What Does Love Look Like?
It looks like HIM.
It cost Him everything to have
connection with us. Love came down from Heaven (giving Himself totally) to
reveal the Father to the world so all people could know Him and be part of His
family. Every person was created to
deeply and intimately connect with The Father,
receiving His heart of love at
the deepest core level. The enemy tried
to kill/hinder/destroy this intended connection to God and His love, so Jesus
destroyed satan’s power against man through His own death and
resurrection. He said, “It is finished.”
All must receive Jesus (His love, His ways, His sacrifice, His thinking, His
heart, His Spirit) to live in safety, protection, and freedom in every area of
life. This is what a healthy connection, resulting in a life of joy, looks like
with the One who loves perfectly. The
enemy’s job is to stop that from being realized, received, and acted upon any
way he can. He is determined to rise up
against Jesus and His love for the believer and others, masquerading as an
angel of light. His goal is to keep people away from their intended intimate
connection with the Lord and their ultimate Kingdom destiny. A person who knows Jesus personally has the
capacity to refuse this dark strategy and has the full backing of Heaven to
live a life of real peace, joy, and righteousness. This Good News is incomprehensible!
Father God
is love. Filled with mercy and
compassion, He intentionally created each person for the purpose of enjoying a
deep and passionate relationship with Himself.
Every person is a treasure to Him, valued beyond anything imagined. By sending
His most important Love to this earth to be slain, Father God demonstrated His
goodness to sinful mankind. This was the most loving and selfless act that has
ever occurred. What a privilege to be
considered so precious that the God of creation would do this. This is amazing
love beyond description and should never be taken for granted.
Consistently
presenting ones’ self to the Lord is
the key to surrendering to the greatness and majesty of Love Himself. He is love; we are to receive HIM. We were
created to CONNECT with and worship Him, totally depending on Him for
everything. All things were made for
Him, by Him, and through Him, and recognizing that we are lost without Him is
the starting place for success in this life.
“Therefore, I urge you brethren, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so
that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable
and perfect.” (Romans 12: 1-2)
Mankind is invited to share in His death and
resurrection. It’s an honor for the believer
to lay down to die and remain dead.
It’s the
Lord’s desire that all are to receive the great exchange that took place at the
cross, His life for each person, which is not an equal exchange! Think about this for a moment. Humans can personally receive the life of the
Perfect One in exchange for their own imperfect and sinful life? This is more
than unfathomable and incredible. It is
beyond human understanding and comprehension, as this love is offered from a
heart that knows no sin. The only reasonable response is constant and eternal
gratitude, which leads to the contending for the fullness of all that Jesus
released through His death and resurrection. Humans can receive what they don’t
deserve from The One who received what He didn’t deserve. Through an intimate
connection with the Lord that can result from this great exchange, believers
are to live a post-resurrection life.
This is an overcoming life that reflects Jesus’ resurrection in every
way.
Inside of
every follower of Jesus is an inner roar of love and power that is aching to be
released. Anything else is “old man”
living, since a new nature is given to the believer at salvation to accomplish
this. With this new nature, followers of
Jesus are known in Heaven as “new creatures in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17), which
becomes their new identity. The Lord is looking for those who will fully
believe, see themselves this way and then walk in the fullness of this new
nature. Simply put, the love of Christ is to control the believer as he no
longer lives for himself (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“For the love of Christ controls us,
having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died
for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him
who died and rose again on their behalf.” (2 Corinthians 5: 14-15)
Believers
are to lay down their entire lives for the King of Glory, not just what feels
good or makes sense to their minds. What other response can there be? When a person is a slave to love and realizes
that he really is a treasured part of a new family, he accesses all that this
new Kingdom offers, becoming like the King. Propelled and compelled by love, he
will do anything, go anywhere, being willing and available for the Master’s
pleasure.
Designed for Love
From the very beginning, man
was designed for love on every front.
Since it was interrupted by sin in the garden, man now has the
opportunity for the original design to fully happen. The Lord gives people the
capacity to love the Lord and others in fullness; this is His blueprint for
living. Being part of this new spiritual family brings unlimited benefits
beyond the comprehension of man. It’s a
privilege to surrender to this love and present our lives to the Greatest Lover
and Giver of all time. Fear loves to rise against this beautiful love.
Consistent
surrender to Love Himself produces humility and kills orphan thinking. Romans
8:15 reminds us that we have been freed from fear through salvation and are now
considered children and not orphans. We are part of God’s family and we have an
inheritance. It must be guarded.
FEAR WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS!!!!!
For you have not received a spirit
of slavery leading to fear again but you have received a spirit of adoption as
sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
Fear is an interruption to what love
is to look like. If fear rises or comes
toward the believer, His perfect love casts it out (removes it).
“There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who
fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John
4:18)
Receiving,
understanding, and growing in perfect love is the precious journey that every
person is invited to experience.
A LAID DOWN LIFE…learning to love well
We are to
pour our life out for love. That’s our mandate, our privilege, our desire. As we yield to Him in every way, our
revelation of Jesus…who He is, what He is like, and how He loves will GROW in
our hearts exponentially. We will learn
to love well because of Him.
“And this I pray, that your love may
abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment so that you
may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless
until the day of Christ.” (Philippians 1: 9-10)
As we love
others, the Lord wants to give us the depth of insight (knowledge) and the
ability to think about what is really best in every relational and
circumstantial situation (discernment).
The revelation of Jesus’ love for us will propel us to desire to be
totally possessed by Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. The result will
be growth in love released (abounding love) through the yielded life.
Jesus left
Heaven and gave Himself away totally. He
is the King of glory and yet he laid His life down, being fully possessed by
the Spirit. He is Humility. He is worth our entire life – without compromise.
The probing
question for the heart of the believer: Am I willing to be fully filled with
Him?
This is the Great Exchange that
takes place in the heart!
If there is
not a growing exchange through the increasing of relational depth with The
Father, a person will try to follow Jesus through the eyes of the law in their
hearts….not through deep affection for Him.
Deep and growing affection for Him produces spiritual and emotional ease
on every level. The result will be lasting and growing peace, not frantic
living. Freedom and ease will flow.
Christ set us free (from fear) for this freedom.
“It was for freedom that Christ set
us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of
slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
When
freedom is building in the heart it becomes easier for a person to receive
spiritual thoughts/things from others, both in the areas of change and
correction. They will see this as a
blessing and help in their walk with the Lord. A dead person cannot be offended. The “law” (or old man) approach
produces a case-building mentality, which sees works for Jesus as control. A person who struggles with that will easily
accuse others of controlling them. They may even tell another person that what
they are doing is only because they are “controlled” by others. It’s a tricky trap of the enemy to suck life
out of believers so they back off of becoming or growing in radical love. Radical love produces radical living for an
audience of ONE. Living for an audience
of One propels a person to contend for extraordinary living, taking risks that
are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
What is the enemy’s plan?
He tries to
minimize and destroy the strength, authority, and spiritual identity of the
believer as an over comer and worshiper. An overcoming worshiper is feared in
hell. The enemy will try to bring
division and suspicion within the body of Christ. He will try to neutralize a
person’s fervor and tenacity to walk in all the spiritual giftings, anointings,
and call on his life. The unsuspecting
person will find himself backing off instead of advancing and taking risks of
faith. He will become content with the comfortable and average but still call
it overcoming kingdom living. This is a
trap that is not easily seen. The enemy wants to persuade a person to rethink
his/her heart motivations for serving.
If he can convince a person that they only served to please others
instead of the Lord, a person can resist serving with fervor.
A believer is to avoid offense at
all cost…it’s a deadly trap. Walking in forgiveness daily avoids receiving
offense and the trap of bitterness and judgment that result.
“A brother offended is harder to be
won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel.”
(Proverbs 18:19).
If the enemy
succeeds in sucking life out of a person through pain and its results, he will
begin to question his previous fervor for the Lord, calling it crazy and
ridiculous, wishing that it hadn’t occurred. Relationships with others will
become strained. If any part of the enemy’s strategy is embraced, a stealing
away will occur. It may not be seen at
first, but eventually it will be noticeable to others who are walking in
freedom. It’s a giant lie to deflate one
who deep inside wants to live a wild life for Jesus or has experienced deep
connections with the Holy Spirit in the past. It’s part of the enemy’s job
description to target a real mover and shaker and flatten him. It’s a contagious poison because the enemy
never stops with one. He is looking for
agreement so he can hook another heart…and another heart….and another heart. The
antidote is love and humility which is accelerated as we fight properly against
our foe (Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5).
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this
darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
(Ephesians 6; 12)
“For though we walk in the flesh, we
do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of
the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every
lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every
thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5)
.
Part of the
enemy’s subversive plan is to entice people to not only dwell on wrong thoughts
but also to participate in the spreading of the thought. A common ploy of the
deceiver is to suggest that someone has a “people pleasing spirit”, thereby
perverting their true identity in Christ. The enemy will stop at nothing to
convince a person of that so that they will not advance. Also part of this insidious strategy is to
persuade a person to rethink what they have done in the past, hoping that they
will see their past efforts as wasted and ultimately not pleasing to the Lord –
just striving attempts to do what was not really what the Lord was behind (or
was in their heart). This is such a
tragedy, for if successful, the strategy can strip the person of what he gained
in the Spirit by serving the Lord. Then,
a person retreats, seeing the “doing” for the Lord as manipulative, striving,
and non exciting/adventurous.
Also, while
Jesus desires to heal past hurts in our hearts, the enemy also wants to strip
away healing that has already been received by badgering the mind with
continuous thoughts about past pain and difficulties hoping that the person
will re embrace the trauma or pain from former life situations. If not wisely discerned and fought, this
leaves a person in an emotional state of feeling as though he has been smashed
“again”. If the enemy can convince a
person that the overcoming stand they took (receiving His healing love at the
deepest heart level) wasn’t real or lasting, they will fall prey again to the
tactics of the enemy of their soul. If a
person partners with this, they can lose what they had gained. This is a very subtle but real tactic of the
devourer.
SOLUTION?
JESUS NEVER PLAYED
WITH DARKNESS
HEAVEN WAS OPENED
“Now when all the people were baptized,
Jesus was also baptized, and while he was praying, heaven was opened, and the
Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out
of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:21)
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
returned from the Jordon and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for
40 days being tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4: 1-2a)
Jesus humbled himself and was baptized by John. Heaven was opened and the connection between
Father and Son was made very clear. He
was filled with the Holy Spirit and went into the desert for 40 days. There he stood his ground while the devil
attempted to thrash him and destroy him.
He came out of the desert, filled with power.
Jesus is our model.
The Lord always gives us a way of escape. Drawing in
close to the fire of His heart, at all cost, will help a person take the way of
escape (from darkness) offered. The Lord always makes a way because He is
faithful and promises to do so. An inner determination that intimacy and
closeness with the Lord is the only option for one’s life will ignite the
weaponry to defeat emotional, physical, or spiritual onslaughts. Cultivating a
heart of deep thanksgiving and gratitude (in every situation) for who the Lord
is and what He has done in ones’ life is essential. Without that, entertaining negativity will
become a more plausible choice when considering one’s responses to life
situations. A Christian can’t afford to
entertain or dwell on negative thoughts as the enemy will be sure to set
continued traps to bring them into a snare without the person even realizing it
at first. This is dangerous and can
cause great problems for the believer and those around him.
Never entertain the flesh (which was also crucified
at the cross), for it can lead to entrapment/oppression from the enemy. Strongholds in a believer’s life can lead to
walls and destruction very quickly. As
Jesus so beautifully modeled, don’t play with the fire of the enemy.
Also, a pre-determined stance within the soul to
remain a dependent worshiper and live a life of unspeakable joy (even in the
midst of challenges) will enable one’s spirit to rise in the midst of conflict
and intensity. Determining to stay connected to one’s spiritual family is also
extremely important. The enemy will move
to convince believers that isolation is better.
This empowers the enemy and gives fuel to continue his assault against
the believer.
Choosing to believe in advance that there is no such
thing as a burned out Spirit-filled believer will also help deter the lies that
can flood the mind. Lies are intended to
stop the Holy Spirit from His amazing influence in a yielded life, so one must
guard his heart and mind in Christ Jesus. If the fire of the Holy Spirit is raging
inside of a believer, it only dies if a person allows it to happen. These are foundational beliefs that the enemy
will try to minimize or steal.
Fresh oil from the Holy Spirit fuels the hungry and thirsty
soul. The key to avoid burn out and be
able to release pain is to contend for a place of always flowing in His
presence, even when the “inner press” increases. Walking in the resulting joy and peace is the
key to stability and inner strength that is vital for powerful Kingdom living. As this spiritual fortification increases, a
believer will be able to more aptly discern the real enemy of his soul (mind,
will, and emotions), rather than blaming people or situations for heartache and
pain. What a huge blessing from Heaven.
The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10b)
This verse needs to be
the life line for the believer. Learning
to live a Holy Spirit intoxicated life will release the joy that will
strengthen and protect the believer. Spiritual joy is powerful and essential
for abundant living. Complete surrender (no
sin disconnection) and daily encounters will increase the level of joy and intimate connection with the Lord.
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
Determine to live for an audience of One and set your
high water mark for uncompromising allegiance to the Lamb, even in the midst of
hurt and pain. This surrender of heart
will sensitize the believer as he hears the voice of the Holy Spirit.
“One thing I have asked, that I shall
seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to
behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of
trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent
he will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me and I will
offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing
praises to the Lord.” (Psalm 27:4-6)
“And you shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength.
The second is this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is
no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 30-31)
HOW?
“I bow my knees to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that
He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened
with might through His Spirit in the inner man.” (Ephesians 3:14-16).
This is a foundational
principle in the Kingdom – that the Lord will give more strength to the inner
man (mind, will, emotions) if the believer asks Him to do so. Christians need to ask the Holy Spirit to
strengthen them internally (in their hearts).
This is the place that he really connects with Jesus (by the
Spirit). The Holy Spirit will release
His might (His powerful help) bit by bit as He is asked. A wise believer will contend for this.
True followers need to ask
the Lord to impart to their hearts the revelation of His majestic and royal
goodness so they can life a life of tremendous awe – tremendous reverence for
and of Him. As they ask Him to release
the Holy Fear of the Lord in their lives, He will do it. This pleases the Lord
as He is looking for those who tremble at His word.
“But to this one I look, to him who
is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2b)
If a person
is willing to go really low before the Lord, he will give everything to God and
let lies be exposed, challenged, and eliminated. A person does this by presenting himself as a
living sacrifice to the Lord (on all fronts) and asking for forgiveness for the
steps of unbelief embraced on any level, especially when emotions are screaming
to the contrary. This will begin the unhooking of the heart from this
entanglement. When a person does this,
even if there would be any potential "people pleasing" issue, it will
quickly become a non issue in the heart.
The love of the Father will rise and capture the thoughts that had
penetrated. Those who refuse to receive the truth of what can stop the flow of
the Spirit (see 2 Cor. 10: 3-5 above), will more easily embrace the
thought/idea that "I just don't want to be a people pleaser", so I'm
not going to..... and ..... and ...... The non-intended result is arrogance
instead of humility, which is the enemy’s delight. If a person deeply embraces
this thought, they will find themselves stopping in their tracks where they had
once emotionally and spiritually advanced.
Their original zeal becomes slowed or even halted. Worse case scenario is that the once innocent
zeal reverses and a negative crusade against serving ensues. History gets
rewritten. Real humility will bring
freedom, and the true identity of the person will rise! And, what actions were
thought to be a mistake and regret will be seen differently. A new perspective will be embraced. Receiving
the reality that something that the Lord had previously loved and enjoyed
through a person’s life had been actually stolen and smashed will quickly
become the tipping point for change.
When a person receives this revelation through humbling himself, the
enemy is really on notice and begins to fear the overcomer. The part of a person’s identity and persona
that was stolen by the enemy will be replaced/reinstated. Result?
True inner peace, satisfaction, and increase in personal spiritual
intimacy with the Lord, good/healthy relationships with others, and serving the
Lord with fiery zeal.
WHY is this
true? Because Jesus is everything and
what other response can we give to Him other than “I give you everything!”
Eyes and heart pointed upward will
produce an inner resolve that wins (Colossians 3: 2-5)
“Set your mind on the things above,
not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. When Christ, who is
our life, is revealed then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your
earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed,
which amount to idolatry.” (Colossians 3: 2-5)
This is not an option if a believer wants to live in
the freedom that Christ purchased.
Read
Colossians 3: 6-11 for more detail.
PUT ON THE VICTORY SONG OF LOVE
(Colossians 3: 12-17):
“
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a
heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and [a]patience; 13 bearing with one another, and
forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord
forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond
all these things put on love,
which is [b]the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ [c]rule in your hearts, to which [d]indeed you were called in one body; and [e]be thankful. 16 Let the word of [f]Christ richly dwell within you, [g]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [h]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [i]with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
People who
won't desire to apply ALL the Word to their own personal lives will easily
gravitate towards the "people pleasing" excuse, instead of totally
surrendering and asking the Lord to reveal anything that may be getting in the
way of their crazy love for Jesus and others, spilling into carrying His glory
every day. On top of that, they may try
to convince others that they are just "people pleasers” instead of those
who should be encouraged to go lower and surrender all so the Lord can be
easily seen. It can be a big trap. (See 2 Peter 1 for more).
If using
the phrase "I just want to honor God" isn't being caught at the
deepest heart level the result is more religious thinking instead of deeper
hunger and passion for God increasing. Daily personal encounter and connection
with God will also produce new levels of hunger. This
grows our response of love towards HIM!
I want to
go lower Lord!!!!!
If living in and FOR His presence isn't
THE PRIORITY of daily life (even with busy schedules/lifestyles) then a
person's assessment of what it means and looks like to "honor God and
others" can easily be skewed.
This can
heighten self motivation. It just sounds good when a person says “I just want
to honor God and others”, but the truth is, it may not be the truth at the
heart level. Saying "oh I'm just not going to be a people pleaser.......so
I just say no to this, no to that, no no no can become a “no” in our heart
instead of a “yes” in our heart to the
Lord at all levels. Listening to the right voice (Holy Spirit) increases a
submissive spirit in our hearts. The
opposite of a submissive spirit is a rebellious heart.
Am I to be a powerful person? YES
God promises to put the Fear of the
Lord into believers’ hearts to lead them into becoming powerful people in life. A believer must seek this.
It is through HIS power working in
us that a believer is truly powerful. If
not, being a “powerful person” is rooted in arrogance and pride and is a
deceptive trap. Humility is the key.
“And I will give them
one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and the
good of their children after them. I
will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from
them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that
they will not turn away from Me.”
(Jeremiah 32: 39-40)
Christians
are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a powerful life, becoming powerful
people. His power in them is to be directed toward Him and then spills into all
relationships. When that is interrupted
or distorted ground is given to the enemy.
A person who has the heart
revelation (not just a mental grasping) of his true identity in Christ will
easily say yes to the Lord and follow His clear directives in Scripture for
living a Godly life. If a person says,
“I am a powerful person in the kingdom and nobody needs to tell me
anything", the kingdom-sounding phrase “powerful person” can be used/twisted
to puff up a person, instead of leading a person to live a lifestyle of
repentance and right thinking (Philippians 4: 4-8).
Since the Lord calls us to rejoice in Him always (and
more), it is a good thing to ask the Lord…DO I SEE THIS? AM I PUFFED UP?
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I
will say, rejoice! Let your gentle
spirit be known to all men. The Lord is
near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God. And the peace of God, which
surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything
is worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4: 4-8)
KEYS FOR LIVING A LIFE OF
ROYALTY: Surrender and Humility
Here are a few references of
a believer’s identity in Christ:
A believer
is a citizen of heaven (Ephesians 2:19), and chosen of God, holy and dearly
loved (Colossians 3:12).
A believer
is a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)
A believer
is a child of God who always triumphs in Christ and releases His fragrance
wherever he goes (2 Corinthians 2:14)
A believer
is seated in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2:6)
A believer
is part of the Bride of Christ and is making himself ready for Jesus
(Revelation 19:7)
A believer
is called to be a true worshiper who worships the Father in spirit and in truth
(John 4:24)
A believer
is an alien and stranger to this world (1 Peter 2:11)
A believer
is a partaker of a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1)
A believer
is one of God’s living stones, being built up in Jesus as a spiritual house (1
Peter 2:5)
A believer
is the Lord’s workmanship, created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
A believer
is chosen and intended by God to bear fruit that remains (John 15:16)
A believer
is righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24)
A believer
is an expression of Jesus (Colossians 3:4)
A believer
is a child of light (1 Thessalonians 5; 5)
A believer
is the enemy of the devil (1 Peter 5:8)
A believer
is more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37)
A believer
is a recipient of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
(Ephesians 1:3)
SO WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE HERE?
The Lord has given the
believer precious faith by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2) KJV
The Lord releases faith in the heart
of the Christian to believe that his identity in Jesus is a treasure and it’s
his responsibility to guard this faith as it is so precious.
He has given the believer everything
at salvation; there is no lack:
“Seeing that his
divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness,
through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3)
FEAR is the arch enemy
of the believer, and is designed to rob a believer of this precious faith and
blessings from the Lord. Fear is an
assault against love.
If we don’t see as the
Lord sees we can connect with fear unknowingly.
When
undetected fear is operating in a person, the enemy “fears” that it will be
exposed through surrender and humility.
He tries to interrupt the process of gaining more internal freedom, and
will do so through “kingdom-sounding” appeals that may make sense to the mind
but have no authentic basis. Excuses for becoming deeply tethered to Him/His
presence will rise when fear is operating.
The goal is
to lean into His heart and hear His voice and desire the Fear of the Lord. The enemy’s job is to hinder that.
The Lord promises to put the
Fear of the Lord into our hearts (Jeremiah 32: 39-40). When we walk in the Fear of the Lord (holy
reverence and awe that invites Him to possess us totally), it is easier to
resist sin and compromise.
“My heart will fear Your
name.” (Psalm 86:11)
This is for our protection
and safety so we can flow in the Spirit, enjoying peace, joy, and
righteousness.
Love is moving and
growing….Can it be stopped?
Who is the believer to
please?
The enemy
is tricky. When fear is present/operating, rebellion and selfishness (refusal
to seriously apply the Word to our lives) can attach, remain, and also rise. In
an attempt to not "people please", a person's response can be
"no! I'm just not going to do that" or "no, it doesn't fit into
my schedule" or "no, I don't feel like it", "no, I don't see the value in that",
“no, that’s just not me…I don’t like that.” Unfortunately, many times, that deep attitude
can be stuck at the core of our being and it comes out when a person is
squeezed in a tough situation, pain rises, or when a person is influenced by
others who carry the same tendency. This
can be hazardous, leading people into agreement with what is not in the heart
and mind of our King. Humility being produced inside because of Jesus expanding
inside is the key to fiery living for the King and the true way to becoming an
empowered one.
The term "people
pleasing” can be twisted by the very ones that don’t want to hear from others
who desire to surrender their hearts to Jesus.
This is another tricky tool of the enemy intended to sabotage the
believer’s stability and growth. It can
be subtle and poisonous. People struggling with that usually have a tough time
seeing others who carry the heart of love, anointing and experience as being
helps in their lives. They may have a
difficult time listening to others and also willingly submitting to
authorities. It’s a big trap for those
who are destined to lead in the authentic kingdom manner that Christ intended. A
person can’t become a spiritual leader/father-mother as God intends unless and
until they are able to become an authentic spiritual son-daughter first. The enemy will also do whatever he can to
destroy relationships in this area. He
is a destroyer of intended inheritance. Look at Elijah and Elisha. Look at Paul and Timothy. The list goes on. Personally
receiving aspects of the submissive lives and hearts of these Biblical people
can agitate those with fear issues.
Seeing Godly submission control and manipulation rather than a benefit
and blessing from the Lord is an indicator that fear is working against the
person...Resistance in this area can halt generational blessing intended by
God. Humility and repentance are essential to maintain a soft heart for all
spiritual directions and ways of life for the believer...
So what really IS
humility?
Receiving Him as He is, seeing and
responding through His eyes and with His heart, and becoming just like Him in
all areas of life is what a heart of humility looks like.
Paul shares in Philippians 2: 2-17 a
picture of Jesus, the humble servant of all, who reflects the Father in every
way.
“Make my joy complete by being of
the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one
purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or
empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important
than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but
also for the interests of others. Have
this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He
existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made
in the likeness of men. Being found in
appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of
death, even death on a cross. For this
reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above
every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So
then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and
trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for
His good pleasure. Do all things without
grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and
innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word
of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did
not run in vain nor toil in vain. But
even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and
service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” (Philippians
2: 2-17)
OPEN MY EYES LORD!
He who neglects
discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires
understanding, The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, and
before honor comes humility.”
(Proverbs 15: 32-33)
This is how a believer
can truly honor God and others.
“The wise will inherit honor, but fools
display dishonor.” (Proverbs 3:35)
True honor and trust for the
Lord will produce honor and trust for others, especially towards spiritual
leaders and those in authority. Loving
unity, the Lord desires this for all relationships, including the believer’s
family and friends. Understanding the
spirit of true honor is a privilege the Lord offers to each believer and
impresses him to contend for that.
Those who seek wisdom will find her…and the fear of
the Lord. Wise council is needed for the
believer to stay strong.
“…To know wisdom and
instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in
wise behavior; righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the
naïve, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a
man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a
figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.” (Proverbs 1: 2-6)
The Pursuit
of (Heavenly) Wisdom Brings Security
2 My son,
if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
[a]Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways; (Proverbs 2: 1-15)
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
[a]Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways; (Proverbs 2: 1-15)
“Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has
understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.” (Proverbs 17:24)
Wisdom from above versus human
wisdom…what do YOU say about this, Lord?
The Lord defines the difference
between thinking and responding naturally and supernaturally:
James 3:13-18 is a solid guide for
establishing the difference between heavenly and earthly wisdom:
“ Who is there
among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show
forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper
attribute] of true wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention
(rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and
thus be in defiance of and
false to the Truth.
This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down
from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal).
For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention
(rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest,
disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure
(undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is
willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is
wholehearted and
straightforward, impartial and
unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).
And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to
God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by
those who work for and make
peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement,
and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free
from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].” (James 3:13-18 AMP)
If heavenly wisdom is
flowing, it becomes easy to receive love from the Lord and all others, walk in
forgiveness, and refuse offense. Also,
discouragement and disappointment can’t become footholds because the wise
person will recognize the tools of the enemy and stand against them for their
own life and the lives of people they influence. If a person responds to
situations naturally rather than supernaturally, the end result can legally permit
the enemy to assault or increase his assault against the believer or another
person they connect with. When Heavenly wisdom is received and implemented,
true unity, peace, and going lower before the Lord are the results, releasing a
person into greater hunger for Jesus.
Pain is real. The enemy is tricky and enjoys stealing
from those who refuse to allow the Lord to expose and release these thoughts/painful
areas of the heart that need His attention. Jesus came to remove pain and heal
all wounds. The enemy loves these to remain so he has a landing strip that
empowers him to take from the believer.
He will stop only if he is stopped. Much Heavenly wisdom is needed so
the believer knows what is happening from God’s perspective.
Entertaining
unhealthy thoughts will exaggerate and accelerate the growth of human wisdom in
a believer’s life which can lead the believer into great confusion and error
for his life. Difficult situations,
suffering, and trials come. The Lord desires
to remove, cleanse and heal the pain that exists in a believer’s heart. When he partners with unhealthy thoughts
(which are tied to pain), the Lord promises the believer that as he seeks and
allows Him to work, all will be taken care of by Him. Hurtful ways are also
seen as “wicked” in the Scripture below.
“Search me, oh God,
and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any
hurtful (wicked) way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:
23-24)
A heart after Jesus will take this
verse very seriously because it will lead to God’s solution, not man’s
solution.
Isaiah 61:1-4 AMP brings the believer into the proper understanding of
Jesus’ heart for ministry and wholeness; what He has given the believer the
authority to release in his own life and lives of others. Luke 4: 18-19 is the
New Testament fulfillment of this prophecy.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the
Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He
has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty
to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and
of the eyes to those who are bound,
To proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord [the year of His favor] [a]and the day of vengeance of our God, to
comfort all who mourn,
To grant
[consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a
garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of
mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and
failing spirit—that they may be called oaks
of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for
uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord,
that He may be glorified. ” And they shall
rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew
the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.” (Isaiah
61: 1-4 AMP)
We need the WISDOM of the Lord as we desire to
grow into oaks of righteousness and walk in all that Jesus purchased. We need Heavenly Wisdom!
The Scriptures Are Very Clear About The Rewards of
Walking In Heavenly Wisdom:
3 My son, do not forget my [a]teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good [b]repute
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [c]body
And refreshment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not reject the [d]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good [b]repute
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [c]body
And refreshment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not reject the [d]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
13
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than [e]jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [f]Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the skies drip with dew.
21 My son, let them not [g]vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 So they will be life to your soul
And adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will walk in your way securely
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the [h]onslaught of the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be [i]your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.
And the man who gains understanding.
14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than [e]jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [f]Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the skies drip with dew.
21 My son, let them not [g]vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 So they will be life to your soul
And adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will walk in your way securely
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the [h]onslaught of the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be [i]your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27
Do not withhold good from [j]those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But [k]He is intimate with the upright.
33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.
35 The wise will inherit honor,
But fools [l]display dishonor. (Proverbs 3)
When it is in your power to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But [k]He is intimate with the upright.
33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.
35 The wise will inherit honor,
But fools [l]display dishonor. (Proverbs 3)
Fear of the
Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom (opposite of pride and arrogance)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.”
(Proverbs 8: 13)
“ These six things the Lord
hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look [the
spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying
tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that
manufactures wicked thoughts and
plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who breathes
out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren.”
(Proverbs 6: 16-19 AMP)
MORE LOVE!!!!!! THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS FOR ALL BELIEVERS
Desiring
and contending for (the Spirit of) the Fear of the Lord releases humility and
helps us walk in Heavenly wisdom, which enables the Holy Spirit to ignite the
fire and glory that we say that we want. We want to be like Jesus and carry His
glory to the ends of the earth!!
“For the earth will be
filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the
sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)
Jesus is described in Isaiah 11:1 (and
the 7-fold Spirit of God). The believer is to contend for the fullness of
the Holy Spirit in every area, delighting in the fear of the Lord. This is
vital for the believer to stand against the enemy and advance the Kingdom of
God.
“Then a shoot will
spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from His roots will bear
fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest
on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
strength (might), the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the
Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by
what His ears hear; but with righteousness he will judge the poor; and decide
with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with
the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked,
also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt
about His waist.” (Isaiah 11: 1-5)
When a
person walks in fear (the opposite of the Fear of the Lord), he partners with
control and the inability to genuinely respect, trust, and love those around
him. Independence and avoidance are very obvious evidences of fear and control.
The opposite, interdependence and the desire for unity in the Spirit reflect
the true freedom that results from seeing oneself as a son or daughter
experientially. If a believer’s identity
in Christ is not fully embraced deep at the heart level, a mental agreement
only will result. This is dangerous
because a person can be fooled by the knowledge they have received in their
minds but really are unable to walk out freedom that Jesus provides. The enemy will throw thoughts that will sound
spiritual enough to embrace if fear is lurking, resulting in choices that
aren’t moving toward true peace, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit. This is a dangerous place for the believer
for in his quest for relief from pain and stress, the blinders increase on
every front. Mental assenting soon
replaces the empowering aroma of the Holy Spirit’s presence. A once desired intensity for deep communion
and holy worship takes a back seat for other things.
Those who really do connect with
fear (especially unknowingly) will not easily see control in their lives, but have
a tendency to accuse and be critical of others easily (especially leaders and
people in authority), blaming them for the condition in their heart. The heart
disconnect is between Father and son/daughter, but the enemy will delight in
trying to persuade/convince people that others are their enemies or not worthy
of respect. Division and broken
relationships are the result. Also, the inability to respond to leaders and
others’ attempts of love and connection are signs of pride (fear), which
directly oppose humility. Also, refusing to walk in repentance (in the area of
negativity and avoidance) are signs of pride (fear), which directly oppose
humility.
The Lord
desires unity of heart and spirit in our relationships. We are to contend for that. God’s order in families and spiritual
families is so vital. When principles in
Scripture are violated, human wisdom can reign, which leads to decay and
destruction. Releasing the Kingdom of God in our families, ministries, and
other relationships is of paramount importance to the Lord.
LORD, I WANT YOUR BEST
Scriptures
are very clear as to how children are to relate to parents (and vice versa),
married couples are to relate to each other, and how all interpersonal
connections are to reflect Christ. (next
writing will express that). All
relationships are to be undergirded with Biblical honor which will release a
beautiful unity that pleases Jesus.
Many
believers struggle with order within spiritual families (and even natural
families). The Lord speaks to this for
the sake of protection and blessing to be released, as believers are to submit
one to another in love and desire to maintain connection of the heart in the
midst of God’s order. True freedom is
always in the heart of the Lord, which is to touch the heart of the believer at
the deepest level.
“Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them
(continually recognizing their authority over you), for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your
spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account (of their
trust). (Do your part to) let them do
this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be
profitable to you (either).” (Hebrews 13: 16-18 AMP)
“Likewise, you who are
younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and
spiritual guides of the church) – (Giving them due respect and yielding to
their counsel). Clothe (apron)
yourselves, all of you, with humility (as the garb of a servant, so that its
covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and
arrogance) toward one another. For God
sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful,
the presumptuous, the boastful) – (and He opposes, frustrates and defeats
them), but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble.” (1 Peter 5: 4-6 AMP)
The enemy entices believers to rise
up and refuse humility, especially in the area mentioned above. Hebrews 13: 16-18 AMP and 1 Peter 5: 4-6 AMP are
for protection from the enemy’s tactics that is intended to lead to great
increases in the Kingdom. The wise and
humble believer will see this and be grateful that the Lord has set up safeguards
here and for the health of all relationships so personal and corporate growth
in the Kingdom can accelerate.
The Lord Opposes Fear
For God has not given
us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power, and love, and discipline (sound
mind).” (2 Timothy 1: 7).
Fear is the culprit
that incites a heart to distain or rebel against the Word of God.
Power and
love sound nice, but what about discipline?
Genuine discipline determines that the Word will reign supreme at the
personal level of one’s life, propelling one to become more and more Presence
focused. The Lord wants His children to know His Word and follow His Word, for
in doing so the believer grows in connection with Him (and stands more easily
against the enemy’s schemes and tactics). Application of the Word and spiritually
encountering the Lord daily produces a sound mind. Having a sound mind will help the believer
choose well when it comes to living the kingdom life intended by God (which is
a life of full surrender to the Lord and His ways). A wise believer will
contend for the mind of Christ.
If a believer’s heart
is right…he is safe and able to avoid and destroy fear.
My son, give attention to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings. Do not
let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart for they
are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for
from it flow the springs of life. Put
away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your
gaze be fixed straight in front of you.” (Proverbs 4: 20-25)
“For the mouth speaks out of that which
fills the heart.” (Matthew 12:34b)
“Death and life are in the power of the
tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21)
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from
your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the
need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians
4: 29)... This is a command of the
Lord, so if a believer violates that, he empowers the enemy (gives him a legal
right) to fight against him, his family, ministry, and friends...
Do I Really Want
the Heart Of Jesus To Manifest In Me?
“With my whole heart I have sought you;
Oh, let me not wander from your commandments!
Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
(Psalm 119: 19-11) NKJV
Love wants more connection and opposes disconnection
A true lover of Jesus
will also desire to understand repentance and move in it quickly (seeking
deliverance and healing from all things that oppose Jesus).
Repentance involves changing of the
mind/thinking. The Lord calls us to
quickly turn to Him in all things and seek His cleansing and refreshing from areas
where we are connecting with the “2nd heaven”. The enemy wants to infiltrate
the thoughts and emotions, influencing our wills.
“But I say walk by the Spirit, and
you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do
the things that you please. But if you
are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which
are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these,
of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice
such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5: 16-21).
These areas also are places where confusion,
negativity, torment, control, manipulation, bitterness, judgment, offense,
rejection, abandonment and fear hide. The enemy is tricky and wants to weaken the believer. Don’t
fall for his tactics and make excuses, entertaining any of these areas. The enemy loves this and will strike more
severely than ever when we partner with these areas in our lives.
The Lord wants inner freedom from
rejection and abandonment feelings; they work in tandem with judgment, offense,
negativity, control, manipulation, bitterness, and confusion. All are related
to the believer’s arch enemy FEAR. If
these areas are not touched by the Lord and removed, “false peace” can start
leading the believer. This is really
dangerous. The key is to honestly run
into the arms of Jesus believing that His way will bring ultimate and lasting
freedom. He will never leave the
believer and will always point him in the proper direction. Being willing to admit that these areas are
operating and then doing whatever it takes for them to be destroyed is
essential. The enemy will settle for a “band
aid approach” to pain in a believer’s life so he can hit them and trip them up
over and over and over again. The Lord wants to fully eradicate them.
Staying away from / out of the presence of God and
worship can be deadly and empowers the enemy against the believer. In His presence the believer can receive and
find strength. It’s not wise to hide behind hurts or perceived hurts when
looking at one’s life. The enemy is
waiting for a believer to do so. Jesus
had compassion on the hurting and wounded but offered Himself as the
solution. Refusal to move toward Him for
His solution is sin as one is connected with the lies surrounding fear and
unbelief. Fear and unbelief were nailed to the cross and the enemy tremendously
enjoys offering them to the believer.
When we become the focus, the enemy wins.
So What Is The Believer To Do?
We are called by God to be desiring Him and His ways
above all else, refusing to be entangled in the deceit of sin. Unconfessed/unrepented sin hurts the heart of
God and hurts the believer and those around him. The sting and pain of sin
(masked in hurt/woundedness) is intended to steal from, kill, and destroy the
believer and others. It’s a serious
matter to the Lord. Jesus paid a big
price for all that doesn’t match up with the reality of Heaven. If a believer ignores any of these areas in
his life or tries to come up with his own solution, he is ignoring Jesus Christ
and fighting against him. There is no
neutral territory. We are not to hide
behind hurts/fears/pains. The Lord calls all His children to easily and
quickly forgive all people that have partnered with the opposite of the Lord’s
will/ways.
It’s important to bring all feelings to the Lord so
He can sort out what is really sin of others against the believer and what is
offense that a person takes (that perhaps might not be sin from another
person). The perception of hurt from
another person can be very strong, but needs to be identified by the Lord. Forgiveness is still key in all situations,
but taking responsibility for our actions and responses to hurt/offense is a
non negotiable. Love for Jesus demands
this. The Lord knows what is true and not true. Don’t be deceived.
Refusing to bring the Lord’s solution into ones’s difficult
thoughts, emotions and feelings is arrogance because Jesus is always near and
gives us the freedom we need. The enemy
loves pride and arrogance, even as a person is in pain. Continuing to partner
with arrogance empowers fear and entraps a person for a greater assault against
him. Refusing God’s remedy for true
freedom sabotages our spiritual walk with the Lord because a believer allows
his thoughts to rise above the knowledge of God and His ways/desires. It’s an assault against the Lord because He
is ready and willing to meet our needs in every situation. The enemy wants a believer to run away from
the way the Lord provides for freedom. The enemy wants to remain hidden and will stop
at nothing in trying to influence a person to ignore and refuse complete
repentance, which will bring deliverance, healing, and restoration. A common mistake that believers make in
attempting to repent is refusing to complete what is necessary for repentance
to do its work and have its effect. This is a tool of the enemy that is very
strong, intending on prolonging a problem so the believer is fooled,
discouraged, and stuck in a vicious cycle of hopelessness.
“You were called to freedom,
brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but
through love serve one another. For the
whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5: 13-14)
“Now those who belong to Jesus
Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit let us also walk by
the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
“Knowing the fear of the Lord, we
persuade men.” (2 Corinthians 5: 11a)
When we are
wholly yielded, we can persuade men from the vantage point of Holy Fear to
consider the Lord’s opinions, thoughts, and desires. The source of our
compelling love comes from the Fear of the Lord and changes people and things
around us. Atmospheric changes take
place that invite the miraculous as the believer lives a naturally supernatural
life.
The Ultimate Mandate –
Spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom
Jesus Was Moved With
Compassion
“Jesus was going through all the
cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of
the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for
them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a
shepherd.” (Matthew 9: 35-36)
“Jesus summoned His twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast the out, and to heal every
kind of disease and every kind of sickness.” (Matthew 10:1)
“And as you go, preach saying, “The
kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the
sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
(Matthew 10: 7-8)
“And He said to them, “Go into all
the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized
shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have
believed in My name, they will cast out demons, they will speak with new
tongues; they will pick up serpents, and it they drink any deadly poison, it
will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” (Mark
16:15-18)
“Truly, truly I say to you, he who
believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than
these he will do, because I go to the Father.” (John 14:6)
The
privilege and honor of every believer is to demonstrate the love of the Father,
through Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit to the ends of the earth. May every Christian realize more and more
just how great a love Jesus has released through His selflessness. Christians are transformed into the likeness
of Christ, infiltrating all spheres of influence around the world, to carry the
glory of God globally. This is the heart
of the Father. Believers were bought
with a price of One Man’s life and this love is priceless. May every follower of Jesus receive a greater
revelation of the Father’s love and be catapulted into a life of concentrated
and intentional passion for the Ultimate Lover of all time, who transcends
time.
A LIFE OF PASSION
I Want YOU More and More
“That I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death.” (Phil. 3:10)
Jesus, I want to know You more. What
does real freedom look like? What moved You to leave Heaven? What caused you to
hang on the cross and die for me? Jesus,
what were you thinking and feeling? What
caused you to press on and never ever quit or give up? Jesus, what really happened at the
cross? What happened when you rose from
the dead? What are You really
like…really? I want more of YOU and my hungering heart will not relent. I am overwhelmed and wrecked by the fire of
Your love.
As a result
of YOUR amazing love gripping my heart beyond anything that my mind can grasp,
OH GOD let my passion for You grow and heavenly wisdom reign in my life. I was
created for love, to worship you forever and ever. Increase me in every way so that I continue
to yearn for your closeness. I am so thankful for You and give You my heart on
every level. Your forgiveness astounds
me, Jesus. Your love overwhelms me,
Father. Your grace and mercy break me….I
want You more, Holy Spirit. I need You
desperately and will run after You all the days of my life. Fill me with You and Your new wine, possess
me fully. I want to be a totally yielded, laid down, love-sick bride every day
of my life. I want to be a persuader of
men from the vantage point of Holy Fear.
I want to truly honor You, my King, as I determine to humbly seek You
and fall deeper in love with You. I lay me down and seek Your beautiful face. I desire to pour my life out for love and
reflect Your beauty and grace to everyone I know, and those You will send me to
without question. I will never stop,
never quit, never give up on love.
That’s who You are…make me like You.
YOU ARE WORTHY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!
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