Faith, Pruning, Perspective, Perseverance

Hi Fam 🤍, we are officially BACK!

In this episode we talk about faith, pruning, perseverance & perspective. Sometimes God allows seasons of stretching, refining and waiting — not to destroy us, but to shape us.

Pruning can feel painful, perseverance can feel exhausting, and our perspective can easily become clouded by disappointment or distraction. But God is faithful through every season, and often the very places we struggle in are the places He is producing deeper roots, greater trust, and lasting fruit.

I pray this conversation encourages you to keep your eyes on Jesus and trust Him even in the process. 🌿

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Y'all, we are finally back. Okay. I know it's been a little minute, but better late than ever. I'm so excited. If you're new here, my name is Rachel Niles. I love the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul, and I love to talk about Jesus. And so that's pretty much what this YouTube is for. It is to create a space where we can be real raw and just talk about our walks with the Lord together. That being said, welcome back to another episode of the Image Bears podcast. Y'all, I'm so excited. Okay. I I'm just excited for all that God has been doing. There's so much to catch up on. But I'm also excited just for the stretching that took place before entering into the now. I mean, does anybody know what I'm talking about? Like, I feel like globally every Christian I was talking to was going through a very similar stretching, pruning season. And I'm trying my best not to speak in Christianese, but I mean, it's just my lingo, it's my language. But yeah, I feel like I was really stretched, I was really challenged in a lot of ways, which is a good thing. I think sometimes we forget that when the Lord is stretching and pruning us, it is a good thing. Like the Bible talks about pruning is the reward for bearing forth fruit. The Lord wants you to bear forth more fruit. So he must prune and detach you from areas in your life that are leading to you not bearing as much fruit as possible, right? And that's the reward. So it's like, great job, you are bearing fruit. Guess what? We gotta remove this, we gotta remove this, we gotta remove this so that you can grow in the way that I desire for you to grow. That is a good thing. So if you don't know, I was just in the UK. Um, wait, wait, wait, wait. Before we get into it, are we not peeping the camera set up? So if y'all know, if y'all been following, y'all know that when I moved to California last year, I got robbed. I literally walked in to two men in my car, in which they stole all my pants that were in my suitcase. They stole my camera, my recording setup, all of the things. But guess what? The Lord restored a double fold, and now I actually left my other camera that I bought in the UK, but it was a cheaper version of this. Like, this is a really good setup. And I honestly think the Lord used that for me to be like, okay, let me actually invest in what the Lord has called me to do, and that is to spread his word, to preach the gospel, to talk about Jesus. He has blessed me with platforms in which I desire to create community and to just help lead people to the Lord, not to these platforms, but to the Lord. That is the goal, that is the desire of image bearers. Image bearers is meant to encourage people in their identity in Christ. Identity is such a big thing. Um, and so yeah, I was in the UK, which we'll talk about a little bit later on in the video, um, but the Lord really stretched me. Um, and there was a lot of areas in my heart that I realized that I don't actually trust the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul. I think it's really easy to know scripture, but when it comes to actively living it out, that's where you know your faith is put to the test. Are you a hearer of the word or are you also a doer of the word, as the book of James tells us? And so this episode, I really want to catch up. I really want to start making the podcast more conversational and honestly taking it video by video. I always want to get into consistency uh with you know YouTube, and I think I'm like, okay, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready. But I think taking it video by video is so important. And my goal, however, is to put out an episode every Monday. The Lord has called me home for a season, so I have um just a better picture or more time to actually plan out, okay, what is my day-to-day looking like? And so yeah, I'm my my aim, God willing, is to put out an episode every Monday, but I want them to be conversational, I want it to flow, and I really want to get into the topic of today, which is faith and perspective, okay? Faith and perspective, because I think a lot of the time we can forget that we are living in answered prayers. I mean, literally, just what I was talking about before, in regards to pruning being the reward. Pruning does not feel comfortable, but we have to remember that that is the reward for bearing forth fruit, right? But it's all about perspective. That's why the Bible talks about rejoicing in the trials, rejoicing in tribulation. Why? Because patience has her perfect work so that you can be perfect lacking nothing. You know what I mean? And so it's all about having heaven's perspective over the carnal perspective because it doesn't feel good to our flesh. And yeah, I think perspective is so major. I think that's also something that's held me back from even being consistent on YouTube. I think perfectionism is something that oftentimes will try to come up in my mind, and I have to remember that it is obedience through grace by faith, right? So if God gives me a word to go and do something, he'll then allows me to tap into the grace to do it, and the obedience is all that he's asking from me. The fruit will follow. But I think you know, I treat YouTube as like, I don't even know. I just think like with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, the reels are easy because you just prop up your phone. But I think with YouTube, my heart is to really like put my best work forth, and obviously you want to do things in excellence unto the kingdom, but the perfectionism is if it doesn't look exactly how I want it to look, then I don't want to do it. That is something else the Lord is really trying to stretch out of me because it's in our weakness he is made perfect. So it's like it's actually in the fact that you know it's not exactly how I want it to be, but it'll reach the target audience of who it needs to reach again, even if it reaches one person and that person goes deeper in their walk with the Lord, then amen. Assignment complete. And so yeah, that was a little chat before the real chat, but I really want to get into again faith and perspective. I guess you could say that was like a little appetizer or whatever. But yeah, so I think this is something the Lord has really been stretching me through the years on. And when I mean stretch again, it's the Christianese. I mean like he's really been, I mean, yeah, like stretching my capacity, especially in regards to faith and perspective. And you know, I had bought a one-way ticket to the UK. I actually just came back from the UK a couple days ago. There's a whole background story of why I went to the UK, how the Lord told me to go to the UK. That could be a whole other podcast episode, but I really want to focus in on my heart posture throughout the entirety of being there. So I was there for a month. I bought a one-way ticket, and then eventually came back, which I am now back in Canada. And, you know, something that really hit me was how the Lord oftentimes will mess up the plans you made for his glory, right? The Bible talks about it. That man might plan, but it's the Lord who orchestrates and ordains the steps. And so I had thought that I was gonna be staying in this house for a month. It was like a cushion, and the Lord was like, No, you're actually not gonna do that. And so I'm here on my face, like, Lord, okay, I feel like you hoodwinked me to come here, and I don't know where I'm gonna be staying at. I don't know like where I'm gonna be. I'm essentially homeless in a whole other continent. Um, and I think in times past, like when I've moved, when the Lord's called me to move to Texas, to California, I had my car, I had enough finances to like, you know, get a BB or get a hotel. That was not the case here. Um, and so I was like, okay, Lord, like what are we doing here? And I remember I called one of my mentors, and something that was so key that honestly stuck with me was, you know, Rachel, sometimes the plan of God looks like go up into that mountain in solitude for 40 days, seek my face, and that's my will for you right now in this season. And so I was faced with this question of, would I be okay of pouring out resources to get away across the world just to get alone with God? And I think when I was faced with that question, it showed how fear of man was really ruling in my heart. Because I was thinking about everything else everyone would be saying, like, girl, you can get alone with God at home. And yes, that is the case. But I think even biblically looking at the word, there are times where the Lord will call us away to a place that we don't know that's not comfortable to deal with us, and that's exactly what he was doing with me in the UK. And yes, it was fruitful. We did evangelize, and it was really an amazing experience. But I think, you know, when all of your comfort in this world is ripped from you, it truly reveals the state of your heart as in do you really trust the Lord? Do you really have full faith in the Lord? And I realized that I didn't. And so there was this song that I was constantly listening to. Um, it was like a worship set by Upper Room, it's like a bilingual set. And the one line based on the scripture, I think it's Luke 9. I don't know what scripture, I'll put it on the screen, but it essentially is talking about how birds have their nests and foxes have their holes, but the son of man has nowhere to rest. I mean, think about it. God Almighty in the flesh, right, literally stepped down from his throne to come and live in this world. And although he could have done everything and anything he wanted because all things were created through him, by him, and for him, he was completely dependent on the Father to the point where he literally did not know where he was gonna stay. He had no hotel to go to, he didn't have an Airbnb to go to, he didn't even provide food in his own accord unless the Lord granted it to him, right? But think about that, God Almighty humbled himself to the perspective of, I'm only going where the Lord is telling me to go, but I don't even know where I'm staying tonight. And so the Lord brought me back to recognizing, again, this is where perspective comes in. I have prayed to see from the perspective of Jesus. And the reality is this he was known as a man of many sorrows, he was known as a suffering servant. And so if my prayer is to give him a costly praise, a costly worship, it's only on this side of eternity that I will ever be able to get a glimpse of what Jesus walked through while on earth. That is where true faith is. Because the reality is in heaven, right, in eternity, I'm gonna be face to face with God. So it's not even about faith anymore. That's why the Bible talks about our faith being fulfilled, the salvation of our souls, right? But that means the season that I was just in was an answered prayer. When I ask, Lord, I want to be able to carry in your burden, I want to be able to see from your perspective, I was actually living in an answered prayer. When I say, Lord, I want to be used by you, I want to know you, he says, You want to know me, then I'm gonna put you in positions that I myself was in. And if I myself was in these positions with no complaint, why are you complaining? And it hit me so hard. And I said, Wow, Lord, you are actually answering my prayer. I'm living in an answered prayer. But because my perspective was earthly, because my perspective was carnal, I was not able to see the blessing that it is and the setup that God was allowing to happen. You see, the Lord provided so much in the UK, but not only that, I was stretched beyond my imagination. I did not think that I would even be able to do something like that. The divine appointments, the divine doors, people literally letting me stay in their house that have never met me because the Lord confirmed it to them in prayer. Seeing the book of Acts in action, like think about that. They were literally bringing each other into each other's homes. They were sharing, they had all things in common. And the reality is we know that before the Lord's return, the church is going to grow brighter and brighter and brighter. But this is the reality. The church oftentimes multiplies at the face of hardship, at the face of persecution. And so I realize, I recognize now by God's grace that everything we're in is preparation unto. And my favorite pastor, Pastor Brian, always talks about how he is conforming us to his image. We are being created like him for him. That is the reward. He is the reward, and we are his reward. I mean, that is a beautiful love story that I think we can lose sight of because we can enter into this form of Christianity where we don't remember how good God is because our situation and our circumstance is not good to our flesh. But we forget that this walk, what we are called to do is pick up our cross daily and follow him. Meaning our flesh is going to be burning on the altar continually. This is not, if we really want comfort, this walk is not giving comfort. Now, don't get me wrong, he will comfort you in the midst of your trial and the midst of your sorrows, but I'm not in this walk for comfort. I'm in this walk for him. And sometimes the byproduct is comfort. I will be comforted in trials, but my flesh will not be because my flesh should be dead on that altar. And so, UK, or you know, this past season really allowed me to see that. I'm so sorry. If you guys see me sweating, just know I am. Okay, I am. I want this podcast to be real, and it's real. I'm sweating, it's hot in here. My window is open, but it's not doing the job. So forgive me. I'm human, I am sweating. Anywho, yeah, y'all. So that is something that really hit me. And so again, he kept playing that lyric in my mind. Foxes have holes, birds have their nests, but the son of man has no place to rest. And I just felt him like asking me, like, are you willing to let me rest on you and with you? And I'm like getting erect. I'm like, Lord, wow! Like, what an honor it is that you trust, you'll give me the grace to give you costly praise right now and to worship you, even though I don't know where I'm gonna be staying at. You know what I mean? And he brought me to Matthew chapter six that talks about how you know the thoughts of what am I gonna wear tomorrow? What am I gonna eat? Uh, what am I gonna do? These are the thoughts that rule unbelievers. And so if I am a believer, why am I allowing these thoughts to get the best of me? This is where true faith comes in. The Bible even talks about let us worry about today, for tomorrow has its own troubles. Literally, and so every time I would ask the Lord about, okay, Lord, what's next? Even in regards to like this season that I'm now stepping into, mind you, I just came back from the UK like three or four days ago, and he just gave me drop on like what I was about to step into the last week I was in the UK. Every time I would ask him, I would like feel him telling me with a smile on his face, he's like, Let's just worry about today. And it's crazy because that's the perspective that we need to have. We need to have so much trust in the Lord that even if we don't know what tomorrow brings, we know that he is good and he is able and he is worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. Seriously. And so I think that was something the Lord was really stretching me on. Again, fear of man was super huge that I didn't even know I had that. And I thank the Lord again for those wilderness seasons on this channel. We've talked about wilderness seasons a lot and how they're actually a time of just consecration and they're not meant to be negative, it's actually wonderful because it reveals the slave mindset that still might be hidden, even if you were delivered from Egypt, which we can go into in a whole other podcast episode. But I think these seasons are a blessing, especially when you start really, you know, getting busy. You never want to be too busy for God. But I think the luxury of being able to just get alone with God is such a blessing that I don't think we realize until life gets super busy. And so, yeah, the Lord was really just ministering to me about that. But I really do want to know, like, what was something y'all were getting pruned with? Because I kid you not, every single brother, sister that I was talking to in the faith was all getting dealt with different things, but they were all getting dealt with, okay. And again, it's a blessing, but it's painful because it's like dang, like, my flesh is really about to die again. You know what I mean? And then you actually begin to see areas that you were actually feeding your flesh, you were actually feeding your flesh, and you didn't know, you didn't realize until that thing is full grown, and you're like, dang, like, where did this come from? But I think seasons like that are really beautiful because as I'm looking at my wall, so as I was away from home, my mom kind of like decorated my room a little bit with more scriptures, which I love that we have scriptures all over my house, and like that in itself is a blessing because the Lord just is amazing, like He saved my whole family. I think that is a blessing that I need to thank him for just every single day. Cause I'm like, wow, I know some of y'all might not have safe family members, some of y'all might not have safe friends, and it's hard. I remember like it was like that when I was a really babe in Christ, I was really lukewarm, but I remember how difficult it was for me. And so, um, anywho, she put up this psalm, and it's Psalm 168. It says, I keep my eyes always on the Lord, with him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. And you know, I always think of what is this unto, and again, yeah, of course, it's him making us like him for him. But when we look at the life of Jesus, we also look at the way he died. We look at the way Paul died, we look at the way the disciples died. And again, as I was talking about, you know, the the church multiplying in these last days and the fear of the Lord increasing. I'm telling you, if you look at the word of God, a lot of the times when the church was increasing, it was at the face of persecution. And so that's why I really feel like the Lord, for me personally, was dealing so much with fear of man because if we cannot stand firm now, can you imagine when it starts getting crazier and crazier? It's already crazy, but I mean like they're really out here all over the world because we see what's happening to our brothers and sisters in Nigeria and in the Middle East, like Christians are being murdered for their faith, and so I'm thinking unto the Lord, like, yo, what is this unto? What is this unto? And I might be speaking in Christianese here, but I'm just flowing with the Holy Spirit. Like, y'all, we need to be so locked in, so rooted with the Lord that nothing shakes us. The book of Hebrews, chapter 12, talks about I'm actually gonna go there. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 12. Y'all, there's something just about having like a Bible on you compared to using your phone that just hits different. Maybe it's just me, but I love having my physical Bible. That's why my Bible is small, and behind me you can kind of see like I have a lot of small Bibles. Um, I'm actually I have an amplified Bible too, it's a journal Bible. I love it. I actually love it. I'm getting back into it, but I just love a small Bible. Anywho, okay, so Hebrews chapter 12, verse 26. It says, Whose voice then shook the earth, but now he has promised saying, Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. And so we bless the Lord that He is a consuming fire. He is consuming everything in our lives that is not like him. Praise God. Because the Bible talks about in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 that on that day of judgment, the Lord will try our works by fire, our motives will be exposed, all of these things will be exposed. So I pray every day, Lord, deliver me from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Those are the main ways the enemy is trying to come for us in these last days. He's trying to lull the church asleep. But I'm thankful that the Lord is dealing with us as children. The Bible talks about that. He chastises us as sons, as children. And one who he does not chastise is not a son. So bless the Lord. I thank the Lord that he's dealing with us. I want to encourage you, even in the comments, give a big shout of praise to the Lord. He is faithful. If he's been dealing with you, that means he's not done with you. Praise God. If you've been dealing with conviction and correction from the Holy Spirit, praise God that you are sensitive enough to feel him tugging at your heart. That your heart is not hardened to his voice. Now is not the time to be playing. There's never been a time to be playing, but I promise you, tomorrow's not promise. There is this urgency to spread the gospel. There's this urgency to obey. We should never be just content in our walk. We should always hunger and thirst for more. Right? Like the Bible talks about how he has put eternity in our hearts, meaning that we are never going to be fulfilled by anything other than God. And if God is never ending, that means our hunger for him, our pursuit of him should be never ending. And it's not in a striving way. I mean this. You should want so you have access. We have access because of his blood. And so when we're put in these tough seasons, it's like, Lord, what are you trying to show me? What revelation are you trying to give me of who you are? If the angels go around for eternity saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, then we should be yearning for deeper revelation of who he is, not in a striving way, but in a way of like, Lord, I love you and I want to know all of you. I want the whole Christ. I don't want the cookie cutter Christ. I don't want the the the false Jesus. I want the real thing. I want the truth. I want to burn for you. I forget who it was, but they said this. They said, I just burn for Jesus, and the rest of the world comes and watched me burn for him. I paraphrase that. But that right there, that should be our heart desire. If we are saved, if we have been chosen to be safe for a time such as this, in these last days, in these end times, and he is gracing us to be bold. Mind you, I want to encourage you. In our weakness, he's made strong. I'm weak, y'all. I am weak. This is not no willpower or strength in my own strength. This is the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the power of the Holy Ghost, okay? But I want to encourage us, may we burn for him. May we encourage others to burn for him. I know you guys have heard that saying of, you know, you might be the only Bible somebody reads. I want people to look at my life and see the change that God has done and give God glory and say, You have something different, and that I'm not drawing people unto me, but from the fruit of my mouth, they are encouraged to go seek God. Like we are ambassadors of heaven, you guys. This is crazy. We carry the very image of Christ. And again, this is why Image Bears was created because I desire to see the church set ablaze. I desire to see people walking in their true identity as a child of God, understanding that their purpose in life is to be loved and known by God. And from understanding that there is nothing you can do to earn his love, then his love begins to imprint on your heart and it overflows out of you. Even in ministry, whatever ministry you're called to, I say this all the time: workplace, school, full-time ministry. Wherever God sends you, my prayer is that you would carry the very character of Jesus. Don't get caught up in the signs, miracles, and wonders. The signs, miracles, and wonders follow them that believe. But the enemy can even mimic those. But he cannot mimic character, he cannot mimic fruit. And so I kind of went on a whole tangent, but I really want to encourage you. I felt led. Y'all, I'm sweating. But it's the it's the fire of the Holy Ghost, okay? I can't help it.

unknown 23:02

I can't help it.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

But yeah, you guys, I want to encourage you. Like I was telling my mom, y'all, the stage is set. The stage is set. There is a major shift coming for the body of Christ. The stage is set. Jesus Christ is coming back soon, but listen, there is work for the body of Christ to do. He's not coming back unless the gospel be spread amongst all nations. May we be found with oil in Jesus' name. May we be found watching and waiting. Blessed is he who was found watching. Blessed is he who was found in prayer. What will you be found doing? It's my prayer that we go deeper with the Lord, you guys. And I say this, and I'm praying you're encouraging, you're exhorting, you're fired up. And it's not just an emotional roller coaster, no, but it's the fire of the Holy Spirit hitting you even now in Jesus' mighty name. Let us get back to that zealous place, that place of devotion, not just praying and fasting for what God can do for us. But no, God, because I love you, because I'm devoted for you, I'm going to pray, I'm going to fast, I'm going to empty myself, I'm going to consecrate and set myself apart so that you can be glorified in my life. And when you be lifted up, you draw all men unto yourself. Hello. Woo. Man, oh man, I love the Lord. I love the Lord. And I'm thankful because I feel like even in these last days, the trials, the tribulations, the warfare, it's not glorifying warfare. I thank God for it because he uses all things for the greater good. Meaning he is using what the enemy is trying to take you out with to reveal to you your weakness so that his strength can be made perfect. Like what a good God it is that we serve. So it's my prayer that we would not harden our hearts to his voice. I know it's getting rough. I know it's getting hard. I want you to know I'm compassionate to that. But I'm speaking to your spirit right now. I don't want to cuddle your flesh. That's the thing. I don't want to cuddle your flesh, not in these last days. We want our flesh to be dead on the altar. And so, yeah, I went. I went. I was not planning on going there, but you know what? That's why I love the conversational, because we just flow. We just flow. We got the word on here, word always on us. So we can read the word when we need to, but hopefully it's written on our hearts so that we could just flow. Amen. Praise God. And so, y'all, that was the first episode back. I'm so excited. I'm so so excited. The Lord's able to allow me to invest in this camera and just invest in the mics and everything that was stolen. He's returned doublefold, and we could really go forth in what God has called us to do, and that's to preach the gospel on a secular space. You know what I mean? Like, so yeah, we're back. We're back. We're back. I'm excited. Um, again, I'm trying to get out a podcast episode every Monday, God willing. So, yeah, y'all subscribe, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment. Let me know what the Lord was working on you with. Let me know what was really edifying and encouraging to you guys. I'm really excited to see how the Lord just moves and reaches you guys throughout this video, throughout the channel. And so, yeah, I'm really excited, guys. I have some exciting news coming out very, very soon. So if you want to keep up with that, you can subscribe to the email newsletter on the website. Um, and you can also follow the socials to keep up there. I'll be posting it on there as well. But I love you guys. I pray that this episode was encouraging and edifying. I say this all the time on live as well. Like sometimes I just ramble, but I pray that you catch the gems. Um, and yeah, that being said, I'll see you guys next time in Jesus' name. Bye.