Great Tribulaltion

God's people were not taken out of, but spared, while yet in Egypt.

They were kept safe  from the judgments that fell on the unbelievers.

Even those Egyptians that regarded the word of God through Moses

were kept safe while those that did not behaved themselves as they always had.

And he that regarded not the word of the LORD

left his servants and his cattle in the field.   Exodus 9.21
                                                                                                                   
Hail came and destroyed those who believed not with their servants and their cattle.

But the children of Israel and those who regarded the warning were safe.



Likewise Noah and his family were kept through, not out of, that which fell of God's wrath

on the ungodly in his day. They were lifted up to safety by that very thing

which destroyed those who regarded not the word of God that came through the preaching of Noah.


 ... he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,

but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others... 2 Peter 2.5 niv


Joseph through much tribulation came to power in an occult steeped Egyptian monarchy and he 

saved many souls alive preserving the Jews and Abraham's seed.


Esther in a time of great threat from evil men became queen

in the midst of a godless empire and kept many souls alive

when there were those who would destroy the Jews.



And then there were those whom Daniel chose to help him in the land of his captivity.

These men honored God and would not bow to the idols of the day thus enraging the king.



And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.    Daniel 3.20


These men were delivered though their fiery ordeal but they still went through it.



Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace,

and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God,

come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

came forth of the midst of the fire.     Daniel 3.26

God delights to show his saving power and how he marks a difference in all ages between the clean

and unclean between those who serve God and those who serve him not.



Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked,

between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.    Malachi 3.18

We are living in a day of separation, of sharp contrasts,

and an intensifying of conflict between different factions.

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another,

as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats...  Matthew 25.32

God is not taking his people out. He is saving them through.

He keeps his people from the hour of temptation that comes on the world

by holding his people in his own almighty hand.



And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.   John 10.28

The Bottomless Pit Syndrome

The reality of "the bottomless pit"

is not a future reality, nor obscure or distant.

It is the reality of fallen hearts

immersed in their own emptiness.



All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it:

the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.   Ecclesiastes 1.8



Truly the chasm is so deep, the perception so staggering,

that it challenges utterance.



The power of the pit is life controlling- heart laboring and you don’t want to find yourself there.



My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.    Job 30.17



Sometimes we try to fill the void.

Or we might try to run from it

And sometimes we jump right into it looking for some kind of unadvised release.

And there is a brief rush with the freefall

but soon we find demons are there.



And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit,,

whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon,

but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

                                                           Revelation 9.11

No, the bottomless pit is a most horrible and present reality

for many lost and hurting souls.



There is good news to be had however.

There is an ex drug addict who heard it and embraced it and proclaims,

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay,

and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."   Psalm 40.2



Yea, “He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing ....”

                                                                                    JOB 33:18

Strange Sounds Heard Worldwide

I stumbled upon the you tube videos that report the strange sounds being heard worldwide since 2011. When I listened to them I heard something different than most. A recent vision I had received from the Lord put a different spin on some of these sounds for me.

The vision was one of a lion's head- almost like the Sphinx head I remember thinking.
And there came forth a roar and I saw fire breathing forth from this lion head in the process.

Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
                                                   2 Samuel 22.9

And so I began to think about  a lion roaring and what it meant and examining it in light of Scripture.


They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.  They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria. I will settle them in their homes," declares the LORD.            Hosea 11.10,11  

I imagined myself walking through a forest at night with nothing but the shirt on my back and hearing the roar of a lion nearby. I thought of the fear that would bring... the trembling...
the thinking that there is a very real chance I could get torn to pieces.  
I thought of the scriptural teaching on the fear of the Lord.

As well, I considered how foreign that kind of fear is to us modern Christians.
Most Bible teachers will water it down and explain the fear of the Lord as "awe".  
But you don't experiencing awe and trembling, it is "fear" that goes with "trembling", 
as in, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."   Philippians 2.12

Anyway those were some thoughts I had while considering the vision
and then I stumbled upon the videos.  
And having been prepped in this way I was hearing a lion's roar in some of them.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG9Mjx-Ca-M&feature=related

And after hearing some of those my heart trembled.

Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.
                                                                    Psalm 55.5

Natural Man vs. Spritual Man

...her feet abide not in her house.

                                  Proverbs 7.11

 

She is not satisfied at home.

She is looking for something.

There is a hunger in her heart.

 

Aren't we like that sometimes?

 

One writer said that a most serious problem

plaguing all mankind

is evident in our inability

to spend one hour in a room alone.

 

This speaks to our emptiness.

Our boredom.

Our struggle with that great void, "Vanity".

 

Another proverb speaks to the solution.

 

A good man is satisfied from himself.

 

When a man who was once natural becomes  spiritual

he learns to draw from inner and hidden resources.

He can take an inner desert and make it

a well watered garden.

 

He finds an enabling to do this

through the inner illumination of faith.

 

 He can find a way

where there ‘seemeth to be no way’

and it becomes his habit.

 

Such a one as this learns to make his home

a happy home - just like that virtuous woman

of Proverbs who stays at home

and “she looketh well to the ways of her household,

and eateth not the bread of idleness.”

                                     from Proverbs 31

 

 

 

Mistress Vanity

 

 

empty

desolate

soul crushing

heart rending

 

vanity

 

though not of a sudden she strikes

like a desolate wilderness she surrounds us invisibly

and in her obscurity

reaches us     often only in a whisper

which many souls practice to ignore

 

come give us wine give us song give us pleasure

come eat and drink

we will not here her

hearken not to her

for she wails like the wind through the trees

Keep busy Keep moving that is the key

we…like the frog who swims lazily around

in a pot of water

on the stove and the fire....until....

 

we…like the waves that pound the shore

eating slowly away

slowly enough that none is stirred to action...until...

 

yet the Lord hath subjected

the creation to vanity… in hope…

The Voice of the Almighty

I was at my computer the other day and I was typing in search
phrases on a Bible program. Of a sudden, what I had begun to type
was changed. Did I hit something inadvertently with a finger?

But there appeared in the search box, "the voice of the Almighty."
Now, I am one that knows all things are possible and have seen
God work and speak in mysterious ways.

For God does speak--now one way, now another--though man may not perceive it.
                                                                                                              Job 33.14NIV

Man may not perceive it but as a Son of God I am open to inspect things
and search them out in relation to the Scriptures and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit.

The first thing I did was punch in the criteria to pull up scriptures related to the phrase,
The voice of the Almighty was heard often by prophets in the Old Testament
in the manifestation of lightning and thunder.

And that is what I kept thinking about that day. The mighty voice of God as manifest
in the thunder. I do hear heaven's displeasure in that voice.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
                                                                             Psalm 29.3

The very next day after this, to my mind, supernatural manifestation of the word,
lightning was flashing all around my house. And then a couple of days later
an Almighty storm slammed into the east coast and the North Coast where I live.

Many know how powerful and devastating the storm has been.
One newscaster on the national news standing in the midst of the terrible aftermath
commented that it all boiled down to 'love'.
That was his summaton of it all.
That the message hits home during such times that all that really matters
when home and property are being destroyed is those who are dear to you.
That you are more than ever in such trying circustances
reaching out and hanging on to those you love.

Is that the "voice of the Almighty" to be heard in all this?

That the "greatest is love"?

The Parable of the Wild Horse

The master of Promised Land Ranch rose up in confidence and with purpose

as his ranch hands saddled and mounted the horses as they readied to head out into the range.

He was preparing in order that he might capture wild stallions

fresh and unbroken to train up for a future demonstration of skill and training

in the Greatest Show on Earth.

A magnificent young stallion had been spotted on the far plains

right near Apotheosis canyon and so he headed out there to see

if he could lasso the untamed creature and bring it home to his ranch and training ground.

There on his own land and in his special training ground

he would break the stallion of its natural and wild ways

that he might shape it into the image that he desired.

Then he would demonstrate at his wild west shows

the beauty and strength, intelligence and potential

of these wonderful creatures of God.

And in his heart of hearts he looked forward to the possibility

of not only teaching  the stallion a disciplined way

but also of establishing a relationship.


For in his varied experience he had found that there developed a bond-

a special relationship between horse and trainer that was special.

It was like gaining a new friend.

His love for horses had given him the opportunity on many occasions to get to know a horse

and cultivate a relationship until it almost seemed like the horse returned his affection.


A young and healthy looking stallion was spotted near the canyon

as his group approached and the horse was immediately  alerted to the presence

of these who intruded into his wild domain.

He naturally responded with nervous mistrust and even fear.

He ran off immediately exhibiting his wildness in his  gait-

tail held erect and high

as he nervously trotted away before the future trainer could get near.

But the trainer herded the stallion to a place where he would have to run close by

in order to get by him and escape the pursuers.

Then he would be close enough to try to lasso him.

Successful on the first try the untamed roan bristled at the lasso that cinched tight

on his hide and she sought violently to pull away.

But they were careful not to hurt the frightened animal and quickly managed his powers.

An experienced hand took charge and got the captured one moving forward

and kept a pace where all the roan could do was follow.

He wasn't seeking to overpower the

stallion just to redirect his energies in a way that was safer for this wild animal

that had never before known the touch of one that would seek to influence. 

It was in hope that the boss and his ranch hands lead him back

to the prepared and  fenced pasture.

There he would be separated and kept alone for the dealings that would begin in his young life.

Because of the untamed nature of the creature

the horse master knew that he would have to take the breaking process slow.

It needed to be a gradual process of subjugation where untamed animal

was little by little brought under the control of another.

They all noticed to their pleasant surprise that this horse was more spirited and fiery

than any they had seen in a while.

Confine one such as this too narrowly at the beginning

would be dangerous because the horse could harm himself or others.

Initially, he was placed in a large fenced pen where he could run around with some freedom

which is just what he did when he was first led into the pen and released from the lasso.

Immediately he began to run about with tail high and nervous energy coursing through his body

as he sought to move away from this unfamiliar situation

But he was fenced in on every side and could only run about in circles.

And so here he was left alone with feed and water

to give him time to settle and  acquaint himself  with his new surroundings.

Eventually he would tire and rest.


In a few days the next part of the breaking process would begin.

Each day the trainer would come to the horse

and each time the horse saw him he would begin to get agitated and run about the pen

But gradually the horse responded to the presence of men

with less and less agitation and mistrust.


Then on the forth day the horse was lassoed again

and a rope was tied around its leg.

This rope was long enough so that the horse could still run about.

He just had less room to run about in.

The trainer knew that the breaking process had to be slow and methodical

so that the horse could make the adjustment without too much danger too himself.

Press the horse too quickly and a violent reaction could be dangerous.

'A little bit at a time', that was his motto



And so every few days the rope was shortened until the animal was left

with very little room to move about..

 Each day in faith and hope the trainer came to see the horse

and to set food and water within his reach.

And though the sight of the man caused a negative response in the horse

the man was gratified that each day it became less and less.

 And though the trainer would have loved to pet the horse

seeking to communicate  his tenderness, he would not risk it, yet.

 A violent tug on the rope that secured him could break his leg.

And so the trainer was patient.


Finally after the horse adapted to the fact that he could move hardly at all

and had resigned himself to his new captivity it seemed,

the trainer approached with some food which he held out in his hand.

This was new.

The trainer before had always set the food down and walked away

but this time he was holding it out for him

He became nervous and jittery and shied away at first

but eventually his hunger motivated his to reach forth and take a mouthful of proffered grass

The peaceful and loving demeanor of the trainer surely helped.

This went on for a few days until the horse was used

to eating out the the trainers hand.

And then one day the trainer held out his hand with no grass but a small white cube.

The horse sniffed it, unknowing and a little confused,

 but he took it in his mouth.

He experienced a sweetness such as he had never before tasted

and marvelled in himself at new sensations.

Before long he looked forward to this little white cube to be offered

The trainer could see that the stallion was getting used to him

and soon was able to reach out his hand and pet his snout.

At first, skittish, the hose shied away

but found eventually that the sweetness would come only when he submitted

And after a time the trainer was able to pet the hoarse and even brush him down

as the horse has grown accustomed to his presence.

He had quieted down so much that he even let the trainer lead him to an indoor stall

where he would stay at night only to be released in the morning to his pen

where he no longer had a rope attached to his leg.

The trainer could now do just about anything he wanted without alerting the horse

who always now would come over to him hoping for more of the sweetness.

But this day was one where the big test would come.

For now the trainer would seek to set a saddle on the horse

and seek to ride it for the first time .

Like with the horse in this story God's aim

is to have us come under the control of the Holy Spirit

and it takes time for us to be ready for all the ways in which

God would have us to be under such control and influence.

Like the animal instinct of the beast our flesh will react violently at times

when another seeks to control or limit us.

Spiritual Butterfly

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity:

he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.

And he who would beget a buttlerfly must himself become a butterfly.

Remember

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another:

and the LORD hearkened, and heard it,

and a book of remembrance was written before him

for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

                                                                              Malachi 3.16

Are not these the Holy Scriptures which are before us

as a book of remembrance that we might call to mind

all that the Lord has done is doing and will do for us ?



Do they not help us daily in calling to mind

those things which should be foremost in our thoughts?



Do not those of us who are learning to fear and to love him

speak of these things often one to another and encourage ourselves

together in the things of him as we think upon his name

ie. all that he is to us.


This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you;

in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

                                                                                   2 Peter 3.1

Does not this book stir up our minds and transform our thought life

as we look upon and meditate on those things laid before us

to put us in remembrance.



And does not the Lord Jesus himself exhort us to remember?

"This do in remembrance..."



And consider how great a book it is

the truth of which has a grandeur that excels the mighty mountains

and a vastness that exceeds the seas in its breadth and it s depth.

Can we in it behold a glory that reaches even to the heavens?

Free at Last

The anointing was on Jesus

to open the prison to the those who are bound


Oh how he did that for me so many years ago

it was the anointing that broke an awful yoke

of fear and  bondage from off of me---

years of oppression depression


I was truly a soul cast down but then I was lifted up

it was the Spirit of the Living God--

the anointing of the saviour sent from God to redeem mankind

even desperate lost souls like me



There came deliveranced from the power of the Oppressor ---the King of Terrors



And the door swung wide open

 I walked out a free man


Many times did that father of lies seek to convince me

that I was still in place

-----his place


But the anointing kept teaching me

and the entrance of his word brought light

and it was true and no lie


And I continued to eat of that Word from on high

and it was ever the joy and rejoicing of my heart



I remember making a collage one day

of pictures that I cut out

and one was of Jesus freely laughing

This was was before my release

and it was like a prophecy when I think back now

a foretelling of good things to come

Oh happy Day!!!

El Shaddai

A supernatural faith has been depsited into our very being

by the hand of the Almighty

And what can perfect 

what can stretch 

make it more perfect

Only A God can do that.

Only one

almighty

all knowing

and all sufficient

can work things in such a way,

both within and without

so as to bring forth a vessel for the finer.

Only supernal suffering can work

with supernatural faith

until all is caused

to work together for the good.

What tools hath he

He makes use of a warming breeze

and the blast of the terrible ones

He sends the gentle rains

and the devastating storms

He uses the whirlwhind

and lovingkindness with everlasting mercies

Who else is but the Almighty

the Omnicient ever present One

is sufficient for such things.

Where is He?

There is a path which no fowl knoweth,

and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:

The lion’s whelps have not trodden it,

nor the fierce lion passed by it...

But where shall wisdom be found?

and where is the place of understanding?

Man knoweth not the price thereof;

neither is it found in the land of the living.

The depth saith, It is not in me:

and the sea saith,

It is not with me.

It cannot be gotten for gold,

neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

Whence then cometh wisdom?

and where is the place of understanding?

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living,

and kept close from the fowls of the air.

Destruction and death say,

We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

From the Book of Job

Where is God to be found?

If I look to the heights

mine understanding is confounded

by the magnitude of the expanse.

If I look to the clouds my vision is obscured.

If I seek to pierce the darkness of the night sky

the deep is too great for me.

If I look to the sun mine eye is put off

I find I cannot look upon it

and I cannot approach.

But where is he?

Above the heavens? In the deep?

Under the earth? Beyond the stars?

No.

I can only find him within.

That is the only place

that I am sure where he dwelleth.

And his word is nigh- even on my lips.

And in my heart.

And his breath sustains me.

So that understanding and wisdom become

like a lush landscape of heaven in my very heart.

Yes, that is the only place I am sure to find him.

Jesus himself pointed us in that direction saying,

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!

for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

                           Luke 17.21

God is there in the midst of the darkness.

And just as with the daystar

he causes the light to shine out of that darkness.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy;

whereunto ye do well that ye take heed,

as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,

until the day dawn,

and the day star arise in your hearts...

                                        2 Peter 1.19

Our journey is inward.

Our way is found as we plumb

the depths of our own hearts.

That was the true Light, which lighteth

every man that cometh into the world.

                         John 1.9

My God you are holy. So holy
So full of all that I have need of

It is you that gives me this marvelous sense of completeness
That which I could never find in the world
but you have given it, O Lord

What fullness!
In truth I can say in my experience and proclaim,

"You are holy"
Yes, your glorious Name is hallowed in my experience-
Even in my body, which is 'for the Lord'..

Worthy to be set above all other names is yours, O Lord
For in your Name it is revealed all that you are.
And in knowing and experiencing you in all that which you are
I find it is always exceedingly abundantly above
all that we could think or even ask

Each and every time

For we are before you as infinitely complex creatures O Lord
Beyond anything which man can understand or fully comprehend
Indeed we need and infinite God in our eternal capacities

And now my eternal perspective is exceedingly wondrous!!!


How marvelous are your works O God.


Way beyond my meager comprehension.

More than Revival

There is a hunger for more-
A cry for God's power and might-
A yearning for what many call 'revival'.

The enemy, it appears to many,
has come in like a flood.
The waters are rising dangerously fast.

When will God raise up a standard against?
What will he do? How will he do it?

When you did terrible things that we looked not for,
you came down... Isaiah64.3


Years ago, when I was seeing signs from the Lord
that he in fact was planning a mighty 'move' of the Spirit,
the word 'revolution' was dropped into my spirit.

When this was given to me it was actually just bare bones.
First came the word 'revolution' and then three more words:
repentance, revival, and restoration.

I understood at this time that these three R's
signified three different and distinct phases of spiritual revolution.

I concluded that the
Spirit of God that guides into all truth
was pointing to more than that which we commonly refer to as ‘revival’
and that our attention is being drawn to a revolutionary
and scriptural process.

One writer declared, 'we are past the point of revival'.
Something more is needed.

The 'more' is contained in the understanding of revolution:
earth shaking, mind shattering, heartbreaking, life transforming- revolution.

Revival is talked about as though it were an end in itself.
We need to see it as part of a larger process.

Jesus didn't come to bring just revival.
He said that no stone would be left upon another
and in the new creation we discover
that this has been accomplished on every level.

No, the fire he sent in the earth was the fire of a mighty revolution..

"I am come to send fire in the earth..." Luke 12.49


So after I got the bare bones of this I was led to more,
given more light and revelation, so as to flesh it out.

...and when I beheld, lo, the sinews
and the flesh came up upon them...Ezekiel 37.18


It was years later that it dawned on me that the passage
in second Chronicles describes this very process.

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray
and turn from their wicked ways(repentance),
I will hear from heaven (revival)
and forgive their sin and turn and heal their land (restoration).
2 Chronicles 7.14


We are going to see dramatic change.

God is indeed going to do things we looked not for.
He is going to do exceedingly abundantly above anything
we can think or even ask.

And when its all said and done we will see that he did indeed
fulfill our great expectations. The God of promise
becomes for us the God of fulfillment.


And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God;
we have waited for him, and he will save us:
this is the LORD; we have waited for him,
we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. *
Isaiah 25:9 KJV

War on the Saints

A spiritual maxim was communicated to me years ago that went like this:

The Word without the spirit is death
The Spirit without the Word leads to deception.

For many years I felt like I was experiencing
the first precept of the saying.
That is: experiencing a lot of the preaching
of the word and man's emphasis on the Word
but a real lack of Spirit
communicated with the Word preached.

Not only was there a lack of power in most preaching
but there was a limiting of the Spirit in allowing
others to move in their spiritual gifting.

I experienced countless meetings
where I would be refreshed by the Spirit of God
during a time of praise and worshipful singing
only to have the life sucked out of me
by a speaker who blabbed on powerlessly ad nauseum.
Why do all these guys think
they have to fill an hour with their much speaking?

And then there was the frustration
of not finding opportunity to express
ones own spritiual gifts,
except on the rare occasion,
even when the scripture teaches that our coming together
was to be just for this each and every time.

How is it then, brethren?
when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm,
hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation,
hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
1 Corinthians 14.26

And so, in reference to such as that
I was seeing the truth of the above maxim played out
in relation to the deadness and powerlessness
of the modern church gatherings
where the Kingdom is not supposed to be in 'word' but in power.

On the other side of the equation:
the idea of too much Spirit leading to deception
when not kept within the parameters
of scriptural truth I had only read about but never experienced.

Well, that is not true anymore.

Now is being played out before our eyes
this other aspect of the above stated truism
ie. that Spirit without Word leads to deception.

Now, I won't go into that.
We talk about it all the time on the itnernet
these days it seems as the Watchmen of God are warning
of modern error and deception.

Suffice it to say, that in our modern worship if you
cannot find it in the scripture it should be avoided.

When it says pray lifting holy hands good and well.
Praise, dance, shout, OK.
But blowing whistles and barking like a dog or roaring like a lion.
That goes beyond the parameters of the Holy Writ.

What I would like to do is to point you to a quote
found in a book which can be found online and
the truth shared below:



THE BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR TESTING TEACHINGS
BY TEACHING SPIRITS

Since thought, or "belief," originates either from the God of Truth, or the father of lies (John 8: 44), there is but one basic principle for testing the source of all doctrines, or "thoughts" and "beliefs," held by believers, or unbelievers, i.e., the test of the revealed Word of God.

All "truth" is in harmony with the only channel of revealed truth in the world--the written Word of God. All "teachings" originating from deceiving spirits--

Weaken the authority of the Scriptures;
Distort the teaching in the Scriptures;
Add to the Scriptures the thoughts of men; or
Put the Scriptures entirely aside.
The ultimate object being to hide, distort, misuse, or put aside the revelation of God concerning the Cross of Calvary, where Satan was overthrown by the God-Man, and where freedom was obtained for all his captives.

The test of all "thought" and "belief" therefore is its
Harmony with the written Scriptures in its full body of truth.
The attitude to the Cross, and sin. ****


The above quote was taken from the book War on the Saints
by Jesse Penne Lewis and can be found in its entirety online.


I thought this was excellent and really pertinent
to what were are seeing in the
church in this hour.

Lust or Fullness?

...having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1.4


Lust is at the center of much human activity
ie. lust for money- power- sex

in our delusion
attention is drawn to self and enhancement
to that which the soul would admire and covet
to food and fleshly pleasures

For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life,
is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2.16

a continual hunger is at work
an abysmal emptiness
born of mankind’s separation from God
from whence springs
all the bottomless pits of the world-
the addictions the obsessions and every abomination

the void sucks and pulls on all flesh
to a continual grasping frenzy
a lusting to fill
longing beyond comprehension
not knowing the paradise
from which they have been far removed

the deeper issues unexplained and unfulfilled
there is a seeking to fill the void with whatever-
while money changers hawk potions of promise
for all and every

but in Christ
instead of a yawning chasm of emptiness
there comes fullness

And of his fullness have all we received,
and grace for grace.
John 1.16


in him the whole course of nature is altered
and instead of want
there is a flow from a wellspring of abundance
and fulfillment

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want...
Psalm 23


instead of need
we operate in an overflowing grace
that creates a giving spirit

first we give to God
and then we give to others
as our cup runneth over
in Heaven's abundant provision
through the Holy Ghost

…who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings...
Ephesians 1.3

We rise each day
and each day brings
the challenge
and the lie
that it is not so

yet, daily bread convinces us otherwise
with those looked for mercies
which are new every morning

...eat, O friends; drink, yea,
drink abundantly, O beloved.
Song of Songs

God! Where are you?

There is a path which no fowl knoweth,
and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:
The lion’s whelps have not trodden it,
nor the fierce lion passed by it...

But where shall wisdom be found?
and where is the place of understanding?
Man knoweth not the price thereof;
neither is it found in the land of the living.

The depth saith, It is not in me:
and the sea saith, It is not with me.
It cannot be gotten for gold,
neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

Whence then cometh wisdom?
and where is the place of understanding?
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

Destruction and death say,
We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
The Book of Job


And where too is God to be found?
If I look amongst the stars-
mine eye is confounded by the magnitude.

If I look to the clouds all vision is obscured.
If I seek to pierce the darkness of the night sky
it is a deep immense and vast
and too great for comprehension.
.
If I my eye should dare toward the sun
His glory warns not there to attempt

But where is the Creator of heaven and earth?
and how shall I find or know Him?
Above the heavens? In the deep?
No, I can only find him by searching
that darkness within my own being.

Then said Solomon,
The LORD hath said that he would dwell
in the thick darkness.
2 Chronicles 6.1


Within!
That is the only place that I am sure of him/
.It is there that I find the witness.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness ,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4.6


And his word is nigh- even on my lips.
His breath sustains me.
And now I find that understanding and wisdom
have become like a lush landscape of heaven
within my very heart.

Neither shall they say , Lo here! or, lo there!
for, behold , the kingdom of God is within you.
Luke 17.21

Gifts vs. Anoinitng

Gifts, Character, and Anointing
There are times in my life where God will speak things to my heart through relentless waves of thought.
These thoughts come when I wake up, when I go to sleep, and all throughout my day.
Whenever this happens I assume that God is up to something in me and wants to burn a thought
into my heart for permanent residence. The last two weeks I have found myself continuously reminded
of the emphasis God places on the balance of character, gifting, and anointing in the life of a believer.
For years I have been asked how such great ministry leaders can operate in the power of God,
and then months; weeks, or even days later, find themselves caught up in some of the most unbelievable kinds of sin.
Often, we do not realize what is meant by the “gifting and calling of God” being “without repentance”. (Romans 11:29)



When God places His gifting in us, it is something He does not take back, even when we use that gifting for selfish gain.
(Phil. 1:12-18) We must acknowledge that even on our best days God is still using us in spite of us.
In all our obedience, faithfulness, and integrity, we still fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
What does that mean in a practical sense? What it means is that gifts are given by God, they are not earned.
We do not move mightily in the power of preaching, teaching, prayer, healing, or even miracles because of anything
we have done. God gives the gifts to His people as He sees fit, (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
and equally important to mention is that gifts never validate right standing with the Lord.
Gifts are given in spite of us, and even someone in disobedience can operate in the gifts for God for a season.
When a believer operates in the gifts of God, while walking in the character and integrity of God,
is when real impact occurs. It has often been said, “gifts will get you there, but character will keep you there”.

How many great preachers and teachers have risen to incredible influence,
only to fall because of an unrepentant posture toward sin in their lives?
God’s mercy will be extended for a season when we struggle with hidden sins,
(Psalm 90:8) but without true repentance our sin will ultimately hinder our relationship with God
and our effectiveness in the call of God on our lives. The Bible says that our sin will find us out. (Num 32:23)
God will deal first with our hearts privately trying to bring us to repentance.
If we do not turn, He will then expose us within our own family.
If we still choose to remain in sin He exposes us within the church family, and then ultimately to the world.
At each level His desire is to bring us back into right relationship with Him,
but if we refuse Him at each level then He takes our sin to the next level to be dealt with.

I cannot say loudly enough that gifting does not validate right standing or right relationship with God.
Gifts are given, but fruit grows. Gifts are a result of His grace in our lives,
but the fruit of character is the result of our obedience to a great and Mighty God.
Gifts are graciously poured out on each one as it pleases Him,
character is to be walked out to maintain the integrity of the gifts.
Ultimately, gifts are given, but fruit grows. When gifts are present and where character exists,
real anointing can arise.

Anointing is what truly empowers ministry in the life of a believer.
As an illustration, imagine a cup full of water, held in our hand.
Gifts are represented by the cup, character is the hand that holds the cup steady,
but anointing is the refreshing that is poured out from the cup for the blessing of all mankind.
Whereas gifts are given, and character (the fruit of the Spirit) grows in us,
the anointing us something that comes from spending time with God.
We do not earn anointing when we seek the Lord, but through spending time with Him and abiding in Him,
His favor and anointing come on our lives. The more time we spend with Jesus,
the more we will see His anointing being poured from our cup of gifting.

The book of 1 John chapter 2 speaks of the importance of abiding in Him.
It claims that we “have the anointing from the Holy One”, and goes on to say
that “the anointing which you have received abides in you.”
Are there prerequisites mentioned for the anointing to abide within us?
The key is in 1 John 2:28. It declares that His children should “abide in Him,
that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
What a great promise! If we abide in Him, we will never be ashamed.
The Bible goes on to say that if we abide in Him we will ask whatever we want and it will be done. (John 15:7)
How is this possible with all the lust and greed in man?
How could God make a Biblical promise that those who abide in Him will ask whatever they desire
and it will be done? The answer lies in the fact that when we spend large amounts of time
in the presence of Jesus, we begin to desire what He desires,
and we begin to ask for the same types of things He asked the Father for while He was on earth.
The more we look like Christ, the more the Father can pour anointing into our lives
because our goal is not to pursue our own desires, but that His will might be done through us.

When we spend time with Him, we become vessels He is willing to empower with His anointing.
The key to longevity and effectiveness in ministry call is the balance of character, gifting and anointing.
Since gifts are given, little emphasis needs to be placed on pursuing this aspect of our ministry call.
Sadly, this seems to be where most believers focus their efforts.
Rather, let us spend our time and energy on the growth of character in our lives,
and the pursuit of His anointing which comes only by spending time in His presence.

May we be hungry for His presence, and seek Him in all that we do.

Dennis Lacheney