This past week  I fell into the trap of "opinion."  An opinion so strong that it invited turmoil into my soul regarding a situation that, to me just seems wrong; unnatural...and possibly a hindrance to a certain believer growing in a healthy way.

To be concerned and to bring this concern to the Lord  is one thing, but to be eaten with inner turmoil about it caused me to realize that I had allowed my enemy an attack on my mind.  While reading through one of Watchman Nee's books "The Spiritual Man"  I was greatly helped to identify these fiery darts for what they were.  I confessed this to my dear husband and we prayed for freedom and restoration of HIS peace that passes all understanding.

I then began to more earnestly and consistently pray for the dear ones for whom I was concerned...but in a declaring way. "Lord I thank You that You are the great King in their lives. YOU are able to bring about any revelation needed. You are even now interceding for all of us. You are marvellously at work in their lives.  Praise You Lord!"  (and more prayer to that effect)

On the Lord's day as we went through the tiny book of Judah together, one of the verses impressed me. "But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep/guard yourselves in the agape love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life"

What I underlined is what really jumped out to me. "I am to keep myself in the love of God."  Really; that is simply the abiding life; the one HE has called us into.  This is what we must guard diligently...our intimate relationship with Him.  That is to be our focus...and out of that can come all HE needs to do to produce His Kingdom in us! And...we are then useable...fit for the Master's use.

Even though this failure on my part was painful, it was good to become more clearly focussed again. And...the concern that I have had is also helpful as I am seeking more answers and revelation in the Word myself.

Today I really failed with a precious sister of mine.  I have apologized and asked her forgiveness, but still have felt quite awful for my words, and my attitude.  In going to the Lord for answers the following root is what He seems to be showing me.

In my western mind "getting it done" is huge! Yes, I and many others in our society are extremely task oriented. It so often feels like a great day when we achieve all the activities on our to do list.

And then of course, we  value and greatly admire the people who are so 'outwardly' highly functional.No...it's definitely not a bad thing to accomplish our tasks BUT...the Lord is impressing me again in a fresh way that one who follows HIM is not firstly identified by what they accomplish BUT by who they truly are in HIM. AND...when we see this true identity in HIM...the outward healing will follow.  "Seeing" and "declaring" Biblical truth over ourselves and our loved ones is the most important thing to be exercised in!  And oh, how we neglect so very, very often to do it. We may never even have realized how necessary it is.

Even this morning several verses came to my attention. (How easy to completely disconnect how they relate to my daily life!)  I noticed in Luke 1:46, 47 that Mary said, "My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior (defender/helper/ deliverer) and my soul magnifies the Lord."

I saw how she FIRST used her spirit (the reality of HIM in her inner being ) to rejoice in, to declare the complete truth of Who He is.

AFTER THAT her soul...thoughts, feelings, and choices magnified Him.  I was reminded again of the proper order for us...to see and declare these truths over our own lives and over those of believers He brings to us.

In Him each of us as believers are already seen by Him as perfectly functional. This is our inheritance as a new creation, with "all things new!"  

The problem (or disconnect) comes because we do not SEE the identity of ourselves or others this way...and our western mind sets the priorities where they do not belong...i.e. to the tasks accomplished.

I'm thinking that "seeking first the Kingdom" is a working out of this understanding.    

So "Lord, work in me to "keep the first things first"; and "the main thing, the main thing,"as You see it. Remind me to declare with my lips what You have declared us to be ...over myself and others."

Our destiny is to be like Him...and He is praying for us and working in us to bring this to pass.  And "with God all things are possible!" Now THAT is something to speak with my lips!

"When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him."
This is another verse that has been comforting me lately.  We have had at least 3 families in our small fellowship really hit with some anguishing tests lately...in that each has a child either going  through something very painful; or one that is turning his back on the Lord to embrace a destructive life style that the Lord says He can never bless.    In times like these, oh how we need strength, wisdom and  ALL that He is, to take us through the valleys.  I am reminded of the verse also that says, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."  And again--"greater is He that is in you that He that is in the world."

We are seeing how much HE has to arrange pressing circumstances, so there will be more of Him through us, and less of our selves.  And none of us is so spiritual that we don't need this kind of help.  Yet--sometimes the Lord does not rescue His child "out of" a test, but simply supplies His abounding grace "in it."   He did leave John the Baptist is Herod's prison, to die while He was performing all kinds of amazing miracles at the same time. When John sent Him  a message, basically the Lord responded by saying, "Yes, many miracles are happening. I am the Lamb of God that you baptized earlier--and blessed is he who is not offended in Me."  And He left John where he was.  Sometimes I can see that He does that with us.  Instead of miraculous deliverance out of the test--there is HIS supply in it.

How very,  very dependent we are on His life!! In order to obey we need Him to empower!  Even to write a letter of concern, then to go across the street to give it to my neighbour I needed His boldness.  How pathetic to be so fearful of a simple verbal rejection for sharing concern about a friend's spiritual well being.

To faithfully follow our Saviour IS impossible without His divine supply--but we do have it, if we will take what He offers.  Then I do believe we will experience and see the Spirit raising up His standard in these days! We will taste the greatness of the grace abounding to us!  And we will not be offended by Him.

Believers in Christ Have an Amazing Destiny!!

While reading I Corinthians 3 this morning I was again impressed that there is a reward for "building, for co laboring" with the Lord. As believers we are His fellow workers, but we are also His building...His dwelling place.  He has come to live in us, and out through us! 

We are to co labor with His  divine life which produces in type; precious stones, silver and gold that will not burn up when tested at the future judgement seat of Christ.    The chapter goes on to say that we are the temple of God and  therefore our whole being is holy, because His temple is holy.      

This word "temple" can be used to describe the Most Holy Place (the Holiest Place) in God's old Testament temple, where only the high priest could enter once a year- or it can refer to the universal Church- but here it is used to describe His local Church.   There is a serious warning  NOT to defile, ruin morally, harm or spoil the Church in any way because there are severe consequences to doing so--we are warned that God will destroy, wither or spoil any who do.    This is explained further in the 11th chapter of the book, where in verse 30  those who participate in the Lord's supper unworthily can have the following happen to them:  "For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep."(die!)     God loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. He is jealous for her as these dire warnings show.

But back to the picture of  building and our amazing destiny we go to Ephesians 2, near the end of the chapter. "Now...you are members of the household of God...in Whom the whole building...grows into a holy temple...in Whom you also are being built together for a swelling place of God in the Spirit."  While we live out our lives, following through with His leading; meeting with the other believers to  worship and to serve, something invisible is happening.  God is building a place where He will dwell with us!!   This is His heart--His focus because the Lord Jesus is also a Bridegroom and this building will become His Bride!!   If we go to Revelation 21 we read verse 2: "...I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband...the tabernacle of God...and He will dwell with them..."  

As I was seeing this, my verse was burning in me again!   The reason our Lord is so very serious about His Church is that the Church becomes His Bride...the final temple which here is called "the new Jerusalem."   Later in the same chapter it says; "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."   When believers gather together to worship in Spirit, this is a foretaste of the New Jerusalem--the final temple and dwelling place of God with His believers--forever mingled together!! 

 THIS is a calling and purpose worth giving up everything for!!  And--this is not just an 'intellectual' understanding, but God gives us wonderful downloads, foretastes when we fellowship with Him now!  Yes--there is a horrific battle against this, but the enemy will ultimately lose, because "what He purposes, that HE does!"

Guard/keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues/going forths of life/chai/reviving  Prov. 4:23    

 This is a verse that has been coming to my mind over the last couple of weeks, and I was asking; "What does it look like to guard our heart in our daily life?"    How do we "guard our heart with all diligence?"   My understanding of our heart is that it consists of our mind, our emotions, our will, and also our conscience which is buried deep within us.   This is our moral compass, the part of us that gives us the sense of right and wrong.  Romans 2 in the Bible says that "Gentiles (non Jews) who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law...who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness....accusing or excusing..." People all over the earth experience this in some measure,  such that the conscience becomes "God's light in us."    Yes, it can be dim and even perverted, but I will write more of that later. 

 In Ephesians 3:17 we read that it is His purpose to "dwell/make His home in all these aspects of our heart." and for this to happen Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly."  To develop and maintain a healthy conscience our minds must have God's divine light, and then we must obey that enlightenment to such an extent that our conscience rules over our thoughts, emotions, and choices!   To live like this will grant us the ability to experience a conscience "void of offence before God and man."   That doesn't say we are faultless, but that as we obey our Lord's promptings we have a sense of being blameless because we have confessed any particular wrong doing that has come between us and Him.  If that means going to another person to confess because we have offended them, we also must do this.  

 I know by experience that when I do this my peace is wonderful and likewise I also know by experience that when I refuse to obey those convictions there is no peace--only a feeling of dis-ease and a tremendous lack of peace--and the convicting is always 'specific' when it is the work of the Holy Spirit.   The Bible speaks of having a good, clear, pure, or blameless conscience; and when we are confessed "up to date" that is our wonderful experience!   When we disobey we will have a defiled and convicted conscience.  This can be quickly cleared up by agreeing with the Lord- obeying whatever He says- and then thanking Him that His wonderful blood covers every sin! 

 There is great danger if we refuse to pay attention to this! -if we refuse to diligently guard our heart.   The Bible warns of believers who can be shipwrecked after rejecting a good conscience--of even having a conscience "seared" because of continual disobedience!  Could that be an application of  Matt. 6:23? "If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"   We live in a darkened, perverse age. "O Lord, may we shine as lights, holding forth Your Word of light by soberly paying attention, by guarding most of all,  our relationship with You!" 

PART 1--PART 2

What an amazing message yesterday!  The brother who shared began with an illustration of how his son desired, and was then signed up to  play on a hockey team. All fees and equipment were paid and provided for him. All he needed to do now was to show up for each practice, so he could  learn how to skate, and how to play the game with the rest of the team!

This, in a sense, is a picture of our entrance into the Kingdom of our Lord. He invites us to join Him, to receive His free gift of salvation; to be a part of the "household of faith." All we need to be a part of His family is provided for us and we all exult and praise our Lord for such an amazing opportunity!! We are forgiven!! All things become new!!  That could be likened to Part 1.

Now comes the second part.  There is so much to learn--to see--to appropriate.  This will take us the remainder of our lives here.   God, in Exodus 25, gave His servant Moses a pattern for the Tabernacle, the meeting place, He wanted built.  This leader shared the vision with all the of God's people, and then each person was given an opportunity to use their gifts and their energy to build it. BUT-it had to be built EXACTLY and with the precise details that God desired and purposed.  Only when it was finished  and the priests prepared  did  God in Exodus 40  pour out His seal of approval by covering the tabernacle with the cloud of HIS glory-filling it!

Part 2 of our Christian life has been and continues to be under much attack. God's enemy in those days before the tabernacle was built, came up with the idea of having the people make a golden calf to worship, and causing them to lose all self control. Later during the time of the Kings, the Book of the Law was lost for many years--only restored by King Josiah, after many many years of apostasy by God's people.  For willful disobedience God had His people exiled to other countries; the temple Solomon had  built in Jerusalem was destroyed, and the walls of the city were broken down.

In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah we see God's purpose again being recovered as He raised up leaders with His vision to rebuild the walls and the temple. Again this was met with opposition.

Where is God's temple today??  The New Testament clearly says that we, the followers of Christ are His building, His temple!  If this is so, do we see that?? And--then how are we to be building?

Like His people of old, we are now called to give ourselves to be a part of this now invisible, eternal building mentioned in  Ephesians 2, I Corinthians 3, 6, and in Revelations 21 where the final culmination of the New Jerusalem  comes down out of heaven  to a new heaven and new earth.   THIS is our final inheritance as believers!

In our daily lives we are now HIS temple, entrusted with divine gifts and abilities with which to build as we walk in oneness with Him.  This is not a self effort, but a daily co-operation with His working within us. What a privilege! What a calling! And yes, what a battle!  Our old nature opposes this calling and outwardly society, religious and secular  howls against this building work.

There is and always will be a cost to following our Master. HE says we are to "die to our self" in all the little, daily situations--but oh the sweet peace and joy with surrender to His Lordship! What a foretaste of the Bridegroom with the Bride!

"Oh Lord, keep calling us. Keep us sober and focused on YOU!" Only by keeping our equipment properly on, and by persevering to participate with HIS team will we grow up to together be the be the wise virgins...the ones who wisely use the gifts HE has given...BRIDE that HE is waiting for!

Barrenness

Because of a recent message on Sunday morning where the questions were asked, "Is barrenness our normal? Does it bother us, or are we blind to it?"  Then the following statement: "Fruitfulness is God's normal."

I was considering the account of Hannah in the first chapter of Samuel.  She was the second wife and her rival, Peninah (whose name by the way means "Perversity") had sons and daughters while Hannah remained barren.  The Bible says that her rival provoked her severely, to make her miserable and grieved; and apparently this went on year after year!  

Each year they would faithfully go up to the house of the Lord again...but because of the other, unpleasant wife Hannah wept and didn't eat. 

Now I have read this story many times, but while musing over it this time, I wondered why Hannah was not pressed to cry out to the Lord desperately during these years. Why did she just cry, grieve and refuse to eat?? And, then I realized this is often what we do as well. Spiritually when oppressed,  do we not often simply feel bad; instead of pressing through to touch the Lord?!

In the 9th verse we are told that she finally did go to the tabernacle where she prayed and wept in anguish as this time she poured out her soul before the Lord.  In her desperation the priest who was watching came to an absolutely ridiculous conclusion! He thought, and then accused her of drinking...of being drunk.   But Hannah had come to the point of being oblivious to the one or ones watching her--and this was a wonderful place to be!  As she interacted with the Lord; through even a faulty priest the answer to her request was given--even before he knew what it was.

Upon hearing his reassuring words this desperate lady went her way but now with a face that was no longer sad. Now she could feast with the others on these special days when God's people gathered to enjoy Him.  She now had the confidence that God had indeed heard her; and that she would be barren no longer!

It is wonderful that Hannah was devastated about her barrenness, and it is wonderful that she went to the Lord about it!  Did the pressure have to build over the years though, until she did pour it all out to HIM. Is that what needs to happen to us?   I am so very thankful that our LORD is praying for us...that we would become all that HE has predestined us to be. May we really learn, and be willing to cooperate with HIM!

This past Lord's day was such a blessing via a message brought by a young brother only 25 years old. Speaking on the book of Haggai which is only 2 chapters in length- but a powerful theme, the following is what he spoke about!

Very shortly into the book God's people (that would mean us who follow the Lord Jesus) are told to "Consider your ways." (some thing  repeated several times in this book) The Lord via Haggai, goes onto to correct His people for their focus on their material comforts --their lovely houses, their eating, drinking, and working--not bad things, but ones that were taking their heart away from what the Lord sets His heart upon. The Lord's desire was that they would build His house; one where He could take pleasure in and be glorified.  He then goes on to say that it was HE Who was causing some difficulties and with holding blessings from His people. (We need to pay attention when something like that is happening) 

 When they realized these situations were the hand of the Lord,  the people did obey His speaking to them, and it says, "the people feared the Presence of the Lord."   HE then comfortingly responds by saying, "I AM with you," and then we are told that He stirred up the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and worked on the house of the Lord."    Before much time had passed by, the Lord asks them a question that perhaps many of  us who follow Him have asked ourselves, "How do you see this building in comparison with the former one you saw?  Is this one not in your eyes as nothing?"   

 I realized right then, that this is something that I do many times--I allow my  joy to be robbed because the present is not "quite" as glorious as the past. (at least in my perception)  But look how the Lord responds--He does not deny that the previous building was more glorious but goes on to say, "Yet now be strong and work for I AM with you."  (He has not deserted us!) The Hebrew word for strong is chazaq which conveys the idea of "fasten upon, be bold, even violent to seize, conquer," and I had a fresh realization that- even when a Christian gathering may not seem (or even be) as glorious as it should be, each of us is not to be stopped by that, but the Lord charges each one to press through to Him- to stand against (violently if necessary) the negative and distracting thoughts which come in those moments)   HE goes on to say , "My Spirit remains among you, do not fear."

Later the Lord describes the future temple which will be "filled with glory...it shall be greater than any of the former ones!" We as His followers have a glorious place awaiting one day! In Revelation 21 there is a vision of "the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven...as a Bride prepared for her husband...the tabernacle of God, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people."  THIS is our final inheritance as believers in HIM.   In the meantime, while we are here on this earth, let's encourage one another to "build up with unwavering focus!"  When we do get distracted, let's  get back at it again. Let's keep going, with an eternal view, for we know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord!