It would seem that as we are being stripped of the teachings of men, and learning to walk, (think, move, operate, function, live) under and by the unction and anointing of the Holy Spirit, we are in a continual state of change (transformation). I am consciously aware of inner changes, especially in how I "see" things. It's almost like it is necessary for us to come into a "place of agreement" with God....regarding all that HE does....regardless of how it computes in our understanding.
1Corinthians 13:9-13 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Actually, that is definitely a big part of it. Coming into agreement with God, I mean. There is a "spiritual man" if you will, within each one of us. It is our re-born spirit, that part of us that connects with God, that communes, that fellowships, that learns and so on. Mentally we cannot grasp the separate parts that we are composed of: body, soul, and spirit. We start out with our body and mind being in full control of our faculties, aided primarily as needed by our soul power. The spirit of man is the most pressed down, subjected, and ignored part of us, until we come to the knowledge of Christ. When the Father draws us, it is our spirit that we suddenly become conscious of. And from the re-birth of our spirit on, we are ever struggling and fighting to put down (de-throne) our own flesh and mind.
We look at the things taking place in the world today, and are justly aghast. We feel (are confronted with) our own incompetence to effect change, faced with the enormous scope of evil. Humanitarian aid and good intentions, cannot keep up with the flood of disasters occurring worldwide. What are we, as the children of the MOST HIGH, supposed to do? How do we respond?
Well, there is the natural response of man; we see it every day, on the news and in the streets. It is natural to empathize, to commiserate, to give donations....but are we conscious of how the Spirit of God within our hearts is responding?
Do we not all hold visions of great revival sweeping the world? Of "Christians" doing great exploits for the Kingdom of God, doing the works that Christ did and the greater works He spoke of? Many religious leaders today are proclaiming that we are on the threshold of a mighty move of God; that we are on the brink of revival. Do any of you hear anyone proclaiming that what we are seeing taking place is the judgment and wrath of God? Is anyone consciously acknowledging that these "natural" storms wiping out whole areas and taking many lives are sent by God? Do we believe in God or Mother Nature? Do we truly comprehend GOD?
Isaiah 45:5-7 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun (the east), and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
This does not sound like the warm, fuzzy, God is love, we learned about in Sunday School when singing "Jesus Loves me, this I know".
How can we possibly find a balance between God and man? Between what we have been taught...and the events unfolding worldwide before our very eyes? Between the dismal lack in the Church...and the desperate needs all around us?
A few days ago, the Lord quickened a verse to me. Revelation 9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
How can we comprehend this verse? How do we comprehend that there is an appointed time, known only to God, when "time" as man has known it runs out? When God will no longer tolerate "self" ruling in men's hearts? That millions will die? Slay in the above verse means: (to slay); to kill outright; figuratively to destroy: - put to death, kill, slay.
But "God is Love," we cry out. "All these bad things are the works of the devil!"
Are they?
We shudder at the events unfolding; the destruction, death, and rampant sin flaunted before our faces. We want to escape somehow; our flesh is weak and fearful.
What are we called to do? ...Be a light in a dark world [John 12:46]
What commandments are we to keep? Jesus summed it up for us:
Mat 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
People are drowning in Confusion. From every arena: religious, economic, cultural, the home, education, workplaces ...all are in disagreement, dissension, and disarray. And it seems to be increasing daily. Leaders (both secular and religious) flip-flop from one opinion and mode of action to another, with no firm ground to stand on.
Can we agree that we are beholding the fulfillment of Matthew 24:8? "All these things are the beginning of sorrows?" Do we comprehend that things are not going to get better... but will progressively go from bad to worse? Who should we be turning to? Where should we seek safety? Where is our "hiding place from the wrath of God?"
There are a lot of "IF'S"...
IF we are born-again...
IF we are living under the Lordship of Christ...
IF we are daily crucifying our flesh...
IF we believe every word that Jesus spoke, and are striving to live our lives accordingly...
then we are not the children of wrath.
Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
God's commandments are not optional.
God's acceptance of us is conditional.
Heaven is not a democracy.
God has given us... a freewill.
Daily, we make choices, which will ultimately determine our eternal destiny.
Now is the time to ...
allow the Spirit to give us HIS perspective; to enable us to see as God sees.
humble our hearts before Him, and diligently seek His face [Matt.18:4, 23:12]
be conformed into His image [Romans 8:29]
walk by faith ...not by sight [2 Corinthians 5:7]
work out our own salvation, with fear and trembling [Phi. 2:12]
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus [Phi.3:14]
Quoting a recent e-mail:
"We will need our Lord and each other even more so as the days approach. Lest our hearts fail, and/or faith falters, we must turn to Him, and filter out every other distraction. We must love Him enough to die for Him, and to live uprightly for Him. No longer are we to love others as we love ourselves, but we are to love them as He has loved us, with a heavenly, self-sacrificing love. We must pray all the more for God's saints in this earth, as the apostate church, with its man-loving gospel, assimilates every supposed Christian thing. We must seek our peace and light in God, as increasingly war and trouble and darkness escalate and shatter all order and community."
Just as God has a definite time - table, He also has a definite plan of action. Each one of HIS OWN have specific jobs ...purposes to be accomplished in and through their lives. God will not force Himself upon us ...we must be willing ...if we would be used. We must conform to Him, God will not conform to us. Our knowledge, our wisdom, is foolishness with God. The written Word is full of examples of just how darkened man's wisdom and understanding is in this life. We read of the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, and all the other prophets as they warned the people walking the earth in their generation of the wrath and judgment of God coming against the people's willful sin and disobedience. "Why didn't they listen" we ask..."How dumb were they?" And then we read on of the severe judgments that came upon their world, the death and destruction of their way of life, being taken into captivity, all because of their refusal to walk in obedience to God's commandments. Well, many of those same prophecies have pertinent bearing on this generation as well. Many of them will see their total fulfillment in the "latter days." So now it is our turn ... how wise are we? or how dumb? how obedient? how loyal? What is happening?
Man is running out of time. The 'prince of the power of the air' of this world is running out of time.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matt. 24:35.
Throughout the history of mankind, leaders and theologians have tried to interpret and anticipate the future ...analyzing and deducting with all the powers of reason and intellect. Today is no different. And just as history reveals, man's record of 'getting it right' is dismal, to say the least. But we are not called to live according to the ways of this world. We have been called to "follow Christ"...to live "not after the flesh ...but after the spirit."
We should know that we will all be tried...
Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
Jeremiah 12:3 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Daniel 12:9-10 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
1Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Revelation 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
How prepared are we, really? We have all manner of imaginings; multitudes of different teachings and theories. There is no shortage of 'answer-men' who think they have it all figured out and make merchandise of their supposed wisdom. Tradition is a powerful thing. Seldom do we question what has always been taught. We accept that these things must be true or they couldn't teach them, right? Well, maybe we should stop taking everything and everyone at face value, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to examine what is being set before us as truth; to judge it by the Word of God and our inner witness, coming to the knowledge of the Lord ourselves. Babes need to be spoon-fed, as they cannot feed themselves. When we are grown, how foolish it would be to still have our mothers spoon feeding us. Yet that is exactly what many believers are doing. Week after week, month after month, year after year, they come to the same place, here the same stories, and never mature in their spiritual walk. There is a time in the life of every believer, when we are challenged to grow up in Christ. We need to be active participants in a relationship with Christ, without any mediator other than the Holy Spirit. If we are not walking in a relationship, then we are in big trouble. If we are not tuned to hear the voice of the Spirit directing our steps, our only alternative is to listen to others. Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice, and another they will not follow."
Evil in the world is escalating. Turmoil and unrest are all around us. Believe it or not, we are not called to have all the answers ...We are called to press in to a personal relationship with Christ. We are called to walk by faith; not by sight or feelings.
Daniel 12:1 And at that time [of the end] Michael shall arise, the great [angelic] prince who defends and has charge of your [Daniel's] people. And there shall be a time of trouble, straitness, and distress such as never was since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the Book [of God's plan for His own].
If we are walking in a relationship with God, then our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We need to cast aside our fleshly aversion to any kind of suffering.
Jesus said in John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] Daniel prophesied concerning today. Our focus cannot be on the troubles that surround us, but our eye must remain steadfastly upon Christ, our rock and our salvation. He has promised to keep us in the midst of, not take us out of.
1John 2:18 Boys (lads), it is the last time (hour, the end of this age). And as you have heard that the antichrist [he who will oppose Christ in the guise of Christ] is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, which confirms our belief that it is the final (the end) time. The spirit of anti-christ was present when John wrote this, and has been actively working throughout the ages of time in an effort to prevent mankind from finding God.
The Church has made her bed with the world. Religion is big business. Highly esteemed leaders are living in multi-million dollar homes, with enormous 'ministry facilities,' flying to conferences in private jets ....just like the world. The size of their bank accounts is the new standard of measurement being used to determine who is in God's favor. 'Make friends with the world, employ the world's methods and formula's to gain converts and make money,' is the new mantra for success. While tolerance and compromise are employed to foster unity and peace. In this rush toward unity and success, where does what Jesus said fit in?
John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you.
Do we realize that Jesus made a distinction between the world and the church?
John 17:9 I am praying for them. I am not praying (requesting) for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they belong to You.
John 17:14-18 I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world. Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
How can we go the way of the world, and not be walking in direct opposition to Christ? Do humanitarian good works exempt us from being obedient? Does popular opinion somehow alter God's requirements of us, as in the majority rules? Did not the Lord tell us that narrow is the way, and few there be that find it? How committed will you remain if obeying Christ means falling out of favor with your Church, your peers, your family? What is it a sign of if the world loves and embraces us? Isn't it a sign that we are just like them? Aren't we supposed to be different? Peculiar even?
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
2Corinthians 4:4 For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.
1Corinthians 11:32 But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned [to eternal punishment along] with the world.
It is not what we think that matters, it is what God thinks that makes all the difference. Clearly we must choose: will we conform to this world, or will we allow our minds to be renewed, by the Holy Spirit? Do we know that God chastens us because He loves us? That if we are never disciplined we are not sons, but bastards? Are we afraid of what others will think, to the point of allowing falsehoods to go forth unchallenged? Will we stand quietly by while lies and blasphemies are taught, on the pretense of not wanting to be disruptive?
Titus 1:13-14 And this account of them is [really] true. Because it is [true], rebuke them sharply [deal sternly, even severely with them], so that they may be sound in the faith and free from error, [And may show their soundness by] ceasing to give attention to Jewish myths and fables or to rules [laid down] by [mere] men who reject and turn their backs on the Truth.
In Christendom today, there are few who will raise high the standard of the Gospel of Christ, while there are many who fearlessly dare God to stop them as they make merchandise of the name of Jesus. Where is the man or woman of God? Where is the standard bearer of Truth? We have all been given a freewill. We can live our lives however we want, picking and choosing who we will follow and what we will believe. But we should also know that one day, each person who ever lived, will stand before the judgment throne of God and have to give an account of their life.
We are all too familiar with the teachings of men, but what do we know of living a life that is consecrated to God? How good are we at standing in the face of rejection and opposition? It is one thing to be part of a group supporting each other, it is quite another to be standing alone against the crowd. Jeremiah knew what it was to stand alone. Isaiah knew what it was to stand for God against the ideas of men. This generation is going to face the same choices and have to make the same kinds of decisions that were required of all the generations that have gone before us. What do you believe? Whose voice do you hear? How prepared are you to lay down your life? These questions are not far fetched stretches of the imagination. How we answer may well determine our heart condition. God already knows our condition, He sees the thoughts and intents of our hearts. You may agree that these are the last days prophesied of long ago, or you may think that the Lord's coming is still afar off. Regardless, we still will be held accountable for what we do with the time allotted to us on this earth. May we choose wisely.
Isaiah 55:6-11 Seek, inquire for, and require the Lord while He may be found [claiming Him by necessity and by right]; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have love, pity, and mercy for him, and to our God, for He will multiply to him His abundant pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, [2 Corinthians 9:10.] So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Amen
Cathy Morris
March 2007
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