|City on a Hill - Writings for Refuge

Jealousy, pride, fear of losing influence (what the Bible calls selfish ambition), and self seeking all prevent believers from being able to receive the very minimum amount of information needed from God to actually be saved. James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. These common expressions of doubt about God's willingness to lead us into something better than we would carve out ourselves s...

Self-righteousness is a wide-open door to the fear of man. If I fear what people think of me, fear missing out on the opportunities people can offer me, or fear what man might do to me, it's because I am self-righteous, or relying on my own self, and my own judgments... My own leadership... To be seen as good. Proverbs 29:25-27 NKJV — The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. Many seek the ruler’s favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD. An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked. True righteousness comes from God. True goodness comes from God alone. It does not depend on, nor can it be diminished by, anyone else. If I live in this truth, all fear of man fades out of my thinking. This is how I know I really live in God's love: I am able to love even enemies because I see God as sovereign over all people. I love just because God loves me, not for what anyone...

Everything in the true kingdom of God is free. Isaiah 55:1-4 NKJV — “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. David is the example.  Jesus is the root and offspring of David. He rules on David's throne. This has major implications. The person I want to be in God isn't developed from hard work, discipline, faith, opportunity, heritage, etc. No.  Whatever I want to be in God is only obtained in requesting it. Requesting is more than wanting, but it's much le...

This morning, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "do you know what I look for in a man?" Then He took me to Lamentations 5.  He said, "brokenness." No one is innocently broken.  I cannot conjure up brokenness.  I can't put it on like a costume.  That is the opposite of true brokenness. Brokenness is simply seeing my actual state.   A huge portion of brokenness is simply seeing that all the consequences of living outside of this truth... This truth that I am nothing without God, are pain. Lamentations puts a fine point on it. +Selfish ambition flies in the face of my true state +Arrogance and pride fly in the face of my true state +Shame flies in the face of my true state +Striving, planning, self righteousness, "helping," discipling...  Embracing any of these on my own is to live a lie... completely separated from the true nature of my being, which is broken without God, and intentionally so. God designed man this way!  The fall of man was simpl...

My thought life determines my reality.  I get to chose the way I think about life. If I focus on what is hard…If I think too much about it… It will govern how I see the world.  If I think on what is lovely, beautiful, and of a good report, then goodness will govern how I see the world. This is very important for faith. Noah built an ark because he believed in something no one else could see: Hebrews 11:6-7 NKJV — But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. This choice Noah made was in the midst of great hopelessness, selfishness, and fear.   Noah chose a hopeful direction because he spent time seeing the world God's way inst...