Smaller and simpler still...

My mom and I have been sharing together and have noticed that every time we have tried to deal with an issue of weakness in our lives we have ended up caught in a cycle of striving and stumbling and yet we have also noticed that every time we get enraptured in the presence of God the weakness is made ineffective. In fact, the weakness is made irrelevent. Hmmmmm.......

If sin results when we get our eyes off of Jesus, why do we (the church) tend to place so much emphasis on our responce and our behavior? Are we not doing a disfavor to the precious bride stumbling towards ecstacy? Why are we so oriented to think it all depends on us? Why do we look at ourselves at all?! We should instead gaze into the eyes of redemption and do nothing less than draw the eyes of the broken, and weak amoung us to do the same!

We are all brought into the journey of faith by recognising the work of Christ.......is not the rest of the journey meant to be more of the same? Real and lasting transformation comes from simply meditating on the beauty, goodness and greatness of Jesus. We simply come in our filth and rags to be restored...again and again.....humbly accepting the rainment he clothes us with, confidently delighting in his affection and declaration that we ARE His 'beloved'.

"As you have therefore recieved Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him" Colossians 2:6

"God wants us to experience the "superior pleasures" of the Gospel. He knows that we are best equipped to resist the "lesser pleasures" of sin as we experience satisfaction in intimacy with him." - Mike Bickle

.....when we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence and to make Him absolutely central in our lives, this not only hinders us from offending Him or doing anything that displeases Him (at least willfully), it also gives rise to freedom - a divine freedom - and, if you will not misunderstand me, a familiarity with God tht makes possible asking and recieving the graces we need." -Brother Lawrence

"When you are too perfect at controlling yourself you can become harsh, judgmental, and too easily offended by others." -Francois de Salignac de La Mothe-Fenelon

"....focus, rather on “being”. Being loved. Being God’s child. Being redeemed. Being forgiven. Being accepted. Being favored. Being cherished. Being approved......"-Brian Petak

"I consider myself the most wretched of sinners, full of sores and corruption;
I have committed all sorts of crimes against the King.
Touched with a sense of regret, I confess to Him all my wickedness;
I ask His forgiveness;

I abandon myself into His hands so he can do with me as He pleases.
The King, full of mercy and goodness,
very far from chastising me, embrces me with love, makes me eat at His table,
serves me with His own hands, gives me the key to His treasures.
He also talks with me all the time in the most delightful way in a thousand ways,
and treats me in all respects as His favorite." - Brother Lawerence

Will you trust me?

The world's sin is not foul language and lies.
The world's sin is not drug and alcohol abuse.
The world's sin is not lust and impurity.
The world's sin is not abortion and murder.
The world's sin is not greed and theft.

" The world's sin is unbelief "
(John 16:9, 12:39-40)

How heavy is my heart for the many who daily taste the bitter fruits of a heart that has no vision of the Trustworthy One. Without a vision, they cast off restraint!

Son, daughter...why do you not believe?
Like the first children you hear the lie..."God is holding out on you!"
You do not know me. So you do not trust me.
You think you need to protect yourself.
So you lie. So you kill. So you hide.
You think you need to provide for yourself.
So you take.
I am your Father. I love loving you. I love taking care of you.
I am your Husband. I love loving you. I love taking care of you.
You do not know me. So you do not trust me.
You have been orphaned, abandoned, betrayed, and abused.
Not by me. I have never left you. I have never hurt you.
My thoughts are only good toward you. My plans are to give you a hope and a wonderful future.
But you do not know me, so you do not trust me.

A truely intimate relationship is only established and preserved through the gift of trust. When trust is betrayed or withheld, there is a sudden and increasing block in relational intimacy until trust is restored. It really is a very precious gift.

The scriptures call this gift "faith". It is no wonder that we read " Without faith it is impossible to please God...." When we withhold trust, the Father cannot have the intimacy with us that He so longs for. We cannot recieve His affection. We cannot recieve His affirmation. We cannot recieve His delight. We simply do not believe. Unbelief blinds our eyes and deafens our ears, it hardens our hearts to Him. We hold Him at a distance. With all our sin and all our religion. Never really living. Not living at all really! It is only trust that pleases Him. It is trust that says 'I want to know you. I want to love you. Take this broken, messed up heart in your hands. I am weak and fragile but I have confidence in your tenderness, in your mercy, in your care. I believe you are who you say you are!'

All our failures; our religious striving and shameful deeds, result from our lack of confidence in you Father. We don't want to admit that we are helpless and in need, like a tiny infant.We don't want to believe that you came not for the healthy but for the sick. We don't want to believe that you are our Shepherd. If we did, we would know that a GOOD Father feeds his childre, clothes his children, nurtures his children, protects his children, holds and comforts his children, delights in his children, affirms his children, guides and leads his children. We would be at rest.

Abraham believed and it was accounted to Him as righteousness. (Genesis 22:1-12, Hebrews)

When we discover the incredible, passionate, pursuing love of God we can't help but fall in love with Him, and walk toward Him, who is the Light. We become surrendered, holding nothing back because we know that He holds nothing back from us. We become the bride, one with her bridegroom!

" I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it ALL as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's laws but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith" (Philippians 3:7-9)

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvolous love. And may you have the power to understand as allGod's people should, how wide, how long,how high, and how deep his love really is. MAY YOU EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. THEN YOU WILL BE FILLED WITH THE FULLNESS OF LIFE AND POWER THAT COMES FROM GOD.

Ephesians 3:17-19

Oh Beloved Consuming Fire

Wow! I stumbled on this today....... How cool is that!

"GOD is THE CONSUMING FIRE! He comes to take over! He comes to CONSUME us! and our world! ........ the secrets to the Holy life.: STARE AT HIM!!!! and RECEIVE His love FOR YOU! This is GRACE EMPOWERED Holiness!"

This is exactly what Father has been igniting in my spirit!

Take a Listen to Keith Luker as He teaches on the secrets to a Holy life:

http://www.propheticworshipradio.net/store/DL_ConsumingFire.php

Covenant

"....You are COMPLETE through your union with Christ..."

(Colossians 2:10)

"When you came to Christ you were circumsised but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure - the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptised. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Jeus Christ from the dead." (Colossians 2:11-12)


Circumsision has suddenly found new meaning. It is so symbolic of vulnerabilty, surrender, humility, need, and trust. This is the blessed part we offer in the covenant. We offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. We offer our all - we come vulnerable, trusting and surrendered. We are forever marked by a spirit of humility.


"For we who worship God in the Spirit are the only ones who are truely circumsized. We put no confidence in human effort. Insead we boast about what Christ Jesus has done for us." (Philippians 3:3)


I’m not looking over and I’m not looking under
I’m looking upward and I’m moving onward
To a place where they cry holy And the greatest man bows lowly
From the wonder of a father crying out

Come now let’s reason together
Come now where blood turns to wool
Come now where fire is the measure
Come now where fools turn to gold

Now I’m moving slower and it takes a little longer
But I’m healing deeper and I’m feeling stronger
It’s tearing down defenses and opening my senses
To the wonder of a lover crying out

© 2004 Jason Upton & Key of David Ministries. All rights reserved


http://www.jasonupton.net/com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=233&Itemid=431

He really loves me!

This summer the Lord has been speaking new things to me concerning His Holiness. My eyes have been opened to see that holiness is not a thing I am pursuing....but is the personhood of Jesus Christ, the Holy spirit of God Himself; indwelling in all his fullness. All I have ever wanted was Jesus but I have stumbled continuely, distracted by trying to reach him in my own efforts. He has washed away fear after fear, doubt after doubt...fruit of many lies; weeding out unbelief and rooting me in the depths, heights and breadth of His love. His mercy astounds me. Now I see that Holiness has been pursuing me. He will not let go. He will be faithful to complete the work He began in me.

My faithful bridegroom there is none like you!