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Moving forward with His Spirit. written by MIchael McBane I have observed that many who have served the Lord with longevity, to clarify more, those who have been shaken by the Lord so there seems to be little that remains, so that they will not be encumbered by what was, or by sin, are in a very interesting place. Everything seems to be subjected to an almost unseen standard. Their reasoning, thinking, motivation is being turned inside out. What we have embraced as true, is being shaken to see what will remain. Religion or the things that were birthed in its shadow hold no weight.The scrutiny seems unbearable. The standard is eternal and many are seeing that we know so little about the one who has saved us with a love that has no earthly measurement. It feels crushing at times. Who can measure up? Frankly, no one. Can any one fully answer, who is this Jesus that has called us out from the crowd? Who has imploded within our hearts and minds so much so that nothing else can hold us. Yet it seems He is almost unknowable? What is He doing, where is He going, to whom is He drawing us towards? As weak as we are becoming can we still follow HIm? I say, Lord as battered as my heart may be and as torn as my understanding has become I still have no one who holds me as You, no one. But on the other hand it also seems that some seem aloof to such demanding standards. No one can raise a finger to accuse another. All stones are dropped. It cannot matter what has been stolen from us, what has been said about us. It cannot matter how often we have been betrayed and left holding the sands of trust as it runs through our fingers. Forgiveness is demanded and must run deep to our core not simply a verbal response that may still harbor resentment. How should one walk? We must be true to the inward call that draws us to an unquenchable light and gives us the anticipation to believe we will share such radiance. Yet that is not our drive. We are realizing that the call to holiness has been misunderstood and certainly misapplied. We are understanding that the kingdom of God is not external it is a man that drops the plumb line of truth beside all that takes His name as theirs. He asks, do you wish to carry the honor of My name? Then can you walk as Paul did? He was a man who found nothing to gain by subjecting his life to anything but Christ. Philippians 3:10, 11 and 12, “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” It would seem to some that they are no longer viable? That they are less then enthusiastic about contributing? that they can have bad days that bounce around like the stock market. Is there reason for this or have they succumbed to the shadows? I think they are in a season of mercy? You may ask what are you saying? Here is a partial answer. God loves us. We have opportunity to join with a chorus that reveals the Lord as the voice of our life says holy, holy, holy. It is mercy that is closing in upon us so that the ghosts in the closets that could destroy us at the most inopportune time are being eradicated. These closets can be deep and filled with unseen clutter from the history of generations past. We must also understand that we have not contended as we might in the days ahead. If we have not bent out knee, our abilities, our expectations, if we have not availed our full understanding to Him we will not stand. It is the Christ within us not us that casts a shadow of deliverance and healing. Let us not be mistaken by our own success or a favor that can dilute us to walk in a delusionary confidence. Many of us have been repeditly exposed and challenged by life as our hearts have been wrenched and betrayed so much that they are frail in trust. We lack strong confidence. Despite the tenderness that this season has cultivated God will bring us forth in a valued strength. We will not be divided in purpose because through all that this prolonged season has brought we can say, Lord regardless I love You. Now along side of this formation the sinister plans of the enemy have battered the minds and emotions and left a shallowness to what may have once been a confidence of faith that enabled them to trust that God would complete what He began. I will call this a neutralization. If I may, its as if the voice of God that spoke to us before is now a voice that is muffled because we have not seen Him as we once did. Why is this? I cannot clearly say but I can present this possibility. We were given the confidence and faith to build us in expectation and anticipation. This planting ignited seeds of hope in us that traveled through our spirits like thunder as it rolls through the clouds. Its as if the scriptures that tell us of God riding the clouds is active within us, its a knowing that we know. I know that the Holy Spirit will have precedence over what He has planted within us and it will be activated with precision. Let us remember God is deliberate and He has finished...has finished what He began. Therefore let us be refreshed with an expectation of His faithfulness. But let us also see beyond today into tomorrow as if we see previews of coming attractions. Let us reach to build so that another who comes after us can step unto our faith with assurance. It is never about just us. I was asked by someone recently about what I wanted out of a particular possibility? My reply was this, I do not look at what I do or might do singularly as that does not integrate the purpose of God. I believe He does redeem us singularly but He desires to reveal Himself though a collective expression.I continued by saying my thoughts almost always look at the possibility of how I can serve another and allow the Lord to express Himself though a multitude of people. We are about to see a moving forward, I will call it a migration of sorts. Perhaps a crossing over into something that has been promised. I will be deliberate to say that I think few truly understand what the day is that we are moving towards. Conjecture is at an all time high as everyone weighs in on what God is about and how. I do think these expressions have been stirred because God is about to do something but most tend to run with the tingle of hope rather then truly waiting and allowing the Lord to instruct and define. Most of us are still allowing what begins to emerge from the Lord within our spirits to be filtered through our previous culture or understanding. We cannot afford such bias. It is extremely hard not to lean on what has worked for us in a season that has not been defined fully and that has no clear path except to lean upon the Lord. But as the Lord again comes to visit us we will transition into a fuller integration or oneness of purpose and understanding with the Lord. When He comes upon us we will be changed. How do we attain wisdom and discernment? Clearly we ask the Lord. Clearly it is in the fear of the Lord. I seem to have seen and hopefully learned that it rarely sticks, true wisdom and discernment, unless it comes through the school of hard knocks. The chipping away by a master builder. We can certainly gain and speak an astute language that presents us to others as wise and discerning. But do our ways change? Do our words have an authority formed in His love? Or do we continue to do what we have done but now we are Christians, so we say. We pray but does the prayer plow the field with a furrow that has eternal value? If not we can run over people and build our own vision or purpose and somehow call it kingdom this or that. And this is all under the name of Christ. Can we separate wisdom gained from our own ways from those who healed and spoke prophetic words and displayed signs and wonders but God rejected them? We must be subjected to this warning, but Lord we did this in Your name. Why were they rejected because they did not know Him. To know Him means He sticks and all that we do and say shifts to a subjection that allows His standard the right to uncover what will destroy. Therefore, He remains thus all is love and all is redemptive. Let us know that love presides over all that we might do including any activation of gifting in the church or in business or government. All must set under this banner. An example. Many years ago I was asked to cook for a gathering of business men. It was a three day affair. There was one man that God had me ask Him about. He prompted me to ask what He thought about this man. So I did. That night the Lord spoke to me in a dream about this man, his past and how that would affect his future. I therefore said to the Lord. If you wish me to share this You must arrange the opportunity. He did. This man and I had a two night conversation as he would make his way into the kitchen by excusing himself from the meetings. He then would ask me about my life. The second night I felt the Lord say to share what He had shown me about him. As I did this man wept. But he continued without a verbal response. So I had the patience to allow the Lord to be God. This man then stopped later in our conversation. And this is what he said to me. Everything you shared about me is true but that is not what is shaking me to my core. This is what is rattling me. That you would ask God about me. And that He answered you. I don’t know what to do with this. I have not remembered such nor anyone ever taking the time to care like that. I then told him that I did not do this on my own but it was God who asked me to ask Him what He thought about you. The man responded then I want to know your God. It was not the word it was the love. As I grow I find that the death that God brings to redeem us does not run amuck through the hearts and minds of men. As I have said, He is deliberate and deliberately loving. This does not change because God in Christ was so very deliberate in His death to bring love to us. Therefore I am suspect of the stench of death that men bring as they trample over others to build what they have determined to be the Kingdom of God. Something is unsettling here and we must have a confidence to love, forgive but to remain true to the fragrance of God that burns deep in our spirit. Now this being said, the Lord clearly sets precedent to reveal that He knew the season He was in. For example He denied the women who sought Him out saying it was not yet the season for the gentiles. But her persistence turned His heart to speak to her faith. Let us know the season we are in and the season that we are merging towards. Let us be persistent to call unto Him with anticipation. He is faithful and true. It is not by might, not by strength but by My Spirit says the Lord. Unless He builds the house it cannot stand.