Life vs. Knowledge
We have a choice before us my friends. Will we choose to LIVE the life of a disciple of Christ, by His SPIRIT and not leaning unto our own understanding, or will we trust in our accumulated knowledge? Scary prospect is it not? Reason clamors for our attention, while the Spirit requires our surrender. The two are in direct opposition one to the other. Reason must bow before the Spirit, and concede that it knows nothing as it ought. Jesus is our ‘example’… He alone is the One we are to follow after.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” Mat 11:29.
“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” Mat 15:9.
“He who is not with Me [definitely on My side] is against Me, and he who does not [definitely] gather with Me and for My side scatters” Mat 12:30.
Do we fully grasp the indisputable fact that when we are operating from our reasoning mind we are in opposition to Christ? Do we comprehend that admirable though they may be, none of the denominations are in possession of ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ Why do I say this?... because in even our best attempts to be righteous, we hold errors in both our understanding and our execution. We would benefit from taking to heart Jesus warnings to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 & 3.
Without a doubt they all thought that they were doing pretty good, just as most churches and ministries today are convinced that they doing what the Lord would have them to do. Yet when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, whose eyes are a flaming fire assessed their condition, not one of them measured up, and some were nearly dead. “We” are the “them” He is speaking to! These seven churches are representative of all that mankind has built throughout the centuries.
The point is simple. We must be willing to die to our carnal, fleshly wants, needs and desires, and be totally consumed with knowing and being known by God... loving Him that first loved us.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” Rev 3:22. How attuned are our ears to the voice of the Spirit? Amassing knowledge will never bring life. The new life in Christ is found only as we die to self, and live by His Holy Spirit within our being. If we would find this life, then we will join the apostle Paul saying… “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” Gal 2:20.
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” Eph 4:13-16.
Amen & Amen
Cathy Morris
11/25/2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Something to think on....
"Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt." Psalm 123:3
Quoting Oswald Chambers:
"God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede. When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God."
Quoting Oswald Chambers:
"God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede. When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God."
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Loneliness of the Christian - A.W. Tozer
The Loneliness of the Christian
by A. W. Tozer
The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone.
The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens.
He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.
It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else."
by A. W. Tozer
The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone.
The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens.
He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.
It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else."
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Burning City - Cheryl McGrath
Let those of you who have been called as forerunners listen and sharpen your senses once again for the movement of the Spirit in your midst. To those who have grown comfortable I say arise and do not be lulled again into sleep for the Spirit is always moving, always stirring, always revealing. Beware comfort, beware the murmuring of your own flesh and the desire to be accepted by the world. Do you not understand yet that the world and all that is in it is condemned to destruction?
Many of you were called as forerunners many years ago and even that which was new has become now a place of ease and comfort for you. I am sending out a new sound to you. I want you to hear the trumpet call but many ears have grown dull with the waiting. Hear now what the Spirit says to you. Arise and look to the state of your dwelling place. Wash your faces and gird your loins again. For there is a new place for you, a place of knitting, a place of joining, a place of "us" and not "I". It will not look like that which you have observed and rejected, it will not feel like it either. But you have been given the Spirit for this very purpose so that which is Mine will be known and recognised by that anointing that rises up in you, and in those of the same Spirit. Have you not been learning to trust My Spirit in this way? You must do so if you are to stand in the days ahead. Have you not been learning from My Spirit how to wield My Word as His Sword? You must learn the ways of the Spirit and My Word together if you are to be a warrior for My Kingdom.
I am raising you up now as a company of overcomers. Where you have run so often alone, tracing out paths for others to follow, I will now merge you together as a company upon the face of the earth. You will be knit to others by My Spirit and so I will have a true representative Body upon the earth. The freedom you have gained in the Spirit will not be restricted or hindered, but rather will be completed as the Spirit joins and knits and weaves as a Master Craftsman. Your part will be to follow closely and learn His ways in this new terrain.
I told you I would not leave you orphans on the earth. I told you nothing in Heaven or earth would ever separate us, not persecution, nor trials, not death, nor all the forces of hell. I told you I would build My church. I told you the gates of hell will not prevail against you, My church. The living stones must now be brought together for my dwelling place in the Spirit. This is the word you will hear in the days ahead, this is the clear trumpet sound going forth from Heaven. Let the living stones now begin to find their places, each fire merging with others, each bringing their own light and illumination to the whole, a city set on a hill and a place of refuge for the hungry and thirsty. Let my company of overcoming forerunners arise and lead the way, no longer isolated and separated, but a company riding.
Many of you were called as forerunners many years ago and even that which was new has become now a place of ease and comfort for you. I am sending out a new sound to you. I want you to hear the trumpet call but many ears have grown dull with the waiting. Hear now what the Spirit says to you. Arise and look to the state of your dwelling place. Wash your faces and gird your loins again. For there is a new place for you, a place of knitting, a place of joining, a place of "us" and not "I". It will not look like that which you have observed and rejected, it will not feel like it either. But you have been given the Spirit for this very purpose so that which is Mine will be known and recognised by that anointing that rises up in you, and in those of the same Spirit. Have you not been learning to trust My Spirit in this way? You must do so if you are to stand in the days ahead. Have you not been learning from My Spirit how to wield My Word as His Sword? You must learn the ways of the Spirit and My Word together if you are to be a warrior for My Kingdom.
I am raising you up now as a company of overcomers. Where you have run so often alone, tracing out paths for others to follow, I will now merge you together as a company upon the face of the earth. You will be knit to others by My Spirit and so I will have a true representative Body upon the earth. The freedom you have gained in the Spirit will not be restricted or hindered, but rather will be completed as the Spirit joins and knits and weaves as a Master Craftsman. Your part will be to follow closely and learn His ways in this new terrain.
I told you I would not leave you orphans on the earth. I told you nothing in Heaven or earth would ever separate us, not persecution, nor trials, not death, nor all the forces of hell. I told you I would build My church. I told you the gates of hell will not prevail against you, My church. The living stones must now be brought together for my dwelling place in the Spirit. This is the word you will hear in the days ahead, this is the clear trumpet sound going forth from Heaven. Let the living stones now begin to find their places, each fire merging with others, each bringing their own light and illumination to the whole, a city set on a hill and a place of refuge for the hungry and thirsty. Let my company of overcoming forerunners arise and lead the way, no longer isolated and separated, but a company riding.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Continuity Tester
Continuity Tester...
We are blessed in that our Heavenly Father uses the little things in our daily lives to teach us His ways. Yesterday in a visit to the local Home Depot, I was fortunate enough to be helped by a gentleman who was a retired Master Electrician. He was a veritable storehouse of information and more than answered all of my questions. One of the things he pulled out of his pocket with which to test the electrical switch I was seeking to replace was a little tool called a 'continuity tester.' An explanation of how it works is as follows: 'The continuity tester sends electricity from an internal battery through one cord prong and down the wires. If the light gets electrical current from the other prong it lights up, meaning that the path is good. Otherwise, something is stopping it.' After getting home, I was so struck with this little tool. For one thing, it saved us the wasted time and effort of trying to figure out the problem. We could immediately determine that the problem was the exhaust fan and not the switch. I couldn't help but think, wouldn't it be something if we had such a tool for testing our 'spiritual continuity'...to determine whether or not what was flowing through a person was from God, their flesh or a false spirit?
Well, know that we do have such a tool in our arsenal... the Holy Spirit... HE is our continuity tester. How did Jesus do all the miracles he performed? How did he always know the right words to speak, or when to be silent? "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" John 14:10. "I and my Father are one" John 10:30. He did not live according to his intellect or natural talents. He functioned solely by the spirit of God... and He has charged us to do no less than follow his example.
We are blessed in that our Heavenly Father uses the little things in our daily lives to teach us His ways. Yesterday in a visit to the local Home Depot, I was fortunate enough to be helped by a gentleman who was a retired Master Electrician. He was a veritable storehouse of information and more than answered all of my questions. One of the things he pulled out of his pocket with which to test the electrical switch I was seeking to replace was a little tool called a 'continuity tester.' An explanation of how it works is as follows: 'The continuity tester sends electricity from an internal battery through one cord prong and down the wires. If the light gets electrical current from the other prong it lights up, meaning that the path is good. Otherwise, something is stopping it.' After getting home, I was so struck with this little tool. For one thing, it saved us the wasted time and effort of trying to figure out the problem. We could immediately determine that the problem was the exhaust fan and not the switch. I couldn't help but think, wouldn't it be something if we had such a tool for testing our 'spiritual continuity'...to determine whether or not what was flowing through a person was from God, their flesh or a false spirit?
Well, know that we do have such a tool in our arsenal... the Holy Spirit... HE is our continuity tester. How did Jesus do all the miracles he performed? How did he always know the right words to speak, or when to be silent? "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" John 14:10. "I and my Father are one" John 10:30. He did not live according to his intellect or natural talents. He functioned solely by the spirit of God... and He has charged us to do no less than follow his example.
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