Great and Unsearchable Things

Things the Lord gives me, and then I write them.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Has Death Already Been Destroyed?

     Consider that death has already been destroyed, and yet is being destroyed. The Scripture that says "the last enemy to be destroyed is death" (I Cor. 15:26)is actually translated in the present future tense as " death is being annulled," showing the "restoration of all things," as referred to in Acts 3, which indicates a process.
     How can we believe death has been destroyed?  Did not the very resurrection of Jesus, with the precursor of dead Lazarus brought to life, show that? Jesus had to die a physical death and then resurrect to have victory over it. He is the first-born of many sons.
     Now, He resides in us. He is eternal Life. I will leave it at that.
     Could it be that because we "accept death" that we are putting our expectation there, and succumbing to it?
     "He must reign until all enemies be put under His feet." (I Cor. 15:25) -After Jesus' ascension, wasn't He seated at the right Hand of God and began His reign, due to His victory? And what did He have victory over except sin, death and the devil?
    
I am contemplating these things today in light of the fact that my father-in-law passed away yesterday morning. I saw him fight harder than anyone I know to stay alive for many months, and am now wondering if he had known he could win this fight (the enemies' last attack on the human being) by having Christ in him and with that, His victory over death, perhaps he would have still been here? Could Christ be hoping that someone would catch this vision of His victory already and enter into it, accelerating the Kingdom coming to this earth as it is in Heaven? I'm not making conclusions, but just asking questions.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Hunkered Down for His Purposes

     A few days ago, I heard that it was planning to rain today, which is the day that my husband had planned to boil shrimp outside for his father's birthday party. Another advantage of it not raining would be that I could put a few tables outside so the house wouldn't have to be so crowded with 32 people coming.
      My first impulse was to "pray it away," or to ask God to give us sunshine which He is perfectly capable of doing. But I was stopped from doing this on the inside. Instead, the thought occurred to me that He was wanting us to have to make adjustments, and the sense of it had to do with us all being in closed parameters for something He desired to do.
     It seems by my holding back from asking what I wanted to happen, and yielding to His leanings inside me of withholding my prayer in this way, that Christ is taking more ground in me. His desires are rising, while mine are declining, and that's a good thing.
     Because He has shown me this miniscule detail happening, I am awaiting what He will do because we all are under one roof together and not scattered. I believe that when we become "One" with Him, and His desires supplants ours. that we have the advantage of being able to "see" His plans and purposes in ours and others lives. Again, it's a matter of "not my will, but Thine be done." His is always better, richer, more significant, and wondrous than ours will ever be. It's worth denying ourselves.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Teaching "Soldiers of the Cross" offered

     The Lord has given me understanding on several truths in His Word on the subject of "setting the captives free," and I have written a teaching about it called, "Soldiers of the Cross."
     It is for mature Christians, or ones who desire to become mature, meaning you agree to go through the cross of Christ, letting Him crucify your flesh, so that He can arise in and through you. This very painful process of self-denial is the dying process of "I" so that the living Christ can emerge. When He puts us on His path of becoming One with us (as we allow Him to) we then begin to operate like Him in the ministry He came to bring of "setting the captives free." This not only releases individual people to receive Him and more of Him, but also advances the Kingdom in the process. Christ alone, and through His sons and daughters, work together for this end: taking back the world and it's people from the enemy, and removing hindrances and blockages from His own people too. He is restoring all things.
     This  teaching explains the basis for all of this, which encourages and motivates His sons and daughters to "war" in confidence, knowing that it has already been won. Understanding what really did happen at the cross is paramount to being a good soldier, and one who goes forward and doesn't look back.
      I haven't made it into a booklet yet, but if anyone would like to read the entire manuscript of about 45-50 pgs., I will send it to you by email attachment. Contact me if you are interested; pmb24@bellsouth.net.
      

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Refining the Call

     When God calls a person, as time goes on, it seems like the focus is narrowed. Like in a camera's eye view, the zoomed framed picture, becomes clearer. At first, one sees a broad vision with a lot of extraneous images in the background, but then He zooms in on the very things He is wanting one to really look at and go after. At least that is how He is doing it for me.
     First I saw "missions", then it was missions in Asian countries, then finally it became the mission He has called me to in India. I still support and pray for people in other nations, as that is my heart, but He is cropping things in the background for me that could cause distraction from what He is really wanting me to see.
     Since India and the people He's connected us to there is in my vision, He is fine-tuning that focus too. It is becoming more about the talents and gifts He's put in me, and opening doors for me to use those in a few cities in that country. He can either expand that for me if He chooses, or He can even make it smaller too.
     When we put our call into His hands, He then can be free to define it for us, as He sees fit, according to His plans and purposes. When that happens, it is interesting how our spiritual vision is expanded again, but now in a new way. We don't feel responsible for all we see, but we know He is and we stand in awe at what He has done, what He will do, and what He will continue to do until His Kingdom comes. And He lets us have a part in that-awesome!!!

Monday, November 03, 2014

Opening Up

     I am betwixt and between in deciding (hearing from God about) whether or not it is a good thing to opening one's soul and sharing what is in it to certain people. It seems like my soul has been repressed for a long time, and therefore, I am not able to express my true feelings very well. And, with that, I am thinking that is one reason that I, and many others who may have done the same thing of shutting down, feel alone.
     Yesterday, I "dared" to express a desire I had to my son and he asked why I felt that way, and I couldn't come up with it. I wanted him to do something, but didn't really know the depth of why I wanted it. So, with him asking me, I was able to hear from the depths of my soul, and discover the real "why." I could have just left it there, and let it remain underground, like I had so many times in the past, but I, again, "dared" to share it with him. He responded well, and it felt right to me also. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. What I shared were my true feelings, which I felt  a little exposed and vulnerable in sharing on one hand, but on the other, I am sensing that this way may be a very important part of the healing that is needed in me and in my relationships with the ones I love. Because of the repression that I have chosen for so long in the past, they really don't know me. I have repressed things so deep, that I really don't know myself much either.
     So, here I am with a sincere desire to let God lead me in this path, and getting me ready to open up things buried and, I thought dead. (and they probably were, but the problem with that is that sooner or later, dead things stink, and something then has to be done) I am looking squarely at what part I have played in the distance I feel in most, if not all of my relationships and the fears I've had to do it any other way, and how those fears have caused more damage, and have not protected me as I'd hoped.
     It really all boils down to love, what that means, and letting God lead us into the healing when we haven't loved  because we've hid ourselves from it. "Leave me alone," was my motto. Now, I am hoping that is changed to, "Can I share myself with you?" Only the true Lover of our Soul, Christ in us, can do that kind of work within us as we open ourselves up to it.

Sunday, November 02, 2014

True Fellowship

     There is very little true fellowship that goes on today as God defines it.

1 John 1:7-
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.


     If there are 2 people who have a relationship, both claiming to be believers, and 1 of them is living life as they please, and the other one is living life according to God, by the Spirit, they won't experience true fellowship. There will never be any depth or closeness felt between them. Why? The Scripture tells us. It is one's relationship to Christ, and how they live that out, where 2 souls connect.
     This fellowship can give and receive Christ one to another. He, and following His ways, is the answer. There will always be a distance, if not a complete "disconnect" with those who are in the light and those who are not.
     In Western "Christianity" today, so many have fallen prey to the prosperity, cheap grace gospel which makes it hard to find true fellowship in it's true context.  Is this what is meant by the apostasy, or the "great falling away" the Word tells us will happen? Maybe it's not as we thought, when men will deny God with their words, but with their actions.
      A few couples we've come in contact with state the same. They have said, "It is very hard to find other people who want to share Christ and the things of Christ in conversation. Most are talking about their favorite football team, clothing stores, movies, or massage places, or anything, but the Kingdom of God." It is such a joy when a true believer finds another one to fellowship with today.


"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Matt. 18:20. It is His presence shared between each other that makes all the difference. Sweet, sweet communion.

    

Saturday, November 01, 2014

Your Unique Calling

     I am beginning to realize that what God has called me to, may be just for me and a few others, and not for the entire Body of Christ. He has made us so uniquely different, that His Call on our lives are customized to fit with those characteristics He has put in us. He has gifted me with the ability to believe that what He says in His Word is true. I mean really true. Once He enlightens me to His understanding on something, I go for it. Not necessarily on a personal basis, but according to His plans and purposes to advance His Kingdom.
     He is getting me over the loneliness I have had to go through to get me to this point of acceptance. First, I had to accept who He's made me to be, and how He has constructed me, instead of me comparing myself to others who I couldn't relate to because they were so different. I wanted others to endorse what He was showing me as truth so I wouldn't have to go it alone. But now, I realize that I must follow the Lamb wherever He goes on the path He is leading me, and do the things He is showing me, even if no one else goes with me, or even if they don't understand. "The Call" has to be tested in one's life to see if the individual will follow Him at all costs, even if they have to forsake all others, or all others will forsake them in the process.
     When it all comes down to it, it is just us, being Peter, walking on the water with our eyes on Jesus. The question is whether we will look at the waves and go down, or set our face like a flint towards Jerusalem's King, and finish the course.