Friendship with God

“Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to the upright of heart!”
Psalm 36:10

There is an endearing ministration to those who walk closely with the Lord; wonders and mercies through the bonds of relationship. As we draw near to Him, we touch unspeakable aspects of His glory that are beyond the thoughts of men. Life, His Life, cannot be assimilated by the natural mind for God is beyond comprehension. Who can truly understand the mystery of a beating heart, the unfolding of a flower, or the intricacies of a relationship between a husband and wife? These are things we can see, feel, and appreciate for their simple beauty, but to try and understand them intellectually is folly. The enablement to see the growing dynamic of God, His Life, and His Wisdom, requires faith and surrender to His work in us.

“In thy light
shall we see light”

It requires the Christ within to enable us to “see” the Father as He is.

“All things were yielded up to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and the one to whom the Son purposes to reveal Him.”
Matthew 11:27

Jesus is the lens through which we behold the Father. He alone can impart to us the substance and being of all God is. Our depth of abiding will determine our knowledge of Him as He is. Jesus spoke parables to the masses (God’s own people; John 1:11), but His own disciples he would take aside and expound to them precious truths through the intimacy of friendship.

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant, does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:15

What was the vital truth which precipitated this transition from unknowing servants to friendship with the Son?

“You are my friends
if you DO what I command you.”
John 15:14

Obedience is the highest expression of Love. The summation of the Life of the Son in the earth can be bound up in one culminating crescendo of love.

“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
Hebrews 10:7

The Holy-Spirit inspired scriptures go on to describe the effects of that Divine Will on our lives.

“By the which Will we are sanctified…”
Hebrews 10:10 (capitalization my own)

True sanctification will always be to the measure that His Will becomes our own. Those who are truly His, pursue one thing; full conformity and union with the purpose of the Son. “Lo, I come to do Thy will”.

“Then Jesus answered them and said, My teaching is not mine in origin but belongs to the One who sent me. If anyone is desiring to be doing His will, he shall know experientially concerning the teaching…”
John 7:16-17 (Wuest)

True disciples do not initiate their own doctrine. They read His Word with the eyes and the heart of a little child; what the word declares they believe. They make no allowances for self which always seeks to justify its aberrations from its purity. They seek earnestly and fervently for faith and grace to see their lives conformed to its truth. They understand that the same Spirit through which the Word became flesh in the Son has been given to work that same devotion to the Will of the Father in us.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18

Why is the ministration of the Spirit of God-given? To change us “into the same image”; the same likeness and demeanor which characterized the Son.

“Lo, I come to do Thy will”

The full revelation of Grace is expressed in our obedience to the Will of the Father.

“through whom we received grace and apostleship in order that there may be obedience to the Faith…”
Romans 1:5 (Wuest)

Brian Troxel

Nothing Hid

Nothing Hid

“Surely in vain, the net is spread
in the sight of any bird”
Proverbs 1:17

Nothing is hidden from Him – He sees everything. The secret councils of all are open to Him – whether it be the strategies of the enemy, the devious plans of men or treachery between brothers and sisters – God sees all. As pointless as it is to set a trap for a bird in plain sight, so is the folly of all who work unrighteousness.

“…for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him, actions are weighed”
1 Samuel 2:3

From the presumption of Ananias and Sapphira to the scheming of worldly governments, or the dark agendas of wicked principalities and powers, God sees all. Let no action or thought which crosses our minds go unattended, or be allowed to take root, without our consideration of Him who sees all things.

The crafty thoughts of Judas, or the bravado of Peter, unaware of his own human weakness, were all the same to Jesus. He was not carried away with the pomp and praises upon entering Jerusalem for He knew well the hearts of all men. When many were believing in Him after seeing the miracles, Jesus remained unmoved.

“But Jesus did not commit himself unto them,
because He knew all men”
John 2:24

It is in our heart of hearts that the issues of life are determined. We must know that the hidden intentions and actions which we may hide from others are open and unveiled to Him. Authenticity is the result of those who know this powerful truth and order their steps aright. They are ever “bringing every thought captive”.

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…”
2 Chronicles 16:9

Those who walk rightly, think rightly, and whose actions are purposed to bless Him, will know of His favor for “thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:4)

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
Psalm 24:3-4

Purity of heart is to be free from selfish agendas and hypocrisy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God”
Matthew 5:8

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“For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested;
neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad”
Mark 4:22

See: Secrets Revealed

Brian Troxel

Unity and Hope

Unity and Hope

Excerpt from New Book (unedited)

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”
Ephesians 4:13

Let no one deceive us in this. There is a standard, there is a measure and there remains a call unto the ministers of Christ to labour unto this one end. Unity is the result of the stature of Christ being formed within us. We are not here to propagate ourselves for that is the enemy of unity; we are not to seek the pre-eminence; we are here to so interact with His people that they are trained in righteousness from which this unity is the natural and only outcome. We have many who are satisfied with something far less than what God has called us to. Where there is no vision or expectation in ministry there will be no impartation of His glory. True vision produces purified hearts.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as he is…”
1 John 3:2

What is the repercussion in those who bear this living hope within their hearts?

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure”
1 John 3:3

The true ministers of God present this living hope to all they encounter. It is a hope which burns like a fire, a hope from which fervent prayers filled with the incense of God rise unto Him as a sweet perfume. These are the intercession of the redeemed, these are the offerings of those whose hope ignites a passion to walk before Him in all purity and love.

Only Purified Hearts
can touch the Unity of God in Christ.

“…that they also may be one in us”
John 17:21

Brian Troxel

Faith and Victory

“I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”
Acts 26:19

Heavenly things require a steadfast walk here on earth in order to touch their realities. Heavenly visions by their very nature dictate an overcoming in the earth. The promises given to the various locations of the Church in the seven letters of the Book of the Revelation each ended with this solemn and hopeful exhortation; “To him that overcometh”. The promises of God are given with the expectation that by the power of His faith* working and moving in our hearts we find grace to obey. Obedience is ever the key to victory.

“…this is the victory that overcometh the world,
even our faith”
1 John 5:4

*His Faith – “…the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith OF the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20) Everything we have received – grace, mercy, faith are all gifts of Christ as the power of His growing salvation becomes alive within. We have nothing intrinsically – faith is the dynamic of Christ moving, pressing, and responding to the will and desire of the Father within us.

Brian Troxel.

By One Spirit

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body”
1 Corinthians 12:13

By One Spirit

“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee:
nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you”
1 Corinthians 12:21

Anyone with a vital, living relationship with the Head (Christ Himself) cannot say: “I have no need of thee”! Only those who live independently, disassociated from the Law of Life, can say “I have no need of thee”. If the eye is not intrinsically attached to the Head, it has no sense of its relationship to the rest of the Body of Christ. There is an inherent blindness that will isolate and insulate that one from the wonder of His Life.

A disconnected member has no divine enablement to “feel” the heartbeat of the body. “I have no need of thee” is a revelation of one’s true spiritual condition. The deeper our union with Him, the deeper will be a corresponding desire for a relationship with all others who share this common heartbeat. The power of His Life breaks asunder the carnal bonds of denominations, closed and isolated fellowships, and disconnected cliques.

Pride, unforgiveness, envy, jealousy, and the desire for preeminence, will sever the bonds with Him who is the life, the heart, and the author of peace.

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all”
Ephesians 4:4-6.

The only means through which we can be ONE Body is by living in the ONE Spirit. To be outside the Life of the ONE Spirit is to be alienated from the ONE Body. Doctrines, teachings, and religious dogmas have nothing to do with this ONENESS. Those who live in Christ do not compromise truth for oneness because the Spirit of Truth pulsates within. They know the truth, the truth (Christ Himself) lives within, and He alone produces unity in hearts that can never declare “I have no need of thee”.

“We know that we have passed out of death into life,
because we love the brothers.
Whoever does not love abides in death”
1 John 3:14

The authenticity of our relationship with Him who is THE LIFE is revealed in our love and concern for our brothers and sisters. It is the carnal, the disconnected who are oblivious to this truth.

Brian Troxel

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“By the figure of the vine and the branches, Christ illustrated not only the relation that should exist between him and his followers but also the union between every believer and his fellow believer. The branches of the vine are related to each other, but they are not alike. Each has its own individuality, which cannot be merged into that of another, but all have a special connection with each other. The root that supplies nourishment to one branch supplies nourishment to every other branch. Each must depend alike on the vine for sustenance; all must be joined to the parent stalk. The life and growth and fruitfulness of each depend alike on the parent vine. In obedience to the laws of nature, their common hold of the true vine make them one; in their diversity there is unity.”
– EGW

Thankfulness and Envy

“For all is of You,
and we have given to You out of Your hand”
1 Chronicles 29:14

Thankfulness is rooted in the realization that everything we have is from Him and is always to remain His. Within the mindset of “me” and “mine”, we lose the freedom of selflessness. The cords of “mine” cling to the soul and bind it to the darkness of earthly reasoning and carnal obsessions. From these dark places envy, jealousy, evil speaking, and divisions arise within the Body of Christ.

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have…”
James 4:1-2

Lust is simply wanting something outside of the will of God. To desire something someone else has is to be unthankful for the portion God has given you. Often envy arises in those who have not been faithful to that portion God has given them. There is a lamenting of unattained gifts, undeveloped talents, and a blindness to the things God has given. The precious commodity given by God has been neglected by the very lust for something someone else has. In our faithfulness to God’s gracious gifts to us, we will inevitably discover His wisdom and beauty in them.

Envy is the opposite of thankfulness. It is an unsanctified passion that fuels the fires of anger, depression, and bitterness. Galatians calls these things the “works of the flesh” and those who dwell in them “shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). Men and women who allow the destructive contagion of envy to fester within their hearts will suffer eternal loss.

Thankfulness comes from knowing that we are not worthy of His attention let alone the unmerited gifts of His goodness.

“What is man, that Thou art mindful of him,
or a son of man, that Thou dost look after him?”
Hebrews 2:6

Thankfulness is a binding agent within the Body of Christ whereas envy tears at the very fabric of His heart within His own. The power of pride and envy was the desire of Satan that resulted in his fall into the pit of utter destruction and banishment from God.

“You said in your heart…
‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds!
I will make myself like the Most High!’
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
to the depths of the pit”
Isaiah 14:13-15

God’s instruction of wisdom to all of us is to flee from the very spirit of envy; to rid ourselves from that which will poison, steal, and destroy the work of God within. Only a pure and thankful heart can abide in the Life of Him who gave Himself on our behalf.

“Can two walk together
except they are agreed?”
Amos 3:3

See: Envy – Enemy of our Soul

Brian Troxel

PODCAST – The Truth of His Presence

The Truth of His Presence

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present Truth.”
(2 Peter 1:12)

Whenever the Spirit of God is speaking to you He is speaking the whole truth concerning you. He is ever seeking to bring you into the place of a connection and a living truth that you might be in the “present” Truth. In the Greek, the “present truth” is, in essence, “the truth of THE presence” that you might be equipped and prepared to walk in a living and consistent walk, in sync with what He is doing on the earth.

Jesus said, “the words I speak they are spirit and they are LIFE!” and as you develop that personal relationship with Jesus there is an unfolding, and a familiarity, that grows within your life of Him speaking to you on a very personal level, where the word of the Lord isn’t the word of Elijah or the word of Ezekiel, but it’s the Word of the Lord to you and through you!

The whole purpose of ministry is to bring you into the place where you begin to speak the voice of The Lord in that particular wonder of His revelation to you. In the hearing of Him, we begin to walk in the present truth of His ministration to this generation and to the church in which we live.

Brian Troxel

A Father’s Love

A Chinese father never stopped looking for his son, who was kidnapped at age 2. They reunited after 24 years.

Guo Gangtang and his wife were reunited with their son, Guo Xinzhen, who’s now in his mid-20s

An image from a BBC video shows Guo Gangtang, 51, hugging his son and crying as they see each other for the first time since the son was kidnapped 24 years ago. (BBC)

By Jonathan Edwards

After his 2-year-old son was kidnapped, Guo Gangtang scoured nearly all of China, traveling more than 300,000 miles by motorcycle in a decades-long hunt for his boy.

Guo, now 51, has handed out countless fliers since 1997, the South China Morning Post reported. He flew a flag on the back of his motorcycle with his son’s picture on it. He begged for money and slept under bridges. He broke bones in traffic crashes, faced highway robbers, and wore out 10 motorcycles.

Despite his efforts, months turned to years, years stretched into a decade, and then that decade became two. At one point, Guo considered suicide.

But he never stopped looking.

“Only on the road, I felt I am a father,” he told a newspaper in 2015. “I have no reason to stop [searching]. And it’s impossible for me to stop.”

Now, he can. On Sunday, Guo and his wife were reunited with their son, Guo Xinzhen, who’s now in his mid-20s. As cameras rolled, the long-suffering parents buried their heads into the young man’s shoulder and wailed as they saw him for the first time in 24 years.

An excerpt from an article of the Washington Post

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May we sense anew the Love of our heavenly Father and feel within our own hearts the power of His Heart…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
John 3:16

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“And the Lord God called unto Adam,
and said unto him, Where art thou?”
Genesis 3:9

Brian Troxel

The Word of Fire

“Is not my word like as a fire?
saith the Lord;
and like a hammer that breaketh
the rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:29

God’s Word is not only an expression of Him – but it is also an extension of Himself. He is His Word and His Word is Himself (John 1:1). In both the Old and New Testament we read that our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29). Those who bear His Living Word within will know the truth of this in the corresponding measure of their walk. His Word is the very expression of His Nature, His Thoughts, and His Ways. Words without fire are words without unction. Men cannot touch His Presence and remain unaffected, apathetic, and unconcerned about His inheritance in the earth. His presence is fire and glory. His zeal for His House (Psalm 119:139, John 2:17) in the earth is a consuming fire within the hearts of those who have His Word.

This fire consumes and purifies those who bear it to speak with an intensity to all who would hear. This fire cannot be quenched, compromised, or contaminated by the tepidity of religious men who desire something less than God Himself. It is antagonistic to the stagnant, and to those who are complacent in their approach to God. To those who desire to walk and live within the presence of a Holy God, it is the necessity of life. It is the work of God to bring His people to such expressions.

“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire“
Hebrews 12:28-29

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“But his word was in mine heart
as a burning fire
shut up in my bones”
Jeremiah 20:9

Brian Troxel

Giving and Receiving

Giving and Receiving the True Riches

“Give, and good measure will be given to you, pressed down and shaken together, and running over, they will give into your bosom. For the same measure which you measure, it will be measured back to you”
Luke 6:38

The secret of living is found in our giving. The economy of God is an expression of His Own heart. While we were yet sinners, estranged, lost, and wandering, He gave Himself on our behalf. His generosity is to invade our own. His Love is to create within us the same selfless giving. He has purposed this life to be one of receiving based on our degree of giving. While many use this truth regarding the “unrighteousness mammon”, first and foremost it is spiritual, which is the true riches. God’s giving is of Himself, not just things. As we give of ourselves to others we, in turn, experience the wonder of that overflowing measure.

It is interesting in this scripture that the receiving is into your “bosom” not necessarily your bank account. The true riches of God in Christ are His graces and His character. Those who live and walk in Him are able to give those same riches into the lives of others.

“What makes the Dead Sea dead? Because it is all the time receiving, never giving out anything. Why is it that many Christians are cold? Because they are all the time receiving, never giving out anything”.
– Dwight L. Moody

Brian Troxel