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“A minister of the word should know that God is building up his ministry through each trial and difficulty. Do not be so foolish as to deem it best to flee from trial. If no thorn, then no grace, hence no power and little ministry. You may speak the word but you do not possess the strength of the spirit to push it out. You need the word; you also need a usable spirit”. Watchman Nee

“Those whom God will use greatly He will cut deeply.” A.W. Tozer

John 15

The Vine and the Branches

1″I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5″I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9″As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

The World Hates the Disciples

18″If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.'[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.'[c]
26″When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

Oh God, get my eyes off of me and let me see the earth and those you put on this earth as my responsibility. As an intercessor and an ambassador, give me compassion and clarity.

I have been thinking this morning about the mystery of the indwelling Spirit. Theologically I believe it but in reality many days (and so far on this day) I live as though I walk alone, even when I have a Helper, a Teacher, a Comforter and an eager Friend longing to live life with me. Oh, to walk in perpetual conversation with the One who knows me best and loves me most, to walk by faith and not by sight, leaning into this invisible Companion.

I was meditating on Hebrews 10:38 and the part of that verse that says, “My righteous one shall live by faith,” and I felt like the Lord said to me in my spirit, “Think of that in a different way.” See… I initially saw it as an OBLIGATION, but then I felt He said, “See it as a PROMISE!” When I have a revelation that I have His very own righteousness, I SHALL live in CONFIDENCE towards Him!

Thank You, Lord!

Remember that game Chutes and Ladders. I think I hit that really big chute and I went about thirty or forty steps backwards. Just thankful I am not all the way at the very beginning of the game.

God has been speaking to me over the last three weeks about the sin of making idols.

He has not been speaking softly. There is an urgency and a strictness. I think I understand the fear of the Lord better now. God’s correction for me while sometimes harsh has still been sweet. In His correction I have never felt so loved and valued as a daughter. Weird sounding maybe to know that He loves me through His hand of discipline because it has been painful. More painful because I know it was brought on by my own doing and my choice to ignore God’s warnings. Over the last years, I have had more than my share of chances to humble myself and repent (turn away from this sin, my sin) of making idols of some of the people in my life. I insisted on doing some things my way. Sooo… My Father sent someone who I very much respect but even that one too I had on a pedestal… with a Word for me. Though the Words were few, my spirit heard much. It cut deeply and yet I know because of her obedience I will never be the same. I really do want to get it right.

Yes, I went down the chute and I feel like I have been “put in my place” yet no longer very sure of my place in this natural world. I will choose to stand on the promise that God will use it all for His purposes. This was the Word of the Lord to me:

Thus say’s the Lord God Almighty…My Name is Jealous!!! My Spirit who dwells within you yearns jealously for you to be Mine..all Mine..completely Mine. I will not share you with another…another man…another woman…and especially the old you.

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:8

Put off the old man and his deeds..put on the new man by being renewed in the spirit of our minds. Ephesians 4:22-24

Fact: Every single person who ever lived is going to be bodily resurrected. Some to an eternal state of blessedness and purpose, where all sickness, pain, suffering and death is forever banished. The others into an eternal place of suffering where there is no hope or escape. Jesus Christ and the cross is the deciding factor…you choose!!

Having [the same] hope in God which these themselves hold and look for, that there is to be a resurrection both of the righteous and the unrighteous (the just and the unjust). Acts 24:15(Amplified)

Almost as terrifying to me are my thoughts that if I have chosen Jesus Christ and the cross why do I ever hesitate or choose to remain silent or do nothing to share Him and His love with those that face a place of eternal suffering? Here too I have a choice to which I will one day answer.

My prayer today- that my choices will Glorify Jesus and that the Lamb would receive the reward of His suffering… through me!!!

God is so good. He is our healer, provider and our Savior.

Today at the food pantry there were many prayer requests for healing of backs, legs, and feet. Lots using canes, braces and walkers and having balance issues. One lady had suffered a fall over the weekend and broken her foot and glasses and almost fell several times while I was with her. Today, I stood in the hallway and greeted every person that walked in and I was just astonished at the similarities that seemed to be among this particular group. I prayed some prayers today that some may think are a bit bold but I PRAISE GOD because I believe with all my heart that God healed as we prayed and asked Him.

A lady that I have prayed with every month and grown quite fond of came. She had some major breathing and mobility problems and I noticed that she wasn’t using her inhaler. When I asked her about it, she testified that over the course of the few months she has been coming and receiving prayer that her breathing issue has cleared up and she is now able to get around-and NOW she is losing weight. She glowed and was so excited. I was too. PRAISE THE LORD, OUR HEALER. He is able and He is willing.

Another lady testified that after prayer last month she got a job. PRAISE THE LORD, OUR PROVIDER.

And most importantly and most exciting of all one of the ladies praying today led someone to the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD, HE IS OUR SAVIOR.

God loves each of us so much. I stand amazed that even on a rainy, humid, busy Tuesday He could touch me by touching those I have grown to love so much and bless me that I could be around as He demonstrates His power, grace and love to them— changing their lives—and changing mine. I love Him so : )

Parts of this came as a good and timely Word for me…maybe something in this is for you too.

Others May, You May Not

by G.D. Watson (1845-1924)

If God has called you to be really like Christ in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you such demands of obedience, that He will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.Others can brag on themselves, and their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can be produced only in the shade.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making money, but it is likely God will keep you poor because he wants you to have something far better than gold and that is a helpless dependence on Him; that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day – out of an unseen treasury.

God will let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a great work for Him and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when He comes.

The Holy Spirit will put strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do what He pleases with His own, and He will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle you in His dealing with you. He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things that you cannot do or say.

Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that others are not dealt with.

Now, when you are so possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this particular personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.

Why is it that consistently those persecuted for faith show in their lives and speak in ways that show they simply seem to love the Lord a lot more because of it?

I read something last night in the Voice of Martyrs magazine that really spoke to my heart. It has to do with suffering – something we prefer to avoid yet we all are either going through a trying time or we will and what he said gave me some real perspective.

This comes from a 27 year old Egyptian believer named Mohammed Hegazy. Quoting from the article.

“He and his wife are Christians who converted from Islam…After becoming a Christian 11 years ago, Hegazy was beaten regularly by his father until he moved out of the house two years later. In addition, he was tortured several times by Egyptian police. They tied a blindfold around his eyes, hung him upside down by ropes, beat him and shocked him with electric batons trying to gather information about other Christians…Islamic religious leaders have called for his death. Hegazy’s house was burned to the ground, and his family is now in hiding…when asked his thoughts on what the Apostle Paul calls tribulations, Hegazy told us, “I think that suffering is a most beautiful part of the Christian faith because Christianity without pain, without suffering, without hard times is like ready made food (fast food). There’s nothing true in it. It’s very superficial, very shallow””

“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22

Keep pressing into Him and His kingdom.

“Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark.” (2 Samuel 6:6)

Elmer Towns tells of ten days of revival at Liberty University when one student began confessing his sins. The Lord came and they were in divine activity for ten days and nights with no one wanting to go from the meeting. Until– another student stood up and was boastful about his former sins…..the Holy Spirit left, and it ended. One touch of the hand of flesh and He was gone.

WHOA! I can’t even get words out to explain what this did to me when I read it. I wonder how often and in how many ways I put my hand out to “steady the Ark” as Uzzah did. How often am I boastful and full of flesh, even in what seems good things? Convicting…only word I can find.

So thankful for God’s grace today.

When I pray, I am expecting miracles, gifts of healing and demonstrations of God’s power! I believe God likes a people who grab hold of the Word of God and use it like a sword!

Jesus spoke the Word – and kingdom things happened! There is a word of healing – against sickness, disease and fear. He has already spoken the word that brought you healing. The promise has already gone forth! Strengthen yourself. Be free from every bit of oppression! Here is some of the scripture that I am praying this week…

Joshua 24:14, 15; Isaiah 1:5-6, John 5:1-9, John 7:23; Heb. 12:4-13; also, Isaiah 35:3-4 (NIV) “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’”

I lift up my hands in the sanctuary and I bless You, Lord! I make straight paths for my feet – right to Your throne of grace. In Your name alone I will lift up my hands. I am strong in the Lord and full of courage and boldness, for my hope is in You. Hear me, Lord, as I call out to You. Thank You for this church, this place of grace that You have brought me to. Thank You for restoring me and making me whole. I have chosen for myself that I will fear You and serve You, the Lord all the days of my life. I choose life, healing, wholeness, restoration, and revival. I proclaim that You, my God have come with strength and You will save me to the uttermost!
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Take these scriptures and declarations and pray with strength!!! Take the power of God and storm the gates of oppression, sickness, poverty.