Living in an evil age - Madam Guyon

Gods heart in disciplining

As Israel was living under such a counterfeit, instituted by Jereboam in 1Ki11, Amos reveals 3 purposes in disciplining the nation: 1) 9:11 - That they would be RESTORED, after cleansing them (see 1Co5 & 2Co2) 2) 9:12 - That OTHERS (heathen) would saved, & 3) 9:13 - That such abundant FRUIT would result (see Jn15). This is true of Israel, and in application, of a believer, a church, and a nation.

The Ant

Proverbs talks about the ant...
Isn't amazing how the ant has purpose... very focussed, busy, has a direction, working before winter. And then has co-ordination.. working as a team. Perhaps 2 of the most important things we need in the Christian life.. His Eternal Purpose... And the Body! This is a clip we did of ant armies, pouring through the bush in Zambia... enjoy! http://youtu.be/I8Fs1Ch7k6A 

The people knew not 1Sa14.3

The people knew not that Jonathan was gone
The new man: created for God, for an adventure of faith, considers the work of God (Eccl7.13), and note this: doesn't need to sound a trumpet every time he takes a step.

This was Jonathan. As one of only 2 men with a sword, he was not content to stay under the pomegranite tree, surrounded by friends, watching that sword sit in defeat. How boring! Living with eternity in his heart, he thought, "I'm out of here!". Never mind trying to explain it to the old man. The old man interperates everything in terms of himself... "there's a lion in the street". People don't always know or understand what the new man is doing. But God is always working.

Performance vs a Labor of love

Judas was into performance. Why wasn't this ointment sold... and given to the poor? (Jn12.5)
Performance is something we can easily fall into. (Ep2.9 calls it works, Heb9.14 calls it dead works). We can even think God is regulated by our performance! "If I'm performing He loves me.. if I'm not doing well, I'm not sure..."

But we are made for relationship, not performance. For faith. For receiving. For depending. The undeserved... Despite our performance! The thief on the cross experienced this. What glorious last moments! Praise the Lord, God never gave him a message of performance! But He gave him grace.

When Mary poured the ointment of spikenard, it was not in the realm of performance. How much spikenard am I required to give, what is expected, what will I get in return, how could it best be "utilized", how many poor people could this help? Rather, she was into love. Hers was not performance. It was a labor of love. Big difference. And the fragrance filled the room. The stench of performance (dead works) is always different from the fragrance of a labor love (divine-good works).

This seed thought was shared during a message called "Performance vs Faith" under an open hut, in a village called Maposa in the Zambian Copperbelt March 8th, 2012.

Gentleness

***People don't need to be driven in performance, But gently led in rest***
Mk6.31, Ps23

What is the message of the cross?

The message of the cross(1) has not just a historical side, but applied, is also a "daily" principle in our lives, the condition and provision Christ gave to disciples. Because only this message truly exalts who Christ is, and what He's done, at the expense of who we are and what we do. It will always have 2 sides: a death and a resurrection. A legalistic or lascivious message will lack either one or both of these ingredients.
It exposes our old man, and it exposes us to the New Man!
On the negative side, the message of the cross exposes the old man(2), encompassing our flesh(3), for what it is, with all its attitudes, its passivity, its religious expression, its indifference, its hardness, its lukewarmness (4), it's half baked hypocritical Laodicean carnality, and it condemns the flesh, consigning it to complete crucifixion. This is absolute reality. And it can be likened to the sacrificial surgery.(5)
On the positive side it exposes us to the Perfect, New Man (6), Christ, Who is all, in all(7). To the availability and provision of the supernatural perfect spiritual and victorious resurrected Christ and all He is for us, in us, and what He has done for us, as us(8), and wants to do through us(9), instead of us, freely! On the negative side, "You cannot serve God" God says through Joshua(10). Then positively, God shows us Christ, "the Servant of the Lord", through Isaiah(11). "Yet not I", "But Christ"!(12)
(1) 1Co1.18,23
(2) Rom6.6
(3) Jn3.6
(4) Rev3.16
(5) Heb4.12
(6) Ep2.15, 4.13,24
(7) Col3.11
(8) 1Co1.23
(9) Col1.27
(10) Josh24.19
(11) Isa42.1,19, 43.10, 52.13, & especially 53.11
(12) Ga2.20b

Eternally secure.. So clear.. So precious

This verse came to me so freshly and clearly....
"My salvation (heb. YESHUA) 
shall be forever (heb. OLAM)!" Is 51v6
AMEN!
We are eternally secure.
This hope we have as an anchor for the soul.