We all go through “Dark Times” where it feels like God is nowhere to be found and we often feel isolated from people in our souls even if we are in a crowd of people. Those times can be scary because we don’t know what the outcome will be and we often can become overwhelmed with the prospect of the “What If’s” that fuel our worries. If you haven’t read the first two articles in this series please do so before reading this one as they are all linked with each other.

This is the fourth part of a series on having an “Orphan Spirit” which is defined as a person who, although being a child of God through the sacrifice of Christ, still lives as if they are disconnected from their Heavenly Father’s care and interaction. It is my experience that far too many confessing believers live lives less than God designed or desires. When Jesus said in the gospel of John chapter 14 that he would not leave them (the disciples) as orphans, it was due in part to their feeling of abandonment as Jesus was heading to the cross.

This is the third article asking the question of whether we are living like orphans as followers of Christ. For some people the question doesn’t make any sense. However, as you read what Jesus said to his disciples just before going to the cross in John 14:18 it makes a lot of sense and should give us pause to ask the same question. Am I living more like an orphan or like God is indeed my Heavenly Father who I can trust him no matter what. It is not about a “Works Thing” of trying to earn points with God but rather a “Relational Thing” because we have grasped the Father’s intent for our lives. If you have not read the first two articles on an “Orphan Spirit” please do so before reading this one.

The last article on “Are We Running From God’s Purpose?” used the book of Jonah.  I used the text and story of Jonah to start partly because it’s a famous book that most people have heard in Sunday School or from a sermon. I wanted to show how Jesus would try to expose people’s excuses for not living for God when they called themselves God’s people. If you haven’t read part one on this topic, start there.

In this series of articles we have been exploring the nature of man and focusing on his soul. We have defined the soul as having three parts, “Mind-Will-Emotions“, and our soul was meant to facilitate our spirit to be able to learn, grow and enjoy our relationship with God and others.  As we already know, our current experience in life is normally a bumpy one even for those that have established a relationship with God through the sacrifice of Christ. If you haven’t read the first three article in this series, please do so that you have the full discussion of the soul.

This article is part 2 in the series on maintaining a “Healthy Soul”. The subject of the soul is an important topic from both the  scriptural and theological point of view.  The practical side of maintaining your soul will not happen without greater insight more than pure observation. In my opinion, the soul needs to be taught about regularly yet in many churches the subject is rarely identified let alone discussed except for a glancing word that the average believer doesn’t understand nor apply in life.
This understanding can and should cultivate in the body of Christ but sadly it does not. If you haven’t read the first part on this subject, please do so before continuing.

My blog is focused on the human soul so I look for topics to write about that hopefully will cause readers to evaluate their lives based on scripture rather than on the latest trend or what is often taught in schools. Human logic is so twisted because we refuse to consider God’s thoughts or ways. Human logic often is less than honest again because of a lack of information from scripture. Even among Christian believers, scripture is often the last place people turn to acquire facts or wisdom. Instead, especially among the young, reasoning is now more about how we feel.  If we feel someone is a racist, well they must be. This circular logic reinforces the pathway to a total breakdown in the human soul.  The worst part is that it happens while the person or persons think they are headed in the right direction.

In my last two articles I talked about the “Battle in our Soul” and how we all must struggle to keep a healthy soul.  The Soul does not take care of itself, it is something that directs us towards a healthy life or a sick and broken one. I would like to start this article on exposing what I consider one of the prime hinderances of the modern church and believers everywhere. Most of today’s preaching revolves around our personal need and brokenness and although this condition is often true, the fact that more often than not we are in a broken and needy condition is due in large part on our focus on the problem rather than the solution. So much hinders our ability to see the way out of this dilemma and if all we do is focus on the problem we never or rarely gain enough hope to expect a change in our condition. If you keep telling a child that he or she is stupid that will not motivate them to expect something different and our words become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In the first Article on “Smelling Like Jesus” I talked about how “Fragrances” warms the heart of those who experience them, like walking into a store that has candles burning. That simple thing of a fragrance or a candle can and often does create an “Attitude Adjustment” in us. If people are grumpy from shopping or just the business of life during Christmas the stores that utilize fragrance have an advantage with their customers. I spoke about how Satan is very active during the Christmas season to get people so stressed out that they won’t see Jesus and the redemption story. In fact, Satan’s objective is to “Short Circuit” the spirit of Christmas and the hope God intends for humanity. The Holy Spirit wants to use the body of Christ to shine the light of Christ and the hope that the good news brings. If you haven’t read the first article please do so to get the full background before reading this portion.

This is the fourth and final part on dreams, so if you haven’t read the first three, please do so before reading this final article. Dreams are far more important than we have been led to believe and I believe they can be awakened and developed if we understand their importance.