Recently, in the midst of hearing God speak of the judgment that is to come upon the nations, the Lord has also been ministering to His people regarding how much He loves them. When considering whether or not to share this, because it was personal, I felt stirred to share this so that those who have ears to hear and know God, would know that He does love His own. God bless you and may He speak to you that you may know you are His (My sheep know My voice):
When I was worshiping the Lord during lunchtime last week, I happened to be listening to a song by Sara Groves called "Every Minute." Normally when I am worshiping the Lord and come to this song, I skip past it (not enough holy's or hallelujah's in it for me to consider it a 'good' worship song) . This time, for some reason, I did not skip past it but rather was considering why God even chooses to think of us in the way that He does (who is man that You are mindful of him, oh Lord): "I am long unstayed, I am slow to leave, especially when it comes to you My Friend. You have taught me to slow down, and to prop up my feet, It's the fine art of being who I am. And I can't figure out, why You want me around, I'm not the smartest person I have ever met. But somehow it doesn't matter, no it never really mattered to You at all. And at the risk of wearing out my welcome, at the risk of self discovery. I'll take every moment, every minute that you give me." While listening to this song, in the midst of thanking Him for even allowing me to enter in to His presence, He spoke this in my ear, sentence by sentence, as clearly as I have ever heard the voice of God:
I will never leave you. I will never ask you to go from My presence. I love you. You are mine. None can pluck you from My hand.
For those who know God in this way, you will understand why this touched me so much. And after speaking with others in the Lord, I am convinced that the Lord wants all that know Him in this way to hear Him speak words of love and encouragement. In spite of what who we are, or just the simple fact that we must still walk in this world (not of this world), God loves us. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and because He is perfect in all of His ways, His love for us is perfect.
Receive it today. Do not put off the words that God has spoken to you regarding the judgment that is to come. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the times. But if you haven't heard the Lord speak to you regarding the love that He has for you (the very reason why Jesus came to restore fellowship with the Father), let Him show you today.
God bless you and keep you,
Ryan
Monday, December 10, 2007
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4 comments:
I love that song Bud. Lately God has been humbling me. He has brought me to the place where I finally realize that I'm nothing without him. All that I am is because God. That song puts the question in my mind of, why? Why me? Why would God love me? The truth is he delights in us. I don't fully understand it, but I'm thankful and "I'll take every minute that he gives me."
God bless you, Chad
Amen Ryan,
As we spoke, it is what the Lord has been saying to those who have ears to hear. It is the mark of approval. The Holy Spirit, for a long time, has been correcting, separating, purifying, trying, and testing. He is lifting up those who have humbled themselves and accept correction; He is hardening the hearts of those who resist truth. We are in the final stages of being perfected in love. The confidence of His love for us is what will keep us from falling.
The understanding of these days is like being a senior in school. We have come through what seems to be a lifetime of instruction, testing and correcting. We have endured, but now comes the time of understanding the fruit of what we have been taught. Our instructors, those who can and could hear the Holy Spirit, have labored to bring each of us to a place of hearing for ourselves. Now we are viewed as equals, prior to this we were viewed as children of the King needing discipline and truth. Now we are viewed as friends who have accepted truth, accepted the yolk and have been found worthy. Now, we have become comfortable with the rod and the staff, we are like minded. The difficult part is behind us, we wait for graduation, only a major regression by our own hand will hold us back from completing the final ceremony. We allow ourselves to believe all that we have learned is the power to succeed in the future, our task at hand. This confidence is confirmed by the accepting of the love, a deep appreciation by God, the allowing yourself by truth to be included in, hurt not the oil and the wine.
L,J,P&HG
Dave
Amen, Dave.
Although it is true that we must always be careful where we stand, measuring ourselves everyday by the Spirit of God, unless we fall, the things that the Lord has been speaking to us are so very encouraging.
It is like the man who has put his hands to the plow. Though it has not been easy, and the temptation to let go due to the difficulty of holding on when the soil becomes very rough has been present, and though in the beginning there were many blisters on our hands, we can now see that the end of our labor (our salvation) is nearer than when we first believed. And that when these things are finished, we know that God has made us worthy to receive our wages.
Though no chastening feels pleasant while it is happening, wisdom is seeing the end of it and knowing that you will be better because of it. I thank God that He loves us so much that He would be long suffering toward us, and patient, waiting for us to be perfected in Him.
God is good, and I thank Him that He has allowed us to taste of Him and to know that this is true.
God bless,
Ryan
Ryan,
The outpouring of God's love is the perfecting we need to stand in the times shortly to come. The love of truth is what was required to attain the out pouring of God's love. The school was learning truth. What is truth? All that Jesus said, did, provided and continues to provide (every word that proceeds).
1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (Can't know the love=Can't hear the Holy Spirit?)
2 John 1:1The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. 3Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.(If we do not know truth how can our heart condemn us or not? If we do not know truth how can we come to the place of understanding?)
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Loving truth is loving Jesus, our Savior, our Lord and our God, and all that He gave us. Learning truth is coming to God, our schoolmaster on His terms, no other way.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
If Jesus said learn from the Comforter, the Holy Spirit because He is truth, and if we don't deny ourselves and be transformed (school) by renewing our minds to God's way of education, how can we please God? How can He cover us in love if we don't believe? Those who are, do!
L,J,P&HG
Dave
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