Complete surrender

[Dani H]

Hmmm. Specifically HOW to give in to God, you ask?

Say you're down to $200. It's your last $200 and your rent is due tomorrow. Say the rent is $200. You saved up for your rent and if you don't pay, then you are probably going to be kicked out by the next week because your landlord is a jerk like that.

Say you are being told about a lady in your neighborhood who needs to go to the ER and you could save her life with $200 if you call 9-1-1 and go with her to the hospital to get treatment.

Say it's 10 at night and you are just on your way into your apartment after you were talking to some people about how wonderful God is in His provision and that you're glad you have rent money just in time to keep a roof over your head. Glorylujah!

That's when you find out about the lady who maybe happens to live in the next building over and that you never met before or heard about until now.

Then you distinctly hear a voice telling you, very convincingly nagging on your conscience (you know, that voice, the one we really don't like because it makes us feel rather uncomfortable): "Give the $200 and take this lady to the hospital."

Would you give the $200? Would you take her? Risk losing the roof over your head? This is simply a neighbor; not a family member, not a child, not a best friend; just a neighbor in need.

Jesus did say "Give to him who asks" didn't He? So if God specifically sends someone your way with a legitimate need and you are quite obviously their answer ... in all practicality right now in that there situation ... are you going to be their answer? Yes or no? Do you still trust God to provide you with a roof over your head, regardless of what man's logical provision may or may not look like?

And before you answer ... it has to be real. Because God only works through real situations; never hypothetical ones (but actually the situation I described above was a real one, with the facts slightly altered but the generality of it the same).

We're really great in hypothetical debates but God wants us to apply our faith and submit to His ultimate authority over us and trust Him with all of ourselves and whatever pertains to what we call "life" in reality and real life and real situations ... regardless of what He asks us to do and no matter how outrageous it sounds. Because Jesus' sacrifice was the most outrageous thing there ever has happened, and an outrageous demonstration of love from God to His creation.

Basically "surrender" means "how outrageous are you really willing to get to give all you are and have and wish to ever be for God to use (or not) as He sees fit?" If you can't give $200, how can you give your very life to Him? Faith is actually very concrete, very practical, and very real. If you can't trust God to provide $5 then you can't trust Him to provide $1000. You gotta start somewhere, no matter how small, and allow your faith to be built up. Mustard seed, and go from there because eventually the thing will grow into a tree that's big enough to sustain all sorts of life. But we scoff at the seed and wonder why the tree won't manifest itself, don't we?

So be careful how you answer, because an emotional response to that question of what you're willing to give won't support you for more than 10 minutes into the first trial. Just being honest. Because God will test what we say, to show us how much we actually mean of all the many words we say to Him or about Him. He will show us very quickly how much we can actually do, and at what point we have to sit there and admit "I can't; help me", before we start making exuses and look for a path to a hasty retreat.

We're all so afraid of the devil coming to attack. Wait until God shows up and means business. The devil will be the least of your worries in that moment, I promise you. But at the end of the day, the most courageous prayer you can pray is "God, please bring me to the end of myself and show me what real faith is all about". Then you sit back and watch for things to happen ... and they will. Because that's a prayer God is more than happy to answer, in all sorts of interesting ways that make you excited to get up the next morning, just out of sheer curiosity about what's going to happen next. Because you will see that God is faithful. Over and over and over again.

A walk with God is supposed to be outrageous, not tame inside a cushioned bubble, but right out there on that edge of faith that many talk about but few actually live by.

The kind of faith that isn't about sin anymore. Now we're talking about self, and about love (which is always voluntary; never forced). It's about all those self-things that we think are perfectly acceptable and benign.

It's comparatively easy to lay down sin and stop. But even so, sin has power, and we often excuse it because we succumb to it too easily and are afraid to admit that we need God's power to stop. Few are so keenly aware of the actual power of sin until they are told to stop one particular sin that they have coddled all their lives. That's when kitty gets claws and it is on.

It's far harder still for self to give itself up. You really don't know the power of God and how necessary it is until you are called by God to really just get over yourself, down to the last dusty particle of you. Few are so keenly aware of the power of self until they are asked to (voluntarily) lay it down. It's horrifying what ugly beast in fact does lurk inside, and you won't know until it's stirred up. On purpose. By God. That's when kitty turns into a dragon and it is really on. But, God is a dragon slayer. Don't take Him but 1 second flat. He tamed leviathan, didn't He? He can tame us, too.

People who think we don't need God's power to live and that the life of a believer can be carried out by sheer human effort, are just flat out ignorant and don't know what they're talking about. Sorry but that's the truth of it.

[Indueseason]

Sister, as usual, you said it wonderfully!! Couldn't agree more! Do we want to know that God is really working in our lives? How about the power to overcome sin? How about getting to a place, where it's no longer about sin and all about love? As Dani says, you want to see the faithfulness of God, then walk on the edge! Let Him take you to places where only He is sustaining you, only He could! Put your faith into action and see His mercy and His love! Stop debating it and start living it. You might ask what does it cost, because that's the stumbling block for us all. It costs everything, that's why we must die that He may live through us! Jesus's death, plus our death = miracles!! God at work in us and through us!! Jesus's death(and glorious resurrection) + our death = life triumphant!!

He worth it all.He is glorious. He is love. He is mercy. He is faithfulness. He is power. He is life!!


blessings to you

[episkopos]

Hmmm. Specifically HOW to give in to God, you ask?

Say you're down to $200. It's your last $200 and your rent is due tomorrow. Say the rent is $200. You saved up for your rent and if you don't pay, then you are probably going to be kicked out by the next week because your landlord is a jerk like that.

Say you are being told about a lady in your neighborhood who needs to go to the ER and you could save her life with $200 if you call 9-1-1 and go with her to the hospital to get treatment.

Say it's 10 at night and you are just on your way into your apartment after you were talking to some people about how wonderful God is in His provision and that you're glad you have rent money just in time to keep a roof over your head. Glorylujah!

That's when you find out about the lady who maybe happens to live in the next building over and that you never met before or heard about until now.

Then you distinctly hear a voice telling you, very convincingly nagging on your conscience (you know, that voice, the one we really don't like because it makes us feel rather uncomfortable): "Give the $200 and take this lady to the hospital."

Would you give the $200? Would you take her? Risk losing the roof over your head? This is simply a neighbor; not a family member, not a child, not a best friend; just a neighbor in need.

Jesus did say "Give to him who asks" didn't He? So if God specifically sends someone your way with a legitimate need and you are quite obviously their answer ... in all practicality right now in that there situation ... are you going to be their answer? Yes or no? Do you still trust God to provide you with a roof over your head, regardless of what man's logical provision may or may not look like?

And before you answer ... it has to be real. Because God only works through real situations; never hypothetical ones (but actually the situation I described above was a real one, with the facts slightly altered but the generality of it the same).

We're really great in hypothetical debates but God wants us to apply our faith and submit to His ultimate authority over us and trust Him with all of ourselves and whatever pertains to what we call "life" in reality and real life and real situations ... regardless of what He asks us to do and no matter how outrageous it sounds. Because Jesus' sacrifice was the most outrageous thing there ever has happened, and an outrageous demonstration of love from God to His creation.

Basically "surrender" means "how outrageous are you really willing to get to give all you are and have and wish to ever be for God to use (or not) as He sees fit?" If you can't give $200, how can you give your very life to Him? Faith is actually very concrete, very practical, and very real. If you can't trust God to provide $5 then you can't trust Him to provide $1000. You gotta start somewhere, no matter how small, and allow your faith to be built up. Mustard seed, and go from there because eventually the thing will grow into a tree that's big enough to sustain all sorts of life. But we scoff at the seed and wonder why the tree won't manifest itself, don't we?

So be careful how you answer, because an emotional response to that question of what you're willing to give won't support you for more than 10 minutes into the first trial. Just being honest. Because God will test what we say, to show us how much we actually mean of all the many words we say to Him or about Him. He will show us very quickly how much we can actually do, and at what point we have to sit there and admit "I can't; help me", before we start making exuses and look for a path to a hasty retreat.

We're all so afraid of the devil coming to attack. Wait until God shows up and means business. The devil will be the least of your worries in that moment, I promise you. But at the end of the day, the most courageous prayer you can pray is "God, please bring me to the end of myself and show me what real faith is all about". Then you sit back and watch for things to happen ... and they will. Because that's a prayer God is more than happy to answer, in all sorts of interesting ways that make you excited to get up the next morning, just out of sheer curiosity about what's going to happen next. Because you will see that God is faithful. Over and over and over again.

A walk with God is supposed to be outrageous, not tame inside a cushioned bubble, but right out there on that edge of faith that many talk about but few actually live by.

The kind of faith that isn't about sin anymore. Now we're talking about self, and about love (which is always voluntary; never forced). It's about all those self-things that we think are perfectly acceptable and benign.

It's comparatively easy to lay down sin and stop. But even so, sin has power, and we often excuse it because we succumb to it too easily and are afraid to admit that we need God's power to stop. Few are so keenly aware of the actual power of sin until they are told to stop one particular sin that they have coddled all their lives. That's when kitty gets claws and it is on.

It's far harder still for self to give itself up. You really don't know the power of God and how necessary it is until you are called by God to really just get over yourself, down to the last dusty particle of you. Few are so keenly aware of the power of self until they are asked to (voluntarily) lay it down. It's horrifying what ugly beast in fact does lurk inside, and you won't know until it's stirred up. On purpose. By God. That's when kitty turns into a dragon and it is really on. But, God is a dragon slayer. Don't take Him but 1 second flat. He tamed leviathan, didn't He? He can tame us, too.

People who think we don't need God's power to live and that the life of a believer can be carried out by sheer human effort, are just flat out ignorant and don't know what they're talking about. Sorry but that's the truth of it.

No need to be sorry...and that's the truth of it!

[Saved7]

I was thinking today about how that when I am in the spirit nothing seems to worry me or upset me or make me angry. I don't find anything funny, YET, I am totally at peace and have total joy. It's almost like being on some kind of peace/joy drug. As I considered this I realized that when I am in the spirit I am actually doing what it says in Philippians 2. Think of others as better than myself. And not only that, but I put them before me. If someone cuts me off in traffic, I think how I must have been in their way because what they have to do is that important and I don't want to be in their way. I even apologize to that person in my heart for being in their way. I figure they must only have this one life to live therefore what they are doing is far more important to them than what I am trying to do, because what I am trying to do (ex; pick up daughter from school) is of no eternal value, so certainly they can go before me.
I think of one particular instance that a few days after an ugly incident, I was hoping to see the woman who offended me so I could apologize to her for reacting.....I was sitting at a light, waiting to turn right. I was waiting for all lanes to clear before turning because I had to get into the far left lane immediately so I could turn left a block away. The right hand lane had cleared many times but I knew I wouldn't be able to get into the left lane in time to make my turn if I turned out into the right lane, so I waited for all lanes to clear so I could go into the far left lane. Well, the woman behind me grew extremely impatient and was screaming at me from behind the wheel and laying on her horn. I refused to move until it was safe for me to do what I needed to do. I figured, "what's the longest she's gonna need to wait, 30 seconds until the light changes green?" But after so long of listening to her honk and watching her scream at me, I deliberately mocked her from my seat and threw my arms around and shook my head and bounced up and down. I then proceeded to prevent her from going around me when we got out on the road and played a little road rage game at her which she played back, may I say. Eventually we parted ways and I saw her pull off at the nearest gas station to fuel up. I remember thinking, "Seriously? That's what all this fuss was about? You were in a hurry to stop at the gas station? You were in a hurry to stop????"
Needless to say, this was totally shameful behaviour. But I was in my flesh and not in the spirit. A few days later however, I found myself in a similar situation only I was the one stuck behind someone and the Lord convicted me about my behaviour. I spent the next couple of days repenting and praying and just seeking the Lord about this. By the end of a week, I found myself walking in the spirit I felt that peace and joy; and would you believe that I actually hoped to see her again so I could apologize to her for being so rude to her. I had no fear, I only felt a need to humble myself before her and seek her forgiveness, because I was wrong for reacting to her like that. I felt like what she was doing had no bearing on my eternal security and it would have no eternal value for me to not just pull off into the right lane and if I got stuck in that lane and had to turn right onto the next street and turn around and be inconvenienced, then oh well. What would be lost? Nothing, so I get a little inconvenienced, am I that selfish that I can't be inconvenienced for the sake of another? What if because I wouldn't get out of her way, she died in a horrible crash and went to hell that night? My eternity is set, why am I so concerned with my time here on this earth? Unless what I am doing blesses the Kingdom of God and is eternally focused, then really, it can wait until I get to it. I felt this true humility. This is what I felt and thought about...and that's really the best I can describe it, because it's really hard to put into words.

[Indueseason]

It's the love we have for God and others, that leaves me speechless!! Suddenly we see everything and everyone differently.There is no one we dislike, no one who annoys us, we are aware that each person is so loved by God, and we love them too. My views and opinions are no longer in the way, and we can reach out and pray, and love them. We have no ulterior motive, no need to gain anything, we just want to love, and to bring God glory.He puts things in our heart to pray for, and even though we do not know what it's really about, we are filled with so much passion to pray, and we pray accurately, for something we know nothing about. He gives us insight about people and situations, so that we can pray and reach out to those around us.

It is deeply humbling, and a greater blessing than I can put into words.He is so amazing, so glorious, so faithful! Oh what an awesome and incredible God we serve!!

blessings to you

[Slug1]

Have you or do you struggle with complete surrender to God? Now in this, I am not asking have you overcome. What I am asking is, do you desire, deep down, to submit yourself completely over to the Lord and His care. If so, what got you to that point? If not, what do you think is holding you back? If those questions are too personal, then what do you think keeps people from complete surrender?

What recommendations do you have for those that are not yet fully surrendered?

Thanks,

Mark

Mark... haven't read through the thread yet but here is a reply for ya:

I believe that there are people who will NOT be able to completely surrender themselves over to God. The reason is because total surrender equates to total submission to God as well.

A person who is in complete submission to God means that God will be able to use them anyway He pleases. Well... what if one of the way's that God wants to use them is counter to a belief they have as taught by their church??

You know me dude... once a cessationist because I believed that doctrine. THUS, I was NOT able to surrender myself over to God and be in submission to Him. Once free of the bondage to that doctrine I was able to surrender myself to God in the way that my spirit was crying out to be closer to God and be fully in submission to Him.

Just a thought

[Indueseason]

When God took me to where I was in my walk, to where I am now, I had learned so much man made doctrine, that I was sure I was right about. After all, I had researched and studied, and could debate with the best of them. I was quite proud of myself......

Then God told me to lay these believes down at the altar, to quit listening to men, and to start listening to Him! That began a teaching experience that is still continuing today.Not one of the doctrines I once defended so passionately, are left for me to believe today!!

We need to give up everything, including our pet doctrines!

blessings to you

[Slug1]

When God took me to where I was in my walk, to where I am now, I had learned so much man made doctrine, that I was sure I was right about. After all, I had researched and studied, and could debate with the best of them. I was quite proud of myself......

Then God told me to lay these believes down at the altar, to quit listening to men, and to start listening to Him! That began a teaching experience that is still continuing today.Not one of the doctrines I once defended so passionately, are left for me to believe today!!

We need to give up everything, including our pet doctrines!

blessings to you

There is an element God ADDS to such teaching when a person is in submission to Him... He adds EXPERIENCE(S)!!! Then with that, He leads us to TESTIFY of His good work IN us and the good works, THROUGH us... for HIS GLORY!!

[Indueseason]

There is an element God ADDS to such teaching when a person is in submission to Him... He adds EXPERIENCE(S)!!! Then with that, He leads us to TESTIFY of His good work IN us and the good works, THROUGH us... for HIS GLORY!!

Agreed!! We finally understand what's important, Him and what He can do through us!!!
Hallelujah!! Glory to God!!

blessings to you

[Caleb]

Hmmm. Specifically HOW to give in to God, you ask?

Say you're down to $200. It's your last $200 and your rent is due tomorrow. Say the rent is $200. You saved up for your rent and if you don't pay, then you are probably going to be kicked out by the next week because your landlord is a jerk like that.

Say you are being told about a lady in your neighborhood who needs to go to the ER and you could save her life with $200 if you call 9-1-1 and go with her to the hospital to get treatment.

Say it's 10 at night and you are just on your way into your apartment after you were talking to some people about how wonderful God is in His provision and that you're glad you have rent money just in time to keep a roof over your head. Glorylujah!

That's when you find out about the lady who maybe happens to live in the next building over and that you never met before or heard about until now.

Then you distinctly hear a voice telling you, very convincingly nagging on your conscience (you know, that voice, the one we really don't like because it makes us feel rather uncomfortable): "Give the $200 and take this lady to the hospital."

Would you give the $200? Would you take her? Risk losing the roof over your head? This is simply a neighbor; not a family member, not a child, not a best friend; just a neighbor in need.

Jesus did say "Give to him who asks" didn't He? So if God specifically sends someone your way with a legitimate need and you are quite obviously their answer ... in all practicality right now in that there situation ... are you going to be their answer? Yes or no? Do you still trust God to provide you with a roof over your head, regardless of what man's logical provision may or may not look like?

And before you answer ... it has to be real. Because God only works through real situations; never hypothetical ones (but actually the situation I described above was a real one, with the facts slightly altered but the generality of it the same).

We're really great in hypothetical debates but God wants us to apply our faith and submit to His ultimate authority over us and trust Him with all of ourselves and whatever pertains to what we call "life" in reality and real life and real situations ... regardless of what He asks us to do and no matter how outrageous it sounds. Because Jesus' sacrifice was the most outrageous thing there ever has happened, and an outrageous demonstration of love from God to His creation.

Basically "surrender" means "how outrageous are you really willing to get to give all you are and have and wish to ever be for God to use (or not) as He sees fit?" If you can't give $200, how can you give your very life to Him? Faith is actually very concrete, very practical, and very real. If you can't trust God to provide $5 then you can't trust Him to provide $1000. You gotta start somewhere, no matter how small, and allow your faith to be built up. Mustard seed, and go from there because eventually the thing will grow into a tree that's big enough to sustain all sorts of life. But we scoff at the seed and wonder why the tree won't manifest itself, don't we?

So be careful how you answer, because an emotional response to that question of what you're willing to give won't support you for more than 10 minutes into the first trial. Just being honest. Because God will test what we say, to show us how much we actually mean of all the many words we say to Him or about Him. He will show us very quickly how much we can actually do, and at what point we have to sit there and admit "I can't; help me", before we start making exuses and look for a path to a hasty retreat.

We're all so afraid of the devil coming to attack. Wait until God shows up and means business. The devil will be the least of your worries in that moment, I promise you. But at the end of the day, the most courageous prayer you can pray is "God, please bring me to the end of myself and show me what real faith is all about". Then you sit back and watch for things to happen ... and they will. Because that's a prayer God is more than happy to answer, in all sorts of interesting ways that make you excited to get up the next morning, just out of sheer curiosity about what's going to happen next. Because you will see that God is faithful. Over and over and over again.

A walk with God is supposed to be outrageous, not tame inside a cushioned bubble, but right out there on that edge of faith that many talk about but few actually live by.

The kind of faith that isn't about sin anymore. Now we're talking about self, and about love (which is always voluntary; never forced). It's about all those self-things that we think are perfectly acceptable and benign.

It's comparatively easy to lay down sin and stop. But even so, sin has power, and we often excuse it because we succumb to it too easily and are afraid to admit that we need God's power to stop. Few are so keenly aware of the actual power of sin until they are told to stop one particular sin that they have coddled all their lives. That's when kitty gets claws and it is on.

It's far harder still for self to give itself up. You really don't know the power of God and how necessary it is until you are called by God to really just get over yourself, down to the last dusty particle of you. Few are so keenly aware of the power of self until they are asked to (voluntarily) lay it down. It's horrifying what ugly beast in fact does lurk inside, and you won't know until it's stirred up. On purpose. By God. That's when kitty turns into a dragon and it is really on. But, God is a dragon slayer. Don't take Him but 1 second flat. He tamed leviathan, didn't He? He can tame us, too.

People who think we don't need God's power to live and that the life of a believer can be carried out by sheer human effort, are just flat out ignorant and don't know what they're talking about. Sorry but that's the truth of it.

To ask such questions are hypothetical, because you ask something that we may not have faith to do. So we can only answer according to our own values and understanding. We are appealing to the flesh as to what the flesh would do or would not do.

The fact is that if God did say and we heard God say, then we would have faith, because faith comes by hearing. If we said we have faith to do such a thing, then you had better be prepared to do a work of faith, because faith without works is dead.
God will always supply all that we need to do His will, and that includes the faith and the will to do His will.

God is not going to ask us to do without first giving us the faith to do it, because if not by faith then wouldn’t He be causing us to sin?

[Slug1]

God is not going to ask us to do without first giving us the faith to do it, because if not by faith then wouldn’t He be causing us to sin?

I don't agree. Your statement here leads me back to the scriptures in Matthew when Jesus was walking on the water. Peter was asked to "Come" out onto the water and then he got out of the boat and had his short lived stroll on the water. Due to taking his attention off of Jesus because of fear raising up in him due to the storm... well, TONS of "Ye of Little Faith", "Taking His hand" etc sermons are based on all these scriptures.

So far, ALL of these sermons that I've listened to have left out an important truth.

Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

This scripture is over looked... WHY?

Peter was first in submission to Jesus and this is reflected by ASKING Jesus to command him... FIRST.

He had the faith... but he wanted to do Jesus' will and then once it was given, THEN Peter began to exercise what faith he had... I've never understood why so many sermons out there on the internet or one's I've listened to in person, the preacher leaves that out

Anyway... that is why I made my first comment for this thread in that to "surrender" means to be in submission to God and if God gives a command to do something that a person don't believe in due to doctrine... well, they can't surrender all the way, CAN THEY???

God will always supply all that we need to do His will, and that includes the faith and the will to do His will.

If His will means a person has to do something that their doctrines they've believed says don't happen... I will say the supply to do His will will always BE THERE... just that the person WON'T access that supply (Holy Spirit) because there is that doctrine in between them and the Holy Spirit who will do ALL the supplying.

So then... how does such a person exercise faith? Faith enables a person to believe and by that, the Holy Spirit supplies the supernatural power. Without that supernatural power from the Holy Spirit... a person can only do as they can do with their OWN power.

They can't submit to God's will fully and thus... they can never be in FULL surrender to God.

[Saved7]

It's the love we have for God and others, that leaves me speechless!! Suddenly we see everything and everyone differently.There is no one we dislike, no one who annoys us, we are aware that each person is so loved by God, and we love them too. My views and opinions are no longer in the way, and we can reach out and pray, and love them. We have no ulterior motive, no need to gain anything, we just want to love, and to bring God glory.He puts things in our heart to pray for, and even though we do not know what it's really about, we are filled with so much passion to pray, and we pray accurately, for something we know nothing about. He gives us insight about people and situations, so that we can pray and reach out to those around us.

It is deeply humbling, and a greater blessing than I can put into words.He is so amazing, so glorious, so faithful! Oh what an awesome and incredible God we serve!!

blessings to you

Yes, that too! I love that you always seem to cover the aspects of what I am trying to say but I can only manage to get out some of it.

[Slug1]

Yes, that too! I love that you always seem to cover the aspects of what I am trying to say but I can only manage to get out some of it.

Thus a reason for fellowship as is done in this ministry

When we can't say it correctly or completely... someone else will!!

[Saved7]

Amen and praise the Lord for his goodness toward us to give us such blessed fellowship!

[Indueseason]

Yes, that too! I love that you always seem to cover the aspects of what I am trying to say but I can only manage to get out some of it.

I just rant about God, and hope it makes sense to someone else! Guess the Lord can work through my rants! Praise His glorious name!

blessings to you