Momentary Relief

Have you ever had a time when God seems to pull back the veil that seems to be hanging over you and give you just a glimpse of something that makes everything your going through seem to vanish? I have had so many of these moments in the past year that I honestly can not count them all. I assume that we have these moments more often when we are walking through the valley. It is amazing what we can "get use to" at times. Sometimes trials and sufferings become such a norm that we forget what it is like to rise, even for a moment, out of these. I know God's children all over this world are experiencing these things on a level like I have never seen in my life time. God is preparing His church and His people to be a true representation of His Glory. We are learing to trust in Him, lean on Him, and become completely surrendered to His will. These are all things that I thought I knew all about and have been doing for some time. However, I feel now that I am only beginning to learn. In the midst of this though, God will lift me up in a moment and give me a view, that is so refreshing, that He is in control and all is well. I know that I need these times and they usually come when I am not expecting it.
I pray that God will lift your veil, if just for a moment, and give you a glimpse of Him. That's all it takes. Just one glimpse of something we didn't see and our spirit's are lifted and our soul is rejuvenated.

Precious in the Sight of the Lord

Psalm 116:15 tells us "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." I don't think we can even begin to comprehend the beauty of this verse. We see loss, heartache, hurt, and death, but God sees victory, union, perfection, and life eternal. Maybe it's because we are so surrounded with the material and only occasionaly see with spiritual eyes that facing the loss of someone in the family of God is so tough.
But I find comfort in this: Anything good that I have received from someone in the Lord, was not something from them but Christ within them. Though they may be gone, Jesus is still here; within me and others. So, the true life is not gone but still here to bring life on an ever increasing level!

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"!