The Prophet's Wilderness

http://agapelifeministriesinc.com/propheticwordsandvisions/hosting/prophetswilderness.html

Junior Desouza 2008

The prophet's wilderness. What a subject. May this writing help steer and stabilize developing prophets! 
The desert experience, or wilderness, is God's mandatory prerequisite to the prophetic calling. A prophetic person
never looks worse than while he/she is in-desert; and, he never looks better than when he emerges as gold, mature
in character and ace in prophesying. Even though all Christians experience certain desert seasons, the prophet's
wilderness is unique in that it is typically longer in duration and broader in revelatory production.

Biblically, the desert is constitutional to prophetic identity. Moses stumbled upon the burning bush and his prophetic
calling in the desert (Ex 3:1-10). David blossomed in his desert strongholds, writing many of his psalmic prophecies
while there (1Sam 23:14). Elijah, when overcome with despair, ran to a prophetic fetal position--the desert
(1Ki 19:3,4). John the Baptist championed the prophet's wilderness, living there in seclusion for extended seasons
and even years (Lk 1:80, 3:2). Jesus, the promised Messiah-Prophet, willingly resorted to desert places
(NKJV Mk 1:45, Lk 5:16). Though desert places can be dry and wanting, maturing prophets come to find a safety
there, a place where their intense and introspective disposition can find relief and equilibrium in God (Ps 55:6-8).   

The wilderness forces dependence.
A prophet's greatest enemy is himself, not Jezebel or religious crustiness or a satanic nemesis. Giftedness has
greater power to lure a person into prideful self-sufficiency than the Deceiver himself. Many profoundly gifted
prophesiers have shipwrecked their lives and ministries through such self-reliance or gift-reliance, drifting away from
daily dependence on Jesus Himself. Such prophets are runaway trains racing toward a head-on collision with
humbling and reckoning.  

The desert is a place of lack, whether it be relational, social, ministerial, financial, or some other personal need or
want. Though God ultimately intends to fill what is lacking, He will not do so until every semblance of self-sufficiency
and self-dependence is burned, baked, crushed, stomped, and obliterated by the heat. The burning desert sands
will scorch our pridefully calloused feet until, at last, we break and fall to our knees in permanent dependence on
Him. Hosea 13:5: I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat.  God uses the desert to become our
Caretaker, melting away our "I can take care of myself" sickness. We will only come up from the wilderness when we
are sufficiently leaning on our Lover, not our self or our gift. See the symbolism in Song of Songs 8:5: Who is this
coming up from the desert leaning on her lover?

The wilderness cultivates intimacy.
Hosea 2:14 tells us God uses deserts to cultivate intimacy with us: I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the
desert and speak tenderly to her. The prophet's temptation is to become so intercoursed with his gift so that he
forsakes sweet intimacy with the greatest Gift of all, our First Love Jesus. The greatest commandment is not, "If a
man's gift is prophesying, let him use it" (Ro 12:6); it is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and
strength" (Mk 12:29,30).  

Just as God will not allow self-sufficiency, so also He will not allow us to intercourse our souls with anything above
Him. Like David, He will keep us in that desert stronghold until we are daily singing and writing romantic psalms to
Him. Like Israel, He will allure us into the desert until we cherish His tender whispers, until that voice becomes the
central focus of our daily life and emotional well-being. Until personal intimacy is greater than prophetic ministry.

The wilderness acutes spiritual hearing.
Deuteronomy 8:2,3 tells us the desert trains and sharpens our spiritual hearing, making us acutely accurate in
perceiving God's voice. Hosea 2:14 says God "speaks tenderly" in the desert, and Psalm 29:8 says "the voice of
the Lord shakes the desert". Luke 3:2 shows us how prophetic messages come to the prophet in the desert. God
loves to open up and talk in deserts! Consequently, we learn how to hear Him.    

You see, in the desert key blockages to perceiving God are dealt with and removed. Loud negative emotions are
faced, resolved, and silenced. Competing dreams are shattered, leaving us blank and receptive to God's dream.
Comfortable patterns are disrupted, exposing misleading voices that spring from routine. Anytime our soul and body
are afflicted by lack, our spirit rises to attain the voice of God to sustain our total being. During extended or repetitive
deserts, the Christian becomes keen in perceiving divine communications and movements. Since correct spiritual
perception is the essence of prophetic ministry, God will bake His prophets in deserts until their perceptive
blockages are melted, until prophetic purity with no mix is reached.  

The wilderness transforms character.
Prophetic power captivates to such a degree that character problems can be obscured and overlooked. Christian
history is stained with almost-prophets who shipwrecked their lives and ministries through egocentrism, emotional
mismanagement, pernicious habits, wildfire appetites, unhealthy relationships, major doctrinal deviations, and so
on.  

We all come from Egypt, a place of sin slavery. We all need multiple deserts to get Egypt out of our
psycho-emotional root system. Some of the most destructive people in all of Christianity are not false prophets, but
true Christian prophets who are unwilling to declare war on personal sin patterns. They possess a measure of
prophetic grace that draws followers, yet they wind up damaging those very followers through their dysfunctions.
They leave many wounded in their wake, hurting prophecy's cause and credibility as well. If you read David's psalms
that he wrote while living in desert places, you will find him consistently mentioning personal sins, inner healing,
breaking codependence, and so on. The wilderness transforms character! The time is fading fast when low
character prophets are allowed to minister publicly. Churches are tightening their grip on who holds the mic, being
led by the Spirit to place a higher premium on character quality and soundness.   

The wilderness destroys co-dependence.
The Lord said in Jeremiah 17:5,6 that He uses the desert to deal with codependence, people-pleasing, and fear of
man. Of all ministries, the prophetic is probably most easily polluted by codependence. Stories litter the Old
Testament of false prophets telling people what they wanted to hear simply to gain their approval. They muddied the
oracle of the Lord, prophesying from their imaginations and emotions.

Many, if not most, of our desert experiences pertain to people--their rejection, persecution, gossip,
misunderstanding, non-spiritualness, indifference, mockery. God thrust us into this desert because we care too
much! Oh how quickly our heat would turn to cool waters if we would only become de-peopled! We all have a human
need to be loved and affimed by others. This is not wrong. This basic need morphs into a sinful obsession when our
emotional wellness is tied to people and their reactions more than to God. A prophesier must be so de-peopled that
he senses a free-flowing confidence to be, say, and do whatever he needs. God will loose the desert dogs on us
until we simply do not care anymore.

The wilderness creates individuation.
One recurring problem I continually bump into is the lack of prophetic individuation. I weary of hearing uniform
"prophetic words" that are not very prophetic. Rather, they are more of a regurgitation of the current spiritual fad.
These "prophecies" are thoroughly unmoving, fail to bear witness within, and exploit the ideals of immature
Christians. Sometimes I ask myself, "Does God not have more to say? Either He is not very relevant and original, or
some of these prophesiers have a high flesh-mixture diluting or blocking the authentic word." I am well aware that
God speaks thematically and consistently. Equally so, He speaks with uncanny relevance and uniqueness in
different contexts. We need greater prophetic individuation.

Individuation means "the quality of being individual, distinct, unique, or original". The desert creates this
individuation. Because the fervent heat melts away pretense, in-desert prophets are able to find their truest
prophetic voices underneath the wanna-be facades. Those voices may have similarities to other prophets, but
should also have noticeable uniqueness and innovation. What Moses discovered in the desert about his prophetic
identity is quite different than what Elijah discovered. And David. And John. These prophets all emerged from the
desert with some similarities, but also great individuality.

The wilderness intensifies anointing.
The wilderness increases our prophetic power. As crucial transformations happen, the Spirit has more liberty to rest
upon us in stronger measures. Check out the subtle symbolism in Song of Songs 3:6: Who is this coming up from
the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense made from all the spices of the merchant?  
When Jesus came up from His desert experience, He was encompassed by the smoke of God's glory, perfumed
with powerful anointing for ministry (Lk 4:1-19). Psalm 92:10 says something similar: ...fine oils have been poured
upon me. This fresh oil of power came upon the psalmist because he battled his enemies and overcame (v11), he
grew spiritually very much (v12), and he made God his intimate dwellingplace (v13).

We too increase in the power of the Spirit by being fully faithful to the desert developments. We will face our
enemies and we must overcome them. We will be challenged to grow personally and we must swallow our pride and
do so. Ultimately, we must plant ourselves in God and His presence. We must let the desert's fervent heat melt
anything and everything in our life that keeps us from finding our all in all in Him and only Him. Then we will see Him
increase His anointing portions upon our ministries.  

In the desert the highway is prepared and straightened for God to powerfully show Himself in our ministry.

Isaiah 40:3

Article hosted with permission from Junior Desouza http://www.jdarticles.com/

The focus of the heart in an age of distraction

The Dimming of revelation light

The time that we are living in can be likened to Samuel’s time in 1st Samuel chapter 3. A time of increasing darkness - where there is increase in confusion, in deception regarding the teaching of God's word and increasing rarity of a pure prophetic voice.

Prophetic ‘light’ is dimming. Prophetic light is prophetic revelation, the revelation of God’s present purpose, intents and present command. There is increasing a premium in the church for a pure prophetic voice in which the power of God can be manifest.

Proverbs 3
5 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
7 
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 
It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Age of distraction/spirit of distraction 

We live in an age of distraction. The distractions that pervade modern environments are small and subtle and have multiplied in uncountable fashion because of technology.

Distractions serve as imitations of Gods presence, power and purpose.These offer a semblance of comfort and peace, but instead of true peace, these create a dulling of the senses, a drugging of our spiritual man. In contrast, God’s voice, God’s revelation and God’s light brings a deep and lasting peace, in which there is strength and healing, but counterfeits dazzle the senses, they also numb of the spiritual senses and mind.

'Being distracted for awhile’ carries with it the temptation to form a habit or lifestyle of distraction, which produces in our human spirit, a distracted spirit. If our spirits are distracted, it is extremely difficult, but not altogether impossible to focus on God. If left to its own devices to run amok, it will leave our human spirit in a continually distracted state. This condition disables us from hearing and being led by the Spirit of God, and opens us to other spirits - fear, confusion, frustration etc. I believe that there also exist an evil spirit of distraction, whose main job it is to distract us from hearing the whispers and leadings of the Holy Spirit. it can be overcome through the grace of God, the choice to focus and pray and the prayer to continually set our hearts on God. God will create that focus of heart we desire. Lest we be led by the lust of our eyes and not spiritual desire.

These distractions ultimately serve their purpose of adding to the confusion of God’s people and further obscuring God’s pure light – the light of His presence coming from the Holy of Holies. The revelation light which reveals God. In the way man-made light obscures the light of the stars, these little lights pollute the light environment so that God's pure light cannot be perceived. if we are content to walk in man-light, then we exchange walking in man–made light for God pure light and direction.

Light is supposed to clear up confusion and give purpose and direction, both lights can give direction and purpose - the question is which light are we using? Are we giving God’s light adequate attention so that it can focus all our research, endeavour, plans and knowledge? Or are we distracted and having no idea what God wants for us to do at the moment? The cross will help us die with Christ to our fleshly distractions things which God will have us put aside so that we can focus on him. The 'closet' of prayer is a place of undivided attention to focus on Father.

Imagine if Jesus was so distracted He didn’t know what the Father was saying or showing him because he constantly had to check emails and Facebook and his twitter feed and was so distracted he could not finish even His sermon. No, Christ knew exactly his fathers voice and knew exactly what God wanted Him to do moment by moment and we can too. Father God wants to be with His children to show them tenderly guide them tenderly into all truth, all direction, to fill them up with all power and fullness so that we too can be about his business. Are we willing to be focused on Him and be dedicated to be trained by Him?

What would we sacrifice in order to truly know deep in our heart the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, which God wants to give us in His presence? Would we be prepared to ask, seek and knock until we obtain this peace which God wants to give us? the peace of God and stillness of heart which the Lord would have us settle and establish us in? 

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

The Hebrew word Shalom, for peace means all rounded well-being and welfare, even healing and wholeness. We live in an age of much uncertainty, anxiety, fear and confusion. One of the more difficult things in this age is to walk in the light of God’s peace. In His presence is deep peace, peace that surpasses understanding. Yet we find it very hard to be still, our hearts are restless and agitated, making it difficult, yes a fight, a combat to find the rest of God in His presence. Distractions and fleshly substitutes for the presence of God are one reason for this. The activity of the flesh makes the soul agitated, making it difficult to be led and clamed by the Spirit of God who is a Spirit of peace.

Only the peace of God can overcome this spirit of anxiety, and the voice of God will dispel confusion. God can give stillness of heart and quiet confidence. When we are still on the inside, God can impart His instructions to us, His people step by step. The love of the Father will dispel the spirit of agitating fear. Let us turn back into His presence.

There are high stakes problems, which His people face, in which the people of God need God’s wisdom, plans and instructions more than before.

We live in a busy city, but in the busyness, what do we do with our down time? The spaces of time in between the time we have to fulfill and carry our necessary responsibilities? What do we choose to do with our hearts? Let us choose the oasis of God’s presence. Jesus was empowered for ministry by the many oases of God’s presence which empowered Him to be continually on the move doing the works of God.

Mark 6:30-31

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

The enemy also seeks to speak His impressions, his ways, His directives and directions to God’s people. Close your heart to him. For your seeking and your diligence of heart to hear and move in God alone and your development, the growth of your capacity in hearing the voice of the Shepherd, the One who says that all His sheep hear His voice, He will strengthen you to hear Him even more, and the Lord will deliver you from the voice and assaults of the enemy as you seek His face and His presence.

The enemy will try all ways and means to obscure God’s revelatory light for this is most harmful to his kingdom when God’s people learn to move in God’s light and word and power. We need to be holy to walk in the holy light of God. To do works of justice, righteousness powered by God’s presence and grace to sustain the walk in God’s presence and to overcome the evil one. We overcome simply by being full of the Spirit, the voice of God and obeying what the Spirit of God says though practice.

How much do we value the presence of God?

Let us beware of the words we speak, speak God’s life and do not speak death. For your words will affect your mind and receptivity to God’s presence and voice. Let us take up the cross and die to all our distractions for to live in the Holy of Holies is a worthy and noble aim and goal, to die to facebook and to all the internet’s distractions in order that you may learn to hear God and wait and worship in His presence, this is a worthy Goal, that God may have a people who are led by His voice and presence alone. To become a people who manifest the works of His power in every place.

Matthew 5  19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thievesbreak in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye (the focus of the heart) is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye (heart focus) is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but ifyour eye (Heart focus) is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

To seek God and have Him possess our hearts is indeed is better treasure than the fleeting assurances that the world gives.


The tiredness of the people, the spirit of restless searching and their need for God’s rest.

The need for Rest – God’s people are tired, in need of refreshment, in acute need for their joy to be renewed. Turn to His presence. The Lord will never leave us, nor forsake us. His presence is as springs of water in a desert place. Investing time on God’s presence is a better investment than any time we can spend on any other thing. Spend time in prayer. Read God’s word as He directs and focuses your attention on what He wants us to read. Let Him give you understanding and wisdom in the scriptures. Learning to hear God’s voice in reading the scriptures is pleasurable and strengthening. God’s presence is refreshing to our tiredness. It will renew our strength and joy and satisfy the restless searching in our hearts. (Psalm 63)

For what you are really searching for in all your restless searching, is really for God Himself. This is the reason for your restlessness of spirit for it is the searching of your human spirit to be found in Him. It is His light and voice that you search for, to be enfolded by Your Father in the secret place enfolded in His wings, where no harm can befall you. He will not cast you aside but take You into His arms over and over. Mighty love and grace belong to Him. Your joy and vision will be renewed.

The restless searching spirit is a symptom of spiritual hunger, our restlessness is many times the drawing of the Spirit of the Father to His beloved to come to Him for there are treasures in God’s embrace.
 

God’s wisdom many times looks foolish

Remember -God’s wisdom  and power many times looks to the world like foolishness and weakness. How can prayer solve my problems? In the worlds eyes it is a foolish way to spend much time in prayer but it is God’s way, and it is mighty for the ‘effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much’ both in heaven and on earth. In the spiritual realms, there is something at work for our blessing.

Remember the prophet Samuel was mighty because he only dwelt in God’s presence, that place where His glory dwells. Joseph was mighty in prison because He learnt to walk in God’s presence while in adverse circumstances. Do not give up the quest to walk in His presence alone. Remember, Joshua was mighty in battle because He listened and obeyed the specific instructions of God alone, and he learnt to exclude doing anything else which was not God’s idea.

If we do not do this, the consequence will be severe – a church not led by God’s wisdom, power and voice, not led by God Himself, but the works, wisdom, plans and strength of man’s flesh.

Jeremiah 17:5 
Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
 and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 
He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. 
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
 in an uninhabited salt land.
7 
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
8 
He is like a tree planted by water,
 that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
9 
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;
 who can understand it?
10 
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”

His presence will wash you, cleanse you and make you ready to walk in the timing and seasons of God. For the things which God desires to come to pass will require much dependence on God. Let us become a people of God with strong  continual testimonies of God’s leading, presence and action in our lives!

The difficulty of receiving an invisible God

Our common desire for a leader

Somehow in my walk with God over these 18 years, I have realised that I sub-consciously come to expect a superman, a man who would deliver me from the evil one, someone to depend upon to teach me the word of God, to tell me what to do in especially difficult circumstances. Someone greater than me, a ‘boss’, an adonai, a master to whom I can depend upon.

I have looked and looked and desired a mentor, someone who would teach me the ways of God and disciple me into faith, but to no avail. This is and has remained an unanswered prayer for a looong time in my life. What then? God gives us His mighty grace even when he does not do the thing we ask and desire and beg Him to do for His grace is sufficient for us.

Much like the children of Israel who again and again asked for someone a man other than God - for someone to intersperse themselves instead of the people, in the presence of the living God - God gave Moses, then Samuel then Saul, then David, but they would not have Him, God Himself as their God, for it is easier to trust something you can see and know, a man rather than to have faith and know the heart of God yourself. 

We are ever looking to idols for it is easier on our hearts and minds to have a God who is predictable, tangible, visible, rather than a God in heaven whom we cannot see!

A shift of mindset

Jesus, however has a different emphasis and a different goal in mind.

John 8

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.5 But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their [a]phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi (teacher) by men. 

8 But do not be called Rabbi (teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 Do not be called [b]leaders; for One is your Leader,that is, Christ. 

The Holy Spirit has been given as our teacher to teach us all the ways and the truths of God. It is unnerving to have a teacher you cannot see. Not always convenient, nor is it predictable the things He would teach us, but yet He is there, ‘who leads us into all truth’.

Instead of expecting a superman to deliver me in difficult circumstances and from the assaults of evil. He wants for me to depend on one- My Father in heaven, for deliverance from evil comes from Him alone. 'Our Father in heaven… lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’. His might and power are incomparable. And Jesus would have my faith, 'not in the wisdom of man but in the power of God.' To discover Gods power for my life, and depend on it first hand.

Instead of following the commands of a man who is flesh and blood whose voice I can hear audibly, He wants me to follow the commands of Christ, whose voice is oftentimes, but a whisper in my heart. And whose commands I need to take seriously. He will be my shield and protection. The greater one whom I follow.

Instead of drawing my nourishment - spiritually and emotionally from a man, He wants me to draw it from the mighty store of love within God’s wide chest, the mighty store of love that my Father has for me which overflows to my account when and if, I would seek Him and desire to be in his presence. I struggle oftentimes with my own weaknesses but God would - wants to, enfold me and become my strength in my struggles ‘be strong in the strength of God’ the supernatural strength of God which enfolds me in my weakness.

Is it always more convenient for a man to tell me what to do. For I can see, hear, touch and be touched by a man. But Yet God desires that I come to know this invisible God, by faith – which is at once easy but also at times, impossibly difficult. To know something of heavenly communion with Christ, and not settle for an idol of man, which sells short of the glorious comforts of God. To know that I am to be ultimately accountable to Him for every hour of how I live my life for He will judge before His throne and to grow strong in dependence on Him alone, thereby.

Waiting on God Day 11 - Patiently

DAY 11. PATIENTLY

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Those that wait upon the Lord, they shall in-
herit the land.” —Ps. 37:7,9.

“In patience possess your souls.”14 “Ye have need of patience.”15 “Let patience have its per- fect work, that ye may be perfect and entire.”16 Such words of the Holy Spirit show us what an important element in the Christian life and character patience is. And nowhere is there a better place for cultivating or displaying it than in waiting on God. There we discover how impatient we are, and what our impatience means. We confess at times that we are impa- tient with men and circumstances that hinder us, or with ourselves and our slow progress in the Christian life. If we truly set ourselves to wait upon God, we shall find that it is with Him we are impatient, because He does not at once, or as soon as we could wish, do our bidding. It is in waiting upon God that our eyes are opened to believe in His wise and sovereign will, and to see that the sooner and the more completely we yield absolutely to it, the more surely His bless- ing can come to us.

“It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”17 We have as little power to increase or strengthen our spiritual life, as we had to originate it. We “were born not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of the will of God.”18 Even so, our willing and running, our desire and ef- fort, avail nought; all is “of God that sheweth mercy.” All the exercises of the spiritual life, our reading and praying, our willing and doing, have their very great value. But they can go no farther than this, that they point the way and prepare us in humility to look to and to depend alone upon God Himself, and in patience to wait His good time and mercy. The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence upon God’s mighty working, and to make us in per- fect patience place ourselves at His disposal. They that wait on the Lord shall inherit the land; the promised land and its blessing. The heirs must wait; they can afford to wait.
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” The margin gives for “Rest in the Lord,” “Be silent to the Lord,” or R.V., “Be still before the Lord.” It is resting in the Lord, in His will, His promise, His faithfulness, and His love, that makes patience easy. And the resting in Him is nothing but being silent unto Him, still before Him. Having our thoughts and wishes, our fears and hopes, hushed into calm and quiet in that great peace of God which passeth all under- standing. That peace keeps the heart and mind when we are anxious for anything, because we have made our request known to Him. The rest, the silence, the stillness, and the patient waiting, all find their strength and joy in God Himself.

The needs be,19 and the reasonableness, and the blessedness of patience will be opened up to the waiting soul. Our patience will be seen to be the counterpart of God’s patience. He longs far more to bless us fully than we can desire it. But, as the husbandman has long patience till the fruit be ripe,20 so God bows Himself to our slowness and bears long with us. Let us remem- ber this, and wait patiently: of each promise and every answer to prayer the word is true: “I the Lord will hasten it in its time.”21

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” Yes, for HIM. Seek not only the help, the gift, thou needest; seek HIMSELF; wait FOR HIM. Give God His glory by resting in Him, by trusting him fully, by waiting patiently for Him. This patience honors Him greatly; it leaves Him, as God on the throne, to do His work; it yields self wholly into His hands. It lets God be God. If thy waiting be for some special request, wait patiently. If thy waiting be more the exercise of the spiritual life seeking to know and have more of God, wait patiently. Whether it be in the shorter specific periods of waiting, or as the continuous habit of the soul; rest in the Lord, be still before the Lord, and wait patiently. “They that wait on the Lord shall inherit the land.”

“My soul, wait thou only upon God!” 

Paratrooping in God's direction - Following the Spirit of the Lord when you're lost

The disconcerting feeling of being lost and having no idea what to do next is a typical experience of living life on earth and yet we are to be led by the Holy Spirit, a following which requires much skill, maturity and wisdom to pull off. All this is written out of my personal losses and some gains which I hope will benefit somebody.

Living this life has many similarities to being a paratrooper, a parachute solider dropped by an aircraft, sent behind enemy lines and in enemy territory to disrupt the enemy’s activities. The land is filled with ambushes and danger. People you come across may be allies or not. And most of all we are bewildered and lost most of the time, trying to navigate our way with a focus on the Kingdom of heaven whilst in a land which is ruled by the principalities and powers of the air the evil one and his dominion, until the lord reclaims all the world which is really His.

A few thoughts on following the holy spirit whilst living life.

1)   Stealth is an asset

2)   Need for courage, not to freak out because conditions are not ideal. Parachute soldiers spend most of their time being lost simply because they have no Idea where they are

3)   Need to get to know your compass and map – the word of God and the character of God so as to be composed and calm

4)   Wisdom to handle all matter of crazy situations because life, like war is messy. Expect the unexpected. Murphy’s law does happen. There are days when everything goes wrong and then some.

5)   Courage, the Guts to survive – in the midst of everything, we are the Lords operatives and agents of his kingdom.

6)   Need for constant radio contact – prayer, praying in the spirit, seeking for direction and wisdom at every step, praying for courage and strength at every juncture, coming to the lord with every new challenge and the unique need of each circumstance.

7)   Rashness is a great liability. There is a need for patience simply because making rash and wrong moves are costly could cost you your life

8)   Therefore in seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit, we need for clear, practicable instruction and growing certainty about what God is saying, what He said to us before, what He is saying now and a strong confidence He is speaking, something which is developed over time over a habit of seeking and learning to hear his voice. I have a friend who when he prays will dialogue and talk to the lord about the directions he feels that the God is leading him in, the directions, if they are from God either become clearer and more detailed, wisdom is received to do them or if they are not from God, God tells him so.

 If there is uncertainty depending on the stakes- if they are very high, it might be best to hold. Pray, seek a delay, seek for counsel and wisdom from the wise before moving ahead.

9)   Always move with wisdom if possible because if there is directive and direction, without wisdom and without the certainty which God imparts through talking to God about the issue, the mission is almost certainly doomed to failure. Lets not bar the times when God says do it and we obey and things do happen as they did happen in the scriptures.

10)   Sometimes God does lead us through the valley of the shadow of death so that we may cling tighter to him. Don’t freak out when God leads you to battle believe that He is still God and trust Him even more to lead you out of it. He did lead David to many trials and his saints also are commanded to pick up their cross. Pray for strength to go through deep suffering.

11) Seek the counsel of Godly, experienced and wise when stuck

12)  Lastly, always endeavour to obey what you strongly feel as Gods impressions completely

Christianity a religion of weakness

Asian culture is a culture of strength and best foot forward

I want to see a counter culture of vulnerability where people can be real with their weaknesses with one another

"Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed” I’ve somehow never seen that happen in church before. Ever.

Is it because we never sin? Who are we kidding? Who are we lying to?

Why are keeping face, is maintaining an appearance more important than our obedience to Gods word?

Maybe we are not healed because we do not obey.

Sin finds its power in the cover up, and the darkness only breeds it.

Only when we become vulnerable with one another about our weaknesses confessing to God and before man that Gods light removes that basis for sin to hide in our souls.

It is people who understand grace, who act in grace and appropriate God’s grace to the soul who sins that cause people to be healed.

Maybe we do not obey because Gods people do not realize and are open with the truth - which is that  we all only stand by Gods grace. And His grace gets the glory when we become real with our weaknesses.

Christianity is a religion of weakness, where our weaknesses, frailties, and sinfulness take on the strength of God, the righteousness of God, the power of God revealed through our failures. It is when we accept and acknowledge before God our weaknesses that God empowers us supernaturally.

But our culture is one, which does not tolerate failure.

For it is in our vulnerability that Gods power and the grace of God is truly glorified.

In our moral poverty that Gods riches of grace is glorified. Blessed are the poor in spirit. So then why is everyone shying away from the blessedness, which is our weakness, which draws God’s glory?

For what is it that keeps us from sin? Is it not only the grace of God? Is it not the grace of God exclusively? if we act as if we are holy by our own strength and flawless are we not glorifying the false God of man’s strength?

Who is it that gets the glory when sinful men are open and real and yet God is the one supplying the power for a holy walk?

It is our arrogance and hypocrisy that leads us to behave like we never fail when we are indeed flawed and sinful people. And Gods people need leaders who model humility and reality of life so that people can know for themselves the authentic and mighty grace of God Himself.





Is there anyone who stands except by Gods grace and mercy? there isn’t a soul on Gods green earth who isn’t holy except by the grace of God.

The God of Hope and restoration in Hosea

Can a lost relationship be restored? Can old wounds heal? Can our lives ravaged from the war that is life come into a blessing, is a blessing what God has in mind for us in the first place? Sometimes in the wounds and war of life, we become blind to hope.

I know very well what hope I have in eternity, but if the mountains and challenges of life seem to large and the disappointment too difficult to bear today, in the now, we may very well lose all gumption, all courage to go on living another day. What can cause us to not only bear with current disappointment, heartbreak and discouragement and keep walking the good walk?

I was reading Hosea today and I realise that the book is about Hope, amongst many others things the book is about.

Aside from the prophet-prostitute narrative, the text contains mighty hopeful promises of restoration. How God is single minded about His counsel and plan - to restore His people to a relationship with Himself and have them live in His presence. (Hosea 6:1-3)

Our circumstances and our failings might be different from Gomer the prostitute, or the nation of Israel of Hosea's day. While the motivations for our sin and the types of sin we commit may be vastly different, Hosea presents a clear message of Hope. Hope which is found in the God who is relentless in His plan to bless, to restore, to heal, to bring back His people to a land.

God promises - that people who have sinned grievous sins would be one day "planted by God" in their own land and blessed. He promises to woo her heart through whatever means necessary to restore her to Himself. He promises that a people who have been disowned because of sin and rebellion, who are 'not his' will one day be His beloved, His own again, His family, His intimates once more.

Restoration begins with God's presence - to live before Him is where restoration flows from. All life and repair and healing and redemption flow from His throne. To be restored means to live before that presence. To continually take in that presence and use it in an obedient, grace empowered response. That is Gods unchanging relentless plan for you, me and whoever has hurt you or disappointed you.

And if God undertakes to pursue so mightily a people so lost and so fallen, for homer's prostitution is symbolic of the whole nation's god-forsaking ways. Judgement is planned for Israel, yet with Judgement, the God of Hope is unyielding in His plan to restore her to her former glory before His presence.

What more for us as His covenant bound ones, ones whom He promised nothing can take can steal out of His hand, ones whom He calls His children, declaring that His plans for us never change. We who are the ones whom He desires, and has a good plan to work all things for our good. His ultimate plan is for our welfare, whom He predestined to be changed into the likeness of Christ. How much more shall we not live in his presence and see His restoration start thus with the renewal of our hope in Christ within?

Hosea chapter 6

2 "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.

3 Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."

When We want to know God, His response is certain - So the word of God wants us to know of the certainty to which God will respond, as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in the spring. Do we fear that the sun will not rise tomorrow? God will surely rise on us, do we fear dryness and drought of the lack of supply in december of rain? Surely God will come to us with His mighty spirit and with certainty!

"God Is my strength and the force of my destiny"

Dealing with the flesh: taking up the cross

Before the possession of our inheritance in Christ which is both spiritual and natural what must transpire is a shift in the believers stance. Joshua circumcised the people before they could possess their blessings in the old testament. Maturity is being able to follow the directives and leadings of the Holy Spirit whilst at the same time denying and putting to death the flesh life through a daily decision to take up the cross.

Luke 9: (NASB)

23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his [n]life will lose it, but whoever loses his[o]life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

Jesus clearly says its all about Me or yourself. Its an either/or issue, never both. If you want to follow Me in your life it will be at the cost of the death of your own self will, your own fleshly desires and power of sin in you. If you want to keep the power of sin, you will not have Him power your life. It comes down to the daily choice of Jesus and His resurrection life and right-living through the animating power of the Holy Spirit or do what you want when you want and what you feel like when you feel like it. We cannot serve 2 masters not money and God and neither can we serve self and God.

The self life is powerful, so powerful that it can only be disabled and crippled by God. But the finished work had already dealt with it. When Jesus died, our self life had died with Him.

Galatians 2:20 'I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, the life I live in the flesh, I live through the faith of the Son of God who loves Me and gave Himself for me.'

Now we obtain the victory of killing the flesh through faith in Jesus cross. There is no other way. There is no using our fleshly effort to kill sin and the flesh because using the flesh against the flesh will only empower the flesh further. We are called believers because everything in the spiritual world works by faith - the believing of the heart. When the bible talks about faith it is mainly talking about Faith in what Jesus has done - the finished work of the cross and who He is, His never changing nature and person.

All that is left is for the believer to believe.

"Jesus you died for me, you died also as me. Taking all my sins you have died, becoming darkened in the power of my sins you have died. You died so that my self life can die. I choose to believe in you, to die to my own will and self-desire and my own flesh so that you may be my all in all.

I receive Your death on my behalf and in my own flesh. I consider it dead because I have died in You. (Romans 6) Yes I have already died in You and I believe in You everyday that I am dead but You are alive in Me. You are the life of my spirit, soul and body.

That I may truly know you in my soul, in my heart, in my experience of following you. You are my resurrection and my life within me, You are my all in all. I believe that I have died with you and will take up my cross to put to death my flesh daily because You have already done it and I will take it by faith and receive this gift, enjoying this work You have done by believing in You every day. Amen"

Post script notes on Himself

Ps. The only point on which I disagree with Mr Simpson that I believe what the scriptures say when it declares that God wants to fill us with all the fullness of God in overflowing fashion, (Ephesians 3) and like Simpson writes, on a constant basis 'rivers of living waters' for the great need of our own selves as well as the people around us.