In The Last Days Don't Get Isolated And Accountable To No One

This is the Truth Network. And again, that is a biblical term that just applies to the present day, the time in which you and I live. And we also look and include in this thought, the way we're talking about this period of time, the whole process of becoming a disciple, discipleship, mentorship, all that that involves.

And the way that this process of being discipled or mentored in the Lord actually leads to the lifestyle that we're after, which I think would be Bible-sized, Bible proportions of everything. I don't mean an absence of trouble, but I do mean a depth and level of faith that causes us to rise above the occasion and above the challenge so that we maintain not only our confidence in God, but our love for Him and therefore our ability to function on the highest level in the best ways. So just talking today that we are not in a time that is absent of trouble, quite the contrary, but we know for a fact that the faith that God intends for us is actually for this time. You know, you don't need very much faith when everything is wonderful. You don't need to believe God or depend on Him when you can meet all of your needs.

So we're not talking about you. We're not talking about when you can make it all happen. But I really think God's presence in your life is so important when you hit those bumps in the road. Because you know, those are the things that really provoke us to entertain ideas that maybe this walk with the Lord is not what we expected or was presented as we had hoped, as we thought, as it was described initially. Otherwise, why would we be in this position of difficulty?

Why would I be engaged in believing God for one thing, one outcome, and still no solution, nothing anywhere close to the resolution that I am believing Him for? So looking at that situation, the bump in the road, and what that provokes in the heart and the mind, humanly speaking. And I want to say to you, in the last days, you need to write this down. Do not get isolated. And accountable to no one. Don't step away from accountability.

Don't allow yourself to become isolated. You know, the example I probably heard, the first example I ever heard of what happens is really applies to like the animal kingdom, specifically a herd of sheep. You know, sheep are not very smart animals. And they tend to just follow the leader.

They, that's just what they do. So they operate inside the herd. But when they are sick, or weak for any reason, they begin to fall to the back portion of the herd, setting them up for the predator that is just waiting for weakness to become a parrot. You know, animals can sense weakness in other animals. And a predator especially can zero in where there's less ability to fight off an attack, which is a great meal for the predator, but a loss and an end of life for the one that's being snatched, the one that's being isolated and separated from the pack. I think of it that way.

It's actually exactly that way. That we are easily isolated from the herd when we begin to think in terms of doubting God, questioning Him, beginning to lose confidence in His love for us. If you understand the love of God, how much He loves you, and how great that provision is for you, this is just the greatest way to counter all of that temptation of disbelieving Him.

What's the opposite of that? Becoming isolated around a private inner struggle. A private inner struggle, which consists of, let's face it, feelings that can result in compartmentalized personal pain, where we forget the compartments where God is meeting our need fabulously on every level, and then think of and dwell on that area, maybe one small area, or maybe the area that's most important to us, where He doesn't seem to be coming through, and we begin to entertain thoughts of giving up on Him in this regard.

And we just start to learn to live with the dilemma the way that it is. And my encouragement right here is, if that is where you are, consider backing up, turn around, step away from that position. I heard someone say recently, you need a verse and a song. You need a verse and a song. So don't isolate around a private inner struggle and the feelings that come with that, but find your place in the Word. Identify the verse that you believe and can stand on. Also, grab a song that really builds up your faith and your confidence in that area, and go to the verse and the song anytime you need it, in a time of weakness, or in a time of the enemy really working on you in your thought life.

When you're alone, when you're dejected or down, or really going through something, the enemy is right there. I know. I know. I'm sure you do too. This is a situation that is common to us all.

And that's my next point. We all have this in common. Each person has personal difficulty. Often the scale of difficulty at times in our lives can be greater than other times. But listen, difficulty is common to the day in which we live.

The reason we speak to this matter on this podcast and in our ministry is because we believe fervently that because of this commonality, that God's provision for you and for me to be able to believe Him for divine interventions in our life and supernatural outcomes is to do it His way. That in the day of adversity, we are trained, we have been trained, discipled, mentored in the truth of Proverbs 24, 10, we are equipped with strength for the day of adversity. And 1 Timothy says this, but know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come. So you and I want to beware of mistaken fellowship. Beware of any fellowship that causes you to gravitate to those who are being knocked about and defeated by the perilous times. Don't hang out with those people. Separate yourself.

They need the same thing that we're describing right here, but don't be pulled in that direction. Return to the Lord, strengthen yourself according to Proverbs 24, 10, strengthen yourself and come back to the understanding of God is for you and loves you so much. What feelings are we talking about that you want to come back?

Well, weariness for one, when you're weary at the end of the day, for example, no time to make important decisions or respond in a relationship matter that is not going well, just being weary. And I couple with that waiting for God to act. And that weight is extended out over a period of time that seems just unacceptable in our natural thinking. Because here's the thing, we think, this is just too hard. It shouldn't be this hard. Actually, I have a confession. I've said that. I have actually asked, why does it have to be so hard? Now, that's been some years.

Thankfully, that's been many years ago, because I've learned a better plan since then. But I know how that feels. And that is a very honest assessment. I mean, I get it. But what happens then is you become disconnected for some reason. And the feeling of being disconnected, you know what that feels like? It feels like being disconnected. It feels like isolation. And it begins to feel more and more like rejection and inadequacy, not measuring up, all of that. And ultimately, and this is the most painful. See, I just don't fit in, which is basically an antisocial behavior. It is a mindset of an antisocial personality. And I just am convinced that a revelation of God's love can implode that kind of an obstacle in our lives. I don't care who you are. Now, I'm not a therapist.

I'm not a doctor. But I've seen it too many times. I've seen the power and the love of God just invade that space when we allow it, when we open our heart and mind to that very possibility. Another feeling that's just really miserable is to feel like you're really out of grace. You've just made too many mistakes, really grave mistakes. You've hurt too many people. You have become just almost a curse word in the lives of people that you have hurt or have been separated from for some reason. You may have been isolated by some decisions, choices, some preferences. And sometimes even good choices will separate you from the people that you'd really like to be with. You become alienated, that kind of thing. Don't want to get too deep into that. But just to say, you are not alone.

We have all of this in common. There's a great episode. I don't know if you're familiar with The Chosen, The Chosen, C-H-O-S-E-N. And this is such good information. We'll put a link in our show notes for this episode so you'll have it at your fingertips. I saw the episode in season two titled, I Saw You.

I Saw You. It's season two, episode two, where Nathaniel had experienced the things that we're describing. In the way that the episode plays out, Nathaniel, the disciple of the Lord, before he became aligned with the Lord, he was feeling these things that we've been describing. And so he went into a wilderness spot, or an alone spot, and really cried out to God.

And in the episode, it appears that not only did God not hear him, but that God did not even see his situation. If you want to read this account, it's in the first chapter of John. And in the storyline from The Chosen, Nathaniel was rejected, he was cut off, he was in despair, unsuccessful, really many things. And it says that Nathaniel encountered the Lord. And he said, Nathaniel, I saw you. And Nathaniel said, Rabbi. And the Lord answered him, I saw you. I saw you under the fig tree.

And I'm telling you that now you are seeing me, pleasing you, and you will see even greater things than these. The Lord was showing Nathaniel what was to come, the greatness of the kingdom that was to come, where Nathaniel moved from a place of great despair, loss and a sense of utter loss, to actually being seen and recognized by the Lord, just not in the timing that he wanted. It was a separate episode of time. Nathaniel went out into the quiet place to seek the Lord, and he did not find the Lord, did not hear from the Lord. Later, subsequent to that event, Nathaniel was minding his own business, maybe not even thinking about the Lord. And the Lord said to him, Nathaniel, and began to speak about his character. And Nathaniel said the positive things about his character.

And Nathaniel said, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. And Jesus said, Well, Nathaniel, are you finally recognizing now that I'm speaking to you audibly, where you can hear me and see me? Are you finally realizing? Or is it because I said, Hey, I did see you that day under the fig tree.

I did. Are you just now realizing? And then Jesus just opened up the possibilities of the future, which I believe he's doing for us, for you and for me now as well. This expectation that we will see even greater things. And that we will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

So our answer is, by the way, that's all right there in John one, you need to go read that whole, that whole chapter. It's just full, so full. So your answer is don't pull inward. You don't want to pull inward.

Why? Because there's danger there. Remember the flock of sheep. Remember the herd. Remember the weak sheep at the back of the herd, being sought out. The weakest is noticed, singled out by the predators.

The weakest drops off to the pace, drops off from the pace of the herd. And your answer is, listen, if you thought this is a dead end, back up. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do this.

Back up. Retrace some steps, some things that you've discounted, some people you've discounted. Take another look at the possibility. Wait for the Lord to confirm some things to you. Expect that it will begin to feel and look a little differently and I'm just sensing something right now by the Spirit as we're talking. The Lord has sent people to you who may be the answer you've desired and sought, but you discounted and ruled those people out for reasons that you thought were the Lord. But on second thought and on second, taking a second look, allow the Lord to show you what may be an adjustment to that perception.

Look again, look again. What is the last time that you remember being confirmed or affirmed in a positive way, and I mean in a godly way, not something that's coming from the world, where you felt that bond of agreement with someone who you respect and admire on some level. I believe that the right mentors for us, from a spiritual standpoint, are those who are spiritually mature, who love us, and who care for our future destiny in God. By the way, that's our topic in our next episode.

So, this is really important to sort of get this straight at this point before we go to the next step. Think of those who you know for a fact have stood the test, and the test of time, the test of life, the test of time, yet remained confident in Him, remained confident in the Lord. This process of being mentored, I'm telling you, it's key, it's really, really key, you can't do without it.

You won't mature properly without it. Our example is Jesus and His disciples, the inner circle of 3, the circle of 12, the circle of 70, and beyond. Many, many circles around the Lord, very same process. So, we pray today for you this way, along these lines, with this declaration, Father, we declare over the challenge that we face right now, the absence of being fitted in properly to the assembly of believers that you have for us, and that fitting together of those who disciple and train us, we declare those people find us the way Jesus saw Nathanael, and that the door opens, doors that were closed open, and we begin to step in, right into the destiny that you have for us, and we just throw off all of the embarrassment and humiliation of what we've been through, choosing instead for the greatness of the day that is ahead. We walk the way that you said circumspectly, redeeming the time because the days are evil. In Jesus' name we declare it, amen and amen. Listen, it's really important, don't you forget this, you have the mind of Christ. You have the thought life of a king because he is the king. Don't forget that.

Guard your thought life. It's really important. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support this podcast, please share it with others. Post about it on social media or leave a rating and review. Don't forget to check out the show notes or visit acleartrumpet.org, where you can subscribe to Shirley's email list. Download the ministry app and purchase your very own copy of Shirley's 365-day devotional, Running with Horses. Thanks again, and we'll see you next time.