a house of prayer for the nations

Passing through the valley of [1]Baca they make it a [2]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings. (Psalm 84:6 NASB)

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 84:6 Probably, Weeping; or Balsam trees
2. Psalm 84:6 Or place of springs

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2084:6

As I got in to work this morning – I came in early – the Lord told me He wanted me to blog on His Faithfulness…

I asked Him for a scripture and He gave me the one above…

I have been walking this…

He is Enough…

He is Enough…

He is Enough…

It is when we have no where else to go and we cry and complain and cry out and moan and complain and cry out and bash our fists against the ground or the desk or whatever else – it is when we are “at the end of our rope” and “the end of our tether” or whatever other turn of phrase you would like to use – that God gets our attention – He shows us that He has been here all along just watching and waiting for us to get to this point so that He can show us the truth…

That He is Faithful…

What?

What are you talking about Andrew?

He is Faithful – He stands back – He lets us “go crazy” and try everything we can to “sort life out” – to “sort out” our pain and suffering and try to “fix” our problems – He stands back silently yet lovingly and He waits – He waits for us to give up…

What?

What sort of God is that?

What on earth are you on about Andrew?

But this is what He does – and then in the silence once we’ve breathed our last exhausted complaining breath and we sit there exhausted (I am speaking from experience) – He then talks to us – He’s been there all along – He wanted us to “get our heart out” before Him and then He shows us that He is the Truth and that He is the Way and that He is the Life and that He is Faithful…

He doesn’t “rescue us” from our problems like we do our children in “human compassion”…

He is Strong and He is in control of His Emotions – He holds in check the pain which He feels as we stumble aimlessly through life – He sees our pain but He doesn’t rescue us and He doesn’t answer our demands to “make it all go away”, “fix my life”, “make me happy”, “sort it out”, “what did I do to deserve this?” – He doesn’t answer our demands but He waits until we are silent – in His Presence – and then He speaks words of life – until we get “to the end of ourselves” there is nothing He can do – it would be like putting a band aid on the problem – that is not a solution and our God is a God of solutions not problems…

Everything comes clear when we come into the Presence of God and all the “fight” is “knocked out” of us…

It’s a place of quietness – of peace – of rest – of stillness – and then He speaks…

He speaks of His Faithfulness…

We see His Heart…

He cannot operate when we are in control..

He “stands back” and He waits…

He waits for us to stop…

And once we stop He picks us up, “dusts us off” and begins to use us for His Purposes and for His Glory…

He can do “nothing” with us until we “stop”…

Nothing…

And He knows this…

So He works this patience in us…

To stop…

To wait…

To give up…

To sit quietly before Him after exhausting all our efforts and just to “flop” before He in complete despair and despondency – in dejection after failing to achieve what we’ve been trying to achieve – thinking that it is the end – and He suddenly shows us – to our amazement or to our absolute surprise – that it is actually only the beginning…

New beginnings come out of death experiences…

The Valley of Baca – or weeping…

He makes it a place of springs – new beginnings, new life – freshness – clarity – clearness…

He makes it a place of springs…

How?

He meets us in our weeping – when our weeping ceases being tears of selfish sorrow and turns to an earnest waiting on Him – a realisation that our lives are nothing without Him and that we’ve blamed Him for things which are not His Fault – He is Faithful…

He meets us in our admission of His Faithfulness…

He meets us in our admission of our trust in His Faithfulness…

He meets us in our admission of our trust in His Love – His Unconditional Love – for us which makes Him Faithful to us…

Everything is for our good – even our pain…

Everything is for our good – even our pleasure…

Everything is for our good – even our suffering and heartache…

Everything is for our good – whether we realise it at the time or whether we do not – everything is for our good…

Why?

Because He causes all things to work together for good towards those who love Him – that’s us – His children…

We love Him…

We do – and He sees our hearts…

Beyond all the “refuse” (think human excrement for the sake of the analogy) that comes out of us at times – He sees our hearts and He sees that we love Him…

He will remove all this “refuse” from us and make us to see His Face and when we see His Face – whether in Heaven or on earth – we will see that He is Absolutely 100% Faithful…

Faithful to His word – Faithful to His Promises…

His word is truth and His Promises are sure…

They are sure – and they will surely – each and every one of them – come to pass…

They are immutable because He is Immutable – every single word which comes from His Mouth is Immutable – I am not speaking of words of “judgement” which can be “prayed against” – I am speaking of every word of Promise – for our good, to give us a future and a hope – which has ever come out of His Mouth – His Word to His children is sure – there is a future hope for us and our hope will not be cut off…

We may see this on earth or we may see this in heaven – that is His prerogative – but we will see Him – and His Faithfulness towards us – and our hearts will be melted in love towards Him who has loved us from before the beginning of time…

We have always been on His Heart – we have always been in His Heart – He is inseparable from us and we are inseparable from Him…

What did He do to His Own Son – His Own Beloved Son?

Think about that…

Why do we believe that we will be any different?

His ways are not our ways and His ways are beyond finding out…

He speaks and listening to His Voice new life the dead receive…

So it is with us…

We receive His Life when He speaks to us – when He speaks to us in our barrenness and in our hopelessness – when He speaks we revive and we live…

I love you all – all who read here…

I pray that You would know His Faithfulness in your lives…

I pray that You would excel me in knowing His Faithfulness in your lives – let us excel each other in knowing Him and His Love for us…

Love you all,

Andrew

The woman’s sin was rebellion…

Adam’s sin was putting his relationship with his wife before his relationship with God…

Eve left her place under Adam’s protection – he had told her what the Lord had told him about that tree – and she – in his presence – “thumbed her nose” at his authority – which was delegated to him from the Lord – and thus at the Lord’s authority – and fell into deception…

Thus we learn that deception comes through rebellion…

Adam sinned in that he took the fruit from his wife and ate…

He couldn’t have stopped her from eating – that would have been control – but he didn’t have to “agree” with her in her rebellion against him and God by eating also – he didn’t do this, say, “No thank you” – which he should have done – the Lord would have “covered it” I believe if he had have done this – as a husband – we learn later in the Law – can “cancel out” or annul a vow which his wife has made if he does so on the same day that he hears of it – he didn’t trust God (I’m just seeing that now)…

I saw this for the first time on my way in to work…

The Lord was speaking to me about that verse, “a woman shall not teach a man or exercise authority over him”…

The Lord wants women to teach women and children and to focus on the upbringing of children…

If a woman takes a place of authority over a man she places herself in the place Eve placed herself in the Garden of Eden and opens herself up to deception – anyone who remains “under” her authority then opens themselves up to be deceived also – we can not do this…

This is what Jezebel was doing in the Church of Thyatira…

It was – and the Lord wasn’t happy – and He’s still not happy…

The “curses” which the Lord put on Eve and on Adam show the root of their sin…

On Adam – he didn’t trust the Lord to “look after him” he was scared he’d “lose” his wife – and lose all the comforts of having a wife and go back to all that “loneliness” which he experienced before – he didn’t trust the Lord to look after him – so the Lord gave him toil, hard labour – looking after himself – and knowing the pain of trying to look after himself and provide – toil, labour, hard work – “9 til 5” was a curse because of Adam’s (my) choice not to remain with God and trust Him and not “take matters into my own hands” because of what I thought would be good for me…

That “curse” is broken when we see what I am seeing…

Then God is free to “set us free” into the abundance of His Provision as we’re “back with Him” and “trusting Him Alone”…

Eve’s curse was that she’d have pain – the opposite of the pleasure she’d chosen – while she was having children and that her desire would be for her husband – to dominate him – but that he would rule over her…

She got what she wanted – she wanted to be free and out from under her husband’s authority and protection and that’s exactly what she got – but God caused Adam to rule over her – to “push her back down” – this is a result of the fall – her rebellion caused all the abuse of women that we see today…

Again, as she – Eve – takes her place under Godly Authority in submission – as Peter tells us in scripture – she will be released from this curse and know – in time after she has suffered – the Protection and release of God under Authority and in Submission…

The Lord said to me this morning, “Does Jesus teach the Father?”…

As I was struggling with this concept…

No, He doesn’t…

So a wife shouldn’t teach her husband…

Her life should speak…

Her life should be her example…

This is what Peter says, “without a word”…

This is “heavy stuff”…

But the Lord told me this morning to “teach it” – so I am…

Love you,

Andrew

His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (Isaiah 53:9 NASB)

The Lord showed me a while back the power of assignments over our lives…

Jesus was assigned a grave with wicked men – God didn’t do this – the enemy planned this – but the Lord overthrew this and allowed Jesus to be with a rich man (in a rich man’s tomb) in His death…

The enemy has assignments over each of our lives – when he used to own us – as those who now belong to the Lord – he’d – the enemy had – figured out what he was going to do with us – even Jesus he did this to…

When Jesus rose again He now has the keys to death and Hades – we read that Michael and the devil contended over the body of Moses – the devil had rights (or thought he did) over the dead but he also thinks he has rights over the living – the living dead (so to speak) – and even over us who actually know the Lord (he tries to convince us that he does – fear is his weapon – appealing to our insecurities)…

This is an issue which I don’t know a lot about but I do know this – once we know that we died – we died with Christ – then we know that the devil no longer has any rights over us as all his “Assignments” for us only apply while we (before we knew Christ) are alive and if we die and are given a new creation which does not sin he has no “rights” or assignments which he can “fiddle” over our new creation (as our new creation doesn’t sin – it just doesn’t)…

“Legal rights”…

I’ve heard about supposed “Legal rights” which the devil has over our lives when we’re “living in sin”…

What scripture actually says is that Jesus destroyed the commandments and lists of handwriting which was contrary to us on the cross and made a public display of the devil on the cross and triumphed over him on the cross…

The devil has no hold on us, no “Legal rights”, no “Assignments” which he can complete against us – the only power he has is the power of our unbelief and our fear of the Satanic or of witches, warlocks, etc…

“But their power is real” you say…

Yes it is real to those who are afraid and to those who do not realise, do not know, do not experientially know that they are under the Blood of Jesus – not “in and out” of being under the Blood of Jesus but permanently under the Blood of Jesus – and dead – out of Satan’s jurisdiction, out of his “Assignments” over our lives and out of his control…

The Lord showed me strongly a week or so back that I am not my own…

He owns me…

That is practical…

This is real…

This is “Bankable”…

Satan has no control over me…

Everything which the Lord has allowed to remain in me at this present point of time is within His will for my life…

“What are you saying Andrew?”

Hear me closely…

If “sin which dwells in me” is still being expressed through me in any area then that is because the Lord has allowed it to still be expressed through me…

In His timetable for my life “sin which dwells in me” will be removed issue by issue…

Maybe He’ll run out of time before I meet Him Face to face – that is His Prerogative – I am not focused on this – in the hidden part He will make me know Wisdom – that is His promise to me in scripture…

I will be transformed into the Image of His Son Jesus Christ…

Do you see what I’m saying?

Satan may have his “Assignments” for what used to be me (which has now died never to live again) but God has predestined my new self to ever increasing realms of Glory which I believe will never cease even throughout my eternity in heaven – I will know God…

I will because He has predestined me for this purpose and nothing thwarts His Purposes…

I will know Him – more and more and more – deeper and deeper and deeper – with no effort from myself – for eternity…

He will make me know Wisdom…

And Jesus Christ is the Power and Wisdom of God…

but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24 NASB)

I will know Jesus Christ more and more and more…

I can relax…

As I see a Satanic “Assignment” going over me as I see the enemy “coming in like a flood” I can relax and know that the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him – I’ve experienced this – without any human intervention from myself and I’ve experienced the Holy Spirit’s victory in that impossible situation where I felt sure that I would “go down”…

I have experienced victory out of the clutches of defeat – I’d “given up” trying to assist God and just “stood still” and in that place of quiet contentment watching things “play out” I’ve seen the Holy Spirit “come through” and deliver me from the one more powerful than me…

Hallelujah!!!

This is why I love God…

This is why I’m proud to be a Christian – to be someone who knows Jesus Christ…

Because He is Real…

His Power is Real…

And He overcomes all things…

We can’t hide our problems – they only “eat us up”…

We can “let out” our problems and know that the Lord will “take us up”…

He will cause us to soar on wings as eagles…

I have not lived a perfect life…

I have not always put others best first…

I have not always responded as Jesus would respond…

I have not always done what Jesus would do…

I have not been perfect like Jesus – but I am not under the devil – I am not under his control – I am not under his “Assignments” – I am not under any “Legal rights” for the devil to torment me – even when I am not forgiving those who have hurt me or whatever – even when I’m experiencing the tormentors tormenting me I am still not under the devil or his “Assignments” because the Lord will – and has (I have experienced this where I didn’t strive to forgive but just let myself languish in unforgiveness) delivered me – He pulled me through to forgiveness without any striving or anxiety on my behalf – He is Awesome and that is why I praise Him…

I couldn’t handle a God or a Boss who demanded perfection from me for this would require striving on my part…

But I have a God who has accepted me on the basis of the perfect lifelong performance of His Own Son (who is also God) and because I have believed in His Perfect Lifelong Performance on earth culminating in becoming sin on my behalf on the cross and satisfying the Wrath of God in the three hours of darkness on my behalf – because He loves me – and rising again from the grave as a true Resurrected Man – because I believe in this Sacrifice I am placed under the results of His Sacrifice – I am free from all condemnation from the devil – Jesus has performed – I – my new self – is learning to perform – but only in His Grace and in His Peace – I – my new self – have nothing to prove as my new self is perfect – was created perfect and can never be anything other than perfect – this includes my righteous soul…

So let’s not give the enemy any glory for his “Assignments” or his so-called “Legal rights” – he actually doesn’t own us at all – fact – we don’t even have to do anything to make that real – all we have to do is believe that it is a tangible fact that had nothing to do with us – if we cannot make one hair white or black – how do we imagine we can go “in and out” of God’s Protection over our lives when He says, “and the evil one does not touch him”…

Our faith overcomes the world…

Our faith is in facts – historical, completed facts…

Tangible, Living Facts…

The fact is we died.  Full stop.

The fact is we were born again.  Full stop.

The fact is our born again nature doesn’t sin.  Full stop.

The fact is that Satan cannot condemn a dead man for sinning.  Full stop.

Let’s relax and enjoy God…

And live in the Victory He created for us…

We never have to look at our sin or our sinfulness again – we just have to look at Him who is our Perfection…

To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood– (Revelation 1:5b NASB)

It is the Glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to seek out a matter…

Scripture tells us this…

Why?

Because God is seeking to woo people to Himself…

He gave us curiosity…

Curiosity killed the cat but it is not the same with our relationship with the Lord…

Divine Curiosity I will call it…

We are pulled by God into His Presence through the curiosity which He has given us…

Curiosity to know and understand how things work – and this becomes curiosity to know Him, to know who He is and why He does what He does…

I want to know this and as I come to deeper understanding of this I love Him more…

I do…

“Why Lord?”

“Why Lord?” is not a bad question…

Yes, if we’re shouting it at the Lord and full of sarcasm and don’t really expect Him to answer but just want to vent then I suppose that’s not so beneficial but if there’s anything in our venting which genuinely seeks to understand why then I believe the Lord will answer this desire because it is placed within us by Himself…

He placed it there and He placed it there to draw us to Himself…

that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; (Acts 17:27 NASB)

The idea being like a blind person groping or feeling around them to try and find something they are looking for – this is what God designed us to do – it was a way of re-directing us back to Himself – for where else do we go – where else can we go when all “turns to custard”?…

🙂

If there is any question which we are “too scared” to ask God, if there is anything which is “too hard” to talk to God about or anything which we just “can’t trust ourselves” to “go there” or we avoid it or we try to “run away” from it or it’s just “too hard” then we have to ask ourselves – “Is this right?” “Should I be feeling this way?” – and the answer is “No!”…

🙂

Running away doesn’t help…

Facing issues helps…

Facing realities or facing potential deceptions helps…

Not running away – not creating a blockage in our minds which “blocks out” thinking about a certain subject – there is nothing “too hard” for God – there are “hard things” – no doubt – there are – but there is nothing too hard for God – He knows everything and He has all wisdom and all understanding and all knowledge – there is nothing too hard for Him…

Even His word isn’t “too hard” for Him – He knows all things – He knows the end from the beginning and tells us in His word that He declares the end from the beginning, i.e. He’s hidden “secrets” in His word which will stand right until the end of time – prophetic words which have been “locked up” “until the time of the end”, He has hidden these things there for us to discover if we will “come in” to His Presence with our questions and ask in honesty – not in fear – before His Throne…

We are all guilty of this…

I am just encouraging us all – myself included – to come boldly before the Throne of Grace with “every little thing” which bothers or perturbs us about God and “have it out” and keep “having it out” until He gives us revelation – for revelation is what we need…

He has never let me down…

I’ve let things “hang out”…

I have…

I know another who has let things “hang out” and I know that this person has benefited from that…

Letting things “hang out” is risky but it is rewarded…

You look “stupid” sometimes but even in the act of “losing face” and “looking stupid” somehow you receive insight from God and freedom (the Lord will give you wisdom as you read this)…

So I encourage us all – talk to God about everything – everything – nothing is too small and nothing is too great – everything is the same to the Lord and He delights to reveal truth to our innermost being as we humble ourselves to come before Him with our concerns, with our confusion – with our inability to understand what is going on – and ask – He speaks back to us…

I’ve developed the habit of emailing myself…

Sounds strange?

I email myself conversations which I’m having with the Lord – He told me it’s OK and He’s protecting our conversations – I know this…

He speaks back to me as I’m asking Him things – I touch type – and I record His answers and then read them over afterwards whenever I need to…

It helps me as I honestly don’t have anyone else whom I can talk to about some of these issues…

They are between me and the Lord…

It helps me…

He is my Mentor…

And I talk to Him about everything…

I get a lot of comfort from this…

And know that you will too…

Love you,

Andrew

I had an experience with the Lord this morning where He showed me the difference between choosing with my mind and choosing with my heart…

I might not express this completely accurately but here goes…

When we hear things from others or from an inner voice or from what we believe is the Lord, if it appeals to our minds and makes us feel that we have to ‘choose’ and we weigh it all up in our minds and it’s painful and then we have to ‘force’ ourselves to ‘choose’ then this is not choosing from the heart – this is a ‘fake’ choosing and it’s happening in our minds…

And it won’t last…

It won’t stick…

But when the Lord speaks to our hearts – as I’ve experienced – our heart just ‘receives’ what He is saying and the ‘opposite’ (which has been living through us) just ‘falls off’…

I’ve never seen this so clearly as this morning when the Lord actually explained it to me…

Very powerful…

He said it was, “natural” when He did it…

And it has been – I’ve had these experiences but never known how to ‘put them into words’…

Effortless…

His yoke truly is easy…

He truly does do all the work…

Now I see how He is going to complete all that He has said that He will do in my life…

Now I see what He was talking to me about “ceasing” from Psalm 46…

Wow – now I see how you “rise on wings as eagles” when you “wait on the Lord”…

Wow…

He is Everything…

And I worship Him…

He speaks to my heart and my heart – my new heart – responds – and I am changed – practically changed…

There is no striving in this…

None…

Beautiful…

I love You Lord…

🙂

From a place of waiting there will be propulsion…

From a place of waiting there will be release…

From a place a waiting there will be expansion…

From a place of waiting there will be increase…

“The day is coming”, declares the Lord, “when I will reap all nations”…

“All nations will be reaped by Me”, declares the Lord, “My Right Hand will reap the nations and I will claim those who are My own for My own”, declares the Lord…

“My word declares that before I return I will have the glory from all nations who live on the face of the earth – you will see this”, declares the Lord…

“From a place of quiet submission before Me you will see this”, declares the Lord…

“You are waiting and you have done well to wait”…

“I will speak and great will be the sound of My Voice through you on that day”, declares the Lord, “when you speak of what you have come to know of Me”…

“When you speak of what you have come to know in ‘the secret place’ – the secret place of My Presence – for My Presence will be through you and in you and enabling you in that day”, declares the Lord…

“Speak the Vision”…

“Speak the Vision”…

“Speak the Vision to anyone who will listen”…

“Speak the Vision”…

“For I am in you and through you until the end of time – Speak the Vision – for it is time for the Vision to be heard and to be received”, declares the Lord…

“Lift up your voice, be not dismayed – Speak the Vision – and let it be established in the hearts and minds of all who hear it – of all who hear it in My will”, declares the Lord…

“The army is rising”…

“The army is rising”…

“The army is rising”…

“They are rising up – rising up to Know Me”, declares the Lord…

“This is the Victory – to Know Me”, declares the Lord…

“To Know My Name – this is the Victory – and the Army – the Army of God on earth – is rising up – rising up to Know My Name – experientially to Know My Name”, declares the Lord…

“When I rise – you rise”…

“All of you will rise with Me”, declares the Lord, “and I am rising to take this world for Myself – to glorify My Great and Glorious Name throughout all the earth – like never before I will be glorified in your generation – you will remain until I come”, declares the Lord, “you will remain until I come”…

“I speak new courage, I speak new boldness, I speak new abandon, I speak new freedom from bondages and inhibitions, I speak new creativity – new responsiveness to My Spirit – and to My Spirit’s Voice – I speak new revelation into the Heart of God – new revelation into the Purposes of God and new revelation into the Love of God – expressed to you in Christ Jesus – My Son”…

“New revelation”…

“New revelation”…

“New revelation”…

“Of the Truth – the Truth once for all delivered to the Saints – once for all delivered to the Saints in My word – in My scriptures”, declares the Lord…

“We are nearing the end”…

“This is the final generation before I return”…

“You will see My return”…

“You will live to see My return from Heaven – riding on My White Horse – picking you up to meet Me in the air – being transformed in an instant of time and been given your resurrected body – you will live to see My Day”, declares the Lord…

“The time is short but there is so much to do”…

“So much to do”…

“So much to do”…

“Run, Run Andrew in the path of My Commands”…

“Run Andrew in the path of My Commands for there you will find delight”…

“Your delight will be found in Me – I am your delight”, declares the Lord…

“There is no one else on earth who can fulfil your desire but Me”…

“I am the fulfilment of your desire and My Name is the Lord”…

“There is no one else for you Andrew”…

“I am your Sufficiency”…

“Anything and anyone else who I give to you is merely a gift from Me”…

“You are not waiting on them but you are waiting on Me”…

“They do not belong to you – they belong to Me”…

“Even your most intimate relationships do not belong to you – they belong to Me”, declares the Lord…

“Run and do not grow weary”…

“Run and do not grow weary”…

“Run and do not grow weary”…

“There is much to do”…

“Much to do”…

“Much to do”…

“Remain in this place of waiting before Me – waiting before My Throne – in this place of waiting you will run – you understand what I am telling you”…

Yes Lord, I understand…

“Now run and I will be with you”…

“Don’t look back”…

“Don’t look back”…

“Don’t look back”…

The Lord told me to read Psalm 46 when I got in to work earlier on this morning…

I read through and then stopped at verse 10…

“Cease [striving] and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 NASB)

Then He said it was really just the following that I needed to focus on…

“Cease [striving]…” (Psalm 46:10a NASB)

So I looked up verse 10 in the interlinear…

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/psalms/46-10.htm

Cease is the following word…

http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/7503.htm

raphah: sink, relax

It’s like a deflating of all our efforts, a deflating of all our striving and all our “trying to make things happen”…

Such a peaceful feeling…

“…I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10c NASB)

Yes Lord…

As we deflate, fail, sink or relax – as we cease striving – He becomes everything over us…

As we become helpless (another rendering of this word in the NASB) and hang limp (another again) and abandon all effort we receive the Power of God to overcome – to wait – our victory is in our decision to wait in silence before the Lord – to wait until He makes it happen – all that we see we must wait until He makes it happen – Powerful…

He reminded me again of that word He’d given me previously for Christ’s Church that we needed to wait in silence before Him and how later He’d told me that I had and then I saw the rain of His Righteousness falling down on us at our local congregation not too many Sundays back showing that that other word He’d given me about seeking the Lord until He came and rained down righteousness upon us had come to pass in the spirit (the spiritual realm)…

But now He’s saying it’s deeper – it’s a lifestyle – our inability and complete “giving up” was completely what He wanted – He is waiting for this – our admission of inability – and then He will move – we will have constant revelation in that place and just speak it as it “goes past”, so to speak, us in prayer as He shows us – it’s like we’ll just “Amen” Him and it is done – that is what I saw – such a place of rest…

All in that word, “cease”…

Beautiful… 🙂

The Fire of His Love…

God’s passion for us as His People is so strong that He will stop at nothing for us to know, to understand, to experience and to believe in His Love for us as His Own…

Nothing we experience from God is punishment in the sense of retributive justice as all of our sins have been forgiven us for His Name’s Sake – that’s Jesus’ Name’s Sake – because Jesus was Perfectly Holy and He paid for our sins and we’ve believed this so our sins are no longer ours but His and His Sacrifice – His Perfect, Spotless Sacrifice – was Sufficient for all time, for all sins, for all who would believe on His Abundant Sacrifice and receive His Free Gift of Salvation by Grace, through faith…

The whipping/flogging/scourging – or discipline – which we receive from God is as sons…

Jesus received this while He was on earth even though He was perfect…

Why do we receive this?

It is because of the Fire of His Love…

It incenses Him that we don’t know His Love and that we continue on in our ‘old ways’…

He wants us more than anything to be set free…

And the only way we can be set free is to know His Love…

The Passion – the Fire – of His Love is to achieve this…

He will be known…

For the Glory of His Father, He will be known – for our good He will be known…

Jesus made the Father’s Name Known and Promised His Father that He would make it known that the Love which was in Him would be in us and that we would be One…

This will happen – before the end the Fire of His Love will achieve this in His Church…

This is why we are in this time of ‘shaking’ – the Fire of His Love is ‘shaking’ all things in His Church that we might know His Love and in knowing His Love be transformed into His Image and become one with one another all over the world…

This is ‘His Move’, this is His ‘Mandate’ – this is His time…

The Fire of His Love – accompanied by the Fire of His Jealousy – will accomplish this all around the world – those who know Him – the Fire of His Love – those who do not will experience the Fire of His Jealousy – and all will know that the Lord indeed is a Consuming Fire – either in Love or in Jealousy – or in both together He will act on our behalf and against those who do not know Him – we will be saved and they will be destroyed…

He wants all to be saved but those who will not bow their knee to the Love expressed by Jesus Christ on the cross – the Servant King – will pay the ultimate penalty – He wants them to come – all of them – but His Jealousy will not allow them to go unpunished…

When those who know Him are unable to surrender to Him and allow Him to get the Glory in their lives – they will be removed from this earth so that they can know the Fullness of His Love in Heaven (He will show them the Fullness of His Love) – while they wait for the Fullness of the Gentiles to come in and All Israel to be saved – this is not a ‘negative’ thing – this is His Love – He will be known – and He will remove iniquity from us – it does not belong to us – we belong to Him – He owns us…

Then they with us will all return to earth with Jesus – the Rider on the White Horse – to complete the Victory which He won at the Cross – the Second Adam – the Rightful Owner of the World – Jesus Christ…

A simple thought which came out in conversation with a brother in Auckland this morning – and something which the Lord is confirming to me…

God reveals to us what we need to know…

We don’t need to ‘weary ourselves’ striving for revelation…

“I am the God of all flesh”…

“I reveal Myself to all through My Son Jesus Christ”…

“He is the Express Image of My Being – He is Me and I am Him”…

“He and I are One”, declares the Lord…

“When I speak He speaks and when He speaks I speak”, declares the Lord…

“When I instruct Him, He speaks and when He speaks it is Me speaking through Him”, declares the Lord…

“What I write you – Andrew – will write and what I say you – Andrew – will say”…

“There is a day coming where I will fill you and all like you with My Spirit and My Son – Jesus Christ – will live through you and all like you – on that day”…

“I have not finished with you yet”…

“I have not finished with you yet”…

“I have not finished with you yet”…

“I know your concerns – I know your heart”…

“Your heart is not hidden before Me – I am in your heart – I am your Heart – your New Heart is Me – I am your New Heart”…

“I am your New Heart – I am your Core – your very essence – you are nothing without Me – if I left your body you would die”…

“You are not your own, you have been bought with a price – I own you and all like you – I own you – you are not your own”…

“For a long time I have given you a lot of ‘rope’ – I have allowed you to ‘wander’ to ‘experiment’ and to ‘try’ various things in your Knowledge of Me”…

“That time has and is coming to an end – coming to an end”, declares the Lord…

“You are over”…

“I have set the times – I have set the seasons and you are over”…

“Your life is over”…

“You have nothing left to live”…

“You are Mine”…

“You are Mine”…

“You are Mine”…

Things must be broken in the heart…

We can’t “stuff them down” and hope that they’ll disappear…

We can’t “avoid” them or try and “distance” ourselves from them…

They are us – what we used to be – and they must be exposed – they must “come out” – they cannot remain “trapped inside us”…

This is scary but this is necessary for the Lord to strip us and enable Him to practically re-create His Likeness in us…

Let us relax, submit and yield to God on this – it will be painful – and give Him the Glory from our whole heart – a whole heart yielded to Him Alone…

There is no other love in our hearts that can stand against His Love…

His Love Burns…

His Love for us Burns away our dross – as He wants us to be free so that we can enjoy Him and His Love for us…

Anything which stands in His Way – He will remove – to get to our heart and establish devotion to Him in our heart – not for His Sake because He needs it to feel good about Himself but because He loves us and has chosen us for His Glory…

To display His Likeness to the world…

He has come to set us free…

I was at a prayer conference over the weekend – it was an awesome conference – a real blessing…

I spent some time alone with the Lord during the conference and saw a picture which has really changed my life…

I saw a lantern/bier – it was cylindrical and had wavy wire mesh horizontal bars so to speak quite close together and further apart vertical bars (it had a plain floor and I think a circular roof but I can’t be sure about the roof)…

I saw it and thought “Wow – that’s interesting”…

Then I saw a fire beginning to burn and I sensed that the fire was burning inside the lantern/bier…

The fire colour was orange as it began to burn and then it turned blue – the colour of the Holy Spirit – and filled the lantern/bier and then I sensed Jesus came into the lantern/bier and the colour turned white and then the Light of the World literally exploded through the lantern/bier and that bright white light exploded out all over the world and I sensed the lantern/bier was raised – like a beacon – and all the world would see its shining but they wouldn’t see it – they would just see the amazing bright light which was emanating from it…

The Lord showed me that I was that lantern/bier – the lantern/bier was me – there were other parts of me (sin within me) inside the lantern/bier but I was actually its walls and He would empty it – the inside of the lantern/bier – so that only Jesus remained – and when only Jesus remained the light exploded out and everyone in the whole world saw it…

It felt so pure that lantern/bier – so simple – so “un-beautiful” – so “plain” – and yet it didn’t melt in the heat of the light – it stood firm – like a lighthouse I guess (that’s another word the Lord has given me) but people won’t notice the lighthouse or the lantern/bier they’ll just notice Him…

It was just a container for the light – the light didn’t consume it but anything else in the lantern/bier but the walls (roof and floor I suppose) was consumed (sin within me) and all that was left was Him and the structure (my new self, my new creation) and Him living through me – there was no effort on my part at all… It was literally that He was emanating that never ceasing source of light through me and He would blaze – it was bright like the brightest explosion and constant and it didn’t destroy the bars of the lantern/bier…

So clean – there was nothing left in it – I saw it empty and only filled with the Lord…

Completely empty…

And then He began to “take over”, “come” and “shine” and then I saw, “explode” through me out into the world…

I had no control…

It was just my choice to allow Him to do it…

I didn’t have to do anything…

I just had to yield my lantern/bier to Him for Him to come and do it…

I did this and I’m still doing it – I’ve been having the picture come to me since then and again last night…

There is no striving in this…

I’ve had some “stuff” happening which has really tested me – God has been “going to the root” with me and it’s been quite painful (and I’ve caused pain to others – I’m sorry Lord and I’m sorry to the others who I’ve caused pain towards – if you read this and the Lord gives you a “knowing” that I’m speaking of you then please receive my heartfelt “sorry” for all the pain I’ve caused you)…

But He is overcoming…

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it abides alone…

That is what I am doing at present…

Falling into the ground and dying…

Know and Overflow…

This came out as I was biking in to work this morning…

(Trying to save money on petrol – petrol is so expensive)

I was brought up in a particular Christian “stream” where the “tagline” was “To Know Him and to make Him Known”…

I remember discussing/arguing (politely) with my Grandfather over this and saying – many years ago – “it’s to Know Him and the rest will just follow”…

But he disagreed – he wanted it to be a requirement that we made Him known…

It just kind of “spilled out” of me this morning on the way in to work that as I know Him I naturally reflect what I know of Him to everyone else around me – it is natural – and the word which came out was overflow…

I’d shared this a few weeks ago with a brother at church and he was blessed but I get it now…

We think, “we need to make Jesus known” and we’re striving out of that place of trying to “make Jesus known” to gain approval with God and make ourselves feel “better” about ourselves – when He is calling us to just come and soak under the waterfall of His love – with our hands raised and letting that clear, crystal water cascade down all over us and really invigorate our souls and our entire beings – we will be renewed and practically transformed by standing underneath – being soaked by the waterfall of His Love…

As we are – we will naturally reflect or transmit that experience of being Loved by Him to all who we come across…

He came to set us free…

True freedom is to know His Unconditional Love for us…

This is what transforms us – transforms us from glory to glory…

My focus is to give myself to Him for Him to love me – for this is what He created me for – to be loved by Him – to see His Glory – His Glory is His Love – I really believe this – yes, His Holiness, His Righteousness but mercy triumphs over judgement and out of faith, hope and love the greatest of these is Love…

I am won by His Love…

I am in awe of His Holiness…

I love His Righteousness and His Justice but I am overwhelmed and completely undone by His Love…

His Love has won me…

And it will win all around me as I focus on Him and allow Him to love me – as I allow Him to love me I will in turn love Him and in turn love all around me…

The Greatest of these is Love…

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6 NASB)

This is quite a simple post…

The Lord gave me a revelation as I was lying awake last night – I couldn’t sleep…

I often find when this happens that He is wanting to tell me something…

Faith working through Love…

Or as the NIV says, “faith expressing itself through love”…

What He showed me was that love was behind everything we do…

The Love of Christ controls us as Paul said – He brought that scripture back to mind…

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; (2 Corinthians 5:14 NASB)

It really is so simple…

Christ loved me…

He demonstrated His Love for us…

He is still demonstrating His Love for us…

As He does we become more loving – we love because He first loved us – to the measure that we understand what has been freely given to us by God – to the measure that we understand His Love – we will be loving to others…

We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19 NASB)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, (1 Corinthians 2:12 NASB)

So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 NASB)

Faith working through love…

So anything which the Lord asks me to do – anything which He asks me to believe – if the motivation behind that is not love then it is not the Lord’s Voice speaking to me…

If the motivation is fear then it is not the Lord’s Voice – do you get it?

That’s what He was showing me last night…

I had an experience early yesterday morning with the Lord where He showed me what the outcome of that Perfect Patience that I mentioned in a previous post was – Perfect Love casts out Fear…

I experienced it…

I heard Him telling me of His Love for me…

I heard Him telling me of my security in Him…

Because I’d come to that place of forgiveness in terms of not wanting anyone to perish or “miss out” (if they knew the Lord) by being taken home early I realised that the tormentors couldn’t torment me with words which seemed contrary to His Love – Perfect Love – an understanding of His Perfect Love – and reflecting His forgiveness to the fullest possible extent to others – this is what releases the Father’s Love to us…

I actually heard the Father speaking to me yesterday…

Usually it is the Holy Spirit and Jesus who speak to me…

They identify Themselves and yesterday it was the Father and He spoke to me in love…

We cannot be forgiven personally by God and then put our hands to the throats of those who “owe” us a few cents – we cannot have expectations on others – either believers or non-believers – we must love all – tell the truth to all but tell them the truth in love…

He assured me that I was safe in Him and that He would keep me in this place of safety for the rest of my life – I have entered into that place of experiencing His Perfect Love – and there is nothing in this place which can cause you to stumble – as His word says…

Not to say that this makes me “sinlessly perfect” – it doesn’t – it just means that I am protected by His Grace to live in a place of peace and joy in His Presence where I see Him working out all the things written in His Book before one of them came to be and taking me through His plan for my life in rest with no striving from me but just submission to the process and peace and joy – I mentioned that already… 🙂

Because I am being merciful to others, i.e. showing mercy then I am receiving mercy from the Lord…

When we are judgemental then we also receive judgement, i.e. are not able to receive or believe in the unconditional love of God to us – it is our faith working through love which protects us…

Are we seeing this?

It is a very free place – that open plateau that I’ve been seeing so often is this place – this is the place He is calling us to – calling us, I believe, away to – this place of perfect peace and rest “near to the heart of God” as the old hymn says…

Love You Jesus…

Let us rediscover this place – we at the end of the ages – to rediscover this secret which Paul knew and lived by – controlled by the Love of God – a living experience of being loved and forgiven and comforted and encouraged by God – He rejoices over us with singing – and then treating all in our “wake” in this love – more and more and more…

Love you all,

Andrew