Chapter Nine
What Do You Do When You Live In A Shoe?
You Learn To Make Do.
I once sat across from a lady at my kitchen table, trying to deal with all the anger blasting from her mouth like a fiery furnace.
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She spoke of how she hated her apartment because of all the drug people and thieves. She spoke of where she worked and how she was not appreciated. She spoke of what she wanted, and it was all foolish fantasy, unattainable. She demanded that others pay her way and take care of her problems.
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This lady called herself a Christian, yet not one word of faith came out of her mouth. She spoke of loving Jesus with such a defensiveness. Yet she wailed that nothing was right in her life. All I could think of was that I wish she would take her anger someplace else. Eventually, she did, not because she got bored spewing venom, but because I told her to “stop!”
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I immediately explained that her lack of speaking faith was the problem. She wanted to speak about problems with no solutions. I want to learn God's solutions to my problems, not speak only of the problem.
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A good friend asked me not to bring “problem soup” into his house. He explained that if all people did was talk about their problems, they ate only problem soup. When they got bored with their diet, they dumped out the soup and mixed a new batch of problems to chew on. It was their sole diet of life.
I started learning not to bring my problems to “others” tables. They might not care for the food.
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When I was over thirty, I challenged God. Are you real? Although I had lots of money, good food, good clothes and travelled, it was all empty. I was mean, cruel, & nasty, down to my toes. Beyond self centred, as many survivors are, I had no conscience, no morals and no standard of living. I had no personal boundaries and I lived like a chip on the water going where ever the currant of life took me.
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When I challenged God if He was real, I was tired of “me.”
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“Me” was getting only trouble.
“Me” did not know how to be around people or society.
“Me” did not understand man or woman.
“Me” did not understand that when you are born, and nothing is put in, there is nothing to take out. No love, no knowledge, no understanding of any subject.
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It was “me” who had the morals of an alley cat; it was “me” who chose to pick up alcohol, drugs, guns, and bows. It was “me” who took martial arts and dabbled in witchcraft. All these things in “me” that were not life. I was tired of the stone heart, the lack of understanding. I was tired of being fearful and tired of my inability to live.
I was tired of “not Knowing.”
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Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by doing their own way and by their [idolatrous] Doings. Their conduct before me was as the uncleanness of a woman during her [physical] Impurity....And when they came to the nations to which they went, they profaned my holy name, in those men said of them, these are the people of the lord,and yet they had to go forth out of his land.
But I had regard, concern and compassion for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the lord god: I do not do this for your sakes, o house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations to which you went.
And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name and separate it for its holy purpose from all that defiles; my name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them; and the nations will know, understand and realize that I am the lord [the sovereign ruler, calling forth loyalty and obedient service], when I shall be set apart by you and my holiness vindicated in you before their eyes and yours.
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A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall heed my ordinances, and do them. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall heed my ordinances, and do them.
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Now notice this!!!!
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And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your god. (ezek. 36: 17, 17-23, 26-28) amp.
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To what land is God really referring to? Yes, it is the land that was promised to Abraham, but really, is that all.
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I do not live in Israel, yet I (me, myself, and I) am a people of God. “I” am in charge of “me” and when “I” am not feeling good about “myself”, it is “I” who am responsible.
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QUESTION: Is it possible that the land referred to is the human individual and that it is ADAM, the father of humankind? What was the idea of “the Garden of Eden?”
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Is it possible, this was a “school”, that Adam quit “high school”, and we now see the consequences thereof?
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If so, when we are new creations, because of Jesus Christ; do we not begin to continue with the idea of the original blueprint?
In this. Please be patient.
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When Adam is in the garden, is he not being prepared to go out and “dwell and have dominion over the land?” When Adam makes his choice to eat forbidden fruit, did he not quit trusting his Father (as a teenager does) and “lean to his own understanding?”
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Just as a teenager quitting “high school” because he can not understand the need. There is no thought because there is no concept of understanding “consequences.” They have not seen it before. Every teenager, every generation. Why? Because Adam quit. When he quit, what did he lose?
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Is it not, like the people of Israel, His presence, His Spirit, His guidance?
Is it not that loss that is so costly?
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What happens as a result of that cost?
And the Lord God said, behold, the man is become as one of us [the father, son, and holy spirit], to know [how to distinguish between] Good and evil, and blessing and calamity; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever. (gen. 3: 22)amp.
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Jesus leads to the tree of life.
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I do not understand much doctrine. I understand God's standard and God's ways, which is doctrine of God, not man's understanding.
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I ask Jesus to be Lord of my life, His Spirit comes to dwell in me which is the Spirit of the Father. In that have I eaten of the “tree of life.” Now, as the “seed” of this tree is planted in me, so must I learn to nurture the Spirit within.
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How do I learn to do this?
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By learning how to be. There is a “be” haviour that man was created to have, just as plant and animal life was created to “be” have a certain way.
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Have you ever thought that at graduation, Adam would have eaten of the “tree of life” and then, if he ate of the “tree of good and evil”, choice would have been different.
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Choice is: either\or. These two ingredients are necessary in order to have a choice in anything. If one is absent of either\or, then it is not choice. The choice is choosing.
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If Adam had finished his lessons in the garden and then partaken of “the tree of knowledge,” would his choices have been different? It got backward.
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Before I knew Jesus, “the tree of life,” I was full of the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Now, because of Jesus, His Spirit, how I see people and their behaviours is different. His Word teaches me the needs of life, and as I make His Word mine, how I think changes how I feel because how I think is different.
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My understandings of things are no longer based solely on “my” reasonings, “my” perceptions, but on His understandings. He becomes my foundation of understanding. Let me show you. It is really so simple.
For his divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the (full, personal) knowledge of him who called us by and to his own glory and excellence (virtue) by means of these he has bestowed on us his precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape (by flight) from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. (1 Pet.1: 3-10)AMP.
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What are these verses saying? Is it not that through God's power, by His Holy Spirit, we are given all the things needed to live? Is it not by Jesus Christ that we have access to the Father and because of Jesus that we receive the Holy Spirit as a seal of God when we become believers?
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Do you have a problem in life? Look in a Bible and you will find a list of life problems and the corresponding scripture of God's promise. This promise is His Word and when you, me, whomever, endeavours to follow the promise and choose to believe it, we are then sharing the “divine nature” of God. However, we need more and there is more. Look!
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For this reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort
In exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, christian energy);
And in [excersing] Virtue [develop] Knowledge (intelligence);
And in [excersing] Knowledge [develop] Self-control;
And in [excersing] Self-control [develop] Steadfastness (patience, endurance)
And in [excersing] Steadfastness [develop] Godliness (piety),
And in [excersing] Godliness [develop] Brotherly affection,
And in [excersing] Brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.
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Why is my effort so needed?
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For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] From being idle or unfruitful unto the (full personal) knowledge of our lord jesus christ, the messiah, the anointed one.
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REALLY PAY ATTENTION, VERY IMPORTANT POINT!!
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For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] Shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him; and has become oblivious [of the fact] That he was cleansed from his old sins. Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this you will never stumble or fall. Thus, there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Galatians 5:22-26) Amp.
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That is not all we are given for “tools of living.”
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But the fruit of the (holy) spirit, [the work which his presence within accomplishes] -is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness; (meekness, humility) gentleness, self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
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These things come out in our daily lives, in our daily life situations. It is a learning; there is no instant, no pixie dust. Why? because we truly desire to belong to Jesus Christ more than we desire the things that are contrary to Jesus's ways.
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And those who belong to Christ Jesus, the Messiah, have crucified the flesh-the godless human nature-with, its passions and appetites and desires. If we live by the (holy) spirit, let us also walk by the spirit.-if by the (holy) spirit we have our life [in god], let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the spirit. Let us not become vain glorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.
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Adam and Eve ate the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The result is;
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For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the (Holy) Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other-continually withstanding and in conflict with each other- so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.
But if you are guided (led) by the (Holy) Spirit you are not subject to the law. Now the doings (practises) of the flesh are clear-obvious: they are immorality,impurity indecency; idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies); envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of god. (Revelations 22: 6b-8)amp.AMP
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In my soul, mind, and body I wish to learn to “be”have as I should.
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To the thirsty I [myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of life. (Isa.55: 1) he who is victorious shall inherit all these things, and I will be God to him and he shall be my son.
But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive; and as for the unbelieving and faithless; and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations; and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters [those who give supreme devotion to any one or anything other than god] And all liars [those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed, all these shall have] Their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone.
You learn to make do with who you are, your talents, your ability to understand. You take your belief that God is real, His Word is real, and His Spirit is real. This belief is set to your mind because it is the reality of His Spirit dwelling in your spiritual capacity as a person. You take this belief to your mind, pick up His Word, and find His promises for whatever is in your life. There is help, hope, healing, and understanding.
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You take the understanding that is needed for you today, this minute, this moment, this situation, this subject, and you do what it says. Not with doubt or fear, but with the set of mind that says, “God's Word said, I choose to believe it.” And then learn to live like it is so. In this, you will become a sturdy tree (2 Peter) with abundant fruit (Galatians) that will feed your soul and any who come near you.
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It truly is my choice.
I will [not merely walk, but] Run the way of your commandments, when you give me a heart that is willing. I considered my ways; I turned my feet to obey Your testimonies. My life is continually in my hand, yet do I not forget Your law. (Psalm 119: 32,59,109) amp.
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Everyone has their story, quirks, and ways of being. Yet we are all cut from the same cloth with a variety of differences.
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Pain is pain. I have never seen half a hole, and nothing has ever been “slightly” devastated.
These things in life that help us or hurt us will affect “humans” now as they did at the dawn of time. It is to Whom I look for life, Whom I believe for understanding that will make or break me. My own strength is not sufficient, and my own understanding is limited.
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Yet, if I search for the Designer of the blueprint (me), then I can learn to live, to “be”have as I should.
In that will I have life.
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My job is to find out my job and learn to do, live, and be as my job is described. When I do that, I will not mind living in a shoe because I know it is not forever. In learning to “make do,” I learn to live.