fusionatl

I just had to be the first to write about tonight's message.......the fear of loneliness.... Pastor Johnson.... may God annoint you and your family even more as you continue to lead us /prompt us to think and talk about issues majority of us as are experiencing. Today as Todd and Liz were sharing about marrriage and Todd spoke about how Abraham had to be asleep for God to bring him his Eve! wow!. Just last night I was talking to a friend of mine and sharing with him how God had been reminding me to keep seeking His face first and listening to Him, also covicting me to set my standards not as as per the world ,but as per God; in everything,even in prayiing for a future partner. However, in the same breath, God reminded me to get out of bed and pray, and seek his face as he also prepares me( Lord I love you)... I have been learning slowly but , truly, that God only asks for us to seek him FIRST, all else will fall into place. Am I babbling? ....Amen!

Fearing Loneliness message last night was so on time for me that it wasnt even funny, it was actualy divine and an act of God. I have learned so much about myself and how he wants his kingdom to be demonstrated here on earth. But I realize last night that its more than a walk with God when you are single its a love walk. He really is all you need, and his love really does sustain you because all other things will pass away. His word will remain forever. You have to fall in love with JESUS now because if you want to go to heaven how are you even going stand his glory. LOL, Set your mind on the things above. He wants a lovesick people, who would love him voluntary regardless of circumstance,or the worries of this life. While being single we become tested in those areas and its more than singing a song or going to church its actually believing him and taking him at his word no matter what and walking it out daily. We all having a longing in heart to want to be love and it comes from God. The fear of loneliness can be turned around to pursuit of holiness. I had a thought yesterday and my thought was if I was to die tommorrow would I have done God's purpose for my life or even doing everything to get there? God is a mystery and he wants to be searched out because he wants whole hearted people who would love him for who he is. I also am learning that he really wont relent to he has all of us. He will set up traps, road blocks, in your life to bring you right back to him. You can run but you can't hide, if you are really pursuing God.

My mentor send me these scriptures so digest them and let them speak to you:
2 Cor 7:1, Therefore having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Eph 4:1-3 Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called....

1 Peter 2:9, You are a chosen generation...

Psalm 68:6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Eph 5:17 Do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

1 John 2:17 The world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Hebrews 10:36 You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

wow Tasha... your decision to go wholly after God is truly admirable.

I think the stanking whole night was anointed by God. There is something deep and powerful when we start exposing Satan and his ways. Every since this series started we have meet with Jesus every single week. We all deal with fear of some sort but I think this one hits our age group the most. But the more Pastor talks about it the more we can defeat it.

BTW! Liz and Todd tore it up. It was really good to hear it from the "I'm married now" perspective. Dede and I had the same story and we wouldn't have done it any other way. Once you are comfortable in your own skin, once your eyes are on the Lord and He is all you need... then and only then can He give you the one He died for... then and only then can he trust you with the one He died for.

Ahh! That's a good word Avery. He died for us as much as He died for our "significant other" and He wants to make sure both investments are going to be safe you could say. He wants to make sure the focus will be on Him for both people and not shift to "worshiping" the other person once they are together.

Like Pastor Johnson said, He may just get to a point where He says, "I need you to focus back on me, so I'm going to take away what I gave you so you can focus back on me, and no matter how much you may cry about it, I'm doing it because I love you and I don't want you to forget the important things." (I added a little bit more to it.)

And plus, I think when we pray that prayer, "God don't let me be in a relationship until I am secure and whole in you and ready for one." When we say that prayer, I believe God delights in that and honors that. Of course when the time finally comes and we go through various things, we wonder, "God what's the deal?!?" and He will then remind us of what we asked Him to do and remind us that He is faithful in completing that... Not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of that other person. Because when push comes to shove, the relationship isn't just about me anymore, it's about another person as well. Another person who is allowing me to have emotional influence in their lives on a deeper level than just friends. And if I'm not whole in the Lord... I can (and probably would) abuse that. Which is why God does what He does... Because, like Avery mentioned above, He died on the cross for both people.

that's good, jose. it makes me think of the harlot in hosea chapter 2:

"i will hedge up her way with thorns" (tai's paraphrase.) God strips her naked, symbolizing taking away her comfort and exposing her, and then locks her in her path so she has nowhere to run but to Him. she is completely trapped by love. the more she tries to fight it and get out, the more she can feel the prick of the thorns on her flesh. we are so like that sometimes; not willing to go down and surrender without a fight.

wednesday night was so awesome! i know for me, it was never about someone of the opposite sex. my comfort was in my friendships (sometimes still is). i used to find myself terrified of being alone. and if my friends would hang without me, all the rejection buried in my heart from previous years would rise up and choke the life out of me. then, for about 9 months, i was that harlot in hosea chapter 2. He completely stripped me of all my comforts, all my "friends", everything i found identity in that wasn't Him. not because my friends were flaky, but because when it came to my relationship with Him, i was flaky. it was an intense time. but it was also an amazing time! ii found Him in the word (namely Psalms & Isaiah). i found Him in prayer. found him in my loneliness! like tasha said, fear of lonliness can be turned into a pursuit of the holy. i no longer saw my lonliness as a curse, but as a gift given to me so that i could lean further into my Friend, my Maker, my Husband. i wouldn't trade that time for a thousand years with my friends or anyone else.