Now; there is no need to panic but only to with a pre-determined consciousness to self-examine and work towards perfection as stated, “to be perfect as your Heavenly Father” - Matt. 5:48. Perfect as outlined by the Father’s will and the Word. The “brass tax” of it is to be as Righteous as Christ was on Earth and now is in Heaven. Some say “But”! This used as a condition of not being able to do as Christ did and God has decreed, “to become the Righteousness of God” - 2 Cor. 5:21. Well, no one wanting to improve their followers or team will set as an example with a mediocre person. The example used is someone who imparts unchallengeable skill, knowledge, and attitudes. Many in the Body just need to get over themselves and with Faith do as the Spirit guides to improve their very state of being. Even the secular world teaches this. Well, they got it from the Bible!

But where is compassion for all those souls who have so much to bear? It is true that we ought to have compassion on those struggling with their trials and tribulations but this is not where anyone who has accepted Christ as Savior should stay. In the life of Jesus’ ministry, there are two sets of peoples that He addresses and occasionally He blurs the line because of Righteousness to do the Father’s will. Jesus is harsher of those representing the church (His standard) than those ignorant of it. The Father’s will is a clear and prime statement, “Who will have all men saved, and to come to the knowledge of Truth” - 1 Tim. 2:4. Did you know, the Father has no tolerance for fear? Fear has only one main definition and it’s not the definition as given in a dictionary. But some ask, “how then can we understand the Word if not by definitions”? We understand not the word in the Word but the context of the Word and only by God’s way; which is Revelation of His Spiritual intent.

​Ever come across some in the Body that shouts above the voice of others in confessions to receive healing and manifestations of the Spirit. Now, don’t get me wrong. A Christian who wants to shout especially in Praise and Worship; go right ahead. But the Bible records no such exhaustive shouting when Jesus healed them or cast out the demons and raised the dead. Yes, He was stern and commanding in His tone and speech but not uncontrollable shouting at the invisible. Do we really believe God is moved more with the level of our shouting rather than the sincerity and Faith of not just our words but also our hearts? Faith is inward while doubt is outward. What is being said here! The more we are disciplined to the Word, the more it resides in our hearts rather than our minds and memories. And if this is attained then by our heartfelt and Faithful confessions do we move God to act on behalf of not only us but His especially His Word as stated, "for you (God) has magnified your Word above your Name" - Ps. 138:2. The Word that is given to us for Faith. Whenever we stand on the Word in Faith we bring into recognition the sacrifice of Jesus’ Blood and God honors His Son and the completion of His Grace towards us. When we say we receive the healing but then bring back to the hearing of others the ailment then we are really denying the completed works of the cross and Jesus’ resurrection over death and fear.

Christian’s must be discipline for Faith and not doubt. For Faith is akin to Jesus while doubt is the shadow of satan. Paul tells us what the fruit of the Spirit is and the offices of followers of Christ. He also promotes that as followers we are to, “go after the high gifts” - 1 Cor. 12:31; stating, "the higher gifts" will be more excellent and not be comparable. This is ironic coming from a man who captured, judged and convicted many by what he saw rather than examining the spirit of their actions and Faith. Saul’s conversion to Paul to us is clearly written for us to understand that with the flesh we are only on the surface of God’s Kingdom but with His Spirit, we now are on the threshold of God’s immutability and its manifestations. Jesus’ words were temporal without the miracles of His ministry.

 
Discipline2Discipleship.

Consider, the word, “fear”. In the Bible depending on its context, there are degrees of this feeling, attitude or attribute of it. One context reveals terror while the other reveals reverence. Some say this is the same. In religion and cults this fear is the terror of infliction but in Christ’s walk, it is Power by Grace. God says, “My people die because of lack of knowledge” - Hos. 4:6. Well! God is not talking about the world’s knowledge but His own which is imparted by His Holy Spirit. To become a true disciple of Christ not only requires consistent discipline but the Righteous Spirit of God.

 On a personal note; I am hungry for God’s Spirit! Now; it's not as simple as my want but rather the attitudes and attributes of my want. God’s aim, especially in these last days, is His Glory’s manifestation. The harvest of which will depend on the carriers of this Glory. Why? Because “satan comes as an angel of light” - 2 Cor. 11:14. Jesus makes the unsettling statement to those who were using His name saying, “I do not know you; depart from me” - Matt. 7:23. To depart or rather sent away from Jesus means only one destination. Hell! This is why discipline into discipleship is critical because as Paul encourages, “prove yourself a student of the Word, rightly dividing it” - 2 Tim. 2:15. In a moment at the judgment; we will know just how much we missed the mark in walking in Christ’s footsteps and just how much we applied a worldly mindset to His Gospel and Salvation. It is only by Grace we are even placed before that judgment seat not for condemnation but for accountability of our discipleship of Christ works. When we put it in the unbridled nature of eternity; it becomes an acute reality of who are we really in Christ.

​God detests fear! And He got rid of it the moment it raised its ugly head. Another word that implies this kind of unrighteousness is doubt. Doubt is the opposite of Faith just as hate and offense is the opposite of agape love. What we all need is commitment! The commitment to the standards of Righteousness! And also with this commitment is the attitude and the embracement of Jesus’ prime directive at the start of His ministry to, “set the captives free” - Lk. 4:8; and “for life is more than food” - Lk. 12:23. Now, I should be preaching to the choir here. If so then why so many in the Body is weak and operate with shaking legs and ignorance of the Christian walk? It's because many of us have not been consistent with our commitment to be a true follower of Christ. To be a Christian!

Too often, many in the Body settle with only the surface walk of Christianity. We tend to take up the more easily and attainable fruits of the Spirit - Gal. 5:22. The things that is really more in our control. Yet, Jesus remarks, “what credit is there when we love those who love us” - Lk. 6:32; and “who would give his son a serpent” - Matt. 7:10. The obvious Righteous ways are minimum in what is true to becoming a disciple of Christ and son or daughter of God. The reality is most of the church is walking with what they see rather than the unseen; by their carnality; the lower man, rather than by the Spirit; the higher man. Jesus was discipline! This caused the Spirit to be able to work through Him and more importantly for Jesus to hear the Father’s voice. So often the mission of a Christian is to put themselves in harm's way so that the message of Salvation can be revealed to be planted as a seed for a Harvest as outlined by Jesus’ parable of the sower - Matt 13:3. Yet, by this obedience to the Spirit of God is our protection given and heard so that we escape inflictions and persecutions just as Jesus did as stated, “He walked through them unseen” - Lk. 4:30.

If you lived during Jesus’ ministry and just as today; many are claiming to be servants of God and with orations of intellectualism and philosophical sermons; then one might be in awe of these people. But the Bible is clear it was Jesus’ miracles that got people’s attention. Now, I am all for a good discourse when it comes to Biblical topics as long as it has a solid foundation on the Word and within reasonable parameters of Godly Righteousness. But having pre-knowledge of conditions and experiencing Spiritual manifestations that focuses on these conditions is truly cause for attention, just like the miracle of the blind man who was known to be blind since birth - Jn. 9. This is what the natural cannot explain but miracles do by our Faith. For without Faith, “it is impossible to please God” - Heb. 11:6. Faith is key to miracles and is the bedrock to all disciplines. To believe without evidence that the efforts and sacrifice of person, others and resources will pay dividends that cannot be immediately valued at the start. God demonstrates His Spirit to encourage and keep us on His pathway to Glory because of His commitment to discipline all who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Jesus was only able to do this because as a Spiritual disciplined man; He depended on God’s Spirit for guidance in this carnal world. The Spirit prompted Him when it was the time to move through the crowd while also blinding those seeking Him with distractions. There were no supernatural manifestations like the blocking of the Egyptians in Moses' case with the “pillar of fire” - Ex. 14:24. Today, by God’s will; His Glory and presence are more often by the, “still quiet voice” - 1 Kg. 19:11-12. Why is this? Because God is trying to get us to move by this method and build our Faith. Of course, God can be spectacular when required but isn’t this more the way of the enemy. To bowl us over with fireworks! And by fireworks, we lean on the eyes of the flesh rather than the confident, quiet and immovable Spirit.

Effort is wasted when our heart is not in it. Like a basket with holes; it cannot contain the water that it attempts to carry. So is our spirit when we have too many holes in it because of worldly porosity or weakness in our armor. The Armor of God is the very metaphor for a disciplined Christian. Soldiers don’t go into battle to face the enemy without first making sure their armor is impervious and ready to withstand the onslaught of the enemies slashing. And just as in fighting with the shield of Faith and the sword of Truth; one is required to be disciplined in your attack to defeat the enemy placing him under your feet and authority. For with every trail and tribulation is the exercise of disciplining one’s Faith and practice of the Word. Why? God only wants a strong and not a mediocre army. To think otherwise is not to see the implications of the completed Salvation attained by Jesus. Jesus left us! To be the Righteousness of God for the discipline to disciple the entire world into the Anointing of Jesus Christ.

Flush it out! - A diligent man reaps his harvest - Prov. 21:5.

Seeing the dead raised by a Pastor with a fearless confidence as opposed to those using their lungs is meaningful to the realization of Faith. To subdue the natural tendencies of the flesh and promote the unshakable spirit of the Holy Spirit in Faith is more invaluable than hearing a good talk of the Kingdom. God wants your Faith, not your knowledge. Now, knowledge has its place but the Spirit’s work is far more important than a good sermon. If Christ is your goal, then choices must be made. There are churchgoers and then there are church revelators. God not only gives His word but reveals them. To be a revelator of God is to lead with His Spirit and discipline is the prime way to do this. Just like the Christian walk; one cannot expect to be stable only by attending a Sunday service for an hour and then go back into the world’s ways. That kind of approach only gives the devil food for his deceptions. The church must starve the devil out of anything that gives his politics food for ungodly devices. Recently, through social media I have come across Christians in spiritual battle; often with a tone of exasperation to their trial. Yet, Jesus told us to expect them. We can have compassion, mercy, and empathy to these kinds of plight but that only enforces the journey of carrying a burdened cross for which Jesus already destroyed as proclaimed, “He bore all our sins etc” - 1 Pet. 2:24. All is all!

Before the cross; death ruled by our self-infliction of sin. After the cross; death’s hold no longer can laden us with the guilt of sin as exclaimed, “death where is your sting” - 1 Cor. 15:55. Sin is death and death is fear. The fear of punishment! The nature of sin is not just about the breaking of the Ten Commandments by Moses and the two major ones as clarified by Jesus. For what Moses the man could not do; Jesus with a Righteous Spirit did. Jesus abolished sin! To abolish is not only to get rid of but to put it in its place; below the Rightful heads of God Throne; underneath their feet. With each confrontation by sin and death; Jesus the man placed it in the proper perspective as covered with the three temptations in the wilderness. How was He able to do this before the cross and resurrection. He was a man who disciplined His discipleship under the guide of God’s Spirit and revealed by the manifestation of the Anointing in the image of a dove followed by God’s words, “this is my Son whom I am well pleased” - Mk. 1:11; Well! How can God be well pleased when Jesus hadn’t done anything as yet? Jesus was not only a student of the Torah but He was a true practitioner of it. He did it from the heart.

Spiritual Awakening

As the Body of Christ; we have one goal and that is to be a disciple of Christ. It is the simplest decision to make but the hardest thing to do for it requires focus not occasionally but consistently to accomplish this. It is as stated, “it is no longer I live, but Christ lives in me” - Gal. 2:20. Many in the Body mistakenly interpret Jesus’ direction to be a follower with, “take up your cross” - Lk. 9:23; as to drudge alone with the world’s burdens on their shoulders and emphatically reenact in their life Jesus’ journey from Rome’s courtyards of scourging to Mount Golgotha (The place of skulls) falling down and enduring the ridicule and mocking of the ignorant and lost. That is not being a Righteous disciple of Christ but staying in the quagmire of sin and death.