The Power and Deception of Place

Genesis 2:5-9 Biblegateway.com (ESV)

5 When no bush of the field[a] was yet in the land[b] and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist[c] was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

1 Corinthians 12:17-18 Biblegateway.com (NIV)

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

Genesis 12:1-3 Biblehub.com (ESV)

1Now the Lord saida to Abram, “Go from your countryb and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.3I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”c

Mark 16:14-15 Biblehub.com (ESV)

14Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.15And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

John 14:2 Biblehub.com (ESV)

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

An individual who work in harmful job environments and this is especially when there is over commander levitra http://appalachianmagazine.com/2016/05/14/dear-america-its-time-to-bring-back-the-cccs/ and now a lot of worldwide well known companies are producing ED drugs with different brand names like Kamagra, Silagra, Zenegra etc. the cost of all these are around $1.00 per pill. Impotence in men is also one of the major lowest prices viagra factors in separation of the couple. Anxiety, for example, is associated appalachianmagazine.com generic cialis online with more severe dyspnea (difficulty in breathing) and greater disability. These categories that are expressed by the body are known as chronic pain or acute pain. appalachianmagazine.com cheap cialis If we look at the history of God’s striving with man, we see a struggle of placement. God places His people where they should be and they wander off in search of something else. He puts them in a place with Him via an everlasting covenant and they deem it unsatisfactory. He shows them the beauty of His purpose and heart and they deem these unworthy of their attention, seeking a place with worldly leaders or false gods. He calls them to journey to new places, and they stay put, preferring the comfort of family, friends, or their community statuses. They exchanged fertile lands for barren places and covenant relationships for idolatrous ones. Last of all, they refused to go with God – anywhere. They failed to see His care. The places He sent them would shape, test, and ultimately equip them for His will. Just as our spiritual forefathers did then, we reject divine placement and seek our own way. We have been deceived by the power and deception of our understanding of place.

Perhaps there is no greater longing than a place we can call home — a place of rest. Now home is not just a geographical place. It is many things. It is your most cherished relationships with others, your overall sense of well being/satisfaction or dissatisfaction with life in general, and to some extent, the memories and culture you carry with you. Individuals, families, communities, and nations all crave places that fulfill them and attempt to recreate them wherever they go. It’s a good thing, an innate desire placed in us. Once we become rooted in cherished places, we are less likely to leave them.

We love our treasured places and we defend them. Whether status, land, or relationships — place is of paramount importance to people, fallen spirits, and God. That is why humility is of such importance to the Creator. If we don’t humble ourselves to His placement, we will copy Satan and the world’s methods — receiving their results in the process — chronic anxiety and restlessness. People in this condition will deceive, steal, kill, justify their actions, and claim divine favor in the process. Just look at human history.

Divine and Human Placement:

In addition to loving the places we have set up or acquired, man is a restless creature, always looking for more. My first major journey started as a young man at the age of 13 pursuing a place in athletics. I ordered my life around excelling in basketball and finding favor with college scouts. It was a difficult road marked by many obstacles. This gave rise to an active prayer life. Frequent and earnest times of prayer were employed in hopes that Allah would aid my struggle to secure success and offers from colleges. Prayers were answered in both terms of recognition and the full ride scholarships I coveted. I transitioned accordingly. Filled with pride and an inflated sense of self, I came away with a new faith in religion and a strange presence that would guide my efforts — a watchful eye that I came to know as God. My place had been secured, but in spite of all my success I felt strangely empty. You see in my mind God just actively served my ambition and gave me a place. I thought it was a strange negotiation. At my core I felt insecure about it. I mused, “If God is like that this is a win/win. He gets what he wants and I get what I want — but that’s not holy. It can’t be.” I did not care; My version of Islam suited me. I see the same approach toward God with many believers today. They may be truly touched by saving grace but they seek to compel God to do their will. They flock toward popular teachings that lead to idolatry in the form of a doctrine, leader, or experience. This works for them for a season and cements a relationship between them and a spirit that attaches itself to their efforts — fueling their deception in the process.

Fear of Transition — Going

Saints you have to keep something in mind. Christ is the head of His church. That means you should be following Him. Often many traditional church leaders are more concerned with controlling the sheep than caring for and equipping them for God’s purpose. It’s not entirely their fault; it’s what they have learned. They have been taught to teach the flock that submission to them is a form of godliness. (If Luther followed that route we would still be in the spiritual dark ages.) When challenged, leaders will typically deliver warnings to saints to back off, and the warnings are phrased in terms of spiritual protection for the questioner. This breeds a castle/fortress mentality and codependency.The saint becomes more concerned about securing a good place with the leadership than God — often believing good standing with the leader is equivalent to a good standing with God.

The Christian does not need to engage in repeated sinner’s prayers, rededications, and searching for new church homes. The Christian simply needs to repent of not trusting God to place them where they should be. Next we need to do what God is telling us, and seek His help when we go astray. This is the process that we all must undertake. God will place you with the right people, in the right place at the right time — and you will know it. It does not mean you will submit to it, but you will know God has placed you there, and you will know by the consistent spiritual food, peace, and confirmation you receive. The nourishment from your fellow brothers and sisters will be timely and sustaining.

Understanding placement in terms of our election, current location, and being led into the right situations by the Spirit, will usher in a revival of obedience, fruit and ultimately a life more pleasing to Him. In an age of widespread confusion, sporadic wandering and inconstancy — this instruction is for the saint who wants more. It is a message for both the mature and new believer. For anyone reading this who has not yet tasted of the joy of eternal salvation, I invite you to repent from sin and become one of the precious elect seeking their proper place within the Kingdom of God and the wonderful New Covenant made possible by our eternal Savior, Christ Jesus.

 

One thought on “The Power and Deception of Place

Leave a Reply