It’s time to spring clean our spiritual closets

May 22, 2012 by 1 Comment

Dear Father,
Help me that I may only be clothed with integrity and never in subtle pretense!
Show me, Papa, signs of danger least I fall!
Dear Child,
It is in relationships and your dealings and responses to others, you will see the signs, as the Holy Spirit, illuminates that which is not of My spirit, but of the flesh!
In our time alone you behold Me!
                     BUT
In your time with others you behold yourself!
It is in your interactions with others that you see clearly what you have learned while in My presence.
It is in interaction with others that your growth is tested
In My presence you stand naked
                      BUT
In the presence of others you may be clothed with “pretense”.
Do not fool yourself or try to fool others, be real, grow up and wear the character of integrity and authenticity.
Declutter your spiritual wardrobe that there may be room for the clothing of humility, grace, integrity and authenticity.
These are royal robes!
Moths and time cannot deteriorate these garments, but rather time matures them to shine even brighter!
                                                             Thus saith Papa
Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Prov 16:2  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Challenge: As the Lord shines His light into the hidden corners of our spiritual closet, let us do some spiritual spring cleaning by withdrawing and discarding our subtle masks, that we may be found clothed in the transparent “royal robes” that befit a saint.

 

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Finding Gold in the Valleys

May 3, 2012 by 2 Comments

 

Dear Papa,

Does humility lead to obedience, or does obedience lead to humility?

Dear Child,

Humility leads to obedience, for only when you humble yourself before Me will you have the grace to be obedient. Even My Son learned obedience through suffering. And suffering will reap humility. Learn of Him, the expression of humility.

                                                            Thus saith Papa


Heb.5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Heb.12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Peter 5:5-6 For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you in due time. 

Suffering leads me to dependence on Papa, for then I realize my weakness. When I am weak, then I am humbled to rely on His strength, which is sufficient.

Suffering will teach me humility

Humility will teach me obedience

Obedience will teach me maturity

“God never intended that tribulation should have no fruit. His purpose is that all pressure lead to growth and all poverty lead to wealth. His destiny for His people is not continuous distress and poverty. Distress and poverty are not an end; they are the means to the end. The New Jerusalem is a city of infinite wealth. However there is not a nugget of gold in that city which has not been tried in the furnace of affliction, not a precious stone which has not passed through the fires, and not a pearl that has not been born of suffering.” Watchman Nee

Rom.8:17-18  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Note: Surely our spiritual wealth comes from trials!

CHALLENGE: May we all realize that the pure gold of our faith is extracted from the valleys of our lives and not from our mountain top experiences.


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Preparing our Hearts for Easter

March 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

Dear Papa,

Help me to die daily as I present my life and body as a living sacrifice. May I die to self this day and live unto to thee.

Dear Child,

My Son died once and for all, but to identify with His resurrection life, you must die daily, that daily you may walk in resurrection life.

He died once but you must die daily.

Resurrection life can only follow death! No death, no resurrection life!

Only resurrection life has power and anointing.

Only resurrection life can produce fruit for eternity.

Each seed and fruit produces after its own kind.

Only that which is birthed by resurrection life will never die.

Child, it is not about power, it is about more dying!

And then power will automatically flow from the resurrection life that follows.

                                              Thus saith Papa

Phil 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

2 Cor 4:7-12 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

 

We must first die to self if the power of the resurrection life is to flow from our lives. 

By His sovereignty, God uses circumstances of verses 8 and 9 above, to break us, that resurrection life may flow from us. “He who puts his trust only in spiritual gifts is being foolish, for such gifts do not necessarily work that transformation in the inner man. It is only out of brokenness that there can come forth life.” Watchman Nee

Challenge: If we do not die to self, we cannot bear the mark of resurrection power in our lives or ministry..

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