Thursday, April 21, 2005

The secret place

When I look into your eyes
I am lost in everlasting love
resting and secure as I hear your gentle whisper
And the beating of your heart draws me nearer to the place
I cherish most of all
here in your embrace
Face to face
I have finally found my home
my eyes are on you Jesus, you and you alone
closer than I have ever been before
my eyes are on you Jesus, you and you alone
In this secret place I've found
much more than I have ever known
Sacred and so pure
it's everything I've longed for
I have waited for this time to be near you by your side
your presence I will treasure
in your arms forever
Take my heart away to that lovely place.........

Kelly Warren (When I look into your eyes)
Years ago I heard Graham Cooke teach on the secret place. (Psalm 91) At the time it was my first peek into a place of rest....and I was drawn to seek and find. I find myself bringing this call to rememberence:
"The enemy weighs us down with delay, disappointment, deceit, and distraction. When troubles hit us it is difficult in our flesh to have hope and faith and even to love those who the enemy has used as instruments in the day of trouble. We must dare to go against this downflow. Dare to believe. Dare to hold onto vision, wait on him and move out in victory. Rest is spiritual warfare. ( Spiritual warfare is the effect of giving God glory, seeing His majesty and being absorbed in his presence. Our worship and trust in the midst of adversity dismisses the enemy of our souls.) The secret place is the place of safty and rest, refuge and shelter. The secret place is life lived in the spirit, where that which is inside flows out...the spirit of God within us rising up. As Scripture says, 'Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.' " John 7:38


"That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine. We don't look for things that can be seen but for things that can't be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that can't be seen last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"God wants to daily renew our inner man so that we are not looking outside of ourselves for how God will move, our refrence point is our spirit. God will deliver us from our pain and our struggles but he also wants to teach us a more excellent way to sustain and have joy through it. For every thousand pounds of pressure brought on by the outside, comes the equel internal pressure of peace and rest. During human opposition and demonic oppression, we need desperately to learn the place of life lived in the spirit. "I trust you, O LORD. I said, "You are my God." My future is in your hands. Rescue me from my enemies, from those who persecute me. Smile on me. Save me with your mercy. O LORD, I have called on you, so do not let me be put to shame, Let wicked people be put to shame. Let them be silent in the grave. Let their lying lips be speechless, since they speak against righteous people with arrogance and contempt.
Your kindness is so great! You reserve it for those who fear you. Adam's descendants watch as you show it to those who take refuge in you. You hide them in the secret place of your presence from those who scheme against them. You keep them in a shelter, safe from quarrelsome tongues." Psalm 31 :14-20 Nothing and no one can touch us (our spirit) when we are living in the spirit because in His presence we recieve the Lords's perspective and can move in the opposite spirit. We can bless those who curse us, love those who mistreat us, and pray for those who speak against us. Meeting hurt, accusation, and cursing with more of the same is only coming into agreement and partnership with our enemy. We need to live not in defense of our dreams, promises and gifts but find safety and refreshing in the spirit. This is the canopy of God's favor. "You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyous songs of salvation. Selah" Psalm 32:7 When the enemy comes like a flood, engage with God....let the spirit of God rise within you and STAND. We need to be ready, prepared....learning to dwell here because the battle will increase. When God fills our vision, the enemy no longer dictates the battle. God does. "

I absolutely love the account of this truth in the scriptures (2Chron 20) It is worth reading in it's enterity:

"Later the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
Some men reported to Jehoshaphat, "A large crowd is coming against you from the other side of the Dead Sea, from Edom. The crowd is already in Hazazon Tamar" (also called En Gedi). Frightened, Jehoshaphat decided to ask for the LORD'S help. He announced a fast throughout Judah. The people of Judah gathered to seek the LORD'S help. They came from every city in Judah. In the new courtyard at the LORD'S temple, Jehoshaphat stood in front of the people. He said, "LORD God of our ancestors, aren't you the God in heaven? You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess power and might, and no one can oppose you. Didn't you, our God, force those who were living in this country out of Israel's way? Didn't you give this country to the descendants of your friend Abraham to have permanently? His descendants have lived in it and built a holy temple for your name in it. They said, 'If evil comes in the form of war, flood, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple and in front of you because your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you in our troubles, and you will hear us and save us.' "The Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir have come here. However, you didn't let Israel invade them when they came out of Egypt. The Israelites turned away from them and didn't destroy them. They are now paying us back by coming to force us out of your land that you gave to us. You're our God. Won't you judge them? We don't have the strength to face this large crowd that is attacking us. We don't know what to do, so we're looking to you." All the people from Judah, their infants, wives, and children were standing in front of the LORD. Then the LORD'S Spirit came to Jahaziel. (He was the son of Zechariah, grandson of Benaiah, great-grandson of Jeiel, whose father was Mattaniah, a Levite descended from Asaph.) Jahaziel said, "Pay attention to me, everyone from Judah, everyone living in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the LORD says to you: Don't be frightened or terrified by this large crowd. The battle isn't yours. It's God's. Tomorrow go into battle against them. They will be coming up the Ziz Pass. You will find them at the end of the valley in front of the Jeruel Desert. You won't fight this battle. Instead, take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the LORD for you, Judah and Jerusalem. Don't be frightened or terrified. Tomorrow go out to face them. The LORD is with you." Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face touching the ground. Everyone from Judah and the people who lived in Jerusalem immediately bowed down in front of the LORD. The Levites, descendants of Kohath and Korah, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with very loud songs. They got up early in the morning and went to the desert of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stopped and said, "Listen to me, people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. Trust the LORD your God, and believe. Believe his prophets, and you will succeed." After he had advised the people, he appointed people to sing to the LORD and praise him for the beauty of his holiness. As they went in front of the troops, they sang, "Thank the LORD because his mercy endures forever!" As they started to sing praises, the LORD set ambushes against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir who had come into Judah. They were defeated. Then the Ammonites and Moabites attacked the people from Mount Seir and annihilated them. After they had finished off the people of Seir, they helped destroy one another. The people of Judah went to the watchtower in the desert and looked for the crowd. Corpses were lying on the ground. No one had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his troops came to take the loot, they found among them a lot of goods, clothes, and valuables. They found more than they could carry. They spent three days collecting the loot. On the fourth day they gathered in the valley of Beracah. Because they thanked the LORD there, that place is still called the valley of Beracah [Thanks] today. All the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned to Jerusalem. They rejoiced while Jehoshaphat led them. The LORD gave them a reason to rejoice about what had happened to their enemies. So they brought harps, lyres, and trumpets to the LORD'S temple in Jerusalem. The fear of the LORD came over the kingdoms in that area when they heard how the LORD waged war against Israel's enemies."

We must never speak or act from outside the secret place...our thoughts and emotions must come under the rule of the spirit. Living in the spirit allows us to respond instead of react. We are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen!



No comments: