The great spiritual decline we are experiencing has many roots.Both leadership and the people share responsibility for spiritual decline. While leaders bear the weight of accountability, the congregation is not without blame. What we witness today, particularly in the rise of large churches and the decline of true faith, mirrors the law of diminishing returns.
To clarify, the law of diminishing returns states that as you increase one factor of production—such as labor or capital—while keeping other inputs constant, the additional benefit from each added unit will eventually decrease. In the context of faith, simply increasing the number of people in a church does not equate to spiritual growth. In fact, it can have the opposite effect.
Consider a family barely surviving on limited resources. If several more families move in without an increase in provisions, everyone suffers. The same principle applies to the church: if discipleship and spiritual nourishment are neglected in favor of entertainment and distraction, then increasing attendance only amplifies the problem. Rather than strengthening the body of Christ, it weakens it.
Jesus transformed the world with just twelve disciples. It was not their numbers but the presence of the Lord in their midst that made the difference. Where two or three gather in His name, His presence is enough to accomplish immeasurable things. A few loaves and fish can feed thousands when blessed by Him. Yet today, multitudes gather, feeding on the abundance of their own works, and still, they starve spiritually.
True power lies not in the size of the gathering but in the reality of His presence, His purpose, and His work in the midst of His people.
The great falling away isn’t about people no longer “going to church,” since the concept of attending “church” is foreign to the Scriptures. Genuine believers are the Church. The true falling away is a departure from truth itself. A building may be packed with people, but who are they spiritually? Are they radical followers of Jesus with deep relationships with Him, or compromisers who embrace Christ but reject the cross?
Those of us who have left religious traditions—I myself am a former Catholic—are well-acquainted with the Sunday-only Christian who checks a box by attending a service, perhaps even midweek gatherings, men’s BBQ nights, or women’s retreats. I call this the processed church. Just as processed food is altered from its original state for convenience—loaded with sugars, unhealthy fats, preservatives, and lacking nutrients—the spiritually processed church has also been altered for convenience.
What are the spiritual effects of this processed church? Consider the “added sugar”: elaborate stages, entertainment-driven worship bands, and smoke machines designed to hype people up, compensating for the absence of God’s genuine presence. Many nominal believers have never truly encountered God’s authentic presence and therefore cannot discern the difference.
Think of “unhealthy fats and low nutrients”: the Word of God diluted, compromised, and stripped of its true nutritional value. These “fats” are sermons focused solely on worldly success, prosperity teachings, and self-enrichment schemes, creating spiritually unhealthy Christians who must continually rely on shallow injections of emotional hype to stay spiritually “alive.” The church system has taught its followers dependency on itself rather than complete reliance on Jesus.
What’s the solution? Revolution—a total abandonment of this processed religious system in favor of something pure, raw, organic, and unaltered by worldly additives. Without such radical change, the current system will collapse under the weight of worldliness and self-centered doctrines disguised as salvation.
There is a growing hunger, especially among younger generations raised within spiritually unhealthy environments, for authenticity, radical commitment, and an uncompromising devotion to Christ Himself. They desire a church wholly devoted to Jesus, characterized by quiet reverence and genuine holiness. A community where believers edify one another according to Scripture, where prophecy, exhortation, wisdom, tongues, and interpretations are practiced. A fellowship without hierarchical leadership, led instead by humble elders and deacons who serve selflessly, desiring no recognition or financial reward. A place that equips believers to live radically, to embrace suffering for Christ, proudly bearing the cross and the scars upon their backs as marks of their love, devotion and authenticity.
This is the organic Church—unprocessed by the world, radically committed to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
There remains a remnant—a people set apart, standing in the wilderness to proclaim God’s truth. They are anchored in His Word, separate from the systems of religion, for they understand that Christ did not come to establish another religion but to restore relationship.
To be outside the camp carries risk. When Israel fell into idolatry with the golden calf, a separation was established between the people and God. The Tent of Meeting, set outside the camp, became a place where Moses, Joshua, and the priests entered into His presence, while the people could only watch from their tents. This same idolatry persists today, creating a divide between God and those entangled in religious systems.
The camp represents the churches and religious institutions of our time, while the priests—God’s remnant—have left the camp in pursuit of the true dwelling place of His presence. To enter the Tent of Meeting, one must first “come out from among her.” When Israel entered the Promised Land, the Tent was replaced by the temple, but in time, the temple itself became a stronghold of religion, ultimately torn down stone by stone. And yet, the Tent returns, a place of worship in the wilderness—a place called Spirit and Truth.
As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well:
“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.“(John 4:20-24)
True worship is not bound to temples built by human hands but is found where God dwells—outside the camp, beyond the gate. The Lord, who was crucified at Calvary, stands in contrast to the Holy of Holies within the temple. While religious men seek their refuge in structures and traditions, the Lord calls His people to meet Him in Spirit and truth.
The call goes forth: Come out of the camp. Come to the Tent of Meeting. Come and tabernacle with the Lord.
The vast majority of professing Christians do not have the ability to digest meat. People eagerly receive words of encouragement and exhortation,as a hungry baby would consume it’s mother’s milk. But when confronted with warnings or rebukes, only the faithful remnant of God truly “hear”—or rather, acknowledge—the truth. It takes wisdom and discernment and the Holy Spirit to assess the times in which we live.
In Ezekiel 9,10 and 11 we see the beginnings of Gods withdrawing His presence. The word Ichabod is effectively pronounced over the doorposts, signaling the absence of His glory. Destruction follows, but not before an angel with an ink-horn marks those who remain faithful—those who grieve over the sins of Jerusalem. These are the ones spared from judgment. As it was in Ezekiel’s day, so it is now. The nature of humanity remains unchanged.
Many choose willful ignorance, preferring to live lawlessly, unconcerned with the truth. Few, indeed, find and remain on the narrow path. In times of crisis, drastic measures are required—this is true in our personal lives, in our families, and in our nations. Yet Christendom, broadly speaking, refuses to acknowledge its condition. If it did, if it truly recognized the spiritual desperation of our times, then urgent action would follow.
We would not laugh and celebrate as though all were well—we would weep before the altar, before the throne of God. We would not focus on outward appearances but would humble ourselves in deep repentance. We would clothe ourselves in sackcloth, throw ashes upon our heads, and tear our garments in grief. And still, the masses would mock and call us mad.
The leaders of the people know that true reformation would begin with them. Yet these hirelings—those who serve only for personal gain—can never truly protect the sheep. They stay as long as the path is easy, as long as their position remains profitable and their place in society secure. But when the wolf comes, they will flee.
True repentance and restoration demand that we forsake the traditions of men and return to the “old paths”—to God’s ways. It would mean restoring a sense of accountability, where if a man does not work, he does not eat. But these are the very truths the blind refuse to see, which is why they continue leading the blind. “Men will only recognize the truth when it doesn’t cost them anything. But when truth demands a price, they reject it.” (Ravenhill)
As a young Christian, I found myself standing in a church one day, worshiping. In that moment, I had a vision. I saw a vase being violently thrown to the ground, shattering into countless pieces. Though some larger fragments remained, they too were gathered and thrown down again. This process repeated three times until the vase was utterly destroyed—broken beyond any hope of repair.
Then, I realized—I was the vase.
As I watched, I saw what I knew to be my heavenly Father. With small spectacles resting at the tip of His nose, He carefully picked up each tiny, even microscopic shard. With supernatural love and patience, He began to restore the vase, piece by piece, bringing it back to wholeness. What had seemed irreparably broken was being made new.
That morning, I was able to share this vision with the fellowship, and it has remained deeply significant to me. Perhaps that’s why 2 Corinthians 4 holds such a special place in my heart.
If you find yourself completely shattered today—broken by life and circumstances beyond any hope of repair—know this: there is a God in heaven who can restore you. He can heal, renew, and make you whole, just as He always intended. His Son, Jesus, was broken for us, disfigured beyond recognition, yet through the power of the Holy Spirit, He was raised from the dead. That same Spirit is reaching out to you now, ready to lift you up if you take His hand.
Scripture is utterly radical. I love reading it aloud (as my brothers and sisters know) The other day, I imagined a family gathered around a table, long before phones and computers existed. In their hands is a letter from a beloved family member. One person begins to read, and the whole family leans in, hanging on every word. If the reader pauses, some eager soul bursts out, “What does he say next?
I’ve never understood why some read Scripture as if delivering a sorrowful obituary. There is life in the Word! And there is even greater life in reading it aloud. It moves something in the Kingdom of God. It stirs the unseen realm, sending ripples of concentric circles through the world in ways we cannot perceive. It shakes, it draws, it calls forth something of heaven’s atmosphere into the here and now.
The spirit within us—once dead but now raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit—begins to rise, like flames leaping up when the breath of life blows upon hot coals. It ignites. It burns. It puts fire in our bones. Our God is a consuming fire and His Word kindles the fire that is within us.
The men that inhabit the pulpits of today refuse to see that the writing is on the wall for our present religious system. They will not listen because their livelihoods depend upon ignoring the truth. I recall Duncan Campbell sharing how he had to step away from the system of men—relinquishing the manse, his career, and the security that came with it. For seventeen years, he remained in a church where he was not called, held there by the comfort of stability.
Paul worked with his own hands and declared that those unwilling to work should not eat. Being a pastor, teacher, evangelist, or prophet is not a profession one assumes; it is an identity bestowed at the new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul declared woe upon himself if he did not preach the gospel—it was a fire consuming his very being.
If money were removed from the American church, only then would we see the true shepherds continuing to do what they do-making disciples. The gifts of God are not mere roles we fulfill but the essence of who we are, compelling us to act according to our divine nature—our supernature. Even as God raises up His remnant, He is dismantling the clergy-laity system. How? By leaving it to its own resources, sustained only by entertainment and human effort rather than the presence of God and the manifestation of His Spirit within His people.
If I had a dollar for every time someone said “God told me,” I’d be a wealthy man. Yet, in the spirit of generosity and assuming the best of my brothers and sisters, I recognize that much of what has been spoken to me—often with sincere intentions—has been filtered through the prism of their soul and flesh. I’m primarily talking about Pentecostals as opposed to Charismatics of whom I have limited experience. Don’t get me wrong, I believe with all of my heart God speaks to His people and they know His voice.
However, it must also be acknowledged that we tend to “hear” what we want to hear. The flesh is cunning, and it has a voice—a persuasive, insistent voice that will use any means necessary to get its way. I hear it most clearly when I’ve been wronged, when the inner narrative in my mind begins constructing its defense, justifying responses that are anything but godly.
Yet that same loud voice can also be very subtle, whispering in ways that seem harmless, even reasonable. Ways that are always self-serving.This is precisely why Scripture calls us to “mortify” the deeds of the flesh. It is why we are commanded to take up our crosses daily. The more we die to our flesh, the clearer our spiritual hearing becomes—allowing us to discern the Lord’s voice. And His voice will never contradict His Word.
Discernment begins with ourselves (our self) Learn to identify the “voice,” of your flesh and begin to oppose it. Give it no quarter, for the flesh will not give your spirit any. It is it’s mortal enemy. Mortal being the operative word, for its time is short and it knows it. That’s why it wants to “eat, drink and be merry.” Crucify the voice of the flesh, take every thought captive and you will hear the voice of the Lord, speaking through your spirit all the more clearly.
The beginning of the vision was a loud booming voice calling all Christians to awake , “Awake you sleepy Christians.” “Who will ascend Gods Holy Hill? Those with a pure heart and clean hands.”Then I saw thousands of baby turtles heading from the dunes towards the sea. Darkness was falling and there was a full moon that illuminated the broad beach. Before most of the turtles could cross the beach and reach the safety of the water, they were attacked by screaming seagulls. The power of the air had come to attack them, seagulls by the hundreds making a horrendous shrieking noise as they feasted on their helpless prey.Then from the dunes came raccoons and critters of every kind to join in the frenzy and drag these hapless baby turtles away. Just when I thought the slaughter could not get worse, out from under the sand came ghost crabs which tore into the turtles and dragged them down into their holes in the sand to be devoured. As all of this was going on, I could see Scripture framing this whole scene. “Many are called but few are chosen,” “Broad is the road that leads to destruction, narrow is the path that leads to life.” A handful of the turtles made it to the water.
Then suddenly I am looking at a stadium. On its platform was a sword embedded in a rock. In the stadium were thousands and thousands of young people. Teenagers, young people in their 20s and 30s. Jesus walks onto the stage and goes to the rock and pulls out the sword and turns to address the crowd of young people. Below the stage was a line of older men and women, mature saints, standing and silently praying. Behind them, between them and the stage, were thousands of flags fluttering in the wind. Jesus addresses the crowd and challenges them to come down and take up their crosses and join the fight against the great tide of evil that has deluged the land. First they must come and be prayed for and then come towards Him to join Him. In order to do that they would have to pass through the sea of flags. Then I saw that there were words written upon upon every flag. I looked closer.
On hundred of them was the word lust. On hundreds more was hate. And then there was ambition, suicide, bitterness, un-forgiveness, rebellion, greed, materialism and on it went. The call is made to the crowd by Jesus. “Will you come forward and die to these things this day?” They respond to the call to arms and begin to move forward in obedience to the call with great trembling and weeping. They kneel and pray with the men of God and then get up and move past them and with pure hearts and clean hands. They make their way towards the flags that represents what they have just laid down, they pull up the flag and they break it over their knees and throw it to the ground. Freedom rings out into the night sky, the rejoicing rises up into heaven itself. The gates of hell begin to shake as Jesus receives the reward of His suffering and the young people rise up with one voice in adoration of their King.
The Word of God is full of distinctions. It distinguishes between right and wrong. It distinguishes between heaven and hell. There are saints and sinners and the list goes on. There is a troubling distinction between professors and false professors. What is a false professor? Someone who claims to be a Christian but is Christian in name only. Someone who has never actually been born again but would count themselves as “believers.” In James 2:19 James says “You believe there is one God? You do well, the devils also believe and tremble.” So obviously being a “believer,” does not necessarily equate to being born again.
The word “believe,” is “pisteuo,” in the Greek. It means “to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): – believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.” Now obviously the devils do not put their trust in Christ. They believe in one God and have entirely rejected God. So you can believe in God and entirely reject Him. We need a better term than “believer,” for believers encompass many distinctions. Whitfield, for example famously accused the vast majority of the Church of England pastors as “knowing nothing of the new birth.” There was so much anger aroused by that statement that it got him banned from a majority of pulpits.
Ravenhill famously suggested that 93% of “professing Christians,” in America also knew nothing of the new birth. Tozer suggested that there were but a remnant among those who counted themselves as believers. Jesus says in Revelations ” I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” (Rev 2:9) to which Matthew Henry observes ” God is greatly dishonoured when his name is made use of to promote and patronize the interests of Satan; and he has a high resentment of this blasphemy, and will take a just revenge on those who persist in it.”
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day………..that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in you and you in Him.( 2 Thess 1:10-12) Our high calling brothers and sisters is to be a saint in whom Christ is glorified. He in us and us in Him. Let the world marvel at the manifestation of Jesus that is in His saints. In verse 11 Paul says “we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling.”
In Matt 10 :37-39 Jesus says he that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that takes not his cross, and follow after me, is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it. These are the distinctions that the Lord makes. Those who love Him with their whole hearts, those who take up their crosses and follow Him and those who lose their lives for His sake, these are the ones who are His disciples. These are His saints in whom He is glorified and by whom He is glorified. That is our high calling brothers and sisters. Let us be found to glorify the Lord by our lives.
There may be real submission to the will of God while we can’t help wishing things were otherwise. God does not ask us to feel that everything is for the best, but He does ask us to believe it (Andrew Bonar)
This is a deep truth. It is learned in the deepest valleys and the sorest of trials and loss. It may be well with our souls, as the beautiful old hymn goes, but our hearts can be broken. It is in the midst of that brokenness, that pain, that loss, that we draw near to God and He draws near to us. A broken and a contrite heart O God you will not despise (Psalm 51:17) Suffering produces endurance which produces character and hope (Rom 5:3-5) Blessed is the one who remains steadfast under trial ( James 1:2 ) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit ( Psalm 34:18 )
We are to be rewarded, not only for work done, but for burdens borne, and I am sure that the brightest rewards will be for those who have borne their burdens without murmuring (Andrew Bonar ) A thankful heart in the face of great trial, is the ultimate in believing our God, in trusting Him, it is the very essence of faith. It causes that old liar, the devil, to shut his mouth and his accusations against the most high God that His people only love them because of favorable circumstances. It is out of darkness, that God Himself has commanded light to shine forth. And that light is the very essence of glory and love. It is a tangible force that heals and restores and draws us very near to our Lord and our God.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess 5:16) Imagine living according to this word every day, it would revolutionize your world. Let this year be the year, let this day be the day that we live entirely according to the word of God.
“For God did not appoint us to wrath.” (1 Thess 5:9) So much has been made of this statement and wrong doctrines have flowed from it. Context always explains the meaning. “For God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation though our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us.” You see what the opposite of wrath is in this context? Salvation. To be saved is to be safe from not being saved. It does not mean that we shall avoid persecution or tribulation. In fact in Chapter three of 1st Thessalonians Paul writes “no one should be shaken by these afflictions (what afflictions? those who killed their own prophets and have persecuted us-chapter 2 verse 15) Not only should we expect persecutions and afflictions, Paul states categorically “we are appointed to this.” Another word for appointed is “ordained.”
I wrote this song seven months ago, in the very depths of my cancer and chemo. The presence of the Lord and His grace and mercy had settled on me for that whole time and I sensed a very strong anointing from Jesus. Its at this time I wrote this song to love to my Jesus and called it “The song of love.” I pray that it will bless you mightily and take you deeper into His heart………bro Frank
Hi brothers. Post cancer I have been writing a lot of songs. It seems to be the season that I am in. I am interested in creating songs and hymns that actually say something. It seems that many modern Christian songs are very lacking in any kind of theology and based on a formula of a few words and overlays of music and style. This is a link to 23 of my own songs that the Lord has given me, I pray that they bless you in your your thoughts and worship………………bro Frank
2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Many are called, few are chosen! How mysterious is the words of the Lord? Who are the called? Who are the chosen? Why are the many not ultimately part of the few? What determines who belongs to the few?
In 2 Pet chapter 1 we see that we are called to add to our faith, with all diligence, virtue and knowledge and self control and perseverance and Godliness and brotherly kindness and love. If these things are ours and we abound in such things then we shall, according to the Word, never be barren nor unfruitful in our intimate relationship with Jesus. Each of these aspects of our salvation is our responsibility to nurture. A fire has been kindled in us, the fire of God in our hearts, and that fire must be kept burning. The fuel is obedience, love and grace and mercy and forgiveness. Doing good to those who hate us. Rejoicing in our circumstances. Allowing light to shine forth from darkness. Letting this mind be in us. It is we who determine our mindset.
The fruits of these works in us must be clearly visible to all. “You shall know them by their fruit.” “You shall know them by their love for one another.” Might I add that we shall be known by the Blood of the Lamb in our lives and the testimony of His works in us, clearly seen. This is the light that shines forth from us. This is the flavor of the salt. And also this “they loved not their lives unto death.” In all of these things we overcome. We overcome in Him. We must not be moved by circumstances, in fact circumstances, be they persecution or afflictions or infirmities, must be borne with the dignity of God that dwells within us. We are Royal priests in a royal priesthood a “chosen race,” a holy nation and we must display that royalty for all the world to see for we have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light! We must not suffer as the world suffers. The world understands suffering all too well, what they do not understand is joy in the midst of it all.
They cannot understand why saints would have peace when there should be no peace. And when we walk in this abundance, with all diligence, then there is an entrance that is supplied to us. This not only refers to when we die and go to heaven. There is a heavenly entrance available to Gods saints in the here and the now for the Kingdom already is and it dwells within us. We must testify of this Kingdom, we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness to just this, the Kingdom of God, not just spoken of, but demonstrated to a lost and dying world. And for those who follow this path, the path of the cross and the joy that is set before it, belongs the Kingdom. Yes, many are called, but sadly few take the narrow road that leads to Calvary and resurrection life.
Isn’t it remarkable where hope is born? Its not where you think it would be. Its not in a good report or favorable circumstances, that’s the hope that is in the world. According to our Scripture hope is born in tribulation. We find hope in the depths of suffering. When our backs are to the wall we see the glory of God. “And not only that, but we glory in tribulations, knowing tribulations produces perseverance and perseverance, character, and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3)
So, hope and love and endurance and overcoming are all born in the fire, born in the crucible of life, a life in Christ. He came to send fire to the earth (Luke 12) and set us ablaze with Kingdom reality that floes in the face of everything that makes sense to the world. It all paradoxical. Finding hope in the fire? Ask the Hebrew children about their faith after they encountered Jesus in its midst. Finding hope in suffering? Ask Paul and Silas about their faith after the midnight hour, after the scourging, after the imprisonment. We discover the Kingdom realities in the presence of our enemies, what ever that enemy might be.
Consider these words “we also glory in tribulations.” (Rom 5:3)This is no mere stoic stance in the face of opposition, this is glory and mercy and peace and joy where there should be none of these things. “I take pleasure in sickness, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions and in distresses for Christ’s sake.” (2 Cor 12:9) So, he glories in persecutions and takes pleasure in everything that life throws at him, for Christ’s sake, for His glory. Everyone of these situations are an opportunity to bring down the glory and give glory to God.
“It has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil 1:29) That word “granted,’ in the Greek is “charizomai.” It means do do someone a favor. Think about that, God has granted us a favor by allowing us to suffer for His sake. It’s a privilege. And just before that in Phil chapter one we are told, in that context, to “let this mind be in you.” Let this be your conduct, let this be your heart, to understand and know just what a privilege it is to suffer for His sake and what hope and what glory there lies within these circumstances. It is the opposite mindset of the world, it is the Kingdom mind.
And when we walk in this strength, when we walk in this glory, when we allow this light to shine forth from darkness we shall walk with one mind, with one Spirit, with one Gospel, with one Body of Christ, unified by a force the world could never understand, joy and peace in the midst of suffering. For we, brothers and sisters, have set our faces like flint, just as our Lord did, for the joy that was set before Him. The joy that is birthed in trial, in suffering, in persecution and in reproaches, this is what unites us. Many are called but few are chosen and this is what unites the few into one. There in one Body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. (Eph 4:4-6)
I wrote this today from my meditations on the Lord and my great desire to stay in that quiet place with Him. This is where eternal life is, no matter what storms we find ourselves in.
You are my resting place And deep within these realms of grace You are so very near You perfect love casts out all fear
And deep within this very veil Where there's no fear and no travail I'll throw the lines and I'll set sail Into the depths of your heart
You are my resting place I find in you a warm embrace Your peace alone is my one desire That stands with me in the midst of the fire
So when thunder crashes in angry skies I'll pay no heed nor lift my eyes To you alone I'll cast my gaze Beyond the storm and above the waves
You are my resting place It's there I look upon your face You're my anchor Lord, within the veil Your perfect love it never fails
So when lightening fractures the skies above The heavens shall open and rain down with love And I'll be soaked in your heavenly dew As your hand takes hold and carries me through
So Lord you are my resting place And I'm awash in a sea of grace And when the storm is gone and there is no trace I'll sail on, into the depths of your heart.
It is not that men are inherently weak, it’s that’s God is inherently all powerful. The strongest man that ever lived, whether in body or mind or spirit, finds his proper state before and all powerful God. He falls on his face as one who is dead. He would cry out with the prophet “I am undone. He would not have the capacity to stand in His presence. He would only see his unworthy state. It takes fire from the altar, to alter his state, to enable him to stand, to have the audacity to say “here I am, send me.”
In Isa 40:28-31 God speaks. He announces Himself as . The everlasting God. 2. Lord. 3. Creator of the ends of the earth. He never faints. He is never weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He is not powerful, He is power itself and the very source of it.It is His to give and He gives it to the weak. He is not mighty, He is might itself and from the abundance of His eternal strength, He gives to those who have no strength. Who are these recipients? Who are these weak people? They are the ones who have come to understand that apart from the Spirit of God, they can do nothing, therefore they wait.
Our understanding of our own weakness kicks down the door of our ego’s and allows the light of God to penetrate the very depths of our beings. Death to “self,” is an emptying process. We must decrease so that there can be an increase. An increase of what? The Lord Himself, in us. By dying to ourselves and emptying our “self,” we are creating capacity. And into that capacity flows the fullness of God. ….That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with the saints, what is the width and the length and the depth and height -to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God (Eph 3:14-21)
For those who are filled with the fullness of God, having waited upon Him in our weakness and low opinion of our “self,” shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint. And so the “weak,’ and those who have no “might,” shall fly, shall run and shall walk. In the dying to their “self,” they have increased their capacity and are therefore filled from inexhaustible fountains.
This is the making of the mighty men and women of valor. Warriors for Christ in the battle of the ages. Those who have humbled themselves. The broken and the contrite. The weak and the meek. They all fellowship with God in high and lofty places. To get there they need the wings of eagles. To run the race we need the strength of God. And to walk this narrow walk of faith we must have the power of God
The glory of God!! The light that reflects from God Himself is seen in Christ and magnified in our hearts. It has substance, there is an eternal “weight,” that is quite apart from gravity. This weight is the “train of His robe.” It fills the temple and it fills us to overflowing. It fills our deepest longings, It touches the very depths of our souls. It renders us changed forever. Who can stand in His glory? Who could even begin to fathom/know the depths of His love? Isaiah falls down as dead and his heart is rent. The old saints used to talk about the weight of His glory where their heads naturally bowed low and trembling hands are barely raised in the “atmosphere,” of heaven come down.”Time ceases to exist and for a moment or moments we are entirely “taken up,” to higher ground. And all of this ceases to be even the first sentence to describe Him because they are but human words. He is “sensed,” in our very DNA and whoever encounters this “manifest,” presence is changed forever.
God is high and lifted up. He is glorious in His majesty. In the presence of God there is fulness of joy. In this place there is nothing impossible. Our minds are lit up by His mere presence, the manifest presence of God. To come up and into this place is to dwell with Him. This is where we are changed. This is where the attractions of this world and everything it has to offer loses all of its meaning. One moment in the manifest presence of God does more good than a lifetime of struggling against sin. For in this light we see the true darkness of our souls and we long to never again walk among the shadows. This life is but a shadow and this flesh is the vehicle that must be inhabited until that happy day when the mere moments in His presence is transformed into eternity. If we desire God, if we truly desire to come into His presence, then we shall be as the deer that panteth for the waterbrooks.
Humility and brokenness is the door and the lintel that ushers us into this Holy place. Everything about our walk with the Lord is a contradiction to the world. In order to live we must die. In order to be truly rich, we must become poor to the things of this world. In order to lead we must serve. In order to ascend unto that holy place of His presence we must bow low. It is in the deepest valleys that the saint will discover the greatest mountaintops.We must stoop down low on bended knee in order to ascend that hill and truly see. The greatest danger of the one who brings trials and tribulations and persecutions upon the saints is that they create the perfect environment for the most radical encounters with the Living God that they will ever have had. This is why the saint who genuinely desires a radical encounter with the living God is such a danger to the enemy of our souls. If he pushes too hard against the saint, he pushes Him deeper into the heart of God and that becomes a witness that has a life all of itself. The Spirit of Glory that stands for all time.
A Call To The Remnant 