So much has been going on in my heart, and it is swirling around my head in a rapid way at the moment. Usually that ends with a forceful, forward movement in my heart when it is all said and done. We’ll see where it ends up, but I am excited at what the Lord is revealing in this hour of history and how God’s mercy has beckoned me to be a part of it.
Something that has been rooting and grounding itself deep on the inside of me, is that humility is a key to enduring to the end with my heart alive in Him…and ultimately having my body resurrected unto life with Jesus (salvation) when He returns for His purified Bride!
My heart is set on a pilgrimage (Ps. 84:4-12), that I might live this life as close to what the next age looks like as possible so that it would testify to what is coming, and be a witness of God’s mission. Thus setting so much of His Word in context and stirring belief for the coming Messiah, which then would provoke & encourage my life (and others) to live “now” for the MUCH GREATER “then.”
Side Note: This is all just gushing out of me, but I think I just got my New Year’s resolution in that last paragraph. :)
When the “then” is discredited, “dimmed” of it’s awesomeness or never gazed on (even slightly ignored) in the Word of God, then the “now” becomes what our life revolves around. And our hearts are easily drawn away by the pleasures of this world, satisfying us with things that fall far short of what our inner man was designed for by God at the beginning of time. We lose, or never obtain, our full identity as foreigners…aliens…strangers of this age of darkness. We never live as though we are “in the day” (next age), but set our reality and citizenship “in the night” (our life in this age of death). God is calling us to live quite the opposite, but we must pray!
Side Note: I have been gaining revelation for myself in how even good Christian attributes in the Word, can have great potential to miss the mark of their intended purpose apart from revelation of the age to come. I might break this down in later posts, but we’ll see.
It is in prayer where God’s love toward us is birthed and we begin to grasp the deep desires of His heart toward us and humanity as a whole. His desire has not changed since the beginning of time, where He walked with humanity in His fullness on the earth. That is “the day”/”age of light” that will be birthed once again in the next age, after “death” is done away with.
The “birth pangs” are upon us and it will be a painful process of purifying His Bride (Matt. 24:8). But those who choose to embrace the pain of having their hearts purified by His Holy Spirit in the short-term of this life (having vision for the hope that is ahead/bodily resurrection/reigning with Jesus on earth), will step into the next age with a heart that is already set to live in that age of light (“the day”/next age). Those people will have already been those who have set their gaze on His throne room and have become citizens of His coming Kingdom (Col. 3:1-4) while in this current age (age of darkness). And as a result are sojourners (1 Pet. 2:11) passing through this age and foreigners, seeking to testify of the coming age and evangelizing the lost through that testimony. Having their allegiance in nothing else except God and His coming Kingdom, with an unshakable passion for His return, that He might make all wrong things right. I have found that with the wisdom and revelation through His Spirit, in what I just said, my whole person continues to be strengthened and empowered to pursue holiness and leave sin behind me. For the first time it isn’t a striving process filled with heaping burdens, new man-made structure, done in and of myself. But it is almost a pushing from behind by the power of God in His Holy Spirit.
There is a time coming where all those who have become lovesick for Him and have mourned awaiting His return (Matt. 9:15), that they will be explode with joy in the fulfillment of their longing and will be lifted up as Jesus was (Rev. 1:5/First Born From the Dead/first with resurrected body). The joy that we now see and experience is merely a taste of what is to come. The healings we now see, physically and internally, are merely a reminder of what is coming in fullness at His return (a resurrected body).
I have been studying humility at a greater degree and am still pressing into it. But am becoming keenly aware through revelation in His Word, that God will lift up/exalt those who are humble, in the same way He lifted up Jesus His Son (1 Pet. 5:8; Jam. 4:10). The “low road” stands above so many other things that we choose to exalt now, in this age. One day men’s fruit/works of their heart (Gal. 5:19-25), will be exposed and I believe that we will be surprised by what we see of some on that Day. Some who were the greatest advocates of “truth” when it comes to the Word, might be exposed in that Day for their lack of meekness and humility. Some hold their opinions higher than the opinion of God based on a good intention to reach others, but ending with pride that leads others in the same way. And God will resist the proud on that Day. There are many times where God desires that we restrain our strength (meekness defined) of opinion and keep quiet in the grace and fruit of His Holy Spirit. After this past year, and God revealing how little I have known concerning His Word, after thinking I knew so much, I now handle the truth of His Word far more carefully. And I don’t mean in the context of “being a good Berean.” But more so, for how my heart handles the truth after I have been a Berean and discovered His heart through the Word. How is it delivered by me or through me from my heart? Do I ignore the fruits of His Spirit for a moment for the sake of getting truth out there?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law…If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Gal. 5:22,23,25,26
I have realized how key it is to fast and pray when it comes to the truth I take in, for the main purpose of keeping my heart and mind humiliated. Basically, causing Him to remain on the throne, and for me to not consider myself more than I ought (1 Cor. 8:2). That is a huge thing to guard as we walk out our Christianity because if we don’t, pride enters in. And pride is the platform by which we exalt ourselves above God in our own hearts.
That last two paragraphs were the purpose I started this post, but it took a little rambling to get there. Congratulations! You just got a glimpse into the swirling heart of Richee.