Five-Fold Today - HEAR! What the Spirit says to the Churches - Caution: Contents Under Pressure - "Word" Level vs. "World" Level - Taken to the Edge - If We Don't Lose Heart - The Cost of Quitting - A Statement of the Redeemed - Portraits
HEAR! What the Spirit says to the Churches
by Mary (Koons) Wattenford
The Lord clearly said: "Hear what the Spirit says to the churches"
"You have carried my banner - but forgot to uphold My Name."
"You have lifted up My cross - but forgot the power of My Blood."
"You have squirmed, wiggled, and fluctuated left and right rather than
STANDING on what "I AM" said - that "there IS "NO!!!" OTHER NAME
BY WHICH ANY WILL BE SAVED!" "NO ONE!! CAN COME TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME!"
"You have bandied about My Gospel as if it were "milk" for infants - and
neglected to feed the children "meat," so they could grow."
"You have chosen to turn your heads rather than see the injustice that
surrounds you."
"You have become like "milk toast" - off-white and soft. There is
"NO GRIT!" in what you serve! There is NO BUILDING UP of "MY
BODY!" for you have chosen to carve out for yourselves "pieces" of
ME!" as if My Body were to be fractured and splintered into pint-sized
bites."
"You kick against the goads and REFUSE to "grow up," and "socially
crucify" those who try."
"O FAITHLESS GENERATION - HOW LONG SHALL I PUT UP WITH YOU?"
"Where are the "seeds" of faith, of love, of a HARVEST OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS?"
"Where are the "miracles" that were foretold for THIS generation?
Why have they not come to pass? What stops you? What hinders you?"
"Hear what the Spirit says to the churches!"
"If you do not repent, and go back to the works of the first, you will be
scorched by the heat of My Spirit - for I WILL set ablaze and shake
EVERYTHING that can be burned and shaken. And where will you be
THEN?"
"Repent or I will remove the "little light" that remains within you. Come
BACK to ME! Intercede for the unsaved - spread MY WORD! Spread MY TRUTH!
Let those who know Me not - look and see MY LOVE flowing to
them from MY BODY! Harken unto My Voice this day. For you are
distracted by by the wind and the rain; but it is NOT My Wind - that is
blowing upon you, it is the wind of adversity, for truly the enemy has
sought to sift you to see what spirit rests within you! It is NOT My rain
that you hear falling, but only the natural rain, of the natural world - for
in MY RAIN "IS" THE POWER - that brings forth the harvest! The storehouses
remain empty while My Church plays or argues amongst themselves. Their
attention span is short, their vision limited, for while they see Me as
their resurrected Lord - they have NOT seen Me as KING OF KINGS!"
"Bring back to Me the true fruits of repentance. Turn from those who
"prefer" to play along, rather than listen to MY VOICE within them. If "I
AM" IS FOR YOU - WHO CAN BE AGAINST YOU?"
"I say unto you again - Hear what the Spirit says to the churches!
Elihoenai999@aol.com
CAUTION: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE
Dennis Drewlo
I see, My children that many of you are feeling pressed. It seems
as if your circumstances have gotten the best of you. You ask me, "Why
have you forsaken me?". From every side, you feel the pressures of the
cares of this life. I tell you that I have not forsaken you.
Many of you are experiencing the pressures of life and are blaming the
enemy. But I tell you that not all of what you are experiencing is
from the Evil One. I am bringing you into this place of pressure to form
you into what I have called you to be. I am squeezing you to bring out
what I have placed in you. I am squeezing you to remove all that is not of
Me. I have brought what seems to be pressure from every side to cause you
to look up, for you redemption draweth nigh. I am putting you in the
threshing floor.
I am separating the wheat from the chaff. I am squeezing you to make
you into a beautiful diamond. When I am finished, I will have the beautiful
"diamond" that I have called you to be.
My desire is to release the New Wine through you, but you must go
through the wine press. I desire to get out of you that which is pure
and holy so that you may release it to others.
I have led you into a wilderness, leaning on your Beloved. I have
called you to put you trust in Me. I have called you to trust Me in the
dry places, for at the end you will come out "in the power of the Spirit".
Some of you ask for the Promised Land, but do not want to go through the
wilderness, but there are no detours. There are no shortcuts.
Some of you feel as if you are in a valley. You long for those
"mountain-top experiences" - where you felt My Presence in a stronger way.
I say to you that the RIVER flows through the VALLEY! I bring you into
the valley so that you will seek My face. I bring you into the valley so
that you can bring others up to the mountain-top. I bring you into the
valley so that you will learn to walk by faith and not by your feelings.
I have not called you to walk by the deceitfulness of your feelings. You
cannot have mountains without valleys. My desire is not simply for one-time
experiences, but for an eternal relationship with you.
I have called you to "fight the good fight". I have called you to
endure hardness like good soldiers. I have called you to be warriors and
not worriers. I have called you to be overcomers and not undergoers. I am
looking for the YES in your hearts. Do not allow your circumstances
to get the best of you, for I am asking for the best of you. I gave you
the best of Me.
Remember - I am the potter, and you are the clay. I am molding you
and shaping you into the vessels that I have called you to be. I am
bringing the Fire of My Presence to solidify what I have placed within
you. I am bringing you to a place of sanctification - a place of
consecration. I will bring shaking into your life to remove what is
not of Me, so that which is of Me may remain.
I ask you to love Me in the dry places, for it is there that I will
meet with you. I love you unconditionally, for that is how I ask you to
love Me. I see that you have questions, but I ask that your faith in Me
would be greater than your need for an answer. I ask you to trust that Father
knows best.
I ask you to offer up to Me those things that you are concerned with - yes
even the good things, for the GOOD is the ENEMY of the BEST. I ask you
to place them on the altar.
I am calling you to let your faith arise. I ask that your faith in Me
would be greater than your need for an answer. I ask that when I answer
your questions, you do not question My answers.
There is much I desire to give you, but you are not ready for all of it.
You ask for the BLESSING, but you must go through the PRESSING. You
ask for the Power of the Resurrection, but you must endure the Cross,
even though the Cross will be abrasive to your flesh.
Remember that when you walk through the fire and the flame, I will be
there. I will remove those things that have kept you bound, and I - the
Fourth Man - will emerge.
I have placed a great deposit within you. My desire is to get out of
you what I have put in, but you must broken. I will make you like gold
refined by fire, but you must be willing to be processed. Do not be quick
to say, "This cannot be God". I am breaking My Church so that I may put
her back the way I intended her to be. I am seeking to make you a
victorious Church - the Church I have always dreamed of.
Do not be afraid, for the best is yet to come. Walk with Me through
the fire and the flames and I will make something beautiful out of you.
river_of_life@netzero.net
"WORD" LEVEL VS. "WORLD" LEVEL
GLENN H. JACKSON
...."Tell My children to make certain that their
"Word level" is higher than their "world level"! For it is
certain that this shall be the deciding "factor" between
absolute victory and absolute defeat in "any" given
situation in this last hour!"....
VISION:
I saw a large "battlefield" and on it were two
"opposing" forces. On the one side were the demonic
spirits sent to hinder and stop those called to lead
(serve) God's people in this last hour. These "evil
spirits" were extremely ferocious and vile.
On the other end of the "battlefield" there were a
number (not all) of those called to a position of
"leadership" in the Church in this last hour.
Next the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see a third
group standing right in the middle of these two "armies".
The Father spoke to me and said:
"THIS "CAPTIVITY" HAS CAUSED THEM TO BE
BLINDED"
...."Contained in this group are My holy apostles
and prophets. They have remained in the place of "perfect
intercession" (love-obedience) as vessels of "elevation"
for those I have called to various offices of the
five-fold ministry and who are now standing on one end of
the "battlefield".
Many in this group have "refused" to lay their
lives completely down for their brethren and thus they
have been "held captive" unknowingly - although they
should have known - by the opposing forces on the other
end of the battlefield.
This "captivity" has caused them to be "blinded" -
to a degree - by the deceiving tactics of the enemy forces
and this has led to much misunderstanding towards - and
even attack against - the very ones I have situated
between them and the powers of darkness for both their
protection and edification in this hour.
The aim of Satan was to first cause "division"
(strife) and then move in to destroy vast numbers of those
called to minister in this last of the last hour.
But My holy apostles and prophets have refused -
at all cost to themselves - to depart from the secret
place of My presence and thus they have withstood every
attempt of the Evil One to "de-elevate" them from that
holy place of abiding in My love.
Because of this many of those who have held to
their stubbornness and rebelliousness shall be saved
(delivered) for I shall lead them into a deep and thorough
repentance by My great and awesome power and thus they
shall no longer "attack" those of My precious handmaidens
and bondservants that I had sent to them for their
protection and preparation to enter into the "fullness" of
their calling.
"I AM NOW GOING TO ESTABLISH MY HOLY APOSTLES AND PROPHETS
"TOGETHER" IN THE FULLNESS OF THEIR OFFICES"
Now I shall remove this "hedge of protection" from
the position it has been - up until now - and this will
have one of two "immediate" effects on those in the
battlefield.
All those who are "truly" desirous of walking in
the "fullness" of My call upon their lives must repent and
leave behind "every" element of fear and the "self-desire"
that has "allowed" the Evil One to blind their eyes
concerning My holy apostles and prophets - and the
glorious plan I have in place to use them to "elevate" My
Church into her "proper position" of authority and
manifested Glory in the earth.
As these ones repent I shall surely lead them to
where they need to be and to those they are to be with and
in their obedience they shall take their "proper position"
in the midst of the congregations of the righteous.
Those on the battlefield who refuse to repent and
who - in their arrogance and pride - have been deceived
into believing that they are already in the center of My
will for their life and ministry shall begin to "perish"
(these ones and all those "around" them) at the hands of
the "forces" which are situated at the other end of the
battlefield.
For I am now going to establish My holy apostles
and prophets "together" in the fullness of their offices,
in the midst of the congregations of the righteous - My
obedient ones - and they shall draw (elevate) all those
who truly love Me high up above the "battlefield" and thus
shall the True Local (Glorious) Church begin to be
established throughout the earth.
"THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND
THE ATTACK"
In the removal of the third group (My holy
apostles and prophets) from "between" the other two
groups, the demonic forces shall swiftly move forth to
"overcome" those who had previously "aligned" themselves
with them - in their rebelliousness - and they will not be
able to withstand the attack simply because "they allowed"
their weapons to "deteriorate" and their "faith" to become
a product of their own "mental ascensions" rather than the
"revealed" knowledge of My Word.
And in their "perishing" they shall continue to
hold steadfast to their "belief" that they are suffering
for righteousness' sake when, in reality, they are not!
"THE THIRD EFFECT OF THE REMOVAL OF THE "PROTECTIVE HEDGE"
SHALL BE THIS":
When this "new wave" (upper echelon) of evil
spirits move forth against those still on the battlefield
I shall - after a short time - "counterattack" these vile
spirits with a view to their total exposure, devastation
and destruction through My holy apostles and prophets and
all those "with them" (the Glorious Church).
They will "know" and come against "every" scheme
of the Evil One and this will include the exposure of the
"religious spirits" that - up until this time - have had
their own way to a "certain degree" in the midst of My
people.
And because of this many captives to the
"structure of religion" (form of godliness) shall be
gloriously set free and join forces with those already
walking as My "sons and daughters in the earth"....
"A POWERFUL AND HEAVY ANOINTING OF TOTAL AND ABSOLUTE
"CONSECRATION"
...."Through the anointing abiding within My holy
apostles and prophets I shall begin to "elevate" all those
of My people who truly love Me to heights heretofore
"unseen" by them and they shall begin to operate for the
first time in the "fullness" of the authority that is
theirs in Christ - the Anointed One and His Anointing.
And they shall go forth in such power and glory
that all those who cross their path shall be astounded.
Those whose hearts are toward Me to "any" degree shall
immediately come under a powerful and heavy anointing of
total and absolute "consecration" and from this place they
shall go forth - even as babes in Christ - to devastate
every "stronghold" and "scheme" of Satan in their path and
I shall literally multiply (expand) My Church at a rate
that is, in this time, "incomprehensible" to even the most
sanctified of My children!
GLENN H. JACKSON
Taken to the Edge
Roger Davis
I have allowed you to come to edge of defeat and failure. I have
allowed you to be tested beyond what you thought you could bear. I have
taken you to the limits of your faith and belief that you can see just
how much that you need Me.
It is those times that you have founded that I have never forsaken you
nor left you. That I was always there and was always near. What you
feared was not there at all.
What you thought was going to take you under, you were able to rise
above it. What had kept you back now is not there. What controlled
you was broken and cast away from you.
I have been preparing you and building you up for such a time. I
have positioned you and called you forth. What has taken place within
has been Me at work.
At times, you thought: "I cannot make it, this is too bad. God is
unfair." But you have weathered it all and had stood. You have stood.
You have learned resistance and how to endure.
You have learned what is of Me and what was of the flesh. It has not
been easy, but hard. And you did doubt at times if you would survive.
But you more than survived but came through and have stood.
The testing is not easy at that time. Your whole being is pressed.
Your very movements are restricted. You being felt boxed in and
everything around you seems to be closed off to you.
You have found others did not understand you, much less did you
understand yourself. Confusion covered you and you felt alone. you
wanted to hide and cover yourself. You said, "It is too much, God is
too unfair."
You found that was not true, but that you have come forth refined as pure
gold. You are not the same person that you were. you are becoming more
like Me.
Now is the time to recognize what I have done. Now is the time to look
at yourself and say, "I see what the Lord has done. I am not the same!
I have been changing. Christ dwells in me and He is mine and I am His."
Look forward. No longer hang on to the past. There is nothing there
for you to look to. Look forward to what I have said and am about ready
to do. All is before you, nothing is behind you.
Hold to My words and reject the lies of the past. The false conclusions
that you have come to are not of truth. All the words that you have
spoken over yourself are now removed.
The word curses of others are voided and have lost their power over
you. My words are what are to operate in your life now. Those are the
only words that you are to accept and be governed by.
It has not been easy. There is more to come, but you are learning
more and more how to discern what is going on. You are learning to
separate the good from the evil. You are not easy move by things,
people, or circumstances; you are now learning how to be moved by My
spirit.
You are truly My sons and daughters because you are lead by My spirit.
It is His voice that you are longing to hear. You have come to depend
on Him. You have found He will lead you into truth and through Him you
find My ways.
What you were you are not now. What you have become is Mine. You
are not as you were. You are no longer wandering in fear and
confusion. But you see and hear clearly because I have trained you.
You do not understand all that lies before you ... great things are to
come but at the same time great resistance is before you. Hell has
enlarged itself to resist what I am about to do. But do not fear or
even pull back. Instead set your face and face the conflict.
Victory will be come. Battles will be fought. Fierce will be the
battle, great will be the forces that will come against My army. But
you have been well prepared. You have been trained and set in place.
I have placed you within the ranks, stand strong. You are ready
because I have prepared you. I have seasoned you with testing and
trials. You are well ready.
My anointing and power is yours ... you will lack nothing. Nothing will
be withheld from you. All that I have is yours. You will always have
more than what the enemy has. Your weapons are more powerful and the
enemy is outnumbered.
I have trained your hands to war. You are more prepared than what you
think. You do not realize what a threat you are to darkness. Because
My light is great around you, you shine so brightly.
My glory is over you and it covers you. You are clothed with My
presence and My brightness shines out from you.
All that has been done to you, I have taken and used it. All the past
that was meant to destroy you and even kill you. I have taken and
formed you into a strong warrior.
There are scars and disappointments, but they are marks of your testing.
They are medals of your battles --- look upon them and say, "the Lord has
prevailed in my life."
Hear what the Lord is saying, "You are ready. You are prepared.
Stand ready, listen to My voice. I am calling forth ... this one and
that one. I have positioned you ... you are ready.
Roger G. Davis
IF WE DON'T LOSE HEART
Pastor Francis Frangipane
Worn Out Saints
"And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of
the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in
law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a
time" (Dan 7:25). (NAS)
The prophet Daniel warns of a time when Satan, through the antichrist,
will wear down the strength of God's saints. This end time battle reveals
a pattern that is actually occurring today: Satan seeks to wear us out
through delays ("alterations in times") and in compromise to God's word
("alterations . . . in law").
The final effect of what seems like never ending delays is that the believers are worn out. Do you know anyone who is weary with their battle?
Are you yourself weary? I know many who seem trapped in situations which
should have been remedied months and even years ago. Yet, the battle
continues against them. Situations and people, often empowered by demonic
resistance, stand in opposition to the forward progress of God's people.
As a result, many Christians imperceptibly make incremental adjustments to
this resistance until a quiet oppression weighs heavily upon their souls.
This battle to wear out the saints may be rooted in conflicts with
children or spouses; perhaps it is a health issue or some unresolved
division within their church, yet on and on it goes. Like a skilled and
masterful thief, the enemy daily erodes the joy, the strength and passion
of many Christians.
Yet the scale is larger than our personal struggles. Consider the
conflict in Israel or the elections in the USA. How long will these
things drag on? Satan's plan is to drag them on until Christians grow
weary and stop praying. Satan is the dragon whose goal is to "drag-on" the
battle with draining, wearying delays. He persists until we wear out, give
up and quit praying. Without our intercession, he then releases hellish
consequences into their unhindered course.
Additionally, as situations stretch beyond reasonably expected
conclusions, weariness of soul can also exacerbate the original situation,
leading to fleshly reactions or just over-reactions, which also further
resolution. We lose patience, eventually seeking relief rather than
victory, thus compromising the standards of God and conscience.
PERSEVERANCE
There is a reason the Book of Revelations mentions the word "perseverance"
seven times. Over and again we see those who persevered, overcame. It is
one thing to have vision, another to have godly motives, but neither will
carry us to our objective: we must also be prepared to persevere.
The root of the word "persevere" is the word "severe." We must face the
fact that, en route to our victory, things may get severe. It is with
severe faith, severe or extreme steadfastness, that we inherit the
promises of God (Heb 10).
James tell us, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter
various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have {its} perfect result, that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing" (Ja 1:2-4).
Endurance. Perseverance. Steadfastness. These are the qualities that
breed character, that transform the doctrine of Christlikeness into a way
of life. "Let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect .
. ." The key to perfection, to a life "lacking in nothing," is
perseverance.
WEARINESS OF THE MIND
"But I'm weary," you argue. Yes. Part of the weariness is from faulty
thinking in our thought life. If we knew the battle was going to take as
long as it has, we would have prepared for more realistically. Every
building plan will probably take twice as long as we assumed; every
virtue, will take a year not a month to be worked in us. It may take
twenty years for our loved ones to be saved. If things happen sooner, we
can rejoice, but we have only prepared ourselves for the easiest of
breakthroughs, not the ones that cost us time and tears. Satan
manipulates our unrealistic expectations, which he then uses to wear us
out.
When I travel, I pray and trust God for divine help and often I am
rewarded with perfect flights with no delays. Yet, I have also learned to
accept that I will occasionally arrive later than I expected. I am not
shocked when there are flight cancellations and delays; I anticipate them.
While others are anxious, I'm more calm, trusting God. My peace enhances
my witness of Christ when I speak to people who, standing near me, are
anxiously waiting.
Some may argue, "Isn't that unbelief to expect delays on flights?" I
don't think so. I think it's wisdom. Wisdom is not the enemy of faith. I
have found that if I don't trust God and relax, I become anxious, fretful
and distracted. Worse, I have found that the Holy Spirit will not descend
and rest in power upon a man controlled by circumstances.
Jesus' spirit stayed in abiding peace, yet still He accommodated delays as
part of life's package. He was often delayed by the huge crowds or urgent
needs of the people around Him. People died waiting for Jesus to show up.
Did He become anxious? No, He stayed focused on the Father and, without
losing His trust in God, simply raised the dead, even when He arrived
late.
At some point we must accept that God knows when we are being delayed and
that He has a miracle conclusion waiting, in spite of the extra time we've
spent getting to our destinations. One dear pastor I know had labored
long and hard with a new building project, but it was constantly being
delayed. It was scheduled for completion in September, then rescheduled
for December, then January, and then February. Finally, with weariness in
his voice, he called and asked if I could join him for their dedication.
It was set for the first week of March.
"When exactly do you need me?" I asked. He answered, "March fourth."
Suddenly, the Holy Spirit illuminated my heart. God had chosen this date
prophetically, I told him. The Lord wanted that church, as an army, to
"march forth" into their destiny. In a flash, the weariness weighing upon
him was gone and joy and a sense of destiny swept his soul. The delay
wore him out, but the delay had a purpose.
Dear ones, let us persevere. We just don't know what the victory will
look like when we finally break through. Consider Joseph. Betrayed,
enslaved, slandered and forgotten, he had to endure to reach his destiny.
But when the time finally arrived, never in his most wild dreams did he
imagine the outcome would be so great or wonderful.
What we become to God is more important that what we do for Him. Our
struggling, praying though we have been delayed time and again, deepens
our character. Maintaining our standards when pressed, finding grace when
stretched, makes us true men and women of God. The Almighty One is in
control. He knows how to take what was meant for evil and transform it
into something good, even using the devil's own devices to bring him down.
God has something wonderful in store for us otherwise the enemy would not
be fighting so intensely. Indeed, scriptures tell us that Satan rages
worst when he knows his time is short (Rev 12:12).
CHARACTER BEFORE BREAKTHROUGH
Returning to Daniel, God gave him another vision of the end of the age.
Here's what he wrote, "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with
the saints and overpowering them . . ." (Dan 7:21). This is the battle:
we feel war storming against our souls and we feel overpowered. But the
prophet said the overpowering continued only, ". . . until the Ancient of
Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest
One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom
(Dan 7:22).
There is a principle here that, understanding it, will lead to victory in
your battle. There will be a time, inevitably, when we feel overpowered.
Yet, if we endure, if we climb higher into God, if we refuse to lose our
trust in God, a time will come when the "Ancient of Days" enters our
circumstances. Looking at our newly developed character, He will pass
judgment in favor of our cause. God looks at our character, forged in the
fire of overpowering delays and battle, and says, "Good, this is what I
was waiting for."
So, whether you are praying for this country or standing for your
children; whether your cry is for the lost or for simply the end of some
local or national conflict, remember the words of Paul: "Let us not lose
heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow
weary" (Gal 6:9).
http://www.inchristsimage.org/
The Cost of Quitting
A. W. Tozer
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against
Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You
have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
If Satan opposes the new convert he opposes still more bitterly
the Christian who is pressing on toward a higher life in Christ.
The Spirit-filled life is not, as many suppose, a life of peace
and quiet pleasure. It is likely to be something quite the
opposite.
Viewed one way it is a pilgrimage through a robber-infested
forest; viewed another, it is a grim warfare with the devil.
Always there is struggle, and sometimes there is a pitched battle
with our own nature where the lines are so confused that it is
all but impossible to locate the enemy or to tell which impulse
is of the Spirit and which of the flesh....
My point here is that if we want to escape the struggle we have
but to draw back and accept the currently accepted low-keyed
Christian life as the normal one. That is all Satan wants. That
will ground our power, stunt our growth and render us harmless
to the kingdom of darkness.
Compromise will take the pressure off. Satan will not bother a
man who has quit fighting. But the cost of quitting will be a
life of peaceful stagnation. We sons of eternity just cannot
afford such a thing. That Incredible Christian, 73.
"Oh God, don't ever let me compromise to take the pressure off!
Keep me fit for battle; strengthen me for the constant warfare.
Don't ever let me settle for 'peaceful stagnation' as long as I
have breath to serve You. Amen."
Preparation Is Vital
Moreover David said, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the
lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand
of this Philistine."
The whole Bible and all past history unite to teach that battles are
always won before the armies take the field. The critical moment for
any army is not the day it engages the foe in actual combat; it is
the day before or the month before or the year before....
Preparation is vital. The rule is, prepare or fail. Luck and bluster
will do for a while, but the law will catch up with us sooner or
later, usually sooner....
It did not take Moses long to lead the children of Israel out
through the Red Sea to deliverance and freedom; but his fittedness
to lead them out was the result of years of hard discipline. It
took David only a few minutes to dispose of Goliath; but he had
beaten the giant long before in the person of the lion and the
bear....
Preparation is vital. Let this be noted by everyone. We can seek
God today and get prepared to meet temptation tomorrow; but if we
meet the enemy without first having met God, the outcome is not
conjectural; the issue is already decided. We can only lose. The
Next Chapter After the Last, 77-79.
"Lord, quiet my heart this morning and feed me from Your Word. I
can't enter the battle of today without this vital preparation.
Help me even in the busiest of days to maintain this discipline of
preparation. Amen."
_______________________________________________________________
A STATEMENT OF THE REDEEMED
Becky McLendon
Lord I thank You for Who you are. YOU spoke in the beginning I AM.
Our response is simply this: Yes Lord, YOU ARE.
When we cease trying to figure You out, and striving to win your
favor by what we do and what we say, THEN you show up and show yourself to
us.
When we cease walking in presumption that we already KNOW what You
have said and LISTEN, THEN you show up and you speak to us.
When we cease striving to get position and promotion and proof that
we are anointed, THEN you show up and place us in Your kingdom.
When we truly receive YOU as Lord, our Inheritance, man's teachings
and traditions are brought to naught.
When You appear to us and reveal yourself to us, and we receive YOU
as you really are, we enter your rest.
When we realize that Your kingdom is NOW and can be occupied, all
else ceases to matter.
We truly know then what it means to "drop everything and Love YOU."
We truly know then what it means to Love You with all our heart and all our
soul and all our might.
In this we will be found still holding to our First Love, and
obeying the first commandment.
When we have apprehended the First Love and the First Commandment,
we have need of nothing more.
For LORD you have said I AM THAT I AM
Our response is now, Yes LORD YOU ARE. So be it. Amen.
olds@intrastar.net
Portraits
Bryan Hupperts
Hi, SheepTrax!
While praying today, the Lord opened a beautiful vision to me. I
found myself in a very long hallway and at the opposite far end of
this hallway was a fireplace burning in a room. I began to walk down
the corridor and saw blank portrait canvases hanging in a row all
autographed by an artist named Jesus.
I was fuddled and wondered why anyone would hang up empty canvases
autographed by the artist as if they were works of genuine art. As I
progressed down the hall I began to see a few lines drawn here and
there on some of the paintings but could not make out any figures or
face.
As I continued down the corridor the paintings began to take shape. I
began to see faces and outlines and figures of people. All were
lovingly autographed with the signature of Jesus.
At last magnificent charcoal sketches began to appear and I could
make out whole faces. These sketches were stunning in their detail
and beauty. I kept walking pausing to admire the masterpieces when
suddenly colors began to appear in the paintings. There were a few
splashes of color here and there and the amount kept increasing with
each step. These half-finished paintings were even more haunting in
their beauty than the charcoal sketches.
As I neared the end of the corridor the paintings were almost
complete. Some merely lacked a few brush strokes to be finished and
all were indescribably exquisite. The had all been painted by a
Master.
Then I entered what I immediately understood to be the family room.
There were glorious completed portraits of people from every kindred
and tongue, people and nation hanging everywhere. They made up a
mural of the grace of God and, by comparison, made the Mona Lisa look
like bad street graffiti. Over the roaring hearth was a life-size
portrait of Jesus that seemed to glow, lighting up the room.
What really struck me was how every painting in the room (and those
nearly completed ones in the hall) could look so different from each
other but still look like Jesus. There was a definite family
resemblance in each portrait that looked like Jesus.
As the vision ended, I felt the Holy Spirit quietly ask me this
question: Child, where would you like your portrait hung?
Then I understood the vision. Those at the beginning of the hall were
those who had trusted Jesus as Savior but then wouldn't let him touch
them again. The whole hall was a picture of people who had progressed
to various places of their sanctification and then stopped and
refused to go any further with God. Some were hung so close to the
family room it was a heartache to see them outside in the corridor.
They were almost redone and transformed into the image of Jesus.
All the portraits were indeed autographed by Jesus and each was his.
Those in the family room were those who had fully yielded their lives
by always saying "Yes" to him when he asked - whatever he asked. This
is not a picture of salvation by works but of the people bowing their
wills to God and walking his narrow way - who had lived their lives
to please Him alone.
The Lord was asking me if I would go all the way and let him paint
his masterpiece in me. He calls us to be transformed into the image
of his dear Son. The Christian landscape is littered with what Jesus
referred to as 'half-finished towers', people who started well but
then somewhere along the way got hurt, offended, or just began to
drift away.
I looked at the blank canvases, the babes in Christ who wouldn't grow
up, and realize that I have indeed let God touch me many times. A
holy fear fell on me as I contemplated being hung up as a half-
finished or even nearly finished masterpiece. I've grown faint and
weary with trails and have been tempted to just quit. After seeing
the faces of those who had quit in the portraits, I determined anew
to run the race set before me, finish the course, and hear, "Well
done, you good and faithful servant." I want my finished portrait
hanging in the family room so I can dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Child of God, where do you want your portrait hung?
© 2000 Bryan Hupperts
November 11, 2000
JTL MINISTRIES
http://www.easynet.ca/~jtlmin
http://jtlmin.shammah.com
jtlmin@shammah.com
On the Frontlines
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Fairbanks, Alaska
--Hebrews 12:3-4
--1 Samuel 17:37
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