Another Hamster Wheel . . . Really!
Is your relationship with the Lord starting to have that bouncing inside the hamster wheel feel to it? Is it starting to get a little crazy? Because if it is . . . you might be listening to the wrong voices. Sure the Lord molds us, shapes us, and chisels things away, — but He never puts the boots to us, nor does He surprise us with a blinding left hook. Somehow, we’ve allowed the lies of the adversary to steer us down that ugly path again. It’s a psychological game that he plays as he wars against our minds and attacks our hearts. And for 2023, — that needs to end!
If we are not dead to self, — well that only adds to the square dance as he now pulls on the many loose ends that are hanging out there. With the full intention of storming up some kind of a dance to break us down mentally and physically, — only to make us wonder what it is that we got ourselves into. It’s in the dosey-doe where we find our new creation fighting against the old man that we once were. The old nature still intends to conquer, and he has no plans of disappearing without picking a fight first.
Transition is not easy for any of us, and to some it may have that crisis feel to it especially if you’re seriously entrenched in the old familiar ways of thinking. And that can be problematic, — not necessarily on Gods part but definitely on your part. When you think about how the Kingdom of Heaven functions, our new identity is radically different from the one that we’ve been so familiar with. The very reason why they refer to the great exchange as being 'born again'. It’s a whole new beginning.
The whole reason for going through the baptismal waters (full emersion) is that it speaks of a death; laying aside the old life and rising up with the new. For some, they may have invested a lot of time, energy and money to establish that identity which makes it even more difficult if God is asking us to walk away from some of it, or maybe all of it. Going through the waters is one thing, walking it out, — well that’s a whole different ballgame. Knowing that change is not easy for most, we now find ourselves at the crossroads of making some pretty big decisions, — life changing to be exact. Not letting go only adds to the ongoing destruction during transition, creating a distorted version of a gospel that is now partial, a form without real substance; never reaching the full potential of a powerful gospel that seriously wants to partner up with us.
Cutting Loose the Old Nature
The trick is to let death have its way, cutting loose the old nature and step into all that Heaven has for us. But the ongoing challenge for most of us is that we easily default to the old ways when processing stuff. The biggest challenges come when we find ourselves walking the line, — do we wait upon the Lord or do we do what’s obvious? My past experiences have shown me that the obvious usually turns into a landmine experience, followed by a tornado of displacement, which usually ends up with a tsunami where it all gets swept away anyways. It’s when I hear the click of another landmine that makes me wonder why I didn’t learn from my past, — the very past that’s now playing over and over in my mind like some bad recording.
The biggest battle for many is that being born again, ignited in the Spirit; we are still physical beings who now need to put aside all the enticements of the flesh. The good, bad and the ugly will contend for space as the enticements now pound upon our minds and upon our hearts. All those dark streams that we’ve engaged with in the past are things that we now need to walk away from. For some, transition is a no-brainer, but for most, it’s difficult, — and so we compromise as we walk out from the old into the new.
When entering into transition it’s probably a good time to do a self-examination and inspect any defilements that may still be lingering in the camp. Nailing those will only help in the overall process. Those who have been dangerously trapped in both camps during the transitional period may have picked up a few ugly religious strongholds, — which also needs to be examined, because the end result will be catastrophic.
Also, in the midst of transition many run into a bit of an identity crisis, but we need to trust in the Lord that He will get us through the transition as He renews our minds and restores our hearts. What has changed is that we went from being friends of the world, to being friends of God, and that the old nature in us is not about to give up control that easy. For those who’ve cross over, they see so much more of Gods love, more of His amazing character, and greater manifestations of His Kingdom as it lands all around.
Avoid Defaulting to the Old
To deny ourselves has its challenges, — no doubt about it. Knowing how easy it is for us to default back into the old ways can get extremely messy as it effects all those down the line. The truth is that in the denying of ourselves, allows us to step away from the matrix, — to walk away from the illusive american dream and the illusions of life that keeps us on the hamster wheel. Not allowing that needed death to self will only open the doors to the many square dances that we will find ourselves going through if we refuse to transition over. What’s problematic is how we have entrenched ourselves into the realms of a life that we think are normal. The way we think needs to change. Many have placed themselves as the central figure in their lives and that is the biggest trap of all.
I have personally seen the spiraling of the mind steering many into a dark deception, including a death that has taken on so many different forms and on so many different levels. All because of not willing to lay it aside, not willing to trust in the Lord that He has a better way. Not willing to press into that place of rest as He fights the battles for us. Jesus is the Sabbath Rest and He is the Truth, Life and the Way. Surely we should be giving Him an opportunity to complete the transition in us. He definitely has the capability to make it all possible for He has liberated us with the power to complete the transition, — we just need to walk it all out in the powerful name of “Jesus”.
We need to step up, take both arms and totally wipe the table clean. As one who is born again, now walking out this newly discovered world within a world, we need to purposely wipe that table clean to truly move on. To not let our hearts get hi-jacked and not listen to all the false narratives and false prophetic that is causing so many to bounce around the hamster wheel. The whole thing about transition is that God is drawing us unto Himself and what He has in store for us is way beyond what we can ever think or imagine. He is a faithful Father with a very powerful Family who are all serious about getting Heaven to land here on earth, — His plans have never changed.
So, — if you’re still bouncing around inside that hamster wheel, hopefully that next bump on the head will wake you up! It’s time to clean off the table and burn down the hamster wheel and start moving in the right direction.
EkklesiaRising.com / JesusMinistries.ca