Allowing yourself to be out in such a position that God is exalted is the goal of living the crucified life. When you allow God to be exalted in your difficulties, you will be in the perfect position to smell the sweet fragrance of His presence (Tozer)
Have you found that to be true in your own life? The depths of His presence is no more deeply felt than in the depths of the valleys of our lives. The crucified life runs counter to every human emotion that we have. It is not natural at all it is supernatural. Brothers and sisters, if we can understand this, if we can desire this, if our chief end is truly to glorify God, then we will discover a depth of His presence that we have never known before.
How many of us say that we want the Lord to bless us? What does that actually mean? If the ultimate blessing is to know God in the depths of who He is and the only door that will lead us to that blessing is a door that says above it ” crucified,” will you walk though that door? Now please do not rush to answer that question. It’s an all or nothing question. There is no connection to be had between the mediocre Christian life and the crucified Christian life, they are worlds apart.
If we want to enter into a place of rest and I am sure that you do, then we must come through the crucified door. Think about the children of Israel entering into a place flowing with milk and honey, the promised land, praise the Lord the promised land. They had wandered all those years in the wilderness and now, the promised land. Before they could even start there was a river swollen by spring time waters. It took faith and a mighty miracle just to cross over. Battle over? Not so. Then they came to the most formidable walls you could imagine. It was beyond their ability to conquer. More faith more miracles required. Now, surely, with this huge obstacle removed it is finally plain sailing? No. Then came defeat at Ai. Lessons learned, now Ai is defeated, now we can finally settle down to a peaceful existence? No. More battles, more tests, more faith more miracles.
Brothers and sisters this is our lives as children of the living God. The crucified life is a series of battles, it is a life of overcoming. It is a life of subduing and persevering. Who will endure to the end? To whom are the promises made in the first three chapters of Revelations? To the overcomers, to those who endure to the end. It is to those who live the crucified life that all the promises are made. I want you to take heart today. Perhaps you have been discouraged by a life full of trials. My encouragement today is not to tell you that your trials are behind you or that there are no battles left ahead of you. This I know, there are battles ahead, all along the narrow path that leads to life.
Yet this I know also, that our God goes ahead of us. Our God loves us with an everlasting love and He is well pleased with His children who have laid down their lives and taken up their crosses. He is with us in the midst of our battles, He is with us as we walk through our trials. He is with you right now brothers and sisters. Can you smell His fragrant beauty? It flows down from heaven above when He is exalted in love. When we exalt Him in the midst of our trials then the light that dwells within us shines out through our brokenness to a lost and dark world. Read the rest of this entry »
Last night my wife and I were watching American Idol. Kelly Clarkson finished the show with a raw performance of a song she wrote called ” Piece by Piece.” It left most people in the audience in tears. I recently watched a movie about the life of Amy Winehouse. She says in the movie that the thing that changed everything in her life and sent her down a path of destruction was her father walking out on them when she was nine years old. Kelly’s song relates to the same thing only she was six.
Two years ago I walked past a neighbor’s house. They had two children, two beautiful girls aged seven and five. Their father was leaving and I could hear the girls wailing, not sure I will ever forget that. He had met a younger woman. I ran into the neighbor a few weeks later just sitting in her car at a trail near our house, sitting weeping in her car, broken. She allowed me to pray with her and we both wept before the throne. The damage of divorce is untold and it ripples through the fabric of our lives and society. Well does the Bible say that God hates divorce. The pain and the agony and the lives ruined by it are inestimable.
Listen fathers, don’t you ever walk away from your children. You might not be the best father in the world or things might not be perfect in your world but don’t you walk away. You might not have all that you want in this life but does that give you the right to take away from a child everything that they have? We have one life to live and we only have so much to give, give it and give it sacrificially. God will help you do it. Walk away and the leaves will simply fall from the tree and be scattered by the wind.
To stand or kneel with head bowed in the presence of a Holy God. A place of infinite glory, of quiet surrender , a place where all things are possible and a deep inner peace glows with some kind of heat in the innermost parts of who we are and radiates out in concentric circles of glory and majesty. This holy heaviness bows our heads and at the same time raises our hands towards heaven like the open mouth of a baby bird longing to be fed ,expecting to be fed. Come Lord Jesus come and fill the vastness of my spirit so that it spills out as living waters in a dry and thirsty land. Rivers in the desert. Fruit on the vine. Manna from above, sweeping down from heaven in a river of love.
Exo 33:7 And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
The tabernacle was outside of the camp, it was at a distance from the people. The people had sinned greatly and publicly in their worship of the idols of this world and now the tabernacle was taken outside the camp. It is comforting to note that the tabernacle, simply meaning dwelling place, could still be seen by the people. It was right there, within sight of them and they were encouraged to seek the Lord. ” And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.” Now before doing this we learn that they stripped themselves of their “ornaments.” These ornaments were rings and ear-rings and so on, riches from the world they left behind that had been used to create an idol which they had bowed down and worshiped and had corrupted themselves with in the sight of God.
He was gazing at the God that they did not even know. He proclaimed that he saw the Glory of God and that his eyes had seen the King of Glory, Jesus, standing at the right hand of God. And with this, they finally killed him, not being able to stand it any longer.
The Lord gave me this “prayer,” many years ago. It came shortly after a life changing vision. As the Spirit spoke, my fingers could barely keep up with the computer keys, it was almost like I playing the piano. Pray this prayer saints………….
A Prayer for the Remant
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid because I know that your Spirit goes ahead. A fire by night and a cloud by day. This fire that burns at the center of my soul, consumes the all consuming darkness and lights the way in the blackness of my many deserts. It warms me against the night cold that would sap me of my strength. And your cloud oh Lord covers me from the searing heat of my many trials and afflictions that would drain me oh Lord and cause me to stumble and fall. You are the very essence of my life. You are the wellspring of life itself. You are my Jesus. Its at the name of Jesus that the demons flee. Its at the name of Jesus that the world shakes. The thunder roars and the lightning flashes at the name of Jesus. Mountains fall down at the name of Jesus, the birds themselves sing of your fame. Even the very darkness is light to you my King.
Even if I make my bed in hell, even there the name of Jesus is high and lifted up and all bow their knees. Where could I go oh Lord, where could I flee from your Spirit? In the darkest moments of my life, when my downcast soul cried out, all seemed lost and gone and suddenly, suddenly, suddenly you are there in all your glory. The seas that roared and the winds that blew, they bowed their knee to you and all was calm. Even when I lay bloodied and defeated in the battle-field of life, it was you Jesus, who rode on a mighty stallion through the debris and the fire and the destruction and plucked me from the jaws of total defeat and Calvary’s victory won the day. When I had fallen to the bottom of the bottomless pit and cried out with all that was left within me, you came for me, right where I was , the gates of hell itself, and you picked me up and you lifted me out of the darkness of hell and you put me down and made my feet to stand in a sure place.
As the deer panteth for the waterbrooks so my soul longeth after thee of Lord and my soul cries out in a dry and thirsty land. Revive me oh Lord, refresh my soul that hungers after heavens food, my spirit longs for waters that flow from heavens throne. I have tasted this food, I have drank of this water. I am ruined for all of life’s food and all other waters are foul tasting to my spirit. Lord Jesus, you are beautiful beyond description, to marvelous indeed for words. The moments I have spent in your sanctuary, rob me of all of my words and render them all meaningless. I feel heavenly words in all of me, not just in my brain and in my mouth, but in my very essence. Who and what you are is in my very DNA in your presence, and every particle of me glows with who you are in your presence , and I know that I cannot dwell there for I would that I would never leave that place. And so that I can go on living I must only dwell there for a moment, but oh what a glorious moment, these moments are my very life.
It is these moments that allow me to endure all things for I know that there will come a day where suddenly it will be moments no longer. And it makes me tremble all the more when I realize that this place of eternity, this uninterrupted unadulterated presence of the living God has not even entered into the hearts of man. No eye has seen nor ear heard nor spirit experienced the full measure of our God. It is above and beyond human description or even imagination. I come to the end of myself and it thrills my soul to know that at the very end of everything that ever was, everything that has ever been or ever will be experienced by man is the very beginning of you, the very beginning of you. My souls journey into eternity renders all mere trials as momentary and light, I shall count them all as rubbish for the goal that is set before me. Oh the glorious wonder of a world that cannot be imagined. You tell me oh Lord that it has not even entered into the hearts of man and I compare it with the moments I have spent in your presence and based on this alone my mind is staggered to a point that I cannot even comprehend the beginning of what you have said.
You speak the word Lord Jesus and my soul knows well that it is true and will be as you say. I need to pray for a heart that will want to stay here and serve you Jesus for my spirit longs to be away with you to the place that you have spoken. Come Lord Jesus, come as we move towards the door and answer the knocking. Come Lord Jesus and bring us our moments, moments that transport us from where we are to where you are, moments that take us to the throne-room itself to a place of awe and majesty and grace, to a place that prepares us for that which has not entered into the hearts of man. Lord in the desert you asked your people to prepare themselves three days and then you manifested your presence, and the mountains shook, and the thunder roared and the lightning flashed across the sky and then the heavenly trumpet blew and the people cried out, and they would surely die at even this limited revelation. They cried out and Moses , your servant veiled his face for the very face glowed, it glowed, it was lit up, it had , in a very limited way, saw the king of glory. Your prophet cried out “My eyes have seen the king,” and you oh Lord sat upon your throne and the train of your robe filled the temple.
You were high and lifted up and the prophet thought that he would surely die in your presence , he thought that your glory would destroy his flesh yet you sustained him and allowed him to testify of your glory. Praise you king of glory, praise you Lord almighty, for the earth is yours and the fullness of it, all the world and those who dwell in it. Let us have clean hands and a pure heart, and let our heads be lifted up to see the glory of the living God, let us open the doors to the most intimate chambers of our hearts and the King of Glory shall come in, you are the King of glory oh Lord Jesus, mighty in battle. We worship you Lord Jesus and we follow you into battle for you are our commander of the heavenly hosts. You ride upon the skies of love and glory. The momentum of Calvary drives out every demon and chases them to the ends of the earth and every time they raise their dark heads the King of glory, Jesus , our Lord and Saviour dispenses His light and there is victory. Victory in Jesus, our Saviour forever. At the cross at the cross where we first saw the light, and the burden of our souls was rolled away. Just like the stone that held Lazarus in his grave, when that stone was rolled away and you shouted come forth, then we came forth from death into your marvelous light. No longer dead in our sins and trespasses, no longer children of darkness , no longer cowed by the sting of death for death had lost its sting and the grave was defeated and now we are children of the light , we are your children set upon a hill for all the world to see. We are as a lighthouse that shines out its light into the darkest nights and into the fiercest of storms .
We are a beacon of hope for a world that has no hope because you are in us and we in you. You shine your light through us Lord to a world that is lost in its sin and you say through us to that world, come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, come and find rest for your weary souls. You are our all in all and we stand firm with you Lord Jesus. Even as your name becomes an offence around the world then we cry it out all the louder. In the coming storm of persecution, we will continue to cry out your name to our persecutors for you are their only hope. Oh Lord, all of this and more from one moment in your presence, one word from your lips, one breath of life from you. Lord we know that we can do nothing by ourselves. So, since it is not by might nor by power but it is by your Spirit Lord, we run to you Lord , our refuge and our High tower and we know that God is in the generation of the righteous and we have been made righteous in the sight of God by you oh Lord. You are about to bring back your people from their captivity Lord and you will do what you have promised and we believe the promises of our God. We stand amazed at you oh Lord. We will stand and wait upon you and we will be still and see the Glory of our God…….In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
Hi Guys, I felt led to share this recording with you about the glorious presence of the Living God. Now the quality is not the best, it is a recording of a conference call prayer meeting from several months ago. Yet the subject matter, to me, is of vital importance. Perhaps you know nothing of His presence? Maybe you have heard other Christians talking about the presence of God but it has alway been a bit of a mystery to you. Maybe you have known the presence of God in your past but it has been many years since you have felt your “heart burn within you.” I pray that this simple recording would arouse a hunger and a thirst in you for the Living God. Click here Conference Call Barnsdall – Frank McEleny
Faith is of two kinds: nominal and real. The nominal faith is the faith that accepts what it is told and can quote text after text to prove it. It’s amazing how nominal faith and nominal belief can weave these texts into garments, cloaks and curtains for the Church. Read the rest of this entry »
Men are so determined to do it themselves that when a man is saved, that is not the end. He now has to be broken, he has to know that everyone of his efforts will lead to nothing but defeat. It may take one year, it may take fifty years, but every genuine follower of Christ will be broken and when the brokenness comes and total surrender comes, then, and only then do they realize that it is all God and none of them. We are the recipients of mercy and grace, not of wages. Read the rest of this entry »
Yes, even in the very depths of our trials, we can call upon that name, the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name. The name by which everything must bow. Darkness must flee at that name, mourning must flee in the presence of Jesus. Hopelessness becomes hope in the presence of the Lord. Bitterness becomes forgiveness, strife becomes peace, captivity becomes freedom Read the rest of this entry »
This intimacy, this presence is the key to all aspects of our Christianity. There is no difficulty in Christendom today that could not be resolved by the presence of God. That is why it all comes back to Calvary. Calvary is the expression of absolute Love, absolute surrender, absolute victory. It is the totality of the expression of God’s love for the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Yes, Salvation is a finished and complete work, we can neither add to it, nor take anything from it, it was purchased for us at a terrible cost, but, to accept it fully and walk in the newness of life, it will cost us everything. For the sake of the kingly rule of Christ are we ready to sell everything we have for this treasure in the field? Will we pluck out our eye or cut of the hand that offends? To walk in the Spirit, are we ready to pick up our cross? Are we ready to die daily? Read the rest of this entry »
I have a fifteen year old son Daniel who has Down Syndrome. One week before Daniel was born,(we did not know we were having a Down Syndrome baby) I came home from church on a Sunday afternoon , full of the Holy Spirit. The Lord whispered in my ear to sit down with a pen and write whatever He put on my heart. I was to write to my Mom and Dad, I had no idea what I was going to write.
You have gathered here today in defiance of darkness and tyranny. You have come here to fight as free men and free men you are, for it is I that gave you that very freedom. So you see with your eyes that you are few and they are many, you see that you are vastly outnumbered. Will you fight today?Read the rest of this entry »
There is a time for shouting and praising God, but if we are ignoring the knocking, then we must stop shouting. If our lives are not reflecting the Glory of God, if we are not becoming like His Son, daily, then all of our shouting and praising God will just be so much noise. How tragic for the church of the living God if, when He looks down, He does not see praise but just a group of people making a noise.”Read the rest of this entry »
“Jesus has many who love His kingdom in heaven, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share His feast, but few His fasting.All desire to rejoice with Him, but few are willing to suffer for His sake. Many follow Jesus to the breaking of the bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of His passion. Many admire the miracles, but few follow Him to the humiliation of the cross. Many love Jesus as long as no hardship touches them.”
This is a vision that I had as I stood on a terrace in Croatia. My wife and I went there last year on our 25th anniversary. Before I went the Lord had shown me that I would meet someone there and that it would be significant, just did not know that He was talking about Himself. The whole piece was my vision, He gave me a new way of writing my testimony and of writing about coming into His presence, then the Word that He gave me for the church, I wrote in red at the end. I pray that this will challenge and convict you………….
They will gather together and throw in their gold and rise up and play, or in this case, fall down and play. You see the people are without leadership, and the Lord has with-held His rain. So the people have demanded gods to go before them, listen to what they said to Aaron…”make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. “
Madam Guyon writes…………….I am deeply grieved that so many in this day(she lived 300 years ago, people never change)even some good people, allow themselves to be led astray by the enemy. Has not God warned us against false prophets and lying wonders of the last days? All true prophets have spoken in the name of the Lord-”Thus says the Lord.” The enemy gains great advantage because people love extraordinary manifestations, signs and wonders. I believe the inordinate love of external signs is used of the enemy to draw people away from the Word of God and from the inward way of faith.The signs that come from God encourage you to die to yourself. (Intimacy with Christ..p21)
string> If you are known personally by God, If He knows every hair of your head, then how is it that you could ever imagine yourself insignificant? Is that not a lie from the pits of hell? How much evil and mischief has the enemy of your soul been able to achieve by simply convincing you that you have no worth and are insignificant?Read the rest of this entry »
A Call To The Remnant 