Know who you are in Christ Jesus Pt. 2

We ended Part 1 of "Know who you are in Christ Jesus" with this question: Could the wandering lamb/sheep, not know who they are in Christ? There could be various reasons why sheep go astray. I would like to focus on the one who as gone or who is wandering astray because his relationship with the Great Good Shepherd has been compromised! The enemy is a master at twisting truth and very manipulative. Those who are vulnerable to the enemy's lies are those who place their dependency on man and not on God. If the enemy can get your eyes on man and off of Jesus he will have control of your life. The Bible warns us to beware of wolves in sheep clothing for they can be very influential and are masterful liars! Drawing you away to themselves is their goal and having a mindset of fleshly fun and pleasures more than of spiritual growth and relationship with Jesus and His Word is their focus. Is your Christianity based mostly on your relationship with man more than your relationship with Jesus? If your honest answer is the former rather than the latter then you are set for being easily deceived and being lead astray.

I would like to set the stage on how God sees us. God sees us (His children) corporately as well as individually. We each (individually) were delicately knit together in the womb of our biological mothers to be a unique vessel of honor for God's glory in the body of His Son (Jesus Christ)! We are the salt of the earth, a city on a hill, a light that shines, a representative, a witness and example corporately as well as individually for the glory of God (our Father and Creator)! He knows the number of hairs on each of our heads, now if that is not knowing us intimately I don't know what is. He loves us and knows us in every detail. There is nothing or no one in this great universe that shares your finger print. We are each unique, and nothing about us is hidden from God, we are open before Our Father in Heaven! When we become part of the body of Christ, we are each given a unique gifting as to be used to edify others for the Glory of God! And when one part of the body is not functioning the body cannot function properly, this is how important each of us is, and Christ will judge each of us "individually" for the works we have done! He is the author and the finisher of our faith, and the good work that He has begun in us He is faithful to complete it. He is also faithful and just to forgive us of our sins because He loves each of us very much and does not want to see even "one" perish! When your eyes have been opened because it has been revealed that He first loved you and has accepted you just the way you are and how much He truly loves you, then your knowing Him is loving Him and your loving Him is truly knowing Him! And to continue to look to man instead of Jesus might be a passing thought but is quickly dismissed!

Back to the enemy, that master deceiver. The sheep who is established in his relationship with his Great Good Shepherd is not easily deceived, but the one who is not established will wander from time to time making themselves vulnerable to the wiles of the devil! They become an easy target to be manipulated! The Bible says that we must be alert and vigilant, always watching because Satan roams to and fro through out the earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour! The Bible also says that we are to have on the whole armor of God so that we can quench all the fiery darts of the devil! If one piece of the armor of God is missing we are vulnerable! In Part 3 of "Know who you are in Christ Jesus" I will unmask the enemy and how he operates!

To be continued....

The Birth of a Warrior

The storm is violent, the sea is raging

The boat is tossed and darkness engaging

But there's hope in the distance, a Light he does see

Penetrating the night causing the darkness to flee

Clothed in his battle gear, Shield in his hand

With the Sword of the Spirit he takes a stand

He sets his course and aims straight for the Light

Though the wind is blowing he won't give up this fight

JESUS! he proclaims standing strong and tall

He's my Savior my King I will not fall

The shield of faith guards him round about

Quenching and deflecting every mindful doubt

With the sword of the Spirit he does proclaim

"That I'm more than a conqueror in Jesus name"

Salvation is his, he knows in his heart

That the winds must cease and the darkness depart

The Truth is known and now he does see

That the Light of Jesus has set him free

Though the boat is battered

And ripped and torn

Under his mantle

A WARRIOR IS BORN!!

 

Now is the time to hold on and don't let go!

I have an urgency in my spirit to let the Body of Christ know that now is the time to hold on and don't let go, maybe you have had the same urgency and this is just confirmation but nevertheless I am exhorting all to hang on!

Through out scriptures I read passages that exhort us to endure, be steadfast, hang on, don't give up, stay confident. This can be really hard to do when it seems like all hell is breaking loose in our lives. We grow weary and exhausted. Affliction and suffering can come in like a flood pulling us under it's currents and we struggle trying to get a breath. Sorrow hits our hearts like heavy anvils, making us feel abandoned and lonely. We find ourselves growing weary don't we?

At this point we can give up or take hold of faith. I choose to take hold of faith and hang on! The scripture's read that after we have endured for a while we have need of patience and then the promised reward comes, so pick up the shield of faith and quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and stand strong in God's promises, and in confidence proclaim them. The sufferings here is nothing to be compared with the glory and joy that we will behold in the presence of Christ Jesus for all eternity.

God is not slack concerning his promise, but He wants none to perish, so now is not the time to begin back peddling, now is the time to move forward in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. Now is the time to rise-up and lift up our eyes for our redemption draweth near. Now is the time to lift the banner, speak the Word and be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! We must not look around but look up! Now is the time to embrace hope, faith and love. Now is the time to walk in the fullness of God. We must look to Him and set our face like a flint for the glory of the Lord has risen upon us!

I have heard it said that when you find yourself at the end of your rope tie a knot in it and hang on. When you have stood and done all that you know to do then keep STANDING and stand strong. God is Faithful, His Word is True. When everything else perishes God's Word will stand sure and that is what we want to be standing on when everything else collapses for that is our Hope and our Faith!

Now is the time to make sure that we have on the full armor of God and hold on and don't let go!

Forged in Fire

This writing was inspired by a dream that the Holy Spirit gave me on June 24th of 1999 early in the morning. I seen men and women laying themselves on an altar of fire. But there were some that would not lay themselves on this altar. It was revealed to me that the ones who did were the Faithful Ones of God. They are His Warriors. He was purifying them of all unrighteousness and preparing them for the last days before His return. The Spirit of the Lord then explained the meaning of dream to me. And is as follows:

Making our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God is our reasonable service.

Are we willing to lay ourselves on the altar of the Lord and let His consuming fire try us and purify us so that He can bring us forth as pure gold? Placing ourselves on the altar of the Lord to be consumed by His fire is a hard thing and even painful to our flesh. In the fire we will be cleansed, all our impurities will be burned up. Are we willing to forsake and sacrifice those things in our lives that are keeping us from growing closer to the Lord? Are we willing to let go of all our insecurities? Are we willing to say "Not my will but yours be done" just like Jesus did? Jesus knew the suffering that was ahead. He knew the pain that was to come, but, He also knew the joy that was ahead after enduring the sufferings of the cross. He saw the victory, the reward, the crown.

Some will be afraid to step into the fire because it is too big of a sacrifice, thus they will make excuses. Others will willingly step into the fire, they are the ones that can't deny the powerful driving force that is within them. They will forsake all just so they can see the ONE who forsook all for them, FACE to FACE. Nothing in this world will hold them back or stop them. They will lay their lives on the line, risking it all. They are GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES. They are truly soldiers of the cross. They are His precious and most beautiful of all jewels. He holds them in the palm of His hands. He's had them in His fire trying and purifying them. They are the Warriors of the last days. They will be the ones leading God's people into victory. They are the anointed Ones, full of the Holy Spirit. The zeal of God will be their banner. They will be known and easily recognized, for their eyes will burn with the Truth of God as well as the Love of God.

The enemy knows the names of GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES. He is battling them even now as to try and stop them from laying their lives on the altar of God. This very thought strikes fear into him. GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES are overcoming the enemy at this very moment. The enemy attacks, but it only drives them closer to their Lord. The enemy is thinking that if he continues to attack harder and more aggressively that GOD'S FAITHFUL will eventually grow weary and give-up. GOD'S FAITHFUL DO NOT GIVE UP. They keep overcoming and drawing closer to their Lord, for they know who they are in CHRIST JESUS.

They are fighting with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

They are speaking who they are in Christ Jesus. Their shield of Faith is quenching all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Truth girds their very being and exudes from them like a glorious Light. This glorious Light blinds the enemy but opens the eyes of GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES so that they see clearly.

Their breastplates of Righteousness guards their hearts from pride, but fills their hearts with thanksgiving, praise and worship to the ONE that they adore.

Their shoes of Peace silences the terrors of the beast. Their helmet of Salvation illuminates with the Light of Hope for the lost and dying. Like a Lighthouse they will draw them in.

GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES are closing in on the enemy. He is surrounded. They are pressing in on him. Closer and closer they move in on the enemy. His space is getting tighter and tighter. Eventually he will be snuffed out by the FAITHFUL ONES OF GOD. Jesus has the victory, therefore we have the victory!!!Hallelujah!!!!

Now.......... I ask again are we willing to lay our lives on the altar of the Lord?