the baseball bat pt. 2
This life of yielding and abiding is the place where we are strengthened with dunamis-power in our inner man, that Christ might dwell in our hearts by faith. This life of yielding and abiding is the place where we have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and deep and long and high the love of Christ is! This is the good and pleasant place David prophesies of where brothers dwell in unity.
It is out of a life of yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit that we as a church are able to submit ourselves one to another. In this age where the pride of life runs rampant across the stage of the world’s entertainment, men increasingly fashion themselves in the image of the rebellious, opinionated, lustful, self-dependent, hardened images they constantly see. There is no natural human template for submission, for yieldedness, for complete dependence on the Spirit of God.
Yet this was the way all the fullness of the Godhead was presented and modeled before us in a human body; this is the way Jesus lived before us. He came clothed in humility, as the servant of all, obedient even to the point of the torturous degraded death on a cross. The heart cannot be prepared to serve this way outside of a consecration to the yoke that Christ took on himself.
We are given four accounts of his his anointing with the Holy Ghost and power at Beth-abara, and their testimony is clear and consistent. The Holy Ghost came upon Jesus as a dove and Father’s voice came from heaven saying, “This is my Son whom I love.” He was immediately driven by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted of the devil; and after forty days of submitting himself to God and resisting the devil, he returned in the power of the Holy Ghost. When he stood up in the synagogue and the scroll was given to him to read, he read “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.”
Everything which followed - the blind receiving sight, the demon-possessed being delivered, the brokenhearted being healed, the lame walking, the dead being raised, the acceptable year of the Lord’s favor being proclaimed - proceeded out of a consecration to do nothing independent of the anointing and operation of the Holy Ghost. This is our model. As Jesus yielded his members as instruments of righteousness, his mouth to speak only what Father said, and his body to do only the things he saw the Father doing; so we are to yield our members.
I believe that God is waiting for the church to really receive this teaching, across the boundaries of dominations. The bride is the likeness of Christ on earth and when we are collectively moving in that realm this ushers in the Kingdom of God. His reign is sure from top to bottom but in His love for us we get included, the body knit together, the building gets completed. We get to dwell together in this very real house of God, bathed in His presence. We just have to surrender and abide, amen, then comes hearing and then ahhh…. functionality.
What is the practical application of the workings of this “dudamis power in our innerman?” “Innerspaceman, Innerspaceman Christ is front and center….”I think it begins with the word which Paul hoped we all did - Prophesy. All other spiritual gifts listed flow from this one word. Miracles, Healing, Tongues, Discerment of Spirits, Words of Knowledge and Wisdom etc.
In Revelations “the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.” In 1 Corinthians 14 - Paul says that to prophesy is to encourage, edify (build faith) and comfort.” Many take prophesying as a foretelling of things to come. They use the term to pronounce judgements or other evils on others from a presumptive standpoint. Jesus said, no one can judge except God alone. Paul never defined it that way either. He preferred to let God be the judge on matters and not himself. He was accursed until he came into a saving knwledge of Christ on that road and considered all a lost for the sake of knowing Jesus.
What I need to realize in this time of post-modern deconstructive non-sense is that all are created by Jesus “in Him and for Him.” The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable and without repentance. O.K. Lord, I hear what you are saying - now put me in front of lost that I may prophesy the good gifts you have given them. Let me say to them what you say is You in them. You knew then in their unformed substance (before the womb) and can reveal to me what would encourage, edify and comfort them. What will give them a perceptual view of repentance and your abiding love.
As absorbed as I am with abiding, so must I be absorbed with handing out the measure of my abode with Him.
It is is time for measure upon measure upon measure for a lost and dying world. Measure upon measure call forth treasures that cause children of God to bloom. Forget the 4 spiritual laws cuz everyone who has ever heard of Jesus that you know already assume condemnation for their wrongdoings. How many times do you hear unsaved people you know misquote the Bible as a law book and some waste of standards and system of belief. Prophesy to the condemned. Holy Spirit is doing his duty when people say this stuff because to those who do not believe he brings condemnation and judgement but to those who do believe it is everlasting life. If people know your a Christian it is the first thing they say to you sometimes - something to do with the warped view of the law.
God is prophesying them to receive the measure of his sacrificed Son who rose from the dead. I cannot prophesy more judgement. I am a CARRIER of His Glory - His Prescence - His Truth - His LIfe - His Being - The burden of His Inheritance - a cloaking yoke of Glory!!! His dudamis power - a countenance former and a transformer of mind and heart. Let this love flow. Let it pour in obedience.
Many, have ears for others. Do I really want to say - “You need to repent!!” with a pointing finger or do I want to be a man of reconciliation - leading people to repentance with prophetic words, acts and a love that is replenished to a cheerful giver?
My life is a tithe is what I have discovered. Now I need to discover the word going forth from that life he has made in me. “I am in love. How will they know so they may know Love eternal?”
Prophesy Thomas!
Prophecy is definitely a huge part of the program!
Now when we say “practical application,” we are really talking about God being manifested in human flesh. Divine words coming out of human mouths, divine authority demonstrated in human lives and actions. We’re talking about those who are led/controlled/dominated by the Spirit of God, and so are the sons of God.
Isn’t the beauty of this relationship that it takes 100% dependence on God?
good to define practical application. maybe we should call it practical intervention. after all, we must let him continually intervene, or practical availability - just be ready for him to speak to you that you would obediently speak what He says or do what he is doing… Perhaps practical participation with your Supernatural daddy!
100%. He is a daring and dangerous God who will do radical exploits - are you ready for such an adventure?
We are partakers