Hiatus **

I think we all are familiar with this word. Webster defines it as:

   "an interruption in time or continuity: BREAK: especially: a period when

    something (such as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted"

That's what I think is happening for me, I'm beginning a new season. For the pat 14+ years I've been writing a blog. I started out posting daily... then every other day... and finally, every third day. Also, during that time 16 books have been published. I'm not saying this to pat myself on the back nor give myself permission to provide an excuse... it is what it is.

I think I'm entering a season of preparation and growing in understanding. At least that's what I think. No, I won't stop writing. Writing does define Who I am, at least partially - I, like you, am not one dimensional. And I do love to write, but for the first time I seem to be direction-less. Completing the last book in this third series, by now I would know the next series - I don't. Granted it could be argued that I write about the same spiritual issues. No argument. I believe we are never done discovering all that each issue is, that we continually grow in understanding and application. As a result, though the topic may be the same, the writing isn't. It's always a new way of understanding, a new perception, a greater application. 

'My' writing is designed in a question-based format. I provide my thinking as a counterpoint for the reader to discover, define, refine what they believe. The point in this is to help the reader to continue to discover and grow. Basically I'm a teacher who is also involved in learning and as iron sharpens iron, everyone grows. It's not a contest. Different understandings are not threats. I like to not think in terms of 'right' and 'wrong' when it comes to understanding. Can both be 'right'? Can both be 'wrong'? As long as we involve, seek to have the Holy Spirit involved... truth will be the result.

   "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth

    [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He

    will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the

    Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. John  16:13

Hiatus is just that. A time to refresh, to study, to grow... to think. At least this is what I think on this lovely fall day in September. Will the time be lengthened? Will it be shortened? No idea. But I want to follow where I think I'm being led. I totally trust the Lord that if I'm wrong or in the wrong timing, He will correct me. Correction is always a positive because the Lord doesn't condemn, criticize, blame, or shame - He always helps us to understand.

Ergo and Thus... don't expect any further writing-teaching until 2023, realizing that we move according to the Lord's plans.

It's HOW we do our WHO

When it comes to our mistakes, errors in judgment, sins...it's how we respond  that define us... in so many ways. 'Doing the right thing' is not always easy... it's not necessarily 'automatic'... but I think we always instinctually (or intuitively) know. The only question is - HOW we respond. Do we try to hide? ignore? shift attention? and there are a host of other like responses. Obviously the answer should be - apologize, where and to whom necessary, correct, and move on. And this can be incredibly difficult. But even the 'difficult' is no reason to avoid nor no 'excuse' for not doing what we need do.

   "So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His

    purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion,

    kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure

    whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing

    graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a

    cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so

    should you forgive. Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in

    [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound

    together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]." 

   [Colossians 3:12-14]

Even if the only verses we remember, Colossians 3 gives us our What as well as our How of doing our How we do Who we are. It also gives us a way to 'judge' ourselves: how we respond, what we do to resolve, and ultimately how this is added to our understandings,,, not least of which is ourselves.

We see that it is our Who that puts on a heart of: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience which becomes our foundation on which we act. Never feel that you go into difficult places (and learn important lessons) without a strong foundation. You are never a wimp or a foot mat or even 'wrong'. Sometimes our 'right' isn't expressed in a way that demonstrates speaking the truth in love. Without this motivation our words and actions can be misunderstood as pompous or opinionated or threatening. How can our message be understood or even heard? And never let your expression be an 'excuse'.

The How of our Who gives the other person a tangible example and we do tend to believe what we see over what we hear. Do you follow the directions in these verses? Are they your expression in responding? This is especially true when it comes to accepting our errors and dealing with them. You can't catch back the words you say and it can be difficult to explain our behavior.  But we can always make it... worse by our How.

Tests

We are always going through... Tests. But I think most of us need to redefine what the word means and does. I believe that the purpose for tests is to help us discover what we don’t know, what we still need to understand. God is not punishing us or displeased with us, He is testing us so that we find those areas we aren't prepared in/for yet and so that we will grow and become strong. God has a destiny for each of us but one of the ways we grow is through testings. 

Never forget that our adversaries, the devil, is always trying to defeat us. Unless we are in the word we become defenseless so one of the ways we are tested is in our knowledge and understanding of the Word. The devil is well versed in the Word and will attempt to use it against us. Therefore... one of the ways we can tell if what we are experiencing is a test is how does it make us feel? Do we feel threatened... or defensive... or criticized... or condemned,,, or shamed... or any other negative emotion then we know - it's from our enemy, not the Lord. Don't accept the lies. Do accept the testings so you can judge yourself.

I have written about test before but this is a deeper level of understanding about the purpose of the test. Never think that because you were going through a test the Lord doesn’t love you it’s because he does love you that he provides these tests so that we can determine what we need to know in order to reach our destiny. Also remember that if what you are going though is based in a temptation that this is never the Lord [James 1:13-15].

So how do we react to the test? Can we confidently act or do we hesitate. Hesitation is not the proper reaction because it calls into question our foundation and basically it implies a lack of confidence. When we are not confident in what we believe then how could be we possibly ever stand? The test proves our level of understanding and the source of our strength. And do not read this as my belief that tests are simple or a piece of cake. They're not. And some of them are more difficult the more we do 'study to become approved [2 Timothy 2:15]. 

   "Consider it nothing but joy, my [a]brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into

    various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience]

    produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let

    endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be

    perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing." 

    [James 1:2-4]

Process... Process... Process,,,

And again I say PROCESS!!!!!!! The 'older' I get the more I realize/am fully convinced  that all learning is a continual building process. I'm not certain that there is any spiritual issue that is ever 'one and done'... we are always 'in process'. It doesn't mean that we wait to act on/ apply our learning until we know everything. Firstly, how, if it is always an ongoing process, can we ever learn it all? And secondly, application is a form of confirmation/'approving what we know' and taking the next step into further understanding.

Especially for the new believer, I sometimes think we may unintentionally mislead them because no one is an instantly mature Christian. It takes time and especially it takes a commitment to study, to grow. Simply because one is a Christian doesn't mean that you don't make mistakes, errors in judgment - all this is in a state of continual growing - it's a process. Personally, despite scrapped knees and elbows and an occasional wounded pride, I enjoy this. 

One of the first things we do at the beginning of our growth is to begin to renew our minds - which is also unending but when you look at it as an adventure, a journey... totally different mindset.  We renew through studying the Bible and reading, and reading, checking different translations/versions. The Bible is our manual for learning and growing. It really is imperative that we don't think that one reading is sufficient. I believe we never outgrowing 'line upon line, precept upon precept. For me, one of the delights is discovering something 'more' or 'new' in the scripture I have read countless times. It's not that it wasn't there in the beginning... it's that I hadn't grown sufficiently to see and grow in what is being taught. Just like school. We learn our A,B,C's before we know HOW to read. Same principle.

Besides prayer and study, starting the process of learning and being and doing... we have the blessing of other believers. Isaiah talks about iron sharpening iron. That the times we share what we've discovered and listen to what others have gleaned and discovered. Never see this time as insignificant or unimportant - I would argue that fellowship is crucial to our growing and growing is crucial to our becoming the Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) necessary to touch this world, each of our worlds we live in. Ephesians (2:10) talks about us being His workman. Do take the time to read, many times, Ephesians 2 to see what the Lord's done FOR us and how He can use us.

The point in all this is that when we accept Jesus as our Lord, we enter into a never ending opportunity [process] to grow and become all that He sees in us. Remember, He's not done with us yet. We shouldn't either.