We must keep in mind the Objective of Salvation. The Objective of Salvation is to be conformed to the Image of Christ (Romans 8). God didn't save us just to go to Heaven when we die. Jesus didn't shed His Blood just so we could go to church on Sunday mornings. The Holy Spirit doesn't dwell within us just for the purpose of the operation of the spiritual gifts. No. God has put His Redemptive Plan in place so that what He originally designed humanity to be in the Beginning (Genesis 1), can come to fruition in and through His Only Begotten Son. If we lose track of the Divine Intention for which God created and regenerated us in the first place, at some point, no matter how committed we are to ministry, we're going to get off track. God is looking for a Carbon Copy.
I haven't met a parent yet, that doesn't derive some degree of joy over the fact that their children look like them. As a matter of fact, it becomes a point of concern when the child "doesn't" look like either their father of mother (from a biological standpoint). Why is this significant? Because when your child has your nose, has your eyes, has your ears, has your height; it's a strong indication that the child belongs to you. Also, it testifies to the fact that the child is not just a reflection of you, but they're also an Extension of you. You are in them. The physical characteristics for which the both of you share proves that your DNA, your blood, runs through the veins of that child, your child. There's something special about that dynamic that warms the heart of every parent, no matter how negligent or irresponsible they may be as a mother or father.
This type of "parental pride" (for lack of a better word) is of God. God is the Eternal and Universal Parent. EVERYTHING (not just human beings) is birthed from Him. But He put a special stamp on His human creation, because according to the biblical record, we are the only aspect of His Creation that He specifically designed to Look Like Him (Genesis 1). I believe that there is an aspect of our physical dimension that is created in the Image and Likeness of God; but let us not forget, God is a Spirit (John 4). So, God is looking for us to look like Him in our hearts, in our minds and in our spirits. And I can assure you, when we begin to develop attributes that reflect the DNA of the Father, He derives the same type of Pleasure that we do as earthly parents.
Jesus is the Express Image of the Father (Hebrews 1). Therefore, if you want to know what God looks like as a human being, all you have to do is look at Jesus (John 10). But what we often miss, is that this wasn't God's intention for just Jesus, this is His Intention for all of humanity. Every soul that God has birthed into the earth was designed to reflect His Image and Likeness. Of course we know that not all human beings aspire to this. But Christians should! And my concern is that we have too many born-again believers that are not trying hard enough to look like their Daddy (Romans 8). We're still not allowing the Holy Spirit to cultivate love, meekness, humility, lowliness, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, sacrifice, long-suffering...the attributes that make up the DNA of our Heavenly Father.
It's time, Saints, for us to re-commit ourselves, not just to God, but to allowing the Holy Spirit to re-create in us the very Image of God! This is what the Father wants. So that when He looks down from Glory, He'll witness a church that is a Carbon Copy of His Son.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Friday, August 7, 2015
Endurance and Resistance
One of the things that we must keep in mind as we progress through the Summer Season and into the New Year on the Hebrew Calendar, is that we are in a War. There are still too many believers that want to operate as Christian Civilians rather than Spiritual Warriors. Whether you like it or not, the moment you became a Christian, you entered a Spiritual War (Romans 7). God has given us everything we need to access the Victory, and the Victory has already been won through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Romans 8). But we still have to adopt a Soldier's Mentality. If we do not learn how to fight the good fight of faith and embrace the Warfare to which we have been called (Ephesians 6), then we will not be prepared nor equipped to fight the necessary battles required to advance the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven.
In order to posture oneself appropriately in Spiritual Warfare, there are two spiritual attributes that are required: Endurance and Resistance. If we don't learn how to Endure, and if we don't learn how to Resist, we will not be equipped to be the Spiritual Soldiers that God is calling us to be.
In regards to Endurance, it is the ability to absorb and internalize hardship and discomfort in the midst of adverse conditions and circumstances. Paul admonishes us to "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2Timothy 2). For many of us, the last several months have been hard. For others of us, the last several years have been hard. But the word of God teaches us to Endure. This is part of our Warfare. No matter the situation, no matter the circumstance, as a child of God, nothing is happening in your life that the Father has not Sovereignly Allowed. Therefore, we know it is working for our Good (Romans 8). The question is, do we have the spirit to "hang on in there", or are we going to be Quitters. What I'm learning is, you can Quit without necessarily Leaving. Some people think that because they don't go anywhere "physically" that they haven't necessarily quit. Wrong. When you quit trying, when you stop giving your best, when you become indifferent and cynical and nonchalant, guess what, you just quit. No saints, we've got to endure. We've got to endure the pain, endure the trials, endure the discomfort, endure the criticism. It's all part of the Warfare.
The next area of Warfare in Christ is Resistance. It's not just enough to Endure, we must also learn how to Resist. This is where a lot of believers miss it, because we think that "enduring" should be enough. Wrong. Why? Because even though you're being challenged to endure, you're still under attack. "I thought what I was having to endure was the attack"? To a very large degree it is, but it's not restricted to that. Even while you're enduring heartaches and trials, Satan is still looking for a way to exploit you and defeat you (John 10). This is what he does. And what can happen, if you don't learn to operate in "resistance-mode", while you're being challenged to endure, Satan can sneak up on you and get you to fall and digress in a particular area because you weren't resisting him. The scripture says, "resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4). How do you resist the devil? By staying watchful and prayerful, and being sober and vigilante (1Peter 5).
The greatest example of Endurance and Resistance was Jesus. When He was in the wilderness for 40 days (Matthew 4), He not only endured the heat of being outside in the burning sun and the hunger of going without food for 40 days, but He had to resist Satanic temptation at the same time. This is the essence of Spiritual Warfare. Self-Denial and Satanic Resistance. Is it easy? No. But is it possible? For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 2). Let us allow the Holy Spirit to grow us all up into the Spiritual Warriors that we're called to be, and learn to operate in Endurance and Resistance.
In order to posture oneself appropriately in Spiritual Warfare, there are two spiritual attributes that are required: Endurance and Resistance. If we don't learn how to Endure, and if we don't learn how to Resist, we will not be equipped to be the Spiritual Soldiers that God is calling us to be.
In regards to Endurance, it is the ability to absorb and internalize hardship and discomfort in the midst of adverse conditions and circumstances. Paul admonishes us to "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2Timothy 2). For many of us, the last several months have been hard. For others of us, the last several years have been hard. But the word of God teaches us to Endure. This is part of our Warfare. No matter the situation, no matter the circumstance, as a child of God, nothing is happening in your life that the Father has not Sovereignly Allowed. Therefore, we know it is working for our Good (Romans 8). The question is, do we have the spirit to "hang on in there", or are we going to be Quitters. What I'm learning is, you can Quit without necessarily Leaving. Some people think that because they don't go anywhere "physically" that they haven't necessarily quit. Wrong. When you quit trying, when you stop giving your best, when you become indifferent and cynical and nonchalant, guess what, you just quit. No saints, we've got to endure. We've got to endure the pain, endure the trials, endure the discomfort, endure the criticism. It's all part of the Warfare.
The next area of Warfare in Christ is Resistance. It's not just enough to Endure, we must also learn how to Resist. This is where a lot of believers miss it, because we think that "enduring" should be enough. Wrong. Why? Because even though you're being challenged to endure, you're still under attack. "I thought what I was having to endure was the attack"? To a very large degree it is, but it's not restricted to that. Even while you're enduring heartaches and trials, Satan is still looking for a way to exploit you and defeat you (John 10). This is what he does. And what can happen, if you don't learn to operate in "resistance-mode", while you're being challenged to endure, Satan can sneak up on you and get you to fall and digress in a particular area because you weren't resisting him. The scripture says, "resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4). How do you resist the devil? By staying watchful and prayerful, and being sober and vigilante (1Peter 5).
The greatest example of Endurance and Resistance was Jesus. When He was in the wilderness for 40 days (Matthew 4), He not only endured the heat of being outside in the burning sun and the hunger of going without food for 40 days, but He had to resist Satanic temptation at the same time. This is the essence of Spiritual Warfare. Self-Denial and Satanic Resistance. Is it easy? No. But is it possible? For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 2). Let us allow the Holy Spirit to grow us all up into the Spiritual Warriors that we're called to be, and learn to operate in Endurance and Resistance.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Making the Shift
If you haven't recognized already, within the Spirit Realm, we are in the midst of a Divine Shift. One of the things that we must learn about God if we're going to consistently walk with the Lord, is that Jehovah is a God of Shifts. It's very rare that He's going to stay in one place for any extended period of time. The God we serve is a God of Movement. He's always on the Move. Even if we can't see Him moving, and even if we can't necessarily "feel" Him moving; you better believe, God is Moving! The challenge is that God doesn't ask our permission when He gets ready to make a Move. And what I'm discovering more often about God, is that He tends to move in a direction for which we are not necessarily familiar with (Joshua 3). For this reason it is imperative that we stay close to the Lord and submit to His leadership, so that we are in position to Make the Shift.
We are in the midst of a Shift saints, a Divine Shift. One of my primary concerns is that we have more than a few believers that are not going to be positioned with God as He prepares to "make the turn". I can assure you, even if you've been faithful and obedient up to this point (praise God for that), there are still some shifts that God is calling us to make that, if we choose to ignore them, we might be able to "make the shift" but we won't be able to sustain the Shift that God is making during this Season.
One of the first things we must do in Making the Shift with God is repent. The word repent doesn't only mean to change direction, or to turn around, it also means to think again. There are some mental habits that we have established, even in the context of our relationship with God, that the Spirit is saying to us, think again; take another look at this. There are some things in our lives, that may have worked five years ago, five months ago, even five weeks ago, but are not working now and are not going to work in the future. Why? Because God is Making the Shift, and if we're going to walk with Him going into this next Season, we too must Make the Shift with Him. This is not always easy, because it requires change. But even though it's not easy, it's necessary in order to Make the Shift.
Another area we must be committed to in order to Make the Shift is the area of Sacrifice. There are still too many Christians that want to serve God from the vantage point of Convenience. Wrong. He is God! He deserves Sacrifice! If you study cultural history, you'll notice that every ancient culture and people has a god that they sacrificed to. Even the pagan cultures had gods for which they offered sacrifice, whether they were idols or not. The principle has not changed. This is why Jesus commanded His Disciples to "bear their cross" (Matthew 16). Hopefully it's everyone's aspiration to become a Disciple of Christ. If it is, then it must be understood that part of Making the Shifting is committing to Sacrifice unto the Lord.
Lastly saints, part of Making the Shift is expecting criticism. God is taking His Chosen into a realm that most people have never experienced before; including the contemporary, mainstream church. Whenever one goes against the grain and goes against the tide, misunderstanding and subsequent criticism is to be expected. A lot of people shrink back at this point because of their "need" to be socially accepted and affirmed. I need to inform you today that part of Making the Shift with the Lord is getting to the point where you don't care what people think about you. Not that you're trying to be crass and insensitive, but when it comes to God's Divine Will for your life, you're not taking a social consensus for that. People won't understand, and that's ok. That's why Jesus made it clear, "my Kingdom is not of this world" (John 18). Therefore, if you're representing the Kingdom of Christ, you need to understand that people with worldly thinking (including people in the church) are simply not going to get it. You have to be ok with that. But I can assure you, it's All Good. The Rewards and the Blessings that God has for His Elect are "out of this world". Are you looking to receive? You can. It's all about being Prepared and Making the Shift.
We are in the midst of a Shift saints, a Divine Shift. One of my primary concerns is that we have more than a few believers that are not going to be positioned with God as He prepares to "make the turn". I can assure you, even if you've been faithful and obedient up to this point (praise God for that), there are still some shifts that God is calling us to make that, if we choose to ignore them, we might be able to "make the shift" but we won't be able to sustain the Shift that God is making during this Season.
One of the first things we must do in Making the Shift with God is repent. The word repent doesn't only mean to change direction, or to turn around, it also means to think again. There are some mental habits that we have established, even in the context of our relationship with God, that the Spirit is saying to us, think again; take another look at this. There are some things in our lives, that may have worked five years ago, five months ago, even five weeks ago, but are not working now and are not going to work in the future. Why? Because God is Making the Shift, and if we're going to walk with Him going into this next Season, we too must Make the Shift with Him. This is not always easy, because it requires change. But even though it's not easy, it's necessary in order to Make the Shift.
Another area we must be committed to in order to Make the Shift is the area of Sacrifice. There are still too many Christians that want to serve God from the vantage point of Convenience. Wrong. He is God! He deserves Sacrifice! If you study cultural history, you'll notice that every ancient culture and people has a god that they sacrificed to. Even the pagan cultures had gods for which they offered sacrifice, whether they were idols or not. The principle has not changed. This is why Jesus commanded His Disciples to "bear their cross" (Matthew 16). Hopefully it's everyone's aspiration to become a Disciple of Christ. If it is, then it must be understood that part of Making the Shifting is committing to Sacrifice unto the Lord.
Lastly saints, part of Making the Shift is expecting criticism. God is taking His Chosen into a realm that most people have never experienced before; including the contemporary, mainstream church. Whenever one goes against the grain and goes against the tide, misunderstanding and subsequent criticism is to be expected. A lot of people shrink back at this point because of their "need" to be socially accepted and affirmed. I need to inform you today that part of Making the Shift with the Lord is getting to the point where you don't care what people think about you. Not that you're trying to be crass and insensitive, but when it comes to God's Divine Will for your life, you're not taking a social consensus for that. People won't understand, and that's ok. That's why Jesus made it clear, "my Kingdom is not of this world" (John 18). Therefore, if you're representing the Kingdom of Christ, you need to understand that people with worldly thinking (including people in the church) are simply not going to get it. You have to be ok with that. But I can assure you, it's All Good. The Rewards and the Blessings that God has for His Elect are "out of this world". Are you looking to receive? You can. It's all about being Prepared and Making the Shift.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Solitude
One of the things that I am learning is that if you're going to press into God's Divine Will for your life, there comes a point where you have to deal with being alone...all alone. Solitude is not something that is necessarily taught in our culture. As a matter of fact, as one German theologian put it many, many years ago, our society is almost structured to the point where solitude is not encouraged, let alone easily obtained. I believe this statement to be the truth. Most of our time is centered around groups or crowds. But there comes a time where God will call you "away" from the crowds, even your family, to get you alone to Himself. When we receive the Call to Solitude, let us not resist it, let us receive it; knowing that it is of the Lord and He is doing it for our good.
There are many people, young and old alike, that are wondering either why they are not in "significant" relationships or are not married. I would submit to you that part of the reason why God has a lot of His children alone "for a season" is because He wants them to embrace Solitude. Because our culture and the church has not properly taught how to appropriately approach and conduct significant relationships with the opposite sex, these types of "romantic" relationships become more of a distraction and a hindrance to our relationship with God rather than a Blessing. This is not the will of God. There are a lot of things that God "winked at" before (Acts 17), but these dysfunctional relationships, I don't believe God is winking at any longer. God wants our primary pursuit of Intimacy to be with Him! Not another man or woman. Yes, the Father created us male and female, in order to interact this way. But within the Divine Boundaries for which He has set. Since a lot of Christians don't have this understanding, it's important that we embrace Solitude so that the Lord can properly prepare us for the Life Partner (spouse) that He has ordained for us.
There will come a time in your walk with the Lord where He will deliberately call you to Himself. This is what He did with Moses (Exodus 3) and this is what He did with His own Son, Jesus the Christ (Matthew 4). If you're wondering why you don't have a lot of friends. If you're wondering why you don't have much of a social life (according to the world's standards). It's not necessarily because something is "wrong with you". It might very well be because God has singled you out for Solitude. What I'm learning to do in the midst of my Season of Solitude is wholeheartedly embrace it and submit to it. Why? Because there are very valuable lessons that God will teach you in the place of Solitude that He won't "necessarily" choose to teach you in the midst of the Crowd or Companionship. There's nothing like being alone with the Lord! There are things He will show you that no one else in the universe can reveal. These periods of Solitude are seasonal, they don't last forever. So if you find yourself in one, or sense that God is calling you into one, don't be disappointed, and don't be discouraged. Just know that God is ready to prepare you for your next level within your season of Solitude.
There are many people, young and old alike, that are wondering either why they are not in "significant" relationships or are not married. I would submit to you that part of the reason why God has a lot of His children alone "for a season" is because He wants them to embrace Solitude. Because our culture and the church has not properly taught how to appropriately approach and conduct significant relationships with the opposite sex, these types of "romantic" relationships become more of a distraction and a hindrance to our relationship with God rather than a Blessing. This is not the will of God. There are a lot of things that God "winked at" before (Acts 17), but these dysfunctional relationships, I don't believe God is winking at any longer. God wants our primary pursuit of Intimacy to be with Him! Not another man or woman. Yes, the Father created us male and female, in order to interact this way. But within the Divine Boundaries for which He has set. Since a lot of Christians don't have this understanding, it's important that we embrace Solitude so that the Lord can properly prepare us for the Life Partner (spouse) that He has ordained for us.
There will come a time in your walk with the Lord where He will deliberately call you to Himself. This is what He did with Moses (Exodus 3) and this is what He did with His own Son, Jesus the Christ (Matthew 4). If you're wondering why you don't have a lot of friends. If you're wondering why you don't have much of a social life (according to the world's standards). It's not necessarily because something is "wrong with you". It might very well be because God has singled you out for Solitude. What I'm learning to do in the midst of my Season of Solitude is wholeheartedly embrace it and submit to it. Why? Because there are very valuable lessons that God will teach you in the place of Solitude that He won't "necessarily" choose to teach you in the midst of the Crowd or Companionship. There's nothing like being alone with the Lord! There are things He will show you that no one else in the universe can reveal. These periods of Solitude are seasonal, they don't last forever. So if you find yourself in one, or sense that God is calling you into one, don't be disappointed, and don't be discouraged. Just know that God is ready to prepare you for your next level within your season of Solitude.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Pressing towards the Mark
Saints, we are at a point now where we must press to enter into the Divine Will of God and the manifestation of His Kingdom. I know for many it has been rough, and it is rough. But I want to encourage you, the Scripture is true, "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30). Hallelujah!
No, it's not going to be easy. But if we can remain focused and steadfast, God will usher us into that Place that He has prepared for His people. However, we must continue to press towards the mark.
The challenge of having to press, is not commensurate with having to endure stress. There are a lot of God's people, particularly ministers, that are stressed out. This is not the will of God. Not that there's not stress involved in serving God, hopefully that's a given. But total exasperation and frustration is not the will of God for His children (Matthew 11).
When you are pressing towards the mark, you're pressing into Him! (Philippians 3) As you draw closer to the Lord, there's a peace that He gives to you that overrides every negative and adverse situation and circumstance that you may be experiencing (Philippians 4).
Whatever God is allowing in your life from a "negative" standpoint if you will, has been Divinely Designed to draw you closer to Him (Romans 8). So, don't let the disappointment or the frustration of the moment make you digress into negativity or selfishness or sinful habits. Use this as an opportunity to press further into the Lord.
The challenge with pressing towards the mark, and one of the reasons why more Christians don't engage in this spiritual pursuit, is because in order to press into Christ, you have to press beyond yourself. We're not conditioned to do this. We've been conditioned, when things get rough, to retreat into ourselves. Wrong. What we need to learn how to do is when things get rough, to press into His Presence. It's not easy, but it's possible.
This is why John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3). That's why the Hebrew writer exhorted us to "labor to enter into His Rest" (Hebrews 4). The best example of someone Pressing towards the Mark was Jesus. After all He had done in His earthly ministry, He had to Press to Bear the Cross. We know Jesus had to press because He asked the Father to "take this cup from Me" (Luke 22). But He pressed! Jesus pressed to the point to where He was sweating Blood (Luke 22). Jesus endured abandonment, solitude, ridicule, betrayal, torture, injustice, rejection and crucifixion; all in the name of pressing towards the mark! Jesus went beyond Himself, in order to fulfill the Divine Will of the Father.
Saints, in being "Christ-like", we too must be willing to endure the same type of sacrifice in order that God's will may be manifested in our lives. The only way it's going to happen is if we press.
No, it's not going to be easy. But if we can remain focused and steadfast, God will usher us into that Place that He has prepared for His people. However, we must continue to press towards the mark.
The challenge of having to press, is not commensurate with having to endure stress. There are a lot of God's people, particularly ministers, that are stressed out. This is not the will of God. Not that there's not stress involved in serving God, hopefully that's a given. But total exasperation and frustration is not the will of God for His children (Matthew 11).
When you are pressing towards the mark, you're pressing into Him! (Philippians 3) As you draw closer to the Lord, there's a peace that He gives to you that overrides every negative and adverse situation and circumstance that you may be experiencing (Philippians 4).
Whatever God is allowing in your life from a "negative" standpoint if you will, has been Divinely Designed to draw you closer to Him (Romans 8). So, don't let the disappointment or the frustration of the moment make you digress into negativity or selfishness or sinful habits. Use this as an opportunity to press further into the Lord.
The challenge with pressing towards the mark, and one of the reasons why more Christians don't engage in this spiritual pursuit, is because in order to press into Christ, you have to press beyond yourself. We're not conditioned to do this. We've been conditioned, when things get rough, to retreat into ourselves. Wrong. What we need to learn how to do is when things get rough, to press into His Presence. It's not easy, but it's possible.
This is why John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3). That's why the Hebrew writer exhorted us to "labor to enter into His Rest" (Hebrews 4). The best example of someone Pressing towards the Mark was Jesus. After all He had done in His earthly ministry, He had to Press to Bear the Cross. We know Jesus had to press because He asked the Father to "take this cup from Me" (Luke 22). But He pressed! Jesus pressed to the point to where He was sweating Blood (Luke 22). Jesus endured abandonment, solitude, ridicule, betrayal, torture, injustice, rejection and crucifixion; all in the name of pressing towards the mark! Jesus went beyond Himself, in order to fulfill the Divine Will of the Father.
Saints, in being "Christ-like", we too must be willing to endure the same type of sacrifice in order that God's will may be manifested in our lives. The only way it's going to happen is if we press.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Wrestling with the Flesh
There will be all sorts of Satanic attacks and demonic forces that are designed to thwart you as you attempt to seek God's Divine Will for your life. This is something we must expect, but not something to which we have to succumb. So, if you're finding that in your attempt to execute what "thus saith the Lord," you're coming against Satanic resistance, internally as well as externally, then understand that it's par for the course and a part of your wrestling with the flesh.
The Bible says very clearly, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood" (Ephesians 6). The battle that we have to fight as we seek to do God's will is strategically executed by Satan and his horde of demons, that have one objective in mind, and that is destroy you! (John 10) But be not dismayed. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world! (1John 4).
The challenge is understanding that the war that we're in is not in the natural, it's in the spiritual realm. With this in mind, we must use "spiritual weapons" in order to be victorious in a spiritual battle (2Corinthians 10). Therefore, we need not be frustrated, let alone exasperated, we need to be Encouraged. God has already given us the Victory (Romans 7), we just need to learn how to access it.
Saints, as I've stated before, it is imperative, if you're going to be Victorious in Wrestling with the Flesh (the sinful nature and the carnal mind) that you learn to Abide in the Word. We have too many Christians that are still trying to operate at a level of Spiritual Health without consuming a healthy diet of the Word. It's just not going to happen. If you're not in the Word, reading the Bible daily, I can assure you that Satan is having a field day with the thoughts of your mind. People still want to think that only "preachers and ministers" need to read the Bible on a consistent basis. Wrong! If you are a child of God and a born-again believer in Christ, then you need to be feasting on the Word of God. Reading the Word consistently is the only way that your spirit is going to be built up in order to stand against the wiles of the Devil (Matthew 4). This is a spiritual discipline that we cannot do without.
We must also learn to praise and worship God consistently, not just on Sunday mornings. I know of several Christians that read the Word daily (even if it's in a Daily Devotional), but they are not worshipers. For the type of war that's going to be waged in order to advance the Kingdom of God, you must be a worshiper. What does that mean? That means that on a daily basis, you set time aside to give demonstrative praise and worship to God. You lift your hands, you sing your song, you open up your mouth and you audibly say "HALLELUJAH" to God. Too many Christians want to try to get away with this "silent praise." "The Lord knows my heart." Wrong. The Bible says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord (Psalm 100).
And remember, God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22). A devil nor a demon will remain in a place where the presence of God is residing. Let us be proactive in combating the Satanic attacks that the Enemy is mounting against us; knowing that our victory is already secured in our wrestling with the flesh.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
From Servanthood to Sonship
As we prepare to prepare to enter one of the greatest moves of God to ever hit the earth, we want to understand the dynamics of this move of God. This move will not focus primarily around function, it will focus specifically on being. In order to fulfill the call that God has on one's life in this next Kingdom move of God, it will be imperative that one has established their true Identity in Christ.
For too long the church has been preoccupied with what we're called "to do" for the Lord, and not focused enough on who we're called to be in Christ. This is where the focus of the Father will be as He Manifests this Kingdom move of the 21st century. Therefore, it will not matter whether you're a preacher, a pastor, an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist; this will not be the primary concern. The question will be, who "are you" in Christ. There is a calling of identity that we as children of God must answer and fulfill. And for this reason we must make the transition from Servanthood to Sonship.
Most of us are aware that everyone has been called to serve. Regardless of the nature of one's calling or ministry, we know that the Holy Spirit has provided all of us with spiritual gifts that are to be used towards the edifying of the Body of Christ and the Advancement of God's Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (1Corinthians 12, Matthew 6). However, it's not as equally known that all of us are also called to a specific Identity in Christ, and that identity is the call to Sonship.
Every born-again believer is called to be a son of God (John 1). Please don't get lost in the gender terminology. The reference to sonship is not about male or female, it's about "office." Sonship in Christ is a spiritual office, not a gender identification (Galatians 4). (However, if you're more comfortable as a woman with the reference to Daughters of God, you can use that as well, 2 Corinthians 6). So the next movement, as a I heard one apostle put it, is a movement of the Sons. We must therefore focus on becoming Sons of God and manifesting the very character of Christ.
In order for this to take place, we must make the transition from Servanthood to Sonship. Over the years we've had too many people in the ministry whose identity was not reflective of the office of Sonship. They were excellent preachers. They were wonderful pastors. They were faithful and effective prophets. But they were not Sons! This has to change, and will change in the upcoming move.
It's not enough to just function in an anointing or a gift, you must become a Son. This will require spiritual maturity.That 's why Galatians 4 makes it clear that as long as you are a child, your spiritual status is that of a servant, not an heir. The sons of God are the heirs of God (Romans 8). There are powers and blessings that are only reserved for the sons of God. Who would you give your inheritance to, your maid, your butler or your son or daughter?
We must mature, Saints. We must let the Spirit purify us and sanctify us that we may be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8). The Kingdom of God can only be manifested and sustained as we learn to make the transition from Servanthood to Sonship.
For too long the church has been preoccupied with what we're called "to do" for the Lord, and not focused enough on who we're called to be in Christ. This is where the focus of the Father will be as He Manifests this Kingdom move of the 21st century. Therefore, it will not matter whether you're a preacher, a pastor, an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist; this will not be the primary concern. The question will be, who "are you" in Christ. There is a calling of identity that we as children of God must answer and fulfill. And for this reason we must make the transition from Servanthood to Sonship.
Most of us are aware that everyone has been called to serve. Regardless of the nature of one's calling or ministry, we know that the Holy Spirit has provided all of us with spiritual gifts that are to be used towards the edifying of the Body of Christ and the Advancement of God's Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (1Corinthians 12, Matthew 6). However, it's not as equally known that all of us are also called to a specific Identity in Christ, and that identity is the call to Sonship.
Every born-again believer is called to be a son of God (John 1). Please don't get lost in the gender terminology. The reference to sonship is not about male or female, it's about "office." Sonship in Christ is a spiritual office, not a gender identification (Galatians 4). (However, if you're more comfortable as a woman with the reference to Daughters of God, you can use that as well, 2 Corinthians 6). So the next movement, as a I heard one apostle put it, is a movement of the Sons. We must therefore focus on becoming Sons of God and manifesting the very character of Christ.
In order for this to take place, we must make the transition from Servanthood to Sonship. Over the years we've had too many people in the ministry whose identity was not reflective of the office of Sonship. They were excellent preachers. They were wonderful pastors. They were faithful and effective prophets. But they were not Sons! This has to change, and will change in the upcoming move.
It's not enough to just function in an anointing or a gift, you must become a Son. This will require spiritual maturity.That 's why Galatians 4 makes it clear that as long as you are a child, your spiritual status is that of a servant, not an heir. The sons of God are the heirs of God (Romans 8). There are powers and blessings that are only reserved for the sons of God. Who would you give your inheritance to, your maid, your butler or your son or daughter?
We must mature, Saints. We must let the Spirit purify us and sanctify us that we may be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8). The Kingdom of God can only be manifested and sustained as we learn to make the transition from Servanthood to Sonship.
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