Archive for the ‘disciples life’ Category

The violence of transformation

Posted: March 5, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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The Beautiful Violence of Transformation

“Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like Him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.”
— 1 Peter 4:1–2, The Message

There is a process every true disciple must walk through as the old man dies and the new man rises in Christ. It is the death of the corrupted sinful nature and the awakening of the incorruptible life birthed by Holy Spirit. At times, that process can feel painful, stretching, and even violent within the soul. Yet on the other side of that death, something beautiful begins to emerge.

Picture a caterpillar inside its cocoon. What appears hidden, awkward, and even impossible is actually the place of transformation. A metamorphosis is taking place, and the creature that once crawled through dust and dirt is being remade for the heights. If that process never happens, the caterpillar remains trapped in a form it was never created to live in forever.

But when the process is completed, the cocoon breaks open. What once crawled now carries wings. What once lived low now rises into the air. It steps into the beauty of its intended design and begins to soar above the very ground that once defined its existence.

The life of a disciple is much the same. We come into the Kingdom as new creations, yet we often still carry the habits, appetites, mindsets, fears, and patterns of the old life. Then Holy Spirit begins the deeper work of transformation. If we surrender to the Father, we enter a spiritual cocoon where the old nature is confronted and the new man begins to take his rightful place.

This process is not always comfortable. It can feel like a war between who we were and who Christ has called us to become. The old man does not die quietly, and the flesh does not surrender its throne without resistance. Yet the disciple who refuses the process also refuses the very transformation that leads to maturity.

One of the great errors in a new believer’s life is resisting the refining work of God. Another danger is being surrounded by immature voices who call every painful process an attack of the enemy. Sometimes they will tell you to rebuke the very situation God has allowed as a refining fire. In doing so, they can lead you into the dangerous place of not rebuking the devil, but unknowingly resisting the hand of the Father.

Another tragedy in our generation is the preaching of half-truths. A watered-down gospel has promised people a storm-free life Jesus never promised. It tells them that if they come to Christ, everything will become easy, painless, and instantly prosperous. Yet when the storm comes, the same voices often become like Job’s friends, suggesting the trial must be proof of sin, failure, or a lack of faith.

But James gives us the Kingdom perspective: “Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort… Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience” (James 1:2–3, AMP). The trial is not always evidence that God has left you. Many times, it is proof that He is forming something eternal in you. Endurance must have its full work so we may become mature, complete, and lacking nothing.

A true disciple who submits to this process will eventually learn to stand in storms with the peace of the Master. Like Jesus resting in the boat, they learn that the presence of a storm does not mean the absence of the Father. When the Father gives the command, they rise in the authority of Christ and speak peace where chaos has been raging. They do not panic because they have learned who governs the winds and the waves.

Not every storm is simply an attack of the enemy, though some are. But we must enter every storm with the mind of Christ, knowing that nothing catches the Father by surprise. Our good Father has already prepared a way of triumph for His children. If we lack discernment, we must ask Him, and Holy Spirit will teach us how to recognize what is from God, what is from hell, and what is being used for our refining.

So embrace the process of transformation. Lay your life, your rights, your expectations, and your old identity at the foot of the cross. There, you will not only discover your calling, but you will find the arms of the Father reaching for you. He has waited from before the foundation of the world to clothe you with courage, beauty, righteousness, favor, and sonship.

Face the trials with courage, knowing they are killing what was never meant to rule you. The storms may wash away the residue of a corrupted life, but they also make room for the robe of righteousness. Enter the process with gladness, because chains are being broken, old desires are being stripped of power, and the life of Christ is being formed within you.

The cocoon is not your grave.

It is the womb of transformation.

And when Holy Spirit finishes His work, you will not crawl out as the person you used to be.

You will rise.

Russ Welch

Mighty Arm Ministries

For indeed we serve an Awesome God!

Prison Breaking Revolutionary Love

Posted: March 4, 2011 in disciples life, Parents, teaching, wilderness
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If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever–The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you………….The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.] (John 14:15-17, 21)

What is the very core which drives a person to serve the Lord!

If a disciple is driven out of fear of Hell they will consistently walk about under and imprisoned by the weight of condemnation and crawl down the road of works.

But what of the Lord’s words in this verse, are they directing us towards obedience? The key here is love, passionate love – that love that fuels ones willingness to go all out for the person they love regardless of the cost!

Passionate – unabandoned Love!

When I was dating my wife, I wanted to go all out to please her because I was so captivated by her beauty (and still am) and felt like I had to be in her presence every moment of the day. Not only that I just had to tell everyone about her.  I would wait, counting down the minutes for my next trip back to Pensacola to visit her. The time seemed to go by so slow in between trips and ever so fast during our visits but the love in my heart over-road any barriers that might try to deter me.

Now, as I look at my son Joshua I know that I do every thing I can to show him my love, something that was missing in my youth in regards to a male figure. In the very center though is love, I would lay my life down for my wife and son. Regardless of the cost I would pursue them regardless of the distance that was between us not out of obedience as a husband and as a father, it is fueled by a deep rooted passionate love for them. I know their love for me is not something that I have a list of things to follow in order to get their love for it is a gift and I simply do for them out of the love in my heart towards them. Even during the times when I may not be the best husband or dad they still love me!

In the same way it was like this when I first came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as the one true Messiah at the age of fifteen while attending a David Wilkerson crusade, I was filled with excitement and wanted the world to know. My whole life was captivated by His love – it was so real, so strong, so consuming. I would read His Word because I wanted to know Him more, I would spend time in prayer because I wanted to hear His tender voice.

The prison of religion!

Then for a number of years I had the onslaught of doctrinal teaching in my life that at times, were steeped in (though carefully concealed by the enemy)  a works mentality. This started building a huge gulf between the Lord and I.  Not by His doing, for the whole time as I look back now,  I see that He was patiently, every so lovingly waiting for me with His arms wide open, beckoning for me to look at the bridge He had purchased with His own blood – the cross. For the cross of Christ is that bridge which allows one to escape from the confinement of sin,religion and bondage and step into a true freedom along with a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Prison doors opened!

Over the past several years Holy Spirit has been stripping me of the religion – that like mud had become cakes upon me. He broke through the prison of religious thinking that became rooted in a “salvation by works” mentality and revealed the mystery and revelation of these verses – Now I see that I had allowed the enemy and myself to take something so beautiful, so free and turn it into something ugly and ever so burdensome.

If a disciple truly loves the Lord they realize that we do not obey all the Lords commands to gain His love and enter into a deeper relationship with Him, we do it out of a passionate motivation of Love. He loves us even before we know Him, while we are still sinners living a life of sin – He loves us because He loves us, there is nothing we can do that will erase that love or broaden that love –He gives it all unabandoned- He showed the ultimate depth of His love for us when He surrendered His own life that we might gain freedom and eternal life. As there Word proclaims – “There is nothing that can separate us from the Love of God”.

Revolutionary Love!

O’ brothers and sister if you can but grasp this revelation your spirit man will step into the radical side of this revolution against religion. The freedom to serve the Lord God, fueled by a deep seeded passion of love will revolutionize your whole life. This Love was and still is a stumbling block to many including Satan himself – The Fathers love for His creation is a mystery that has eluded the enemy from the first time he witnessed it in the throne room – He fully knows about it’s power and has been attempting to conceal its revelation since the days in the Garden. He has used the weapons of selfishness, hate, fear and religion for generations to build a prison about mankind that they might never see the love of God in its purity.

Yet, Praise God for 2000 plus years ago this Love walked willingly up to the cross, willingly laid His life down – allowing His own creation to nail His feet and hands to the very device that would take His life and when it was finished, His last breath poured out the heavens were torn and Gods love broke through in a manner that the world or hell for that matter had never witnessed before. Yet Hell it’s self could not contain and hold this Love – Yes and amen, for it broke through with such a force that the world or hell could never again block its power and authority. For now it has been poured out into human vessels with the same power that spoke the world into being.

Join the revolution!

If you have not experienced this Love, if it has not broke through and freed you from the dungeons of religion, pray and ask the Father to send Holy Spirit, who is The Spirit of Truth – For just one light glimmer of God’s true love will destroy every yoke of bondage that attempts to imprison the children of God.

This love once revealed and received will birth a freedom in the disciple’s life that will push them past a life of burdensome obedience into a life of willing servant-hood – a position where one no longer  serves obediently out of fear, rather serves obediently willingly- birthed from  from a position of passionate Love!

For indeed we serve an Awesome God!

Are you a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde “Christian”

Posted: March 3, 2011 in disciples life, Parents, teaching
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That no man transgress and overreach his brother and defraud him in this matter or defraud his brother in business. For the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we have already warned you solemnly and [e]told you plainly. For God has not called us to impurity but to consecration [to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity]. Therefore whoever disregards (sets aside and rejects this) disregards not man but God, Whose [very] Spirit [Whom] He gives to you is holy (chaste, pure). (1 Thes 4:6-8)

Now,  a student could read this and only look upon the sexual language here and not get the deeper meaning for which the apostle Paul is admonishing the hearers to whom this was written.

One of the greatest travesties in the modern church is the lack of true discipleship and mentoring. Thus we are left with a generation of immature Christians who have all the big words down pack yet they are spiritually void in regards to Spiritual character. We see through out his writings how Paul taught those whom the Lord had entrusted to him as students (disciples) how to walk, not how to talk. To talk well without living well will never bring us to heaven: for the character of those who are in Christ Jesus is this: They walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Yet this is lacking today in the body and Holy Spirit is breathing the fire of the Lord’s passion through out the Bride in this regard in the hour in which we live.  Watchman must rise up, teachers, mentors, mothers & fathers in the faith and come along side the young in faith and not merely be as the leaders of these past generations who have pridefully taught from a place risen above the others. They must be a leader like Jesus Himself and mix in with the people, to be a true servant, serving the needs of others.

In this day we have young men and women who are in leadership positions because they can talk the talk and are willing to nestle up to the “leaders” of the church to gain an important role, yet their character is far from that of Christ our Lord. They defraud their brothers & sisters in the faith. They cheat and steel, they leave their homes like war zones, their children are undisciplined.

Living a life as a spiritual Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!

I praise God for the work and continued work of Holy Spirit in my own life, who upon shinning the light of purity and consecration on my character exposed a great void from that which the Lord called me to live, to which I was presently living!

I knew all the right words to express in the public place yet in the private place I was spiritually dead with regard to the character of Christ’s expression in my own life.  Anger prevailed in my private life, total disrespect of my wife, not parenting my son in the ways of the Lord, rather displaying for him the ways of Hell.

Praise God for a Father who loves enough to bring down His hand of discipline and through the continued conviction of His Word and Holy Spirit’s drawing, I fell upon the alter of the Lord, crying out for mercy.  From within a depth of my soul  crying out for transformation of my inner man – that the following Word manifest in my life;

“Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! (2 Cor 5:17 AMP)

O’ the years of hell that my wife, son and even myself had to go through before this came to pass – Yet had there been a true discipleship in my life – one where a brother comes along side and requires accountability in relationship one to another the chains that bound me from walking a truly sanctified life could have been broken earlier!

My prayer today is that true mentors of the faith will rise up and those who read this who are lacking in Spiritual character will cry out to the Lord, that He send such a person, matured in the Faith,  into their lives that will be as “Iron sharpening Iron”.

Wives do you have a husband who is as an Angel in public and a monster in private – Cry out to the Lord that He send a true mentor and friend – Husbands the same can be said in regard to your wives, parents towards your children (grown – for you should mentor your children who are young in age)

We must allow the work of Holy Spirit to come upon us –  birthing the true sanctification of the Lord in our lives or else we will never reach the place of maturity in our walk.

Friends, Pray today that Holy Spirit will search your life and see if there be  any deception, any spiritual lack in your character and allow Him to begin the spiritual surgery to heal and produce a spiritual “make-over” in your life today!

For Indeed we serve an Awesome God!

Generation of vipers……

Posted: March 2, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matt 12:34 KJV)

We could apply this scripture to our own prayers in a reflective manner. What are our prayers to Him like? We must honestly acknowledge that what comes pouring out of us is our heart—either that or God’s Word is not true. What we are is revealed to God by what we say to Him in our prayer. We cannot hide it; we cannot be two-faced with Him.

So we set the stage of understanding that prayer is speaking to God what comes out of our heart. Even as this proverb Jesus gives is directed toward men, it is also true concerning our speech toward God. What we are comes out.

The desire of God us ward is that He wants His will done in every aspect of our life, and He wants our prayers to be according to His will. The truth is that when we ask things according to His will, our requests stand the greatest chance of being answered positively. One might ask the question “Why”? The answer is because, in effect, they are His thoughts coming back to Him. His thoughts having become lodged in our heart, we are now sending a part of Him back to Him. We see this lesson put before our eyes in the Word as we read of the life of the Master while He was here on earth in the flesh!

In this day especially with all the false teachings out there we need to be very cautious as not to think of this as a magic formula of some kind, as if we say certain words and out comes the desired thing. True prayer is —speaking God’s words back to Him. In this regard we come to realize that these are the prayers that have the best chance of being answered positively because it pleases God to see His children develop in His image. He then responds out of His love, even as we would to a child who pleases us.

For Indeed we serve an Awesome God!!!

Captured and Empowered by His Grace!

Posted: March 1, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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After all, God’s saving kindness has appeared for the benefit of all people. It trains us to avoid ungodly lives filled with worldly desires so that we can live self-controlled, moral, and godly lives in this present world. At the same time we can expect what we hope for—the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to set us free from every sin and to cleanse us so that we can be his special people who are enthusiastic about doing good things. (Titus  2:11-14)

Here, grace is shown as the power that teaches, trains, disciplines, guides, and leads us. It does not force us. In other places, it is shown as counseling, comforting, encouraging, admonishing, guiding, convicting, rewarding, even restraining. It teaches us that we must deny immorality, exhorting us to give ourselves over to self-mastery, that is, to controlling ourselves. We must devote ourselves to integrity and loyalty to God right here and now, while expectantly and patiently looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection from the dead to glory.

It is such scriptures as this upon which the blocks of Spiritual truth are laid upon the foundation of Jesus Christ – One must read and meditate upon these words, asking Holy Spirit to birth them into our spirit-man.

For in the reading of these scriptures we are bombarding the deception of the world in regard to “self”, tearing down these lies and transforming them into Truth of the Kingdom.

The enemy has done much to infiltrate the church and her doctrines with worldly philosophies. As true disciples we must raise up the standard of God’s Word and battle against such heresies of individualism when confronted with them especially when they attempt to invade our own lives. The selfish mind set is for itself alone, whereas the Kingdom mind set is outward in nature, pointing away from ones self with a mindset of selfless service towards the Lord first and secondly towards our neighbor – trusting in faith that the Father shall meet all our needs.

For the truth is, when one has come to the cross of Christ having realized that He is our Messiah and acknowledging His Lordship in our lives we then surrender our rights unto Him. For we must reach out and grasp hold of the revelation, fully trusting that He is indeed the Good Shepherd whose only desire is for us to experience all that He has for us – the goodness of our God!

As well knowing that He alone is the King, who seeing that  One of His servants lays down their life, their agenda, their dreams for the good of His Kingdom out of love, honor and praise for Him, graciously returns ones life back unto them with abundance.

Glory to God, for He has not left us empty handed on this road of servant-hood,. Rather He has granted unto us the very vehicle in which to arrive at the place of selfless servant-hood , “Grace”.  For by the grace of our Lord we are ushered into the position to walk in the fullness of true servant-hood in the Kingdom. For His Grace is like nitrogen to the Spirit man, once it is deposited into our spirit, it ignites the very Flames of His passion towards God the Father in our hearts empowering us to walk Spirit first lives. Lives saturated in, transformed by, reflective of, and pouring out to all around us, the very Love of God the Father!

For indeed we serve and awesome God!

Are you abiding in the Lord?

Posted: February 28, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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“And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all” (Luke 6:19).

“And now, little children, abide in Him” (I John 2:28a).

How do we touch the living Christ?

The answer to this question depends entirely upon our relationship to Jesus.

The difference, dear friends, is the difference between a religion and a relationship. The multitudes do not have a relationship with Jesus, and so they must travel to where He is and work their way into His presence in hopes of touching Him

I had the privilege last week of eating lunch with a friend a few week‘s ago. Before we began eating he prayed over the food. Right there in the restaurant he cried out, “Heavenly Father!” He said it so slowly and deliberately and loudly that I thought his prayer would probably last thirty minutes or more. After a pause, he quietly said, “Thank you.” And we began to eat.

May I say that this friend spent no time entering in, because he was already abiding. With two or three words he brought us before the throne of God, and the very presence of Jesus was immediately manifest. This is what it means to touch the living Christ – immediately, effortlessly.

How do we abide in Christ?

“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Col2:6).

Receiving Christ Jesus the Lord is the Gate, while walking in Him is the Path. The first happens in a moment, while the second is a daily process. How did we receive Christ Jesus the Lord? We came to Him with all our sins, and weaknesses, and needs, and we cast ourselves upon Him. We trusted in His Life, and His Love, and His Grace, and His Mercy to save us. And so He did.

What is the next step?

It is this: to walk in Him as you received Him. “As you have received… so walk.” We are not saved by Grace and then left to live the Christian life in our own strength. Instead, we walk in Him the same way we received Him – by Grace, through Faith, and that not of ourselves. From start to finish it is the Gift of God.

I need Him as much today as I ever have. How about you? Apart from Him I can do nothing. Is this your experience also, or do you still think there are many things you can do without Him? I am still in need of His Life, and Love, and Grace, and Mercy in order to live. Are you that much different from me? I think not. We all approach Him the same way.

The exhortation to abide is for little children, not grown-ups. Little children! There is a simplicity in Christ that the multitudes cannot comprehend. We cannot wrap our brains around it, we must immerse our hearts into it.

When this revelation is manifested in your life you enter into a new level of Kingdom living. It is then that even in the midst of the fiery furnace, or in the middle of the largest storm you’ve ever faced you remain calm and in total peace for you know the Master is with you.

This level of understanding and maturity will open up to you the ability to be of greater service to the Master and His Kingdom. For once obtained you will be transformed ever so much more closely into the charter of the Lord, a new level of faith will burst on the scene and you will be able to not only walk in greater authority, you will as well be able to have a deeper level of death to self, so that more of the power of His life in you may be released!

If you are not experiencing this friends, ask the Father for it gives Him great pleasure to see His children walking in the promises of His Word.

For we do indeed serve and awesome God!

Faith like the Lord’s

Posted: February 27, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:12-14)

Jesus is the ultimate one “who believes.” All things ARE possible for him. Guess what? He longs to do great things through us, too! In fact, he promised he would do even greater things through us than he did himself because he is now at the Father’s side helping us!

So isn’t it time that we quit talking about what we can’t do, and start believing in the one who can do great things? Paul put it this way: God can do “more than we can ask or imagine by his power at work in us.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

As we look back to the passages’ in John we must realize the reason Jesus gives for these greater works is because He goes to the Father. And when He goes to the Father, He will send the Spirit. He says later, Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you (John I6:7b). He is referring here to the coming of the Spirit. As the Spirit of God comes into human hearts and dwells in them, these things will happen. The Spirit is releasing to us the life of Jesus, so that it is still Jesus who is doing these things.

Regretfully many forget this truth and start following man as though we ordinary humans are somehow so capable that we can actually do greater things than the Son of God Himself did when He was here in the flesh. It is not by mere human power, praise God, it is through the power of the risen Lord, who dwells in us by means of the Spirit. So it is not the servant who is to be praised, rather Jesus Christ the Lord is the One worthy of all glory, honor and praise.

Notice that Jesus goes on immediately to say: And greater works than these will you do. So what are the greater works? It is obvious that it will not be greater miracles than that which the Lord did. Stop and think about it, now can you think of anything greater than opening the eyes of those born blind or speaking a word and enabling a lame man to walk or raising the dead? I know that I can not.

Yet I believe because we have been so intent on seeing the big miracles in front of us we have missed out on one of the greatest miracles of all – the miracle of Salvation. Yes miracles of eyes being opened and ears hearing are great and of course seeing the dead arise are powerful witnesses to God’s miraculous power. But I would present to you that anything done to the spirit of a person is permanent; that which is done to the flesh is merely temporary (not eternal). All those whom Jesus healed or raised from the dead died again. So what is done to the spirit of a person is far greater, and I honestly believe that this is what Jesus means by greater works.

We literally see the dead transformed before our eyes when one come to know the Lord, for the Word declares that they are dead in their sins. Until Jesus died on the cross and was seated at the right hand of the Father salvation was not yet complete – thus His going to be with the Father and the sending of Holy Spirit to complete the born-again process we now have the ability to see the Greater works that those before His death could not witness.

So go out today empowered to do greater works – release the message of the Kingdom to the lost that they might come to know this King who brings forth the power of eternal transformation, Jesus Christ. As they bow before Him having a spiritual witness that He is the Lord you will witness the greatest miracle of all – Salvation!

 

For indeed we serve an Awesome God.

Positioned to manifest His Word

Posted: February 26, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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A disciple of the Lord must always be a vessel of truth – willing to speak with the truthfulness of God’s Word in the face of criticism, persecution and even death. Into days society it is too easy to go with the flow, which causes people to lower the standards of God’s Word in the face of the popular vote.

We must always seek to walk in righteousness even when the popular vote leads towards pleasing people, for at the heart of the matter is what is pleasing to the Father. The church belongs to the Lord, not to man. He has paid the ultimate price to receive the authority of the Father, being recognized as the only One worthy to be the head.

The three young men, facing the fires of the furnace, were unwilling to compromise in order to save their own lives – In doing so they were meet by the King Himself and what was meant for death by the popular turned into a time of basking in the presence of the Almighty – their faithfulness positioned them into the very place where death itself had no authority rather the natural had to submit to the Authority of  Supernatural God.

Today many in positions of authority bow down to complacency, compromise and contentment and in doing so they walk out from under the blessing of divine protection relinquishing the authority that has been purchased for the righteous! To this end they have submitted themselves to the ruler of this world, giving up the beautiful gift of freedom. Then they set back and cry out “Where is the power and authority of heaven” –  “where are the signs and wonders which manifest the heavens supernatural display bursting forth through the natural”

Oh’ how the enemy has fooled many with false signs and wonders, trapping them in the prisons of selfish pride.

Many today worship the messengers, signs, miracles and wonders with greater intensity than they worship he Lord.

A true disciple never positions themselves to receive the glory, rather like that of Paul – they quickly point out that all the glory belongs to Jesus!

We must come to realize that there is a great cost in accepting the Salvation of the Lord, in regards to the things of this world yet the reward of eternity far out-weighs all that this world has to offer.

Let us rise up to the place of walking in the manifestation of the Word in our own lives to the place where our lives bare witness too:

Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death. (Rev 12:10-11)

Whats your hunger today?

Posted: February 25, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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What’s Your Hunger Today?

Jesus said, “Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous… are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be completely satisfied” (Matthew 5:6, AMP). That word does not describe a casual appetite, a Sunday-morning interest, or a shallow religious curiosity. It speaks of a deep inward craving, a holy desperation, a Spirit-born ache for the life, will, nature, and righteousness of God. The question before every disciple is not whether we have hunger, but what our hunger is feeding on.

A true disciple who hungers and thirsts after righteousness will always be drawn back to first things. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Kingdom hunger does not place Jesus somewhere on the list; it enthrones Him above the list. When righteousness becomes the cry of the heart, the disciple stops asking how little they can give God and begins asking how much of their life still remains unsurrendered.

This kind of hunger will always drive a disciple into the Word of God. Psalm 1 speaks of the blessed man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord. He meditates on it day and night because the Word has become more than information to him. It has become bread, water, fire, sword, and the very language by which Heaven trains his inner man.

The disciple who hungers for righteousness does not study Scripture merely to win arguments or collect religious knowledge. He studies because he wants to live clean before the Lord. Paul told Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The approved workman is not the one who simply quotes the Word, but the one who allows the Word to cut, cleanse, correct, mature, and govern him.

David declared that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether, “more to be desired… than gold, yea, than much fine gold,” and sweeter than honey from the honeycomb (Psalm 19:9–10). That is the language of holy appetite. When the heart has been awakened by Holy Spirit, the Word of God is no longer treated like a religious obligation. It becomes the treasure chest of the Kingdom and the table of the Father.

Jesus Himself answered the tempter by saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). That means the true disciple cannot be sustained by natural provision alone. There is a hunger in the born-again spirit that nothing in this world can satisfy. Money cannot satisfy it, applause cannot satisfy it, ministry titles cannot satisfy it, and religious activity cannot satisfy it.

So the question must be asked: what is the hunger of your heart today? Is it the things of the world or the things of the Kingdom? Are you striving for the approval of men, or are you seeking to please the Father even if obedience costs you the applause of people? A man will eventually feed on whatever his heart is truly hungry for.

It is time for us to stop playing church and become the Ecclesia Jesus shed His blood to redeem. He is not returning for a powerless religious crowd entertained by sermons but untouched by surrender. He is returning for a people washed in His blood, filled with His Spirit, governed by His Word, and burning with first-love obedience. The call is not to appear religious, but to be wholly yielded.

This kind of surrendered life can be walked out while being married, raising children, working a full-time job, running a business, serving in ministry, and carrying daily responsibilities. The issue is not whether life is busy; the issue is who is governing the life. Holy Spirit is fully able to order the steps of a son or daughter who has truly yielded to Him. The Father knows how to bring balance, order, discipline, and grace when we stop trying to manage our lives apart from His leadership.

There is discipline in the life of a disciple, but the greatest discipline is faith. Faith says, “My life is not my own, for I have been bought with a price.” Faith trusts the Lord not only with eternity, but with today, tomorrow, the hidden places, the painful places, and the areas we still want to control. Until self dies, surrender will always feel like loss; but once love has conquered the heart, surrender becomes the doorway to freedom.

The hunger of the heart will always reveal the direction of the life. If the heart hungers for the world, it will feed on the world’s approval, the world’s pleasures, the world’s fears, and the world’s wisdom. But if the heart hungers for the Lord, it will seek His face, His Word, His presence, His righteousness, and His will above all else. Whatever you hunger for will begin shaping what you become.

So ask Holy Spirit to search you today. Ask Him to reveal anything that needs to be brought to the altar and put to death. Ask Him to expose every appetite that has been feeding on lesser things and to awaken within you a desperate hunger and thirst for the things of the Lord. For the promise still stands: those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled.

Russ Welch

Mighty Arm Ministries

Do you have His character

Posted: February 24, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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One of Holy Spirit’s primary goals in regard to believers is to transform them into the image of the Jesus so that they may be a reflection of the character of Fathers Son , Yeshua. We can take comfort in this the trials we go through knowing the hope of our faith for when we experience difficulties in this life “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Alertness vs. Unawareness

Being aware of that which is taking place around me so I can have the right response to it (Mark 14:38)

Attentiveness vs. Unconcern

Showing the worth of a person by giving undivided attention to his words and emotions (Hebrews 2:1)

Availability vs. Self-centeredness

Making my own schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those I am serving (Philippians 2:20–21)

Boldness vs. Fearfulness

Confidence that what I have to say or do is true and right and just in the sight of God (Acts 4:29)

Cautiousness vs. Rashness

Knowing how important right timing is in accomplishing right actions (Proverbs 19:2)

Compassion vs. Indifference

Investing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts of others (I John 3:17)

Contentment vs. Covetousness

Realizing that God has provided everything I need for my present happiness (I Timothy 6:8)

Creativity vs. Underachievement

Approaching a need, a task, an idea from a new perspective (Romans 12:2)

Decisiveness vs. Double-mindedness

The ability to finalize difficult decisions based on the will and ways of God (James 1:5)

Deference vs. Rudeness

Limiting my freedom in order not offend the tastes of those whom God has called me to serve (Romans 14:21)

Dependability vs. Inconsistency

Fulfilling what I consented to do even if it means unexpected sacrifice (Psalm 15:4)

Determination vs. Faintheartedness

Purposing to accomplish God’s goals in God’s time regardless of the opposition (II Timothy 4:7–8)

Diligence vs. Slothfulness

Visualizing each task as a special assignment from the Lord and using all my energies to accomplish it (Colossians 3:23)

Discernment vs. Judgment

The God-given ability to understand why things happen (I Samuel 16:7)

Discretion vs. Simplemindedness

The ability to avoid words, actions, and attitudes which could result in undesirable consequences (Proverbs 22:3)

Endurance vs. Giving up

The inward strength to withstand stress to accomplish God’s best (Galatians 6:9)

Enthusiasm vs. Apathy

Expressing with my soul the joy of my spirit (I Thessalonians 5:16,19)

Faith vs. Presumption

Visualizing what God intends to do in a given situation and acting in harmony with it (Hebrews 11:1)

Flexibility vs. Resistance

Not setting my affections on ideas or plans which could be changed by God or others (Colossians 3:2)

Forgiveness vs. Rejection

Clearing the record of those who have wronged me and allowing God to love them through me(Ephesians 4:32)

Generosity vs. Stinginess

Realizing that all I have belongs to God and using it for His purposes (II Corinthians 9:6)

Gentleness vs. Harshness

Showing personal care and concern in meeting the need of others (I Thessalonians 2:7)

Gratefulness vs. Unthankfulness

Making known to God and others in what ways they have benefited my life (I Corinthians 4:7)

Hospitality vs. Loneliness

Cheerfully sharing food, shelter, and spiritual refreshment with those whom God brings into my life(Hebrews 13:2)

Humility vs. Pride

Recognizing that it is actually God and others who are responsible for the achievements in my life(James 4:6)

Initiative vs. Unresponsiveness

Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it (Romans 12:21)

Joyfulness vs. Self-pity

The spontaneous enthusiasm of my spirit when my soul is in fellowship with the Lord (Psalm 16:11)

Justice vs. Fairness

Personal responsibility to God’s unchanging laws (Micah 6:8)

Love vs. Selfishness

Giving to others’ basic needs without having as my motive personal reward (I Corinthians 13:3)

Loyalty vs. Unfaithfulness

Using difficult times to demonstrate my commitment to God and to those whom He has called me to serve (John 15:13)

Meekness vs. Anger

Yielding my personal rights and expectations to God (Psalm 62:5)

Obedience vs. Willfulness

Freedom to be creative under the protection of divinely appointed authority (II Corinthians 10:5)

Orderliness vs. Disorganization

Preparing myself and my surroundings so I will achieve the greatest efficiency (I Corinthians 14:40)

Patience vs. Restlessness

Accepting a difficult situation from God without giving Him a deadline to remove it (Romans 5:3–4)

Persuasiveness vs. Contentiousness

Guiding vital truths around another’s mental roadblocks (II Timothy 2:24)

Punctuality vs. Tardiness

Showing high esteem for other people and their time (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Resourcefulness vs. Wastefulness

Wise use of that which others would normally overlook or discard (Luke 16:10)

Responsibility vs. Unreliability

Knowing and doing what both God and others are expecting from me (Romans 14:12)

Reverence vs. Disrespect

Awareness of how God is working through the people and events in my life to produce the character of Christ in me (Proverbs 23:17–18)

Security vs. Anxiety

Structuring my life around that which is eternal and cannot be destroyed or taken away (John 6:27)

Self-Control vs. Self-indulgence

Instant obedience to the initial promptings of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:24–25)

Sensitivity vs. Callousness

Exercising my senses so I can perceive the true spirit and emotions of those around me(Romans 12:15)

Sincerity vs. Hypocrisy

Eagerness to do what is right with transparent motives (I Peter 1:22)

Thoroughness vs. Incompleteness

Knowing what factors will diminish the effectiveness of my work or words if neglected(Proverbs 18:15)

Thriftiness vs. Extravagance

Not letting myself or others spend that which is not necessary (Luke 16:11)

Tolerance vs. Prejudice

Acceptance of others as unique expressions of specific character qualities in varying degrees of maturity (Philippians 2:2)

Truthfulness vs. Deception

Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts (Ephesians 4:25)

Virtue vs. Impurity

The moral excellence and purity of spirit that radiate from my life as I obey God’s Word (II Peter 1:3)

Wisdom vs. Natural Inclinations

Seeing and responding to life’s situations from God’s frame of reference (Proverbs 9:10)

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