Growing in Christ

[brinny]

By the way....it's s'posed to rain here a little later...but I kinda like the rain...it's ideal for contemplating, and thinkin' about Who's in charge of the storms...

 

[angelwind]

haha I'm glad you understand I'm glad we're all in this together and that our Leader, the One Who goes before us is our Abba. :clao:

Oh, here's the lyrics to the song "I'll Praise You In This Storm"

I'll Praise You In THis Storm

..was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

~Casting Crowns

I loooove it! Humming it now.

Good words and so true to our life's experience.

I also love the song.."The Anchor Holds"

 

[angelwind]

I have journeyed thru the long dark night
Out on open sea,
By faith alone, sight unknown,
And yet, His eyes are watching me.


The Anchor holds, tho the ship is battered.
The Anchor holds, tho the sails are torn.
Well, I have fallen on my knees,
As I faced the raging sea,
But the Anchor holds, in spite of the storm.


I've had visions and I've had dreams.
Well, I've even held them in my hands.
But I never knew those dreams could slip right through
Like they were only grains of sand.


O, the Anchor holds, tho the ship is battered.
The Anchor holds, tho the sails are torn.
Well I've fallen on my knees,
As I faced the raging seas
O, the Anchor holds, in spite of the storm.


Now I've been young, but I am older now.
O and there has been beauty these eyes have seen;
But it was in the night,
When I faced the storms of my life
Oh, that's when God proved His love to me.


The Anchor holds, tho the ship is battered.
The Anchor holds, tho the sails are torn.
I have fallen, fallen down on my knees
as I faced the raging seas.
But the Anchor holds; O, in spite of the storm.

I said I have fallen, fallen down on my knees as I faced the raging seas;
But the Anchor holds, in spite of the storm.


Here are the words to this song.

 

[vasile]

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. Matthew 24

Give me the love that leads the way
The faith that nothing can dismay
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire.
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God. (A.C.)

 

[leastone]

Hi All:

Driving home yesterday, I was thinking about what you all have written concerning the Cross...and this is what came out last night.

I have come to believe in the existence of a group of people whom the Bible calls "the elect" or "saints", a group that is very special to the Lord, and is His True Body and Bride.

I believe it is only this group who attain the first resurrection, and are clothed in white robes, the proper wedding attire in order to attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

I believe the members of this group are those who find the narrow road, and though it is a way of tears, they follow it; who find the narrow door, and though it pierces their hearts, they seek to squeeze through - all in their response of love to the Lord Jesus..

I believe only God knows who these members are, but thru the working of the Cross in their lives - and their willingly experiencing that working - each member is being made holy and pure and blameless in His sight.

I believe in this group even though I do not know for sure that I have ever met in the flesh anyone who belongs to it.

I believe in this group even though I do not know if I am a member or not; with everything I am I desire to be, but I cannot guarantee it and I do not positively know. And that desire is so strong that it brings tears to my eyes sometimes.

I believe membership in this group has no more to do with salvation than birth has to do with conception, or adult has to do with infant.

I believe membership in this group is the prize for which Paul raced; it is the treasure found in the field that the man sold everything in order to purchase; it is knowing Him as He knows us.

I no longer believe that the members of this group, which has existed throughout history since the beginning days, has anything necessarily to do with the outward manifestation of Christianity as it is known today; it has nothing to do with church membership or denominational affiliation, anymore than it does with shoe size.

I do believe that what distinguishes the members of this group is that, for them, nothing in this world compares with finding Christ Jesus and being found in Him.

Thank you all for being such an inspiration to me.

Leastone

 

[angelwind]

Hi All:

Driving home yesterday, I was thinking about what you all have written concerning the Cross...and this is what came out last night.

I have come to believe in the existence of a group of people whom the Bible calls "the elect" or "saints", a group that is very special to the Lord, and is His True Body and Bride.

I believe it is only this group who attain the first resurrection, and are clothed in white robes, the proper wedding attire in order to attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

I believe the members of this group are those who find the narrow road, and though it is a way of tears, they follow it; who find the narrow door, and though it pierces their hearts, they seek to squeeze through - all in their response of love to the Lord Jesus..

I believe only God knows who these members are, but thru the working of the Cross in their lives - and their willingly experiencing that working - each member is being made holy and pure and blameless in His sight.

I believe in this group even though I do not know for sure that I have ever met in the flesh anyone who belongs to it.

I believe in this group even though I do not know if I am a member or not; with everything I am I desire to be, but I cannot guarantee it and I do not positively know. And that desire is so strong that it brings tears to my eyes sometimes.

I believe membership in this group has no more to do with salvation than birth has to do with conception, or adult has to do with infant.

I believe membership in this group is the prize for which Paul raced; it is the treasure found in the field that the man sold everything in order to purchase; it is knowing Him as He knows us.

I no longer believe that the members of this group, which has existed throughout history since the beginning days, has anything necessarily to do with the outward manifestation of Christianity as it is known today; it has nothing to do with church membership or denominational affiliation, anymore than it does with shoe size.

I do believe that what distinguishes the members of this group is that, for them, nothing in this world compares with finding Christ Jesus and being found in Him.

Thank you all for being such an inspiration to me.

Leastone

You know I don't know what "I" think or desire right now...the closet of my heart is open and everything is being undone and rearranged...it feels something like what Peter said when Jesus kept asking him if he loved Him...only You know Lord...if I love You...

 

[Pilgrim1951]

Hi All:

Driving home yesterday, I was thinking about what you all have written concerning the Cross...and this is what came out last night.

I have come to believe in the existence of a group of people whom the Bible calls "the elect" or "saints", a group that is very special to the Lord, and is His True Body and Bride.

I believe it is only this group who attain the first resurrection, and are clothed in white robes, the proper wedding attire in order to attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

I believe the members of this group are those who find the narrow road, and though it is a way of tears, they follow it; who find the narrow door, and though it pierces their hearts, they seek to squeeze through - all in their response of love to the Lord Jesus..

I believe only God knows who these members are, but thru the working of the Cross in their lives - and their willingly experiencing that working - each member is being made holy and pure and blameless in His sight.

I believe in this group even though I do not know for sure that I have ever met in the flesh anyone who belongs to it.

I believe in this group even though I do not know if I am a member or not; with everything I am I desire to be, but I cannot guarantee it and I do not positively know. And that desire is so strong that it brings tears to my eyes sometimes.

I believe membership in this group has no more to do with salvation than birth has to do with conception, or adult has to do with infant.

I believe membership in this group is the prize for which Paul raced; it is the treasure found in the field that the man sold everything in order to purchase; it is knowing Him as He knows us.

I no longer believe that the members of this group, which has existed throughout history since the beginning days, has anything necessarily to do with the outward manifestation of Christianity as it is known today; it has nothing to do with church membership or denominational affiliation, anymore than it does with shoe size.

I do believe that what distinguishes the members of this group is that, for them, nothing in this world compares with finding Christ Jesus and being found in Him.

Thank you all for being such an inspiration to me.

Leastone

Leastone, Your original post, the one which created this thread, was something the Lord used to guide me in the right direction months after you had written it. I read it and responded to it I think over a year and a half ago. What a journey God has taken me on since that time.

The post I quoted above, your most recent, effected me like only a direct word from God usually does. I believe what you have spoken in this post is truth. It has made something a little clearer that I guess I had only felt when reading about "the elect", and the "first resurrection", etc.
Like you, I don't know who is a member of this group, and I believe you are correct when you say that only God knows. When I read your post, all I could do was weep and acknowledge that what I reading was truth and a Godly fear and awe came over me. Thank you for being obedient in bringing it to us. Like you, I don't know if I have ever met anyone who belongs to this group. I don't know if it is knowledge that the Lord keeps veiled, or I am so far away from this level of holiness that I have met someone but just didn't recognize him/her. We may not know these things until we all stand before the judgement seat of Christ. At any rate, thank you for speaking this rhema word. You continue to edify and challenge many of us.

Pilgrim

 

[Savedsis]

Hi All:

Driving home yesterday, I was thinking about what you all have written concerning the Cross...and this is what came out last night.

I have come to believe in the existence of a group of people whom the Bible calls "the elect" or "saints", a group that is very special to the Lord, and is His True Body and Bride.

I believe it is only this group who attain the first resurrection, and are clothed in white robes, the proper wedding attire in order to attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

I believe the members of this group are those who find the narrow road, and though it is a way of tears, they follow it; who find the narrow door, and though it pierces their hearts, they seek to squeeze through - all in their response of love to the Lord Jesus..

I believe only God knows who these members are, but thru the working of the Cross in their lives - and their willingly experiencing that working - each member is being made holy and pure and blameless in His sight.

I believe in this group even though I do not know for sure that I have ever met in the flesh anyone who belongs to it.

I believe in this group even though I do not know if I am a member or not; with everything I am I desire to be, but I cannot guarantee it and I do not positively know. And that desire is so strong that it brings tears to my eyes sometimes.

I believe membership in this group has no more to do with salvation than birth has to do with conception, or adult has to do with infant.

I believe membership in this group is the prize for which Paul raced; it is the treasure found in the field that the man sold everything in order to purchase; it is knowing Him as He knows us.

I no longer believe that the members of this group, which has existed throughout history since the beginning days, has anything necessarily to do with the outward manifestation of Christianity as it is known today; it has nothing to do with church membership or denominational affiliation, anymore than it does with shoe size.

I do believe that what distinguishes the members of this group is that, for them, nothing in this world compares with finding Christ Jesus and being found in Him.

Thank you all for being such an inspiration to me.

Leastone

God bless you....Thank you for this beautiful thread and the truth I have read here......

 

[Savedsis]

By the way....it's s'posed to rain here a little later...but I kinda like the rain...it's ideal for contemplating, and thinkin' about Who's in charge of the storms...

And we know who is in charge of the storms and who can bring us through them...

 

[leastone]

Thank you Pilgrim, SavedSis...all of you for your kind words and encouragement. The Lord has blessed me tremendously through you today, and I am deeply appreciative.

I cannot trust myself to write more right now, so I'll just say thank you again.

Leastone

 

[leastone]

Hi Saints:

Pilgrim, I just want you to know that I take what you say seriously, and with a keen sense of responsibility toward you and others who read this thread. Jesus said He would send us the Spirit of Truth, and I believe that is what He did. I also believe we are held accountable to Him for how closely we adhere to that Spirit.

Truth matters in life – regardless of what is popular in the world or in the minds of church “leaders” at any given time - and just as Jesus told Pilate, that He had come to “bear witness to the Truth”, so is my desire and intention the same. If ever I were to lead even one person astray by anything I write, then I would rather not write at all. That is what truth means to me in general, and Truth being expressed through me, especially so.

We are entering a dangerous period of time for the Body of Christ, a time of purging and purifying and tribulation, and few seem to be paying any attention to the warnings of the Spirit to wake up and get prepared before that time is upon us. If nothing else, this is why the Lord is raising people like me up, to speak His Truth to those who will hear and get them ready in the spirit so that they may be enabled to stand for righteousness against the onslaught of the enemy that is even now being waged against the Body in various parts of the world.

I have this as a reality so strongly within me that it is almost more than I can bear at times, and when I see and hear the foolishness and immaturity and complete lack of spiritual discernment that abounds in current Christian teaching and speech I am ashamed for us all.

At different times in my life, usually when I have begun to get lazy and complacent in my walk with Him, the Lord will pierce my heart with this statement: “There is a storm coming and My children are not prepared!”

He has shown me very clearly in my own life how very serious He is when He says this, and He does not leave me alone about it, because His children are as dear to Him as ours are to us. I hope He allows me to write more about this sometime, because He has taken me through some extremely hard lessons in order to bring me to this point where He will even trust me at all with those children. I nearly lost my only son so that He could get through to me how serious He is - and how serious the enemy is as well.

Anyway, I praise Him for you and all others who have received anything in what I write. Thank you for being such an encouragement to me, and I pray that God continues to bless you all in your spiritual growth in Christ.

Leastone

 

[angelwind]

Thank you Leastone...

What you are saying is sweet and bitter at the same time...needfull for all of us trying to yield to what the Lord is doing with us at this time.

I have been reading the writngs of george Fox lately...cannot understand everything...but do understand the suffering he went thru for preaching the word and for lving it. His testimony is sobering but ignites a fire in me at the same time.

Also have begun reading some of Leonard Ravenhill...there is a price to pay for proclaiming the truth...for giving up everything to follow the Holy Spirit...my, my...there is also the comfort of the very Presence of God in it all.

 

[brinny]

It's a blessing that you're posting again leastone. What you post gives me pause to examine what it means to 'grow' in Christ.

may His joy and His peace be yours,
Brenda

 

[Savedsis]

It is our desire to grow in Christ.....May you all be blessed ...God's power is a gift for us to use, among other things for the healing of our souls, and anyone wanting emotional health and restoration must have access to it...God wants you to know the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe....so He can strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being...To receive His power you first have to receive Him and know who He is...You also have to know who your enemy is, and be convinced that God's power is greater.
Then you have to use the keys that Jesus gave us to gain access to that power...Jesus said, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven". (Matt. 16:19)

 

[angelwind]

It is our desire to grow in Christ.....May you all be blessed ...God's power is a gift for us to use, among other things for the healing of our souls, and anyone wanting emotional health and restoration must have access to it...God wants you to know the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe....so He can strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being...To receive His power you first have to receive Him and know who He is...You also have to know who your enemy is, and be convinced that God's power is greater.
Then you have to use the keys that Jesus gave us to gain access to that power...Jesus said, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven". (Matt. 16:19)

Can you explain more about these keys and how to use them????

 

[Savedsis]

Can you explain more about these keys and how to use them????

I found this....It is described the keys of the kingdom as being similar to the keys of a car...There is very little power in the key that fits a car, but that engine with all its power does not come to life without the key being put in the ignition...I don't have the power to go outside and get myself going sixty miles an hour, but I have access to a resource that can get me going that speed..
Jesus said, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of God" Keys mean authority, the privilege, the access. Some things will not be turned on unless you turn them on. Some things will not be turned loose unless you turn them loose. Some things will not be set free unless you set them free. The key doesn't make the power of the engine, it releases the power of the engine.
Our will must be submitted to Hus until we are completely dependent upon His power. His keys do not fit our private kingdom...His power is unleashed upon command but not for our own personal gain...
If we know Jesus and live in obedience and submission to Him, we have access to His power through what He accomplished on the cross. Because of Him, our prayers have power...When we live His way and submit to Him.., we have access to the keys of His kingdom...This power can save you in times of danger and despair.
If you feel powerless and weak in the face of your circumstances, then thank God that even though you are weak, He is not..He says, "My strength is made perfect in weakness" 2 Cor..12:9..
Just as Jesus was crucified in weakness and lives in all power now, the same is true for us if we come to Him in weakness...Our power comes from the Holy Spirit working in us..Jesus told His disciples, "Wait for the Promise of the Father...You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...(Acts 1:4,8). To deny the Holy Spirit a place in your heart is to limit the power o God in your life..
Because human nature inevitably works itself back into bondage, we are always in need of a fresh flow of the HOly Spirit...Ask for one daily...every morning say..."God, I need a fresh flow of Your Holy SPirit power working in me. I am weak, but You are all powerful..Be strong in me this day."...This is a powerful prayer..
Don't be a victim of your circumstances..Don't allow yourself to be tormented..Don't sit back when life seems to be falling apart..Don't live your life in terms of human energy..Let the power of God enable you to rise above the limits of your life..Use the authority that has been given you over your world, keeping in mind that the devil will always challenge that authority..Don't let him get away with it....
What good are God's keys to us if we never use them to unlock any doors to life? What good is God's power to you if you never receive and use it? OPen the gift of power He has given you...YOur life depends on it.....
I hope this helped you...

 

[angelwind]

This has helped me a lot...and is right in line with what He is doing in my life...learning to be totally dependant upon Him...scary at first but not so much any more...until the next thing I suppose LOL

Learning to submit my will to His is an ever growing process. but there is joy in this...Jesus said He delighted to do God's will...and I ask Him to help me do the same.

Plus, I am learning to think of the Holy Spirit more and more as a Person...just Who He is in fact...a Person...to know and follow just as the disciples followed Jesus in the flesh when He was here in the flesh.

The "key"...no pun here...is to let the Holy Spirt work...I have run on my own strength so many years...even thought I was supposed to live that way. It doesn't work.


My human nature does want to work itself back into bondage...just like we see Israel doing....time and again...wow!

but God is a work in me...in you causing us to will and do His good pleasure...thank You Lord.

 

[brinny]

I wrote this a while back about God's grace and how He enabled me to do the 'impossible'...

Forgiveness...

I did not really love my mother until I "grew up". God's grace enabled me to see her differently, in a new light. I no longer saw her as a 'mommy' that did not meet my needs, who hurt me, but as a woman who suffered greatly as a child, and as an adult, and who was unable to ask my forgiveness. God enabled me to see past her faults and see her need. We developed a new relationship before she died and I am thankful to God for it. By the time she passed we had been reconciled and had a relationship that was genuinely a friendship. I had learned not to expect something from her that she was unable to give. In the beginning, our visits were brief, and lasted only as long as it was genuinely tolerable...I met with her in 'doses'. Our visits became longer, and always were because we genuinely enjoyed each others company. I saw clearly just who she was, her limitations, and mine. It was 'real' for the 1st time in my life. My mom knew that I genuinely loved, respected, and saw her as the unique person she was and that I delighted in being with her. I realized only after she died what God must have been doing....He was loving her through me.

 

[leastone]

Hi All:

First, I must apologize to you all, for I just read my last post and realized why Holy Spirit has been bothering me...especially all last night...pushing me to check this thread. I was at work when I wrote it and kept getting distracted, and I was not paying close attention to the Spirit after awhile...especially before sending. I can be such a goober.

We are told to "speak the truth in love", but too often in my zeal for truth I outrun love...and so can be far too blunt, or in this case, harsh, when that is last thing I mean to do.

And none of that was aimed toward anyone here anyway, it was a delayed reaction to stuff I normally try to ignore that I see or hear in the church or on TV. Political Christianity, Entertainment Christianity, Make-Me-Rich Christianity...there are so many brands of Christianity that use Jesus for their own gain...who misrepresent Him and thereby cheat His children from discovering the reality of His Love for them by substituting a cheap imitation. It makes me sad and it makes me angry (as it should us all) that so little regard is given by these folks to the real price that Jesus paid, and what it really costs to be found in Him.

Pilgrim, Angelwind, Brinny, SaveSis...all of you, please forgive me. You are all great...I sense His Life in you and His Love, and am always blessed when I read your postings.

But it is reasons like this is that I am least in His family and why He has had to discipline me so much in my life...so again, I sincerely apologize.

Leastone

 

[angelwind]

I wrote this a while back about God's grace and how He enabled me to do the 'impossible'...

Forgiveness...

I did not really love my mother until I "grew up". God's grace enabled me to see her differently, in a new light. I no longer saw her as a 'mommy' that did not meet my needs, who hurt me, but as a woman who suffered greatly as a child, and as an adult, and who was unable to ask my forgiveness. God enabled me to see past her faults and see her need. We developed a new relationship before she died and I am thankful to God for it. By the time she passed we had been reconciled and had a relationship that was genuinely a friendship. I had learned not to expect something from her that she was unable to give. In the beginning, our visits were brief, and lasted only as long as it was genuinely tolerable...I met with her in 'doses'. Our visits became longer, and always were because we genuinely enjoyed each others company. I saw clearly just who she was, her limitations, and mine. It was 'real' for the 1st time in my life. My mom knew that I genuinely loved, respected, and saw her as the unique person she was and that I delighted in being with her. I realized only after she died what God must have been doing....He was loving her through me.

The Lord gave you a gift with your mother brinny....you have something of Him to remember her by now. He probably restored a lot of your heart during this process with her...I think the same opportunity was there for me with my parents, but I missed it...they are gone now, but He is restoring me anyway....