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Mark Twain once observed, “ A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.”
I have been wondering about a few things and thought I would pose these thoughts and questions here for others to ponder on as well.
I am one who loves reading, I super enjoy listening to pod casts etc, but as good as all of this is, that which is readily available to us, what would happen if all of this fine stuff were dropped?
I’m going to be pointing out something here that ties in with my question above, and in so doing I will be pointing to an individual that my heavenly Father has communicated through and greatly encouraged me in my own personal ongoing journey. That would be Darin Hufford. I have been listening on a regular basis to his pod casts and have just about finished his book, “The God’s Honest Truth” and like I said, I’ve been wonderfully encouraged. So what’s the deal then?
Here is a link to his membership page, and a quote from that page; “So you want to help spread this message?
The best way for you to help spread this message is to become a part of The Free Believers Network and sign up to give a monthly donation of $20.00 or more. At this amount, you may not even notice it’s missing! In return for your generous support, we will make available to you, everything that this site has to offer. Our products section has literally thousands of dollars of teaching materials available for purchase. We will give you monthly access too ALL OF IT if you become a part of this network. If you believe in what we are doing and you want to help us spread this message around the world, please consider helping us out with your monthly support. “
As I said, I have No bone to pick with him at all, just asking questions, please hear me!
It appears to me that if I am willing to avail myself of that which is there free for anyone accessing his site, such as the pod casts and his blogs then I freely partake, but if I want to get into the Holy of Holies, then based upon my financial monthly gift I will then gain access and be permitted into much greener and richer pastures of spiritual insights.
Here’s where it gets sticky, is this revelation of the father’s love something we can obtain without having to rely upon Him alone, are there short cuts to obtaining it and growing in His love? Is there actually in fact another mediator between us and our Father other than the man Christ Jesus?
Are we really willing to settle for how and what Father has made real in another’s heart and life and try to tap into it by simply listening to another’s revelation of Him?
In my opinion, I wonder if we would all become, (those who haven’t made their financial contribution) like fish suffocating, fish thrown up on the shore, trying to live outside our natural element?
Is there no hope in heaven of there being any remote chance or possibility that we could have a thriving, vital, growing, experiential relationship with the Father of our spirit, by being cut off or shut out from this vast plethora of secret knowing?
Is it Him we want, done His way in the ‘asking, seeking and knocking,’ becoming eye witnesses of Him, as in Jesus’ question then and now, “Who do you say that I AM” or is it simply settling for parroting what others have actually seen in their close up encounters with Him?
Rich
I have been wondering about a few things and thought I would pose these thoughts and questions here for others to ponder on as well.
I am one who loves reading, I super enjoy listening to pod casts etc, but as good as all of this is, that which is readily available to us, what would happen if all of this fine stuff were dropped?
I’m going to be pointing out something here that ties in with my question above, and in so doing I will be pointing to an individual that my heavenly Father has communicated through and greatly encouraged me in my own personal ongoing journey. That would be Darin Hufford. I have been listening on a regular basis to his pod casts and have just about finished his book, “The God’s Honest Truth” and like I said, I’ve been wonderfully encouraged. So what’s the deal then?
Here is a link to his membership page, and a quote from that page; “So you want to help spread this message?
The best way for you to help spread this message is to become a part of The Free Believers Network and sign up to give a monthly donation of $20.00 or more. At this amount, you may not even notice it’s missing! In return for your generous support, we will make available to you, everything that this site has to offer. Our products section has literally thousands of dollars of teaching materials available for purchase. We will give you monthly access too ALL OF IT if you become a part of this network. If you believe in what we are doing and you want to help us spread this message around the world, please consider helping us out with your monthly support. “
As I said, I have No bone to pick with him at all, just asking questions, please hear me!
It appears to me that if I am willing to avail myself of that which is there free for anyone accessing his site, such as the pod casts and his blogs then I freely partake, but if I want to get into the Holy of Holies, then based upon my financial monthly gift I will then gain access and be permitted into much greener and richer pastures of spiritual insights.
Here’s where it gets sticky, is this revelation of the father’s love something we can obtain without having to rely upon Him alone, are there short cuts to obtaining it and growing in His love? Is there actually in fact another mediator between us and our Father other than the man Christ Jesus?
Are we really willing to settle for how and what Father has made real in another’s heart and life and try to tap into it by simply listening to another’s revelation of Him?
In my opinion, I wonder if we would all become, (those who haven’t made their financial contribution) like fish suffocating, fish thrown up on the shore, trying to live outside our natural element?
Is there no hope in heaven of there being any remote chance or possibility that we could have a thriving, vital, growing, experiential relationship with the Father of our spirit, by being cut off or shut out from this vast plethora of secret knowing?
Is it Him we want, done His way in the ‘asking, seeking and knocking,’ becoming eye witnesses of Him, as in Jesus’ question then and now, “Who do you say that I AM” or is it simply settling for parroting what others have actually seen in their close up encounters with Him?
Rich
7 comments:
The people for the most part will always want a king to lead them like all the other nations.
Honestly, is anyone of us really bright enough to follow God on our own? Isn't it easier to follow some guy I can see than a Holy Spirit that I can not?
That's where I fail all the time.
Wow, Rich,
I LOVE the depth of this! It incapsulates my recent, and yet unspoken thoughts. Thanks for your bravery to say it! I am going to try my best to just speak my mind here, in Love.
I have come in contact with some "seemingly" die-hard Darin Hufford fans. I've heard bits and pieces, and even linked to his stuff on occasion (once? not more than twice). I have mostly liked what I read, which, admittedly, is very little. I have nothing against the man, whatsoever.
But, I have been unable to force myself to go read more of his stuff (even at others' prodding), because I'm just coming out of an unhealthy dependence on other people's revelations (mainly within religion's walls), to make up for my apparent lack of the same.
The ABSOLUTE LAST THING I want, is to feel like I've gone off and jumped on someone else's bandwagon.
I am at a point of NEEDING to know that I, personally, can hear His voice, and that HE, ALONE, is enough for me.
I like reading up on other peoples' journeys, and feeling a sense of comradeship, as we venture down a new path, sort of together, and yet separate.
But to pay for "access" to someone else's revelations, or even to feel needy of their input, sends up a major red flag in my spirit.
I will say, that, before this post, I had never seen such a statement, made by him, nor had I really even poked around much on his site. There were too many people singing his praises, and it makes me leery.
Again, I don't have anything against this man, or doubt that he is being used to bring freedom to some, but I do think that sometimes it's actually easier to sit back, and let someone else do the dirty work, while we try to mooch off of them. Please, don't hear that I am incapable of learning from another; that is not the case.
But, a few things are true: I don't, personally know the man; he has NO personal vested (or otherwise) interest in my spiritual growth; he has NO way of knowing where I am in my spirit, and therefore, what I might need, at any given moment in my life.
There is ONLY ONE who loves me, and knows me inside and out, and therefore has all rights to speak truth to me, knowing that it IS the EXACT thing that I need to hear at a given moment.
We, as a people, are so dependent on other people, to give us our needed direction. Best I can recollect, there's only ever been One who was given that job. And I prefer Him.
I will say it here, there is a level of spiritual laziness, that we, as Believers, have taken on. Nobody seems to really know Him for themselves, and perhaps, moreover, don't really want to, either.
It's sad.
I am awakening to Him alone, to meet my every need, and I'm QUITE satisfied with my findings; and yet, as I've said on my blog, I know I've only experienced the very tippy tip of His ice burg!!
Thank you for this post, Rich! It needed to be voiced!!!!
free spirit,
I had my wife read what you wrote here, it was/is most evident to both of us, His wisdom being expressed in your words.
It is this very spirit and attitude I am looking for in my spiritual siblings, one that tenaciously clings to the fact that our loving Father is not a man that he should lie, and is only too capable of revealing Himself to those who truly desire to seek Him.
I liked this; “I am at a point of NEEDING to know that I, personally, can hear His voice, and that HE, ALONE, is enough for me.”
I have been and find myself very much at another crossroad in my journey of discovering the truth of this one called, ‘the Father of my spirit’.
Once again I liked this very much; “Again, I don't have anything against this man, or doubt that he is being used to bring freedom to some, but I do think that sometimes it's actually easier to sit back, and let someone else do the dirty work, while we try to mooch off of them. Please, don't hear that I am incapable of learning from another; that is not the case.”
I don’t know of anyone who has learned more from so many others within the wide and diversified members of His family than me, but, although I know within my flesh there is a human handicap that is too quick to ‘camp’ at the feet of some seemingly harmless helpful and caring brother or sister, I sense over and over His spirit saying, “If you chose to stay here, this is as good as it will ever be.”
I know as you are sensing as many others as well from the same source, there IS ‘so much MORE’!
The cloning I see happening all around me is alarming in one sense, but I know who is master mining this through any fleshly minded person willing to consent to that which brings momentary instant gratification, the father of lies.
What is even more alarming to me is seeing how easily we have given ourselves over to man, any man, that which is for Him alone, the rightful place of the man Christ Jesus to mediate perfectly between us and our Father.
It is sad, heart breaking actually when we become so enamored with what men are saying, verses being able to answer His question, “Who do you say that I AM”?
I am so glad there will always be the ability to either choose, life or death. Papa, I choose You.
Love what you've both shared here. Just thinking... gleaning from other siblings can be good but it just don't come close to Jesus. And unfortunately most would rather trust in what we can see, touch and hear than in the Invisible.
Brutha Dave,
Always so good to see and hear your heart, you are much needed and appreciated my friend.
In light of your comment, I couldn't help but be drawn to this from Hebrews 11: "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd."
Our celebration of Life is so filled with Him in all of it!
I had listened to Darin on the God Journey podcast and I have friends who are very much part of Darin's Free Believer's Network, who encouraged me to look at the site and listen to some of the podcasts. The first thing I noticed on the home page was the introductory SERMON and the request for donations of $20 or more. That was two red flags!
BUT I did look at several articles and listened to a couple of podcasts. Some of the material is excellent but ...
I expressed my concern to another friend who pointed out that Darin was still giving sermons and that it seemed to him as if Darin was on a journey but hadn't yet had the courage to really step out of the box.
We could both see that Darin had a lot to offer primarily younger people, who were beginning their journey outside of traditional Churchianity.
But this raised another question. How would we answer someone who suggested that had an elitist attitude?
The simple answer is that I can't. I know the journey I have been on - outside the box to some extent for about 40 years - and how my thoughts and beliefs have changed gradually in that time.
Any thoughts?
Hello Pete,
Wonderful having you drop in, I wish I had time right now to respond to your most wonderful observations as well as your excellent question/s.
I will be back later as we are about to leave for a good portion of the day, as our daughter is home for a few days from University.
I shall return :)
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