Living in the Zone: It's Natural!

By Dan Fiedler and Suzi Fiedler

Here's to the ones who dare to pursue God and take on the challenge of following the peculiar leading of the Spirit of God in their life, listening for His voice in the inner man.

If you decide to live your life in the zone, it will be like sitting on the edge of your seat anticipating what might happen next in a thrilling action movie-onl

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Jan 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647737610

Dan Fiedler

It's been said that Dan's had some pretty bizarre manifestations of God's power in his life. That's because he seeks them out! He pursues the Holy Spirit and His demonstrations of power and love. He and Suzi pray for them daily.In their forty-two years of marriage, Suzi has followed Dan from college student, to farmhand, to carpentry contractor, to pastor, to liquidator, and now, to writer.

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Trilogy Christian Publishers

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Copyright © 2020 by

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-64773-760-3 (Print Book)

ISBN 978-1-64773-761-0 (ebook)

We would like to dedicate this book most assuredly to Jesus. Our thinking would be a mess, and so would our lives, without God putting forth His Word to us as a guide in how to think, what to think, and what to say.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Reason: Is There Not a Cause?

Chapter 2: Truth: It’s Always in Season

Chapter 3: Words: Oodles of Leaves

Chapter 4: Blooming with Real Purpose

Chapter 5: Growing Up to Bloom: Exchanging Positive for Negative

Chapter 6: A Little Help from Leaves Dropped by Other Trees

Chapter 7: Salvation: Tapped into the Vine and Getting Connected

Chapter 8: Salvation: The All-Inclusive Cruise

Chapter 9: Going Deeper

Chapter 10: Tilling: Rip That Soil!

Chapter 11: Having the Mind of Christ: Seeing What Others Don’t See

Chapter 12: Living in Sure World: Concrete Faith

Chapter 13: Growth: Developing Trust

Chapter 14: Attitude: Lay Down That Mulch

Chapter 15: The Process of Growth

Chapter 16: The Power of 0.039 Inches!

Chapter 17: The Seed

Chapter 18: Weeds in the Soil

Chapter 19: Soil: The Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 20: Soil Condition: Vital to Growth

Chapter 21: Fruit Grown to Perfection

Chapter 22: Hidden Fruit

Chapter 23: Harvest

Chapter 24: The Conclusion

Epilogue

Appendix

Notes

Foreword

from some whoevers

But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life. (John 4:14 AMPC)

I so enjoyed the book! I found it very encouraging. There are a couple of chapters that rocked my world, and in fact, I read them over and over. I realized how many of these principles I had not considered in some years. At that point, I found myself somewhat excited about the future. I’d become stoically stagnant, especially in regards to concerns about any financial potential. I’m encouraged that the author reminds the reader not to skip over reading the Scriptures.

—Rick Priem

This book touched my life in so many ways, and I want that for others too. It was so good I’m getting it out and reading it over again. The reader will be inspired by the author’s stories as they make you laugh and make you look at yourself in a way that humbles you to strive to be a better person. This is a book that will not only make you love God more but also encourage you to go deeper with Him.

—Ken and Kathy Vorpahl

We so enjoyed reading this book because whether you want to know how to live in the secret place, practice the presence of God, or hear the voice of God, it is contained in these wonderful examples in the life of one believer.

—Dave and Debbie Fiedler

Living in the Zone describes a life that is lived by faith in Jesus Christ. As I read this book, I became more aware of God’s presence as I spend time in His Word and listen to His voice. This book reminded me of my part in His master plan to draw all people to Himself.

—Laura Barr Walker

This book was truly inspiring. People go through life never learning how to grow in their relationship with God or learn how to build on their level of faith. This book will challenge you through testimonies and scriptures on how to have a deeper relationship with Christ so you can be that tree planted by the river’s edge.

—Julie and Bryan Maloney

The book you are holding in your hands is filled with true stories that speak wisdom and encouragement into your life. If you let it, this book has the power to change your life in ways that you will never be the same nor ever want to be the same again.

—Ken Vorpahl

My longtime friend, Dan Fiedler, has revelation that very few people possess. It’s not for a specific God-given calling but rather a wisdom to rely on and follow the Holy Spirit regarding extraordinary wealth and finances, which are used to advance God’s kingdom. The insight in this book will make you laugh and provoke you to deepen your sensitivity to godly ways of giving and receiving.

Together, Dan and Suzi walk in this anointing and want to share these principles with us. I’m so grateful that this timely Word is getting out for such a time as this!

—Joe Firestone

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the people who have gone before us, gone with us, influenced us, and helped make us better, stronger Christians. Thank God for books! We have learned so much from those who have handed down their wisdom via their writings.

Also, we would like to thank Chuck Ramsey, Suzi’s brother, for his tedious hours in being the first editor of the book and, within that, being the first reader. He sure is a smart guy, and we are thankful for his ever-agreeable assistance in this undertaking.

Lastly, we would like to thank Mom (Mildred Rose Fiedler) for praying for all her kids for so many years. We know she is running on streets of gold! She would have liked this book.

Introduction

This book is for the average person who wants to accomplish great things in their life. For it is the average, natural person who would be able to do the supernatural. And it is the ordinary one who can do the extraordinary. This is what Jesus says:

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. (John 14:12 AMPC)

It’s amazing, truly amazing, what can happen when you really believe the Word of God.

1

The Reason: Is There Not a Cause?

We drift through life sometimes not realizing how many godly systems are in place. They are working without our awareness, but they’re there for us to use, if only we would. I hope to expose some of these systems to you so that you can take advantage of them and make your life better. That’s the reason for the book: to make your life better by revealing information you never realized.

Did you ever wonder how many times a twenty-dollar bill nestled in leaves by a drain cover may have been walked past and overlooked before you found it? Certainly, others would have bent down to pick it up had they known it was there. Or did you ever put on a pair of pants and find a $20 bill in the pocket that you had forgotten about? Information is like that. It’s there for us, but do we know about it?

It is information that begins the process of change in us. And change is good. God says His people die because they just don’t know! We need to embrace knowledge. Always.

Be sure to read the boxes in this book, for they contain that all-important knowledge.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6a AMP)

What’s the reason for the title of the book? In football, there is the red zone. It’s the twenty yards before the opponent’s end zone, where, if the ball crosses, you score. It is said of players who experience a good game that they were in the zone that night. They were in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. A rookie barely knows what the zone is about, but I can guarantee that the first touchdown he scores, he keeps that football. How does it feel when you score? It’s a conquering, blissful, euphoric feeling!

I have a phrase I commonly say to my wife to let her know God is speaking to me. I say, I’m in the zone right now. There are those occasions where my time with Him is especially clear and informative. My goal is to live in the zone, as much as I can. My desire is to be in tune with Him and His direction in my life. With God on my side, I’ve scored many times.

Early in my Christian walk, I felt I was given marching orders to get up at 5:00 a.m. and pray for an hour. That yearlong commitment changed my life forever. After some months, I was hooked into a rhythm of the system of tapping into the Spirit of God and listening to that still small voice. Since then, I have had such specific words from God that it could only be attributed to God. My thought at that time became an ongoing prayer, Lord, show me what I need to see, what others don’t see.

I remember exactly one of the first times I heard the voice of God in a specific way. I was a builder and was building my wife’s and my first log home. I had leaned my four-foot level against the wall. If you know anything about levels, that bubble that sits between two lines had better be calibrated correctly, or you will have walls resembling a house of cards. I had a sudden inkling that I should lay the level down. I didn’t. Then yet another passing thought: Move the level. Again, I didn’t. Three seconds later, there it went. I had turned away, heard a sliding sound and a loud clap. My outstretched hand was too late to grab the level as it fell to the floor.

That single miniscule event changed me. The level was valuable, but more valuable was what I took away from that moment in time. Why didn’t I just listen to that little inkling inside me? Now I know how, how to live in the zone, hearing God’s direction.

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11–12 KJV)

That’s how information comes. It’s little. It’s a sentence, a brief experience, or a learning, if you will. It can be short and quick. For me, many times it’s just a single word. It could be a small happening like the level incident that grabs your attention for some reason. Sometimes you don’t know its significance at that time, but eventually you figure it out. And the lesson learned sticks with you, if you will pay attention to it. That is, if you desire to live in the zone. Isn’t that how the Word of God is learned? Little by little?

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. (Isa. 28:10 KJV)

I’ve had many accurate leadings from the Spirit of God, some of which you’ll read in this book, but I would say the most bizarre example was when I had a bit of a busy morning but most distinctly heard the Lord say inside me, Would you like some jewelry? I battled with the usual thoughts: What? Where did that thought come from? Is that You, Lord? What do You mean exactly? Where? I’m kinda busy. And on and on with the self-doubt thoughts that can drive us more than God’s voice.

But I drove past my place of work, past my 9:00 a.m. meeting, and past rational thinking. I went in my truck, as instructed, to the edge of a mountain of snow in a Sam’s Club parking lot. Though it was only a short distance from work, the entire way I wondered if I had really lost it. Had anyone been in the truck with me, I certainly wouldn’t have shared with them what I was about to do. This had nothing to do with common sense. There wasn’t an ounce of logic in this time-stealing plan. You look for jewelry at home on a dresser or in the store at the jewelry counter, not in a snowbank! Nevertheless, I slowly drove along that great wall of snow, looking out the window at the melting edge. Within a few feet of commencing, I saw something that looked like a noodle. I got out and, lo and behold, picked up a small marquis diamond ring in the water. I put it in my coffee cup holder and drove away. Talk about finding a needle in a haystack!

In shock, I pulled over after a minute and said to myself, "Wow! What just happened? The God who knows me and talks to me knows everything else. He knows everything! If I can listen, I can get direction to and for everything in my life. I was so thrilled at the pinpoint precision of hearing the voice of my Father that I drove off half-dumbfounded, half-awed. This opened a whole new world to me in trusting what I hear and know to be true. The incident with the level many years before was commonsense. Lesson learned: Don’t lean a level against the wall. Lay it down. That makes sense. The jewelry incident made no sense. You might be thinking, Why did you stop with the diamond ring find? Why not look for more?" I was in a state of shock as it was and didn’t even consider that there might be more. I was elated with what I drove away with—more knowledge. I scored. I was in the zone for a moment in time.

In my life, I’ve had many such happenings and have honed the listening art tremendously. That’s not something you want to make a mistake on, as it can cost you more than a level that isn’t level. I love the zone. I crave it. It’s a place of harmony and one of peace. It’s a place of clarity, a place of information. You bring a piece of heaven to your life. It’s like grabbing a star. I mean, it’s that big.

Now I knew firsthand the power and the feeling inside of these scriptures:

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. (Prov. 8:11 NLT)

The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field. (Matt. 13:44 NLT)

I wondered if I should tell anyone of this diamond ring incident. Would they even believe me? I have kept that ring as confirmation that God does indeed desire to speak plainly and distinctly to me and reveal secrets. And I believe He even has fun doing it! But He will not impose Himself upon me if I am not willing. God is ultimately developing trust. Can He trust me? And will I trust Him?

Trust. It’s like someone who desires to tame a wild kitten they’ve seen hanging around outside. You start with setting out food. Then you set out the food and leave the light on. Then you allow your presence to be seen in the window, watching the kitten as it approaches. With patience, you sit outside as the kitten eats. Soon Kitty is on your lap while you watch TV and has become your house pet. That’s how it works. Now the cat knows where its bread is buttered. With God, trust is a process. It’s developed over time. Now, for me, life has never been more fun, knowing where my bread is buttered. And I truly know this scripture from experience:

My heart has heard you say, Come and talk with me. And my heart responds, Lord, I am coming. (Ps. 27:8 NLT)

2

Truth: It’s Always in Season

Reminder: Don’t skip reading the scriptures in the boxes. They’re the best part of the book, because they’re to the point and say it all.

Subsequent to the practice of giving my initial thoughts and attention to God and His Word, even before my eyes open to begin a new day, I’ve heard of a wealthy businessman’s daily practice. He dedicates his success to sitting every morning, observing how God does things in nature. The man then duplicates the systems that he sees from God’s view in his own business ventures. What a concept! I decided to try this observation process myself.

It wasn’t hard. We lived overlooking a beautiful wooded area at that time. I observed much there, and then we moved to a house we built on a lake. This afforded a vast new encyclopedia of knowledge about godly systems in place in nature. The lessons learned there are amazing to me to this day.

God teaches me His principles, at times using these visual examples found in nature. The Bible says that nature itself bears witness to the glory of God. I believe the systems present in nature also bear witness to the wisdom of God.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. (Ps. 19:1–3 NLT)

Remember my prayer? Lord, show me what others don’t see. Here’s the thing: you’ve got to look for what you don’t see. God’s wisdom and way of doing things are always in season. Once you see it, it becomes louder than anything else around you. Then you know you’re in the zone. It’s enlightenment. It brings focus. It’s a flashlight showing the way for you on a dark night.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Ps. 119:105 NLT)

By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. (Ps. 119:105 MSG)

The biggest illusion of life is seeing what everyone else sees. Often, it’s the problem. It’s part of the needs, wants, fleshly desires, and fears that try to rule us. The crowd goes in a particular direction, so surely, that must be the correct way to go, right? The best example of this is from Moses in Numbers chapters 13 and 14. Of the twelve spies sent out to report on the new land God had given to them, it was Joshua and Caleb who were commended for not going