the death of independence

It is easy to declare our desire to walk with God– it is less easy to put our own independence to death.

But those who have learned to walk closely with God have discovered the high cost of such a relationship– their total loss of independence.

In order that we might walk after His ways we must first surrender our strong tendency to walk after our own ways. If our pursuit is to walk under the pure light of His counsel (see Ps 119 in particular) we must continually silence the false counsel of our “old man”.

Perhaps we can look at the issue this way– if we define independence and the lifestyle of walking independently from God as the root and cause of sin– then we can understand why must surrender our independence. We cannot walk according to our own finite and fallen ways yet follow the Lord simultaneously.

Simply put, sin is doing or thinking anything independent of God’s perfect will. It was independence (really just another word for pride) that ultimately led to Lucifer’s fall. Likewise, we face the same choice between acting/thinking independently of God or dependent on Him each day and many, many times a day.

While our conscience is aware of more obvious and often external transgressions of God’s divine standards – how aware are we of our tremendous ( and sinful) independence from His ways, thoughts, intents, desires, longings, and purposes for our lives? While we may easily recognize and be convicted of transgressions against our neighbor or spouse for example are we nearly as likely to recognize and be grieved in our spirit (if at all) when we quietly disregard the leadings and longings of the Lord Jesus for us?

When He quietly draws us to spend a little time with Him in the middle of a busy day– do we turn aside for Him or allow the moment to pass? It is all a  matter of independence or dependence. Who leads your life– God-the infinite Master or you- the finite servant?

When we are faced with major decisions do we seek His will above our own? Do we take the necessary time to wait before Him so that we might hear and know His leading? Have we surrendered our own timeline and embraced the Father’s perfectly-timed Will? Do we bow to the pressure of others expectations and make hasty decisions or instead wait quietly and peacefully until we have a true word of guidance from God?

Christians who walk independently of God most of their lives can be trusted with very little. But those faithful servants who put their own independence completely to death, however, can be trusted with the keys to the Kingdom and the power of the Spirit without measure.

How often did Jesus demonstrate His total dependence on God? He simply would not act independently of God’s perfect will and intent. In order to walk with Him to the degree that has been promised and made available– we must learn to walk as He did.

Absolute surrender is required absolutely in order to journey into the deepest realms of the Spirit. In a time when the independent self is glorified and celebrated unlike in any other generation God is requiring His servants to surrender to total and everlasting death to their independence.

Ps 81 has some interesting insight into this very issue. I’ll save that till next time.

a return…

After a wonderful hiatus from the electronic sphere, I have returned to this humble corner of the digital world. Next week I will begin posting on a regular basis and am looking forward to that.

Just a thought for now: What are our expectations of God? Are our expectations too narrow and small and finite? Do we really believe He can do the things He promises us? Do we err on the side of making Him too big or too small? What might the result be if we dared to make Him too big– and actually believed His great and lofty promises for us?

He asks us to believe He can do all things. But will we?

Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

night visitors and night classes

One of the most wonderful verses for me from Genesis to Revelation is found in Psalm 17 and verse 3.

(KJV) Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing …

It is clear throughout scripture that the night season is a very significant and precious time to the Lord. He delights in visiting His friends in the night.

Look at Jesus during His ministry on earth– He would spend his nights alone with His Father just talking and receiving instruction for the next day. The Lord Jesus lived in two realms at once, both on earth and in heaven at the same time (John 3:13). So can we.

Search the Psalms and you will find David’s pleasure in seeking the Lord in the cool pre-dawn darkness of the early morning. Nehemiah received divine counsel in the night season in order to rebuild the temple walls (Neh 2:12 ff). His willingness to make himself available during the night season allowed the Lord to impart secret strategy and wisdom to accomplish God’s purposes. Wisdom herself gave us the invitation– Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”

Search the scriptures and you will find many who discovered that God has a night-school (still does)– and class is always in session. Sadly, few, far too few, ever attend His classes.

But those who do– if they are consistent, will eventually be granted the most holy and awesome privilege the Lord Jesus has afforded His friends– to behold our master teacher’s face.

Look at the conclusion of Psalm 17-verse 15; As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

David reveals that those who fulfill the covenant of holiness unto the Lord (vv. 3-8) will indeed behold the Lord’s face in righteousness ( that’s His righteousness manifest in our lives, this is a pre-condition) and be satisfied with His likeness. The word satisfied here means “to have one’s desire fully met, to be filled as with food.” Likeness translates as “form, image, representation.”

I’m not an expert on the original Hebrew, but perhaps one interpretation of this verse may read something like:

“When I awake in the morning after a night of communing with God, I shall be filled with His image and likeness.”

Put another way– you spend enough time truly communing with God, waiting upon Him, ministering to His needs (not your own)– and you’ll start looking like Him, and being filled with His nature and holiness (cf. Ps 17:3b … thou shalt find nothing– this speaks of inner purity and a heart that is clean). Meditate more on this in 2 Corinthians 3:18. As we behold Him– we shall become like Him. Beholding and becoming.

And the night season just seems to be an incredibly special time to do this. I don’t exactly know just why the Lord loves this time– but a careful meditation on Song of Solomon will lead us to some better understanding. When the world has gone quiet and most are sleeping, the Lord, our beloved, is still awake. And available. And He desires to be together, to sit and talk and enjoy your quiet worship and adoration of Him. That’s all. It’s not complicated or difficult. But few will ever take the time or make the sacrifice for Him.

But those who do shall host the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the lover of our souls, our elder brother, beloved friend and Master. He, who is fairer than the sons of men and chief among ten-thousand, shall be our visitor in the night. And we shall behold His face and slowly but surely take on more and more of His holiness, likeness and nature that is pure Love and all-together lovely.

Meditate on this. Search the scriptures for this truth. Read on those who have done this throughout history. Meet the Lord Jesus in the garden of your heart in the silent hours in the dark before dawn. Try it. Spend an hour or two in the night waiting on God and keep it up until you behold Him. Surely, our King is not one to disappoint those who earnestly seek after Him.

(I will return after October 12th. Blessings until then!)

going behind the veil

Here is a link (click picture) to a timely prophetic exhortation from White Dove Ministries, written by Paul Keith and Wanda Davis including articles by Steven Shelley (www.revival.org) and Joann McFatter (www.joannemcfatter.com). Read it, meditate on it, believe it and let it take root in your spirit becoming a part of your spiritual DNA.

a door stands before us

Like the sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32, we must also seek the Lord for divine revelation to know and discern the times and seasons and receive direction and guidance according to His purposes. We want to learn how to do the right thing at the right time. Our walk must become synchronized with Heaven’s will as Bobby Conner says. We must be directed by the Father to know His timing and His will for each appointed time in His calendar. We must set our spiritual time according to His watch–not our own.

We are in the midst of the preparation for the Jewish New Year and most important feast in all of Israel– the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast and the new year are prophetic doorways designed to afford the people of God unique access to Him. God has made an appointment during this season with His people. And those who sincerely prepare their hearts and keep their appointment with God have the opportunity to step through the open door before them.

Like the portals in Star Trek and many sci-fi shows, God has not only established  places on the earth where spiritual portals exist (just ask Jacob about his encounter at Bethel), but also certain times and seasons can become open portals to cross over into God’s realm.

We’re in just such a season of time!

Here are the facts:

We’re in the Jewish month of Elul, a sober time for prayer, self introspection, and repentance. It is a time of intense spiritual preparation for the coming year and the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashanah. This year (2009/ or 5770) the month of Elul begins on Friday August 21, 2009 and lasts through September 18, 2009.

This year, (2009-2010/5770) Rosh Hashanah, begins on Friday evening, September 18, 2009, and continues through Sunday night, September 20, 2009.

Rosh Hashanah is a day marked by solemnity, prayer, repentance and seeking God for the new year ahead.

Yom Kippur follows Rosh Hashanah, beginning sunset of September 27th until nightfall of September 28th. This is the most solemn day of the Jewish year, marked by strict fasting, resting from work, repentance and atonement for sin (Leviticus 16:30). This is the day the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies (just once a year on this day) and offer sacrifices to atone for the sins of Israel and receive divine guidance for the year ahead. While this is a day to afflict our souls before God asking for forgiveness, the day is infused with great joy knowing that our Lord Jesus has brought about the final atonement for our sin and invited us all behind the veil into Holy communion with God.

Then follows Sukkot (pronounced “soo-Coat”), or the Feast of Tabernacles beginning at sunset of October 2nd and lasts until nightfall of October 10th. The people of God go from the most solemn day in the year to the most joyous feast.This feast represents the Word becoming Flesh– literally God tabernacled with us, dwelling with us and in us!

During this time, I would suggest spending some time meditating on some of the following names of the feast (listed below with only a selection of scriptures). Let the Lord reveal Himself to you during this time. Seek His face earnestly. He has promised to reveal Himself to you.

Feast of Tabernacles– Lev 23:34; Deut 16:13-26, 31:10; Zech 14:16-19; Ezra 3:4; 2 Chron 8:13

Feast of Ingathering– Ex 23:16, 34:22

Feast of the Lord– Lev 23:39; Judges 21:19

Feast of Glory, the Lord’s Appearing– 1 Kings 8; 2 Chron 7

Feast of Rest– Lev 23:33-43

Consider also that it was during the Feast of Tabernacles that the Lord Jesus proclaimed in John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

During this season, the Lord is making Himself available to us– but will we make ourselves available to Him?

making wells in desert places

Psalm 84: 5-7 (ESV) Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.

Difficulty, struggle and great pain are all significant and unavoidable attributes of the Christian life. In fact, of any life irrespective of faith. The difference is that one who puts their trust and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ is endowed with limitless grace to faithfully endure and overcome. Sadly, many Christians live their whole lives without ever knowing this grace has been made available. They live in as much despair, sorrow and bitterness as their secular counterparts.

Psalm 84 illuminates the secret to overcoming and living lives filled with immeasurable joy and strength even in the midst of great suffering.

Ps 84 (verses 4-7 & 11-12) describes a special class of people who have discovered this overcoming life and the secret of how to get there. What sets these people apart from others who also serve the Lord? They dwell in the Lord’s holy house (v4). They invest all of their might and strength in God (v5). They turn deserts into springs and pools overflowing with rainwater (v6). Their lives are marked by strength– and not weakness or failure (v7). And they are greatly privileged to abide in God’s Holy City and stand in the very presence of God Himself (v7).

So what is their secret? What great mystery have they stumbled upon? Are they superhuman, super-Christians? Do they pray 12 hours a day? Have they gone to the premier bible school in the land? Do they tithe 20%? Do they mow the pastor’s lawn every Saturday morning? Of course we know the answer is no to all of these things!

What then is the great secret of these ordinary men and women who are in pursuit of God? We find it in the second portion of verse 5– (NKJV) “Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” Several versions are better translated as “in whose heart are the highways to Zion.”

They have discovered a hidden highway to God found in the heart. Thus, these ones continually abide in God’s house despite journeying through desert places filled with struggle and grief (v6 says “valleys of Baca”– Baca is translated as “weeping” and known figuratively as arid wildernesses difficult to traverse).

They can exist in two places at once. Zion and Baca. One (Zion) is an internal place (in the heart) and the other (Baca) is an external place (situations in life). Though they may be enduring external difficulties they have discovered an interior highway leading to Zion and God’s holy house. Do the problems cease to exist? Do these Christians find detours around the valleys? No. But they find the hidden refuge of God’s habitation on the inside where only love,  peace, strength, hope and joy can exist.

To these, who have learned to journey deep inside their hearts to the Kingdom of Heaven, their dry places spring up with refreshing wells and oases of rainwater. They never thirst nor hunger for any exterior pleasure or comfort, for their reservoir on the inside is always full and overflowing. They have no needs—they have God.

Here’s the wonderful truth– you, yes YOU have a highway within your heart leading to God and His righteous house. All you must do is draw your loving devotion and mind’s focus inward toward God. You must purpose in your heart to set out upon this interior pilgrimage toward Zion. As you begin to set out on this journey, God Himself will lead you along by His Spirit. He will accomplish this! All you must do is want it more than anything else and purpose in your heart like Daniel to do it. To seek the Lord Jesus and His face.  It isn’t so much about how you seek Him– it’s your desire to find Him that matters to the Lord. He is more concerned with your heart than with your method.

who knew? now YOU do!

While I’m away, I would like to recommend a very excellent blog written by David Wilkerson on the pursuit of walking with God.

Click here, or the link is on the right-hand under blogroll.

Also, Chuck Pierce has recently begun a 40-day devotional on “Moving Forward in the Promises of God.” An excellent resource for spiritual insight and prophetic foresight. Click here.