Vanity Of Self Labor

Many have studied about Jesus and His kingdom and reckon it to be sufficient in and of itself to declare God's kingdom; but knowledge alone has not given man the ability to take dominion over the earth except that the Creator's life accompany it. Apart from Christ, the "land" is cursed.


Few have met their "woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips". Those without this humble encounter are making a lot of noise in the name of Christianity, but to the Isaiah's and Jobs of this age..., it is crystal clear that the "old man" still desires the old form of hierarchical temple worship, where God is kept in an Ark and man is determined that his own will be done on earth.


We're ambassadors of Christ, not delegates; there are huge differences in the appropriations and duties between the two. The Father has not delegated His work to us, He has called us to lose what we felt was a superior life to His. This surrender is His power through us and to the world.


Lest we lose our focus, His strength is made perfect in our weakness, not our own interpretation of how we should be going about His business.


PJR


"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12,13)

Keeping The Cup

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will'" (Matthew 26:39)

There is a cup of suffering appointed to everyone who will follow Jesus. Without taking up this cup, the road to growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ ends abruptly. Many have fallen prey to a new gospel. They hand their cup back to the Father and arrogantly proclaim, "I now stake my identity in Christ and because he conquered evil and death, I don't need this cup, for He paid it all, once for all." This is true of salvation alone because we didn't choose Him, He chose us. However, there are no rewards of intimacy down this road.

Disregard The Dust

Resisting evil is not a passive avoidance or coercion of distasteful circumstances. Nor is it an emotional appeal toward people, spawned by anger, frustration or fear. It is a direct confrontation of Satan by the Sword of the Spirit, which is Christ in us.

If we should cultivate an intentional relationship with the Son of God, not compromising with the pattern and wisdom of the god of this world, then the blood of Christ would be flowing through our own veins. Jesus has overcome the world; but if this Spiritual Authority that lives in us lies dormant due to our neglect of so great a salvation, we will never know Abundant Life this side of death. Jesus has already conquered the principalities and ruling authorities in the heavenlies, but the demons will not succumb to an earthen vessel that does not have the Spirit of Christ wrought within them.

Further considerations of the "thorn in the flesh".

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7-10‬ ESV)

We immediately assume that this thorn was given to Paul after he received the revelations from Christ. But looking at verse 10, we can see what Paul considers to be the product of the thorn's presence that causes God's strength to become perfect in us; weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; these are indeed the products of the messengers of Satan. They are everything inherent to all human nature since the Spiritual separation from God in Garden.

Come To Know And Let It Flow

It's a beautiful experience to get caught up in the flow of the Spirit as others release what He has put on their hearts. The 'now word' is so encouraging because the Spirit has opened the ears of those whom Jesus has purposed to speak to through others.

The members of the body are gifted for the very purpose of building up the church. Some revelations are for the entire body to glean from. Others are more specific, targeting individuals whose gift would be further encouraged to a new level of faith.

We should be discerning as we receive from other members. While we are certainly prompted with an "Amen!" in the Spirit, we are to be mindful of our own unique gifting. (1 Cor. 12) It's easy to get emotionally caught up in the moment. A revelation may be a specific truth for another gift of the body, but we can ignorantly attempt to apply it to ourselves.

We will rejoice with others in the Spirit, but that doesn't mean we should be personally attending to the message. If we fail to understand our own gifting, we will find ourselves on unfamiliar ground. Eventually, we'll feel the offense of the Spirit and our witness will surely fall flat from such encroachment. No one has been allotted the fullness of all members of the body but the Head Himself. The Holy Spirit determines the purpose of each member of His body.

It's not only important to recognize and embrace our own gift, it is equally important to respect other gifts that desire to participate. They may even have a word that might appear to differ from the original word, but that's how the Spirit rolls! No one knows where it comes from and no one knows where it's going. We should never demand that our topic be left undisturbed, rather, we should anticipate and welcome what may come otherwise.

 If we stay focused on Jesus, the body will move fluently through His purposes for the church. That is where we find ultimate fellowship! Fan the flame of that wonderful and unique aspect of Jesus that is yours and feed and nourish the body of Christ! Don't be shy to release the burden on your heart. Let the River flow!

PJR

"But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way." (1 Cor. 12:31)

Heartful, Not Hurtful

The value of a gift should not be determined by the preferences of the heart that receives it, but through the love of the heart that gives it.

When self image and preservation prevents us from experiencing things that differ from our own tastes, then we have become selfish with our love while burdening others with the insult of avoidance.

Love's power, beyond the superficial, can't be known by us until we are willing to loosen our necktie, let down our hair, and embrace the variety of other hearts around us.

Love that knows how to give is first love that has learned how to receive.

PJR 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 John 3:16)

Allowing The Kingdom Its Own Work

All the commands that we find in the New Testament are in reality the declaration of Jesus' life upon those whom the Father has drawn to Him. "It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me" is our present reality once we receive the Holy Spirit, but it will take time before the mind becomes renewed to accept this. What is commonly understood as sanctification is simply the removing of the blinders of our current understanding by the Holy Spirit. While we may perceive the saints growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, the truth is that man decreases and Christ increases. "The life I now live in the flesh, I live by fatih..." No flesh will glory in God's presence. Man is but dust and returns to the ground, but his soul is being made aware of the source from which its very life began; in the Spirit as a son to the Father, but now also being prepared as a bride for His Son.

Until one is called by God, all creation has shown no interest in the things of God and are clearly conformed to the god of this world (Satan). Those who's eyes and ears have been opened should always be operating in hope, that God's love can redeem and transform any human spirit by the Life of His Son. It is equally important we know that the drawing of the soul is clearly the work of the Father alone. For this reason, Jesus tells us not to give to the dogs what is holy, or to throw our pearls to the pigs. Unless we recognize God's Spirit in another, there is no work for us there.

Denying The Devil His Daily Bread

Satan is a spiritual parasite and his only diet is our carnally minded spirit, our depraved human nature: the nature of the flesh.
"God created man from the dust of the ground."

God knows that apart from His Spirit, man is but dust. 

To the serpent He said, "You will eat the dust of the ground all the days of your life."

If we walk by the Spirit we will not gratify the desires of the flesh, thereby removing the very sustenance of the demonic parasites whose only purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. 

We can cleanse the temple of the Holy Spirit from becoming a den of thieves by putting on the mind of Christ.

PJR

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." (3John 1:2)

Food For Thought

At least in the U.S., apart from the obvious poisoning of our food supply and the cruel mistreatment of livestock-

The information highway is running a muck with the oldest and the newest research, unfounded claims, and rumors on what's good, bad, right and wrong for the health of humanity. If we become engrossed in these reports then we allow the contributors of the scientific community and the counter rebellion thereof to frighten us out of our freedom to taste and see that the Lord is good. 

"To the pure, all things are pure."

Self Proclaimed Christianity

The Holy Spirit is our counselor, not our baby sitter.

"When I was a child I acted like a child, but when I became an adult, I put my childish ways behind me."

Faith is not complacent with so great a salvation as simply having been sealed, building an easy road of Christianity by saving our own lives while remaining Spiritually malnourished.

On the other hand, though the Holy Spirit is our source of power to do God's will, He is not our genie. As well, faith and the Spiritual gifts are not a power we can wield at our own discretion. True faith comes by the immediate prompting of the Holy Spirit and that is the present work of our Father. When it appears that God may be silent, then grace, belief, and trust are what we are to rely upon during these seemingly idle times.

Reconciliation Is The Fruit of Grace

 

Of what value is a saint that has carnally ascended into a form of godliness that prevents them from presenting the 'good news' of grace to the lost world around them?

 

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Romans 12:3)

Grace is received but once, and the Holy Spirit has sealed it within us. Its manifestation is seen in the form of faith, and both grace and faith are a gift from God. We could no more believe in Jesus than we could create ourselves. And grace is not found by asking for it, but by living in it, for He lives within us. It is indeed sought after, but only in the person and power of Jesus. We know this because He ascended from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of our Heavenly Father.

Good-Will Or God's Will

 

Performing Christianity as a delegate

or

Releasing the life of Christ in us as an ambassador

　

"...as it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one.'"  (Romans 3:10)

We see in the world around us how unbelievers are seemingly able to make "good choices", especially in regards to the welfare of those who suffer unjustly. Yet even this is just basic human compassion, because it lacks the pure love and motives of God. There always lies an ulterior, selfish motive behind anything resembling a "good choice" among those void of the Holy Spirit.

Fear is one of the more powerful human emotions that will quickly force a "good" choice toward others, yet its true motive is simply human preservation. Perfect love, as we know, casts out fear. There is no "choice" involved when it comes to perfect love. It simply is.

A Christian may even think about the good choices they themselves make, but the reality is, they are merely releasing the nature of one of two spirits within at a particular moment, be it human or Holy. The human spirit, at best, works out of a sense of responsibility, obligation, and preservation. The Holy Spirit, however, works from the very heart of God, pouring forth pure love that is sacrificial and eternally hopeful. Only the lives that have surrendered their human will into the hands of the Father through the cross will demonstrate this. (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

There is only one reality that has kept this world from imploding in on itself; it is the mercy and grace of God. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) One aspect of this grace is the moral law introduced among humans. Now while the law was introduced to increase the trespass (Romans 5:20), the consequences of breaking the law was designed to incite fear in the hearts of the lawless. Yet we know the law has limited restraint on evil.

In the Garden, before the fall, God had given the first law to Adam and Eve; "You are not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." How were they able to break this law? ...they simply did not have the faith to do otherwise. But faith is never of our own doing, nor is it just possessing the power of God to believe, or His provision to obey. Faith is the life and character of God so deeply wrought in a person that they become the essence of Holiness themselves. Yet it comes at a great cost; it is not casually imparted.

So, what is truly good and faithful are those whom God has allowed to eat from the Tree of Life while suffering through a world that has only partaken from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You see, without intimacy with Jesus, good and evil becomes open to any one's interpretation, thereby making it impossible to truly love God or neighbor. You end up with people seeking to increase their own personal welfare; they are selfish and lawless.

It is only by God's grace and mercy that good and evil configures into His ultimate purposes for something that appears so chaotic here on earth. Anything found truly good in humanity has its source in Jesus. He is the Tree of Life. This is what was lacking in the relationships of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve could not have possessed anything "good" within themselves, for they would not have disobeyed God if they were indeed "good". (Psalm 47:3, Mark 10:18, Romans 3:12)

This is not to argue against the fact that God called everything He created in the beginning, "good". Indeed, it was "very good", because He had set into motion a plan for His creation. Like the beginning of creation itself, dark and void, we too were spawned into frustration and futility, with the Spirit of God hovering over us as well. God had ordained that the end purpose of humanity would be to reveal the sons and daughters of God; those that will have gone through the same suffering that His Only Begotten had suffered first, becoming the first born of many. They would become His very own dwelling place for eternity! They are the children of faith. (Romans 8:18-23), (Galatians 2:21-22), (Hebrews 11)

The key component of humans obtaining God's Holiness without simply becoming robotic in nature is to suffer alongside others who have yet to receive Faith. But we are not called to forsake them, we are called to reach out to them. We are called to love them; to bless them, not to curse them; to care and tend to them, not to avoid them; to afford mercy to them, not to condemn them; to forgive them, not to judge them. We are called to give up our human rights so that we may become a testimony of the living Christ.

Active Christianity today lacks the understanding that we are called to be ambassadors of Christ, not delegates. The role of an ambassador is to be a perfect representation of the one who sent them. They speak what was spoken to them; they do what they were told to do (perfect love). On the other hand, a delegate has some wiggle room. They have been delegated authority to make decisions or even change the outcome should they feel it warranted. They can shut down the entire process if they feel threatened (fear). Can you see the huge difference in the witness between the two?

The former represents a pure authority without shifting shadows. The ambassador illuminates a trustworthy source because their very nature never gets out of line from that source. They are not concerned with the results of their work; they are only mindful of yielding to the pure expression of that source. This, too, is their peace.

The latter represents the endless possibilities of continued bargaining. Arrangements or agreements can change at the drop of a hat and therefore, no real trust can be established between the parties. Delegates come with an agenda and will fight tooth and nail to achieve it. They convey in their very character that there is a compelling ulterior motive behind every move they make. Diplomacy is their only peacemaker.

So, what then is "truly good"? Why, the good news, of course. God's will, not man's good-will. We are God's treasure in jars of clay for the purpose of reaching out to a lost world whose only hope is the pure source of life. Let us become a pure representative of the treasure we carry within. We were never called to pick up where we think God left off; an Acts 29 pursuit if you will. God has not and does not delegate His authority. Rather we are called to become empty of ourselves so that we become full of His Spirit. The life is His, the work is His, the battle is His, the result is His. Remember, "it is finished".

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

PJR

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." (Romans 8:28-30)

From Tithes To Talents

The errant teaching of tithing found in churches today, especially Malachi 3, is one of the biggest guilt trips laid on church members in order to support a lavish building complex and infrastructure. In Malachi 3:8 we read, "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings."

Since our hope is for the life of Christ in us, then Malachi 3 has nothing to do with us regarding financial support of an institutional church community. Everything in the natural realm is a shadow of the spiritual realm (if we will but look for it). Verse 10 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this…". I believe this is right in step with the parable of the talents.

Obedience Before Intimacy?

The New Testament, taken in its literal form, appeals to the unsanctified mind as a mere extension of the Old Testament law, full of commands that appear to direct and control the behavior of believers within the church. The legalistic mindset loves to build community around the law because it has no desire to allow the Spirit of the word to challenge their lifestyle. Sadly, the 'flesh' desires nothing more than that of human authority, because they can either fight to change it, or just leave it when ever they decide it no longer suits their desires. This is a mind void of the idea that they "were bought at a price", because to come under the authority of the Holy Spirit is to surrender ones entire life to His work.

Dead Works

Until we have been taken through a thorough wilderness of sanctification, until we are absolutely convinced that we have been bought at a price, one of the most seemingly insensitive statements we hear Jesus speak is this:

"Another disciple said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father'. But Jesus told him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'" (Matthew8:21-22, Luke 9:59-60)

Fellowship

I can not see where Christians would ever find perfect community until our perception of such is adjusted to accept the fact that our fallen human nature is an inevitable part of it. Jesus' entire ministry was with the lost sheep.

Even if the purest of saints were to isolate themselves from the world, they couldn't escape their own human nature. We do what we don't want to do, and don't do what we should.

Instinctive Love

I see the creatures of the earth to be given as an example for the children of God to observe. There are so many different aspects of our Christian walk we can glean from them. (Here is an excellent example: http://intimatekingdom.com/ants-intimate-kingdom/ ) But like the angels, these creatures were created in the realm of instinct, and that is for the purpose of unwavering service to the world at hand. Humans are nothing but instinctive creatures, albeit the most intelligent, and all creatures, apart from the Spirit of God, are programmed for survival. Yet survival comes at the expense of the lives of others. Some die to provide food for another. Others, because they threaten the instinctive desires of another to dominate as they see fit. All of creation, plant and animal, survives by the sacrificial lives of others. This is one of the most overwhelming shadows of Christ that this world presents to us.

Train Wreck

 

"Train up a child in the way they should go..."

(Proverbs 22:6)

Every single person has within them with a unique natural talent, as well as a personal disposition to accommodate it. When an individual is free to flourish by the natural bent of their lives, we witness the pinnacle of creative expression from them. They are free to enjoy the life they were intended for. Unfortunately, the world has one agenda, and that is to conform as many as possible to its pattern of life. The squelching of living life to its fullest begins at an early age. Everyone is required to participate in their own regional system of basic education and afterward (if not during), most are forced into the work place just to make a living. Life becomes a drudgery of conforming to curriculum established by the world without much regard for the uniqueness of individuals. By this oppression of the masses, people in the work place are subjected to continuous personal frustration because they have departed from the original design of their lives.

Criss-Cross

"Agree with your adversary quickly..." (Matthew 5:25)

When Satan accuses the children of God, it is always their human nature that he targets. Whether we agree with the accusation or not, we can be assured that we are either guilty or quite capable of being so. Because he knows the Holiness of God and the frailty of humanity, he will arrest the lawbreakers and try the self righteous where they are most vulnerable. He desires to accuse and destroy us before the throne of God. (Job 1:6-12)

"Agree with your adversary quickly..." reveals the necessity for us to confess our weaknesses to God and one another because the devil is not incorrect in his assessment. His ploy is to get us to defend ourselves, to place our righteousness in the flesh. But if we agree with him, we take away his ability to cause us guilt. This is when we take our sins to the cross, that we may be "covered" by the blood of Jesus, which redeems us from all condemnation.

A Look At The Ministry Of Death

To regard no one in the flesh is to be passionately conscientious of sharing the love of God to the world. But it is so much more than verbalizing the written word of God. It is Christ in us, rivers of living water, that quenches the parched hopes of the lost, and refreshes the path of the believer. Below is something a dear sister in Christ recently shared with me.

"We are at a place right now where maturity in Christ means a willingness to recognize and acknowledge validation and love from Christ through each other - not just vertically - and as if we are receiving from Christ Himself! The age of "just me and Jesus" is over... if there ever was such an age."