Slow To Anger ~ October 1, 2020

Good Morning Blessings to each of you today – thank you for joining me for today’s ROF Ministries broadcast!  I certainly pray you are at peace today and staying firming placed upon the narrow path, which leads us to Jesus in His righteous ways.  I was thinking about how the broad way is a more external pathway, while the narrow way is internal and of the heart surrendered fully to Jesus.  Outwardly, our wills and ways lead us, inwardly His will and ways lead us.  You can easily tell now who is being led by the flesh with one easy to spot key — how they react to their surroundings and those around them or what they see or hear.  So with that – “react” is our word of the day, that we are going to measure ourselves by.  Just how are we “reacting” to all that is going on around us, especially other people? 

I didn’t watch the debate the other night, but what little bit I did observe, it was a disaster – a prime example of how not to react to someone or something.  It’s pitiful really… Lord help them.  Offense, accusation, interrupting, showing disgust, false shaming statements, being boastful on self, prideful, etc… Are all examples of how a child of God does not react by walking in Spirit and truth.  I am finding myself perplexed on how anyone who truly loves Jesus could uphold such behavior?

And if it’s not bad enough…  We have those who say they are Christians, displaying more characteristics of the World than Jesus all by how they react.  So today is going to be another truth hitting measuring rod and mirror into the Word to see just how we measure up according to the commands of Jesus in His likeness.  You all ready?

Love never fails, unless we do.  As long as we are walking in love – love covers all shortcomings and prevails.  For contention or strife to set in, we must surrender to it, becoming a spokesperson for it to have it’s way – losing patience equals losing graceful responses.  So the same is true for anger…  We must give placement to anger for anger to override love.  We all get irritated at times, but it is our reaction to the irritating which sets us on the course in the direction we shall go, anger or love… To be angry and sin not is – we sense anger and irritation seeking to influence us and we choose love instead.  All these conniption fits we’ve thrown, have to go.  It is time to put away all childish ways and grow… Grow in love, that is.  To check ourselves as to how often we actually do walk in the purity of love is to really consider in truth – how often we get angry?  Is it daily? Hourly? Weekly? Or when we don’t get our way?  Whatever the case may be – we must be honest with ourselves and mainly with Jesus – Just how often are we upset and angry?  This is no time to be in denial – time is too short for any of that.  Oh and for all of those who are passive aggressive, yet still angry – that counts.  Passive aggressive anger is for all those pouters out there, who may have an occasional hissy fit but on a regular basis withdraw and withhold love.  Not everyone who is angry lashes out and gives people a cussin… lol

Okay so now that we have that settled – all are included in today’s study, because all get angry sometimes.  We are going to start out today in James 1 –

¹⁹ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

²⁰ For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

• We are to be faster to hear someone than we are to speak to or about them
• And in this – He basically just said our anger/wrath is founded in self-righteousness, not God’s

So we are going to sidestep just a moment and talk for a moment about how to respond to a reproach in a fearless and Lord seeking way.

It is true – words from others do hurt our hearts at times.  Let’s take a look at a portion of

1 Peter 3 –

⁸ Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

⁹ Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

¹⁰ For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

¹¹ Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

¹² For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

¹³ And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

¹⁴ But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

¹⁶ Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

¹⁷ For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

So here we are… We at times are slandered, reproached, reviled and yet… If we remain in righteousness we protect our conscience from being seared in many ways and the Lord is sanctified within our hearts so that we do not repay evil for evil and then they will fall directly into the hands of the Lord and He will deal directly with them.  And I so love the last verse… What an uplifting verse that is – since we all suffer at times, He encourages us that it is so much better to suffer for well doing than because of our own evil actions.  Wow – thank You Lord.

When we fearlessly in Jesus, respond or not – to slander or reproach or they who reviles against us – there is so much growth fruit produced and love prevails!

It becomes a – teaching moment, purging moment, growth moment in love, blessings in suffering for the sake of Jesus (carrying our cross daily), an opportunity to whole-heartedly in faithfulness choose Jesus.  Adversity also exposes who our enemies are in truth – when we may otherwise be blinded, it exposes when someone we thought were close to us are intentionally coming against us and exposes deficiency in our own walks.  So it is truly revealing how with the Lord’s hand placed upon us – He works all things together for our own good, since we are being called according to His purpose and plan.  He promises not to leave us ignorant to the enemies devices, but often we reject His wisdom, don’t we?

When we respond without fear, without railing accusations in return or defending of self we are then in right position to see clearly by the Spirit and consider the source – the accuser – the one who the enemy is using to be his vessel of usage to actually be – the accuser of the brethren, who throw his wielded fiery darts.  By refusing to engage and participate – we are not returning evil for evil and not engaging with evil in anyway. 

• Remember – you do not have to respond to an accusation whatsoever.
• The enemy wants us to be provoked in order we stoop to his level in putting someone to an open shame.
• Our flesh always wants to save face and justify itself – but remember, Jesus gave no placement to the devil by responding.  Giving an answer not only makes us surrender to evil by permission to rule over us it also deflects Jesus as the focal point in our lives.
• When we are preoccupied with explaining ourselves to vessels of iniquity it empowers them and remember they will never be satisfied with the answer we give anyway – it is a trap.
• The whole game he is playing here is to get us ensnared into who is right and who is wrong so that we too become a vessel participating in and with the spirit of accusation.
• When we keep a good conscience before the Lord, it does not become seared, in which we no longer see a need to repent for wicked ways and instead justify iniquity within ourselves.
• Scripture tells us truth is always revealed and when we bow out of the entangled web of infighting the Word tells us “God will reveal the truth about you and those accusing you will be ashamed”… If we disengaged completely, the Lord takes over, so we should have some comfort in His ways which are perfect.  This is what it looks like to be one after God’s heart.
• Sparring with others only robs us of our peace and trying to defend ourselves against faultfinders only fuels their fiery darts.  If you explain one situation, they will find another to rail against you with and it becomes a cycle of hate. So it is a lose-lose situation for all involved and heartbreaking for those on the sidelines, who feel compelled to take a side. 
• When we are unruly, we are unteachable and not willing to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Unteachable people have hearts which are very far away from God, evident by how they react and treat those who are opposing them.

Many honor Him with their lips but their hearts are far from Him – be not deceived, listen you all…. Every single thing right now is about sowing and reaping, it is almost as if the reapers are here… just sayin…  God is not mocked, mocked by pretending to walk in love outwardly, while inwardly you are laced with sin, especially fuming in anger.

Listen, the religious know all about the rules, traditions and even Scripture – but guess what?  They do not know the nature of our Father – Our Father in Heaven, Who sows mercy, grace and love continually upon His children.  Our Father who disciplines His own children because He loves us.  Our Father who allowed all the sins of the World to come upon His Son in order that we be saved.  Our Father Who is just and merciful and full of lovingkindness towards us.

Hey – some of you all need to stop blaming the devil for what our Father is allowing in your lives to draw you back into His loving arms.  Just because a momma saves her child from pulling the boiling pot of water off the stove does not mean that same child doesn’t have blisters on his hands from touching it to begin with.  Some of you all, look at those blisters you have – they will heal in time, but are you ready to stop touching that stove yet?  Reaping and sowing…. Don’t cry about being gossiped about when you talk about others at every turn – which is totally different than being persecuted for your faith by the way.  How you react and respond is everything of who you really are…  I heard an amazing message yesterday about how we like to appear all holy and then get a phone call and we are all ears to hear the faults of another – a gossiper always wants the whole story, often chasing after the one offended and this happens all the time in the chatroom… Again, we cannot mock God, He knows full well the intentions of our hearts.  I am glad Michael shut the chatroom down at night and during unproductive times – as a matter of fact, I asked him to do this three years ago.  When you have people gathering to get the dirt on others to spread gossip – then its becoming a place where unholy alliances gather.  I think you all call yourself “lurkers” – which I’ve never liked that word.  You do realize the opposite of the lurker is the prey you are spying on, right?  Lurkers are nosey if the only reason they are there is to see what others are talking about – that isn’t “serving” the Lord, how about you go lurk at the Salvation Army and feed the homeless?  Or walk your city block and pray for the members of each house on your street?  There are so many opportunities to spread the Gospel of peace in this dark World.  But gathering information on others is not on God’s to do list, that’s for sure.  Okay, that’s my rant for the day… When we are about the Father’s business, we are busy not busybodies.

So back to our study…  We are to be slow to anger, because our Father is slow to anger.  Love puts the others first by demonstrating charity (giving of self) to them.  Charity actually is:  LOVE IN ACTION, deeds – not simply words.  We have many that gather with us at our feasts of charity who do not gather to share in Jesus’s love – they want to take what is offered, yet they lack “charity” – they lack giving, only seeking to receive and these spots, as the Word calls them – they can suck the life right out of a person, if we are not careful.  And they bounce around from place to place because discontentment resides within – they are never at peace and never happy in one place for too long – as fault gatherers they stay until where they are a fault is found, then in a huff they leave – looking for the next best thing.  It is chaos, division from within – they bring it in, because it resides within them and yet… since it follows them everywhere they go – there is no peace.

Agape Love – is what the brethren of Jesus’s body share one to another and it is pure and it is rare.  Agape or rather affectionate love shows goodwill (giving natures), tenderness (very gentle), benevolence (healing of the heart), kindness (mercy) and helps others within the body to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  When gathering with 2 or more together at an agape feast there is a fostering for growth of mutual love and exchange of love – given and received, it replicates being equally yoked to love, Himself.  Love is tangible – it is not some made up concept.  God is love – you can sense Him, embrace Him, walk in Him and most importantly abide in His Love.

A beautiful display of this sort of love is found in the bible in a way you may not have considered it to be so before…  At the celebration of the Lord’s supper we found poor Christians mingling together with the wealthy, all partaking of the same food provided and we are taught in Scripture, the rich gladly provided for the food they partook of.  Jesus says all come to Him – none are counted out to feast upon His love and share it one to another.  Provocation of any kind is at enmity with love and is bordering hatred.

We learn from His word that love is not easily provoked in 1 Corinthians 13:5 – which is a beautiful description of love shared among believers – each more greatly concerned with the wellbeing of the others than they are for themselves.  Love is what we do when living inside the Kingdom, because our identity is love, Himself.  By demonstrating goodwill to one another it is the highest form of sacrifice in love we can offer unto Jesus.  By loving others, we actually are loving Him to a higher degree.  It is Him loving through us and it is rare and it is precious.

We display His love by –

• Sharing in the sufferings of others, because He does
• Never inflicting pain on others, either verbally or physically, because He didn’t
• To sincerely be for the life and not the death of everyone, because Jesus is

I say all this to hopefully and prayerfully prompt us all to realize in truth the only heart we have a hand in changing is our own.  If things are a mess, and nowadays they certainly are – when we change, it automatically fortifies a change in others.  And when we fully surrender to the ways of Jesus – it may take some time, but truly only 3 things remain – faith, hope and love and anything outside of those things, roll right off our flesh, no longer provoking us to respond.  This is the nature of fellowship with other believers.  One obstacle many are facing right now – and I did too years ago, so I get it – is we’ve joined to fellowship with those the Lord did not place us with out of our own strong freewill – we’ve talked about this a lot, but anyone or anything that is above Jesus in our lives is being severed.  It is not that we cannot be with others as much as whoever we place above Him, well now – He is severing ties all over the place and saying Hey come and see, this is your mother, father, brother, sister…  We have chosen in the past to be unequally yoked with many and now sits in our heart a complaint as if the Lord is requiring too much of us.  We’ve all done this by the way, the Lord is calling us to acknowledge our part and confess to Him how we’ve errored off the path to righteousness.

The Lord told us we can attain – tongues, prophecy, understand all the mysteries of God, have knowledge, all the faith possible, we can sell everything and feed the poor with the money we gain, we can even reach the point of death and if we do not have LOVE void of self-concerns, then we have nothing.  That is surely a sobering statement isn’t it?

Charity suffers with others for as long as someone else suffers.  It also is kind, never envies others, never boasts or is not prideful, it does not behave inappropriately or seek selfish gain, is not easily provoked/offended, never considers for one moment to do evil upon another, is not happy when someone is caught in iniquity, it never lies and is always rejoicing in the truth, it conceals the shortcomings of others – rather than putting them to an open shame and never, ever betrays as it is always displaying fidelity towards others.  Love never fails or falls away, it hopes and trusts in the Lord to make a way and it endures all things by remaining calm when mistreated.  PURE LOVE TRUSTS THE LORD, knowing He is sovereignly protecting, guiding and teaching in the truth we are being kept within the shadows of His love.

Wow – that is quite sobering, isn’t it?  Seems we all have some purifying left within our hearts, don’t we?  There is a great falling away right now that we are witnessing at the moment and it is increasing at an alarming rate every single day.  We are studying this to insure we do not fall into it’s smothering grasp and be carried away by offense.

The Lord instructs us how love never fails – love never falls away, people fall away from love, but love always remains.  Prophecies may cease, mans words shall be erased, knowledge will vanish because we only know in part/which is mixture.  Mixture is being emptied out of our hearts in that which is perfect may come and reside within. 

Jesus tells us to rid ourselves of all mixture, childish ways – to contain the purity of – speech, understanding and thoughts.  As we grow into spiritual maturity all childish ways are done away with and are actually rejected by us personally/tossed into the sea of forgetfulness – which is part of the schism in the Body right now.  Some are full on with Jesus and others still prefer to play around, leaning on their own carnal understanding.  When we look into the mirror of His word, in the reflection of self we see mixture – a little bit of Jesus and a little bit of us – which is called “seeing darkly in the mirror” or seeing in part.  As we mature we know HIM as He knows us – through the eyes of LOVE, we are known to Him and all.  In this process of cleansing we become cleansed, empty of self and pure and when that happens, again – what remains?  FAITH IN JESUS, HOPE IN JESUS & LOVE IN JESUS – we have then been purged of the World’s carnal influence, self-seeking ways, our old natures and all rebellion – against God and others.  Jesus said – if you love Me you will do as I say….  We evolve into beings who are obedient to one voice – we hear one voice and we follow it… HIS.

The Lord speaks quite harshly on “idle words”… these words are fruitless, dead and not profitable for life.  Cursing others, self or God forbid, even the Lord… Any word not profitable for FAITH, HOPE OR LOVE is an idle word.  Only the children of perdition as spoken of in Hebrews 10 use such idle words.  Mathew 26 says they have taken the broad way to destruction and are set to destroy others.  They may say destructive and disruptive things or give opinions, they are full of misery and oppose others at every turn.  We are to be for life, they are for death.  We display the nature of the Father, Who seeks life for all, they deny His nature and will often prepare a mind list of why you must die – counting faults, rather than digging for treasure hidden within someone.  The Word tells us they sadly will be excluded from the Kingdom of God and it is evident this severing is occurring right now.  Romans 9 tells us they are vessels of wrath because they have their minds on flesh or Earthly things, found in Philippians 3, they are ungodly as written in 2 Peter 3 and because they embrace death, search for it and point it out in others… they are wallowing in the Book of death – their names are not recorded in the Book of Life or else they have been blotted out – by their choosing of their own rebellious ways, unteachable – which is mentioned in Revelation 17.  It is so sad, but they have the mark of the beast upon their hearts – what they worship, they bow down to and it is self-ego.  They love self, way more than they love the truth and therefore are so compromised the beastly animalistic ways have set up inside them, as found in 2 Thessalonians 2 states – they mystery of iniquity is fully at work within their hearts, recognizable by their pride, ego and worship of self.  It is very sad to me, but on that day when Jesus returns – they will view Him as their enemy, although they may have worshiped Him with their mouths, their hearts are far from Him, so He will say, depart from Me, I never knew you.  He will say to them, your works were evil in power, signs, lying wonders, mesmerizing masses to deceive and beguile because when I really appeared before you – I was hungry, but you gave Me no food, when I was thirsty you gave me no drink and so forth… Because what you do unto the least of these, You did unto Me… Love, consoles and suffers long.  The wicked shall be revealed at the brightness of His coming, consumed by Him and destroyed – but do you know why?  His light always destroys by overtaking and overshadowing darkness.  So if we still have mixture within us when He appears, guess what happens?  We are set for consumption and destroyed.  Now remember, this is only for those who did not receive the love of the truth when it was offered – we can choose whether to receive or deny His love and His truth and His ways.  The Lord knows who is and is not truly seeking Him with all they are and who just says it for show – those pretending are sent a strong delusion so that they believe a lie because they have pleasure in doing unrighteous acts – too many to name – it is not that we all don’t make mistakes, it is the denying our shortcomings – which is a form of rebellion – that gets us into trouble.  I’ve known actual people who not only lie, they begin to believe the lie they told to the point they are delusional in their thinking so much so they want to argue their way out of getting caught, by trying to convince you that you are crazy.  The Word tells us the devil is the father of all liars.  This is no time to be excusing our sinful ways – lets just admit our fallen nature and keep praying and seeking the Lord to come to us in our time of weakness so that we are granted that gift of repentance and walk as children of light.  Not one of us is guaranteed to even wake up tomorrow – time is too short to be snagged on pride, we’ve all fallen short of His glorious ways – it doesn’t matter so much how we’ve fallen short, but rather that we whole-heartedly seek Him for reconciliation.

I was reading in 2 Thessalonians 3 – which is so timely for right now!  We surely need the Father’s assistance to sustain us within the World we live at the moment.  All over the place people are so very cunning and crafty – embracing you with their words of love and stabbing you in the back when you aren’t looking or aware they are around.  So I was praying this Scripture to the Lord and asking for Him to deliver us from unreasonable and wicked people who portray themselves as having faith and love in Jesus but do not.  I was asking Him to keep us from evil continually and direct our hearts to love Him and others and to patiently wait for Jesus.  May He divinely help us to withdraw ourselves from those who are disorderly, unruly, rebellious and refuse to submit to God’s authority or others He placed over them.  May He pour out His spirit of conviction upon those who are deviants, busybodies and unrepentant, showing them mercy to turn from their wicked ways before it is too late.  Amen.

This is all in 2 Thessalonians – I am simply interceding in agreement with what the Lord already wrote. 

I need to remind us how in verse 11 it says, it is useless to the Body to be inquisitive about other people’s private business or to busy yourself with what someone is doing, being nosey or too pre-occupied yourself with what (Michael) I mean – others are doing. Lololol    Sorry, I just had to throw that in there…  I know people who actually lose sleep watching for Michael… that’s just crazy, I don’t even do that myself, which by the way, makes Michael very uncomfortable – that I know for a fact.

I was thinking about how in verse 13 He tells us not to grow weary in doing good – our own labors wear us out don’t they?  It seems Jesus pours into us and pours out through us, but when we “do good works” it can get exhausting.  When we are doing good with Jesus, rather than by ourselves – we are strengthened in Him – to live uprightly, being righteous in our thoughts and actions, obedient, surrendered to Jesus and disciplined… Which actually strengthens us and it is the easier, calmer way to live.

He goes on in verse 14 to tell us – those who do not obey Him we are to not keep company with them.  Which actually means to associate with, mingle, entertain, be intimate with so that they become ashamed (in order to repent) – this is not saying we shun them, but rather DO NOT ENGAGE OR ENTERTAIN what they are doing – we do not participate in it.  Now a couple things about this – one is, if we share in the same sin as them we will overlook their disobedience because we do not want to change ourselves and somehow we convince ourselves if another is doing it, it is irrelevant.  Sinners just love someone they can sin with equally.  Some people take great offense at this Scripture because they are seeing it through their mindseye, but this is totally for the betterment of the other person – not for saving yourself – when you disengage in the disobedient behaviors of another it is so they make a course correction in their life, it is also how you passively can redirect someone without preaching to them.  Remember, this is about them, not you.

Let’s say you have someone who calls you and every time they do – they always work their way around to a topic of complaint or finding faults in others.  You hang on the phone, not injecting, just listening – but you don’t speak up either.  By doing nothing, you are telling them without saying – what they are doing is acceptable in your presence… We are to avoid such darkness, not go along with it by being silent.  Instead, as led by the Holy Spirit we can tell them we are happy to talk to them about anything but gossip, complaints or faults in others and when they start in – we say, sorry I need to go now.  If we do this on a consistent basis, eventually that door for the enemy to enter into your conversations will be closed and hopefully, this person will realize and be ashamed enough to repent.  If they refuse to stop, then you do not have to keep taking their phone calls, in hopes they will reflect on their own disobedience.  Saying nothing is not doing them a favor.  Often when we take a stand of boldness in the Lord – they will lash out and cut you off and that is okay, that is their freewill and an excellent time for us to intercede and pray for them continually.

We are told in verse 15 to not count this person as an enemy, but love them enough as a brother or sister for that matter to admonish them.  And of course, we do these things with a heart of love for them – don’t admonish anyone you do not have a close inner relationship with – but an intimate one of the heart.  Admonish sounds so much harsher than it actually is – because people walk around already in offense.  Admonish in Greek simply means to:  warn, caution or gently correct.  Remember – rules without relationship breeds rebellion.  If you do not have a relationship with someone, don’t try to instill a rule on them – love always is the key or else they will rebel. 

Recently, I had someone I have no relationship with try to put the smack down on me and it even made me rebel against them – meaning reject what they were faultfinding about as it wasn’t grounded in love, I thought who are you to tell me – I don’t even know you and you certainly do not know me, obviously or you would have never have done what you did….  Lol  so see, none of us want to be admonished by someone who does not love us first.  And listen closely, do not be deceived – PEOPLE PERCEIVE WHETHER LOVE IS AUTHENTIC OR NOT – words mean hardly anything – love is a presence you carry that others discern.

I should point out here – that not everyone is empty enough of self yet to actually admonish anyone.  If we are not empty of self and go around admonishing people – well, the Lord will remove His covering hand for a time and the enemy will tear you to shreds – I learned this the hard way, so please take it from me, you don’t want to go there.

We cannot have anger, strife, envy, competition, pride, disobedience, self-willed power and such within us or what we reveal or unleash upon another will come back to us multiplied AND the Lord allows this reaping so we become more wise in what we sow.  Believe me, I’ve been beaten with many stripes…

The Lord commands us to not be a stumbling block to someone by embracing or entertaining their sinful practices, we do not condone disobedience in another, but rather surrender to the Lord ourselves and Him alone, in that He may use us if He so desires. 

The truth is we are all a mixed bag of souls at the moment and what you look for in others, you will surely find.  Sometimes it may be harder to dig deep inside someone to see the hidden treasures – but they are surely there – seeds of faith, hope and love, just beginning to blossom to life.  If we are looking for faults, mistakes, sin, evil and such within others – we will surely find that too.  But Jesus called us to water seeds already sown in that the Father may give increase to that seed.  Most often, even the worst of the bullies on Earth respond to a little sprinkling of love.  They soften even just a little and it really fills you with joy.  The call the Lord placed on my heart for us all for today is… RESPOND ONLY IN LOVE TO LOVE.  We do not even need to respond to the negative of another, just give attention to the positive – if only it is fleeting – look for opportunities to draw out the good treasure of another, no matter how sparse it may be.  This is called edifying another!

So how we respond to others is everything!  That is the takeaway from today’s study.  If someone is spewing evil and we respond with good – guess what remains?  The good in us remains intact.  If someone is full of anger and we respond in peace – the peace within us shall remain.  Help us Lord not to fuel the fire raging in others, but instead by the living water of love to extinguish all that which torments and rages those we love so dearly.  Amen.

A good place to start for many of us is to just stop responding all together.  To do nothing in response to anger before learning how to respond appropriately.  I call it – don’t get down and dirty rolling in the mud with someone – just refraining is a step in the right direction.

Thank you all so much for joining me today.  I pray today’s life lesson makes your life just a little easier to handle in this tumultuous World we are living in.  Please keep clinging to that which is good – Jesus, no matter what!  Love and Bless you so very much!

Good Morning Blessings, thank you for joining me today on this ROF Ministries broadcast.  Wow – what an abrupt seasonal change here in Nebraska – Sunday it was 100 and yesterday dropped down to the lower 40’s. Susan called it weather whiplash and I giggled… It most certainly is!  The Lord is really keeping us on our toes these days, isn’t He?  He allows the storm and He also calms it, He is so worthy of our praise and worship – thank You Lord for Your divine overseeing of our lives.  Spiritually speaking we are water walkers….  With all the chaos, storms, fears below our feet, so long as we keep our eyes fully fixated on Jesus, He promises us we will not sink and drown.  He is pulling us up and out of all the turmoil – so hey, we are gonna be okay…  Or at least that is what I keep telling my own soul.  Lol

So it seems lately it is so easy to absorb the negativity which surround us each day – mainly because we care.  We genuinely care for the wellbeing of others and so much so it can deplete us to some extent.  As what is truly within someone is surfacing – including us – the closer we get to Jesus, our eyes are being opened to see as He sees.  And I often think to myself, Lord I am not strong enough for this burden I carry for others, both in the World still and even those in the church.  The pressing can be a bit much at times.  What is the pressing?  The pressing is that Jesus is the answer to all our troubles – He is there waiting, to take hold of their hand and help them through the dark place they are in.  But only those with ears to hear will hear and therein lies the dilemma.  It is stunning to me to actually know so many who profess to be Christians and yet get angry if you encourage them by pointing to Him.  And that right there is what I was not prepared for – how about you?

But we press on, towards the high calling, to the mark, to Jesus, our Prince of Peace and the one our soul loves.  Because, its all about choices…  The choice we make today, lays the foundation for all of our tomorrows and it is evident, sowing and reaping has never been so real.  It is true we may not have the full picture to what the Lord is doing – but keep in remembrance, we have always been granted enough direction and wisdom to obey Him.  During these speculative days of men, it is imperative we perceive and embrace God’s heart.  The media platforms are so full of mixture and how they are discipling people to their own views of what is truth is staggering.  As our eyes become opened to the fullness of the Word, it is so easy to discern what is mixture now – but who can endure it?  It is within the Church people are actually making money to make you afraid.  The scare tactics they are using is evidence they have stumbled to a new low.  To not only serve the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, but to profit from it? Oh my… Lord have mercy.  Who knew over a year ago when the Lord gave me the words “selling the drama” it would come to this?  I want to remind us all that Jesus should be exhaulted above every name.  And above all knowledge, wisdom, revelation, signs and wonders… We have a choice to make each and every day – It is my prayer we choose Jesus lifted up.  When He is our choice, nothing moves us to react, but rather we respond by compassion just as He would.  As we cease from our own labors now, He does a mighty work within us and through us, so nothing has to be calculated on our parts.  Jesus alone is our stability in that we are not tired, weary and feeble in the mind.  And remember a double minded man is unstable in all his ways…. Guess what he speaks with?  A forked tongue – serpent speech is toxic and poison.  We are either moving from strength to strength, growing in our intimate relationship with Jesus or weakness to weakness.  The beauty in Jesus is, when we are weak, He is strong – so it is a win-win, when your life is surrendered fully to Him.

As the truth is being exposed in who we are actually dealing with – let’s remember to make our yes, mean yes and our no, no.  We cannot remain inconsistent in our actions and love to one another anymore and have credibility.  Our walk must match our talk and if it doesn’t, well… when the pressing comes it will when its over, that’s a guarantee.  The Lord is not looking for big grandiose performances – He is looking for sincerity of the heart.  The smallest of gestures done by us by the purity of the heart is huge in His eyes, which the grandest of gestures with mixture are not accepted as a Holy offering unto Him.  I love this – because no one is counted out, as long as we give our all – we’ve done all we can and that glorifies Jesus to the highest degree.  Consider the ant, comes to mind…  Some of us are like a teeny tiny ant, but recognized by only Jesus, so much so no one would scarcely consider us – but our Lord most certainly does.  So it is in this mixed up World we find ourselves, I mean find our true selves – as worshippers of Jesus.  It is by seeking Him within us, finding Him and placing Him above all else that tries to enter and taint who we were created to be from the beginning of time.  As we wash ourselves with His Word, our eyes begin to open, no longer tainted by the darkness, we rise and shine like the children of light who are purposed to be those beacons pointing to Him and Home.  I was thinking about how in the Bible people are often referred to by the word “sea” and I was pondering with our Lord how it is the sea of people who often seek to drag us downward, spiraling along with them – so for this reason it has never been more eminent we fixate our eyes continually on Him or we could be swept away so easily.  Sadly, the truth is there are a lot of demons out in the World these days dressed as humans.  And if we get caught up in their chaotic confusion we too could drown.  Lately, I find myself often gasping for air, due to the toxicity of others – which reminds me to hold fast to what I know, as the Day of the Lord is quickly upon us.  So this is a great reminder that if we are locked into anyone or anything more than Jesus – if anything IN THIS WORLD has our attention more than Jesus does – then our broken condition is often self-inflicted, isn’t it?  Does that make sense to you all?  We are not often the victims we think we are, we just decided to dance with darkness way too much.  I am speaking to myself here, as well and I never really thought of it this way before.  The truth is – evil company corrupts.  And I know we need Biblical precepts for that truth, because it sounds sort of offensive, doesn’t it?

Let’s read in 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners.

It would be a really good idea for you all to read that whole chapter – but for now, you get the picture, right?  Speaking about evil – corrupts us, because to recognize something we must be familiar with it.  In the next verse it says – Awake to righteousness and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame.  Again pretty plain and simple, once awake, once righteous we stop sinning in this way, by discussing evil ways – having knowledge about our Lord, focused on Him – no time for entertaining evil, let alone be curious about it.  We are then filled with THE GOOD NEWS, we speak of Jesus at that point, if we are really changed into a new creature. 

He goes on to speak of different kinds of flesh bodies and how we are raised up from death and corruption to incorruption and from dishonor to glory and from weakness to power.  We are sown upon the Earth a natural body, the Word tells us, we are raised up in Jesus as a Spiritual body.  WE ARE A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST – this is not only speaking of what is to come, this is relevant for where we are today.  Verse 48 tells us – as is the Earthy (speaking of humans) are earthly so are the Heavenly, also are they that are Heavenly and just as we once bore the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the Heavenly.  He goes on to tell us – flesh and blood (alone) cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (which by the way is at hand – not necessarily in some distant time and place, but now for His own) and he says to us that also those who are in corruption will not inherit incorruption.  He is speaking about death here because without Jesus we are already perishing.  There is a mystery here – that not all shall sleep (natural death/remain an old creature) but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in a blink of an eye, at the last trump upon sounding the dead (corruptible) shall be raised incorruptible and BE CHANGED.  He goes on to tell us the corruptible must put on incorruption and the mortal (perishing) must put on immortality.  And this He tells us is – when death (eternal death) is swallowed up in victory, death (corruption) has lost it’s sting against who?  Us, what? Our flesh… Because at the end of the Chapter it says, THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN AND THE STRENGTH OF DEATH IS THE LAW but we have been given victory over all sin which so easily ensnares through our precious Lord Jesus. Wow – for those of you all who caught this – I bet you are doing a happy dance in your chair right now.  No one has to sin any longer unless we choose to do so.

When the Lord calls us – when He tells us to rise up, walk… be healed, made whole our countenance changes, doesn’t it?  All the curses of death which were upon us were smashed and in their place is actually victory over sin and death which does corrupt – we have living power within us to really for real – go and sin no more!!!  And as a man thinks, so is he… so if we think we are a sinner – we will walk out a life of sin BUT if we think we are victorious over sin and that it cannot sting us to corrupt us anymore – guess what we will walk out?  A sinless life, we are being raised incorruptible by evil darkness losing it’s grip, no longer walking by lusts, rather as children of the daylight.  Someone please tell me you see this spiritually!  Once we perceive ourselves not as sinners, we will be more steadfast, unmovable and constantly abounding in the work of the Lord.  The enemy wants us to thirst for evil, so that we believe we are sinners who crave to sin so it is okay to just be a sinner – but we were created for so much more than this!  Once you see this – someone can offer you some evil to dine on, listen to, watch or partake of and YOU, your INCORRUPTIBLE SELF will so rapidly and easily say – no thank you. 

Oh my word… how did I get off on this topic?  Lol… oh well, Oh I know… Evil company corrupts good manners – like a rotten potato will corrupt a whole bag of them unless it is removed.

So some of us are having bad potatoes removed from our lives and it hurts our hearts deeply, doesn’t it?  Yet, we trust the Lord – that it is best for us and them because He has a purpose and a plan which is perfect, knowing the end from the beginning and all that’s in between… It doesn’t mean they are bad or we are good or that one is higher or lower than another – It simply means His will is being done eternally in our lives and theirs in which naturally there must be separation.  We will find a greater understanding of how He is purifying us in such a beautiful way in Colossians 3 ~

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

² Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

³ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

⁴ When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

⁵ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

⁶ For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

⁷ In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

⁸ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

⁹ Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

¹⁰ And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

¹¹ Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

¹³ Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

¹⁴ And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

¹⁷ And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

²¹ Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

²² Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

²³ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

²⁴ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

²⁵ But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

So you see at every turn the Lord is showing us to not behave in death and darkness – to return to the innocence of HIM to our initial plan and purpose – to put away old and childish ways, which are not our divine appointment for today as children of light and love and children of God, not children who disobey Him because we know Him and to know Him is to love Him and when we love Him we will do just as He says.

Okay… moving on…. Literally. Lol

Now we need to have a serious discussion…  Because many of us are ultra-sensitive in the heart and spirit right now.  The World has rejected those who are not its own – so therefore, those in the World have rejected us and wow, it can be very heartbreaking.  And don’t think about this from the stand point of saved and unsaved… but rather those who are loyal and those who are not.  Those who were purposed to love and haven’t walked it out – those who professed love and when it came time to push through, walked away.  And to deflect they will usually turn it on you, so they do not have to own up to their part in the abandonment.  Its okay, listen, people did the same thing to Jesus – just remember when He was going up to pray before His death and He pleaded with a few disciples to stay awake with Him, He surely was in need of comfort and agreement that night and they all fell asleep – so an angel came to strengthen Jesus.  You remember that Bible story?  Well anyway, some have done the same thing to us… they “fell asleep” when they prior professed they would diligently stay awake and walk with us.  And we too have another comforter sent to us to encourage and strengthen us, just as Jesus is in our times of need.  When God allows this to happen I always remind myself, His ways are perfect and chances are He used me for a season and a reason and that He very well could be intervening to save me from something horrific I have no idea about.  It is in HIM WE MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING, it is in Him we find gratification to our souls, peace which looks ridiculous in the storms and life everlasting because He really will never leave us or forsake us – He is not like man, who will lie, thankfully.

In spiritual maturity we understand that not everyone thinks like we do or acts like we do – so to swim in the mind sea of “I would never do that to someone” only stirs up discontentment and chaos – so let’s put that to rest right now and lay those thoughts at the feet of Jesus.  To no longer seek to control or hold anyone to legal binding words – just forgive, release and bless those who have hurt you in such a way, as you hand them over to the Father for His saving mercy and grace to embrace them with His love, in order they have a space and time to repent.

Alright, to bounce off this… I need to discuss something very important with you all.  This message right now is for those who are highly sensitive in nature to the wellbeing of others.  Those who have a gift for discerning if someone is “okay” spiritually or not at any given moment.  You are sort of a heart reader – and can easily tell when the words of another are not quite lining up with what is in the heart, causing you much internal pain of the heart.  If this is you – please listen up for a moment.  It is likely you are wondering not only what is happening but why? 

I love a quote I received today from Pastor Russ Walden, who said – The Lord called us to have character, not be one.  Which means, He called our walks to match our talks, to no longer put on a front of holiness in the view of others and then do iniquitous evil things when no one is looking.  When being purified, all the mixture is burned off – and it is our job to make ourselves ready for the coming of the Lord.  When we first are saved by calling out to Jesus – He washes away all our past sins, making us clean – our sins are thrown into the sea of forgetfulness and are gone, forever.  We have a fresh start, a reset, and are actually born again, spiritually speaking – How amazing is that?  Thank You Lord.  However, from that point forward, it is our job to repent and turn away from iniquity to truly go and sin no more.  And when we do sin and are convicted that we immediately go to Him with a sorrow in our heart for being disobedient – to be cleansed once again, to resist all forms of evil and not partake in it any longer – repentance is key to being in God’s family.  Right now all over the World the Father is pleading with His people to get right with Him, I keep wondering how far He will have to go before they listen and return to Him?  It is heart-wrenching at times to view from afar – while we sit quietly in prayer.  And this is what it looks like to be sensitive in the Spirit right now…  It is like you are overwhelmed with a solemn and sober heart to lament on behalf of others, having put away childish things.

Finally, as I kept going to Him in tears on behalf of the backslidden and those caught in mixture – pleading and praying and often thinking this is just too much to bear…  The Lord comforted me to comfort you all, who are feeling the same as I am.  And this is a portion of what He said ~

A Message Delivered ~

The Father’s Embrace of Those with Little Strength

September 13, 2020

My Precious and Crushed Daughter –

It is I who placed the Earth into motion and ordained who would come and who would go and when.  It is I who gathered the angels together and sprinkled the skies with the light of their glory and it is I who plucked each one, purposely sending them as Messengers down to Earth for the glory of My Name.  For they have tasted and seen that I am good to deliver the fullness of My love.  They do not resist the fullness of Me, but rather embrace the way in which I lead them back to My security of safety.  All that I do, I do for the remnant of faithful followers who call out to Me day and night with their whole hearts, which cannot be divided. 

Presently, who the World calls My church, is infiltrated with imposters, seeking to save their own lives, through their own wills to be done and I will not plead with My people much longer.  For you My chosen ones, it is time to be still and know I am God.  Let the heathen rage and seek knowledge of good and evil, denying the wholeness of Me, in which there is no shadow of turning.  They will trip upon the snare of pride, which so easily draws them in, as they gather unto themselves those who are of a likeminded soul, mirroring themselves. 

Again, I say to you – come out and be separated, sit in the silent, secret place with Me until My indignation passes. Pray continually, longing and looking fervently for that day of hope, when I gather My elect from the four corners of the Earth.  I command all things into existence – your hope is found securely and solely in Me. And now that your eyes have been opened, you must trust Me with all things, including those you love, especially those you surround yourself with, who are mixed with miry clay; distorting the vision of the blind leading the blind, only to find both of themselves within a ditch of knowledge. 

The tide has turned now, in which calamity after calamity is the call I put forth – but who will hear?  Who will see?  Who will call out to Me in truth, turning from their wickedly devised plans, confessing their faulty finds one to another?  Until My people mourn, there is no saving grace.  Until My people hear from Heaven, there is no resolution or rest for the soul. 

But you My child, who the World has counted out and the church members have refused to hear, are safely and securely in the bosom of My love – so absorbed, you hear our hearts beating as one.  You, My love, are just now in full observation of seeing on display, that which I love and that which I hate.  Is that word “hate” too much for you?  Do you not realize I despise evil and did not create it, as man has spoken that falsity to you?  Again I say, I did not create evil.  All that I create is good, but rather it is man who strips the purity away from what I create, infusing it with evil through pride.  It was pride which caused lucifer to fall and it is pride which has always set the course before, the fall of all men. 

My chosen vessel resist pride and evil at every turn, seeking obedience above all sacrifices, even so, before the alter of My Son Jesus.  I know you have little strength and have not denied My name, but you must hold fast until I come and not be swayed by the words of man, who’s breath is like tongues of fire to destroy.

Above all things, guard your heart, lest someone steal your crown of life, which is My righteousness dripping down out of Heaven’s throne to infuse you with the hope of My quickened return.  Be warned, as you continually long for My appearing – there are those who long for My delay, in order they be not caught in their snares of deceit; who will persecute and humiliate you, in order to pressure you to deny that which you’ve known from the innocence of a child. 

Those who belong to Me, will never be plucked out of the hand of My vineyard of readiness.  The time of My coming is at hand, each day I come and abide with those Who love Me, with the purity of their hearts.  Listen for and hear My still small voice, in the midst of the proclaimers of Earth based wisdom.  As I lead, you follow.  I am separating and I am dividing, by My calls to come close and be one with Me.  I am taking you beside still waters, where those caught up in works refuse to go.  I am searching high and low for those who are satisfied with only Me, knowing this World has nothing to offer them.  Watch – continually learn from Me, let me reveal to you more and more about those things on Earth, which I love and gather unto Myself and those things on Earth which I hate and cast away. 

Did you hear My trumpet call of choice, which has gone out?  It is through this call, those who refused to make a choice are forced to do so – and when your eyes are opened Spiritually, it is plain to see who is and is not with Me, as many attempt to purchase the fruit of their hands, which carry forth the desires of their hearts and not Mine. 

Love is not your ticket to Heaven, for even the heathens love one another, My Son is… The only way to enter into My loving embrace and acceptance.  At this very moment My eyes are searching the Earth to see who truthfully loves Him.  Every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. 

The question is – Who is bowing and confessing now?  Who is clothed in humility now?  Who is within the containment of purity now?  Who is eating of the Tree of Life now?  For those My dear… They are the ones to watch.  Watch therefore… For when the sun sets in the West, the light shall arise in the East and all eyes will behold Him and His reward is with Him.  His reward shall shine with the brightness of His coming and all will know I have loved you with an everlasting love and be greatly ashamed they didn’t. 

Awaken My people out of the sleep of selfish pride.  Awaken to soberness and truth.  Awaken to the gathering unto Me, for My Bride is already, ready.

Eternally yours,                        

Your Father In Heaven

Okay…. That was a lot and probably a good place to stop for today and there are a few things in what He gave me I don’t even have full clarity on myself.  When the Lord speaks, it always shakes me a little or a lot truthfully.  Before I go, I must share the Scripture He gave me to go along with His words.  Although this may seem somewhat uncommon to you all, He gives me writings like this all the time – He just rarely releases me to share them.  All I ask is for you to pray about it, take this to Him and of course, test it by the Spirit and Scripture.

Proverbs 6 is what He gave me, for those with ears to hear ~

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

² Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

³ Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

⁴ Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

⁵ Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

⁷ Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

⁸ Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

⁹ How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¹⁰ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹ So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

¹² A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

¹³ He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

¹⁴ Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

¹⁵ Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

¹⁶ These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

¹⁷ A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹ A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰ My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

²¹ Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

²² When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

²³ For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

²⁴ To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵ Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶ For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.

²⁷ Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸ Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

²⁹ So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

³⁰ Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

³¹ But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

³² But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

³³ A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

³⁴ For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵ He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

So we must ask ourselves…  Is the fullness of His Word too much for us?  Do we prefer to have our ears tickled with the candy coating words of what is pleasing to the eye and ear? 

When we still prefer to negotiate with one another or even the Lord over what He has conveyed to us in His Word, then it reveals just how much mixture we still have within us.  Jesus is coming for a pure chaste Bride – meaning no mixture what so ever.  When negotiating His word, has become something we fall back on, then we are on a very dangerous path.  The Lord is calling His own to turn back from all wicked ways of iniquity and really, for real… go and sin no more, abiding with Him always.

As we begin to love what the Father loves and hate what He hates we have proof internally that He truly is ruling and reigning over us in our hearts.  To no longer desiring to sin IS HIM RULING & REIGNING OVER US…  I know we have so much more to talk about regarding this, but I am going to leave it with that for today so that you may seek Him more and ask Him to reveal more of Himself and more of yourself to you.  It takes both to be His… To KNOW HIM and to KNOW OURSELVES.  He always reveals before He delivers, in that He gets the glory.

Good Morning Blessings to you all – thank you for joining us today on this ROF Ministries broadcast.  How are you all holding up?  Nothing seems to be coming at us in an easy way these days, does it?  This reminds me of the Scripture in Revelation 3 – repent, I am coming quickly, hold fast to what you have, in that you let no man steal your crown – which is a mark of royalty.  Sometimes it is all I can do to breathe, let alone hold fast – you all know that feeling?  We have so many do this and don’t do that floating around, our heads can spin.  Sometimes you just need to keep it simple like a little child…  Seek Jesus with all that you are and you will never be so lost He cannot find you and Shepherd you. 

I know I said we would be back in Job… Well, instead the Lord pressed upon me to finish our five-fold ministry study.  Lord willing, next Wednesday we will be back in Job.  It was funny but I kept reading and reading and reading in Job – listening and waiting for the Lord to speak so I could put some study materials together.  I got up to Chapter 8 and stopped and said, Lord… You haven’t given me anything to share then I heard a nudging in my spirit that we must finish what we started last week.  So with that here we are.

Hopefully, you were with us Wednesday or had a chance to hear the archive, because today we will hit the ground running to build upon what we learned the other day about the five-fold ministry gifts.

Where do you fit?  Because everyone who is a misfit in this World, fits perfectly in the Body of Christ – yay!  Now that is good news, real good news for many of us and just as He formed us in our mother’s womb, He is forming us and knitting us together as one in Him.  That was natural, this is spiritual.  We learned the other day, the main requirement is just to seek Him with your whole heart.

We discussed how titles of this World, even inside the church of the world is not important, but how Jesus’s anointed apostles, pastors, teachers, evangelists and prophets are a display of the fullness of Him on Earth, through surrendered vessels like you and me.  You were counted out of the World to be counted into Jesus’s flock, which is very good news indeed and all are welcome.  So the invitation as gone out, just as we studied in Ephesians 4 and there is no time like the present to just lay yourself down in surrender and give all of yourself and the World’s entanglements to Him knowing, I just cannot do this anymore on my own, or even with the advice of friends.

WE are becoming His Church and it is beautiful and terrible and tumultuous and lovely all at the same time – just like a real birth is… very distressing until the baby is born and revealed to the World. We surely are getting closer to our revealing, aren’t we?

We need to make sure we understand there is no mediator between us and Jesus any longer – thankfully we can each go directly to Him anytime we desire and He meets us where we are, when we call out to Him from the heart.  There is no one on Earth, not even a leader you look up to, who can take the place of our relationship or fellowship with Jesus.  And we often have to give up many things, people and viewpoints, including and especially self, to meet with Him intimately in such a precious way. 

I am saying “5 fold ministry” today with a caution, because those exact words are not in the Bible, yet they do give placement to what we are talking about because man uses them a lot.  The 5 gifts of the fullness of Jesus would be a better description, Biblically speaking.  But for knowledge sake, we will call them the 5-fold ministry gifts, because there are five of them and they are for the sheepfold, so it totally makes sense.  These gifts align with the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3…. They actually “give witness” to the Church Body spoken in Revelation.  Interesting, isn’t it?  This ministry is ACTIVELY BEING THE CHURCH… doing church for all you doers out there… lol 

As followers and worshipers of Jesus – We have been anointed to do what He did, Amen?  Once filled with the Holy Spirit you have received power from on high… His power – to the measurement we have emptied out and He poured in… The more empty we are of self, the more power we yield upon the Earth through the Holy Spirit.  In Luke 4:18 – Jesus told those in the synagogues that “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised. 

Okay… There’s your assignment and it also is your anointing.  No wonder the enemy tries to keep us in a victim mindset, overcome with past hurts, wounded and rejected and drunk in the mind with offense.  If he can keep us focused on self, we do not grab hold of what was granted to us and set others free.  Can captives set free captives?  No… just like satan cannot cast out satan.  The prison is more in the mind than anywhere else – as a man thinks so is he, just as out of the mouth reveals the truth of one’s heart. 

We, by the power of our Lord should be:  giving good news to the poor, healing broken hearts, sharing about Jesus’s deliverance to those who are held captive by the grip of the enemy, opening spiritual eyes that are blinded and free those who are wounded.  I must say, these words really excite me!  Talk about freedom!  No blindness, no wounds, no longer poor, no captivity of the enemy whatsoever!  I want that in fullness, don’t you?

We surely will get there – The righteous are moving from glory to glory or should I say – growth to growth, which is more accurate really – we are shining brighter and brighter the more we surrender.  As overcomers, the upside to challenges is – everything which does not replicate Jesus is being cleansed away, while everything that does replicate Him within us is increasing.  The only downside is… we are dying.  Lol… to the flesh that is!  Spiritually we are actually coming alive!

Seems like we could use just a little more of a review from last week ~

We discussed the fullness of Jesus’s countenance given to us, based on the needs of others so that we display Him on Earth to grow and expand the Kingdom of Heaven here.  In the fullness of Jesus are five gifts which anoint His members of His Body for the goodness of His sheepfold, whether they have entered in yet or not… they have a divine invitation set before them and He uses us, when we are clothed in humility to accomplish His will by activated love.  In this, we carry within us what those we come into contact with are in need of through the sharing of Jesus’s virtue – we, like Him are being poured out as a drink offering to the fullest when emptied of self.

So a full and whole Body of Christ has these five elements of anointings in which we are used as His hands and feet, found in Ephesians 4 and for most of you this will be a review:

• Apostle – Greek meaning:  a delegated messenger for the Lord sent with orders from Him to carry out – An overseer, shares in the sufferings of others in order to empower them for the Kingdom’s service, operates as a servant to uplift others in vision and sends out other messengers to perform God’s will, an ambassador of the Gospel
• Prophet – Greek meaning:  One who is moved by the Spirit of God to interpret oracles or hidden things relating to His Kingdom pertaining to salvation.  Speaks often in warnings of what is to come with the underlying message warning to repent because that day draw nigh.
• Evangelist – Greek meaning:  One who carries the Good News to spread it among the inhabitants of the Earth, they prepare the way of the Lord by gathering in the sheepfold, inviting all because all are welcome.
• Pastor – Greek meaning:  A Shephard who tends directly to the sheep, they watch over, comfort, lead the sheep to wells of life giving drink and water, nurtures the wounds of the sheep, carries the sheep to find rest beside still waters, offers loved based correction and direction – keeping them focused on the narrow path in order they do not wander and be devoured and is constantly awake and alert to protect from sheep from adversaries.  Note:  Everywhere in the Bible when you see the word Shepherd it is synonymous with Pastor in the Greek
• Teacher – Greek meaning:  One who teaches on the things of God and how they relate to the duties of man, one who unveils and instructs God’s written word to feed the sheep in a simplistic and understandable way so clarity is granted and the Word is applied in the lives of followers.

I know I’ve said this a hundred times it seems, but these are not titles before or after our names – they are a piece of Jesus operating through us as His hands and feet, more recognizable by others than ourselves.

Jesus was given dominion and power and glory over His everlasting Kingdom – which is expanding continually.  Since we abide in His Kingdom, our comfort will not ever pass away either, it will not be destroyed, overtaken or ruled over by darkness of any kind.  Everything rests on Jesus – HE IS… Our wonderful Counselor, our mighty God and eternal Father, He is our Prince of Peace too!

Again…  Where does He reside?  Within you, within me.  What is the timing of all this?  Now!  His Kingdom is at hand, internally present and continually activated.  It’s here and it’s surely increasing because it is expanding in the hearts of His people.  We are like shining lights walking around radiating all brightness to consume the darkness.  Hearts are being exposed and revealed and what is inwardly ruling is surfacing… It is evident some are perishing more than we realized, while others are rising to the occasion of His calling them forth and from this respect, it is both great and terrible.

Are you all familiar at all with forerunners?  One in particular you are very familiar with is, John the Baptist, he prepared the way of the Lord.  Many of you all are very similar… You prepare the way of the Lord to masses of people and chances are you do not even know it – but you sow seeds of truth and love into others, in which the Father gives the increase to every single day.

Forerunners look at the big picture of things and realize Spiritually, Jesus is building His Church – which requires no walls or natural devices to expand internally.  Although it does have rippled effects to the natural at times, but not always.  It is hidden and unseen to the naked eye, one must see spiritually to view Jesus’s Church Body.

We know His Bride is already beheld by Him, just not revealed yet, as we are still hidden in Christ Jesus.  We also are already ruling and reigning with Jesus, by Him being on the throne of our hearts – which that too will manifest in the not too distant future in His timing.  For now we are seated with Christ on Earth just as it is in Heaven.  This is amazing stuff isn’t it?  But here is a side note – if Jesus isn’t ruling over our own personal lives – then He is also not ruling through us over the Earth, we are.

We are told to “seek ye first the Kingdom of God” – We must daily ask ourselves this one important question – What am I seeking first today?  Because when it is Jesus we are seeking first – He then will take His seat inside us.  There is a battle for that position within our hearts and the battle maybe a little shocking, because in order for Jesus to take His appointed seat within us – something has to be knocked off…  Guess what that is?  Self.  This may irritate some of us, because we’ve been told just how holy we are already or how we’ve already made it, to some degree, or even that we are righteous.  Well, as long as self is on the seat of the throne of our hearts – then self is the origination of all we are.  If that is irritating – then you proved my point.  Lol…  Only flesh of self gets irritated by truth while the Spirit is truth and always in agreement with the Word of God.  Every single time we are offended we are not walking in the Spirit – wakeup call and note to self on this one.  Oh and by the way – the Spirit does get grieved with mournful sadness at the condition of man – but not offended and never lashes out or seeks its own way.  It is necessary offenses come in order to reveal the truth of us and when offended we display what is really inside that many try to hide. 

We are only permitted to operate in His Kingdom if He is the only one ruling and reigning according to His will, His way by His design.  Remember – we rule WITH HIM, not in place of or over Him.  If it is not His will being done, it is ours and the last desire we should seek is to rule over others – like the god of forces.  I call that being bossy… lol… always telling others what to do and how to do like a foolish child.

Also, keep in mind we are to preach the Gospel of Jesus’s Church, not the church we gather at, we are sent out to preach the Gospel of Good News – which in many cases has nothing to do with what man is prompted to utter.  The call upon our lives is not to fellowship with one another, the Lord said to not forsake it (meaning deny it) – but listen closely to me please – we are not to promote it either.  We build it at the Lord’s guidance and He will lead them to join with us, or not.  We don’t “sell” the gospel or count souls… we just share the gospel with others at His guidance.  There are a lot of people who are gonna be shaken here in the real near future… Mark my words. 

You know a Godly leader is authentic when he or she cares about the WHOLE FLOCK, not just their own.  When Jesus is ruling over a body of believers – competition, envy, strife, jealousy, backbiting ceases.  And right now, the purposed plan of offense is revealing just who is and is not counted among the sheepfold.

Because Jesus rules and we surrender to Him – we have POWER, SPIRIT AND TRUTH.  And nothing will mark you as an enemy of someone quicker than knowing the truth about them.  People will often reveal just enough to you for you to feel sorry for them, but anything more you know, if they have ulterior motives –they will try and discount you before you can reveal the truth of them, and it is highly doubtful you ever even would do so.  Those with nothing to hide, hide nothing, but they sure are paranoid.  Have you noticed how quickly you become someone’s enemy when they cannot manipulate anymore…. Ahh, the price for freedom.

Without a life fully surrendered to the Lord we will preach our news, our self-made kingdoms, our truth and our ways…  It is very formula based, like a ritual or key as to how things worked for us, denying the power and yet ever learning about the truth, and remember, knowledge puffs up and man’s words are found for a dime a dozen – so stick with what Jesus said.

Like I say a lot – the church is the forest – it is all over the World, not local or your favorite fellowship gathering place, which is a tree in the midst of a large forest.  The size of the tree doesn’t matter, but rather whether the fruit it is producing is good – to the Lord Jesus.

Our number one priority is – What does King Jesus desire?  Not how content are the sheep you flock with each day.  If we could stay focused on Him all the time – it would weed out all the goats and tares quickly due to offense, because they are so self-focused all the time.

I want to remind us too how important suffering is to our growth.  Suffering makes the church grow and grow and grow, as well as multiplies our strength.  In times of distress, one really comes to realize what does and does not matter.  Many people only seek God when they are in a crisis – it is sort of His introduction of Himself to us.  We’ve all been through this a time a two or if you are like me… about a thousand times. Lol  I can be really dense sometimes.

This is a real big issue of contention and strife – But there is no competition in Jesus’s Church.  None.  Politics in the Earthly church are rampant and still in the hearts of many who fellowship, but the Word tells us only fools compare themselves to one another.  Just a side note: if we did not feel threatened by another, we would not slander them either, to lift ourselves up.  Slander is forbidden by the Father and therefore, is not on the lips of His Saints or in their hearts either.   

Listen to what 2 Corinthians 10:12 says ~

¹² For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Comparison, size and power only matters to hirelings, those who directly answer to Jesus primarily are concerned that souls make it to the Kingdom, not how they enter there as long as it is through the Narrow Gate, Jesus.  This Scripture reminds us it is only the unwise who compare numbers or faith by the lifting up of self.  This is why we constantly talk about conforming to Jesus and not one another.  Again, Jesus’s church is full of His workers who care about one simple thing – that all make it in – not what door they enter in through except be it through Jesus, the only true door to Heaven.

We’ve gotten things so backwards it seems, no wonder judgment starts in God’s own household.  Most churches nowadays are accommodating sinners and compromising on Jesus.  Isn’t that backwards?  We should get back to welcoming, making room and accommodating for Jesus to enter, so sinners are not so easily comfortable with compromise and sin in our lives, so we are truly made whole, delivered, set free, healed and go and sin no more with the power and blood of Jesus Himself.  Jesus told us if we invite and accommodate Him, without partiality to sin, He will draw people unto Himself to commune with us.

I am in agreement if the whole church body right now would unite, BY THE HEART, in truth not just outwardly, we could alter the course of the World in a matter of days, let alone our Nation.  The Father says He appoints leaders over us that we deserve – you do know He is talking to us don’t you?  The World is the World but His words are for the church…  There are enough believers right now covering all of planet Earth to be a majority, so numbers are not the problem – unity is.  Take the chatroom for example – you cannot have 10 people in there without someone tearing someone else down, shameful really.  We are to build each other up, not tear one another to shreds.  If we can’t unify 10 people, how in the World could a Nation be unified?  Without surrender to Jesus and Him taking His seat and us being removed…  We not only deserve the shaking which is coming, it is His merciful hand doing it.  Too many ministers refuse to work together for the Lord’s Kingdom, because we’ve built our own and too many self-absorbed children are so busy measuring and correcting one another instead of seeking the Lord for themselves.  I often wonder how many will not make it to Heaven for judging so harshly Catholics, for example, only to later find out the one they shamed with fiery darts made it in and they didn’t?  I realize these are strong words, but time is to short to keep dancing around with the truth, we need immersed within it.  What a shocking surprise it will be to celebrate with the prostitutes and alcoholics around the throne with Jesus, while the robed righteous peer from afar off…  Well, that’s just a word picture – but it actually manifested in Jesus’s day just like that.

The Kingdom’s mindset is not minimal or singular in thought.  The Lord can do what He wants, with who He wants, anytime He wants and God forbid we question His ways.  He does not judge on size or number or even church affiliation, but rather if we are carrying out His will on Earth for His glory and working for Him while it is still day.  He told us all we need is two or three to gather where He is in the midst, to make a positive difference.

Hardly a moment goes by that I am not looking within and thinking – how did I get so out of whack?  How did the Church drift so far?  You know what I mean?  I think it happened so slowly and we’ve been so mesmerized by the World and what the enemy is doing – we kind of took our hands off the plow, so to speak.  I am as big a part of all this mess as anyone, just looking to the Lord for mercy and guidance on how to be a tiny ripple for change of our own ways in a pool of our own.  Then it dawned on me – we started placing high expectations on everyone around us to measure up to us or what we want or desire or imagined or whatever the case may be.  I’m guilty, I’ve done this with my own children at times even, Lord forgive me.  Sadly, the church has gotten just cleaned up enough, mainly outwardly and said – hey, now everyone look like me.  We’ve forgotten each within the body have a unique gift to complement one another to bring the fullness and wholeness of Jesus upon Earth.  We’ve gotten really out of balance by placing one gift above another or look to one particular person over another and sadly most of that is done by charm… but that’s a different discussion we need to have some time.  I can prove to you – you are drawn by an alluring voice of intrigue which speaks lies over the simple truth who stammers by word.  I will do that one day soon. Lol

We often by the flesh will discount someone, compete with them, brag on what we do and how we do it all because of a lack within us (revealing Jesus not on the throne, we are) so we crave admiration so we know we are okay.  Sadly, when we do this we expect everyone to flow in our appointed gifting and the enemy has a hay day – knowing through our own selves, we give him permission to hamper the church flowing as one.  The day the church on Earth took a gift and made it a position, we fell into a snare.  The enemy is not threatened if we have our eyes off him and on one another, looking for an opportunity to devour each other – he doesn’t even have to do anything but whispers lies into someone’s mind to cause them to be offended at each other and it is game on… Guess what feeds his disguise within the church?  Ego and pride – ours.  We will get so wrapped up in proving to others we matter – that we forget why we are truly here.  To be a servant… not to be served.  Amen

We have a real issue right now since people have given themselves titles while demanding others flow with them based on what they call themselves – all done by the works of their own hands, now everyone is so works based, worship of Jesus is the last on our daily list.  My prayer is that each one of us embrace our true calling for service in the Kingdom so that we rise up as a mighty army in strength, just as the Lord Himself ordained, in order to advance His Kingdom on Earth.

Unbiblical standards of knowledge, set up competition and strife, while through surrender, all are equally leveled laying at the feet of Jesus in worship.

 Does this seem challenging?  Maybe even a little bit?  It really isn’t too hard if we can just get over ourselves altogether.  No one is left out of God’s Plan in this – which I love – we only exclude ourselves.  You matter, you really do matter – but the problem is, we want to matter to others when all that really does matter is that we matter to our Lord.

So here is the beautiful part ~

You were given an invitation, remember?  And now you’ve been given an assignment.  But you need direction, I need direction –we all do.  Jesus is our control tower, we may be flying the plane – but without His guidance we cannot see anywhere we are going.  Just as pointless as it would be for a pilot to argue with or rebel against the guy in the control tower – that is how silly it is to ignore the leading commands of Jesus in our lives. 

Jesus has precious cargo for you to land safely with…  But who is guiding your plane?  I sure hope it isn’t the passenger 10 rows back with complaints or the stewardess who’s been trained with food and beverages but not skilled to land a plane and boy, I don’t think I would rely on the two year old throwing a tantrum over being told to sit quietly… Oh well, you get my drift…

I myself have drifted somewhat off course it seems… lolol Anyway, someone must have needed to hear that word.

All are counted in, all… Those in the Body of Christ know all parts are necessary and valuable, regardless of their divine appointments – it takes all.  Jesus goes with you…  You are not alone, not any place you go.  He does send us out as sheep among wolves – but never forget, the Shephard always sticks closest to His own flock.  So maybe you take Jesus with you to just the one or maybe you are one who gravitates to the masses of 99, whatever the case may be – It is all in His designed plan, who we reach and when we reach them and even how.  Every single part is vital in the sustainment of a healthy body, especially the Body of Christ.

If you are leading a hundred people – you still need that one person who will sit with the one in ruins, needing some extra tlc and compassion.  When you are calling for repentance and someone shows up with a broken leg or has a heart attack – you need that one with healing in their hands to intervene and bring one to life to rise up and begin walking again, when you are laying hands on the sick and one stumbles in strung out on drugs you need another to calm them with peace and love, to ease their paranoia and when another is operating under witchcraft disrupting the whole move of God you need that one who carries a frying pan to enter into the place to restore order… lololol just kidding, but you see what I am saying.

My last point is… there is no lone wolf in the Body of Christ.  Each part (person) is placed there for the giving of life eternal and the expansion of the Kingdom.  We really need to stop fishing for compliments so much and be made whole – the body needs you, just as souls are waiting in the balance for you to stand in truth, ready to report for the duty of servitude to the hierarchy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

And what’s so amazing is… in God’s Kingdom, the least are the greatest and I just love that, don’t you?

You know the Body of Christ is made up of many members and is as beautiful and uniquely diverse as each one of you.  Perfectly knit together in Jesus as the glue which holds us securely in place.

Each one of us were given gifts to uplift, grow, expand, strengthen and comfort one another in a most precious way – when love is prevalent among us, by design, we truly compliment one another unto perfection and if we don’t realize it now, we soon will because we actually do need each other.

Before I go, just one last portion of Scripture I would love to go over quick.

1 Corinthians 12 says –

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

² Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

³ Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

⁴ Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

⁵ And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

⁶ And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

⁸ For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

⁹ To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

¹⁰ To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

If one is given a specialty of a particular gift – Why then do we personally think or even try to do it all just by ourself?  One is given a gift and another is given a different gift… The Word calls it “diverse” gifts given out by the same Holy Spirit individually and purposely to how it benefits the Body of Christ in fullness and to be administers over His Body so it operates according to His will, not man’s and we just read it is ordained to be this way so all profit – meaning increase within the Body for the perfection of the Saints.

One is given the WORDS OF WISDOM, another WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE, another is given FAITH, another the GIFT OF HEALING, another the GIFT OF WORKING MIRACLES, another to PROPHECY, another the DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, another the gift of SPEAKING TO DIVERSE GROUPS, and lastly one who can INTERPRET DIVERSE SPEECH.

So before we move, just look at that… Somewhere each of us fits in perfectly when we conform to the Holy Spirit’s leading and not our own.  One of the reasons the Body of Christ is so anemic is we expect others to operate with our gift the same way we do or they are in they in the wrong.  Well that carnal thinking is just plain wrong, because what the Lord says is each member is given their own particular gift to operate in by His anointed choosing.  And I bet, if you desire a particular gift – then that one is your passion to explore with the Lord.  So don’t let man conform or hinder you to perform a certain way – if so you will be without peace and fragmented in your calling.  I encourage you to go to the Lord, seek Him continually to reveal to you what your divine appointment is within the Body.  He certainly will show you that and so much more.

¹¹ But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

¹² For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many.

And its not one gifting either, but many.

¹⁵ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

¹⁸ But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where were the body?

²⁰ But now are they many members, yet but one body.

²¹ And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

²² Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

²³ And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

²⁴ For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

Look at this!  No one is counted out – all parts/members – us – are equally important for usage.

²⁵ That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

Schism = division based on one’s opinion of another

Now – if we cherished one another we would tend to and look out for one another over self.  Including not making everything all about us – all the murmuring and complaining that is overdone by some, which also, we have others who prefer to be alone and independent like they need no one else – both creates division.

²⁶ And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

No jealousy or envy in the true Body of Christ

²⁷ Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

²⁸ And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

And here we are finally to our recent study… God set us up in His Church

²⁹ Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

³⁰ Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

³¹ But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

He is saying here not all are apostles or a prophet or a teacher – not all work miracles or have the gift to heal and so forth…  but possess the best gifts – which is the one you were granted by the way and I (Jesus speaking) will show you a more excellent way. 

How many know what the more excellent way is???  Do you?  I will give you a hint… It is in the following chapter… 1 Corinthians 13 – you all know that chapter – it is the LOVE CHAPTER… so LOVE IS THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY… 

And if we had time I would read it just so we could hear it again and be reminded… You can be a prophet, apostle, teacher, perform miracles, heal others, speak with great tongues or interpret other languages – but if you do not have LOVE…  you are nothing.

The truth is many people inside the natural church proclaim many things, title themselves many ways, preach a good sermon, talk a smooth walk – but it is worthless without love and remember LOVE ISN’T LOVE UNTIL IT IS PUT INTO ACTION by sharing it.  I pray we not only talk the talk, but walk the walk of love one to another.

Thank you all so very much for joining me today – I pray you are blessed by the love of Jesus and one another in a special way today, remembering how important you are to Him and those surrounded by you.  I pray we not take another moment for granted and go forth freely expressing the gifts He has bestowed and the love which paves the way for it to be activated.

And the priceless truth about this is – even if we are not sure of our gift or what to even do with it… We all have LOVE when we have Jesus and that is something we can utilize with every interaction we have with others on a daily basis.  Love really is a choice.  So choose wisely because how will everyone know we are Jesus’s disciples?  If we love one another – not by outward demonstrations… but by love alone.  And it is just that easy and just that hard.

I so enjoyed our time together, please continue to keep ROF Ministries uplifted to the Lord, we thank you for your love and support.  I love you very much, have a blessed day.

No broadcast this Sunday as I have a prior commitment – so Lord willing I will see you next Wednesday.

Good Morning and God Bless each one of you today!  Thank you for joining me on today’s ROF Ministries Broadcast.  I must say I am so very excited to fellowship with you all and begin a new study on our journey together!  The Lord was pressing upon me to do something I have never done before – study the Book of Job with you all, together, as a family.  Since the kids will be going back to school this upcoming week, the timing could not be more perfect to free up more of my time for us to spend together.  So this is what we are going to do, Lord willing – We will study the Book of Job on Sunday mornings, chapter by chapter and then have our regular type broadcasts back on Wednesdays like we used to until this whole coronavirus thing started and I was thrust into homeschooling.  We will just take a wait and see approach, it seems everything is extremely temporal at the moment – but as it stands today, this will be our plan.

This is going to be fun – because the Book of Job is quite new to me too in so many ways!  I’ve read it – but I’ve never studied it, so we will be learning and sharing together, for which I am most excited about!  Most of you are probably way more advanced than I am with this book, so I encourage you to share as often and as much as you are being led too! 

Now, before we get started, some people may not like I how I study the Word, because when I study to apply the word in my life – I use it to measure myself.  When I read our Father’s word, I ask Him to correct me, mold me and transform my heart into the reflection of Jesus.  He says His people do not “lay to heart” His word… Meaning they do not judge their hearts according to what pleases Him.  I just wanted to throw that out there and point you to the exit signs in case this sort of studying makes you uncomfortable.  Oh that sounded so silly – of course the Word is uncomfortable to the flesh…  Well you know what I mean – lol – we hold no one prisoner here, but all are welcome to the table to dine with us on the Word of God.  Amen.

The Word of God to me is an instruction manual on how to be more Christ like and when eaten of, it changes and purifies your heart so I read it as such – not to offend anyone but myself really. lol

So when we study, feel free to share and be vulnerable and transparent and I will do the same.  We can discuss our shortcomings and our successes since finding Jesus and how He is molding us into His New Creature.  Remember we are overcomers – present tense – actively in the moment of overcoming!  As we read and apply the Word, I will check chat often to see what you all are sharing to keep this interactive.  There may be times where you will see certain events spoken of then happening now – please share those too!  We can go as slow or as quick as the Holy Spirit leads in this, we have nothing but time.  Lol

I titled this study we are doing JOB – WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER, but today’s sub-title is:

The Lord Gives and He Takes Away.

I know… I am little too detail oriented aren’t I?  J

Let’s Pray ~

Heavenly and merciful Father, it is with a grateful and hungry heart we come before You today and ask that You would divinely feed our hearts with the measurement of Your truth written for the nourishment of our souls.  We ask You to guide, correct, conform and encourage us and to unify us with Your precious Son Jesus.  Your servants are listening today, teach us Lord, fill us with manna from Heaven in Your word to sustain us during these days in which we currently live.  Amen.

 So get your Bibles out and lets start in Job Chapter 1:

1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job was perfect & upright – He feared God – Hated evil, the components of one deemed righteous

² And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

Job had 9 children who were his direct descendants and a wife

³ His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Job was a very prosperous man financially and generational, by the World’s standards admired by others, anyone peering into Job’s life from the outside would have desired what he had I am sure.

⁴ And his sons went and feasted in their houses, everyone his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

All of Job’s children liked to party – We even see that today, children departing from how they were raised or even being spoiled, lack of discipline in the home, living extravagant lifestyles – turning out to be not at all like the mother or father who raised them…. Sparing the rod and spoiling the child comes to mind – which breaks rebellion.  Saying no to a child takes way more strength than giving in all the time.

⁵ And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Job knew his children were in rebellion against God, so he prayed earnestly for them continually.  He knew by their actions of sin they had cursed the Lord in their hearts.  We do that too sometimes, don’t we?  We make a choice to sin, knowing it is not pleasing to the Father.  Which is why we are so very grateful He is merciful and gives us the gift of repentance and time to embrace it.

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

These Sons of God are simply angels – they went before the Lord (probably for a command or assignment I would imagine) and satan was with them before God.

⁷ And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Interesting how the Lord spoke to satan, asking him why he came before Him?  At that time, the enemy was allowed to approach the Throne of God even though he was cast down to Earth already.  It says he was going to and fro all over the Earth.  He obviously was having a hard time finding any of God’s children to torment – now isn’t that interesting?  He wasn’t seeking to devour or irritate or torment the lost and unrighteous – only the Father’s children. 

⁸ And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

So to answer satan the Lord Himself pointed out Job to him saying – Have you considered Job?  He is a perfect and upright man, he fears God and hates evil – there is none like him on Earth. Remember our study on being perfect – it means surrendered.

Now… this give us pause doesn’t it?  Talk about being thrown under the bus… Again it was the Lord who not only gave satan permission, but pointed him in the right direction of Job.  A divine set-up indeed.

⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

Even satan was suspicious, I believe by what he asked the Lord – Does Job fear God without a reason? 

In other words pointing out – Job fears God, but has not been tested when things were not prosperous for him.  Prosperity without a test makes you shakable… Wow

¹⁰ Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Satan is so nosey – but notice he had to ask some things that he already had observed about Job – 1. Job had a hedge around him, his house and that he attained was under his covering 2. That the Lord had blessed the work of his hands so much all he owned was at an increased level.  Which was the divine set-up we just mentioned… Job had ego, pride and entitlement still within him due to the work of his own hands.  In other words he likely believed he deserved to live the life he was living.

¹¹ But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

This verse almost sounds as if the enemy is practically trying to tempt the Lord, he was definitely trying to provoke Him by doubting Him, forgetting He is all knowing.  He said – put your hand upon him to suffer by touching all he has and he will then curse You to Your face. 

We know people like this don’t we?  Those who are with the Lord only when things are going their way and when it isn’t – they will complain in their hearts or to others about the Lord.  As a matter of fact, I have been very guilty of this very thing myself at times – which now I am so very grateful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to lead me out of my evil ways, if I would have stayed on that course, I would have been doomed there is no doubt in my mind about that.  But thankfully when conviction comes upon us – we see the error of our ways and have strength in Jesus to overcome all the unholiness which still resides within us.  Mercy is the bridge, but not a place to dwell.  Meaning, He is merciful as we learn to surrender – but His plans are much greater for us than to just remain unchanged in the heart and mind.

Boasting on how much we have, no matter what it is, is prideful in nature – it hurts the hearts of those less fortunate and tempts the Lord to humble us so that we see all that we have was granted by His hand – having nothing to do with our own works or entitlement. 

¹² And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

I love this verse – it shows the Sovereign power of our Lord over our lives and that nothing evil can touch us without His permission, and yet, the Word is a double-edge sword…

This verse is very sobering, isn’t it?  Our Lord actually handed over power to the enemy for all that Job possessed – with one exception, Job himself.  Talk about a divine set-up.  It was then the Lord basically gave satan a commanded permission and he departed from the Lord’s presence.

¹³ And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

Again the Lord notes Job’s children were not sober – that’s interesting isn’t it?  Drunkenness places us in very compromising positions, doesn’t it?  We do and say things we normally wouldn’t because our guard is down.  There has never been a more pertinent time in history to stay alert, awake and sober, that I can personally remember.  And remember – many things we absorb can make us drunk… That woman who rides the beast is actually drunk with the blood of the saints – fierce anger can made someone drunk by shedding of innocent blood – just a side note.

¹⁴ And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

¹⁵ And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

His flocks were wiped out by thieves along with all the servants except one messenger.

¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Fire fell from Heaven and burned up all the sheep and servants who tended to them.  Do you find this interesting that the sheep were separated out from among the rest of his vast array of animals and they were consumed by fire from Heaven?  Seems like an allegory to what is to come in the future, doesn’t it?  We know Jesus comes as a consuming fire to burn up all that which is not grounded in Him and His nature.

The Lord is reminding me of something He told me many years ago…  Saying – Glean wisdom from the Old Testament but walk out the New.  Its amazing how the old points to Jesus continually, preparing the way for the Lord.

¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Another enemy of Job’s came and stole his camels (transportation) and slaughtered their servants with the sword.  Again, only 1 escaped.

¹⁸ While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

¹⁹ And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Again it mentions Job’s children were eating and drinking – that’s three times now, isn’t it?  So it definitely is important — but anyway, a mighty wind (Holy Spirit??)  struck the house and it fell upon them and killed them.  It could also be a tornado – but I am curious because in Acts the Holy Spirit is called a mighty wind. 

Did you notice in each situation only 1 messenger remained to give witness to Job as to what had occurred.  That is really interesting too!  I love how the Lord keeps every I dotted and T crossed, leaving nothing out for us to explore and learn more about His ways.  Each time 1 escaped…

²⁰ Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

I just cannot imagine what shock Job must have been in.  Remember, he did not even know all this was coming upon him, let alone being released by the Lord – we as observers get to see the whole story – but Job only witnessed his own side, what was happening to him. 

Somehow he managed to pull himself together to stand up, surrendered, laid naked and bare, falling to the ground and did what?  Worshipped the Lord on High. 

I must admit, I am not sure so sure I would be like Job in that instance.  He lost everything – but the heartbreak of losing your children like he did – no matter how rebellious they are – would weaken most to the core, regardless of how much faith you had professed, I am not sure I would be even remotely as righteous as Job – no, not at all.  I know I wouldn’t, who am I kidding?  Just being honest here and before you speak…. Be very careful what you proclaim in this moment in your heart, let alone come out of your mouth. 

When we boast on ourselves having great faith…  Get ready for a whirlwind, I’m just sayin… I learned that lesson the hard way.  Almost daily I minister to people, who brag about all they have attained on Earth and lost it, so we must tread lightly in that we remain humble not bragging about being blessed.  This is a teaching moment to see if what we are saying is truly edifying someone else or not.  Heart check, thank you Lord.

²¹ And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Job is saying, alone, without possessions or loved ones I entered into the World and in the same way I shall depart from it – Job expected to die as well – didn’t he?  Which to me would have been the much easier way out – the one I would personally prefer – but God had other plans for Job, didn’t He and I cannot wait to discover it as we study more?

Job realized before all this happened – The Sovereignty of the Lord and it is the Lord and only the Lord who gives to us and takes away from us and both are blessings from above.

²² In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

This Chapter ends beautifully, doesn’t it?  Can you imagine?  Everything that just happened to Job in ONE DAY – not a lifetime, or a decade – but one day!  Wow – and Job really didn’t sin or blame God foolishly.  Job did not have any complaints towards God in his heart did he?  Because if he did, they surely would have come out that day.  This is very humbling, isn’t it?  I honestly cannot say I would be like Job, I really cannot, but I sure desire to be and with God’s help we can. 

So in this chapter it is evident Job valued God above everything and everyone in his life up until this point and through this trial he did not waiver – when God took away all that He had given to Job. 

It seems God knew Job’s heart even better than he did and the same is true for us.  God never gives us more than we can handle with Him but He sure will allow that to come upon us which pulls us into a reliance on Him alone.  Some of us are walking that very thing out right now and if not we have in the past or soon will be. 

Applying what we’ve learned ~

• Are there times we value prosperity over the Lord?  Remember the Lord desires us to prosper as our soul prospers – which is what He was unveiling to Job…. He had prosperity, but was his soul prospering?  The same is true for us – and don’t think of prosperity strictly finances.
• The Father’s main concern is our soul always!  His main purpose towards us is that He desires to reveal His Son to us and that He alone be placed upon the throne of our hearts.  The Father’s main desire is – that Jesus is the most important piece of our lives.  Like we are a puzzle missing a piece that few find – our missing piece is Jesus, Himself.  We’ve searched high and low haven’t we?  We’ve drank from empty wells, still thirsty.  Never full, never whole and never satisfied.
• We often convince ourselves we are okay – but inside we know we aren’t.
• We are in a process of becoming whole – in truth, no one is.  We are seeking Him to be made whole, but all are in a flesh struggle it seems.  What we want to do we don’t and what we do not want to do, we do…. Just like Paul, but we are running a race, keeping our eyes on the Prize, Jesus!
• EVERYTHING is secondary to HIM.  We can use tools which are useful in pointing to Jesus, but they are just tools, not a higher priority than Him.
• Things like – wealth, signs, miracles, wonders, answered prayers, joy, peace, health, working for the Lord, etc…  Are nothing worthwhile unless they are second to Him and manifested solely for His revealing glory, which is His supremacy in the hearts of His people.  People seek a sign, the Father seeks you – because to HIM you are the sign, because His Son is.
• Job just taught us what it looks like to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, totally removed from all Earthly influences, just as we entered we will depart… without anything or anyone one but HIM, our Lord Jesus.
• The Book of Job for me is very sobering so far, because it was the Lord who permitted the release of satan upon this one man counted as righteous.  And the Father chose Job because He deemed him as righteous, He was pleased with him and proud of Job.  So we learned being righteousness does not prevent the process of cleansing to come upon us for the purpose of growth.
• It is a real test to see if we love our possessions more than God? Possessions can be:  self, others like family and friends, children, a ministry, health, our works even in the Kingdom, money security, fame, holiness, comforts, lusts, pleasures, cleanliness, peace… and anything else which we covet so much.  Let me be the first to confess – yes, I definitely am holding onto things which could place me in a vulnerable position for sifting.
• Job was divinely set up to lose it all in order to seek just one for everything – that One is the only source of life itself – our Father, because that is who Jesus embraced.  We know now that Jesus is our advocate and only way to the Father.  I am seeing now that if we can embrace this truth revealed to us through Job, just as it is written, we can learn without having to fully walk this out ourselves — because one must consider…. Was Job’s righteousness counted as self-righteousness?  I guess we will see as the story unfolds in our study, like I said, I am new to all this myself and am learning with you – but I have a pressing quite possibly that is the case.

Just an overview of what we learned today, real quick ~

The Lord does give and He takes away according to His perfect plan in our lives – it is a tool He uses to mold and fashion us into the Image of His Son so we are truly crucified with Christ.

We all have suffered at times and seek the Lord for reasons why bad things have happened throughout our lives.  It is important to realize we do all have a hedge of protection around us – one in which the Lord Himself is the gate keeper of – He permits and restrains at His will all for the growth and betterment of our souls.

It is through many tribulations we enter into the Kingdom of God.  In these tribulations our souls are strengthened for discipleship in that we enter through the narrow way – which is the only path that leads to life everlasting.

God’s ways are not our ways and as we trust His Sovereignty more and more the complaints of our hearts are purged out of us so nothing but worship is on our lips.

Whether disease, persecution, wars, disability, disaster, accidents, assaults come at us or not – they are all the same spiritually speaking.  This is a good reminder that the enemy roams around seeking to destroy our belief that God is God and we are not.  What the enemy uses to destroy, God uses to strengthen our faith in Him.  All things are purposed and working together for our good because the enemy has already been defeated – when it matters to us, it matters to God and He is always on the throne.

Suffering turns the hearts of people to the Father and the Father’s heart is turned towards His children who cry out to Him in their time of need, keeping those who may otherwise drift relying on Him.

It is imperative we be cleansed from all complaints towards one another, but especially the Lord in order we do not question His Sovereignty, like He is not ruling and reigning, letting and not letting evil to assist in our working out our salvation daily.

Keep in mind the hospital and doctors are not an embarrassment – but an opportunity to spread the Gospel.  Some are appointed to enter into places others refuse to go and be that light in the darkness to testify to His Name.  Luke was a Physician and even Jesus said, it is those who are sick that need a physician (speaking of Himself).  You just never know when the Lord is going to use you in a mighty way or where – so be willing and watching for His divine set-ups in your day.  That er/dr visit could just be the divine appointment you have been praying for and how will they hear if one is not sent?  But if we enter into a place without peace and clothed in pride none will listen – so He humbles us, covering us in compassion so our hearts are towards the people in need because His is – which is why Jesus came in the flesh – to reach the lost, in the same way He uses us in our infirmities to reach the infirmed.

The narrow way does have tribulations so that we enter into His rest.  Suffering assists us to die to self so Jesus is glorified through us.  He designed it this way so He alone is lifted up!  How can we demonstrate His salvation if we only prosper, which is talking the talk.  When we walk out the talk – we become an observation of light, like a lamp not hidden under a lampstand.  Through suffering compassion is fortified as we pick up our cross daily and follow Him.  Many deny the cross, His disciples carried it everywhere they went and did mighty works in His Name.

Once we develop an “even if…” mentality we will have great break through – fear is gone and we are ready to be sent into the Harvest no longer fearful of what man/enemy can do to us – if we perish, we perish – no longer seeking to save our own lives.  Remember, Jesus is that 4^th man in the fire with you to sustain you.  Sometimes we are delivered out of the fire and most times He strengthens us in it and delivers us through it, not from it until the very end.

Suffering opens our eyes to the realization that Jesus is more valuable than anything else we could potentially lose.  It is my prayer nothing else of value needs to be removed from us before we see, all we truly need is Him.

Intimacy is cultivated in suffering that cannot be gleaned in any other way – trust is established and impurities are removed.

Coming against the Lord or calling Him out – not calling upon Him, but blaming Him – reveals where our heart treasures actually are – on Earth or in Heaven, or worse wrapped up in self.

Job was considered righteous and yet still had much pride within him – suffering purifies the pride right out of us so that we are clothed in humility and remember we are “overcomers” therefore, the Lord brings upon our paths many things to overcome through Him so trust is established in our hearts.

Lastly, remember… Father knows best and He is a good, good Father towards His children.

Well that will do it for our study of Job Chapter 1 – I sure hope it blessed you like it did me.  I feel in my spirit the Lord is preparing us for something on the horizon, in that no matter what the truth of us will be exposed and we should continually trust in Him, no matter what.

For those who claim it is easy – well their road is gonna be a little treacherous for they lean a lot on their own understanding at the moment and yet are unaware.  For others, it will not be a walk in the park but Jesus we can remain in the fire and not one hair on our heads be cinched. 

Thank you for joining me today.  Lord willing we will have a broadcast Wednesday morning, since we are now getting back into our normal routine.  This Wednesday we are going to talk about the fullness of the Lord and the five-fold ministry – where do you fit?

I pray your day is blessed and if so led continue to keep ROF Ministries lifted up to the Lord, we certainly need it.  For updates, please visit ROFministries.com or you are welcome to email me at:  Markedbyheaven7@gmail.com.  All my study notes for today are typed, so if you want a copy of them, please do not hesitate to email me – I would be happy to send them to you.

Good Morning Blessings – thank you all for joining me today on this ROF Ministries broadcast.  I can hardly believe this is the last weekend of July – can you?  It seems like the minutes go slow and the time goes fast in some weird way.  I pray your week was blessed by more moments with Jesus revealing Himself in your lives.  He reminded me how just as we are walking out the Book of Revelation, which is actually the revealing of Jesus during the last of days – He is revealing Himself in our own lives in little and big ways!  As all of this is unfolding we are so blessed to have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit – not a spirit of fear.  And as we release all fear, we are being comforted in the Lord Jesus, resting in His peace which surpasses all understanding – Thank You Lord.

Just a couple things to clarify our eyesight a little – in the year 2020 our spiritual acuity is unveiling our eyes to see increasingly in truth, before we were blind, now we can see.  He is opening the eyes of our hearts in a most precious way and we know this because we may initially see men walking as trees, eventually we see past all the shadows, having eyesight to see Him fully, just as He is… Loving Father.  You know Jesus saw Him as such too.  Once we see Him in truth we accept His truth without presumption or condition, letting go and just submitting to His perfect will.  We know we are aligning with Him in such a way when the cry of our heart is to be pleasing in His sight.  The church right now needs a great shaking so badly, to open the eyes in such a way so that we learn – no man rules God’s House, only He does.  And when He shows up, He cleanses His house where He dwells – nothing He touches, not you or me or His household remains the same because He really does make all things new.

We’ve talked so much about this “birthing” and how it is spiritual and also let’s not forget it is inward and not always manifesting outwardly where others can partake of the fruit yet.  It is in this “ending, where we actually begin…”  The death to self and the beginning of who we were created to be – a new creature in Christ Jesus.  Hidden in Him, decreased, Him revealed through increase.  For fullness to reach its highest point spiritually, we must experience victory and suffering by picking up our cross daily to walk with Him.  In this it is no longer I who live, but Jesus lives within me as I have been crucified with Christ, which is the plan and purpose for us all.  The old creature dies a slow death when we hang onto the ways of the old life and the patterns of thinking which keeps us bond to what we thought we knew or for what worked for us in the past – which never really did, but these ways became our coping skills to make it through each day’s struggles.  He reminds us that any reaction we give or words we speak or activities we participate in that do not reflect Jesus Himself, is still me or you – the old creature trying to resurrect itself or refusing to die.  So with that we endure some more purifying, in order to attain the victory found in Jesus – we carry our cross daily for Him to be glorified in and through us as an encouragement for those who are also struggling.  All victory belongs to Him, Jesus, Who is victorious, we simply surrender to His will.  The more we die to self, the less self that puts up a fight and in Him we overcome all things. 

Knowing it is the pure in heart which sees God – if we look for Him in a very pre-conceived specific way, we will miss if He appears differently than what we thought – which is a piece to the mystery of Jesus being revealed.  He is appearing each day to assist and help us to walk in His footsteps and how we live tests if we believe His return is near.  We have a tendency to hide from Him when we are convicted or know we’ve done something wrong so we retreat.  And I know I say this all the time – but thankfully, He leaves the 99 to go after the 1 lost sheep – in which we’ve all been in that place a time or two haven’t we?  Which even that is purposed so we realize we cannot save ourselves, proving we need Him even more.

It is when we see Jesus appearing in situations we can then become an authentic witness for Him and I saw all this as I was reading Acts Chapter 1.  Right prior to Jesus ascending in a cloud He told them when they receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon them – you shall be witnesses unto Me – are His exact words.  In the next verse it says immediately after He spoke these things, while they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  Later it also says by the same manner in which He left shall He also come – in the clouds.  Can you imagine being a witness to this yourself?  Just amazing. 

Prior to this happening in John Chapter 21 I was reading how Jesus asked Simon Peter THREE TIMES if he loved Him and if so He gave him a command… which was – TO FEED HIS SHEEP.  But I want to show you something… Remember when Peter denied Jesus THREE TIMES before Jesus was crucified?  Look at this redemption – this mercy – at the hand of Jesus.  He denied Him because he sought to save His own life (old creature won out that time) but now, the new creature, reformed look how Simon Peter was given a chance of reconciliation and this time he passed with flying colors…  He laid down his life and fears this time, truly being a disciple of Jesus and what was the command to obedience?  Feed Jesus’s sheep.  Again, we know what we do to the least of these we are actually doing unto Jesus.  This just makes you smile and warm inside doesn’t it?  You can read the whole story in John 21 – because here it reveals “feeding” of sheep is both spiritual and natural.  I just find this so incredible how Jesus saw hope within Peter – not giving up on him when he denied Him, giving him a chance to reconcile all that was lost while embracing the cross.  And that same outstretched hand is directed to you and me…  We make mistakes galore, but the Lord Jesus always makes a way of escape for us to make amends, being a redeemed soul – as long as we are looking and longing for Him, accepting the invitation to repent – He leads us right where we need to be, securely in His arms of grace.  I just pray this encourages you even more – Jesus will not let you go, as long as you keep seeking Him with your whole heart.  Seek Him… While He can be found.

Okay… So today we are going to study in Luke Chapter 6, for no other reason than it was what I turned to while preparing for our talk today.  That’s a good enough reason isn’t it?  Stunningly it is quite relevant to us, which is not surprising because that is just how the Lord moves in our lives, isn’t it?

We are going to skip all the way down and start in verse 20 – because this is a really long Chapter.  I guess I had forgotten all about this chapter and how it compliments the Beatitudes until I read it again.  In verse 17, it sets the scene as Jesus was standing in the company of His disciples looking down at a sea of people, a great multitude who were vexed with unclean spirits and He actually healed them all!  Verse 19 says, the whole multitude sought to TOUCH HIM, so His virtue went out of Him and healed them all!  This is already good news today, isn’t it?  Jesus TOUCHES those afflicted, He embraces those needing saving, He cleanses the unclean…. Wow, at His appearing —- death flees, losing its grip on the maimed and broken – including many of us.  We at times are just like those in the multitude of people, aren’t we?  Immediately after He healed them all with His virtue – in verse 20 it says He lifted up His eyes, looking directly at His disciples and said what we are going to study today.  We little sheep are gonna be fed today and then go out and feed Jesus’s sheep because we love Him.

Luke 6 –

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

²² Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

²³ Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

²⁴ But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

²⁵ Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

²⁶ Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Broken contrite vexed humble in need of saving vs. proud self-righteous boastful

²⁷ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Do not return evil for evil – let the Lord Who is mighty justly deal with them

²⁸ Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

They are poor, naked and blind – and don’t even know, so we pray for them and for the Lord to intervene quickly and show mercy upon them, not returning a reaping of the cursing they’ve sowed

²⁹ And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

Remember those who gather at your love feasts – I call them spiritual bullies – they always like to smite you, because they think they can get away with it and quite often they do for the short term – by us not defending ourselves, it activates the Lord to deal with them directly. They may even strip us down naked – let them – He will deal with them in His timing, His way.

³⁰ Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

³¹ And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

I love this verse – don’t you?  If we would all follow this simple instruction how much more at peace we would be with one another.

³² For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

³³ And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

³⁴ And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

³⁵ But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

More confirmation of us holding our peace, storing up our treasures in Heaven.

³⁶ Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

³⁷ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

If we allow the Lord to intervene our payout is divine and perfect and eternal, if we judge, condemn etc… our reward may be immediate to the flesh and quickly dissipate.

³⁸ Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

³⁹ And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

It is amazing how when you hold your tongue, the blindness falls off and you begin to see just how blind many are and those that follow them by upholding their evil ways.

⁴⁰ The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

Perfection is seeking the Lord – we just studied that recently.

⁴¹ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

When we look at only what others are doing wrong we have a beam called ego/pride in our own eye which blinds us to our own shortcomings. 

⁴² Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

If we are gauging how everyone else is walking with the Lord or not by our own footsteps we are egotistical in nature – unable to see the truth of them.  We first must see the truth of us before we can see how someone else is living for Jesus.

⁴³ For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

⁴⁴ For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

⁴⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Observe and you can see who is evil and good by what they say is the truth of them in how they say it.  Words are like fruit – a display of what resides in the heart.

⁴⁶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Jesus has a controversy with those who call Him Lord and do not do what He says.

⁴⁷ Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

⁴⁸ He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

When we lay to heart and do what Jesus commands we become a pillar in the Lord’s kingdom, unshakable and unmovable.

⁴⁹ But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Those who hear or even read His words and yet does not obey by walking out His ways will be left in ruin by falling away.

Thank you Lord for this teaching today.

Now… The Lord laid something particularly on my heart to share today, even giving me an example.  He spoke to me saying “There is a difference between knowing the truth and loving the truth, many know the truth of the My words yet at times we are hesitant and do not love to apply it to our own lives by walking in His footsteps.  Only those who love the truth will enter fully into it.”

Then He began to show me something… It is simply not enough to KNOW TRUTH…  We must EMBRACE THE TRUTH, as well.

For example…  Gabriel knows his curfew is 10:30 – which is a truth, but being 17 Gabriel does not love that truth.  He doesn’t want to come home at 10:30, but he does so because he knows there are consequences if he doesn’t.

We can use this example to apply the commands the Lord gives us to follow.  But the clincher is – who loves to follow His commands and who just does so in order to not receive discipline or a consequence or worse yet, rebels against them altogether?  When we love the truth – we love to know our boundaries set forth by the Lord in order to be pleasing in His sight – it is like we say in our hearts – tell me more Lord about your ways, I want to follow only You.  We don’t see it as rules, we see it as instructions on this road map on a journey to everlasting life – we see it as a light guiding us Home, while others see only constraints and rules.  But those who only know the truth are in a constant struggle and battle within to somehow wiggle their way out of it, to take the path of least resistance, finagle a way around obedience – the broad path.  The first flock is the sheepfold, the second are those who entered in another way and without spiritual eyesight, they all look like sheep, but if you observe it is very easy to discern who is who, having threads of rebellion woven still into their garment.

Those who enter in another way – constantly quote scripture, engage in debate, provoke others to tangle them up in legalities and challenge authority – thinking themselves to be the only authority which is final.  They are very self-absorbed, full of themselves with planks still in their eyes blinding them so they go around trying to remove specks in others all the time.  They do not love the truth, because they know it already.

The first group loves the truth and may not even know all of it.  They are the more submissive of the sheep, kind hearted, even kind of dirty at times, yet hungry – starving all the time for more of Jesus, they follow Him wherever He goes because He feeds them continually and their main heart’s desire is to learn more about Him. 

The Lord pointed all this out so we are not fooled by a truth…  Just because someone tells the truth about something does not mean we are of the same fold.  Remember, even lucifer quoted Scripture – truth to Jesus, but Jesus did not receive it as such or embrace it because – the source offering it was wrong.  The truth was still the truth, but the source was evil – get what I am saying – the same thing happened during the fall?  Before we receive anything anyone is offering – even if it is truth, we must ask ourselves – is the person offering what I am about to receive in love with the truth or just parroting a truth?  Anything not said IN LOVE… is like a clanging symbol – love is key if the source is from the Lord.

So as we move forward with Jesus on this journey, we are decreasing so that He is increasing – as we move from glory to glory – the World appears darker and yet is not, what is happening is we are getting lighter.  As we move from strength to strength through a submitting of our wills being done – His will is being accomplish in break neck speed and met with much Worldly resistance.  He told us these things, so that when they happened we would not be shaken, only at rest hidden inside Him.  Most importantly our trustful rest is found only in Him – we are starting to see Him just as He is, thank You Lord.  It is my prayer that we lay our lives down, picking up our cross and follow Him, not to pick up our own lives again – becoming distracted with the cares of this life.

At times I am hopeful the Body Christ is getting our main purposed calling and then other times it seems we are leaps and bounds away from the fullness of Jesus – and I am speaking of myself too, because often frustrations in not walking in the Spirit is with me more often than I desire it to be.  So next week, Lord willing, we are going to talk a lot about the FIVE FOLD MINISTRY – how we are to compliment one another and not compete and recognize the FIVE FOLD MINISTRY is a gift given, not earned, containing the fullness of the anointing Jesus carried.  There is too much confusion in the Body right now because churches have sought and assigned positions, rather than edifying and enhancing the gift of each individual soul, which fosters competition over compliment.

So – the word of the day is – Either we are excited about what the Lord is doing or distracted by what the enemy is doing, which is indicative of just who we have our eyes upon.  Amen!

It is such a blessing how so many of the prison inmates we serve encourage us on our walks, returning joy to us in many unforeseen ways.  I had this one inmate send me something about “Excuses that will not stand the test” and thought I would share it today with you all.  The Word tells us all will be without excuse and this inmate was just reassuring that we must be authentic our walks, not fooling ourselves thinking we’ve already made it.  This is some of what he shared with me:

• You cannot blame God for God is not willing that any should perish, knowing He would have all men and women to be saved.  In order to not have everlasting life, one must rebel against believing in His Son Jesus.
• You cannot blame Jesus because the whole reason He came into the World was to save sinners like you and me, He said He came so we would have a more abundant life and if we just come to Him, He will not cast us away or out of a life of salvation.
• You cannot say you are not a sinner because death passed upon all men, as all of sinned and fallen short knowing there is not a just man upon the Earth that does good and does not sin – Jesus came to save the sinners by calling them forth to repent.
• You cannot say I am doing the best I can, I have turned over a new leaf or I have a good heart, God is too good to send anyone to hell or that I’ve done nothing worthy of punishment because all of our righteousness is like a filthy rag – no works will assist us to enter into His Kingdom because according to His mercy He saved us.  There is a way which seems right unto man, but it leads to death because the wages of sin is death and it is only through Jesus one must be saved.
• You cannot say you have not been warned, the whole World is without hope and helpless without God and is condemned already however, the Holy Spirit is striving with all man continually leading everyone to come into the saving knowledge of Jesus.  It is our decision whether we receive this gift of salvation or harden our hearts by being stiff necked thinking our ways are better or above His to enter into everlasting life.
• You cannot say there is plenty of time to live for Jesus because He says today is the day of salvation in that He has called all and some refused and He has stretched out His hand and man disregarded it and one day they will call upon Me and I will not answer.  Jesus is knocking at the door or our hearts, will we open it and invite Him in?
• You cannot blame your Pastor, leaders, teachers or brethren who seek faithfully to warn and guide you to turn your thoughts away from anything which does not align with Jesus, Who takes away the sins of the World.
• You cannot blame circumstances in your life because there is nothing that can keep a sinner from Jesus if he wants to come to Him for salvation.  The only thing which prevents anyone from entering in is rebellion and pride.
• You cannot blame hypocrites – those who talk one way and live another because you have a Bible to direct you and you need not follow the footsteps of others – just Jesus.  Read the Bible for yourself, it is the living word and everyone of us shall give an account one day to the Lord for studying and keeping His words, not man’s.
• You cannot say you don’t need Jesus because you keep the law because even if it were possible to keep the law – if you offend one person, ever you are guilty.  The law is fulfilled in one word – love… and it is only through the love of Jesus can we be made whole in order to fulfill His ways while on Earth.  The debt we owe we could never repay, which is only cleansed by the blood of Jesus who cleanses us from all sins.
• You cannot say you believe in Heaven but not in hell when Jesus spoke frequently warnings of going where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, even those in hell today would not want anyone to perish as they are. 
• You cannot say you believe your own formed truth which goes against scripture, our beliefs will never alter God’s word because God’s word was written to alter our beliefs.
• Lastly, when we believe on the Lord Jesus we shall be saved.

I just thought that was so encouraging to keep us focused on who is important here – our precious Jesus, the only way to the Father in which we can be redeemed from this Earth.  Jesus the Name above all names – our Lord, our Savior.

Thank you all so very much for fellowshipping with me today.  Thank you for your loving support, encouragement and prayers.  May you have a blessed week ahead knowing Jesus has you securely in His hands.  Love you all!