A Dynamic Year Coming to a Close

Not only in this church has this been a "Year of Repositioning" but also in my families. I had no idea when the Lord had given this word how far it would reach, but it has left no area untouched. The Lord has moved so many things around that I know the effects will be eternal. He has worked in our weaknesses and our waiting upon Him at every turn. We look forward to a dynamic year as God moves us into another realm to realize the fullest potential of those things He has repositioned. He is Faithful!!! Have a blessed New Year in Christ!

Suffering in Christ

I Peter 4:12-14 (NIV) 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

There is a suffering for every child of God that has made the stand to go forward in God no matter what the cost. As soon as we make this stand, all hell breaks loose to try and turn us from this. You see God will do miraculous things within us. All He is looking for is a person, a people, that will say, "God we want You and You alone, have your way within us". I believe nothing awakens the powers of hell like this does. The devil will give us a life of ease and blessing as long as we do not make this stand. He will bless "our ministries", he will lay of our families and do anything he can to keep us from making this stand. But when that burning deep within our spirit cries out for more of God and will not be satisfied with anything less then it begins.

We will go through a suffering for His namesake that most christians today will not understand. No one can understand it until they actually experience it. But one thing you can be sure of; Once you make this determination in your spirit then you will be thrust into a realm of suffering unlike you have ever experienced. But, let me tell you this!!!! There is a fellowship with Christ that can only be experieced as we enter into this with Him. There is a sweetness to be had in Him as we break and collapse into His arms over and over.

Do not grow faint! Do not give up! You are not alone! God is raising up a remnant in these last days that are going through the same things all over the face of this world. Count it all joy brother. Count it all joy sister. For God is revealing His glory within you and through you in a greater measure than you have ever imagined possible.

From Bible Story To Life Story

How many times have you read a bible story or passage of scripture and understood the message contained therein only to have it revealed maybe years later in your life? I believe this is how everything is worked out in the lives of God's people. It seems like we have gone years and years studying, learning, and doing our best to live the same principles with very little succes or actual growth. I have seen in the past few years such an increase of these things being lived out or better yet brought into fruition in the lives of christians in such a beautiful way. And, the one phrase that I keep hearing over and over is, "Did I understand any of this before?"

You see, there is a huge gulf between the "bible story" and that being applied to our lives. God never intended it to be just a story or principle for learning, but to be something that would be wrought our within us by the Holy Spirit as we yield to Him continually. I really believe that we are going to see such and increase of this in the last days as God the Father prepares the Church for the return of His Son.

Now this is not something we are going to just see in new believers. Oh, no! We will see it in believers who have been serving the Lord 40, 50 and 60 years and they will start moving into a deeper realm in Christ than they have ever experienced or imagined. Hallelujah! This excites my spirit tremendously. God is simply looking for a people, a remnant, that will lay aside their own agendas and self and allow Him to raise up what He wants for His glory in these last days.
Are you ready? Do you feel a pulling in the depths of your soul to get closer to God? If so, then just surrender to Him your all. The Holy Spirit will do the work and guide you into all truth. Even so come Lord Jesus!

Ruined For Christ

When You first read the title of this blog you either know what I am talking about because of personal experience or you have no idea what it means. There is a place that we come to through repeated surrender and brokenness before the Lord that we find we are no longer fit for anything else but to be His. This is being "ruined for Christ". It is often a place of being alone, even though we are so close to God's heart. Most people don't get it. Most of what is presented in churches and christianity is the opposite of this. We find ourselvs in a place where we are no longer "fit in" to many places that we once did. Not because we are rejected or are rejecting others, but because there is such a hunger and burning for God within us that nothing short of that will suffice.

Therefore, we find that our lives have become ruined for Christ. But, the peace that is there is beyond what we have ever imagined. The joy in His presence is undescribable. The things that He has opened up through His word is unlike anything we have ever studied or read about. It is fresh, from heaven's throne. And the more we get this the more we lose a taste for anything but this. You see this is where the children of Israel in the desert missed out. They grew tired of the manna from Heaven rather than develop an appetite for it where nothing else would be able to fulfill. And here is why: This supernatural manna they were receiving was suppose to result in their absolute trust and dependence in God. Because they didn't do this, then their appetite for it grew stale. This is the same for us today. If we don't desire the pure word from heaven and allow it to have its way within us then we won't have an appetite for it as well. We will grow tired of it and settle for some well put together sermon that originated in man's heart. But, if we do accept it and allow it to have its way in us then we will develop an appetite for it that nothing else can satisfy. We will lose our taste for the fast, the quick, the well put together, and widely accepted word found everywhere. Nothing else will satisfy. We find ourselves ruined! We are fit for only one thing now....And it is Jesus Christ and nothing short of that will do. We immediately know if there is anything of Christ in something and quickly reject it if there is not.

Oh God, ruin me for You. To where I am no longer fit for this world, fit for "church", fit for "ministry" or fit for anything else that is not rooted in Your very person. Come Holy Spirit, I surrender it all to You. Have Your way...do what You will....Ruin me for Christ, Amen.

Christ's Sole Possession

This is what the Apostle Paul talked about in third chapter of Philipians and then stated in v. 12 (NASB) "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus". Read the preceding verses and you will see that Paul is talking about being Jesus' sole possesssion. Where everything else has come to mean nothing and Christ is everything!
I believe that God is turning things around in this area and He is doing it speedily and powerfully. Paul speaks about this turning of things in Hebrews chapter 4 and refers to it as the "entering His rest". God has spoken something to my heart about this passage that I have never seen before. This rest is not the afterlife nor is it a time of just peace and no troubles here on earth. It is a place where we have come to an end of our work and finally allow God to do and be who He is within His people.
Paul states in verse 10 that anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work. He then immediately follows this up with "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." What was Israel's disobedience? Trusting in themeselves and their resources and not in God. Therefore, we see that our rest will come when we get to the end of ourselves and fully trust in the Lord in every area. Then and only then do we enter into a rest where it is God, by His Holy Spirit, that does the work within us and through us.
This doesn't mean that circumstances will change and things get easier. On the contrary, things will get harder and tougher but within us there will be a peace that passes all understanding and nothing that we face will be able to overcome it because it is not us anymore but the power of God at work within. Hallelujah! God is preparing it and setting it into motion. We just need to surrender every area that the Holy Spirit puts His finger upon and allow Him to have His way.
Then we can echo Paul's cry, "I consider all things as loss just so that I might know you Jesus and be completely and solely Yours"!

Our Work or His Work

There is a common saying that we all have heard and probably repeated in Philippians2:12 (NIV) where Paul is telling the believers at Philipi to "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling". As a whole the church has taken this to mean that it is something that we are to work out and carry forth. Well, it does say that doesn't it? But look at the very next verse (v.13): "for it is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose". The first thought that then comes to mind is this; who is doing the work? us or God. Most times we take it into our own hands and think it is something that we are to finish or work out. Without going into the Greek words that are used here it will suffice to say that it is two different words that are used. The one that applies to us is simply allowing a task to be completed or finished. The one that applies to God is an effectual work that takes place within.
This is the essential key to this glorious gospel of Jesus Christ; It is all a work of His person within us! From beginning to end and everything in between. All we do is surrender and yield to that work that He started at salvation. He will continue to work it out and bring it into full fruition if we just yield and allow the Holy Spirit to bring it about. This if freedom! Liberty! Oh God, would You reveal this precious truth to the hearts of Your people once more. Forgive us for the mess that we have made and open our eyes once more to the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Vision From a Distance

I wanted to share something that was conveyed to me through my wifes mother by someone in her church. They live in the north part of Alabama and were in prayer one night for our church. The lady had never been here or seen our church but she began describing to my mother in law what she saw in her spirit. She described the layout of our church exactly and said she saw people lined up waiting to get in. Now, I had never talked to her or shared with my mother in law what the Lord had shown me in the past. But, there have been several occasions where I have seen in my spirit this church and town overrun with people coming because of what God is doing in this church. I have even seen details that were so clear that it seemed as though it were happening now.

I have never been more content in Christ than I am right now. All I want is a greater measure of Him in my life and whatever He wants to do with me is fine. I am not looking for numbers because what God does will be more than a number. There is a spiritual awakening coming and it is starting with a hunger for God and His word. God will take us through a process of stripping things away and bringing us to a place of utter dependence upon Him. Beloved, hear this one thing: There is no amount of sacrifice, suffering and surrendering that we go through on earth that we will not be eternally grateful for in heaven! God will see us through by His Holy Spirit and bring us into the fullness of His son Jesus Christ.

A Glimpse into David's Heart

As I have been reading recently in 1 Samuel about how Saul unmercifully pursued David and tried to kill him I was just in awe at David's response. Time and time again when David had the opportunity, and what looked like God's favor, to take Saul's life he spared him. Even after his death David still showed upmost respect for "the Lord's anointed". This even extended down through Saul's family.

Just think about it; God had rejected and left Saul but had chosen and anointed David. Saul walked in disobedience to God but David in obedience. On top of this Saul was tracking David like an animal to kill him. In the face of all this, David would not do anything against this man because he saw the authority of God represented in him. How would we...no...how do we behave in similar circumstances? When someone seems like they are out to get us. The good we do, the sacrifices we make, the love for God in our hearts are all misconstrued to be something that they are not.

Not only did David show mercy and love to his enemy but those on his side that had a hand in their downfall David had killed. Someone that stands for us and against those who may be out to get us are usually the ones we promote! God have mercy upon us! David's heart is a complete reflection of humility and brokenness. He never saw it as his job to promote what God had given him. ie. the kingship of Israel. He left it solely up to God to bring it about in His time.

I believe humility is the greatest attribute of God that we can have imparted to us. And the Holy Spirit will bring it about if we allow it. Most of the times we don't. We aren't willing to go through the process. Oh yes, we will humble ourselves to spiritually mature christians that think a lot like we do, but to humble ourselves to someone that has wronged us or who is spiritually immature, NO. This is where the breaking happens and true humility begins to take shape. Many times the Holy Spirit has led me there only to have me shun the situation and think this is not of God. God works in such mysterious ways. It's not usually about the offense but about what God wants to do with it. This is why we will often be brought back to these situations over and over and over. God is saying to us, "Just humble yourself to this and allow me to impart something in you of my very nature."

This is why God declared that David was a man after His own heart. HUMILITY!!!

I feel a little like Abraham.

Let me preface this by first of all saying that I know that my faith does not even bare a faint resemblance to that of Abraham's. A man who lived his entire life without seeing the promise given to him by God fulfilled. He didn't see the land obtained and all of his descendants: 1. Now this is what I call faith!!! Living his whole life committed to the promise given by God. Wow.
I know at times that Abraham must have felt a little of what I am feeling; God am I crazy!!! I am truly excited about what is happening and what this year entails. At times my mind races about what all God is going to do, how He is going to do it, and the joy about being involved in any way. However, in the natural, nothing has changed. We are still at our lowest numerically; struggling financially; bombarded spiritually and wondering how in the world we are going to make it to next month. This is why I find myself asking, "Am I crazy". Because what I feel in the spiritual realm is far different than what is before me.
I feel that for the first time this church is drawing the attention of the spiritual forces of darkness. Not only drawing their attention but they are going about in a state of frenzy trying to stop what they are seeing in the spiritual realm. You see, it is not the numbers that make the enemy tremble; it is not the programs that send them in a panic. On the contrary, I believe the devil will be more than glad to pack out a church and let you start more ministries than you can count. However, you let the measure of Christ start increasing in your heart, in your family and in your church and this is what makes him tremble. There is nothing else that draws the attention of the principalities of the Devil like Jesus Christ being made more manifest in the life of a believer. That's it!! That's the thing!!!! It is Christ revealed....Christ manifest...... Conformed into His image.....a daily dying to what we want, our plans, our wills, our desires and a making alive to the spirit of Christ within us.
I tell you the truth, the measure that as to whether or not we are effective as believers is the measure that Christ is manifest in us and therefore the measure that we are known in the heavelies. If we are not known in the heavenlies then we are of no threat and we have relegated Christ to a one time experience or something. But you let your heart begin turning to Him in desperation and allow Him to so have His way that you become ejected from the life you once lived and mark my words.....THE POWERS OF HELL WILL TAKE NOTICE!!!!! There will be a noticeable change in the heavenlies and every attempt made from Satan's cohorts to stop what is happening. They don't fear a big church or a busy church but a church where Jesus Christ is being manifest and wrought out in the hearts of His children!!!

Therefore, I feel a little like Abraham must have felt at some time. Lord, I can feel it; I believe it; I am staking everything on it; Even though at this present time I don't see it before me. But one thing I will do is continue surrendering to Your ways, Your breaking, Your humbling, and allow You to develop what You will in my life. And there is where I want to spend the rest of my life. I look for nothing else, but Christ formed within me.