Wavy lines of uniqueness..

Take a look at your fingertips.  See those sweet little lines? If you didn't already know those are your fingerprints.  If you ever get arrested those little lines are what the police need to keep track of you.  Why? Because you, my friend, have the only set of the lines on your hand.  That's right.  You have a very unique set of wavy lines that distinguish you from EVERY HUMAN BEING WHO HAS EVER LIVED AND WILL EVER LIVE.

WHOA.  Totally just blew your mind, didn't I?

Yep.  We are all that unique.  No one else has ever had (or will ever have) a set of fingerprints like yours.  You are unique from head to toe.  Cool, right?

So I was just realizing that this very fact also applies to our lives!  No two lives are alike.  Just like our fingerprints, we all have our own unique life.

No one thinks exactly like you.
No one lives your exact life.
No one has your exact personality, or your exact talents.
You are unique.
And the only model of you.

So don't you think that also means everyone learns differently?  Wouldn't that mean that we all need our very own lessons designed as uniquely as our fingerprints?

What has worked for you isn't necessarily going to work for me.  And vice, versa.  We are all in this life together, but together we experience things uniquely.

That still amazes me.  And what amazes me even more is that God is able to keep up.  I have learned over my walk with God the three most powerful explanations of His character. When looking up meanings this was the best explanation I've ever found.  It was written by Andrew S. Kulikovsky B.App.Sc.(Hons)

The term “omnipresence” is borrowed from Latin. It is a compound of omni, meaning “all,” and praesens, meaning “here.” Thus, God is always here, close to everything, next to everyone.1 This means that God is unlimited with respect to space. As Wayne Grudem puts it, “God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places."2 A. W. Tozer posits that fewer truths are so clearly taught in scripture.3  Indeed, the scriptures teach that even though the highest heavens cannot contain God (1 Kings 8:27), He is still nearby when we pray, unlike other Gods, which don’t even exist (Deuteronomy 4:7). Yet, God is not just nearby, He is in fact everywhere! He fills heaven and earth and no-one can hide from Him. There are no secret places where He is excluded (Jeremiah 23:23-24). The Psalmist summarises this truth beautifully:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you

are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139:7-10, NIV).

1 A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (Carlisle: OM Publishing, 1987) 100.
2 W. A. Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MIchigan: Zondervan, 1994) 173.
3 Tozer, 100.

Again, the term “omniscience” is borrowed from Latin. It is also a compound of omni, meaning “all,” and scienta, meaning “knowledge.” Grudem explains it in this way: “God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and external act.”8 Or, as Tozer describes it, God knows “every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn.”9  In other words, God is infinite in regard to knowledge. He knows Himself and all other things perfectly (Job 37:16), whether they be actual or merely possible, throughout all of time (Isaiah 46:10; 1 John 3:20b). He knows things immediately, simultaneously, exhaustively and truly.10 Since God knows all things perfectly, He knows nothing better than any other thing.11 Tozer adds that God knows instantly and effectively all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feeling, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven and hell.12 In addition, if God has perfect knowledge, He has no need to learn. Moreover, such perfect knowledge implies that God has never learned and, in fact, cannot learn.13 Thus, God does not need to reason toward His conclusions or ponder carefully over His answers.14 Indeed, Isaiah writes:

Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD
consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? (Isaiah 40:13-14, NIV)

Furthermore, the scriptures teach that God’s understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:5), and that all persons of the Trinity know each other perfectly (Matthew 11:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11). Nothing is hidden from God’s sight – everything is uncovered and laid bare before Him (Hebrews 4:13). The Lord watches all of Mankind and considers everything they do (Psalm 33:13-15). His eyes are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good (Proverbs 15:3). Each person’s attitudes, behaviour and choices are in full view of God (Proverbs 5:21). No thought, action, desire or motive can be hidden from Him – as the Psalmist explains:

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive
my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my
ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. (Psalm 139:1-4, NIV)

8 Grudem, 190.
9 Tozer, 77-78.
10 Thiessen, 81.
11 Tozer, 78.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid. 76.
14 Grudem, 191.


As with the other omni terms, “omnipotence” is a Latin compound of omni, meaning “all,” and potens, meaning “power.” Grudem defines it in this way: “God’s omnipotence means that God is able to do all his holy will.”26  Omnipotence implies the possession of all power, and unlimited power. An omniscient God can do anything He pleases (Job 42:2) and is never exhausted. His power is unlimited in regard to both its extent and its magnitude. What is impossible for man is possible for God (Matthew 19:26). Nothing is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:17). Furthermore, anything can be done as easily as anything else, and all acts are done effortlessly.27  Note also that the possession of omnipotence does not demand its exercise: “God can do what he wills to do, but he does not necessarily will to do anything.” In other words, God has power over His power.28

24 Ibid. 362.

25 B. Leftow, “Time, Actuality and Omniscience” Religious Studies 26 (1990) 310.

26 Grudem, 216.

27 Tozer, 92.

28 Thiessen, 82.

(To read the full article refer here...www.kulikovskyonline.net/hermeneutics/omni.pdf)

Not a bad way to think about it.. am I right?? Honestly, the more I look at things the more I realize the only leading that's up to me is to lead people to Jesus.  What do I mean by that?  Well what I mean is that something that has convicted me and I've needed to work on in my life isn't necessarily going to be something you struggle with.  I should never tell someone what to take out of their life, rather I should lead them to a God who knows a person wholly and thoroughly and uniquely enough to know just what that person would need to grow a closer relationship with HIM, not me.  I am not the destination.  Just as John the Baptist said..

"30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else." John 3:30-31

Of course John was talking about Jesus.  And what I take from that scripture and this lesson is that I should never underestimate God, and I should never assume I know what someone else needs in their life.

The only exception is when a person has the gift of prophecy and God tells them to speak it to someone, but in the long run that's still God speaking.  And shouldn't be used lightly.

There's a big world out there full of people who think they know what's best for you.  And truthfully, "plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success." (Psalm 15:22).. but you have to always check in with the Shepherd.. don't rely solely on the sheep for advice.

Don't feed the monster!

I was just thinking about people over the years that have given in to the things that have pulled them away from God, and you know what? I can see why it happened.  Instead of surrendering to Christ and His teachings they gave in the monster.

Am I being harsh?  I don't think so.  I watched so many people crumble under the pressure of walking with Christ on their own, having no friends to carry them through and truly needing to rely on their own responsibility to build a relationship with Christ seemed to much for them.  It was easier to just do the things they were used to doing.  Not all bad things. And these people weren't terrible people.  They just had things in their life they were unwilling to admit needed to change.  And because of that the "monster" got bigger.  This monster put a wedge between them and God, and before they knew what was happening the monster was all they could see, so they accepted him as reality.

I've watched this happen to many friends, I've even had it happen to me.  But guess what?  That monster can be beaten!

When I started to want the easier things back it was usually because God was asking for more of me, and that wasn't an easy thing to do because that meant letting things go that I was so used to.  Things that even hurt me, but I just was so afraid to live without.  Example? Bread.  Yeah.  I can't have gluten because I have a less than pleasant reaction to it, and recently I've discovered I have to add dairy to that list.  Yeah, that means no pizza. Or pasta, or lasagna, or ravioli's... at least in the traditional sense.  I don't care what anyone says, it doesn't taste the same.  I use this example because it's probably the one thing that God has used to truly get my attention on how I usually eat my feelings.  When I'm feeling frustrated or angry or sad or whatever emotion I don't want to deal with I get this strong desire to eat a giant pizza, or lasagna, or bowl of pasta.. oh how those Olive Garden commercials hurt!  It's not really that great of food, but just seeing those ravioli's dripping with cheese stirs something in me.  And you know what I realized?  I feel like I can't be happy if I can't eat those things.  I really think that eating those things are what will make me happy!

That, to me, sounds like the thoughts of an addict.  But my desire for pasta became a problem a few years ago.  I started getting crazy reactions for what seemed like no reason.  I had rashes and cystic acne, God was it so embarrassing!  I started losing hair, and gaining weight like crazy.  My body felt like it was spinning out of control.  I always felt like I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and felt so mentally unstable that I could barely think. There were worse things, but I really don't want to go into detail.  The gyst? Lots of stuff was wrecking me on the inside and showing on the outside.  I went to the doctor because I started feeling like bugs were under my skin.  I thought I was going crazy, and I talked with her about all of my symptoms and the idea of maybe me having an intolerance to food was brought up.  So I began my journey of cutting the bread out of my diet.  Along with this God also gave me a great scripture to remind me He was on my side.. just wait.. I found it kind of ironic.

It was this: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” John 6:51NLT

Little weird, eating Jesus' flesh.. am I right?  Was Jesus asking me to be a zombie??? Gross! But no, that's not it at all.  Instead He was trying to teach me something.  And I was reading a commentary and they really captured exactly what I haven't been able to put to words of my experience this past year...
It's a commentary on the scripture Deuteronomy 8:3.. a scripture Jesus later quotes in Matthew and Luke.. a scripture stating that "man does not live on bread alone."  At first I thought God was making fun of me, but after reading that commentary I finally get it...

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
The humiliation in the desert consisted not merely in the fact that God let the people hunger, i.e., be in want of bread and their ordinary food, but also in the fact that He fed them with manna, which was unknown to them and their fathers (cf. Exodus 16:16.). Feeding with manna is called a humiliation, inasmuch as God intended to show to the people through this food, which had previously been altogether unknown to them, that man does not live by bread alone, that the power to sustain life does not rest upon bread only (Isaiah 38:16; Genesis 27:40), or belong simply to it, but to all that goeth forth out of the mouth of Jehovah. That which "proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah" is not the word of the law, as the Rabbins suppose, but, as the word כּל (all, every) shows, "the word" generally, the revealed will of God to preserve the life of man in whatever way (Schultz): hence all means designed and appointed by the Lord for the sustenance of life. In this sense Christ quotes these words in reply to the tempter (Matthew 4:4), not to say to him, The Messiah lives not by (material) bread only, but by the fulfilment of the will of God (Usteri, Ullmann), or by trusting in the sustaining word of God (Olshausen); but that He left it to God to care for the sustenance of His life, as God could sustain His life in extraordinary ways, even without the common supplies of food, by the power of His almighty word and will. (Courtesy of Bible Suite @ www.bible.cc)

What I've taken from this is that God has been trying to get me to stop feeding myself the things that literally made me sick both physically and mentally, but also spiritually.  That side of me was a growing monster and it was trying it's hardest to get in between me and God.  It wasn't easy to recognize it because I didn't want to admit the thing to take out of my life was something that I used to help cope with emotions.  Am I upset? That's ok, I should eat some cookies.  Am I frustrated? Have a bowl of spaghetti, then wash it down with some delicious chocolate milk...

All the while that monster was gnawing my life away.

When I finally surrendered to Christ and gave up gluten I was back to myself within a week.  It's been almost a year and I've dropped 30 lbs.  My hair is growing like crazy again, my cystic acne is healing, I don't feel like I have bugs under my skin anymore, and I feel freer than ever.

Sure it still stinks that I can't eat those things, and there are days when I miss it so much that I have a hard time remembering why I gave it up... but now I'm going to remember.  Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the Lord.

And I'd like to think God had an alterior motive for saying that, because Jesus, Himself, is the word of the Lord made flesh (John 1:14).. maybe God was trying to say He wants me to devour the Word?  Maybe that's what Jesus meant by saying I must eat His flesh?  Maybe the Word, made flesh, wanted me to live by what He said.  Maybe He was saying that He sustains me, not bread. Maybe?

Maybe.

But one thing remains.  Those that choose to feed the monsters in their life are also making the choice to put distance between themselves and God.  And I find it funny that those same people still ask why they can't feel God anymore?  Maybe it's because instead of starving the very thing that separates you you're choosing to feed it, and now its so big it's all you can see?  Maybe?

Maybe.