WALKING IN THE LIGHT OF LIFE


Filled with Grace & Love

So often scripture makes reference to the grace of God that needs to be embedded in our lives. We want to be found with this grace in our hearts – extending it to others just as we have freely received. Whoever is forgiven much, loves much. Who can put a price on the relationships that the Lord gifts us with? We need to realize the importance of relationships. Our motives for relationships should not be for what we get out of them. We should have a genuine appreciation for our brothers & sisters in Christ regardless of what they “bring to the table”. We need the pure grace and love of God to be real in our lives. We must always abound in forgiveness and mercy not demanding our own way.

Hebrews 12:15
Looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness (literally poison) springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled (tainted or contaminated).

GRACE
the divine influence upon the heart,
and its reflection in the life; including gratitude.

Our hearts need to be full of grace toward one another. It is only then that the love of God can truly flow through us to others. If our hearts are clogged with bitterness we are being poisoned by the enemy and poisoning others. If we seek to love the Lord there is no better way we can do that than to love one another. After all, isn’t that the last command that Jesus gave His disciples before He went to the cross and lived it in front of their eyes? How you know someone really loves is not when they tell you they love you. Jesus never said that He loved us. He lived it. His life said, “I love you.” There is not a passage where Jesus says to anyone, “I love you”. There is nothing wrong with saying it and it is good to say. But Jesus made sure that His love was completely seen in His actions, in how He lived. When you saw Jesus, you saw the Father. His love is an experience, not words. Whenever He referenced His love it referred back to His life and actions:

John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

All of us are longing for a deeper intimate relationship with God. But we need to realize that a huge portion of this life with God is determined in how we live our lives toward one another. (1 John 2:10) There can be a tendency to hide from current relationships when there has been much damage from past relationships. There are seasons where we have a sort of “hide out with God” time. And we cannot love others without first being with Him and receiving acceptance an love from Him. But as we are in those times with Him there should be a transparency, honesty and vulnerability where God can bring cleansing to those areas where we might want to hide the difficulties in relationships that have fostered hurt and pain. For these are the areas where bitterness would like to set in and hinder us from moving into higher places with the Lord. (Heb. 12:1)

But those who seek the face of the Lord with transparency, honesty and purity and pursue to live in the light of fellowship with others in His Body are continuing to dig deeper finding treasures within the courts of the Most High. He is longing to pour out His treasures in us and through us.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Unlimited Treasury

His treasury is vast and unending. He wants to overflow us with His good treasure in every way. There is so much He longs to reveal to us in the form of His love, wisdom and power. There is much that He desires to bless and entrust us with for His Kingdom’s sake as well. (Prov. 21:20) But we just have to take that time with Him, just to be with Him. Many times we come to a place before God and have agendas that we ourselves are not even aware of. We have motives that keep us from completely entering into the deepest experience with Him. We must begin by being honest before the Lord. By setting aside our thought, desires and agendas of what we think we want, what we think He should do or is going to do, we empty ourselves of “us” and let Him fill us back up so that we can have His heart, mind, vision and plan for us. When He is our treasure and we are faithful with what He has already blessed us with, He can trust us with true riches. (Matt. 6:21, Luke 16:11)

Isaiah 32:17-18
The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of
righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. 18 My people will
dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet
resting places . . .

His Plan is the Best!

It really is ok to have ideas and information within us. But when we come before Him there must be a laying aside of all that stuff and allowing Him to come and put fresh manna and life within us. It is then that much of what we come to the table with is made alive, living and fruitful. His promises are all a “go” for our lives. As long as we keep our hearts toward Him and pursue Him faithfully with all diligence we can participate in His divine nature. I love that fact that God DOES NOT say to Abraham, “Now Abraham – your descendants will be like the sand and the stars – BUT if you blow it you can forget it!” No. God does not think that way. He already sees everything. He saw Abraham with Hagar blowing it in advance! Of course we don’t need to give the Lord any help. But praise His Name that He is so much better than we are that He made His plan fail-safe! It really is fail-safe. He saw that Abraham’s heart was completely toward Him. He also saw that Abraham’s heart and thinking had flaws, just like David, Moses and all the rest. But His promises will come true. He does work all things together for the good of those whose hearts are His. He is the God of all grace. Giving us grace to overcome and extending to us grace to be forgiven, so we can move forward.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called (invited & appointed) according to His purpose.

Revelation to Revealing

It is wonderful to get revelation. But revelation alone will not mean anything unless there is an outflow through our lives and fruit to show for that revelation. We could call that outflow – manifestation or the revealing through our lives. The whole of creation longs to see the manifestation of the sons of God. (Rom. 8:19) All of creation rejoiced at the coming of Jesus for He is the Son of God. As we grow in manifesting His goodness all of creation benefits. When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices. (Prov. 11:10) The kingdom of God comes when we walk in the life that the Lord has ordained for us. All that surrounds us benefits when we prosper. Prosperity is far above material abundance. It begins with the spirit of man that finds connection with God in a deep, powerful and meaningful way.

Psalm 35:27
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

Hunger to Pursue

The pivot point between revelation and manifestation is diligence. In order for your revelation to be integrated into your life there must be a diligence. Revelation is like that appetizer. It is there just to wet your appetite. But the meal is still to come. So we must press on into the fullness of the purpose of the reason of why God is revealing things to us. (Psalm 31:10-11)

Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Stir up the gift of God that is within you. (2 Tim. 1:6) The Lord has distributed gifts in His Body. If you are part of that Body then there are gifts resident in you that can be quickened by His Spirit. Welcome the Holy Spirit to come and show you what the Lord has put in you. Allow Him to give you wisdom to walk in His ways and to teach you in the heart of the Father. (2 Chron. 6:31) His love is everlasting and His grace is extended to you that you might rise up and walk in newness of life before Him. (Rom. 6:4)

In His Unfailing Caring Love,

John