The Test of Families

"Who are my mothers and my brothers? Those who do the will of my Father."
I have heard this quoted a lot in our fellowships and sometimes I wonder if we have any understanding of it. This truth will take us from natural families and brings us into a spiritual one. Even if your natural family are in Christ, then your brotherhood to them is transcended from the natural to the spiritual. Fully. That is why some of our greatest tests will be our families....Jesus spoke on this a number of times, about denying our natural families to do God's will. This must be a full and smooth severing. So much so that we are dedicated to the family of God first, and our natural families as seen from that perspective. Not the other way around. When Jesus said that, it was his natural family that came to take him away, and they felt a right to Him solely because they were his natural family. Jesus did not even budge. There was hurt, i'm sure, but a recognition that Jesus is serious about His disciples...and He was not ashamed to call them brothers. He was defining what family means...and that was doing the will of the Father. This is our test, to be clearly and firmly about our Father's business. Sometimes our Father's business is to be about our natural families, for a season. And that too must be discerned, but it will be from the perspective that it is about the Father's business, and once His "business" changes, then we too must move on from there and even break ties that are hard and that should be done efficiently, and gently. When I came from dublin to Atlanta about three years ago now, and i determined in my heart to let my parents know it was happening soon, I heard two little words in my heart "be gentle". I heard no rebuke, about me leaving or about me staying as long as i did, only "be gentle". But now i am learning more and more that I am about My Father's will and those who do His will are brother's of Christ. Amen

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Some men intercede with their lips and some in their bodies. Well either in speech or in body, our Lord desires us to grow as intercessors. We are called to be priests before God. That means that intercession is not just something you do, but is a way of life. It comes upon you as holiness is worked out in you. Holiness is a mark of a true intercessor. Why? because the lamb had to be without blemish to be offered. Or in other words, there could not be anything in the lamb that agreed with the sin placed upon him. It is hypocrisy. Because sin can not abolish sin. It is only upon the uncorrupted flesh that sinful flesh may be destroyed. For we do not put on the priestly garments only in certain times or places, but it was placed upon us at our birth into the kingdom. We are a kingdom of priests.
However, as wonderful as it is to understand intercession, we must know that we have a greater identity than just intercessor. Our identity is found in Christ alone. Not even in the wonderful things we can do. It would be easy for us to take an identity in intercession. Or making life about intercession. For example, a large part of Christian character and mission should be showing mercy to the poor through giving. But even Jesus said, " the poor you will always have with you, but I you will not always have". This means that there was something greater than even giving to the poor that we must be identified with. Same way with intercession.
Jesus said of John the Baptist " He is a prophet and yea, more than a prophet". This to me indicates that there is an identity greater than that of being a prophet. That identity is so great that there is no human language to describe it. It rested so deep into the bosom of the Father in intimacy that Jesus only described it as "more". Even still, he fulfilled his prophet "role".
So we should learn to be about our Father, and concern ourselves fully with Him, but allow our bodies to be used as tools in His hand. We will function in the role of many things used for the earth, but our identity remains in Heaven. Why, because prophecy will disappear, and knowledge will cease. Prophets and teachers will both disappear. "No one will look to his brother and say 'know the Lord', for they will all know me," says the Lord.

Our Testimony in Immortality

The nature of our testimony is the unification of the mortal with the immortal. How do we overcome the world? By the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. The word of our testimony is the expression of Christ in us. It reveals the moments of when the immortal was combined with the mortal. Yes, it is the remembrance of how Christ has saved us. But more, it is the supernatural touchings of the Spirit that revealed the darkness we once held and in same moment revealed the Light of Jesus to us. It is this touching that must be focused on. These are the times that must never stop, the continual activity of the Lord in our lives and the continual expression of these things in us.

The movings of the Holy Spirit that Fuses the flesh of Christ into our flesh is the place where we realize our True identity. The place where we lose our identity to take upon us His identity.To know Him for who He is.
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THe Cup of the Lord

The Apostle Paul said that He was being poured out like a drink offering(2 Timothy: 4), because his time of death was close at hand. This scripture has been on my heart recently. What did He mean. In the old covenant there were drink offerings being made before the altar of God daily and it speaks to me that we are the revelation of that cup and that altar. All the utensils that are in the tabernacle of Moses was sanctified by the blood of bulls and goats, but we as the Sons of God are sanctified by the Blood of Jesus. The cup of the Tabernacle is a shadow of the Sons of God pouring out their lives before the altar of God. They are now through the eternal Spirit able to pour the endless stream of life that has been given to them. The will of God is our portion and it IS the Life that is held in these cups. This is what Jesus said " take this cup from me, nevertheless not my Will, but Yours be done". This is also why Paul said this at the end of his life. It shows an awareness of completing the will of God in his life, but also that his Life (which is hidden in Christ) is poured out to do the will of the Father to the last drop. It even says in Hebrews that "ye have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin..." In other words, you have not become so devoted to the Word of Truth that it has Lead you into the Test of Martyrdom. To the last drop did Christ cry out and say " Into your Hands, I commit my spirit" The last drop stephen said, "Lord Forgive these men this sin". Paul said, "I have finished the race, and fought the good fight." Peter said "Let us hold onto the more sure word of prophecy which was spoken on the holy mountain. You will do well to pay attention to it. As a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morningstar arises in your hearts." These were men that held onto the truth in the thickest darkness. That endured the strongest tests and give us encouragement of our tests in Christ. It shows how deep this bunny hole can go and gives us no bounds for the reward we can receive. For scripture is clear that the rewards we already received is beyond us, but it also emphasises those who will overcome as those who get incomprehensible reward. The wording alone should cause us to cast aside all sin and temporary pleasures, to obtain that glorious reality. The Truth of God, who alone is our great reward. All other rewards are only valuable because it comes from Him. Amen