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Posts Tagged ‘Humility’

Thought for Today – Leadership & The New Wine Skin

Posted in The Church, The Kingdom of God, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Thought for Today

New wineskin

Leadership and the New Wine Skin

In Moses’ day there was a moving of God’s Spirit among the people and Joshua was moved by jealousy for Moses’ position because others were prophesying.

“And Moses said unto him,
Enviest thou for my sake?
would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets,
and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!”
Numbers 11:29

The envy, jealously and all of the other works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) must be dealt with in God’s house. It is the horror of our ways which keep His glory from falling upon us. The works of the flesh prevent the fruit of the Spirit. God’s house is a spiritual house and He will not mingle the ways of men with the Holiness of the Lord. The lordship of man must be cast down and the ways of men must cease so that there may be true mercy, goodness, kindness and love between His people. The Lord alone will be exalted in this day. True leaders desire the glory of God in HIS people, they are willing to decrease to see the increase of God. The purpose and the heart of the New Covenant is that we would so selflessly minister to one another to see the end of ministry. For the purpose of ministry is to bring God’s people to know HIM fully for themselves. They who love the preeminence and places of control will have no place within the New Wine Skin.

Jeremiah 31:33-34
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel…
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour,
and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord:
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord”

Let the prophets speak, let the intercessors pour out their hearts unto Him, let those who aspire to preeminence humble themselves and turn from the job descriptions of “positions” and seek the callings and purposes of God. It is a day to prepare the Way of the Lord. Every high place will be brought low and those of humble hearts will be exalted. Receive His words from those who seek His honor in this day.

Let the people of God humble themselves with one another that we may behold, taste and see God’s provisions for us in one another.

“Submitting yourselves one to another
in the fear of God”
Ephesians 5:21

Brian Troxel
http://www.aword.info

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Prophetic Purpose

Posted in The Kingdom of God, The Priesthood, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 1, 2017| 3 Comments »

Prophetic Purpose

Prophets

“See, I have this day set thee
over the nations and over the kingdoms,
to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy,
and to throw down, to build, and to plant”
Jeremiah 1:10

The people of God become weary with the words of His prophets. They perceive the negativity and the sharp words as antagonistic. The desire for only encouraging and comfortable words is human nature. The thinking is that the world, the trials, the heartache and troubles of this life are more than enough for us to bear. This would be fine if God had no other purpose in His house than to bless us and comfort us in our situations. But God has a purpose and He sent His Son to bring about the thing He has purposed. God is intent upon His end and He sends His word to bring it to pass. God is a wise builder He is not going to patch up an old thing (see the parable of the wine skin). He must make everything new. It is the New Wine-skin which receives the new wine. He is not going to pour out Himself (the New Wine) into the Old. While men cling to their sins, former ways and institutions God withholds Himself; and He, as a loving Father suffers while He withholds. Joseph had to keep himself hidden from his brothers until there was a change of heart. At one point he had to leave the room as the desire to embrace them had to be restrained because of the hardness of their hearts.

The words of true prophets are not harsh for the sake of being harsh; they speak words necessary for God to finish His work. God cannot build until He tears down. He cannot plant until He roots up the evil and self-seeking ways of men. He cannot and will not sully His ways with the methods of men; the overlooking of sin to populate their churches and accomplish their agendas. He must tear down the lofty pursuits of those who seek the preeminence in His house.

God’s end is to prosper, bless and reveal Himself to His own. He never wavers in His faithfulness to us. It is we who need to change. It is we who need to give heed to His word and His purposes in this day. God is Holy and as such He requires us to be holy, pure and set apart as purchased possessions. It is the joy of the Lord we pursue not our own. His joy becomes our strength to do the things which please Him.

“Therefore, have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me” Hosea 6:5

The hard words and God’s judgements were as “light” going forth. righteousness is the result of light. It is a light which proceeds from God to give light unto His people concerning their ways and their condition. He desires mercy, not religious sacrifices. He desires that His people know Him rather than all the programs, religious prayer meetings and traditions of men. His people become content with tepid offerings of lukewarm hearts. They become satisfied with elaborate events and magnificent buildings even though Jesus said there would not be left one stone upon another when He is finished! The true building of God is made up of living stones built together as a holy habitation wherein He alone has the preeminence; One Lord, One faith and One body. It is to this end His prophets speak, weep and anguish over the blindness and stubbornness of the day.

“We are not diplomats but prophets,
and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum”
A.W. Tozer

Brian Troxel
http://www.aword.info

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PRIDE – The Great Destroyer –

Posted in Our Relationship with God, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

PRIDE
The Great Destroyer

“But when his heart was lifted up,
and his mind hardened in pride,
he was deposed from his kingly throne,
and they took his glory from him”
DANIEL 5:20

Pride has been the downfall of many. From the lowest of men to one of the highest angelic creatures pride has corrupted and destroyed. We see it everywhere; in the halls of government, the justice systems, the corporate world of business, the world of sports, the dark corners of crime and even the pulpits and pews of the religious world. Pride is the contagion of the human heart. It lifts its head in the high thoughts of men and is the same power that causes men and women to wallow in discouragement and despair. It is a power that feeds on the selfishness of man. It is the “ME” that it thrives on. It fastens itself to the enlargement and gratification of the need for recognition and sympathy. It is insatiable in its desire for attention and acknowledgment. It cares little for the needs of others unless there is something to be gained by doing so; even its good is corrupted by the self-serving motive that lies behind its deeds. It will make men become whatever is necessary in the acquisition of its end. It will serve one master for a season until a more useful one comes along and then it will change as a chameleon in a new environment. It has no loyalty and hates truth though it will use it for its own ends. In the end, however, it will be the means of destruction for all who live by its sway. The only means of deliverance is through the power of TRUTH. Truth is the means by which humility is born. Truth is the tree upon which the fruit of the Spirit is produced.

Truth is not a fruit. It is the only means by which fruit can be produced. The Holy Spirit is never called the Spirit of love, for even love is the key fruit of truth.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law”
GALATIANS 5:22-23

It is in the ministration of the Truth that the fruit of the Spirit is formed. For in the ministration of TRUTH we see the condition of our own hearts and of those around us. It is in seeing HIM that we truly know ourselves and, in seeing ourselves, we are no longer surprised by what we see in others. Truth is the leveler of all men. Truth is only known in the seeing of Him and in the seeing of Him we are transformed by HIS GLORY. There is no change, of any lasting value, wrought within the heart of man except by seeing HIM who alone is true.

“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

Isaiah, a prophet of the Most High, had been commissioned by God to prophesy for some time in Israel but in chapter six we read…

“In the year that king Uzziah died
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne,
high and lifted up …
Then said I, Woe is me!
for I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips,
and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:
for mine eyes have seen the King,
the LORD of hosts”
ISAIAH 6:1,5

One glimpse of the majesty of the Lord and Isaiah was undone. In the beholding of the Holy One he not only knew his own condition but he was made aware of the general condition of fallen man. A man who has touched that Holy Presence is no longer swayed by either the accolades or the criticisms of those around him for he has seen the One to whom he must give an answer. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the chorus of voices shouting Hosannas the scriptures declare that “Jesus did not entrust himself to them” for He well knew how fleeting were the praises of men. A short time later that same crowd was shouting “crucify Him”.

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast,
many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.
But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them,
because he knew all people
and needed no one to bear witness about man,
for he himself knew what was in man”
JOHN 2:23-25

“On the next day much people that were come to the feast,
when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Took branches of palm trees,
and went forth to meet him, and cried,
Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel
that cometh in the name of the Lord”
JOHN 12:12-13

God’s answer to all men is truth, living truth, that penetrating ministration of HIS LIFE that cuts asunder the heart of man, piercing us to the very separation of bone and marrow even to the dividing asunder of the thoughts and intents of our hearts. It is at the very core of who we are that our motives must be laid bare in order for mercy and grace to bring forth the fruit of His Spirit within us. Humility is the garment of all who would participate in the ministration of truth to others for it is the grace that frees us from the opinions of men to speak and do as HE leads. Meekness is the power to persevere under the most strenuous of ordeals with the patience and steadiness of Christ Himself. Joy is that inward sense of His approval that strengthens and encourages us with a power that is unconquerable and radiant. Joy is not to be confused with cheerfulness or happiness.

As we contemplate these and other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, and realize the immensity of their power and glory, we are reduced to a singular pursuit of HIM in whom alone we have hope of their realization. They are never to be “our” fruit. They are, and always will be, the Fruit of the Spirit. For them to flourish we must live and abide in HIM.

“Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you,
unless you abide in me”
JOHN 15:4

Brian Troxel

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THE CONDESCENSION OF GOD

Posted in Our Relationship with God, Our Salvation, Our Struggle, Overcoming, Prayer, Simplicity of Faith, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 19, 2013| 1 Comment »

“The CONDESCENSION of GOD”

“…thy gentleness hath made me great”
IISAMUEL 22:36

Such words of thankfulness reveal a heart that understands the unmerited favor and mercy of God. Whatever may be the measure to which we know Him there will be a corresponding knowing of ourselves. No man can see God without seeing himself. It is in the seeing of Him that we understand our absolute need for His Grace and Mercy to cover and hold us. Isaiah in the Old Testament had the same response as John the Apostle in the Book of Revelation…

“In the year that king Uzziah died
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone…”
ISAIAH 6:1 – 5

“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead…”
REVELATION 1:17

We see here that the GREATNESS and GLORY of God is the humbler of men; we also see that by the gentleness and condescension of God man is lifted up! How good and unsearchable are His ways and the beauty of His wisdom past understanding.

The phrase “…thy gentleness hath made me great” would be best translated “Thy condescension has made me abundantly fruitful”.

“I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly”
JOHN 10:10

Notice here the tense used in this verse “I am come”; not has, or will come, for His coming is always present tense. He is here now to meet with us in such intimacy and grace; the God of all Glory here to speak with us and to commune with us. If we only knew the full depth of His heart for us we would be left speechless. No wonder the author of Hebrews cries out…

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?”
HEBREWS 2:6

May the Lord have mercy upon us that we might reconsider the gift of His salvation, the adornments of His righteousness and the abundance of gifts and ministrations that He has so richly bestowed upon us. Let us turn again unto Him in meekness and humility to worship and glorify His Name in the earth.

Ω

“When all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view, I’m lost
In wonder, love, and praise”
Joseph Addison (1672–1719)

Brian Troxel

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IF

Posted in Faith and Works, Our Relationship with God, Our Salvation, Our Service, Our Struggle, Overcoming, Simplicity of Faith, The Church, The Kingdom of God, The Priesthood, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 9, 2010| 2 Comments »

IF

“And this shall come to pass
if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God”
ZECHARIAH 6:15

There is a connection between the promise of a thing that is to come to pass and the people of God; “IF” denotes a personal choice within the heart of the people to whom the thing is promised. We want the promises; God desires willing and obedient hearts. We want the promises; God wants men who can govern, walk and abide in the promises. The obedience required for the promise to come to pass is in itself the WAY that the character of a man is developed to enable him to abide in the fulfillment of the thing promised. The promise of the Kingdom to David was followed by a life of obedience and rejection. The very things that may be difficult now are God’s WAY of preparing us for the call that HE has given. Many want the HIGH CALL but few there are that choose to walk in the humility and graces of the Son. To stand for HIS TRUTH, to cry out against the lukewarm expressions of this hour, to feel the impotency of this thing men call church, to long for that expression of HIS MAJESTY in our lives, and to be ready to forsake all things for the acquisition of the ONE THING, is LIFE. Humility is simply being free from the opinions of men, living a life free from self and self pity, and being always aware that NO FLESH will ever glory in HIS PRESENCE! Humility is the expression of a LIFE that is free from self will, self seeking and self protection. To whatever degree we know the wonder of this grace let us seek to see HIM more clearly and to love HIM more dearly.

Without obedience there can never be an entering in to all that HE has purposed for us. We fellowship and gather together that we may know HIS pre-eminence in our midst corporately so that we may walk it out individually.

Love ever serves the thing it loves.

Humility and Obedience cannot be separated for obedience IS the offspring of Humility.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross
PHILIPPIANS  2:8

Brian Troxel

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SECURE SERVANTS

Posted in Faith and Works, Our Identity, Our New Nature, Our Relationship with God, Our Service, The Church, The Kingdom of God, The Priesthood, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

SECURE SERVANTS

“Jesus KNOWING
that the Father had given
all things into his hands,
and that he was come from God,
and went to God;
He riseth from supper,
and laid aside his garments;
and took a towel, and girded himself.
After that he poureth water into a basin,
and began to wash the disciples’ feet”
JOHN 13:3 – 5

Servanthood is directly related to our security in terms of relationship with God. Men who are insecure cannot, will not, ever touch upon the power of the HIS humility. “Jesus knowing” was the basis of HIS ability to serve and minister to others. HIS relationship with God was not determined by what HE did; HIS knowing of who HE was was not defined by the position HE took with other men. HE knew and was secure in HIS relationship with the FATHER. True ministry knows that the secret of the people of God flowing, moving and being empowered in their own ministrations of the risen Christ is directly related to each member being “rooted and grounded in the love of God”. Men may function in the gifts of the Holy Spirit but that is not true ministry. Ministry is that which flows from member to member because of relationship not gifting…

“From whom the whole body
fitly joined together
and compacted by that
which every JOINT supplieth,
according to the effectual working
in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body
unto the edifying of itself in love”
EPHESIANS 4:16

The Body of Christ is “fitly joined and supplied” by means of the joints which speak of relationship and love flowing from member to member. The Corinthian Church excelled in the operation of the Gifts of the Spirit, yet they were carnal and filled with strife and emulation even to the point of pitting one ministry above another. They did not realize that the true power of edification and ministry took place in serving one another in Christ. They did not see that the gifts, when they are not coupled with the character of the Son, could not produce ministry but could only express ministrations that (without the character of Christ) would not produce the unity and the love of God in the local church.

It is in each of us knowing and walking in the power of a safe and secure walk with God that we can serve one another in true love and power. King Saul was an insecure man, because his obedience was partial and his heart obstinate, and when he beheld the life of David and heard the singing of the maidens of the greater works of David his insecurity drove him to persecute and drive David away.

SECURITY can only be known by a walk of love and obedience for that is the revelation of HIM that alone will give us boldness in the Day of Judgment.

“Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment: because as he is,
so are we in this world”
I JOHN 4:17

Brian Troxel

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