would have encouraged my kids much differently.  I learned this while raising them.  Much of our anxiety in life comes from fear being used to encourage us to be righteous. Fear can not truly bring right...

We reap what we sow. If we sow to accusation, pointing the finger, spreading impatience, anger, discouragement or hopelessness... That is certainly what we will reap. God isn't calling anyone to sow impatiently.  He is inviting the meek and humble to shine as lights in darkness, not shout at the darkness to stop being darkness. The wine of accusation tastes good going down, but it never satisfies... It won't change the trajectory of my soul. What changes me forever is to see the wisdom of God's plans, how He isn't depending on mankind to "the get it together." The true Church KNOWS man acting better is not God's goal.  God's desire is that we simply behold the Son and become transformed... God invites me to learn to love that not everyone, especially in the Church, wants God.  Very few want to live a life laid down, though everyone preaches it. What I feed my soul on determines how I grow.  It's true, many are falling away.  The foolish fight that ...

 A true witness of Jesus is a witness of integrity, humility, compassion, and truth. The flesh cannot mimic these traits of Jesus consistently.  The flesh is always self-saving.  It hates to lose arguments, it needs to save face, it is prideful, and resists the true life Jesus shows us. Think about the people you know that truly have integrity of JESUS' Spirit... Not integrity the ways the world defines it, which is respectability, but consistency with Jesus' life.  The flesh doesn't respect the integrity of life lived in God. It wants to know more and possess more... do more... it just doesn't want to die more.  The apparent weakness of the integrity of a life lived in Jesus isn't valued by most. Jesus' life is a DESIRABLE  and admirable one to the meek.  It's a curiosity to the proud. Those who live consistently and steadfastly in Jesus' life are often overlooked, even by people that know them really well. Luke 4:22-32 NLT — Everyone spoke well of hi...

Philippians 1:15-16 NKJV — Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; The heart is deceitful above all things. How we think, feel, and what we decide to do on our own is usually about us and our own security, increase, and glory. In this hour, many are talking about God, but not because of their desire to be thankful to Him for revelation.   Many feel lazy (so they combat laziness with action), fearful, ashamed, competitive, right, self righteous, angry, greedy, prideful... And these emotions are what truly motivates a drive to share what they think God is saying. God sees. God knows what truly motivates us.  He doesn't buy our coverings of "for His glory" when it's really for our flesh.  His glory is intact. It cannot be helped.  We glorify Him when we settle down and submit to Him. Angry activists full of church help a...

The world has a spiritual problem that is manifesting in physical symptoms.  That means the earth needs a spiritual solution, not a carnal one. The war between Israel and Iran, though decisively won, didn't usher in a time of peace for Israel.  Carnal wars will never be the source of peace on earth. Only the Prince of Peace can bring real peace. False hope fuels false solutions.  What we hope in is very consequential.  Hope determines where our energy goes. The only true hope the Bible offers is found in changing hearts, not circumstances.  God is inviting those that love Jesus to turn from false hopes and put our energy towards true hope... To be a shining light of real hope, not a misleading light of disappointing false help. False hope includes political changes, economic changes, cultural changes, military strength, technological changes and the defeat of natural enemies. True hope is found in our hearts changing into faithful people even as God shakes every...

Discerning between the flesh and the Spirit is one of the most profitable things a person who wants to follow God can do. John 3:6 NKJV — “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Something is born "of the flesh" when the idea, or power to complete the idea, comes from man. People can take God ideas and turn them into man's plans. This is the corruption we are called to grow in obedience out of. Satan doesn't mind us studying scripture.  He studies it, too.  If we know a lot of God's ideas, but not His hand of leadership and His nearness, we can become sons of the Devil thinking we are helping God. God needs no help. Matthew 23:15 NKJV — “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. The "leaven of the Pharisees" isn't legalism, it's lawlessness... Trying to accomplish in m...

Allowing corruption is different than waging a fleshy war against corruption.  The lawless activity of the flesh in the name of God IS the corruption. Revelation 2:18-29 NKJV — “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. “And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. “Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. “I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. ...

David didn't own a Bible, David's life WAS a Bible. David sat before God and what flowed out of his life was a testimony of God's righteousness, mercy, justice, kindness, and love. I can fill my mind with the Bible and still not find God: John 5:38-40 NKJV — “But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. My flesh is constantly searching for "what to do" to be righteous.  Read my Bible more, pray more, help more, serve more, write more, teach more, say more, be more... None of these can help with righteousness or godliness.  The only thing that helps me with righteousness is to want God more. My flesh lies and tries to replace God with effort.  But, when I simply come to God and talk to Him... Admit my weakness and express my desire to know Him... ...