ever notice…
30Sep07
…how anything in God is easy if you really have faith for it?
the opposite is true too. so if there’s anything in God that’s not coming easy >
real faith is available to you right now. it comes bundled specifically with the word. hear the Word. feel the faith that comes with that Word. mix them thoroughly.
Faith. Prophetic utterance based on Love. God=Love. Concepts over the pass two days that have generated my heart and mind. When it came to authority, Jesus turned the pyramid upside down. He became a servant of all. He did not pronounce himself “in-charge” event though he could have. And out of his very being flowed rivers of living water and people were healed, set-free of demons and ultimately saved, as well, through his ultimate obedience to The Father. He responded in faith to the Word of God for himself which became the Word for us.
He did not want the cup of sacrifice but took it rahter than the ease of his own will. Why? He knew the promise of The Fahter. He knew the reward of the father’s promise. His inheritance was to be gathered and the complete Word of God was going to be written on the hearts of all men. Jesus knew the seating at the right hand was coming in obedience. The reign of the kingdom would be established in us, for us and around us for those who would believe in Jesus.
The father spoke of this day. Read Hosea 2. A powerful foreshadowing of the Love of God coming to those called “not my loved ones.” Jesus wanted the fulfillment of that promise. He knew what it would cost him. Psalm 22 & 27. Later, his humility explained in Phillipians 2:5-8.
Marinating in his presence brings about the humility and authority. You come to know Him and the Father. He said in John, “I and The Father will come and make our abode with you.” Through the Holy Spirit, this work is done. Through faith it is received and we are transformed.
The beauty and power of the story of Stephen is mesmerizing. He was a marinated man! His face glowed when he was stoned. Stephen was selected by the Apostles to “look after the business and duty (of the community),” so, “they (the Apostles) could devote themselves to prayer and the minstry of The Word.” The apostles trusted Stephen. They laid hands on him. He goes out and minister’s the Word and get’s martyred for it. The presence of God was all over Stephen. His prayer in the midst of the stoning was as he knelt, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”
Acts picks up immediately with Saul (Paul). Saul was in front of Stephen and heard him as he threw the very stones that murdered him. God answered Stephen on that road to Damascus and Paul was born-again.
Acts chapters 6-9:22.
Yep. And it all flows so smoothly reading about it after it happened! As it was going down it all felt like the wheels had come off…for Hosea, for David, for Steven, for Paul, for Jesus.
Faith is the divine power that saw the purposes of God come to pass - in every case you mentioned. Stir that up!>> Could we live seeing our lives as fulfilling scripture even in the worst possible circumstances? Could we live moving in the middle of utter chaos with only the voice and promises of God to keep us afloat?
How do we get beyond a place where faith is signing somebody’s doctrinal creed into a place where faith speaks to the impossible and watches it move?
It does flow smoothly. We are not taught that faith works in the midst of chaos. We are taught organized doctrines of safe living and quiet lives. We are never confronting a broken world head-on with the glorious message of The Gospel. At least that is what it seems like in today’s world. There are those that do, but in modernism, it’s more about personal responsibility then consummating faith with a God “who is a consuming fire.” He will bless us in our lives with righteousness joy and peace in The Holy Spirit, a quiet steadfastness of Kingdom living. However, with that, there is a public proclamation that must always be our axiom, “that this gospel calls me into apostolic commitment and obedience at all costs.”
The apostles selected Stephen to take care of widows within their community. To actually make sure that Jew and Greek widows were treated equitably. Acts 6 describes him as full of faith and full of and controlled by Holy Spirit.” After Stephen was selected, the Jewish men of various synagogues came after him and sought to undermine his authority. He was full of the Gospel, spoke it plainly that in Acts 6:10 it says “they were not able to resist the the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.”
They began a slanderous campaign against him and for his faith, he was martyred but rewarded with the inheritance of Christ which we find tangibly in Saul (Paul).
In Romans 1 Paul writes, 5 - “It is through him WE have received grace (empowering presence of God) and apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for his name’s sake among all nations. 6 - And that includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited to belong to him.”
We are charged as apostles of Holy Spirit. Nothing hierarchal as we have made it as man, but, supernaturally appointed by Jesus Christ to those who believe and receive in faith their calling.
Sounds heavy and burdensome but heaviness is taken out through marination. Jesus does not do anything publicly without private marination. He was saturated through and through. Stephen was saturated. Tenderized to absorb the punishment of the nails in a cross and stones to the body. Both gave up themselves with essentially “forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus did know when his work was done, finally saying, “it is finished.”
Publicly, Jesus and later, Stephen, never shrieked back. They carried the baseball bat of promise from Father’s active Word to them. We have an inheritance in Christ. We are AMBASSADORS of reconciliation. All authority of the King is given to us. We must proclaim reconciliation to the nations for the outpouring of living water to come forth in our lives.
Our lives marinated in Christ are meant to be consumed by the nations for the Word has made us into Children of sweet light, substantive and prepared by a master chef. I read the rest of Romans 1 and I asked the Lord, “Give me the faith and wisdom and power to speak the Gospel to the lost who have given themselves over.” Paul reminds us that they know the Word of God - it is inescapable in their hearts. However, they have made the trade - the truth of God for a lie. “Lord come and draw them to make another exchange and let me see the transaction. Prepare me (tenderize my heart) to be with the intermediary, Christ Jesus as it goes down.” I am certain this must be our focus everyday.
Your question is on the mark. We must preach so we see evidence of faith in the Kingdom, The Father backing up his Word. Ask for opportunity. Listen for opportunity. Respond when he says “opportunity has arrived,” and watch when you participate when opportunity is exploited.
A key feature here is that the word “apostle” in the Greek boils down to “sent one,” and you’re absolutely right in saying that apostolic identity belongs to the entire church. Not all of us function in the office of apostle as Paul did (at least yet), but when individuals do - it’s way less about a badge they wear and more about a specific divine function they operate in.
Yet the entire church is to live actively IN THE PRESENCE of God so we can BE SENT out of the presence with the touch and sound and feel and authority of heaven on us. Isaiah 6 is an amazing picture of this. So is Mark 16.
We realize that what we are called to do is far above what any man can produce, yet we take hold of the divine ability God places in the call itself. Faith hears the call, ignores the impossibility, steps out of the boat and starts walking.
this is delicious.
Man…. Glen - You are really helping me believe what is on my heart. I thank God for your gift of discernment and teaching. BTW 1953 and the hidden 40 minute track - is amazing….
I am out in London this week calling the worshipers to come forth in faith. God gave us a vision of a line of warriors, like a battle line. He poured oil over each one of them. As they began to charge into battle he set each one on fire - they were burning and running with the Fire of God. Then the Lord showed us a close-up picture of a warrior. As he burned - he turned to gold. He was refined in the fiery passion of His presence.
These warriors are swift, did not turn to the right or left and destroyed the enemy and took the land. They set the captives free and the newly free captives became warriors in the battle lines.
A reproducing army anointed in Love, consecrated, on fire moving in power being refined into His glorious inheritance.
It is delicious.