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)

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."

The Nation Of Christianity

Our Christian life should precede our allegiance to our nationality. We are as sojourners in a strange land, not nationalists connected with a particular faith. While we tread the grounds of our nationality in the flesh, it only affords us our unique customs and traditions in which our bodies can manifest a particular and peculiar dance and song to God; yet in Spirit, there is no disdain, no differences, nor division in relation to other Christians around the world. There is neither Greek nor Jew, man or woman, free or slave; only a unification of individuals, like grains of sand that comprise the terrain. Together in Spirit we are one nation sending up our incense of prayer and worship to our Lord Jesus (Revelation 5:8), to the glory of God and to our ultimate inheritance of the new kingdom as the complete and perfect bride of Christ.

PJR

"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'" (Revelation 5:9-10)