Gary L. Ellis

Depression is no light matter.  However, whether it’s experienced occasionally or chronically, the emotional weight can be lifted.

Even though emotional bondages can be complex issues, there are a couple of practical tools I’d like to share with you that work!  How do I know?  I and many other people I know successfully “work” them.  Here they are:

• Don’t Think
• Thank

“What I still need and God has taken care of for me”

I heard Bill Johnson, the Senior Leader at Bethel Church, Redding, CA, first say several years ago, “I’m only about 10 minutes from depression any given day of my life.”  It was in context of Bill also saying, “I’ve discovered the key to never living life depressed.”

This was the key:  Only allow yourself to think on these two areas…

1. What God has done
2. What God is doing

Never allow your brain to walk the “what God has not yet done” path.

It’s an acquired mental taste.  It won’t come easily or naturally at first if you’re used to eating mental spoiled bologna.  However, just like taste buds literally change every 10 days, so can the flavor of one’s thoughts.

Here’s where the “Thank” part comes in.  It’s much easier to develop a new mental palette if you add the component of thanking God for what He has done and what He is doing.  Thanksgiving is like adding a super vitamin to your diet.

As I said earlier, I’ve “worked” it.  Others I know have done the same.  And…IT WORKS!  Up to you, but I highly recommend it!

Gary

The key to “doing the stuff” or truly re-presenting Jesus in our earth walk is courage or boldness.  

“Easy for you to say,” you respond.

“How’s that?”

“You’re extroverted…with a bold risk taking personality.”

That may be true…the personality part.  But, let me share a key to courage I bet you didn’t realize…

True courage or boldness comes in bite sized pieces of time.  It really doesn’t depend on personality type.  Courage comes when you realize it only has to be about 10 seconds long.

That’s right…10 seconds long.  Within that 10 seconds is the spontaneous decision to “take a leap” into the deep end without thinking about it.  Once the “leap of faith” has been initiated, it’s too late.  You can’t back out.  You’re now on the roll.  And, the good news…that’s where you discover the power of God backing up your “leap.”

Many people think that courage or being bold is the result of genetic wiring.  But, it’s really not.  It’s actually “flashes of unpondered risk.”  Boldness is a quickening of the Holy Spirit quickly acted upon.

Realize – today – that any old coward can ask the Holy Spirit for short moments of “quickening.”  Then respond without thinking.  Once the 10 seconds is over you can feel as timid as you like.  You only need 10 seconds of boldness.  After that you’ve already put yourself in the land of no return.  And, THAT…is where the cool Holy Spirit empowered stuff blossoms.

Gary

When the Bible was finished, God didn’t stop talking!

Growing up, I often heard – and also asked the question – “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?”  What was normally meant by the question was this:

“Have you asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins so that when you die will will have the right to go to heaven?”

Of course, there were shades of different meanings to the question, but it boiled down to a “forgiveness of sins” issue.  I don’t make light of that at all, but I discovered – to my great joy – a personal relationship with Jesus meant just that.  A one-on-one daily interaction (RELATIONSHIP) with Jesus – not unlike a person has with another person.

In the process of the growth of our relationship, I’ve discovered that God speaks in an infinite variety of ways.  The “language” I am learning to understand more and more clearly is His counsel through dreams.  To be honest, I really struggled with this at first.  Not so much that it’s a valid and current way He talks to me; But instead, understanding what He is saying.

Having the dreams is the easy part.  Everyone dreams every night whether you remember them or not.  Simply realizing that increased my recall quite a bit.  Today, I probably remember and interpret my dreaming in blocks of two or three nights.  Then, I will not recall anything for a few days…then another two or three nights in a row I do.

The thing is…as I am getting more proficient at understanding how dreams work – along with the assistance of the Holy Spirit – they are becoming a great, great blessing.  He is counseling me in the night seasons in a way that impacts me more deeply than just an academic approach (only using my thinking process to learn information ABOUT Him).

If you are at least a bit curious about how God may be counseling you in your dreams, here is a link to a site by a man that has been more helpful to me than any other.  There’s a lot of good information there for free.  Although my purpose isn’t to “advertise” Mark Virkler’s purchased material, you may want to consider it.  Go here now for free dreams information.

Gary

I believe most people can “feel in their bones” that something extraordinary is afoot for 2012.  Opinions abound on what that is.  However, it’s a gut sense of most that many realms of life from economics to the political and “religious” scenes are entering the “Y” in the road.

I’d like to share with you a spiritual prophetic forecast that a man named Bob Jones had in 2009.  Let me start by saying that if you are unfamiliar with Bob Jones, he’s been one of the more “right on accurate” Christ centered contemporary voices.  Here is Bob’s experience:

“In September 2009, Bob Jones had a revelatory encounter where he was sitting on a train. He asked the conductor, “What is this train?” The conductor said it was the “Glory Train” and he gave Bob a capsule that was shaped like an egg.

The egg had new life in it. It had the beginning and end of time in it. He asked the conductor, “When can I open this egg and when will this train arrive?” He said the time was within the egg and the egg will be opened in 2012! The time capsule had the wisdom of the ages in it; from the beginning to the new beginning.

Bob said that we’ve come to the end of the old and the birthing of the new in 2012, and the glory of God will fall upon the churches.”

I’ve personally had the inner anticipation that 2012 is going to be a pivotal year on a grand scale.  I don’t have any meaty words of wisdom to followup with.  It wasn’t my purpose for posting this article.  I think we need to be cautious about forming rigid opinions on how the specifics of change are going to play out. 

Spiritually speaking, I don’t believe it’s going to favor any denomination, doctrine, or mindset.  Instead, the reviving of righteousness, peace, joy, and power is going to be experienced by those whose hearts are looking to Jesus (not religious systems and opinions) the Author and Finisher of their faith.

Just a ponderable…

Gary

Listening with the ears of my heart.  That’s an art worth refining.

When we listen at all…most of us are good at doing it with the flaps of skin on the side of our heads.  And, we filter and measure the information we are hearing through our own set of predetermined standards of truth…our own bedrock of opinions.

In so doing, what an adventure of learning and journey of relationship we are forfeiting.  In other words – how shallow and anemic we are sentencing our lives to becoming.

Although it’s a solution with risk…there is an answer:

To develop the art of listening to others with the ears of our hearts.  Proverbs 18:15 in the message states this:

“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.”

In moving forward in – what is to many – a fresh new art form, at least four things are required in my attitude:

1. I don’t know everything about anything (even though I often think I do…if I’m being honest with myself)
2. He/she may likely know more than I do about any given idea…(even when it contradicts my pet doctrine)
3. It’s okay.  In fact it’s a virtue to truly believe I have things to learn…(that are even radically different than what I’ve previously thought was true).
4. God did not appoint me guardian of correct wisdom and doctrine.

Mix with those four realities a whoppin’ measure of desire to truly know what my fellow man thinks and why they think it.

If we listen with our hearts, we often discover a commonality with our brother/sister.  We begin to discern that they want what we want and they (normally) are on a quest to find a life that fulfills and fills full.

I’ve made it my 2012 quest to listen – more than ever – with the ears of my heart.  I botch it more often than I’d like, but I am improving.  And, my relationships are improving.  In fact, I’m finding others more and more willing to listen to what I have to say…to respect my opinion.  Because…they sense I’m respecting theirs.

Gary

Jesus made Himself accessible.  A lot of what sincere but “religion bound” Christians do is make it hard to connect with the Lord of Life.

Think about this for a minute:

In the Greek language there are two words used when translating the word, “bread.”  One of those words means, “unleavened – or – ritual” bread.  The other means, “common bread.” 

Today there’s all kinds of “common” breads on the store shelves…although each company wants you to believe their bread is better than common.  (Sorta like brands of religion, eh?)  At any rate, it’s the everyday bread we eat with our meals or as a sandwich.

When Jesus declared in John 6:35 that He was the “bread of life,” the word for bread was not the ritual or unleavened bread but the common bread.  In 1 Corinthians 11, the communion bread is….you’ve got it…the common bread.

The thing that struck me in a profound way as we observed The Lord’s Table, yesterday, at The Sanctuary Church was the fact that it’s Jesus’ deep desire that it not be hard to find Him.  He is the (common/accessible) Bread of Life.  He is not obscured in layers of religious ritual.  You might even be able to say that He’s hidden in plain sight.  (Lord give us eyes of simplicity to see).

Today…to you…to me…

“Come as you are to meet Jesus as He is.”

I believe that’s what the Holy Spirit is emphasizing in my heart for 2012.  Realize He is “easier” to find, and love, and walk with than we’ve known before.  And in that realization, help others make the same discovery!

Gary

Do you think of yourself as a “black sheep?”  Do you see others as “black sheep?”

Did you know that Jesus is the Great Shepherd of not only the white, but also the black sheep?

What does that mean for you?

Gary

What do you expect to find when you look at that specific person? What does God see? What is your purpose in “helping” someone else? What is God’s purpose? Kind of a reality check eh?

According to I Corinthians 13, we can accomplish great ministry feats. We can be super-heros of the faith and super admired. Except…

If the motivation isn’t the God kind of love….it’s worthless. The good news is the fact that everything we accomplish, discipline for, and sacrifice over can very well be motivated by His love. How? Because…

Our spirits being one with His Spirit “easily” draws that out of us. That’s if we’ve practiced being conscious about it. Not as an “earning” from good works, but as a purposeful cooperation with the One who lives with and within us.

Any gold miner can find dirt and rocks in and on a mountain. But, a real gold miner isn’t looking for dirt and rocks. He/she is looking for GOLD in the mountain. Find gold land mining it. Drawing it out.

God is always seeking the gold in you. He’s always desiring the gold in others. Because of His love, that’s what He sees. That’s what He’s looking for. And that…

Is our worthy motivation!

Gary

I didn’t have to do any big performance to get forgiveness for my sins (what many people call getting saved).  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not minimizing the need for forgiveness of sins.  It’s vital and totally available through Christ Jesus.  However…

The truth of “getting saved” is so much more that forgiveness of sins to guarantee a great after life!  In fact forgiveness of sins is just the doorway to a great and glorious banquet room!

Most Christians realize that you can not perform your way into receiving forgiveness of sins.  The performance anxiety many of us face has never been about the “initial step” of salvation.

The anxiety I’m referring to is fueled my a misunderstanding of the maturity process.  It’s true that we are instructed to “work out” our own salvation with fear and trembling (probably also a misunderstanding of Philippians 2:12-13). 

You see we are not only initially brought into God’s family by His free gift of grace.  We are also kept, maintained, and watched over by grace though faith.

The flesh is bent on having to prove itself, it easily torments us with performance anxiety.  What do I have to do!  That’s one of the reasons that “self help” publications and conferences are so abundant – especially, it seems – “Christian” ones.

btw…as a side note…the Philippians verses say, “work out your OWN salvation, etc…”  We are not called to work out anyone elses salvation for them.  We are not called to even control others.  On our best days we have enough trouble controlling ourselves.

We so often see ourselves as servants, not sons (or daughters).  As paupers, not princes (or princesses).  As workers not yet worthy for rest in Him.

Do we do stuff?  Yes, as the grace of Jesus flows in our spiritual veins, we will be motivated to work His works.  But not as a performance lest He be unhappy.  Relax my brother or sister, you can’t gain one farthing of a miracle or anything else you need by the sweat of self performance. 

Growing in grace is rooted in grace!

Pillow your head on the promises of God!

btw…why do we try to let others (and ourselves) set a higher standard of performance than God, Himself?  Good question, eh?  Probably need to work out the answer on that one.

Here’s another one.  Why do we continue to be so driven by religious expectations of our past?  Even, when we see the error.

Gary

I’ve discovered a very helpful and practical “faith trinity” that supports my journey of walking by faith.  In a nutshell, the “trinity” contains these three elements:

1. Speech
2. Action
3. Thoughts

Speech:  There are many Biblical examples of how “saying” is an integral part of faith.  The Scriptures say in Hebrews 11:3, “We know that by faith the worlds were framed…”  Genesis 1 puts it this way, “And God said, Let there be…”

Now listen to the way The Living Bible puts Romans 4:17:  …“and speaks of future events with as much certainty as though they were already past.”

Action:  I can list several scriptural examples, but let’s just snatch a homey illustration from daily life:  Sitting on a chair.  You can have faith that chairs will hold you up, but you have to make a “sitting action” before the chair will actually do for you what it’s designed to do.

Thoughts:  It’s an established fact that a human being does nothing that he/she hasn’t thought about first.  Another way of putting it is that you “see” in your mind what you are going to do – regardless of how briefly – before you take or avoid action. The Apostle Paul exhorted the Romans, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  He told the Philippians, “Think on these things…”

It is extremely important where a person allows their minds to dwell.  What one thinks about governs the reality of what they experience in life.

So, there’s my Trinity of Faith.  It’s a simple way of thinking that’s helped me keep my life focused as I’m on the God given journey of walking by faith.

Gary