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Friday, July 15, 2016

Why Did Israel Turn Back after Scouting the Land? Have We Done the Same?


It is not in our strength that we attain the promise, the fire, the love, the amazing vision of the Church in Scripture.  


It is through the indwelling beauty of Christ and the rivers of power in the Holy Spirit.  And these flow from hearts who are in love with God first.   All God’s rhema and promises lead back to the Alpha and Omega, Jesus the beginning and end of all things.     



 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.  Hebrews 1:1




HE is the reward of all our pursuits (Phil 3:8).  It is through strength forged in the fires of surrender to the Holy Spirit that we walk with HIM into our inheritance.  Our lives are nothing more than worship (Rom 12:1-2).   We are heaven’s slaves; flames on the alter of ONE desire.  The one desire to know Jesus.    



Let the smoke of my useless and worldly vision die a quick death on the altar of revelation of the Lord Jesus. 



Why did Israel turn back after scouting the land?   
More close to home, why do we turn back?  
Why do hearts go cold today?
We definitely lack a knowledge of his ways. That doesn't help. 


One of the Ways of God is to lead us into paths that will refine our hearts;  refine us in him and teach us his ways. 


When we go after deep desire, let it loose in our hearts, we typically find ourselves on this way.  Deep desire walks along with deep pain and struggle. That is not a part we like embracing.  
It is easy for hearts to grow cold, harden, in the waves of opposition, hindrance and oppression. But those are the very waters he uses to teach us his ways.   

Trust is at the core. It rides on promise mixed with faith.  Israel failed to mix the message with faith. The promise died in the desert while God sought to teach a whole generation his ways.  Promise, faith, trust and war, action mixed with faith for the overcoming reality of what God already gave us.  
It is the same in Jesus.  We are saved by his power and a mustard seed of faith. 

 I've heard God say to me, "Trust me."  Audible?  I don't know.  Probably not.  But clearly he spoke to my heart and I could feel the assurance.



His ways were not known to them as he was not known to them.  Their mindsets did not conform to the knowledge of his ways.  






Known by and Knowing God.  The Invitation is to relationship with God that goes beyond being rescued.  
The Israelite's did not internalize the relationship with the Lord God who had shown them the Land.   Instead they saw only the land and the rewards of the temporal.  They still held to their slave mindset and did not convert to the ways of the LORD.  Through Christ God the Father in the power of the Spirit is conforming us into the Image of the Son of God. Those ways of God discovered in promise mixed with faith and bold action result in eternal transformation.  Changes that never change again.  We take on the image of Jesus deep inside us and it is eternal change.  The result is deeper relationship with God; a closer more abiding abiding. 

They saw God for what he gave them (miracles) or could give them (land of promise) not for who he could be as their Father.   

Rejected Weakness  Israel did not let God fill them in their weakness.  Rather they turned on God in their weakness.  
Instead of embracing the promise like Joshua and Caleb in the knowledge of God's promise, they judged God from their slave mindset.  They misunderstood. They were invited to share in an eternal and spiritual Kingdom that expressed itself on earth. But they did not know God. They knew the world, themselves, their slavery, their past but not God. They experienced all the miracles of deliverance in Egypt, but somehow did not recognize the way God worked or who he was. That kingdom expresses intimate war in the promises of God.  

Intimate spiritual warfare rides on the character of the NAME of Jesus.  Nothing in all creation carries the same power, love, hope and victory as the NAME of Jesus. 

It is faith by direct deposit from Christ.  It is Christ’s work in us.   We can do nothing without HIM.(John 15:5)   The promise of the Land, of eternal life, is beyond earthly eyes and vision. Without direct connection with God through Christ there is no eternal promise.  Knowing the ONE TRUE God is the promise and he has made every provision for total victory in Jesus.   
  
Much of what we do in church has no real value for discipleship so much of what we speak about revival is not flowing from Christ deposited calling.  

We can respond out of a soulish recognition of something happening and our desire to be part of revival.  We can carry with us all the same mindsets and understandings but only so far.  Without a sacrifice and a surrender to the restoring truths we will find ourselves falling away and off the cutting edge.   The internal struggle becomes to much as we cling to our “sacred understandings” and “former ways”.  

The Spirit is drawing out a refinement in the Bride.   Time is up.   Lack of transition and transformation will leave us short of the rhema and promise we have perceived.   All things from the Spirit should drive us to deeper knowledge of the LORD JESUS.  
This "old way of walking" lacks authority and the fragrance of inheritance vision and worship. It is out of step with the Spirit.  Through the flow of Christ, in us in our weakness and our surrendered faith, glory is released to the praise of Christ!

The church is meant to be the vehicle of God’s encouragement, empowerment and grace to launch the Saints into prophetic destiny and the fullness of Christ. 

1)     What is revealed when your mind set and personal resources prove insufficient?  
a.      We are invited into the sufficiency of Christ Jesus
b.      Which in turn through hunger, courage, and love draws us into greater revelation of Jesus.   Of course, here is where the choices are presented to us.   Do we surrender to the Truth (Jesus Christ) and the provision of leading from the Father through the Holy Spirit or do we shrink back and tighten our grip on our lives?  Move into survival mode and shrink back into what we can in our own strength conceive of managing or doing?  This is a critical decision point.
c.        
     A Kingdom mindset is radically altered through revelation – Kingdom understanding is imparted.  Heavenly vision is key to new mindsets, foundations, seasons.    Go deep in the Word of Scripture and do not despise the rhema prophetic encouragements. 

2)     Deeper understanding of the Scripture is obtained through a clear surrender to the Spirit, the worship of Jesus and divine impartation.    Study and show yourself approved.  II Cor 2 points out the reality of understanding and wisdom in this age.
3)     Deeper levels of revelation of Jesus should by nature produce deeper levels of sacrifice and service, and sufferings in love for his body to become what Jesus is calling for in her.    It should also produce the Fruit of the Spirit, love for the Church (His Bride) and alignment to divine authority.   Revelation is an invitation to the sufferings of Christ.   Contrast Paul’s story (2 Cor 10:7-11:33) vrs the account of false brothers in Jude.   Gain some wisdom and understanding of the enemies subtleties.  Include reading Revelation 2-3 for insight into the challenges and spiritual attacks that come against the Bride.  
4)     Deeper communion with all the Saints – wider not narrower fellowship. Because you love the whole church (Jesus loves the whole church) recognizing the Kingdom always has something to bring to every situation and shortcoming.   We are part of an ever growing and expanding Kingdom and authority in the rule and reign of Christ Jesus which will never stop growing (Isa 9:7).   We enter into the power of blessing, loving, encouraging and strengthening what remains as we partner with the Spirit in restoration, renewal and calling out by faith what is in the heart of God for churches.    We are not called to condemnation or judgment.  We are called to overcome evil with Good.  To bless and not curse.    Include prayers of blessing, riches and glory into your regular way of life for those far from the Father and those fallen from his love who know him.  
5)    Sacrificial love and service to the body is the gold standard.    The calling of the Fivefold Ministry is to…Ephesians 4:11-13

                                                              i.      Perfecting the Saints to the work of ministry
                                                            ii.      To building of the Body of Christ

It is a spiritual work with spiritual outcomes working themselves into the natural through miracle and the God of the impossible.

Barnes' Notes on Ephesians 4:12
For the perfecting of the saints - On the meaning of the word rendered here as "perfecting" - καταρτισμὸν katartismon - see the notes on 2 Corinthians 13:9. It properly refers to "the restoring of anything to its place;" then putting in order, making complete, etc. Here it means that these various officers were appointed in order that everything in the church might be well arranged or put into its proper place; or that the church might be "complete." It is that Christians may have every possible advantage for becoming complete in love, and knowledge, and order.


The old paradigms will prove insufficient = “Mind sets will change”   Nancy Coen – word for Capstone Church - our local house of Prayer.


What are some signs that we are under the transforming fire of the Spirit and receiving an invitation to move out into the new?



We don’t have a settled whole picture of things or how to go about the day to day.
This is a blessing as it causes us to move into moment to moment reliance on the Holy Spirit and the Lord’s guidance.   It is the process of moving into the new. 

We find ourselves clinging to, holding on tightly to things or ways of living that the Spirit wants to transform through surrender.

Ex.  When this journey first started my life was not aligned to spending my time in revival or deep pursuits of the Spirit.   I find that those nights I thought I could not give up, or those things that I thought would put me over the edge could be changed.   I could completely change my life, what I am doing with my time can focus into the Kingdom with much more energy than I thought possible.   The changes produce life and revelation and more hunger if we surrender to the process of the Spirit.


In the process of the confrontation (a new understanding and insight can emerge)  WISDOM is imparted to you.

 The Church is where we are encouraged, strengthened and comforted in our “out in the world” quest to live the rule and administration of the Government of the Kingdom.  (Isa 9:7 / 61)  It is also the place to try things out and learn to play.   We aspire to an atmosphere in which people can risk in the work and discovery of the Spirit and learn as they go along.   We are “growth mindset” people.   We think nothing is impossible with God and that we can be the people who do the impossible with him by learning and growing along with the challenges and obstacles that present themselves as well as by being a community that allows for risk and failure.

Here are four C's of relationship and co-laboring on the way to the amazing vision Jesus is pouring out around the world.  How we move and grow in relationship, unity and power in the Spirit together.

Communion    One Faith, One Lord, One Baptism, and The Spirit brings unity to those who follow Jesus.

Community -   Followers of Jesus are “called to express the government (Ekklesia) of the Kingdom in relationship”

Cooperation – Co – operating is when we partner together in a common spirit of mutual love and sacrifice.  Operating in the same spheres we share in the work on a casual level or simply participate in things like prayer houses.

Co-laboring - Working intentionally together with clearly defined goals, strategy and Kingdom and church building faith; bringing strengths to each others weaknesses.
And we are exploring the characteristics of the building blocks of fellowship with God and each other.



2016  
Transfiguration! 

Look forward, eyes filled with Abundance, Boundless, Victorious vision in Jesus.  

  Get a copy of my Prophetic Review 2016 - Salvation's Mountain Erupting with Open Doors, Shifts and Invitation.    
Encouragement, focus, wisdom and insight into the prophetic seasons of the new year.  
www.jeffreynoldsministries.com 


 

Thanks for Reading!   


I love your comments. Ideas and thoughts.  
Please share em.
Re-shares are great. thank U.


Here are some other blogs posts that may interest you.  


1.http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2015/01/7-things-enemy-devil-doesnt-want-you-to.html
 




The dialogue is awesome.  Thank you. Testimonies?  Share em with me.  Re-Shares lov em.  Thank you! With much love in Jesus 
You can do this thing!  He's got you. 



Jeff Reynolds   --- 

Brother Jeff

www.jeffreynoldsministies.com


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