We need to change our minds about reality. The human understanding of reality that many have today has become a counterfeit of what reality truly is. This has happened in just a few steps. First, we have grown to view the world exclusively in a material sense, devoid of any spiritual existence. Second, by way of this first perception, humanity has begun to view God as either a made-up fairy tale or constructed Him into merely an observer who rarely gets involved or never interacts with His creation. Finally, once the first two incorrect paradigms had become set firmly in the mindset of the majority of the world, humans have come to view faith in Jesus as merely a vaguely interesting theory without any real impact on our lives.
Unfortunately, even for many of those Christians who have maintained their faith in this society, which is ever increasing its animosity toward Christ and His followers, steps one and two have still had a negative impact. Even some Christians have begun to believe that the spiritual realm of existence is not truly a part of reality and that God is merely watching us from far away, hoping that we do not mess up.
I am by no means judging or condemning anyone for this; I am merely pointing out a viewpoint that many now hold and that I once held. However, the spiritual realm does exist, God does interact with humanity on earth, still bringing about many miracles today, and our faith is more than an opinionated viewpoint or set of beliefs that motivate us as we make decisions in our lives. These latter three points are very true and, once we embrace them as such, we will see incredible growth in our faith life, which will impact our very existence in tremendous ways.
I was an atheist alcoholic and drug addict until God moved in my life during a time when I was living in Florida, and I came to understand that there was more to reality than this physical world. I have shared a lot about this in other blogs, podcasts, and videos, but it is incredible to me that just this one experience was enough to propel me away from my false convictions and addictions toward a new life of joy and satisfaction.
I say it propelled me, because I did not officially leave my addictions behind until a year later; however, one movement from God was enough to grab my attention. What’s more is that He would only reveal more to me throughout that year that would convince me that I needed to surrender my life to Him and change my drug using, alcoholic ways.
Change I did as I gave up my wild lifestyle and dedicated my life to pursuing the Lord and whatever He would want for me. It was after this pivotal time in my life that I became more and more aware that God is real, that He still interacts with humans, and that He wanted (and still does want!) a deep, personal relationship with me.
Over the past 16 years, I have seen God show Himself and move in many incredible ways, all of which I have shared in many other spaces of this ministry (I will share links of some stories down below). He has truly shaped me, led me, and fed me over the years in ways that only inspire gratitude and joy. He has even helped me to see the good in the many difficulties that I have encountered in this time as well.
I say all of this to show that the world we live in, the reality that we participate in, is not a simulation, nor a random occurrence within evolution that we happen to exist in, nor a living test that we are placed in by a distant God who simply observes our choices to see if we can make it into heaven. No, our reality is actually filled with a God who creates new life, inspires wonder and vision, speaks to us, consoles us, guides us, knows us, and helps us to better know ourselves.
I have experienced all of these aspects of reality with God in tremendous ways and I know many others who have as well. I have heard stories of miracles, divine communications, amazing occurrences that are more than mere coincidences, and other loving acts of God that are going on in our time today, not just in the Bible. In my work through Zenith, I have seen God reveal Himself to those I have met with in many of these amazing ways. Furthermore, there are numerous other groups and ministries, both Catholic and Protestant, that exist that help people encounter the same.
It is happening. God is moving in 2023 and we need to change our minds about reality to better encounter Him and live in the world as we were created to encounter it. I say “change our minds” because for us to be better prepared to encounter God and see the world as He sees it, our minds need to be renewed. This means that we need to seek to see reality as He sees it, which is to have the gift of the Holy Spirit called Wisdom.
St. Paul also teaches us in Romans 12:2 that we need to renew our minds, when he says, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”. Therefore, we begin to change our minds by seeking what God wants for us over what we want and what the world wants for us. We must put God’s plans and desires for us first and foremost, and this will allow Him to shape us, lead us, and feed us.
The decision to put God first in all things is only the beginning of a glorious life filled with God, knowing Him and growing more aware of His presence in your life. It can be difficult, doesn’t always feel great, but it is good, deeply satisfying, and God will utterly blow you away with His love. Let’s pray for each other that we all may grow in our relationship with God, have our minds changed more and more, and encounter the Lord daily in His love and providential care.
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Examples of When I have Seen God Move In Incredible Ways:
-Between the ages of 15 and 21, I lived a hedonistic lifestyle imitating what I saw on MTV and the 70s rock stars I idolized. After a few years of battling my addictions, the Lord helped me overcome them in one day. You can read more about that here.
-At 17, I was in a severe car accident that nearly took my life and should have left me with life-altering injuries. You can read more about it here.
-In college, after my girlfriend broke up with me, I prayed a special prayer to see if I should wait for her to return to me or move on. God miraculously answered my prayer to tell me to wait. You can read more about this story here.
-On a trip through Europe, I experienced God’s supernatural care for us when he amazingly guided me through the streets of Athens to meet up with a group of friends. You can read that story here.
-Our God is interactive and I have witnessed Him bring healing and guidance to others I have worked with in the Zenith mentorship program. If you are interested in learning more about how we can assist you in this, visit here.
