It's About HIM

We Must Choose The Way of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:15:00 +0000

This is posted on a wonderful website, Authentic Christianity.

We Must Choose the Way of Christ

**The following article is from the book - Living in the Heavenly Realms - and the chapter entitled "The Christian's Work: “ Believing and Yielding."

We often hear Christians condemning the Jews for choosing Barabbas over Jesus. And we wonder how this could have occurred. It may be helpful to realize that Barabbas represents someone who tried to further God's kingdom through his own efforts. The Son's way is to plant the seed in the ground in death and then to become fruitful in resurrection life. The way of Barabbas is to save self and then live for God through the zeal of human works. When presented with these two different ways, most people choose to save the flesh-life.

They will say, "Give us Barabbas."

But in the end it always results in the death of the Christ-life. And because it is effectively choosing carnality, this way of Barabbas is still killing others. Many have been turned away from Christ by the words that come out of the carnal hearts of professing Christians. Thus, we find this tragedy of the first century being repeated over and over again in the church today.

Someone once said, “Self is willing to permit the believer to do anything, give anything, sacrifice anything if it can only live.” People do not mind serving God if they can direct their own steps and have some of their own glory. But this is what permits Barabbas and Agag, with their carnal nature, to live.

Again, it has been said, “The Cross can only sever what you consent to part from. The severing of the Cross is not an actual experience, unless the will of the believer desires and consents to the actual separation in fact and practice.” God is very gracious. He patiently waits for each individual to make the choice to follow Jesus through the cross. Those who will honestly make the same decision that He did in the Garden of Gethsemane, can depend on the Spirit to then take them through the cross and into resurrection life in due time.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14)

Since the Holy Spirit only works through yielded faith, how can He provide a complete severance from the old man and all that pertains to the old creation if you are still making ample provisions for the flesh? Whatever becomes food to the flesh  is dry fodder, or the food that perishes,' to the Spirit, and vice versa.

Do not love the world or the things of the world. With the Spirit's guidance, look for the things of the world that you tend to use for your spiritual support. What is it that your flesh insists on having? Examine your habits and routines. What leads you to do what you do? Again, what do you rely on for your spiritual support? While the body does have natural desires that will need to be met, they should never have dominion over the Spirit. Are you being led by the flesh or by the Spirit? Are you still seeking to have some of your own glory through the works of your own hands? If Christ's rivers of Living Water are not yet consistently flowing out of the heart in both good times and bad times, there is something preventing it. There is a need to search the heart with the Spirit and be prepared to surrender the most dearly loved Isaac.

God has provided all things to enjoy. But He did not intend for us to live by the flesh and turn the things into idols. Once we are truly living through the life of Christ in the heavenly realms we are enabled to walk in this world without being dependent upon its things for our spiritual support. Jesus lived in the world, and He was able to enjoy God's creation, but He did not receive His life from the world. The Son came to dispossess, to displace and to dethrone that old self-life so that God may gain complete possession of the human personality. It will never do to intellectually crown Christ as a puppet King and then live under the rule of Self-desire.

Of self, for self, and by self has remained the threefold principle that governs the lives of countless members of Christ's church. A believer cannot wholeheartedly set his affections upon the things above while he is still living for the things of this world. And it is unimaginable to think that someone who has truly been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, and has begun to share with Him in every spiritual blessing found in His life, could still be hankering for the things of earth and of time and of sense.

Some of our readers may have tasted of the heavenly life at some point in their past. But since that day they have slowly weighted themselves down with the things of this world. It has resulted in a loss of what they once possessed. If this is your case, may God give you the desire to lay aside every weight and once again look unto Jesus for His life in the heavenly realms. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. The only way to successfully combat the desires of the flesh is to implicitly obey every prompting or motion of the Spirit, be it ever so slight. Whether it be a warning, a check, a leading, or a teaching, all must be followed. Do not permit others to turn you away from truth with their human wisdom and rationalizations. You must listen to the Lord. Those who will yield to the leading of His Spirit in all matters, even though it may result in some difficulties and suffering, can depend on Him to faithfully take them into the life of promise where it is possible to reign with Him over all the works of the flesh.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith {so you may fully trust in God}, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now {in the lives of Christians in this world} and forever. Amen. (Jude 20-25)

In closing, we pray that each of God's called-out children will honestly seek the Lord in faith. There is a life of promise within the heavenly realms, and we need to begin living there today. Every member of the body needs to submit to the work that God has previously planned to work out through their lives. (Eph. 2:10) It is our only means for truly revealing His light of life and drawing other spiritually poor and lost souls out of the darkness of this world and into His heavenly kingdom on the highest plane.

He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph. 4:10-16)

When I read this article, I was very much convicted by the truth it contains. I can only add this quote from the late Pastor BH Clendennen "If we will make the right choice, God will enforce it."

Divine Order in the House of God, Part 1: The Tabernacle

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:56:00 +0000

This is a very revealing study on why there is such a famine for the actual Presence and Power of God among many of His people today. To read the entire notes, you may find them here. I must warn you, this is a word many will reject because it leaves no room for anyone but God's Holy Spirit to operate and be glorified. There is no provision for human nature, human wisdom, human effort in God's plan, in God's House. This is an offensive truth to many church goers. Still-we must realize it is so much better to listen to and take heed to this awesome God who never makes a mistake, is never wrong, never forgets or leaves anything out, and is infinitely wiser than we could ever be.

I'm just going to list the highlights of this in depth study. Ask yourself how can we know the divine order-or God appointed order of His House? We go to the Word, we study, and we pray and ask Him to help us understand what He is saying in His Word. Specific Scripture References are given in the notes, but you can read this outlined in Exodus, Chapters 25-30, and chapter 40.

1. The first example of divine order in the House of God is that only God gives the Pattern for the House

of God, its service, its ministry, who is to operate in this ministry and service, how and when. It is not

up to man how to run the House of God, nor is it to be man's decisions on whom shall serve in the

House of God. God set the requirements for their service.

2. Every bit of material, every structure, every piece of furniture that was to go into the Tabernacle, everything was going to be sacred, and set apart for divine service. (We are to live unto and for and by the power of God, serving Him in the power of His Holy Spirit, not serving ourselves, for we are not to live for ourselves, continuing to function in our own natural strength and reasoning and doing it our own way.)

3. The Tabernacle was called the Tent of the Congregation and the Tabernacle of Witness. These two

titles convey important truths. A gathering place of God's people, so He could be close to them, and a

place that would reveal to them His character, His nature and His Word. When we go to the House of God, it is to be a set apart place where we gather to worship God, learn of God, and fellowship with God and in the process be strengthened by God. We are to go to give ourselves, our praise, our worship, to God, not just going to get something from Him.The Word we hear should confirm what He has been teaching us at home. And yes, we should be seeking Him at home, spending time alone with Him ourselves.

4. The Tabernacle was to be erected at the appointed time, by the people God appointed to set it up. This was not work one could choose or not choose to do, or do it his own time or his own way; it was a calling God gave only to a select group of people. It was to be put up on the first day of the first month of the year. God told them it was to mark the beginning of the calendar year. He's the Beginning of everything, amen? And what would the Tabernacle be but a place, a vessel that would contain the Presence, Power and

Word of God? This leaves no place for people to get upset over something they don't like and go start their own church, now does it? It's God's way, not ours. He is to choose the minister, the singers, the teachers, the workers. Amen? He never makes mistakes for He knows the hearts. With God in control there will be no idolaters or adulterers in the pulpit, folks, nor in the Sunday school rooms or the choir.

5. We see here a picture of the Tabernacle-a foreshadowing of Christ, surrounded by flesh. He was at

the Center. He is to have the Preeminence in all things. He is the Source of all life, of all that is holy,

and all that is true. The Divine Design of the Tabernacle speaks of the order of God.

6. The Tabernacle itself was to be anointed with the holy anointing oil, and all that was in it. Every vessel, every dish, every bowl, every piece of furniture, everything was to be anointed with the oil. This sanctified it and qualified it to be in the service of the Tabernacle of God. It was to hallowed---pronounced, and observed, regarded by all as holy or hallowed. (This illustrates the necessity of being born of, filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. His Presence in us sanctifies, or sets us apart for God's divine purpose.)

7. It was to be a sacred place, set apart by and for the ministry to God and of God and His high priest. Nothing else. Service was to be done in there to God, that the people might be blessed and fed spiritual truth-the Word of God. There was to be bread, which is the Word of God. There was to be oil for the light in the Tabernacle. This is the Holy Spirit who gives light, or understanding to the hearer of the Word, and makes it alive within them-makes it a reality not just a dead letter. There was to be light--revelation-again from the Holy Spirit who alone is able to reveal truth to us, to reveal Christ to us.

8. There was to be incense offered up before the Ark, on the golden altar of incense which stood in

front of the Ark just outside the veil in the Holy Place. This golden altar represents the intercession of

the High Priest, Christ, that is before the Throne with the prayers of the saints. The incense is the prayers of the saints, offered up to the throne of God with the coals of fire from the brazen altar of sacrifice that tested the purity of the incense, offered with the fragrance and intercession of Christ to make them acceptable. This means these prayers must also be inspired by and aided by the Holy Spirit for we know not what or how to pray as we should. Anything that is not hid in Christ, or tries to goes to the throne not through Christ will be rejected. He said His House was to be a House of Prayer. There was to be regular and special times of communication with God. Prayers from people not sanctified, not set apart who are casual about the things of God can and will bring judgment and wrath-not answers. (See Lev. 10) For a minister to lead people who aren't serious about the things of God in prayer is to lead them into gross sin against God. They offer strange fire-something that is the result of human inspiration, human effort, human desires, to God. There is no provision for flesh in His Presence.

9. Every vessel in the Tabernacle, including the Tabernacle itself, every instrument had its own God

appointed service just as we are to abide in the calling wherewith God has called us. He did not

consult with Moses and ask Moses who he wanted to do any of these things. God chose the people He

wanted to do what needed doing when it was to be done. The leadership is to be chosen by the Holy Spirit and the resulting choices men make concerning those who will be serving and ministering in the House of God must be given to them by the Lord as they seek Him in prayer.

10. Every vessel (person operating in the ministry or service of the Tabernacle) had to be sanctified-which means it was or they were set apart by and for God for the purpose He chose. This Tabernacle was only to be used in the service to and for God-as He prescribed. He alone was the Source of life, help, provision and deliverance to His people.

*****God never granted any reason or precedent to even wonder if there were any exceptions. He left no room for drama teams and plays, no political activism, no skits, no bake sales, puppet shows, dance and praise teams, no singings or fund raisers, power teams or pagan holiday celebrations-except for those He prescribed which pointed to spiritual truth and His Son. This is flesh trying to raise money to fulfill its religious desires because God will not. Sometimes these are sincere and want to do good, but we must operate within the bounds God set.

11. Right outside the Door of the Tabernacle-another illustration of Christ who is the Door-the only

entrance into God's Presence, was to be the bronze laver. This was a basin to be filled with water. The

priests were commanded to wash their hands and feet before entering the holy place inside the

Tabernacle. To enter without washing meant death. This shows us it's necessary that those who

approach God must have clean hands and clean feet. They must be living clean and honest lives-according to God's ways not man's nor their own ideas.

Now you ask yourself this: when Israel walked in the will of God, did He not provide for their every need? Did He not ensure they left Egypt with everything they would need in a wilderness to build this Tabernacle? He provided everything. It's only when we operate in the natural realm we run out of provision and have to either hit our knees and cry out to God or resort to other methods and human effort.

There were to be no worldly things or events in or around the Tabernacle, like bingo games, trunk or treat or any other thing that would entertain the flesh. This is an offensive truth to people and it provokes that human nature that is always opposed to God and what is holy. I have diligently searched this Holy Word of God and can find NO precedent, no allowance for any of these things that are so common in what is supposed to be His house today. It's simply not there. Maybe that is why His glory and His presence isn't either. I do find Him instructing us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make NO provision for the flesh. To do so, to bring any of the world's methods of operating in to the Sanctuary is to profane it, defile it and can and will result in bringing God's judgment and wrath down on it and the people. He will not bear witness of what is not truth nor what He refuses to sanction.

A Lamp in the Dark: The Untold History of the Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:37:00 +0000

A Lamp In the Dark: The Untold History of the Bible

This is a historical documentary about the opposition of Rome and the Papacy, to prevent the people access to the Word of God. While watching this, I have been so struck by the similarities of the spirit of the Pharisees and religious rulers who demanded Jesus be crucified and the Popes of Rome, the Catholic Church-all the way back to Nero. This is a must watch for those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:29:00 +0000

Please go to the Voice of the Martyrs and purchase this instead of Amazon.com or elsewhere...you couldn't make a more precious investment than sharing the Gospel with someone who lives in a persecuted country and may never have heard the lovely name of Jesus or His precious Truth.

The Truth That Makes Us Free

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:11:00 +0000

Php 3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not troublesome, but for you it is safe.

Sometimes it's hard to rejoice in the Lord because we find ourselves plagued with life's problems. We have a natural tendency to think and operate in our own strength and understanding which are always insufficient to the task of ordering our own steps in the right way. Sometimes we do all we know to do and things still don't work out right, and we end up frustrated, tired, and discouraged because we expected more of ourselves than we should.

Things around us in this violent, evil and selfish world are disturbing with no peace to be found. He warned us there is no peace to the wicked. They are tossed about like waves of the ocean with no rest. Why is there no peace for the wicked? (Isa_57:20-21) That word peace actually means safety, prosperity, rest of the soul, and inner peace that comes from knowing Him who is our Peace. They may appear to prosper financially or have worldly fame, but inwardly they are never satisfied, never at rest. As for the word 'wicked' that simply means people who are morally wrong, who are condemned because they are guilty of violating the law of God and refuse to accept the sacrifice for their sins of His Son. He offers us HIS life but many reject Him because they prefer to be their own god.

He told us in Joh_16:33 that in this world we would have tribulation, trials, suffering, problems. But in HIM, not in ourselves, not in this world, not in this world system, but in HIM we would find peace. We can rejoice because He knows us, saved us, is saving us, and wants to reveal Himself to us. He's everything we need. He's everything good and pure that you will never find in this world, or in any human being. Regardless of what goes on around us, in our environment, we can rejoice in Him if we have our thoughts and hearts stayed on Him. He promises that He will keep them in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on or fixed continually on HIM. These are those who remember God is in control when it looks like everything is out of control. These are they who trust Him, think on Him, depend on Him, love Him, and know He will not fail. They prefer His life, His truth, His way to their own. They refuse to be overcome by the evil around them because greater is HE who is in them and they are learning by His Spirit to refuse that frustrated flesh the opportunity to express its displeasure with the way things are going. They are better able to resist their own impulse to fall apart and instead fall on Him. Only the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit can take us to this place and teach us how to do this.

Even though there is darkness, wickedness, corruption and violence all around, we can rejoice in the LORD. He is holy, pure, kind, merciful, faithful, honest, righteous, just. We can rejoice in His absolute fair justice, His loyalty to us, His truth, His light, His way, His selfless compassion and goodness. I myself haven't felt much like rejoicing for so long. I've had my eyes on the situations too, instead of on my glorious Savior. Lord forgive me and thank You for not giving up on me when it would have been so easy to have given up on myself. We can find comfort in the Word of God if we will present ourselves to this Word and depend on, ask the Holy Spirit to minister it to our troubled hearts. He only has the Word of life. Where else is there to go? There is such a difference when HE teaches and ministers the Word to us! Why would we ever want to sit down with the Bible and try to read it ourselves without Him? It would not profit us at all.

Php 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

Make sure you are careful to avoid, protect yourselves from such. Consider them, examine them, know what they are. What is the concision? Literally it means mutilators. The Jews hated the Christian faith as much as they hated and rejected Jesus Christ. It was so offensive to them who were in darkness, spiritually blind to the truth, to be told the only way to be saved was to believe in and accept HIM. They had all this religion of the law pounded into their heads from birth, by non-spiritual men. They had been fed a dead letter by unregenerate men and it had made them harsh, contemptuous, arrogant and unkind. They took pride in the suffering of their flesh, the cutting off of the foreskin. They saw it as a badge of honor, a mark of acceptance of God. It was after all the symbol of the covenant God had made with Abraham.

Still, they did not obey God or follow after God, or have an intimate relationship with God as Abraham had. They did not walk as he walked, they took it forgranted. I'm circumcised, I'm a Jew, I know the law, I'm saved. How many people today have with their mouths professed to believe in Jesus Christ, and because they were told if you believe on Him you're saved, and people take it forgranted they are saved, yet in their hearts do not know Him at all? They are unchanged in their hearts. These are just as lost as a sinner who avoids the church like the plague. Considering what Jesus Christ went through on the cross how can we sanely think we can take how we live our lives and sin forgranted?

In Rom_2:17 Paul addresses this attitude that apparently lingered in those who had been born again into the church. He said, Look, you are called a Jew, and you still rely on the law and brag on being accepted of God because of this? You know His will and you know what matters, being instructed out of the law. You are sure that you are one who can lead the blind into truth, that you are a light to those who are in darkness. It's not enough to know the law and will of God, you must be a doer of this. You must be the message you preach to others about. You are still relying on the fact that you have the mark of the circumcision, that covenant God had with Abraham.

Paul was teaching them how vain it was to trust in any accomplishment of the flesh, because the only circumcision that counts is the spiritual one done in the heart by the Holy Spirit of God. This one has been circumcised in the heart, they have had their own moral corruption exposed to them by the Holy Spirit. They know there is nothing good in them to bring to God that they are saved not by anything they could ever in their wildest dreams hope to achieve but it's by what HE did for them, what He does IN them, what HE IS that saves. We can't believe in ourselves, we have to believe even though we could never be good enough it's because HE is our righteousness, He is our holiness, our purity, our sanctification, our redemption, our wisdom, our access to God. He paid the price for our sins and it cost Him dearly. We have no right to take sin casually or take it forgranted that we can sin and confess and just keep doing that and get by with it.

In Rom_2:28 Paul explains he is not a Jew (spiritually speaking, which is God's elect or chosen) that is one outwardly. I know there is debate on who is God's chosen but He chooses those who obey Him, who follow Him wholeheartedly and submit to Him, depend on Him, commune with Him. They take nothing forgranted. He is their life and they know it. They are willing to lose everything but Him. Paul said neither is he a Jew who keeps the rituals and rules of the law that are external, or obvious to others. There were the religious Jews who kept the commands of the law that flesh could keep. They circumcised their males, dressed to the letter according to the law, washed their hands, refused to associate with those who were unclean, or not a Jew. They wouldn't eat anything the law declared unclean. Jesus called these religious folks like the Pharisees hypocrites, blind guides, fools, like whitewashed graves, so they appear to men outwardly to be righteous but inside they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

They took pride in their religious appearance, even though the keeping of these things which flesh could keep was tedious, they did this and because they did it, they became arrogant, proud, mean viewing others who hadn't arrived where they had with contempt. They did it-and they took the credit for it. But the keeping of these laws did not make their heart pure or holy. It did not make them acceptable to God.

Paul said he is a Jew-God's chosen, spiritually, not naturally, who is a Jew inwardly-whose HEART has been circumcised, in the spirit not in the flesh, who is not praised by men but by God. Circumcision of the heart is so much more painful and personal than that of the flesh. Only God can do this kind of cutting. What is the circumcision of the heart? It is the Spirit of God in us working in us to show us there truly is nothing in us naturally that God can use because what we are naturally is always going to resist and oppose Him. He is selfless but we are selfish by nature. He is pure and we are unclean inwardly, craving that which He considers abomination. We are taught from the cradle to be self sufficient, exalt self, promote self, improve self, help self, decorate self, please self whatever it takes or costs. And we have no problem with this, we can rationalize our own actions when our conscience troubles us to shut it up.

He works in us to expose the inner workings of our natural self life that must be overcome, put down like a dog because in the kingdom of God it is not allowed. He cuts away the notion that we can bring our talents and abilities to God and expect Him to bless them and be grateful and think He can use any of it. We have nothing worthy to bring Him except our faith, which originates from Him, and our life, which also originates from Him. The key thing is that HE is to become our life, our Source, the One we are to follow and live for, depend totally on.

He shows us the futility and error of our religious ideas. He has been very misrepresented by the greatest part of what professes to be the Church for so long. It comes as quite a shock to a seeking heart to find that this Great God when He draws you to Him and chooses to begin to reveal Himself to us by His Holy Spirit, we find He is nothing like we were led to believe. As someone raised Pentecostal, I have lived this. He is nothing like I was led to believe in church as a child and as a young Christian in the Lord.

One of the most precious things He has to cut away, cut out of us is our own notion of who He is and how we are to serve Him. Pentecostals are taught for the most part a strict code of conduct and rules that are to govern their manner of dress, their external appearance and outward behavior. They don't see the wickedness of this. Dressing and looking different is not in itself wicked unless it competes with Him for preeminence. I believe in a decent, moderate dress. The wickedness is making those rules and external things the focus, the center of their doctrine, instead of Christ. So much emphasis is placed on these external things, while very little emphasis is placed anymore on the necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.We must learn the leadership of the Holy Spirit and walk in dependence and obedience to the Holy Spirit who alone can make Jesus real to and through us. He alone is qualified to reveal Christ. AND THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BEING A CHRISTIAN-to reveal Christ to a lost and dying world. But we must know Him ourselves first before we can be like Him and we can't learn Christ apart from the Holy Spirit ministering the Word of God to us in Spirit and in truth, not as a dead letter.

Ephesus: Getting Back To Our First Love

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Rev 2:1-7 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands; I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you can not bear them who are evil: and you have tried them who say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars: And have endured, and have patience, and for my name's sake have labored, and have not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your lampstand out of its place, except you repent.

The first thing Jesus says here is I Am (Rev_1:8) We have read it, but have we ever understood the reality of those two small words? I, the Creator, the Word of God that was made flesh, that came and lived among men, that was vilified, crucified, and put to death by wicked men, I exist. I AM. I have always been. I was, I Am, and I will always be. I Am without beginning and without ending. I AM bigger than your feeble minds could even begin to understand. My goodness, can you wrap your mind around that truth?

John was here, having been banished to the isle of Patmos. He's in the Spirit--this was a man who had learned how to walk and live in and by the Holy Spirit of God. He had given himself wholly to the Lord. That's what it means to be in the Spirit. One who has given himself wholly to the Spirit, who lives and moves according to the direction and leading of the Spirit, not his own self will or desire. John hears this loud, mighty voice. Remember when HE spoke, worlds were made. He commanded and it was done. He hangs the stars in heaven on nothing but His Word. He looked upon a dark, shapeless, chaotic world and said Let there be light and instantly there was light. He says I Am the Alpha and Omega, the first and last. He has always been and always will be. He's the beginning of everything. Everything that has ever been made was made because He desired it to be.

He tells John what you see, what I'm going to show you, look and understand it, take heed to it. Write it down and send My Word to the seven churches which are in Asia. The Lord identifies each church by name and His message is to be sent to the angel, or pastor of each church. He speaks to the leadership first.
As the Lord is speaking from behind John, he turns to look and see who this is, although by the Spirit, I know he knew. This was the man who was so profoundly moved by the love of the Savior as His disciple, He stayed closest of them all to His side. Now he looks upon the glorified Christ, and is stunned beyond words. He sees seven golden candlesticks and in the center of them is Christ. HE is truly to be the Center, the Preeminence of all, church. That simply means He's to have first place in everything. The seven golden candlesticks are the seven churches but the light and life of the candlestick or the church is the Holy Spirit. You can see this illustrated as well in Zec_4:2-6. The church can do nothing of its own accord for Jesus plainly tells us without Him we can do nothing.

He addresses the church of Ephesus first, and remember, He is speaking directly to the leadership there, to the pastor who will then have to notify the congregation of what the Lord said. He said I know what you're doing, how hard you're working. I am aware of all the trouble and toil you are enduring. I see how you have been hurt, your pain, your weariness. I see how you have endured, waiting with hope and how you can't bear them which are evil. I know you have tested them who say they are sent by Me and found them to be liars. You have carried the load patiently, and for My Name's sake you have worked hard even though you're tired. You have not grown weary or sick to the point of giving up.
First, He commends the things He has found pleasing in this church. But then He points out the flaw: You've left your first love and that I have against you. They had endured, been steadfast, for His Name's sake, and not given up, not given into weariness and fatigue. But He had something against them: they had forsaken their first love. They had allowed something else, be it the work for Christ, or the battle they fought, or other distractions of life to replace what was of utmost importance: the preeminence of Christ in their heart, affections and life. Remember He shows us in Rev_1:12 HE is in the center, the focus, the Source of the Churches. His Holy Spirit is the life and light of those churches and if they do not deal with the things He exposes, if corrections are not made, He will remove their candlestick. He'll take His Holy Spirit from them and they will lose their place in His Kingdom.

Without His life and light they will deteriorate into the impotent religious institutions you see on every corner today, going through the motions and rituals of religion while the world around them goes to hell untouched by this great God who died so they could be saved. This might offend a lot of church goers but it's true: Nowhere in the Word of God is there given an example or even a hint of church programs, skits, plays, puppet shows, clowns or dance and drama groups as a God accepted method of spreading His gospel. He showed us very different-a five fold ministry under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit who alone does the work. He offers us a chance to be partakers and co-workers with Him in this but we are never to be in charge. HE is.

Now, Christ tells Ephesus you best remember where you have fallen from and repent, and do the first works. You best agree to cast out anything that interferes with what is most important in your life and that is Me. You can't serve anyone else if you don't first serve ME. If you don't abide in Me, stay connected to Me, then I will remove your light, and you will walk in darkness unless you repent. Unless you turn away with abhorrence for your sin and turn to Me. That was the warning here to this church at Ephesus where this doctrine and pattern of behavior illustrated by the Nicolaitans was trying to infiltrate a church that was operating in the flesh. These people were being faced with a teaching that allowed indulgence of the flesh, changing God's commands, going easy on the flesh so it can enjoy itself and not have to suffer for being separate, different. He acknowledged that they hated the deeds and behavior of the Nicolaitans as He did, He commended their hard work, their pain and suffering, acknowledged it, even. He understood. But He also knows if you don't love Him you won't remain, you will fall away. LOVE is what causes those who follow Him to follow Him. You would have to love Jesus to follow Him for the path He takes is not an easy journey. It's straight, narrow and uncompromising. And when He no longer has first place in our lives and we are walking in the flesh, sooner or later we will begin to fulfill the lust or desire of that flesh.

Remember what He told His disciples? Walk in the light while you have the light lest darkness overtake you. He said remember from where you've fallen. That means you've lost something, you've become inefficient, all the work you do has no effect. Why? Because it's no longer born out of communion with HIM. It's human reasoning, trying its best to serve a Master but many of His people, even in the ministry, don't spend enough time with Him to know Him, to draw the eternal life and strength from Him that is needed in this hour to bear fruit. How can you know what He wants you to be if you don't get alone with Him? How can we serve Him when we don't know Him, don't know or share His heart's desire? How can we represent Him accurately when we don't know Him intimately ourselves? He said I Am the way, the Truth, and the Life. If we try to use our way, if we try to interpret His Word ourselves, if we try to run on the resources of our human life, we can only miserably fail Him at BEST.

The key is love. You have to love Him to follow Him because His way leads to the cross and flesh wants to run from that. Self doesn't want to be crucified, denied and totally rejected. That sounds like lunacy. No wonder He said the way is straight and narrow and many will strive to enter in and not be able. Self can't get through that door, only what is hidden in Christ makes it through.
The Holy Spirit Who has been given to us from God to remain with us, to live in us, to teach, guide, direct, empower, reveal truth to, expose what is unlike Christ in us so we can repent and be cleansed, to take what Christ has available for us and show it to us, make it a reality in our lives. In Rom_5:5, the Word of God tells us it's the Holy Ghost that pours the love of God into our hearts. Eph_3:19 says to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, it transcends the knowledge of religion or anything else. It's a far more excellent thing-hard to understand, but it's a reality. The Holy Spirit can so pour the love of God out in to our hearts, because when He is in us, HE is God, He is LOVE, and He will reproduce in us what He is. When He is active and working in our lives, there is evidence, the fruit or result of the Holy Spirit working in us. Love, peace, joy are just the first three. The kingdom of God is that we have peace with God, peace in our minds, we're covered by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, because we have none of our own and we are strengthened, taught and fed by the communion of the Holy Ghost. (Rom_14:17) In His Presence is fullness of joy so why is it so hard to pray? To make ourselves and our troubled minds be still until we know once again HE is God, not us? He's responsible for the results, not us. We can't change the world but He can through us if we yield to Him, follow Him. He will change what needs changing, He will accomplish His will. But we must understand what that will is. It's not make this world a rosy place-He's already condemned this planet. His purpose is to seek out the lost, to call and reach out to those in darkness and deliver them from the grip of the devil. Satan is a merciless and cruel jailer. Only Jesus has the key to their prison.
The Word of God says in HIM was life and that life was the light of men. That Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ was the life that lit up the way for men in darkness. Oh, Hallelujah! No wonder the devil has lured people away from the preaching of the cross, from the preaching of the necessity of the Holy Spirit and being baptized by the Holy Spirit, walking in the Spirit. HE is the One who makes the Word real to our hearts, opens our understanding to its mysteries and makes it possible for us to be nourished by the Word of God. Without Him, the Word of God is a dead letter that only kills. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is vital to the Christian. Let us, like Ephesus, get back to the cross, put self out of the way and bow our hearts before the Lord, gripping His Word to us. No man can call Him Lord but by the Holy Spirit. No one can come to Him unless the Father draws them. When He draws them, the Lord won't refuse them. Without Him we can do nothing. We can't love, we can't order our steps right, we can't think right, do right or be right. We must realize we are totally dependent on HIM. He alone can get us back to our first love. Our flesh is too strong and we've made too many mistakes. For so long the church has been wearing herself out, trying to put God in a box, thinking wrongly about how it is supposed to be. Too many people in the church follow more of man's traditions and rules than God's commands. It's either name and claim it or a bunch of rules. Heavy emphasis, as with the Pharisees, is placed on external things by the church because these are things flesh can accomplish without God. But those things which require the work of the cross and the Holy Spirit in our lives, the weightier things, they are neglected, misunderstood, and rarely preached. The result is a tired, worn out, ineffective church that's operating in the flesh.

Sometimes we can get so busy, so set in our religious rut that we just don't see that's why there are so little results. He can't bless or anoint the flesh. Won't do it. But there's a remedy.

If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2Ch_7:14)

Read entire notes HERE.

Offended and Growing Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:44:00 +0000

In Matthew 24, Jesus has been at the temple with His disciples, who are boasting in the glory of and showing Him this building and the buildings attached to it. You might wonder why they felt the need to defend the temple. That word 'shew' here comes from a root word that means to prove, demonstrate, to put on display something that belongs to one's self. That's indicative of pride and confidence in that thing. But Jesus turns to look at them and says all these things you see will be torn down. There won't be anything left of them. What a shock His declaration must have been to these disciples. Immediately they get alone with Him and want to know when this will happen and what will be the signs, or indications that these events are near, especially His return, His Presence, and the completion of the age? When will be the end be? What are the indicators that it is close?

First, He warns them about being deceived. Take heed that no one leads you astray, or seduces you from following the straight and narrow way. Many shall come in His name, (in His position, place, professing to be the voice of God, the man of God, claiming they have the anointing of God). Christ means 'anointed One'. There are many things that would lead us astray. There is the tempter, who tries to seduce us, and our own human reasoning which the devil can exploit and manipulate if we are not careful. There is the pull of the world, and again, our own human, carnal desires. And then you have so much corrupted teaching of the Word of God. There are so many religious celebrities out there-which is clearly not Scriptural but they have a disturbingly large following. They make merchandise out of simple people who take it for granted they speak truth and do not take the time to search these things out for themselves.
He said there would be warfare, and I believe that means both in the natural and the spiritual. The spiritual warfare raging against God's children right now is hard, and wearing many out. You are going to hear reports of wars, but don't be frightened for all these things must come to pass. There is going to be nations rise against nations, (racism will be rampant), kingdom against kingdom. People will be hungry and destitute because food will be scarce. Again, I believe this applies spiritually as well as physically. There is a great lack of shepherds in the pulpits actually feeding the sheep. There are those who are, but for the most part, it's a dead letter being ministered by a carnal preacher who is not filled with or led by the Holy Spirit or one who has let the oil leak out of his vessel. There truly is a famine for the Word of God but He promised to feed His children in such times. The key is looking to HIM, depending on HIM not man. And for those who are hungry, He knows how to lead you to green pastures. He knows if you want truth and will lead you to it.
He said there would plagues, disease, pestilence, earthquakes (a great shaking in many places), and there have been literal earthquakes that have been devastating. But there is also a shaking in our lives, too, or will be, in which He will shake those who are His loose from anything they are holding on to that is not Him. The famine, the pestilence, the warfare, the racism, the earthquakes, these He said are just the beginning of sorrows, like the birth pangs of a woman who is about to give birth. He warned them His people would be betrayed, surrendered or given up to prison, to be pressured, persecuted, unfairly burdened, and that great tribulation and trouble, and great anguish. Many would be put to death, and those who are His will be hated, persecuted for being like Christ, for Christ is the One who is hated. Remember He said they have hated me and they will hate you.
It will be a time of rampant racism, with deceivers on every corner, warfare raging all around, famine and hunger which leaves people weak and vulnerable, and everything that can be shaken is being shaken. It's a time when God's people are being terribly burdened, persecuted, accused, hated, with many being slaughtered simply for being like Jesus, belonging to Him, and standing up for what is right. What is the result of such an environment?
Mat 24:10-13 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
There are a lot of things happening right now in the news that are stirring up a very unholy wrath in people. I have seen such a vicious hatred and malice directed at this young lady in Florida who was acquitted on charges she murdered her daughter that is is every bit as evil as the crime she was accused of committing. To partake of such will make you unclean. This is something that as terrible as it was, will pull at you, manipulate human emotions and seduce one into speaking evil and thinking evil.
Our government is doing things, saying things and behaving in such a way that makes you wonder if they haven't lost their minds, while they make this country the laughingstock of the world. This also can manipulate human emotions into wanting to get in the flesh and do something, fight against these things with carnal weapons. Flesh always wants to do something, amen? But it will distract you and seduce you away from your primary post and mission which is the kingdom of God and His purpose is to seek and save the lost. Remember, saints, Jesus testified that if His kingdom were of this world, then would His servants fight. Our warfare is not carnal, but spiritual. Don't be drawn away from Him and His life, His purpose by being seduced into getting entangled in this world's affairs. It's not your home if you belong to Him. Don't be moved away from that hope, and from His mission.
At the same time, there are as Jesus warned, false prophets and teachers that are leading people into error. When you think of the great falling away that Paul warned about, look to the pulpit first, not those who have quit coming to church. For the most part, preachers have fallen away from preaching the cross, the new covenant, the necessity of the Holy Spirit having the leadership in our lives. It's all about being open minded and understanding or being so legalistic their holiness is all wrapped up in rules their flesh can be made to keep. I talk to believers and ask them do you know what the cross means in the Christian life? Have you ever heard or understand what the new covenant means? And I'm met with blank stares or admissions that they have never studied it in their Bibles. I can see they've never thought to study these things. Why? These truths are key to an overcoming life in these last days. I believe the enemy has so clouded or distracted people's minds with the lie that these truths are too hard to understand, and aren't relevant that people just don't seek understanding of these things. However, if you have heard BH Clendennen from Beaumont, TX preach, or David Wilkerson preach, as well as the other ministers at Times Square Church in NYC, then you likely have heard these truths. They are so vital.
Jesus said in the last days many would be offended. Why? What's going to be happening that will cause this? What does it mean to be offended? Remember, we aren't to lean to our own understanding, folks. Don't pick up the Webster's Dictionary to look up that word. Pick up a Strong's Concordance and look up the Greek meaning of the word. Remember, it's HIS truth not ours that leads to life. His way, His life, not ours.
That word offended (G4624 skandalizo) is to scandalize, entrap, trip up, cause to sin or stumble into apostasy, because of displeasure. Not pleased with the way things are, or upset about something that is going on and people are manipulated into sin because human emotion is being exploited and provoked by what is happening. It is a stumbling block that put is in someone's way that can or will make them fall into sin or apostasy. What about the great number of people who spent weeks watching this trial unfold in Florida and neglected their Bibles and prayer during that time? Vulnerable to manipulation, to being offended. It can cause them to begin to lose faith in the one they should trust and obey-i.e. God. It can cause you to unfavorably or unjustly judge another. This can also make you indignant, angry with displeasure at something, or someone, and provoke you to act inappropriately. As the remainder of Mat_24:10 says "many shall be offended and shall betray and hate one another."
So let's look at what He's saying will be the result of being offended. It leads to betrayal. That word means also to surrender or give up, to put in prison, or into someone else's hands as Jesus was at Gethsemane thrust into the hands of the Jewish council. To deliver up treacherously to be judged, condemned, punished, tormented, scourged and put to death. That is what the word 'betrayal' here means. Now, you say you are a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost-including sinners whose behavior offends you, but you because you are offended by what they've done or got by with, you'd rather call down the fire of God on them? Think about that. It's unlike Christ. It's doing to them what was done to Him by HIS OWN PEOPLE. It's basically turning your back on them and by default handing them over to the devil to be destroyed without a fight or care for their souls. How wicked is that when you see it in the light of truth? Religious people get offended and they disagree over what Scripture means and instead of humbling themselves before the Lord seeking truth, they in pride assume they are right and distance themselves, often with contempt and utter disregard from the offending individual.

THANK GOD He did not treat us this way. They will hate one another-they won't love each other like HE said to. This word means also to persecute, or pursue one who is detested. Now, is this not what ill words do when spoken by someone offended by another? Instead of praying for that person for God to help them, teach them better or deliver them from their sin, they just write them off, judge them, condemn them and pronounce they are worthy of judgment (while meaning wrath) of God and go on unconcerned. I believe this is why Jesus warned about being careful how we judge others. That kind of selfish judgment is done because that person doesn't have the heart of God to suffer being hurt or let down, and would rather continue on their way being offended, telling everyone they know, every time they talk to somebody how this person did them wrong and how they didn't deserve to be so mistreated. I almost want to say "grow up crybaby!" here.
And then others may handle it differently. They may withdraw in bitterness and isolate themselves from those they feel have let them down or offended them. Both reactions are wrong and neither reflect the heart of God. Both are rooted in the selfish human nature which makes them evil. So what happened to the meek and quiet spirit God considers so valuable? How we need this operating in our lives! How many times I've vented my frustration about something or someone to another and later had to repent because who I vented to didn't see or hear Christ but a misrepresented something full of itself, concerned with its own needs and hurt feelings. Corrupt! Oh, Lord help me. Give me grace to face this. Please.
Iniquity is the condition of being without the law, ignorant of it or not, or to behave how one wants with contempt for the law, deliberately violating the law with contempt and utter disregard. Wickedness. Because we see this rampant in our society, it's going to have devastating results. Consider a pole with a concrete ball shaped object secured to the top of it. Now if every day someone with strong arms and determination stood there from daylight to dark pounding that concrete ball with a steel rod, how long do you think it would take to reduce the ball to powder? Now, consider the mind or heart of a true believer being pummeled daily by ungodly events and pressure from powers of darkness. All these terrible things we see happening around us are like that steel rod wielded in the hands of any angry devil. They are things he uses to constantly assault the love and faith of God's people. People get battered and bruised in this warfare, and he is speaking great swelling words to wear out the saints, as prophesied in Dan_7:25. All those disappointments, hurts, let downs, pain; he always reminds us and beats up on us about them and then we, filled with frustration take it out on others if we aren't very careful. For the most part, we are on the defensive instead of offensive. We are licking our wounds instead of fighting back the devil and his lies. And all the time he is whispering, if God's so good why would He let this happen? And that person who is tired, weary, hurting, can easily be influenced if they don't run to the Lord for shelter. But Jesus warned in Mat_24:12 'Because iniquity shall increase, abound, multiply, the love of many shall grow cold.'
This constant assault of a flood of evil will sweep them away if they are standing on a foundation of flesh, of human reasoning, human strength and human effort; they will not be able to hold on. Only those in Christ will be secure. Only those standing in the power of the Holy Spirit will be able to hold on because HE is their strength and He is able to secure them and keep them from falling. The enemy wears God's people out by wars, crusades, massacres, lies, constant attempts to deceive and lead astray, temptations, afflictions, troubles, trials, a constant stream of negative things shot at their minds, their eyes, to discourage and overwhelm them. This word for 'wear out' means to harass constantly, to wear away or wear out, to afflict.
Head to 2Th_2:4 and you not only have the behavior of the person who is called anti Christ but you have the definition of the human self will in every one of us. "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God and that is worshiped so the he as God sits in the temple of God (which we are) showing himself that he is (his own) God. He's the opposite, the adversary of all that is revealed as being like or of God. That which provokes a worship of God. He has to rule, he has to have the adoration, the attention, the praise, the glory drawn to himself and away from anything like or of God. Which leaves the beast, his nature, his ways will be worshiped and that is death, destruction and darkness. You have reality TV shows celebrating and glorifying it, you have lawmakers protecting it, and that which is good and right and Godly being vilified as hate speech, as politically incorrect. Calling evil good and good evil. This is where we are. And oh, why aren't we heading with burdened hearts to our prayer closets instead of the streets with inflammatory signs that are only going to stir up flesh and produce more evil? That is not how Jesus did it, folks.

Consider the recent passage of laws allowing same sex marriage in places like NY most recently and the people who supported this law were nearly partying in the streets up there, while many misguided (offended) Christians and religious people were up there holding signs up with vile things on them and inflammatory statements on them, screaming at these homosexuals and lesbians that they were demon possessed, that God hates this, and probably worse, I don't know I wasn't there. But I saw some of the pictures of the signs on the news, some of the people holding them. And I found this too, very offensive. I found the behavior of these people more offensive than those celebrating the passage of this law. They were misrepresenting Christ. And I find that very offensive-even when I have misrepresented Him in any way and I have had to repent for attitudes, feelings, thoughts, words, deeds that were unlike Him.
Sometimes things originate out of our human hearts and minds rather than His Spirit and His life. That is always a bad thing. But unlike many I wasn't enraged by these things, just deeply saddened and grieved. I recognized that sinners who have never known God, never had His light of truth shine into their darkness, they don't even know they are in chains in darkness. I say that because I know what that is like. I remember being bound by drugs, by hate, by fear, shame, and one day at the foot of my bed under heavy conviction, just hitting my knees with a desperate cry for help in my heart that couldn't get past the word "please!" I remember closing my eyes and seeing a vision of a door opening and seeing myself chained up like an animal in a dark corner. I saw this silhouette of HIM standing there, keys in hand, surrounded by this beautiful light I hadn't even known existed. Until that door opened I hadn't even known I was in chains or in darkness. But without a word, He let me know I was free and I heard those chains break and pop and felt them fall off me and I followed Him out of that place and I never want to go back. I guess that is why my heart hurts so much for even the worst of sinners-as He said 'they know not what they do.'
Church people, religious people are very quick to holler for judgment, for punishment, the "God will get you" stuff. Oh, how awful that misrepresents Him. How that trivializes the suffering He went through on the cross for their souls. I pray the Lord help us see this. I look around at the church, and so often what I find is a critical attitude coming from the pulpit, a total lack of understanding of sin and the human heart, an eager willingness to blame people for being sinners, and an inability to grasp why they wouldn't want to serve Jesus. Show them an accurate witness of Him and they will either run to Him or from Him but let them see TRUTH so they can make the choice based on truth not a lie!!!!
What I don't find is the manifestation of Christ or the life changing power of His Presence in our midst to deal with the many things plaguing society and the church in these last of the last days of time. And I grieve and I fret. I know I shouldn't fret and I try not to, I repent every time but I long for Him to show up in His might and power and deliver us from ourselves and from religion and its offended pride.
These are just three things that have been plaguing my mind lately. I have warned people about this dark hatred being directed toward Casey Anthony and her family and how they needed to realize God was willing to forgive those who crucified His only begotten Son and He's willing to forgive her. This dark, malevolent hate being directed toward her will make people unclean. I found myself getting angry when she was found not guilty and wondering but by the grace of God was not swept up this flood of rage and hate being directed at her.

1-Many would be offended, 2-because iniquity would abound the love of many would grow cold. 3-But he that shall endure to the end will be saved.

There is much to be endured, as we consider things that are happening and coming against the church of the living God in these last days. That word endure means to stay under, to remain, to bear the trials, persevere, to abide, patiently suffer these things. He goes right on and says but the Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world. That is so the lost can be sought and rescued, folks. That is our purpose to reflect and be an accurate witness of Christ so those in darkness can see His life in us that is the light of men. The only way we can endure these things is to abide in Him. To lean heavily on His Holy Spirit for our strength. To stand on His promises that He is able to keep us secure and not let us fall. There is a remedy, there are safeguards against this:
"Great peace have they love thy law and nothing shall by any means offend them" Psa_119:165
His law is His Word and His Word was made flesh and dwelled among us. He left us His Word, and His Holy Spirit to make it alive in us and to us and through us. You cannot love what and who you do not know. The only place we can get the love needed to keep us from abandoning The Way, The Truth and The Life is from above as well. The human heart is not capable of this kind of real and enduring love that will be necessary to stand in these dark days. Rom_5:5 tells us where this comes from and 1Co_13:1 tells us what kind of love this is. We can have nothing that is not given to us. But it all depends on what we are feeding on. What are we feeding on? His life, His truth, which will strengthen and guard our minds and hearts from evil? Or are we feeding our minds on something that provokes our hearts and minds to wrath? We feel we just have to know what's happening? That kind of morbid curiosity is of the flesh and should be denied. It feeds the wrong nature. Even though we might call our response righteous indignation and begin to think and talk like the sons of thunder, like James and John in Luk_9:54? They got so offended over how people rejected Jesus and would not receive Him, they were ready to call the fiery judgment of God down on these people. Jesus quickly called them on that, did He not folks? Is not offended religious pride deadly?
Luk 9:55-56 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You know not what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
The wrath of man never works the righteousness of God, does it? If you follow the letter of the Word in the wrong spirit you are still wrong. Slow to anger, slow to speak, that's what the Word says. God gave us 2 ears, 2 eyes, but only one mouth, folks. What does that tell you? His people, His own disciples were willing to write these people off, cut them off and judge them and execute them right there on the spot. They were His disciples but they did not reflect His heart at that point, nor His purpose. They could have quoted the Scriptures and said Elijah did it. But that was a different situation and that was not the purpose of this precious Christ who came into our world.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter took a sword, not understanding the Word of the Lord and or the heart of the Lord and cut a man's ear off trying to defend GOD. Consider that. As if this Almighty, Omnipotent GOD needed a puny man's weapon or strength to defend Him? Laughable. You know, flesh always wants to do something, to strike out. That's religious or personal pride that has been offended. That's a desire to inflict pain for pain. Payback. It's also ungodly and carnal. If we truly love Him, and remember where that love comes from-not ourselves but HIM, if we truly love Him, then should we not spend time with Him, in His Word, letting Him reveal Himself to us so we know HIM?
If the people who were in New York holding up hateful signs, giving the devil and the world opportunity and reason to mock His holy Name, His holy Word, had instead been obedient to the Word and brought that offended religious pride to the cross, and hit their knees acknowledging this is a spiritual battle that can't be won with carnal weapons, and began to fast and pray what might God have done? When He comes down by His Spirit He can melt the hardest of hearts and send fear into hearts that will be pricked and brought to repentance. Only the Holy Spirit can convince people of sin, folks. We can preach the truth from every street corner, but if our hearts aren't right, if our motives aren't pure, and in union with His own, He will not anoint that. If He didn't send us to do what we are doing it won't accomplish no matter how man Scriptures we quote. The Word of God preached by someone operating in their own strength, in their own wisdom and understanding will just bring people into bondage and death. It's when that Word is spoken through a surrendered, obedient vessel infused with the life and power of the Holy Spirit, letting the Spirit do the talking that the yoke is broken and captives are set free and blind eyes are open.
He said bless those who persecute you, don't curse them! Don't threaten them with His judgment! You are out of your calling and your place. That's like trying to describe the color blue to a man born blind-it can't be done. They can't see it because they are in darkness. It makes no sense to them. The natural man will not, cannot receive or understand the truths of God or the ways of God. They want nothing to do with Him. Remember Jesus said the Father had to draw them before they could even come? Oh, Father help us see people through YOUR eyes!
He said give place to wrath. That is a poor translation in the KJV. Examine it carefully, in context. In the Hebrew those words mean to give up, bring forth, to deliver up, strike or smite the condition, the location or spot where this wrath is (Rom_12:19). That thing in you that rises up in anger, take that thing bring it into captivity just like an evil imagination and lay it at the cross. It will not, cannot work the righteousness of God for it's rooted in a corrupt human nature.
Oh, Lord we don't understand except You show us and open our understanding to Your truth. Please forgive us for allowing ourselves to get drawn so far out of the way by the sight of our eyes, the pride of our life and the lust of our flesh. Please wash and cleanse us, as Your goodness draws us to repentance in ashes and mourning for our foolishness, for time wasted, for being such a misrepresentation of You while we thought we did You service. Please fix us, Lord, make us like You, and help us be willing to pay the price. Grant that Your love, Your wisdom, Your life which You died to give us be able to flow freely through us to a lost and dying world. Help us remember and understand where we were when You found us, and help us have compassion on those who don't know You. Holy Spirit, please come and take back control of Your church from the hands of man. We repent for our wickedness, we are sorry we presumed to try to run things ourselves.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The land we need healing is our churches, folks. The world is going down and America with it. Our only reason for being here is to be a vessel Christ can live and work in to seek and save the lost.

The Demon of Discouragement

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:13:00 +0000

This is a must hear!!! For more of these free messages, and wonderful reading as well, please check out Keith & Candace Malcomson's website here.

The Demon of Discouragement-Keith Malcomson

Correction

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:58:00 +0000

Yesterday I posted an entry that in part reads this way, but I inadvertently left out a very important and key word. I think the intent was obvious but wanted to clarify. It reads as follows:

Believing on Jesus Christ is just a mental acceptance of the truth with the expectation of being saved from hell, but that is the lie being taught in many pulpits today. To truly believe means to surrender.

I meant to say it is NOT just a mental acceptance of the truth with the expectation of being saved from hell like I believe so many are deceived by. We can't just mentally agree with truth, we must embrace and seek God for the power to live and walk in His light-which is the only truth there is. Sorry for the mistake.

In Him, and longing to know Him more,

Kathleen

What it Means to Believe God

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:18:00 +0000

Read Entire Notes Here For Context

Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.

Consider that statement very carefully. The word believe here means to trust the way, the truth and the life of Jesus Christ. It means your own idea of truth, your own natural way, and the way you have until now lived your life can no longer be trusted or continued. If you truly believe, you will understand that what you have apart from Him is not enough. One must have His life, His truth and live His way to be saved. That word saved means to be delivered, rescued, protected and preserved. From what? From the result of sin, of living the natural human life and believing the lie of all humanity which is live for yourself. Indulge yourself. Put self first. This is completely against the law and truth of God. It results in sinful and destructive behavior when people live only for themselves.

When you believe in Jesus, and accept His truth as the ultimate Truth which it is, you see there is no other way but His that leads to life. The Bible warns us not to lean to our own understanding, for the fountain of all human reasoning is our corrupt human nature. There is a way that seems right to man but to follow that way is to end up dead, condemned and outside the life and light of God forever.

We can see the strength of Paul and Silas' faith by the demonstration of their commitment to carry the Gospel when and where the Holy Spirit led and instructed them to go. They did not rely on their own thoughts or strength but His. They did not consider themselves in this calling but only His truth, His glory and the souls of the captives who needed deliverance. This is a costly way but it's the only way. In these Scriptures we see the results of true faith and the cross in the life of the believer. Paul and Silas were submitted to the authority and leadership of the Holy Spirit for their lives. They refused to depend on anything natural or of the flesh because that is against God as evidenced clearly in these Scriptures.

Paul said this: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that are perishing foolishness, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:18) Why is that? As we have read over these Scriptures in Acts 16 and considered the path the Holy Spirit laid out for these two servants of God, we see suffering, degradation, humiliation and public shame. We see them treated shamefully, and violently abused at the hands of sinful men. They had not done anything wrong. They weren't out of the will of God, though many who were unwilling to suffer for the sake of others would dare to say they were. But because Paul and Silas were willing to suffer, willing to endure some hard things, a young girl was delivered from demonic control, the first New Testament church was established in Philippi, and the jailer and the prisoners in that interior jail at Philippi were loosed from their bonds. Scripture says the jailer and his whole house were saved. The Lord Jesus Christ did not send His servants to suffer and endure that which He Himself had not already endured at the hands of sinful men. But this is the truth of the Gospel. It's a hard and a high call. He's calling His people to live His life, not theirs, to live His Way, to speak His Truth, because HE is the Word that was made flesh. He's calling us to be a vessel through which and to which He can reveal Himself. For He has and is the only way that leads to eternal life. Believing on Jesus Christ is just a mental acceptance of the truth with the expectation of being saved from hell, but that is the lie being taught in many pulpits today. To truly believe means to surrender.

Jas 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, though a man says he has faith, and has not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the demons also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

That word in verse 19 for believe is the same as in Acts 16:31. The devil himself believes, he knows the Word of God is true, He knows Jesus Christ is the only Way to life, but he isn't saved. He rejected the leadership and authority of God and rebelled, seeking his own way. And all who follow that path are doomed to end up where he will. It's not enough to say “I believe.” True faith requires we surrender to Him everything in exchange for Himself, His truth, His way, and His life. Ours will not save us. Our truth is a lie. Our way leads to hell. Our life is temporary and vain, for it is wasted serving the selfish desires of human flesh. Many believe that they can profess His Name, carry their Bibles, speak well of and go to the church on Sunday and say praise the Lord and carry in their hearts the expectation of heaven some day. They may tell others about Jesus Christ, but if they do not press on to know Him, how is their witness accurate? Only the Holy Spirit can teach us what the Word of God means and only He can show us who Jesus Christ is. Only He can reveal Jesus to and through us. Such knowledge is otherwise beyond our access. There is no other way to know Him but through and by the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to live His life but through and by the Holy Spirit. There is no other way for the cross to be effected in our lives but through and by the Holy Spirit. Is it any wonder so many churches and religions have minimized or preached away the reality and truth of the necessity of they Holy Spirit in our lives? Without Him, the church is blind and impotent, operating solely in the natural, by human reasoning and strength. When that is so there is no power, no light, and no life. Scripture tells us Jesus went and ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit from the beginning of His ministry. Is not everything He did a pattern for us to follow who believe? Yes, it was. We see in the life of Paul what happens when someone really believes in and on Jesus Christ. He becomes their life and others are saved by HIS life. There is no other way.

The Greatness of God's Love

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:45:00 +0000

When we are hurt, or in trouble, we feel alone. When we face pressure or temptation, we struggle because for the most part we are trying to live for the Lord in our human strength and we function for the most part in disobedience leaning to our own understanding instead of seeking the mind of Christ which we have been given access to. All of these things God is well able to fix. One of the greatest hindrances is we tend to think of God as One who is far off, unmoved by what we are going through, or worse, unaware. How many times have we been going through some difficulty and wondered, Lord, where are You? How many times have we felt forsaken and wallowed in self pity? Where is our faith? Our faith was given to us when we were created. The Lord says He has dealt to every man THE measure of faith needed to believe Him. (Rom_12:3)

But we are to add to that faith. (2Pe_1:5) All these things we are to add come from the Lord. We can have nothing He doesn't give us. Pastor David Wilkerson said this about faith in his message "Without intimacy there can be no faith at all" in 2002:

"As we read Hebrews 11, we find a single common denominator to the lives of the people mentioned. Each had a particular characteristic that denotes the kind of faith God loves. What was this element? Their faith was born of deep intimacy with the Lord. The fact is, it's impossible to have a faith that pleases God without sharing intimacy with him. What do I mean by intimacy? I'm speaking of a closeness to the Lord that comes from yearning after him. This kind of intimacy is a close personal bond, a communion. It comes when we desire the Lord more than anything else in this life." http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/1169 (emphasis mine)

Oh, Lord help us get to that place where we want nothing more than to know You. Awareness and faith are vital. Are we really aware of how close the Lord is to us? How very well He knows us, yet He loves us in spite of ourselves? Do we really believe that? Can we lay hold of that truth? We must. Where does the Word of God reveal this to us?

In Psalms 139 David is sharing a revelation he has received of just how aware of himself the Lord actually is. Thank God for this truth, and I pray the Holy Spirit help us to understand, to comprehend and lay hold of in faith these truths. In the coming days this truth will be a vitally important necessity. We must have our own personal, close and intimate relationship with the Lord where we talk with Him and He talks with us. We must lay hold of by faith His promises to direct us and keep us on the course He'd have us to walk.

Psa 139:1 [To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] O LORD, you have searched me, and known me.

Psa 139:2 You know my downsitting and my uprising, you understand my thought afar off.

He searches us, explores our inward selves, penetrating us, examining us intimately. Why would He do that? Why would He take the time or even want to know us? The only answer that makes sense is because He loves us. There is nothing we can hide from Him, but there are things in our hearts we ourselves may not be aware of. When we consider this verse, consider the time involved here in conducting this examination of our lives.

He is God, but this verse does not reveal a far off God who is too busy to take time to know anything about the lives and problems of His children. He knows everything. Not only has He examined us, He sees, He knows us inside out. He understands who we are and why we are the way we are better than we or anyone else does. He knows where we live, where we go, the path we take to get there. He knows when we're down and when we're up. He knows when we sleep, when we wake. Isn't that the most incredible thought? Do we ever stop to wonder what He's thinking as He watches us carefully all the time? He sees us always so busy, busy, yet He said in His Word that whomever came to Him He would not deny? (Joh_6:37) How many of us make spending quality time alone with the Lord a priority even though it is in truth a necessity?

Downsitting means where we live, where we spend our time, when we ease ourselves or endure, when we fail, where we are settled down or married and to what, or who, including our situation. This sounds like a lot of entanglements that can weigh us down. It's basically what we are occupied with most. Uprising means when we are rising up in strength or power, when we are standing up, accomplishing, coming, confirmed, enduring enemies, being established, fulfilled, strengthened and when we take a stand. This is when we are being tested, proven, or validated.

Psa_56:8 says He keeps a record of of our wanderings-that word means exile-the aimless wandering of a fugitive. Of course, this is David speaking again. He was a fugitive, hiding from Saul who meant to destroy him. He puts our tears in His bottle in heaven. He has a record of all them, and keeps them bottled up. I don't understand it. But that tells me if those tears are kept by the Lord, both bottled up and recorded, those tears we cry have an effect on His heart-such a strong effect He keeps them and has a record of them.
He understands, He discerns and carefully considers and thinks on what occupies our minds from a distance, and He knows what we will be thinking on for a great while to come. When Hagar ran away from Sarah's anger-which she herself had provoked, the Lord heard the cry of her affliction (Gen_16:11) and sent a heavenly messenger to show her where water was and give her instruction and encouragement in her despair. Pro_15:3 says the Lord sees everything, good and evil. He knows the thoughts of men, that they are empty and do not satisfy. Jesus knew their thoughts when He walked on earth among the people. He let them know He was aware of the evil of their hearts. When Israel cried out in the wilderness, He was there, leading them every step of the way, providing for them, protecting them, and never one time failing them, though He endured much grief of heart when He had to afflict them for their selfishness and idolatry. Even when He had to punish them, Scripture says in Isa_63:9 that in all their affliction He was afflicted. As parents we can sort of understand this. When our children misbehave and we have to punish them, we do not like doing this. When they are miserable, it affects us. When Israel was in a tight spot, facing an adversary or tribulation, or distress, when they got in trouble, He was right there with them, afflicted and in anguish as well. The angel of His presence, surely a forerunner of the Holy Spirit, saved them. In His love and His mercy and pity, He redeemed them, kept them for His own, took them from the hand of the enemy and made them His. He carried them, and watched carefully over them. Remember, this was over three million people. He never lost track of one.
Every day we rise and His love for us, His Word, His faithfulness, the truth and purity of His Word is on trial, both in our own minds, often disputed by our own human reasoning, and always by the lies of the devil and the unbelief and scoffing of the world around us, even those tied up in religion. We must understand this. We must be on guard against this. This is why over and over in the Word of God, He warns us to gird up the loins of our minds, hold up the shield of faith, guard what He's given us. It's under constant attack from without and within. That's a hard truth to accept. We expect the world and the enemy to attack the purity of God's Word and love but our own selves? But we do. He deals with us to pray for someone, we dispute within ourselves that we aren't capable, (as if the result depended on us). Do we understand we look at the command of God and try to excuse ourselves based on our inadequacy rather than HIS strength and ability? How great an insult to the Almighty God is that? He says we are not to let sin have dominion over us, but we face a temptation that is so appealing and instead of handing that struggle to the Lord, denying ourselves and calling on the One who lives in us, we make excuses to indulge ourselves and we let go of God's hand to indulge that sin . We can't indulge our sin and walk with Him. How can two walk together unless they agree? So we have to let go, ease away from Him, indulge ourselves and presume we will be able to repent and run back and that God's hand will still be stretched out to us. He'll understand, we tell ourselves. When I consider that, it sounds like we exploit His love and take advantage of His grace in a very negative way when we do this.
My heart trembles with unease as I think on these things for I'm guilty. We all are. I had not thought about it like this before, but in light of what He's showing to me now, my heart mourns and fears. We tell ourselves we're weak. He knows I'm weak. They didn't have the kind of temptation in the Bible days they do now with TV, computers, and so many other things. But we conveniently forget He said back then, knowing everything the future held that we could do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ in us is our Strength, our Source of all live and all godliness, all holiness. We forget He said we have the Holy Spirit to help us and pray for us in our infirmities (weakness) because we don't know how to pray or what to pray for. Without the divine intervention and leadership of the Holy Spirit the only people we'd ever pray for would be ourselves and our family. All our prayers would be selfish.
Read entire notes HERE.

A True Witness for Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:32:00 +0000

Heb 12:1 Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Because we have been surrounded with such a vast list of witnesses of this life and light of Jesus Christ, there are some things we need to do. Consider that word 'witness' carefully. The word in the Greek is martus, G3144. It means a martyr, a record, or witness, in a legal, historical and ethical sense. This is someone who has personally seen and experienced the truth of what they say. They are what they preach, they have lived it. When they testify about Jesus Christ, it's because they KNOW HIM. In a courtroom you cannot testify to what you heard others say or do about something or someone, it must be first hand knowledge or it is only hearsay. No weight is given to hearsay. It is rejected. How can we, as Christians become witnesses of Jesus Christ in the true sense of the word? He is in heaven. He walked this earth over 2000 years ago. How can anyone alive today be a true witness of such a One Whom we've not seen with our eyes, personally? Act_1:8 tells us how and this is the only way we can be accurate witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel:

Act 1:8 But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

That word in Acts 1: 8 is the same word in Heb. 12. Martus. A living martyr. Not only does it mean someone who has personal , firsthand knowledge, but it also means one who is willing to lay their life down for what they believe. To be a witness for Him means we live to do His will, as He did our Father's. We do not live to do our own will. In other words, this is one who proves or validates their faith by obedience unto death, literally or figuratively. We must ask ourselves, do we believe His Word enough to live each day seeking direction and strength, totally dependent on the Holy Spirit who alone can live this life of Christ in us? We must be filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized or immersed into His life, with His Presence and power working in us. This is the only way we can be accurate witnesses. We don't produce this life, we don't have this power of ourselves, we can have nothing unless it is given us from above. It is not of us, about us or by us, but it's something we must have or we are not true witnesses. We can't be witnesses without this, for Jesus told the disciples that they must tarry for this. Wait for it before they did anything else. This life can only be lived in us and through us by Him for it's His life, not ours. We are to be channels for His power to flow through to others. He will not use just any vessel-it must be clean, and set apart for Him. This involves preparation and obedience of faith.

So, what is a weight? It is any burden or thing that hinders or slows us down from fully embracing and obeying the Word and will of God. Now, it gets a little sticky. Our number one weight, the number one thing that hinders us and slows down our progress into this deeper life of Christ is ourselves. We must understand and recognize this truth. Self will. It's demanding, never satisfied no matter how much it has or gets its way, and is always in opposition to the Holy Spirit. That is the heaviest load we carry, and one we must be relieved of. All the weights we carry stem from our own self will and human understanding. There are things we allow to be put on us by others, by the enemy of our souls, and by the traditions of men-religious or otherwise, by the culture of our environment that are totally opposed to the nature and will of God. The flesh-that human nature we are born with is always self focused. Most all hindrances stem from our own human nature, especially here in the American church. We are so used to being comfortable, having plenty. In this world we live in there is a devil who rages, there is the pull and draw of the world we are born into. Temptations are all around us. The world and the devil would exploit and cater to the ungodly desires of human nature. And they are ungodly. Watchman Nee said this, and I have to agree: "The flesh makes Self the center of all things, while the Spirit centers all life on Christ. Such is the battle that rages in all believers until victory is gained over Self."

We should lay aside the sin that so easily besets us. Paul said 'let us'. It's a choice and there are consequences for our decision. Do we lay aside the weights and sins that so easily beset us or do we continue to carry and indulge in them? Each choice has its own consequence. To lay something aside means to put it off, or away. This is where the message of the cross is vital-and dangerously neglected or misunderstood in most of professing Christianity. Much of Christianity is thinking we carry a cross because we name the name of Christ and some people make fun of us, or we resist the ways of the world. We can dress holy, we can be separate, and still not be carrying our cross. We can be full of religious pride, contempt for those unlike ourselves. Our tongue can be unruly, our thoughts and faith waver. We can have the spirit of God in us and walk right by a lost and dying world and never blink an eye or shed a tear because we are so consumed with our own 'trials and temptations'. Self focus. Self must be put out of the way, beloved and we are not strong enough or able to put ourselves out of the way. This must be a work of the Holy Spirit. But if we do not feed on His Word and present ourselves to Him alone, in prayer, and regularly, frequently, get in His Presence and believe Him to do what we cannot, it will not happen.

Remember, the Scripture says the Lord has no fellowship with idols, and self is the number one idol in this land of America-in and out of the church.

Read Entire Notes Here: A True Witness for Jesus

Oh, Father, let us not live in this world unmoved by human need. Let us not walk among the lost in their darkness with no compassion or courage to reach out to them. God forbid. Grant us Your courage, Your faith, Your love, Your light to hold up before them and Your Spirit to show us how to lead them out of the dark into the light. Don't let us walk by the lost and hurting and be hard and unfeeling, without the compassion that YOU had for them when You walked among them. Help us get over ourselves Lord, so You alone can be seen and heard in us. Forgive us for our excuses and failures and change us Almighty God into the likeness of Your Son who alone is lovely and worthy. You said it is finished on that cross-the work has been done. Increase our faith and draw us back to the altar so we may in obedience wait there, broken and willing to empty ourselves of self that You might fill us with Yourself. Then we can say for us to live is for Christ to live and to die is to gain Your holy life. Help us see the truth so we will be willing to cast off the flesh as dung, to count it joyfully as lost that we might win You. Oh, Holy Spirit we will be trading filthy rags for glory. Help Your people, Lord, for the sake of Your Holy Name, Your honor, and for the souls of men and women who are dying without You, deceived by a wicked devil. Just as it is offensive to us to think of a person molesting a child, it is so offensive to you to see the devil molesting men and women, boys and girls in their minds, and corrupting their hearts. Break us, Lord, so You can revive us with Your Spirit-for Your glory, and for the sake of the lost. Give us Your heart for ours is deceitful and desperately selfish and wicked. Give us Your life for ours is inadequate. Help us be willing to exchange our self life for the life of Christ so Your will can be done and You can be glorified and exalted among Your people and so the world will again know there is a GOD who loves them and died for them.

The Virtuous Woman (and who she really is)

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Disclaimer: I was in these Scriptures a few years ago and recently, the Lord directed me to go back to them, to study them and then bring them to Him and ask Him to make them a reality in my life. What an invitation! So that is what I'm doing. But I wanted to share this because He's no respecter of persons. He showed me these truths, and the fact He wants to make them real in my life is both humbling and awesome. He is a matchless God, worthy of our lives. To Him alone be all the praise and honor and glory.

Pro 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

What is a virtuous woman? To the American culture, the word 'virtuous' means above reproach, excellent moral character. A virtue is a trait or quality deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of good morals. It's the opposite of vice. In the Hebrew it means much more. It is someone who is strong, valiant, with great capability, power and resources far beyond what others have. Someone with the efficiency, strength, wealth and the force of an elite army. It speaks of substance, valor, a very capable, powerful warrior. A woman of ability, power and resources. Who can find such a woman? There is only one place. To find such a woman, you would need to find her married to such a man.

In Mar_5:30, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd pressing on Him. Many were touching Him, but one little woman with an issue of bleeding pressed her way through the crowd with faith in her heart, and she managed to touch Him. She knew He was her only Hope. And when she touched Him, virtue went out of Him. The word is dunamis in the Greek. It means a force or miraculous power. It's the life and power of the Holy Spirit in Him. He gives this Life, this part of Himself to her. He baptizes her into this.

We are not talking about an ordinary housewife here. This is why her worth is far more valuable than rubies. A real ruby is the red sapphire, next in value to a diamond. In Pro_3:15, the Scripture says she (wisdom) is more precious than rubies, everything you could desire is not comparable to her. Who can find such a woman? Who could be such a woman? The Bride of Jesus Christ.

Today, you always hear these Scriptures read in churches across America on Mother's Day but I have never heard it preached beyond a surface understanding of a dutiful wife and mother with excellent moral character. That's the Americanized version of this message-not the spiritually accurate version. Such a woman shall be praised with the focus on honoring her, as a human being. The Pastor knows many mothers are not like the mothers of by gone days. Many have to work instead of keeping the home and the children. Many rely on TV to babysit their kids or the computers. He spends the rest of the sermon chastising them for their shortcomings, using his own yardstick to measure them by. They are frustrated because they try to parent with only their own human strength and wisdom which continually fails them. He has a good point but this goes far deeper than that.

These Scriptures are a type-an illustration from the heart of God of the Bride of Jesus Christ. It's a portrait of His Church. In a world sick with sin, filled with selfishness, and violence, and full of darkness, she shines as a bright light, as a city set on a hill. She stands out because she does not need medication or worldly entertainment to find peace or rest. She stands out because she thinks of others more than herself. She stands out because she has a servant's heart. Her agenda is not her own, neither is her word. It is HIS. The Light that shines from her comes from Him. It is HIS light. He is her Source. She abides in Him. To Him, she is far more valuable than any gemstones.

Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. Pro 31:12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She is sold out to God, she is dead to this world, and He knows she will not forsake Him and walk away for vain and passing treasures. He is her Treasure, and He trusts Her with His Name, and His Word, and with it, delegated authority and power over her enemies. (Luk_10:19-20) The Lord is not looking for another, He is satisfied with His Bride. She yields to Him and lets Him make her what she needs to be. On the other hand, her friends, her family, her employer, they can safely trust in her, as a Christian, as part of the Bride of Christ, that her word is her bond, her fingers are not sticky, her eyes are not covetous and greedy. If this part of the Bride, this Christian, is married, then the spouse has no worry of betrayal. She is different, so unique that others wonder.

Pro 31:13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Pro 31:14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She pursues, looks for, searches for this wool and flax. When you dig into these two things, you will see she is truly searching for purity and sanctification-the righteousness that is the Lord's alone, imputed to us by faith alone. Wool was of the highest value among the Jews. It was one of the most widely used materials for clothing. Wool was forbidden to be woven or mixed in with linen garments. The priests could not wear woolen garments while ministering to the Lord for it would make them sweat and He would not allow sweat in His presence-the self effort of human nature. Yet this woman seeks it. She follows Him who has it and pursues it, for she requires it. This tells us we are not talking about wool, the material for clothing, for clothing was also made from hemp, flax and cotton. Another thing I found interesting is wool was used mostly for the outside garments for its ability to either keep heat out or in. There are so many applications here, for yes, the wife would search for material to make clothing for her family but this goes deeper.

Wool represents purity, it's white. God told Isaiah to tell His rebellious, sinful people to come, meet with Him, let us reason together, for though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. In Rev. 1, when John was in the Spirit and heard the Lord talk with him, he turned around and just the glory and power of the vision of the Lord who talked with him was so pronounced, so awesome, he fell like a dead man on his face. He said the hairs of His head were "white, like wool" and it signifies purity. We can only have this kind of purity from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. It must be given to us we cannot produce this through any effort of our own.

She seeks wool and flax. Flax was cultivated in Egypt and Palestine. Of the two, wool was more common in Judea, flax was more common in Galilee. It is torn from its native soil where its seed was planted and grew. The stalks of the plant are laid out in strips, to dry out in the scorching sun. In Biblical times, they were laid out on the roofs of houses to dry in the hot, desert climate. In later times, they were put in ovens to dry out. After drying, they are then peeled, to separate the stalk from the fibers inside which are used to make fine linen cloth and also wicks for lighting lamps. Then, it is torn by a comb designed to straighten, and remove knots and impurities in the fibers, then it's tied to stones, and immersed in water until it starts to rot so the loosened fibers can be separated from each other by combing. It is washed several times and suffers long exposure to the weather to be ready to produce white linen garments on a spinning wheel. The fibers were to be made into thread and were gathered into a loose rope which was wound around a distaff which is a round tool or reel that kept the thread in line and untangled so it could be spun into cloth.

We, as Christians, are taken out of the miry clay of sin, rooted up from our dark, sin-gripped prison in this world, and put in the kingdom of God's dear Son. We are put on His potter's wheel. We are bathed in His Light, and we have a purifying, sanctifying process to go through, as well. We often are faced with fiery trials to test our faith and give God the opportunity to manifest Himself and His ability in our lives. This builds our faith. It's in the trials that we learn more of God than any other way. Our flesh life, our self-life has to be stripped away, and destroyed, like circumcision of the heart. It's a very painful process. Flesh, which is self has to go. We have to learn we can't find or trust anything in ourselves to be good enough to bring to Him. Then when we are tired, and empty of ourselves, He immerses us in living waters, fills us with Himself, He anchors us to Himself-He is the Rock, the Cornerstone the builders rejected. Or, to put it another way:

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

And this Bride, she works willingly with her hands. This word willingly means she takes great pleasure and delight in doing His will. Jesus said I delight to do Thy will, Oh Lord. This work she does is something she desires to do, it's valuable work, and she takes pleasure in doing it. Her hands are His hands. She is busy, accomplishing what He gives her to do, she is occupying until He comes. She is doing His will, laboring in His vineyard. She raises her hands to her Lord, she uses her hands in and for His service. She uses them to reach out to and minister and help others. What she is doing is having an effect on those around her. She does it happily, serving her Lord. She doesn't grumble or complain over her lot in life. He promised in Php_2:13 that it would be HIM who was actively and mightily working in us both the desire and delight to be actively and mightily doing His good pleasure. We can't be mighty in our own selves, so it is His ability in us that is mighty. The word 'worketh' in that verse is also the same Greek word used for the word 'do' in that verse. In the Greek, it is energeo G1754. It means to be active, efficient, effectual, mighty in work and deed. He's working in us what we can't do ourselves. We can have nothing, as Jesus said unless it's given to us from above.

Pro 31:14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. Pro 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

The merchants' ships would transport goods, food, and materials people needed across the oceans and seas to other lands. The Bride of Christ is like that, she is a vessel who travels, she doesn't hide. She carries with her, inside her, the Bread of Life that come down from Heaven, the living waters of the Holy Spirit, to share with whosoever will come, the hungry and thirsty. Such as she has, she gives. She is not one given to laziness and slumber. She gets up early, and seeks the face of God for a word for her household, for her family, her neighborhood, those the Lord brings across her path. She feeds on HIM for He alone delights her soul. Because of this, she is able to give to others around her what she has received from Him when she is given opportunity to minister to them in whatever capacity presents itself.

Luk 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

She knows she has been given the responsibility, she's been set as a light in her home, her town, her school, her workplace. She understands she is not the Source, but has constant access to the Source. She depends totally on Him for all the provision needed for the task, so there is no room or excuse for failing to shine. He never fails. She brings her food from afar because it's the Bread of Life, and she got it on her knees and in His Word. It's for those around her who are hungry, for those who are sick of the world and the elusive peace so many seek and never find in a dark and dying world.

Pro 31:16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

She considers the field. She has counted the cost and deemed everything else as dung that she may win Him. She has a plan of action, His plan, for there is buried treasure in this field. Exceeding precious promises made by her Lord, that she might be partakers of His Divine Nature. She has this precious Word of God, a gift from on high, paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ. Holy men of old sacrificed their lives to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she will do no less. She doesn't take it lightly or for granted. She cherishes it.

She's digging in this Word, she's finding the promises of God, taking them to Him and praying for possession of what has been revealed to her, and He is becoming her strength. He alone can make these promises reality in her life. She's considered the promises carefully. She has sold out completely to the Word of God. As a result, the work of her hands is blessed. She becomes fruitful. The fruit of her hands is the result of the Spirit of God working in her life, sowing the Word, birthing in her the gentleness, peace, joy, patience, long suffering, all the fruits of the Spirit, listed in Gal_5:22. It touches the lives of those around her. His life, his living water flowing through her spreads out with healing and transforming power to bring hope into the lives of the hurting souls around her. She's been to the Source. She's sold out to Him. She's given everything to buy the field, and all the Treasure hidden in it. But this Treasure is not to be kept for self. It's to be found and shared with others.

Pro 31:17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

In Bible times, they wore close fitting tunics over their bodies, that were normally about knee-length. They covered these with long, flowing robes. When people relaxed or were at ease, they left the robes loose. But when it was time to move, fight, or travel, they tied up the robes with rope or a sash of sorts, so they might more easily move. In the Hebrew, the word "gird" means to put on a belt, or armor, the loins in the Old Testament refers to that area of the human where the reproductive organs are but in the New Testament the word loins refers to our minds. She's put on HIS strength, stands in His strength because she knows she has none of her own. Remember, HE is her Source. The promises of God in His Word are what she wraps around herself and moves and lives on. She stands on His Word to her. And the her I'm talking about here, be reminded, is every born again believer, (for there is no male or female in the kingdom of God) (Gal_3:28) She strengthens her arms, meaning she fortifies herself by drawing from Him His strength. She is established on the Rock, and His life in her is her strength. It is also the light of those around her. In John 1:4, the Word says in Him was life (meaning true, eternal life) and that life was the light of men. That life was the power and presence of the Holy Ghost. That life is to be the same in us as it was and is in Him. As He was in the world, so are we to be. We can't be that except by the power and abiding presence of the Holy Ghost in us.

Pro 31:18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She has tasted and seen the Lord is good so she feeds on Him continually. Because He is her constant source, her light doesn't go out when things get dark. That word for night in verse 18 means a adversity, in times when things look dark, her light still shines because it's His light and she has the oil in her vessel and her lamp. His Word is her lamp and directs her steps in this dark world. She is as one of the wise virgins described in Matthew 25. She has a constant supply available, as we all do, but she makes sure she gets that supply. She does not neglect seeing her vessel and lamp are filled with oil. She does not have the cavalier attitude of casualness, knowing the oil is available but being too busy to fill her lamp.

Pro 31:19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She is trusting, in verse 19 the rod and staff of the Lord to be her comfort, the word distaff literally means a crutch. When spinning thread into cloth, the distaff was the round tool that supported and kept in line the thread so it went evenly on the spinning wheel. That is what the Word of God is, it holds her up daily. Remember in Heb_1:3, He says he upholds all things by the word of His power.

Pro 31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

This word stretch in this verse has an unusual meaning in the Hebrew. It means something that is broken in pieces and spread out. This speaks of one who is broken, humble, as was Christ on the cross. His bones were not broken, but his body was. This doesn't mean literally broken in two. Consider the proud and wild horse. It has to be broken and tamed before it can be of use to man. Human beings are the same way-proud, arrogant, stubborn-and must be broken in spirit before they can be of use to the Lord. She reaches out in verse 20, to the poor, meaning in this verse, according to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, the depressed in mind or circumstances, the afflicted, the humble, needy and poor. Those around her who are hurting, who are bruised by the world, circumstances, and hard times. The Christians around her who are harassed by the enemy, or circumstance, and are weak. She reaches out with the compassion of God, to minister strength and encouragement to them. She speaks His life into their situation, because she has sat at His feet, and heard His Word. Remember, such as she has, she gives.

Pro 31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. Pro 31:22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Pro 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She's not afraid of the cold for her household, because all of her household are covered, by the precious, crimson blood of the Lamb. Remember, Jesus said in the last days because iniquity would abound, the love of many would grow cold. But this woman has covered all of her household with scarlet-with the blood of His sacrifice, spiritually speaking, through prayer and laying claim to the promises in His Word. She makes herself a coverlet of tapestry, her clothing is purple silk. Silk means white linen, and purple is a symbol of royalty.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Righteousness in verse 8 means acts or deeds. A decision has been made by the Judge concerning this woman and she has been justified or declared right. She prepared herself with the provision He made available to her.

To sit in the gates of a city symbolized one had authority and power to render judgment in legal matters, sentence criminals, make business decisions, set prices for goods bought and sold there, issue decrees, taxes, legislation and other important decisions, etc. In the Bible to say one sits in the gates means they had power and authority. Her husband, master, owner is known and honored, He is revealed to be One who is wise and has great knowledge. Others are instructed by Him. He is One others look and come to for instruction and understanding. He sits among the elders-the senators, the ancient men. When He takes the judgment seat in the gates of the city, everyone understands and accepts His authority.

Pro 31:24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Pro 31:25 Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Pro 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Strength and honor are her clothing. If you look up these words in the Hebrew you will see this doesn't apply to natural clothing. They mean force, majesty, security, praise, boldness, power, might, magnificence, beauty, excellency, glory. In other words, she is clothed with power from on high. She will have much to rejoice over in the future, when she reaps what she's sown. When she opens her mouth, in verse 26, her words are kind, her tongue is under control, the law of kindness rules there. Translated as it's used here, that means in the Strong's Hebrew, piety, beauty, favor, goodness, kind, loving, merciful, having pity, and mercy. She speaks what is right, gentle, and good. Her words are profitable to those who hear them. They are not idle or cruel. Her wisdom is not worldly or sensual.

Pro 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Pro 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

She looketh well to the ways of her house: She observes, waits, keeping watch over and looking out for her family, those under her care. She is careful to watch their progress on this journey so they don't go in the wrong path. She's like a watchman, prepared for the enemy when he tries to come in and do harm. She doesn't listen to or feed on idle words, or lies. She is not slothful. She feeds on the Word of God, she prays and communes with Him at His table, and fills up on His wisdom, and is directed by Him. Only with this kind of communion can this virtuous woman be and achieve all that these Scriptures say she does. It must be HIM working in and through her. Human flesh could not do this led by a carnal mind. Her children rise up, well aware of her wisdom, and being affected with the power in her, are stablished, strengthened, and grateful. They call her blessed-here that word means straight, level, honest, guide. This means her journey, her walk with the Lord is straight, honest and right.

Pro 31:29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Pro 31:30 Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Pro 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Strong's Hebrew for 'favor' means graciousness, kindness, pleasant and precious, well-favored, beauty. A person can put on a sham, and lie and pretend to like someone, but a woman that feareth, or reveres the Lord, is morally reverent toward the Lord, shall be praised. They might not understand, they might mock her devotion, but in their troubles, they will look to her for her wisdom. In their folly, they will see her wisdom. They will look to her for guidance because they've seen her ways are right, because her ways are the way of the Lord. That is called being a light to the World, letting Jesus shine through her life. He is where the virtue, the force, the power comes from. As the world around her that is lost and in darkness and misery to a harsh taskmaster, and quickly perishing, sees the peace and light and strength that are so evident in her life-she doesn't have to preach Scriptures to them. Her life is the light to those around. Her life is the evidence of the testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She knows she doesn't have to back up His Word, or prove anything to the world. It is His Word to prove, hers to believe and live by. He will back up His Word however He chooses.

At the end of her journey, the result of her faith, her trust in His promises, will be the souls saved who have been touched by the life of Christ in her, flowing out of her to a lost and needy world. What better reason to live can you think of? I love how Bro. Leonard Ravenhill put it, when he asked the question "Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?" If you are living for yourself, for pleasure, and gain, that is not why He died. He came to seek and save the lost. To bind up the wounded, to heal the broken hearted, to loose the slave and set the captives at liberty, to open the blinded eyes. He desires to minister His grace and power and life through His Bride to continue ministering to the poor and needy. He knows His Bride will not take the credit or glory from Him. He knows she will faithfully point others to Him. He shares His heart with her, and He knows He can trust her. Is this the kind of intimacy you have with Jesus Christ? Do you want it? I do! Will you let the lies of the enemy stop you? Will you let the weakness of your flesh or your fears stop you? When He promised that He would perfect what concerns you, (Psa_138:8) and do the work in you (Php_1:6, Php_2:13) and that because He promised (2Pe_1:3-5) we could partake of His divine nature, just because He promised we could! He didn't say we deserved this honor. He didn't say we couldn't. He made us meet or acceptable to partake of Him! HE MADE US ACCEPTABLE!

Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Whose report will you believe, the devil's, your carnal mind's, or the Word of God? I can honestly say I am not there yet, but praise the Lord when I was in these Scriptures in 2006 I didn't see all this. So I'm growing in grace and knowledge of HIM. He's taking me where I can't go and He's making me what the devil said I could never be!!! Hallelujah! Don't let these Scriptures discourage or dishearten you! Don't listen to the voices that say you can't be what this says you are to be! Of course you can't be like this on your own! HE works the work and HE is the power in you to do it. When the circumstances are over your head, out of your control and beyond your ability to understand, they are under His feet. Remember that. He sits as King of the floods. He knows all. He is everywhere. He sees everything. He is ALL Mighty. And HE in His great power and majesty LOVES YOU....what an honor. I tell myself and you, is HE not worth getting up early for? Is He not worth digging into this Book He had written so we can know HIM better? OH, YES!! Does my flesh want to? No. Does my carnal mind? No. Does my heart and soul? YESSSSSS sigh, sigh...I got to have Him. My family has got to have Him. We all have got to have Him. He is so precious. What a privileged people we are to have such an invitation from HIM. We have access. Time is running short. The call is out to everyone. Let us come while He may be found.

The Work of God

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:47:00 +0000

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The word for 'worketh' in this verse is energeo. It's probably where our English word "energy" comes from. It means to be active, efficient, be mighty in, to be at work, to effect. His presence and work in us effects or changes us. He causes us to choose or prefer and delight in the things that please God. The word "do" is the same Greek word for "worketh"--it's energeo. Because HE is inside of us, His presence there causes us to want to do the things which please Him. His presence and His working into us His nature, His Word, and His Spirit cause us to have the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him. We have the strength and desire to choose to work the good will of God, to long for His perfect will in our lives. We can trust Him to see it accomplished if we are obedient and do not run and hide from Him.

When we hunger for God, when we long for His righteousness and hate our own weakness and know we are totally unable to save ourselves and must depend on Him for everything-we will see He alone is our Resource. He alone is our hope. He will not fail us or forsake us.

Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Anything the Lord wants or instructs us to do, we are commanded to do it without murmuring, or complaining. We are to do it willingly, not grudgingly. That word "disputings" means internal discussion or consideration, doubtful, imagination reasoning or thought. When the Lord speaks something into our lives that He wants to do, first, we have got to realize He speaks to His own, and what He wants to accomplish He is able to. Psalms 115:3 says Our God is in the Heavens and He's done whatsoever He has pleased. He is not dependent on our strength to accomplish His plan. We are dependent on His. He equips us to do His will. We are vessels He can use to accomplish His purpose, through the power of His Spirit, and His strength. We are privileged to be allowed to be part of His work and be used by Him. He does not need us, He honors us in allowing us to be a part of His work, being fellow laborers with Him. I felt somewhat foolish, thinking, this awesome God spoke this world into existence, took pity on my soul, and saved me when I could not save myself, but I have fretted about Him making me what He wants me to ultimately be? What an insult to His power and grace. Lord, please forgive my foolishness.

It's been my experience when the Lord would speak something into my heart that He wanted to do, first, my heart would be in awe-first that HE would speak to me, that He would even know my name. That awes my heart and is more than my feeble mind can comprehend. Next comes gratitude, excitement, and amazement. But then, this very thing we are reading about rises up. Inward reasoning, deliberating, questioning. Was that really God that spoke? Did I imagine it? The devil will try to make you doubt. This internal discussion starts happening, and we start considering the possibilities and our own resources. We are inclined to want to do something to help God. We look to ourselves-and in my case, I began to despair at what I saw. I looked in the Word and dug into it, praying for understanding and delighted greatly in the promises I saw there. But, I soon realized I did not possess what was necessary to accomplish what God said He wanted to do in me. At the same time I was hungry and longing for the fulfillment of the promise, yet knowing I could not make it happen. I spent months agonizing over it, longing for it, and spent much too much time being tormented by doubt, longing for the promise, yet despairing of my own inadequacies. Instead of focusing on the Lord and just rejoicing in the knowledge that HE alone could accomplish what He desired, and trust Him to do it, and yield to His direction, I berated myself for my weakness and inability. But, He would not say He wanted to do something in me He wasn't willing and able to do.

I had never paused and considered this verse in Philippians 2:14. I always assumed it meant 'don't argue with God.' That is exactly what I was doing. Inwardly. Looking to self and hating what I saw, knowing alone I was totally incapable and bankrupt apart from the life of God. Entertaining doubts and fears. What if I missed God and lost my opportunity because of all this tug of war inside? What if I failed? But HE is my Source and my Guide, my strength, my provision, and oh, I wish I'd seen this from the beginning.

Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Who wouldn't want to be faultless? The word "harmless' in the Greek means "unmixed, pure, without mixture of evil, innocent." This is a Christian who does not knowingly partake of evil or anything that is against the life of Christ. They are not living in a mixture of the Christian life while trying to hold to the worldly pleasures that lead to sinful activity. They do not seek their own pleasure but rather the kingdom of God, the will of God. They are unblameable in the middle of a wicked, arrogant and reprobate society. Yes, perverse means the same thing as reprobate. This is a generation that does not like to retain the knowledge of God, no, they would rather deny His very existence, and label His truth a lie, and scoff at anyone they think is foolish enough to believe in Him. Society is living under the dangerous illusion they can live however they choose and make their own rules and not have to face dire consequences for their presumption.

But there are children of God out there who shine, in the midst of this wicked world, in spite of the evil all around, and the open tolerance of any kind of sin, God has a people who shine with the truth, the peace and the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I remember being a sinner, and watching terrible events unfold on the news, and thinking, gratefully, I was glad there was a House of God right down the road from where I lived, and in my mind, I made the connection that the only reason something bad hadn't happened in my neighborhood was because God had some people living near there. I had gone to that church as a child, knew some of the people there, had relatives there, and knew they lived the life, and really knew God. I remember, even being a sinner, taking comfort in my close proximity to the church.

But how can we reach this place of perfection? When I look at myself, I see so many areas flawed and imperfect, because the standard is Jesus Christ, not the preacher, not the singer or the choir. It's not my neighbor, or brother, or my sister. It's HIM. He said be holy. He said be perfect. But praise God for verse 13-He will accomplish this by the power of His Spirit working in me that which pleases HIM.

Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I have bowed my knee, praise God, and I have confessed Jesus Christ is Lord, and I desire Him to be the Lord of all of me, my heart, my life, my thoughts, my feelings, my time, my money, my words, my behavior, the direction of my life, the activity of my life, even the inner meditation of my heart. My marriage, my home, and all that pertains to me. Be Lord of my flaws, my mistakes, and my failures, and weaknesses, and fears. What saith the word to this? He is able to subdue all things unto Himself. (Phil 3:21).

Psa 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

Psa 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Whatever I face, whatever kind of trouble comes my way, whether it's financial, physical, mental, or demonic, GOD is my Shield, and my Defender. He is my exceeding great reward (Gen_15:1) That also includes the rebellion of my flesh, and carnal mind. He is able to change the way I think and react as I feed on Him and His Word. He is able to make me spiritually complete and mature.

The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:

He will end this war that rages in me between my spirit and my flesh. He will make a complete work of me. This word 'perfect' has two applications here. It means to end, whether in completion or failure, to cease, to perform. What is it about me that needs perfecting? (Completing) My carnal mind needs to die. We have the mind of Christ, Paul said in Php_2:5 1Co_2:16

There are things in my life that need changing. Maturing. He is so faithful and I praise Him for it. I would have no hope without Him.

Psa 138:1 A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

Let the world have their idols of entertainment and money and fame, in spite of it, I will praise the Lord! He alone is worthy.

Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

In spite of my flaws, in spite of me, He has loved me, and been very kind to me. He has given me His truth, and He has promoted His Word above even His name. That word "magnify" here means to increase, made large, advance, make powerful, made it greater, more excellent than even His Name which is Holy and Reverend (Psa 111:9). I have the miraculous blessing of being stirred by HIM to hunger for His Word and to receive it and let Him engraft it into me, and make it a part of me as He writes it on my heart, and changes me from within by the power of His Word.

Psa 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

I could so easily relate to what Paul said in Rom 7:24-25. O, wretched man (woman) that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The flesh wants its pleasure that will lead to eternal death. It's selfish, greedy and never satisfied for long. It has no compassion, no tolerance for holiness or purity. It is weak and corrupt. It doesn't matter how I try to disguise or satisfy the flesh, it can't be made holy. It can't be conformed to God. I don't mean my literal skin. I mean the carnal impulse, the human nature that wants to control everything, be in charge, and make its own rules and seek its own path and do what feels good, regardless of morality or truth. Sometimes, this can be painful.

I smoked, heavily, for 17 years. I was addicted to nicotine. I watched my grandfather die from cancer. As far back as I can remember, he'd always smoked a pipe. Watching him die from this didn't phase me when it came to my own smoking habit, which was much heavier than his own. In his last days, not long before they had to increase his pain medication which left him unable to communicate, I talked with him, and I stared into this man's eyes, who'd always been such a giant in my own. He was over 6 foot tall, a policeman, Korean war vet, he had done some good things with his life. But here he had, wasted away from 200 lbs to 95. He was a shell of what he had been. He was wracked with pain, and he looked me in the eye, knowing I had some destructive habits myself, and warned me that I should consider what was happening to him. He told me, "You never know when your body will turn on you." He urged me to change my ways. I just stared at him, wishing this wasn't happening to him, but unmoved by his warning. I was ruled by the flesh and fulfilling its carnal desires, regardless of the consequences. That is where the deceitfulness of sin comes in. Your mind will lie to you and tell you, oh, I got to die from something. It might as well be this. Oh, it will be a long way off. Or, it will happen to somebody else. Not me.

Psa 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

But I met Jesus. I was reborn by His Spirit. He gave me the desire to stop smoking. He gave me the strength to lay down unhealthy and bad habits. He cleansed me from within and made me a new creature. And the more I learn of Him, the more I want to be like Him. But, the more the flesh struggles to remain alive and war against the desires of the Spirit. The more I eat His Word, the more I think on it, with a longing heart. I cried out, Lord, help! I cried from a heart that hates evil and loves righteousness, and recognizes its own failings and flaws, while hating them. I cried from a heart that loves Him and wants to please Him and serve Him. He strengthened and comforted me. He reminded me HE was still at work and His Word would accomplish.

Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

His Word does not fail. Refusing to grant His Word free course and free access is unthinkable. Denying His Word admittance by neglect or deliberation is unthinkable.

Psa 138:4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

Psa 138:5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.

I know this may mean literal kings on earth, but when I apply it to myself, all those things that think they can reign unchallenged and stand against the life of Christ in me, will not. His Word is glorious to my heart. His promises are beautiful and wonderful. He is a mighty God and self sufficient, needing nothing. He owns everything ever made. Yet E knows my name.

Psa 138:6 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Psa 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

Psa 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

He won't forsake me. He won't leave me. He will save me. He will make me what HE wants me to be. And I will praise Him. When I am weak, I can run to Him and He can revive me. When discouragement threatens to overwhelm me, He reminds me of His promises and renews me. He comforts my heart. He picks me up when I fall, and forgives me, cleanses me, and restores me. He leads me and guides me. He teaches me. He watches over me. He talks to me, and shows me great and mighty things I didn't know. It wows my heart that such an awesome God would love me.

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

I can agree, and because I'm persuaded of this very thing, namely, that six years ago, God picked up a broken vessel, full of hatred and bitterness, and shame, and haunted by pain and unforgiveness, and He gently gathered me up and healed my pain, cleansed my soul, moved in my vessel and began to completely renovate everything. He is what holds me up. He began this work in me of changing me from a sinner into a saint, and His Word calls it a 'good work' that will benefit me, and those around me, and He will accomplish and finish this work which will continue until it's time for Jesus to come.

2Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

He's given me grace and peace, He's multiplied it through the knowledge He's taught me of who He is, and how much He loves me. He's revealed to us through His Word that He's already made provision for every need, and promised to supply, so we can have a life of godliness through knowing HIM and what He's called us to be. He's given us the opportunity to take part of His divine nature, and be like HIM and we can because He promised we could. He's made great and precious promises that can't be changed or taken away from us. He's preparing us for eternity, for a face to face meeting.

If we are wise, we will listen and obey and follow Him, and not go after the ways and wisdom of the world. If we let His Spirit teach and rule in us, we will be what He wants, and we will make it. We can't manage our own lives anyway. It's not in man to direct his own steps (Jer 23:10) But we have all been dealt a measure of faith that is needed to believe God. The worst thing we can do to ourselves is make excuses for our behavior when it is not approved by the Word of God. He can change us. He can save us. He wants us with Him. He's coming back, so let us grant Him free course to reign and rule in us. We will never regret it. If we don't, we will regret it for eternity.

written originally in 2007

Seducing The Elect

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:33:00 +0000

1 Jn 2:27 But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.

The anointing is the power and PRESENCE of the Holy Spirit. The Lord promised in the Gospel of John He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us and He would teach us, guide us, prepare us, inform us, and empower us. He will convict and convince us. When you have a group of believers who are all Spirit taught the Word of God, they all say the same thing. There's no division over what this Scripture means-they agree. Only the Holy Spirit is qualified to interpret the Word of God because He wrote it. We all have the privilege to take this Holy Bible and get alone with Him and ask and trust Him to teach it to us. We all have His abiding Presence offered to us, we all can lay hold of Him because He was promised. We must have Him. We may all obtain the promise of His Presence in us and with us. He was sent to stay with us. To live with us, and in us. We do not need man to teach us what the Word of God means and how it applies to our lives. HE is well able to do that if we will present ourselves to Him, with hungry hearts, and give Him time. The same ability, and gift of the Spirit's presence in our lives will instruct and learn us what we must know. And when we go to church if the man in the pulpit is truly hearing from and seeking God, he will preach truth we are learning at home. There will be no confusion. There are so many different religions, doctrines, denominations, belief systems and teachings out there we must be taught by the Spirit of Truth or we will be deceived.

Mat 7:13 Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be who go in there:

Mat 7:14 Because narrow is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.

We can only go in through the only entrance there is. It's a straight and narrow entrance. The word for gate here means entrance, it figuratively means condition. There is a condition we must enter into. It's a condition only the Holy Spirit can make reality in our lives. What condition must we enter into? Being hid in Christ. We must be IN Christ for HE is the Door into this condition, this way which leads to life eternal. Jesus Christ alone is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. IN HIM all the Godhead dwells. In HIM is the only access we have to life and to God-and that means to heaven, too. Every human being is on a journey in this life, but there are only two paths, only two destinations. In Christ, and not in Christ. Heaven and hell. There is a wide path and anything goes on that journey. It's flat, broad, and the journey on that path is easy. That's not to say life on that wide path is easy, for all experience loss and suffering, pain and confusion at times. But that way is the path of least resistance. It's a way of thinking, feeling, acting, deciding, by the means of human wisdom, follow your own thoughts and pursue your own desires, and it leads to death-to absolute destruction.

HOW can you say that? Because all of humanity has been born infected with a sin nature. We are naturally inclined to want any and everything but God. Left to our own devices we will take up destructive habits, and live selfish lives. To go that way will cause that person to be ruined and end up in eternal misery in an eternal hell where there are many ways in but no way out. Just like the law of physics is if you jump up you will come back down, if human beings live for themselves, and serve the desires of their flesh they will perish. There isn't more than one way to abundant life, to heaven, JESUS CHRIST is the ONLY way. Only the Holy Spirit can put us in the Body of Jesus Christ. The way is very restricted to fullness, to resurrection life. It's a life devoted to God and few will be able to understand, or see it. Few will recognize its value and press in to obtain it. It's a struggle, and to enter demands we deny ourselves and embrace HIM.

Luk_13:24 Jesus says "strive to enter in, for many will try but few will be able to enter in". It's a fight to enter in here because it's the only true entrance. Satan does not resist those heading to death, only to life. This is where some people get offended. You hear the questions "there are so many faiths out there, how do you know Christianity is the right way?" Because CHRIST is Christianity and when HE lives in you, His Holy Spirit will teach you truth. The Creator can't live in you and you not know it. Most of what passes or professes itself to be Christianity today is not the real thing.

Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

A false prophet is a person who says things, prophesies things, such as future events, and pretends God has told them what they claim. We know sheep are the people of God, His true children. They are clothed with His righteousness, with meekness, gentleness, humility, kindness. So you have a wolf come in with this same appearance, same outward demeanor. They appear righteous on the outside, they speak and act kindly, in an attempt to worm their way in among the flock. So let's focus on wolves a bit. What do we really understand about wolves and their behavior? Jesus compared false prophets to them so let's learn why.

Read more here.

Excerpt: The River of the Spirit-Lee Shipp

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:24:00 +0000

Excerpt from a message preached by Pastor Lee Shipp, First New Testament Church, Baton Rouge LA, concerning the day in Nicaragua he had to travel through a parade full of cross dressing trans-genders who were painted up demoniacally)

The presence and power of darkness doesn't teach, it demonstrates. It's great authority and power is in its demonstration not just simply its instruction. The effort the powers of darkness go to to demonstrate their reality is so profound because this earth is filled with the glory of Satan right now. There's coming a day when Jesus comes back this earth will be filled with the glory of God. Right now there is the presence of Satan and wherever you go in this world though you will find pockets of Christians who are loving Jesus, worshiping Jesus. But mostly what you will see, even in your own culture, is the power of Lucifer. That is the stronghold of his kingdom and his darkness. You see pestilence, disease, you see poverty. You see the fruit of the demonic stranglehold that is upon people and cultures everywhere. The Holy Spirit asks what do you think it will take to deliver these people who are so bound in darkness, who know only this way of life, what do you think is even going to bring them into your churches to even listen to what you have to say? And who has the audacity and authority and the anointing to walk into their culture and into their darkness with such confidence in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to bring liberty? Who is going to do that?

This isn't just in Nicaragua, it's in every city, every culture, it's everywhere. And this is the call of Christ upon our life. He has not called us to go into pretty places. He has not called us to go into pleasing situations. He has not called us to simply go where we are welcomed. He has called us to go everywhere and preach to everyone the gospel of Jesus Christ. If they reject you, then shake the dust off your feet, and leave. But if they receive you bless them. In a lot of places we will not be accepted or welcomed because the Bible tells us in John 3 that men love the darkness because their deeds are evil and they run to the darkness. But in every pocket of darkness there are those in it that are craving light. They want light, they want deliverance and freedom. I believe every man does. But it's the blindness Satan has put upon men so they don't see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

All we have to do is open our eyes in our culture and society to see this. We see Christian programs everywhere. We see Christian Literature, Christian radio stations, Christian TV, Christian cable networks, we have Christian everything. We as a culture in the United States are inundated with the Christian message. But for all intents and purposes it has fallen powerlessly at the feet of this darkness that is sweeping our culture, and that is strangling our nation from the life it has had-that is the life of Christ, the truths of God. We have to understand that. It's not our preaching that is going to be the answer. It's not our ability to quote Scripture at the proper time and place or our Bible Studies. This won't bring about the defeat of this darkness. The only thing that is able to contend with the spirit of darkness is the Spirit of Christ. And that is the Holy Spirit. He's the only One. He is ready and willing to come upon us with power and might and courage and boldness to be able to do through our lives what He alone can do.

The problem is we are so confident in our churches, in our programs, we are so confident in our methods that we've practiced how to witness to people (I.E. The Way of the Master-my thought here) We practice what to say. That's fine, but we have to leave the plan at the door. We have to be led by the Holy Spirit because we don't know what needs to be dealt with. The power of darkness doesn't just teach, it demonstrates itself from every possible avenue of our culture from our education system to our scientific institutions to our entertainment and even our government institutions. This is where all the efforts of the kingdom of darkness are concentrated to demonstrate its reality. And for the last many decades the church has done nothing but get together behind the walls of its buildings and TALK.

To watch the video of this message click here.

2Ch 7:14 If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

He's not talking about the U.S. That isn't the land He will heal-it's the church that needs healing and restoring. It's the church that for the most part has lost His glory, and the reality of His Presence and what He alone can do.

To view study notes "Without Mixture" click here.

When It's Hard to Pray

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 18:23:00 +0000

We know we need to pray, we know as children of God, in whom His Holy Spirit lives that we must maintain communication with the Source of our Life. We must know Him as our Father, who is in Heaven, who is on the throne of all power. We understand that Joh_17:3 tells us that is eternal life-knowing Him, being and staying connected to Him through His Son, through the Holy Spirit. Eternal life is having an unbroken connection, a very personal relationship with our Father, understanding and being aware of Him, in close communication with Him. We must accept and believe that He loves us, gave His Son to die for us so we could have access to His Presence. It was HE who reached down with mighty hands and a hurting, longing heart, and rent the veil in the temple from the top to the bottom in half, opening the way for us to enter in, through and by the blood of His Son. When you consider that, what does that say about how badly God wants us to come to Him? Why is this the number one area in our Christian life in which we encounter the most opposition? It's vital that we understand this.

For the Christian who truly loves the Lord, who wants to serve Him, desires Him enough to try to read His Word, seeks understanding of it, and tries to live a holy life, according to what they read in His Word, sometimes, prayer can come hard. That human nature at times can cause us to err, to fail or miss God, even be tempted into doing something we know is wrong.

Eve was deceived into disobeying God, but Adam sinned with knowledge. He chose to join her in her disobedience, choosing the woman over God. He was faced with a choice here, it was either her or God, because she had broken the command, she would be separated. It was her or God. He did not want to give her up, so he joined her. Immediately their eyes were opened and they became aware of themselves, their condition, that they were naked and upon becoming self aware, their immediate reaction is shame and fear. I'm naked! I have no covering! I've disobeyed God and sinned! That knowledge of evil causes fear and shame in them and then instinct demands self preservation so they hide from God when they hear Him coming. They know He's good, and now they aren't, so they hide. No wonder God did not want them to eat of this tree of knowledge of good and evil. He knew the sorrow that would result from such knowledge. God comes, walking in the garden. Adam, His son, isn't waiting for Him, he's hiding from Him. He has withdrawn from fellowship with God. The Lord knows this, and He calls out to Adam. He's crying out for His son, and that cry was one of pain. Have you ever gone looking for your child, especially when you have found evidence they have done something wrong, and they hid from you? Doesn't it hurt your heart to think that your own child is too afraid to face you? How much worse did God feel? Adam! Where are you? He cries out. Separation causes pain on both sides. Adam and Eve saw their nakedness and were afraid. It was the first time they became self-aware and the result was fear, dread, shame and produced an instinct to hide from God. Self awareness isn't all its cracked up to be, folks. It's the beginning of sorrow in the human life. Because of their sin, they were cast out of the garden of Eden, which was symbolic of the presence of God. He didn't stop dealing with them, but they couldn't come to Him like they did before. There was a separation now. They weren't like Him anymore. They no longer had His nature, they lost His image or likeness. But praise God, He already had a plan for man to regain that lost access to Himself. He sent His Son to reveal to us the Father. He came to destroy the works of the devil and set us free from the dominion of sin and Satan. He came to pay a heavy price for humanity's sin. He came to open the way back into the presence of God.

When you love God but you fail God due to adversity, temptation, and you hide from Him, you avoid Him and become weighed down with guilt, shame, and pain, and you continue in that condition, it can lead to a hard coldness that will begin to creep into your own heart. That is the danger. So, what can you do? The devil wants you to buy the lie that God is mad at you, finished with you because you sinned against light and grace. He'll thunder at your mind accusations. All around you people are going to hell but you don't care, you won't even pray for them like you know you are supposed to. You don't have enough power with God to help anybody! Oh, how these accusations can hurt because they can carry some truth. But what does God's Word tell us? He knew the lies we would have to fight. He had truth written and preserved for centuries for us that we could flee for refuge to His promises as an anchor for our soul.

Psa 34:18 The LORD is near unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.

You may have lost your courage, you may feel there is nothing left, that all hope is lost, it's all been destroyed, crushed to dust. But when you are there, and you cry to Him, He will draw near to you. I always thought that word 'contrite' meant to be sorry. But here, in Psa_34:18, it translates from the Hebrew as one who is crushed into the dust, destroyed, one who is broken or bruised in spirit. A contrite heart is one whose natural pride and self sufficiency has been destroyed, humbled by the conscious awareness of its guilt, and disanulled of any notion of its own goodness. Jer_17:9 warns us the human heart is desperately wicked, deceitful above all things and who can know it? It's polluted, crooked and incurably sick with sin. No human remedy can cure it.
When you realize this, you must understand it is the mercy of God to show you this truth about your own heart. When He does, it can cause despair. You might think all hope is lost of being saved, your enemy is whispering you have tried, and failed, you just can't make it, so quit, you remember that nothing is too hard for God. When you have no hope, HE is your only Hope. This is when He can do the most in and through you. It's hard to pray when you come to this point. What do you say to an almighty, Holy God, when you see your own wickedness? You wonder how can this be? I've been washed by the blood, I belong to God, I've been taught by God, I don't just rely on preachers to teach me, I go to the Book myself. I take it to my knees. I meditate on His Word, I pray and ask for understanding. HOW can there still be such wickedness in my heart after all that? Even though you love Him, you are born again, you love His Word, you must go through a purification process. It is painful to go through the fire. It's in the fire that all the impurities are brought to the surface so they can be removed. He must allow us to be pressed and squeezed so we can see what comes up out of our heart that is unlike Him and we can repent of that we didn't even know was there so He can cleanse it.

In Matthew 11, it starts with John the Baptist being in prison, and he's having second thoughts. He's in a very dark and hard place. He's had visitors, his disciples have come to Herod's prison to see him. They bring news of all the things Jesus is teaching and the miracles He is working. John knew that he, his ministry, must decrease so Jesus could increase. He was the forerunner to Christ. He had been in the wilderness, taught by the Holy Spirit, a voice for God. Now, he's suffering, in isolation, unable to do anything. He is in a very unpleasant place, enduring hardship, second guessing himself and what he thought he knew. He's now, in his suffering, unsure of the Truth he was so sure of before. When they come to Jesus with John's questions, He understands what John is going through. How well He knows human nature. He understands the temptation to become angry, resentful under such hard trials. He understands how human nature will often cause a person in their suffering adversity and anguish to begin to distrust and desert the One he ought to trust and obey. He sends John a message, confirming the truth he already knew, with one addition, 'blessed is he who shall not be offended in Me.' That right there shows Jesus well understood the great temptation John was battling. He tells us the same thing in our trials. Don't be offended in Me. Cast not away your confidence. Flee for the refuge of your soul to the promises of God.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
He invites and welcomes us to come close to Him. Follow Him. He asks those who are exhausted, burdened down with grief, worries, those who carry a heavy load, come. He says if you're heavy laden, He will give you rest. In the Greek that means those who are weighed down with trying to carry the load of burdensome religious precepts added to God's Word by the religious in leadership, He says Come, He will give you rest. He will lift that load off you. He wants those who are suffering from spiritual anxiety, overburdened with religious ceremony to come. You've worked hard, you've tried your best to please God and failed miserably. Men's traditions in religion have been taught as commandments and it's hard, impossible to live up to. He says come to Him. He acknowledges the fact you've worked hard, carried a heavy load. He says come, and He will refresh you, come to Him and He will give you rest. He will cause you to cease from your labor, to be still and know He is God. You have been weighed down with a load you weren't meant to carry. Pleasing God isn't found in the keeping of men's religious traditions. It's found in resting in faith in the completed work of His Son. Abiding in His Son, not being moved away from the hope that is found only in the message His Son brought, confident in the price His Son paid, the blood for our sins. There's nothing we can add to that or bring to that but our faith. We must believe it. God says those who come to Him must believe that He is, and that He's a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Barclay's NT commentary says this of these words:

It is suggested that in that moment the weight of the world's sin fell upon the heart and the being of Jesus; that that was the moment when he who knew no sin was made sin for us (2Cor 5:21); and that the penalty which he bore for us was the inevitable separation from God which sin brings. No man may say that that is not true; but, if it is, it is a mystery which we can only state and at which we can only wonder. It seems to me that Jesus would not be Jesus unless he had plumbed the uttermost depths of human experience. In human experience, as life goes on and as bitter tragedy enters into it, there come times when we feel that God has forgotten us; when we are immersed in a situation beyond our understanding and feel bereft even of God. It seems to me that that is what happened to Jesus here. We have seen in the garden that Jesus knew only that he had to go on, because to go on was God's will, and he must accept what even he could not fully understand. Here we see Jesus plumbing the uttermost depths of the human situation, so that there might be no place that we might go where he has not been before.

It would have been a terrible thing if Jesus had died with a cry like that upon his lips--but he did not. The narrative goes on to tell us that, when he shouted with a great shout, he gave up his spirit. That great shout left its mark upon men's minds. It is in every one of the gospels (Matt 27:50; Mk 15:37; Lk 23:46). But there is one gospel which goes further. John tells us that Jesus died with a shout: "It is finished" (Jn 19:30). It is finished is in English three words; but in Greek it is one--Tetelestai ()--as it would also be in Aramaic. And tetelestai () is the victor's shout; it is the cry of the man who has completed his task; it is the cry of the man who has won through the struggle; it is the cry of the man who has come out of the dark into the glory of the light, and who has grasped the crown. So, then, Jesus died a victor with a shout of triumph on his lips.

Here is the precious thing. Jesus passed through the uttermost abyss, and then the light broke. If we too cling to God, even when there seems to be no God, desperately and invincibly clutching the remnants of our faith, quite certainly the dawn will break and we will win through. The victor is the man who refuses to believe that God has forgotten him, even when every fiber of his being feels that he is forsaken. The victor is the man who will never let go his faith, even when he feels that its last grounds are gone. The victor is the man who has been beaten to the depths and still holds on to God, for that is what Jesus did.

Jesus, for the first time, felt that feeling of being lost, separated from His Father, because the sin of the world fell on Him and sin does separate us from God. The pain of that separation brought a gut wrenching cry to His lips. He lost the awareness of the presence of His Father. He knew His Father for the first time had to turn His head and look away from Him for He couldn't look on sin. He felt what it was like to be estranged from His Father as we were in our sins, and it was a torment to Him. In life we suffer, and there are times during our darkest hours we feel abandoned by God. We hear the enemy whispering similar accusations to our minds. God's left you. God's through with you. He isn't going to help you. The devil is a liar. All he can do is lie, he totally slanders God's character, trying his best to overthrow our faith. When we are in a storm and nothing makes sense anymore, we feel lost and undone, with no sense of direction, unable to hear God's voice, unable to feel God's presence, we can't give up our faith in Him.
Complete Notes on this are Here.

It's Time to Seek the Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 13:44:00 +0000

This is written with a broken heart. It is a hard word, but one directed first at myself. I was greatly humbled by this. I wept over this and continue to pray over this. We truly need to pray and seek the Lord.

Jer 3:13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, says the LORD.
Jer 3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, says the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
Jer 3:15 And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

My goodness do you hear what He is saying? It is so heartbreaking when you see this. I pulled apart these verses, carefully examining them, prayerfully searching for understanding. And I've found myself guilty as well. We all are. God says, understand, recognize that you have done wrong, deliberately done wrong, and what you've done deserves severe punishment. Admit it. Confess you have perverted truth and justice in your selfishness. You have rebelled against Me, broken away from Me every way you could. Your behavior has been offensive. Instead of staying faithful to Me on your life's journey in this world, you have spent your life and time with strangers, with profane people, committing adultery against Me. When you need help, when you get in trouble, you call someone else, not Me. When you are not satisfied, you find your pleasure elsewhere, not in My Presence where there is fullness of joy. You get under these green trees, these trees you plant to hide My altars which have become an offense to you and play the harlot with your other lovers. You seek your pleasure and fulfillment with others where you can never find it, worshiping profane things.
Oh, church of the living God we are so guilty. We have set up ourselves to dictate and rule things in the House of God instead of His Holy Spirit being in control. Man decides when the service begins, how it will go, who will sing, who will preach, and if you do get convicted and come to the altar most of the time that pastor will be ready for you to return to your seat after a few minutes and if you are trying by some miracle to touch God in repentance, he'll get up and start talking into the PA system moving the service to it's logical conclusion so everybody can go home, flip on their TV's, get in the fridge and fix them a late evening snack, or do whatever it is people do to relax, and get comfortable, with the Word they heard conveniently forgotten. And we say we love Him? We think we do Him a favor by showing up on Sunday morning and sitting in church for two hours? We might find a few minutes a week to read our Bible but do we really eat it? Do we set aside time and depend on the Holy Spirit to show it to us? To open our understanding to who we are and what we've done? How far we've erred from the truth? We act like it kills us to consider going to a prayer meeting, and offer every excuse in the book for not praying-even at home, like we should.
And it is a warfare, that devil will fight you harder when you are trying to pray than at any other time, but our excuses, and our lack of prayer tells the world and more importantly the Lord, we don't really think spending time with God is worth the struggle. We truly are the Laodicean church, Beloved. Blind, poor, miserable, wretched and naked. Laodicea means 'justice of the people' or 'just the people.' No power or Presence of God. Just the people. It's what the people think is right, it's man's traditions and ways-and that is a far cry from the ways and thoughts of God. For His ways are NOT our ways, nor His thoughts as ours. That's why He said have the mind of Christ. In short, Laodicea is the church man runs as he sees fit, not God. Jesus Christ is seen in Revelation 3 on the outside of His own church, having been taken over by men, knocking on the door, asking to be let in. What meekness. He has every right to kick the door in and reclaim His own but He seeks our invitation. My God, people. No wonder there is so little power to effect real change in our churches. I'm not saying they are all like this, I know better. God will always have a remnant. But for the most part, this is how it is.

What did this church think? That they were rich, they had an abundance of material things, plenty of money in the bank, for Laodicea was a city that had a very wealthy and successful banking system. They thought they had it all, they needed nothing else. When Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake in 66 or 67 AD, they refused the offer of help from Rome with the rebuilding and spent their own money and labor instead, quickly rebuilding the city. What pride and arrogance. But Jesus said you don't realize you are miserable, afflicted with the disease of selfishness, a spiritual pauper, naked in My sight because you are clothed with the rags of your own righteousness instead of My righteousness. They were trusting in their works, their wealth and their own personal goodness.
Through Jeremiah, God is urging His people to come back, to come home. He calls them backsliding children. They were faithless, idolatrous-they worshiped any and everything but HIM who alone is worthy of worship. They had turned from light to darkness. They slid back from truth to a lie. But God says I AM your Master, I AM your Husband, I'm to have the rule over you, to provide what you need, to care for you. Instead you run to the beggardly elements of the world and the flesh and the devil to find your pleasure and fulfillment. You are Mine but you consort with My enemy-your enemy. Come back to Me, wherever you are I will unite you, bring you back to Zion. I'll give you pastors, shepherds, leaders who share My heart for you, My love for you and they will take care to teach you what I know and they will help you understand who I AM. He was offering them so much better than the world could ever give.

Oh, how He plead with His people. I believe this is still the desire of His heart now. That we would take a long hard look around us. We've got full to half empty churches on every corner. Powerless and ineffective. Though they are near to Him with their mouth, for the most part, their heart is far from Him. You will know them by their fruit, Jesus said. What kind of fruit is the church producing? They aren't producing any for the most part. The young people are out the door as soon as they can be. The hurting come in and leave confused and still hurting. The lost don't bother because to them the church is a money racket just like the politicians. Where is the anointing that destroys the yoke? Not in our churches, for those who sit in them mostly worship themselves first, and their own idea of who God is second if at all. There's no presence of God filling the place showing people their sins, making them hate sin, no anointed Word of God that will create a desire to be free and clean in them. This is why you see a rush to exodus the House of God on Sunday and the restaurants quickly fill up, mostly with church goers. How quickly they leave His house to go their own way, just like Israel and Judah did. Okay, God we gave you two hours on a Sunday morning, see ya next week. Now it's time to go feed my face and then go watch the ball game or go play golf or go to the lake, or whatever. Who is being served here? Self. And the result? Suicides are at an all time high. The youth shelters are full of kids whose parents are either strung out on drugs, or are in jail or sick and can't take care of them. The abortion clinics steadily continue their grisly work, day after day. The schools are indoctrinating our children, pushing God out, and teaching theories as facts as history is rewritten. The hospitals are full, the jails are full, and where is the church on Sunday, or any day? Watching TV, playing sports, eating and shopping, playing on the computer, reading the latest "Christian Fiction" novel, and doing so many other things. Then someone we love has a car wreck, gets sick, or commits suicide, or overdoses on drugs trying to cope with their own pain and we have the nerve to ask God where HE WAS?

Dan 9:5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from your precepts and from your judgments:

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Desiring Mercy of God

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:39:00 +0000

Dan 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, by which his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

It's around 602 BC. This king is very powerful. He rules the most powerful nation in the world at this time. His ego was such, as with many other kings, that any male who stood in his court, who worked closely with him, was made a eunuch. He would brook no competition in any way in his realm. He's successful, determined to make Babylon the greatest nation in the world. Now, he's having bad dreams that confuse him, trouble him and he can't really remember them when he wakes up. Still, he remains troubled enough to call for the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans.
The magicians were considered sacred scribes who acted as interpreters of omens or revealed secrets. In the Hebrew the word for magicians means one who writes, engraves occult symbols, a horoscopist, and engraver, especially of occult material. The astrologers conjure, practice enchantments, including necromancy which is an attempt to communicate with the dead. They observe the stars and planets in the heavens, using these to foretell future events. They believe the stars and planets have influence on earthly events, for good or evil. This led to worship of the heavenly bodies, such as the sun, the moon, and stars which is highly offensive in the sight of God. It robs Him of His rightful glory for He alone created these things and they exist as He placed them-hanging in space on nothing but His Word. The sorcerers cast spells, use enchantments, practice magic and all kinds of witchcraft. They also used the spells and incantations written by the magicians and astrologers to call upon or seek out spirits of the dead-i.e. resorting to, inquiring of Satan and his demons who pretend to be the spirits of dead men.

Magic itself and all these areas were included as part of the government counsel of Babylon. These black arts are merely Satan's attempt to imitate God's true power. Magic and sorcery are satanic imitations of the power of the true God-which is why we must never touch these things. To do so is one of the greatest insults to the Almighty. By our choice we are affirming a love for darkness over light, of the lie instead of the truth, evil instead of righteousness. Consider for a moment the movies and books that are full of these things-the Twilight series, vampire movies, and books; Harry Potter, all of this witchcraft is glorifying Satan's attempt to imitate God with supernatural fakes. It will defile us and put us on dangerous ground. You open the door to him by dabbling in or entertaining these things and don't think it won't get a grip on you that will take a miracle of God to break. The Chaldeans, whose very name means demons, robbers who waste and destroy, were educated as priests of the magicians and astronomers. They descended from a warlike people who came from the mountains north of Assyria. Hab_1:6-11 gives a very good and graphic description of these people. By this time the Chaldeans had become synonymous with Babylonians.

These were king Nebuchadnezzar's counselors. He's given a dream by God and calls for demon possessed people to explain it-and they can't. He is very agitated, concerned. His peace has been disturbed. He wants to remember and understand this dream. These counselors came and appeared before the king and heard his request. He'd dreamed this dream, and he wanted them to tell him what the dream was and what it meant. He threatened them with a brutal death if they couldn't make known to him the answers he sought-an indication of how upset he was. He wouldn't give them time to consider this matter, because in Dan_2:9 he reveals he really doesn't trust these men to tell him the truth. He thought if they could tell him what he dreamed, then he could trust their interpretation. I believe that this reveals Daniel, with his position in the king's court, was already having great influence. A mental comparison was likely being made here. These were Nebuchadnezzar's chosen counselors but he puts them to a test they can't possibly pass. Was he too proud to call for a captive to enquire of him? I think so. Don't you just love how God orchestrates things? He was the One who sent this dream to Nebuchadnezzar. He knew how this king would react to the dream, and how it would ultimately cause three of His servants to go through a very fiery trial. But there is something here we need to learn. God wanted to show this king the thoughts of his own heart.

When the king's magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans couldn't answer him, he got so angry he ordered that the wise men through out his kingdom be killed. His soldiers went out, seeking Daniel and his friends to be killed as well. But in Dan_2:14 we can see that Arioch, whose name means 'the mighty lion who serves the moon god sin' finds Daniel but doesn't seem all that anxious to kill Daniel. He takes time to talk with Daniel and answer Daniel's questions. Daniel knows something has happened to upset this king he's served for about 2 years now. He asks Arioch "Why is his decree so severe? Why is he in such a hurry to have all the wise men killed now?" When Arioch explains the situation to Daniel, he disobeys the king's order, allows Daniel to go into the king. He asked the king for a little time and assured him that he would show the king the meaning of the dream. He buys time for the wise men of Babylon and for himself and his friends. Nebuchadnezzar wouldn't give his own counselors time to do this, but he granted Daniel's request-a sure sign he had more confidence and faith in Daniel's honesty.

Daniel knew that God had given him the ability to understand visions and dreams. But he goes to his house, and speaks with Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These three Hebrews would be his companions in prayer and seeking God for the answers needed here. They sought the compassion of God concerning this thing, so they would not be killed with those wise men of Babylon. God had given Daniel and his friends favor even in the eyes of the captain of Nebuchadnezzar's guard. He didn't immediately strike out at Daniel. He talked with him and spared him. How God watches carefully over His own.

Dan 2:17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
Dan 2:18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Dan 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

Trouble was here. Daniel went to his friends, those he knew were consecrated to God-not the other children of the captivity, just these three who were consecrated to God as he was. God answers their prayer, revealing the dream and the meaning to Daniel. He sent the dream to Nebuchadnezzar knowing He would reveal it and the meaning of it to Daniel. The next morning he goes in and Arioch hurriedly brings him in before the king. The one ordered by the king to destroy the wise men goes in before the king with one of the Judean captives, and says he's found someone that can make known the dream and its meaning. Daniel uses this situation to glorify God-and Him alone before this powerful king.

Dan 2:21 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
Dan 2:22 He reveals the deep and secret things: he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
Dan 2:23 I thank you, and praise you, O God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and has made known unto me now what we desired of you: for you have now made known unto us the king's matter.
Dan 2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation.

A couple things here caught my attention. Daniel privately glorified God, affirmed God answered his prayer because of HIS OWN purposes. He took time to praise and thank God. He tarried in God's presence after the answer came. He was in no hurry to leave the presence and communion with God. He was grateful, understanding that what wisdom and might he had was God's, and he himself just a steward, a vessel that contained it. Another thing that caught my attention, and this we so desperately need to apply to our own lives, especially in these last days. In verse 24, Daniel is standing in the gap for wicked, demon possessed counselors of Babylon. They promoted everything that Daniel was against. They sought to powers of darkness while Daniel went to Truth and Light. But see him here saying, 'don't destroy them.' Religion is so misguided today. People are so foolish, because they do not know God, they bring reproach on Him, they cause Him to be spoken and thought evil of by the world He died to save.

I read in the newspaper yesterday a certain church has been picketing a nearby strip club for years. So the owner of the strip club got tired of this and decided on some payback. He gets his strippers dressed up in bikinis and they go picket the church. My heart was so grieved when I read this. Why isn't this church, if they are truly offended by the sin, why aren't they on their face seeking direction on how to deal with this? Why aren't they moved with the compassion of Jesus for the lost souls of these strippers and folks who go to this club? Instead, they are using flesh to war against this. They stand with signs and cameras in the parking lot, taking pictures of patrons license plates and then publish them on the internet. And we wonder why the world mocks the church? Oh, God, forgive us, rise up in mercy oh, Lord, and work, for we have made void Thy law...we've made it empty words because we've traded a form of godliness which flesh can achieve, but we have no power. All that is on display is powerless people spouting a dead letter and no one even stops to consider where are the signs HE said would follow the believers? A true believer would never disgrace the Almighty this way.

See Daniel as an example here-one who was so awed by GOD HIMSELF he would never dare glory in being used by Him. He didn't gloat over being able to do what the king's counselors could not. See the spirit, the attitude on display in this child of God and you will catch a glimpse of the heart of God Himself. You will see the kind of vessel the Lord is pleased to work through.

Read more Here.

Standing Before the Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:36:00 +0000

I stand before the Cross and I profess a love for this Man, this One, Who has taken my place…

and I turn away…

and I go shopping and I buy a bikini…

I can justify it because it is so cute on me and anyway…

if a guy looks at me to lust, it is all his fault for not controlling himself…

and not my fault at all.

I go to church and I worship this holy God…

and I turn away…

and I go home and I turn on the television…

and I watch…

and as I do I fill my mind, my heart, my eyes with things that I would be ashamed to watch…

if Jesus were here…

but, He isn’t…

and I justify it, because it is a good show…

and, after all, God is a God of love and He just wants me to be happy.

I kneel before my God and I pray…

Thy will be done…

and I get up…

and I go about doing my will…

with everyone that I meet…

in everything that I do…

not for a moment thinking…

that I am sinning.

I open up my Bible and I read about the wonders of God…

and my heart rejoices…

I read of His love, His mercy, His tenderness…

sometimes, I come to passage that shows more than that…

and it makes me nervous, uncomfortable…

but, I turn the page…

and I read more about how very much God loves me,

and I read into it how much He longs for me to respond to Him,

and I think how cool it is that this God of the whole universe needs me…

me…

and I determine to try to find something really nice to do for Him…

sometimes.

I reach out to my God in my need…

and I can’t find Him…

and I ask Him, “Where are You?”

but, He doesn’t answer me…

and, I don’t understand His silence…

I run towards where He was but find only darkness …

I seek Him out and I ask, ”Why have You abandoned me?”

“Where are You, God?”, I plead…

and it’s then that I realize…

that I am alone…

and He doesn’t seem to hear me…

at all.

And, in the echoing silence, suddenly I hear

a still small voice,

saying, “If you love Me, you will obey Me.”

And I fall on my face…

and I weep.

by Anna Wood, posted with permission from her blog, "The Cross is All"

Holding Onto Faith In Suffering

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:24:00 +0000

The book of Job is a book about an intense and painful spiritual warfare. It is a story of the physical suffering of a godly and righteous man who had done nothing wrong. Job is in the midst of a spiritual warfare he understands very little if anything about. His faith in and love for God is being put to the test. Ours is and will continue to be, so we had best learn this now. Job has lost all his children even though he spent much time sacrificing, praying and interceding for all of them. They were slain, in spite of his prayers, not long after he'd sacrificed and prayed for them. He lost his servants, his herds, and now his health. He lost the respect and confidence of his wife and friends. He is in tremendous emotional, spiritual and physical pain. His wife is struggling with her own grief, confusion and anger, so she is no comfort at this time. She needs comfort herself, and Job can't comfort her either. So there is a division between the wife and the husband that in itself must have been painfully damaging. When she'd spoken foolishly, he overlooked it. But he saw the doubts, the questions in the eyes of this woman he knew so well. That had to hurt.

Job's grief overshadows in his mind, all the good he has ever known in his life. He said those who were dead were better off, because in the grave a man had rest and couldn't hear the voice of the oppressor. (V. 18) In the Hebrew (H5065) the word is nagas (possibly where we get the English word 'nag' from?) I think that is a powerful statement from a desperate man. This is a nagging voice that is maddening. It means to drive, as an animal, to heavily tax, harass, tyrannize, distress, to press or exert demanding pressure. In other words, those who are dead have rest from the constant warfare. Anyone who's been tormented by the devil in their minds can testify it's not fun. I believe this is why many commit suicide at times, to shut that tormenting voice in their head up, never understanding all they have to do is cry out to Jesus. They are blinded to the truth.

So you have a man who has lost nearly everything he had that was precious to him. When his children, his servants, his animals and herds were taken from him, when his health was taken from him, along with the respect and confidence of the community and his wife, he held his peace for a week after his friends showed up. Now, here sits three of his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. Let's look carefully at the three who came. I wonder did Job have no siblings? None came to offer support. No parents came to offer support. Out of all the people who knew Job, only these three came.

As I'm studying Job I have noticed in Eliphaz' conversations with Job, he eloquently ascribes honor, glory and majesty to God. He sounds like a very religious man who seeks to uphold the purity and holiness of God, but he has a lot of zeal without personal or intimate knowledge of God Himself-and this means he misrepresents God. You can't accurately represent someone you do not personally know and know well. (Rom_10:2) This kind of mentality is rampant in religious circles, especially those who are bound up in legalism, whose holiness is more in what they don't do and how they dress than Who lives in them and how much of His likeness they are being changed into. Eliphaz believes that God's retribution toward man's sin in this world is total and certain and suffering is only brought on by sin. His theology is very wrong. So in his terrible suffering, you have a 3 religious people, who think they know God. They are all accusing Job wrongly. One has a zeal for God with no knowledge or intimate acquaintance with God. One is a severe man, who is also influenced by a prosperity gospel, as well. Then you have the third man, one who sees God as some austere Being, with a hammer raised over your head, ready to slam you if you step out of line. These three men typify much of religion today. I have encountered most of these attitudes over the years-and always found pain and discouragement when I did. Job is on display for us, so let's take a look at this man, and how he responds in this awful crisis of his faith.
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From: Jesus Christ and Him Crucified

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:43:00 +0000

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, and something he said early in his first epistle caught my attention. "For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." He decided not to see, not to consider or make any effort to be aware of anything among these Corinthians except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. That word for crucified is 'stauroo' in the Greek. It means to subdue or extinguish passion or selfishness. It's the method by which the power of the natural desires of human flesh are destroyed.

The people in this church had been influenced by Greek philosophy, Greek and Roman pagan culture of idolatry as well as sensuality. They had been influenced by the thirst for worldly wisdom and knowledge these cultures promoted, as well as eloquent speaking, highly educated speakers. Throw in the mix Judaizers who were man centered, preferring certain speakers, and forming their own little cliques in the church, listening only to the speaker that most gratified their carnal ideas of how a speaker should speak. Being used to the sophisticated speakers and philosophers of Greece and Rome, these simple and plain disciples, such as Peter did not appeal to some of the Corinthians' educated minds. Some preferred Apollos because he was an eloquent speaker, well educated in Alexandria, (Act_18:24)but they did not care for the simple message of the cross. Flesh always wants to do something to help God, amen? The cross says flesh can do nothing, it has no part in the spiritual kingdom of God. Apollos was very educated, and had extensive knowledge of the Old Testament, and was instructed as far as John the Baptist's ministry but at Ephesus was taught the deeper Christian life and the baptism of the Holy Spirit by Priscilla and Aquila. People come into the church and bring their likes and dislikes with them. Many loved to hear Apollos speak because he was very educated, and spoke very well. But in so doing, they were relying on human words and presentation of the Gospel message, and flinched from the message of the cross.

There were divisions in the church, rejecting authority, especially Paul's, because he was not a direct eye witness of Christ as were the other apostles. All the division in this church led to confusion, and questions. Who is right? Who should be listened to? Did Paul really know what he was talking about? He hadn't been with Jesus as had Cephas, or Peter as he was known.

Paul challenges their divisions, explaining to them Christ is not divided, and neither should they be. They should all speak and have the same mind. Paul said "I wasn't sent to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, for then the cross of Christ would be made to appear of none of effect." The message of the cross would be neutralized in their minds. Human nature is to focus on other humans which are seen, and to elevate certain of them who seem to be more accomplished than others. It's one of our most basic flaws. But Paul was trying to tell them, it's the preaching of the cross that is important. The preaching of the cross is to those who are dying in their sins, foolish, but to us who are redeemed, it's the miraculous power of God. He calls them out. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where are those who think they are so sophisticated they would rather dispute? God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. Everybody is seeking a sign, they want to see miracles, signs and wonders. But we proclaim Christ, crucified, and to the Jews that is a snare, an offensive truth they stumble over. Unto the Greeks who consider themselves so intelligent and sophisticated, it's absurd.

God has chosen to select the foolish things of the world to shame and dishonor the wise. He has chosen that which is without strength, impotent, feeble, to shame those who are strong in the flesh. That which the world despises and least esteems God has selected. He picks the nothings and nobodys to do away with things that are something in the eyes of the world. No flesh, no human nature, no human wisdom or strength will have anything to boast about in His Presence. It's because of Him we are secure in Christ, who because of God's will is made unto us our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and redemption. We have nothing of our own. We can't say we did anything to accomplish this. HE did it all. If you want to boast in something, boast in HIM.
Paul reminds them when he came to the Corinthians before, he did not come with fancy words, or wisdom when he told them evidence given as the testimony of God. He decided not to be aware of anything among them but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There was so much wrong with this church, so much flesh and carnality in this church. Yes, they had the spiritual gifts, which they were abusing, not understanding their errors. But what does the message of the cross really mean? That which is carnal, natural must be put to death because flesh cannot inherit and neither can it build up the spiritual kingdom of God. That which is had by natural means, accomplished in human strength, without the leadership and governing of the Holy Spirit is useless to God. He will accept nothing spotted by the flesh.

Paul was living the example of Christ crucified among them. He came in weakness, his body sick and frail, which inspired disdain and contempt among many of the people, betraying a heart that admired human strength. Remember the disciples, upon seeing a display of the power of Jesus wanted to know when He was going to put down the Roman rule over the Jews? Human nature admires such displays. It leads to pride and arrogance. But Paul stands before them weak, sick, afraid. Afraid of what? He knew and understood the wickedness of the human heart in the sight of God. He distrusted his own ability to get the message across to these people, instead depending not on attractive words or speech patterns, not on men's wisdom, but in the manifestation of the Spirit of God and HIS miraculous power to work the works of God in and through the people. He so trusted the Word and the Spirit of God that he got up and spoke the Word and did not harangue the people with stories, did not accuse or condemn them for their failures, he merely pointed them in the right direction, preaching the truth, writing them the Epistle, trusting the Holy Spirit would deal with their hearts, knowing the issues of each heart much better than Paul.

Read more here

Spritiually Dressed UP

noreply@blogger.com (Kathleen Maples) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:35:00 +0000

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Did you see that? Adam was not deceived. Adam had union with God. He was so close to God, He had the mind of God. He knew what to call each animal God had brought him, and whatever he called it was right, and that was what it was. He had no education, no growing up process, GOD was his wisdom. He walked with God who came down to him in the cool of the evening, everyday. When he saw she had transgressed the commandment of God, instantly Adam knew she would now be separated from God. There must have been an initial rush of horror in his mind when he saw what she had done. The serpent didn't try to tempt Adam himself, for a reason. He knew Adam would not listen to the lie. He went after that which was near and dear to Adam's heart and deceived her. He put Adam in a terrible place. There was a choice to be made here. Adam could refuse her and lose her, or he could join her in her disobedience and lose out with God. Sadly, we know, Adam chose flesh over the Spirit of God. THAT was the terribleness of the sin of Adam. He was not deceived, he knew what he was doing when he took that fruit from her hand and ate of it. Similarly, when we are born again, as we grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are faced with the same decision. Will we let His Holy Spirit rule in us or will we choose not to deny our flesh?

We must understand that Adam lost the divine, holy nature and likeness of God when he fell, and the light went out in his spirit, which died toward God. That left a vacuum, and Satan was quick to rush in and remake man in his own image. Satan reproduced what he was in man. Darkness, envy, pride, covetousness, anger. Those last four things were what cost him his place in heaven. Do we think we can have them in us and make it? To live this overcoming Christian life in this dark world successfully, we have to be dressed up SPIRITUALLY. Eph 6:10-18 tells us what we are to have on:

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

To be strong, or able, in the Lord, we must have be brought to the place we have no confidence in the flesh-in ourselves, our own human strength. (Php_3:3) We must have a relationship, with Him. We trust Him because we are familiar with Him. We spend time with Him, so we know Him. We cannot trust someone we do not know personally. We must trust His power is well able to do whatever is required, to meet whatever need confronts us, and not we ourselves. That word for power in the Greek is kratos, and it means dominion, force, great mighty power. We know He has dominion over all. Nothing is out of His control. He grants humanity free will, but ultimately, He is over all. He is and has all the ability needed. We must put on the complete armour of God. Why?

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Do you hear what verse 12 is saying? How many years have we spent struggling with ourselves, wanting to be holy, trying to be holy and always falling short? Paul said we wrestle not-so if we aren't to wrestle with flesh, the only other alternative is to present that flesh of ours to God for Him to deal with. Paul is talking to a people here that he presumes are dead and dying daily to self. The word wrestle means a contest in which one endeavors to overthrow the other. If we aren't to wrestle with flesh-that means we must trust it to God who is able to subdue all things to Himself. (Php_3:21) Oh, Father, I'm preaching to myself here. He also said in Psa_46:10 to be still, and know He is God. He will be exalted in the earth above all. That includes all that is in us if we will still ourselves before Him and tarry in His Presence. Are we not made of earth? Did He not just say He will be exalted in the earth? If we spend all our time struggling with self, the real battle never gets fought. We lose. The real battle is with those who from the beginning (Gen_1:1) have been agents of darkness, in this world. They have power, meaning influence, authority, on the grounds of flesh and blood, to wreak havoc and destruction. Flesh they can manipulate and operate in and through. This is why it cannot be used in the kingdom of God.

There is spiritual wickedness in heavenly or high places-a war being fought above our heads, in the very sky above us. These spiritual powers of darkness can use and manipulate men and women who are not born again, as well. This is why you have leaders in this world today set on destroying the nation of Israel. This is the dragon, Rev 12 refers to persecuting the woman who bore the seed (Son). This is to be the focus of the battle-spiritual wickedness-demonic powers, and beings and their manipulation of that which is carnal, and even religious. Only the Holy Spirit knows how to successfully fight these things-and is He not our Teacher, our Comforter, our Protector, Guide? There is danger in this fight.

Because of this, you need the full array of weapons, defensive measures, and protections God has provided for you. Quickly, these include your shield, your helmet, your breastplate, your sword, your belt. These are required for you to be able to stand against and resist whatever the enemy throws or puts in your way. When you have done all you know to do, and you are covered in the armour, you stand. Don't back down.

Stand with your loins secured with TRUTH. (Joh_14:6) This is the belt that holds everything else in place. The loins is a term used to refer to the place where the seed of the human resides. In other words, teach your children truth. Secure them with the knowledge of the truth. Loins also refers to your own mind. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. That means an intimate knowing. Personal not second hand knowledge. Experiential.

1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

So we cover our children, and our own minds with truth. Have on the breastplate of righteousness. Know you do not stand in your own righteousness which is filthy rags in the sight of God, but you, we all stand in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. The devil will come against us all and try to beat us down in defeat reminding us of our unworthiness. None of us are. But He made provision for us anyway. He loves us anyway. So that is not an issue. Settle it in your mind.

1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

We have our feet bound to walk in the truth revealed to us, fully prepared to share that truth of the availability of peace with God to all humanity. But above all these things, you must have that shield of faith. Faith in the knowledge of the truth you know will put out the inflammatory lies the wicked ones around you will launch at you-both physical and spiritual. Take the helmet of salvation-you must know you are born again. You must know you've not just repeated some little sinner's prayer and took your salvation as a given, for granted. No. You must KNOW that you know you have been born again from above, a work of the Holy Spirit, birthing the life of the Son of God in your spirit. This will change your desires, your purpose in life, your behavior, it will change everything. If you are not changed, if you have not changed, if you do not hunger to know God, you are not born again. You may be religious, but not born again.

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

The helmet of salvation, implies a defense, to protect the head, but also the hope of being saved from eternal darkness and damnation. Take also the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Heb_4:12) and never stop praying with earnest communication with God, and making your requests to God, not only for yourself, but for others in need. Watching, that means don't go to sleep, stay awake, spiritually. Persevere, don't give up, be steadfast. Immovable from your position and understanding that you are a child of God, accepted in the Beloved Son of God, with access, help, weapons, and truth on your side. Make petitions for all saints, not just a few. This must require Holy Spirit leadership in our prayers, for we know not how or for whom we ought to pray. Consider carefully each piece of defense God has provided in this armour. We must understand each piece is vitally important, and each piece protects and guards against a specific area of attack.

One last thing I would add, concerning the boundaries, and separations from the presence of God. When Jesus Christ died on that cross, having shed innocent, pure and holy blood, for our sins, God ripped the temple veil apart from the top to the bottom. He made the way for us to come in before His Presence, boldly.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Two things will separate us from Him now-deliberate sin and unbelief. HE is well able to deal with both if we come honestly, humbly and come knowing there is nowhere else we can go.