Garden Ministries

Janet Smith – 4-19-2022 ©gardenministries.org

Deuteronomy 8:2, 16 CSB Remember that the LORD your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers had not known, in order to humble and test you, so that in the end he might cause you to prosper.

Luke 12:32 CSB Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

Mark 1:9-12 CSB In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” 12 Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan

The purpose of the wilderness is to give God’s children every opportunity to yield their free wills in obedience to the Father through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus modeled the way through. From the wilderness to the garden to the cross, Jesus submitted to the Father’s complete work of testing and trials. In every opportunity, Jesus yielded His will to the Father. Each choice Jesus made reveals each choice we will make to overcame sin, self, and the devil.

These opportunities are the necessary tests and trials we will need to fully mature in humility. Father’s mature sons and daughters are completely dependent on Him. The humility of complete dependence and a fully yielded will are what empower God’s family to righteously steward His eternal inheritance of Christ formed and manifest within them.

Because Jesus made the way for us to become sons of our Father through His blood sacrifice on the cross, Revelation 12:11 promises that we too can overcome and conquer satan’s wicked plans for humanity and earth. We overcome our own selfish pride and satan’s evil plan for our life through obedience to God’s Word that prunes us and keeps the fire of first-love for Jesus stoked.

Revelation 12:11 NASB And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death

The danger of the wilderness is when we lose sight of its purpose and forget the goal of enduring its hardships. The goal of passing these tests is to humble us so that we are ready to receive what the Father delights to give us—the fullness of His Son Jesus and His glory and His kingdom—forever.

The only way to survive the wilderness is to keep the home-fires of love for Jesus burning bright. If we continually seek God’s face, He will bring us opportunities to overcome. We overcome every time we  choose to humble ourselves under His mighty hand when He exerts His Lordship over our life and we see our own selfish responses rise up. When opportunities to turn to God, obey His Word, and abide in Him are presented, and we humble ourselves by choosing to turn to Him, the power of selfishness is weakened and the love of God grows stronger.

Everything given to us is from God. The only thing we have to give to God is our yielded will. Every time we yield our will to the Father’s will, another layer of fear, doubt, and unbelief is pruned and cut away from our heart—our trust center.

Slowly but surely, with every choice to yield our will to the Father’s will, the Spirit of Truth prunes and frees our hearts from sinful, self-centered bondage, and imparts the freedom to intimately know Jesus and understand His ways, so that we can love Him all the more.

And this is the grand purpose of the wilderness: to enable us by the Holy Spirit to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind and, by extension, love the people God brings into our life, the way that God loves them. Mature and humble, we will emerge from the wilderness, leaning on our Beloved husband, filled with His glory and shining forth His Name!

Song of Songs 8:5a, 6 CSB Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on the one she loves?… 6 Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death; jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol. Love’s flames are fiery flames — an almighty flame!

Janet Smith – November 7, 2021 ©gardenministries.org

Matthew 11:28-30 (CSB) Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest (tranquility) for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Romans 16:20 (CSB) The God of peace (Greek: eiréné) will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

What is an aggravated soul? An aggravated soul is when the ego, representing our unique personhood (in the Greek: our psuché), has risen up and wants some form of justice for a perceived wrong or lack. To aggravate means to rouse to displeasure or anger by usually persistent and often petty goading, to make heavy; a burden. Synonyms: annoy, chafe, bug, irk, grate, spite, persecute, vex. Our self-centered, self-protective ego wants—even demands—something more for us than what we are currently experiencing.

When our soul becomes aggravated and our ego rises up to defend our rights for a better life, we have a choice to make. We can either choose to believe we are right, take matters into our own hands, and begin to demand justice OR we can turn to the God of Peace and ask Him, “What do You say in this matter God?” and then wait for His answer with an open heart.

In Matthew 11:25-27, right before Jesus says “Come to Me all who are weary,” He praises the Father for His wisdom. Jesus goes on to describe how He has been entrusted by the Father to reveal the Father’s wisdom to all who want Him. Jesus came to do the Father’s will which was to bring the priestly sacrifice needed to accomplish the Father’s desire to forgive and restore His children to Himself. Jesus is all always all about the Father. When we come to our High Priest Jesus, we are coming the Father for restoration and justice.

The reason we don’t want to come to Jesus is because we don’t want to suffer the painful process of learning how to stop doing things our way and start doing them God’s way. We may think we already know what’s wrong and right and presumptuously expect others to do things our way for resolve. Here is our confrontation: Is our way working? Is righteous fruit being produced? If not, we need to ask the Father for His heavenly wisdom, His will, and His clear direction.

Abiding in the Vine means to seek, patiently wait on, and trust in God. We may incur some hard knocks before we surrender and realize how we’ve been relying on our soul’s self-defensive energy and not going to God. The one power God gives us is housed within our soul’s will. It’s even called will-power. We have the power to yield our will to another.

When our soul is aggravated and the choice to do the same dumb thing that hasn’t worked presents, what will we do this time? Will we yield, humble ourselves, come to Jesus, and ask the Father for His way through this thing? Pride divides. Humility heals. The God of Peace will give rest to our souls because He is bringing all the tattered pieces of our life back together in His wholeness.

Hebrews 5:7-8 (CSB) During his earthly life, he (Jesus) offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 9 After he was perfected (teleioó), he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Teleioó (tel-ay-o’-o) as a course, a race: I complete, finish; to consummate, reaching the end-stage, i.e. working through the entire process (all the stages) to reach the final phase (conclusion).

Jesus always relied on the Father to take care of His soul’s emotional needs. 1 Peter 2:23 says that when Jesus suffered injustice, He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly—His Father. Even though the Father put His Son through intense suffering, Jesus trusted the Father’s reasons for letting injustice happen to Him, and never took matters into His own hands to defend Himself and His rights.

1 Peter 2:21-25 (CSB) For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (Greek: psuché).

If we want to become complete, lacking nothing, we need to follow Jesus’ example in how he ran His race and how He dealt with His own soul when it was provoked. Jesus was a human being with a spirit, soul, and body. Matthew 26:38 (HCSB) Then He (Jesus) said to them, “My soul (psuché) is swallowed up in sorrow—to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with Me. 39 Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.

The one thing we always see Jesus doing is turning to the Father. He never took matters into His own hands and relied on His own soul’s resources to demand justice. Also, Jesus regularly spent time with the Father. He showed up physically, emotionally, and spiritually and waited on Father, even going without sleep to get it done. Jesus spent time with the Father, and learned what the Father’s will was, and then followed it perfectly. This is our path. This is how we run our race. We become like Jesus when we do what He did and do what He says. It’s that simple.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (CSB) Now may the God of peace (eiréné) himself sanctify (hagiazó) you completely (holotelés). And may your whole spirit (pneuma), soul (psuché), and body (sóma) be kept sound and blameless (amemptós) at the coming (Parousia-Presence after absence) of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.

Eiréné  (i-ray’-nay) eirḗnē (from eirō, “to join, tie together into a whole“) – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God’s gift of wholeness).

Hagiazó (hag-ee-ad’-zo) to make holy, consecrate, sanctify, to regard as special (sacred), i.e. “set apart,” to dedicate, separate. From hagios “different from the world” because we are “like the Lord.” We are different (distinguished/distinct)” because we are special to the Lord.

Holotelés (hol-ot-el-ace’) perfect, complete, wholly (holistically), “fully-layered” (all levels present) – describing someone reaching the end-goal of “entire sanctification.”

Holokléros (hol’-ok’-lay-ros) complete in every part, sound, perfect, entire, complete in all its parts, entire, whole, in no part lacking or unsound, James 1:4: “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete (holóklēros), lacking in nothing.”

Pneuma (pnyoo’-mah) wind, breath, spirit, a movement of air (gentle) blast; the breath of life (Revelation 11:11 But after three and a half days, the breath of life (pneuma) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. A spirit is a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting.

Psuché (psoo-khay’) the soul, the vital breath of life, (b) the human soul, (c) the soul as the seat of affections and will, (d) the self, (e) a human person, an individual; a person’s distinct identity (unique personhood), i.e. individual personality. The soul is the direct aftermath of God breathing (blowing) His (pneuma) gift of life into a person, making them an ensouled being. Our ego is based in our soul. A crucified ego is fully sanctified.

Sóma (so’-mah) the physical body.

Amemptós (am-emp’-toce) blameless, no cause for censure, i.e., no cause for stern disapproval and public reprimand.

Jesus is our example of how to align our soul’s will in an abiding relationship with the Father. If we follow Jesus, we let the Holy Spirit sanctify our souls. This will enable us to receive Jesus when He comes (Parousia: Christ’s Presence after absence) and we won’t shrink back because all shame is gone.

Janet Smith – 9-19-2021 ©gardenministries.org

“Jude is the vestibule [i.e., the lobby or passageway to] to the book of Revelation.” “Where the Book of Acts tells us about the Beginning of the Church and is the message of the Acts of the Apostles, the Book of Jude is the about the end of the Church Age and is the Acts of the Apostates.” – Dr. Chuck Missler, Koinonia House.

Jude verses 20-25 (CSB) But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. 22 Have mercy on those who waver; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen

The only way any of us will be willing or able to stand in Jesus and endure to the end in what is coming is because of this one simple fact: we are in love with Jesus.

We don’t just love Jesus for what He did for us or for what He does for us—even though it is awesome—we love Him for who He is. We can even say we are lovesick for Him. We are IN-love with Jesus. We are desperate for Him. We can’t live without Him, nor will we. We are even willing to die for Him if that’s how things go. If we are not in love with Jesus, we are more likely to fall prey to compromise in the days ahead, maybe even delusion. We may fall prey to believing lies that contradict and invalidate the truth of His Word found in Scripture.

If we fall prey to compromise and begin to water down or invalidate God’s Word, we are really just trying to lessen our responsibility to obey Him. This is how we will not stand with Jesus in times of persecution. But if we are completely in love with Jesus, we will by nature hunger and thirst after His righteousness and our desire to obey is Word will be our first desire. This is what keeping Jesus as our First Love means. We are in love with Him. In the face of persecution and darkness, we will consider no other option but to stand with Him Who is the Light of Life.

Jesus’ Bride is lovesick for Him and will be faithful unto death to her Husband, her Best Friend, her Savior, her Lord. Any lesser love for Jesus than being head-over-heels lovesick for Him will not stand in the fire of betrayals and persecution that the Bible says are coming.

When a life-or-death situation is set in front of us or shocking events unfold in front of our eyes, unless we intimately know the Voice of the One we Love and remember to look up at Him, we will be paralyzed by fear and our dead religion won’t hold us, because it can’t hold us. It is a form with no power.

1 John 4:8 (CSB) There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love.

In moments of crisis, without Jesus’ Lordship and Voice established within us through practiced obedience, our animalistic, fight-or-flight survival instincts will kick in and start to drive our decision-making.

But Jude promises that if we “vs. 21, (CSB) keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life… 24 [He] is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy.“

Greek: “Keep” = Guard and Keep Watch Over. “Stumbling” = Falling

Jesus is able to protect us and keep us standing firm so that not only are we making it, we are standing in the presence of His glory SPOTLESS and WITH GREAT JOY. That is not just making it. That’s overcoming.

Psalm 50 tells us that when God comes to judge, it’s quite the entrance. There is fire and there is a Storm.

Psalm 50:1-3 (CSB) The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks; he summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God appears in radiance. 3 Our God is coming; he will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes him, and a storm rages around him.

For years, we’ve heard prophesies about the Lord coming in the midst of a Storm. Each prophecy warns us is to keep our eyes on the Lord through the Storm and not let the Storm distract us from Him and what He is doing in it. Each prophecy promises sunshine, rainbows, and peace after the storm. The Storm has purpose. Stay fixed on the prize in the midst of it. Jesus is coming in the Storm!

There’s a song entitled, “Cloud Rider” and it starts with these words, “A fiery storm is coming. Intense the heat it casts. It comes with little warning. Before the Trumpet blast. And sorrow’s hold has found no home. For Christ has come at last.”

On March 18^th, 2021, a word came during prayer, “Be ready for trouble. Ground Zero: Brace yourself. Things are about to get ‘real’. There is nothing to be afraid of. God is our shelter in the storm. Things are about to get worse before they get better (Jeremiah 12).” That morning there was a dream that a cosmic war had started in Minneapolis and St. Paul and it came suddenly.

The Lord comes in the Storm. Do we know how to stand on God’s Word and fight in faith-filled prayer, no matter the cost—even unto death if that be the case? Are we settled with that question answered in our hear-of-heart’s? If we are settled, we will stand in the days to come and we will thrive in the storm, not just survive. We won’t compromise because we are in love with Jesus more than we love our own lives. If our testimony of faithfulness to Jesus is true in our hearts, it will come out in truth in the Storm.

It’s not just about dying-to-self and then remaining empty and swept clean. We are also to be filled up with Jesus. We accomplish this through a hungry pursuit of Him and by maturing in our faith and trust in Him through obedience to His Word. Every time we choose to obey Him and trust Him more than ourselves and don’t succumb to or seek out the world’s pleasures to fill us, we are maturing and growing and being filled with the eternal Life of God—who is Jesus. God is making his home in us. That is what will keep us standing. Christ IN US, the hope of glory.

John 14:20-24 (CSB) On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him. 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

We have to come to terms with the fact that in the right circumstances, all human love, apart from God’s love, is self-centered and will fail God and will fail us. That is why God is sanctifying us from depending on human love. We can only depend on His love. But we have to learn how to tell the difference between broken human love and God’s eternal love. The Holy Spirit wants to teach us how to recognize and walk in God’s love.

Human love relies on and is dispensed by the power of self. When the world around us loses its civility, when the nations rage, and injustice abounds, the human ability to be noble and to love disintegrates quickly into animalistic self-preservation tactics where it’s every man for themselves. Most middle-class-or-above Americans are used to a fairly comfortable lifestyle because they’ve been protected through the rule of law and live amongst generally civilized, good mannered, neighborly folks.

When the lawless one comes and all that civility is out the door, many people will find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Many have not had to face circumstances where the fabric of society has unraveled. We need to learn now, ahead of the times, how to completely depend on God’s love and be ok with standing alone in Him; standing by faith and hope, held secure in God’s love in which we feel empowered to “love not our lives unto death.” We can only stand like this if we are in love with Jesus.

We have to let the Holy Spirit wean us from being codependent in our relationships. Are we rooted and grounded in His Love so, if necessary, we can steadfastly stand alone in our faith in Him? If we can’t live without that other person, then we are subject to fall if they fall. Can we even tell the difference between human love and God’s love? Human love has hooks and pulls and is riddled self-centered give-and-take expectations. We “give” to get, in order to receive what we define we must have from the relationship.

That is human love. It is self-defined, self-empowered, and self-promoting. Christians and non-Christians alike operate in human love. By its very nature, human love is self-centered because it is from self. Believers in Christ have the unique invitation to enter into a transcendent love through the work of the Holy Spirit within them. God’s love is unique in that, while His love does have requirements, God’s love and His requirements of us are based entirely in perfect Truth and God’s truth promises to set us free.

John 8:31-32 (CSB) Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Only God’s Love is complete Truth and only His Truth can impart true liberty. It is the beautiful fruit of knowing Him. God doesn’t need any of us humans but He wants us. He wants us so much, He sent Jesus to die for our sins so we could be reconciled to God and then, sent the Spirit to sanctify us so that we can even marry Jesus and be His eternal dwelling place. Amazing.

To know God’s love, we need to know God. To know God, we need to fall in love with Jesus and believe He is Who He says He is. To do this, we have to know what He says about Himself and believe it! Are we letting Him woo us and set us aside to spend time with Him? How can we fall in love with someone we ignore, put off, and barely spend time with?

If we are not falling in love with Jesus, we will not empty ourselves of human self-love and make room for God’s love to fill us. It is God’s love that will hold us in the days ahead. Self-love is powerless in the face of what’s coming. Humanity’s self-love does not have enough fortitude to endure through times of chaos, betrayal, and lawlessness. Christ’s love alone can and will hold us through the storms—even to the point where we are full of joy in the storm, eagerly anticipating seeing Him face-to-face without shame or shrinking back.

How do we fall more in love with Jesus? Spend time with Him. Wait on Him. Be still before Him. Pray. Read and meditate on His Word. Sing Praises to His Name. Ask for hunger—and more hunger. Ask for thirst—and more thirst—to know Him. Set your mind on heavenly things, on eternity, and on being married to Jesus in the Age to come. Spend less time looking into and running after what this current and fleeting age is offering. It is fading out fast right before our eyes.

We are invited to love Jesus with our whole heart, mind, and soul. He wouldn’t ask us to love Him like this if it weren’t possible—even necessary—to love Him like this. It is His love formed within us in Christ that loves Him that way. All the more, we need to purpose to give Jesus plenty of our focused time so we can cultivate an intimate, knowing relationship with Him. How can we expect to fall in love with someone we barely know?

Over time, our love for Jesus will deepen every time we obey Him and every time He discloses and reveals Himself to us. Every time we push distractions aside and choose to quiet ourselves and meditate on His Word and draw near to Him, James 4:8 says, “he will draw near to you.” Just show up and wait on Him in prayer and fellowship—alone or with other believers. These are ways to give Him our Yes in this hour before the Storm.

Do we believe that Jesus likes times of fellowship with us? That just hearing our thankful, faith-filled hearts singing to Him in praise from our secret place is like precious gold?

A Lovesick Bride will Hunger, Thirst, Yearn, and Wait for God

 Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.

Daniel 12:12 Happy is the one who waits for and reaches 1,335 days.

How do I know if I am in love with Jesus? What is my first instinct when crisis hits or a fiery trial comes my way? Do I turn and run to Him? Do I trust His Word? Do I believe He loves me and wants to help me find His way through this trial? Do I believe He is my answer in this crisis?

In John 6, when many disciples thought that following Jesus was too intense and left Him, Jesus looked at His 12 disciples and asked if they were going to cut and run too? Peter answered, (vs. 68) “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray him.

Peter saw and said that there was no other option. Jesus fulfilled all that Peter knew to recognize as being God. There wasn’t an option to leave Him. Peter knew this truth conceptually and declared it, yet when crisis hit and his self-love animalistic instincts kicked in, he denied Jesus.

But later, when Jesus restored Peter, it all came down to God’s love versus Peter’s human love. Jesus asked three times, “Peter. Do you love Me?” Then He told Peter what love looks like in service. “Feed my lambs.” And then told Peter by what kind of death He would glorify God. Only God’s love in us can carry us through the work of feeding His lambs and enduring persecution and death-to-self.

Fellowship with others in the body of Christ can help us fall more in love with Jesus but we can only trust another person’s faithfulness to the relationship to the degree that they are in love with Jesus for themselves. We can tell if someone is in love with Jesus to the degree that they turn to Him in their fiery trials, rely on His Word, and are eager to obey Him. They will bear the undeniable fruit of the Holy Spirit.

If someone is half-hearted and dull toward Jesus and His Word, they only want to do the bare minimum to get by with God and their church family. While this kind of coasting on the others spiritual hard work might work during times of peace, when they all see the Bridegroom is really coming and the storm kicks in, it won’t be long before those who coasted start to scramble and realize they need more intimacy with Jesus than they thought. In desperation, they may try to get what they should have gotten for themselves all along.

The 5 foolish virgins tried to get oil from the 5 wise but had to be turned down or it would cost the 5 wise virgins their own supply. Point is. We all have to fall in love with Jesus. We can’t fall in love with Jesus for someone else. And blaming others for our own lack of pursuit and sacrifice is just a coverup for our refusal to take responsibility for our own work and sin of unbelief.

All we have to do in the moment we realize our lack is to accept our responsibility and start right then and there to ask for hunger and thirst to fall in love with Jesus. If we confess our need for Jesus and admit where we have been living half-hearted, as long as we have the Holy Spirit in us, we can start living in wholehearted pursuit of Jesus.

After Jesus told His listeners about the coming persecutions and to abide in Him, He went on to say in John 16:1-3: I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will ban you from the synagogues.  In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me.

2 Timothy 3:1-2, 5-7,12 But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, … 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people. 6 For among them are those who worm their way into households and deceive gullible women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by a variety of passions, 7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. … 12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Additional scriptures: Matthew 24:9, Matthew 10:16, 32

 

Janet Smith – 9-19-2021 ©gardenministries.org

The size and intensity of our spiritual battles does not determine our stature with Christ. The level of warfare we incur does not determine the level of our eternal reward. Ephesians 1:3-4 and Ephesians 4:7, 11-13 tells us that whatever our function and calling is, we are pre-apportioned and given the appropriate amount of grace, spiritual blessings, and giftings ahead of time to perform our callings and functions.

Ephesians 1:3-4 (CSB) Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.

Ephesians 4:4-7, 11-13, 16 (CSB)There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope at your calling — 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift …11 and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness … 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Whether you are called to be a sparkly Joy Bringer or a scary Dragon Slayer, you have the same level of self to die to as the next guy or gal. The death-to-self process is an equal opportunity battleground that every last one of us is asked to fight—no matter what our calling and spiritual function in the body of Christ may be.

In other words, to the degree that a person denies self and follows Christ is to the degree that they will overcome and receive the eternal rewards of an overcomer. The guy and gal with a gift of helps and mercy and the principality-fighting apostle and prophet are equally rewarded for all eternity to the degree that they were faithful to their own God-given assignments, chose the way of the cross when it was offered, and humbled themselves in their first love devotion to Jesus.

This is the great revelation to the church who tends to elevate and even idolize the 5-fold function gifts over the rest of the body. And then some go the other way and completely ignore the 5-fold function gifts in operation amongst them and let those guys and gals do all the work while the others refuse to take up their own cross of self-denial and service. The 5-fold gifts are given UNTIL WE ALL reach the unity of the faith.

No Believer in Jesus Christ should compete for a calling that doesn’t belong to them. All we are required to do is follow Jesus and overcome our own fears and mistrust toward Him by wholeheartedly loving Him and faithfully serving His body. We please the Father by the faith and trust we have in Him and by our obedience to His Word. Don’t avoid the painful process of death-to-self. Embrace it. RUN TO THE FIRE AND JUMP INTO IT! The sooner He burns up self, the better. JESUS WILL SEE US THROUGH THE FIRE. Isaiah 43.

Hebrews 11:5-6 (CSB) By faith Enoch was taken away (Gr. Transferred, changed), and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Janet Smith – July 17, 2021 ©gardenministries.org

John 4:34-38 (CSB) My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.

Luke 12:54-56 [Interpreting the Time] (CSB) He [Jesus] also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. 55 And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?

There are two main seasons in the life of believers who aspire to mature in their faith and be used by God to their maximum potential and created purpose. These two seasons are:

1. The Wilderness: receive God’s promises and patiently endure in faith as the word is tested
2. The Promised Land: the struggle to shake off the effects of the wilderness and to humbly enter God’s season of rest and refreshing

The season of The Wilderness starts with God’s promise and a baptism of hope. We are then sent on a journey where our faith in God’s word is tested and our hope is tried. We fight through this battle zone until, through faith and patience, God’s word of promise grows up fully formed within us.

1 Corinthians 13 tells us that the number one characteristic of God’s love is patience. When our trust in God’s word is complete and our faith—unshakeable, then Christ’s love within us will manifest peaceful patience and His radiant glory will shine forth. This marks the season of entering The Promised Land. Only God knows when our season in The Wilderness has prepared us to enter the season of The Promised Land. Hint: we will always think we are ready before we actually are.

Both seasons of wilderness and the promised land are good seasons. And both seasons are best managed by keeping eternity in view. Without our anchor of hope secured beyond the veil and fixed in faith on Jesus, we will certainly get stuck in the weeds of our carnality and get lost to the snares of each season’s spiritual terrain. Do we want to overcome? Then we need to know what season we are in, and as we pass through it, keep eternity in view. What does it mean to keep eternity in view?

Our eternal beginnings are described in Ephesians 1:3-6 (CSB) Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

We learn here that we are in our God’s eternal thoughts before He ever breathed life into our earthly body. We do not, however, learn from Ephesians 1 that any human being has the ability to exercise their free will choices before they existed in their earthly body. The idea that humans could make freewill choices before they were born is hard to back up with scripture. [See my article “The Human Spirit Pre-Birth Existence” https://gardenministries.org/2016/06/07/the-human-spirit-pre-birth-existence/]

Purposes of the Wilderness:

1. Produce humility
2. Cultivate unshakeable faithfulness

Deuteronomy 8:11-20 (CSB) Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. 12 When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, 13 and your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold multiply, and everything else you have increases, 14 be careful that your heart doesn’t become proud and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 15 He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty land where there was no water. He brought water out of the flint rock for you. 16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your ancestors had not known, in order to humble and test you, so that in the end he might cause you to prosper. 17 You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ 18 but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them, I testify against you today that you will certainly perish. 20 Like the nations the Lord is about to destroy before you, you will perish if you do not obey the Lord your God.

Hebrews 6:1-10 (CSB) [Warning against Falling Away] 1 Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, 2 teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And we will do this if God permits. 4 For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, 6 and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt. 7 For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned. 8 Even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident of things that are better and that pertain to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints — and by continuing to serve them.

Hebrews 6:11-20 (CSB) 11 Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, 12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. [Inheriting the Promise] 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: 14 I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you. 15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. 17 Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

We are being prepared for the greatest move of God in the earth since creation began. The end of the age and its harvest is in view. The gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit will manifest in those Believers, who stayed engaged with God during the wilderness season of preparation, like we have never seen them manifest before. Isaiah prophesied and Paul confirmed this unique time as a time like no other. Romans 5:1-5 tells us that God’s out-poured love follows the wilderness season(s) of character shaping. God’s revealed glory will manifest the out-poured love of God in Christ’s fullness on a level and display that compels the harvest to respond.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (CSB) But as it is written, what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived — God has prepared these things for those who love him.

Isaiah 64:4 (CSB) From ancient times (Hebrew: olam = eternity) no one has heard, no one has listened to, no eye has seen any God except you who acts on behalf of the one who waits for him.

Unique times call for unusual preparation. We may have had hints of this preparation in our lives before this last long stretch, but the grueling nature of the last season of preparation has been for many, unprecedented. Why? To ensure we are ready to go through the most difficult times of human history and not lose sight of the goal and purpose of it all: that is to be presented to Jesus as His pure and spotless bride who rules and reigns with Him for all eternity.

If we know what season we are in, we can remind ourselves of what we are doing and what we are not doing in that season. The season of the wilderness will feel restrictive and confining. The sooner we can accept and embrace that reality, the sooner we can move toward reaping the benefits of The Wilderness—that is: humility and unshakeable faithfulness.

Think of the season of The Wilderness as being in prison with occasional day passes to get out and a few visitors who get in. By accepting our limitations and restrictions, we can literally rejoice that God has us in a very focused time of learning. And though it can be hard at times to keep plowing this hard ground, if we keep eternity in view, we will better see this confinement or imprisonment as necessary relief from earthly distractions. We will stay focused on our God-given assignments as He cultivates humility and faithfulness.

Examples from the Bible of the wilderness season of promise, waiting-and-contending, and confinement:

Read: Acts 7 Stephen’s Sermon before martyrdom: Abraham, Moses, Joshua and Caleb, Joseph, David, Ruth, Esther, Job, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Peter, Paul, John. And most of all, Jesus.

1 Corinthians 2:6-9 (CSB) We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age (Greek: aión: a space of time, an age), who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived — God has prepared these things for those who love him.

The evil rulers of this age want to keep humans trapped in the power of their dominion and stop Believers in Jesus from overcoming them. As long as a Believer’s old man nature remains uncrucified and unsubmitted to Christ’s Lordship, the evil powers of this age will affect how we experience life. That’s why Paul tells us who our real enemies are. And guess what, they aren’t human!

Ephesians 6:10 (CSB) Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

The Believer’s way through this battle is through faith and patience in God’s Word and letting it cut the fleshly selfishness off of our God-born spirits as we embrace the cross as Galatians 2:20 describes. If we don’t embrace the cross and follow Jesus into full maturity, our unsanctified souls will continue to succumb to the increased pressure exerted by the rulers of the age.

Hebrews 12 describes the wilderness season of sonship maturity as a season of discipline where we “struggle against sin” as we learn to stop resisting God’s corrective side of love. There can be much joy in this season if we keep eternity in view and simply Trust God where we don’t yet understand Him or His ways. If we don’t look at Jesus as our example and trust His leadership, we will keep looking at ourselves and/or blaming others. We may never make it out of this wilderness and die in our unbelief.

What does a season of discipline entail? It is the season where we learn the side of God’s love that embraces the cross. Our God-given assignments are designed to bring us into maturity. They will necessarily include opportunities to pick up our cross, deny self, and follow Jesus. We will be called to make daily choices to rely on Jesus rather than relying on ourselves. In doing this, we will no longer be what Philippians 3:18-19 describes as “enemies of the cross.”

Philippians 3:18 (CSB) For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. 20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

In both seasons, we learn to accept God’s love that comes with strong discipline. In one season, it is pounded into us. In another season, it is gently sustained. In every season, we are commanded to love God first. We learn to discern what God’s love is versus what human self-love is. As we embrace the eternal love of God, that cannot fail, our own fickle, fallen, human, self-love is replaced. Can we tell the difference between the two yet? If we follow Christ, we will.

Proverbs 23:12-16 (CSB) Apply yourself to discipline and listen to words of knowledge. 13 Don’t withhold discipline from a youth; if you punish him with a rod, he will not die. 14 Punish him with a rod, and you will rescue his life from Sheol. 15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will indeed rejoice. 16 My innermost being will celebrate when your lips say what is right.

Focused on earthly things: when the tyranny of time in this age bears down on us and we do not choose to rise above it, by sinking into the humility of trust in God and waiting for Him, we will sink into self-centered earthly thinking, and look to our old man carnal nature for ways out of the pain and pressure. This is where the rulers of this world apply their elementary principles and try to get us to seek worldly pleasures to alleviate the pain and pressure. But Ephesians 3:10-11 tells us that the church is supposed to be the overcoming example to these very rulers. God’s eternal purpose is supposed to showcase His multifaceted wisdom through us, His Ekklesia church in the earth.

We are called to overcome the rulers of this age and the spirit of the world through faith and love for Jesus. To overcome them, we absolutely need an eternal perspective on our purpose in Christ. It is NOT to fulfill the American Dream or any Globalist’s Dream. It is to fulfill God’s Ephesians 1:10 dream which is to bring all things in heaven and earth together in Jesus Christ. As the end of time in this age quickly approaches, overcomers in Christ will transition into seeing things from heaven’s eternal perspective.

Without an eternal perspective, when the tyranny of time and its pressure hit, and the pain rises, we will struggle and scramble to process all the mixed messages. This need not be the case. We can be very sure-footed and unafraid in the high places if we are fixed on Jesus and His  eternal purpose and how it plays out in our everyday life. This will keep us from falling into the traps of our real enemies who are hell bent on keeping Believers from overcoming them by entering into bridal union with Jesus.

Steps toward recognizing and choosing the path of humility and faithfulness:

• Is my intimate love for Jesus growing or shrinking? Why? Am I pursuing Jesus or pretending to?
• What season of God’s love am I in? Wilderness & Discipline OR Promised Land & Refreshment.
• Has God given me promises that carry me beyond this wilderness season? What are they? Am I eagerly believing them and making daily choices that back up and walk out what I say?
• Has God given me assignments and mandates within this Wilderness or within this Promised Land? What are they and am I faithfully walking them out as I grow in my love for Jesus?
• What is the tyranny of time trying to pressure me into right now? Do I have thoughts like this: “I think I’m behind, I’m late to the table, I’m not good enough, I think they are behind, they are late, they aren’t good enough, they are holding me back, etc.” Can I take responsibility for my walk with God?
• When I am tempted to shut down in passive, victim-oriented shame and indulge in self-pity, or when I am tempted to blow up and blame others in angry pride, will I instead take responsibility for my life in God and choose to be the God-loving person I want to be in that moment?

Whenever we choose to rise in faith and take on an eternal perspective by looking at Jesus as our answer, we step outside of time and by grace, we are given access to heavenly wisdom. James 3:17-18 describes the fruits of righteousness available to us when we access this heavenly wisdom. We become peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.

An eternal perspective lifts us up above the rulers of this age and gives us access through Christ to heavenly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is transformative because it renews the way we think and feel. The love of God flows through heavenly wisdom in truth and subdues the evil ruler’s lies and pressure to conform to their demonically-laced earthly wisdom and self-centered solutions.

Luke 18:8b (CSB) “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes (Greek: erchomai), will he find faith on earth?”

When Jesus comes, will He find me eagerly waiting and believing that He loves me, that He wants me and cares deeply for me? Do I believe that that the season of The Wilderness is to prepare me to humbly receive when God pours out His love with great generosity in The Promised Land? Beyond words, does Jesus have evidence of my faith, hope, and love for Him? If we are faithful in and humble with little, we can be trusted with more.

 

 

Janet Smith – June 13, 2021 ©gardenministries.org

Romans 5:1-5 (CSB) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:5: “disappoint” in Greek: kataischuno: dishonor, humiliate, frustrate, disgrace, shame, put to utter confusion.

What are we hoping for? We HOPE for the glory of God and this glory comes as the out-poured Love of God like we’ve never experienced it before. The big surprise or unveiled mystery is that the glory of God’s out-poured Love comes through the bride of Jesus who has grown up into Christ’s headship and has Him fully formed within her!

Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God has appeared [Greek: epiphainó (ep-ee-fah’-ee-no): shined upon], bringing salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing [Greek: epiphaneia (ep-if-an’-i-ah): manifestation and shining forth] of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession (costly, treasured, select, specially chosen, prized), [who are] eager (boiling over with passion) to do good works. 15 Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Colossians 1:27 (CSB) God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The Titus 2:13 “blessed hope” is the shining forth of the glory of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The mystery of this blessed hope is that not only is Jesus going to one day come physically and visibly “in the clouds” (Matthew 24:30), He is also coming and shining forth “physically” through His purified bride who has made herself ready and has Christ fully formed within her. She will rise and shine when His Light comes to her and when the Holy Spirit bursts forth the Father’s Love from within her. Isaiah 60:1-3 tells us this will happen during a time of deep darkness and harvest.

What is the glory of God we hope for? His glory is the out-poured Love of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The glory of God that we hope for is when the Holy Spirit bursts open from within a ready people and shines forth God’s Love in fullness (Romans 5:2-5, Colossians 1:27, Titus 2:13).

Who supplies this Love that won’t dishonor or disappoint us? Romans 5:5 says “the Holy Spirit.”

What are we waiting for and why do we have to wait? We are waiting for Christ to be fully formed within us as the death-to-self process makes way for the Holy Spirit to release the fullness of God’s Love within His holy and blameless vessels. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are given a portion—a deposit of God’s LOVE—especially as we experience His peace and grace through the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying process. But we do not yet have the fullness of God’s out-poured Love as Romans 5:5 promises.

Ephesians 1:4 (CSB)) For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him

Ephesians 1:4 describes God’s eternal purpose in creating us. His purpose is for us to walk “holy and blameless in love before him.” We were created to be fully occupied and possessed by the Holy Spirit Who always exudes the radiant glory of God’s Love. The key word to remember here is “holy.” The Holy Spirit within us groans and labors within us to make us holy, set apart, blameless vessels in which He can burst forth the fullness of God’s Love. John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Though we may not yet walk in the fullness of God’s love, the hope for the glory of God releases the grace and peace we need to get there. The Romans 5:5 and Titus 2:11-13 hope promises a grace to be cleansed and an outcome that will not frustrate, dishonor, or disappoint us. Why? Because God’s love, the Father’s perfect love, has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given us.

It is impossible for the Father’s Love to disappoint us. Rather, we will be instantly healed when He pours Himself out like this in our hearts. We need faith to believe for more than what we currently know of the Love of God. We have the down payment to point us to the fulfillment. This means there is a portion but not yet the fullness of our inheritance described in Ephesians 1:11-14. The fulfillment is the glory that our hope is holding on to in faith for more.

Ephesians 1:11-14 (CSB) In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

The riches of our glorious inheritance in Christ Jesus is this: God’s Love through the Holy Spirit fully released and bursting forth in full measure within a matured and ready bride. Rooted and firmly established in His love, we are empowered to comprehend its explosive magnitude, far beyond our human capacity to know it in our own strength or mind.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (CSB) For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us — 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen

Do we yet have this full measure of God’s Love bursting forth within us? Perhaps not. But we are fervently hoping for this full measure of God’s Love. We are pressing into Jesus with our all to obtain His full measure and stature formed within us. He must increase. We must decrease. If we want to see the Love of God ever-increasing from within, we cannot underestimate the power of forgiveness and unconditional love.

To the degree I will not forgive—the most basic feature of God’s Love—is to the degree that I will not know His Love and forgiveness for me. I need all the Love of God I can get. I need the Love of God to endure hardship and, like Paul, to “boast of our afflictions.” I need to forgive and forget the past and press on toward the upward call in Christ. I can’t really press on if I’m bogged down in self-pity and unforgiveness.

What is keeping us from full access to our heavenly spiritual blessings and from the release of God’s Love in full measure? Whatever is still empowering the dark powers of middle heaven to block us from entering in to it. Why do these dark powers have power over us? Didn’t Christ defeat them on the cross? The short answer is Yes, Christ defeated them on the cross. The long answer is, by growing up into Christ, we are ascending in faith and patience UNTIL we reach unity in the faith and obtain to the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4).

As we grow up into Him Who is our Head, we will displace those wicked rulers of the air. We will walk with God under an open heaven with full access to our heavenly spiritual blessings. We need to be given the keys (i.e., the authority) to open doors that no one can shut. These keys go to those who are willing to undergo the process of becoming holy and blameless before God in love.

Picture God’s Heaven. Picture Earth. Picture the spiritual air in between God’s heaven and our earth. The spiritual area in between God’s heaven and our earth, we call “middle heaven.” Some call it “the second heaven.” It is the spiritual area of “high places” where the “ruler of the power of the air” occupies until this area is fully cleansed and Satan is cast out.

Revelation 12:7-9 (CSB) Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, 8 but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was thrown out — the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him

Ephesians 2:2 (CSB) …in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

Ephesians 6:12 (CSB) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens (i.e., “spiritual wickedness in high places” KJV).

Between God’s dwelling in the heavenlies and us on earth, there’s a war zone. This is where every attempt to keep us from breaking through and God establishing an open heaven is resisted by the wickedness still occupying those places.

We may ask, “Didn’t Jesus defeat them on the cross?” Yes! He absolutely did.

Colossians 2:15 (NIV) And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Ephesians 1:19-23 (CSB) He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens — 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Then what’s the holdup? What are we waiting for? Ah yes. This is the point of the journey. We are waiting UNTIL we all grow up!

Ephesians 4:12b-15 (CSB)) to build up the body of Christ, 13 UNTIL we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head — Christ.

Once we grow up into Him who is the head—Christ, the enemy will be fully under our feet because our feet are fully in Christ and we walking in union with Him because we are fully surrendered to His leadership. We are completely dependent on God in every aspect of our life. We no longer walk with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom. We are fully invested in seeking first the kingdom and righteousness of God. We are separated into Christ and becoming holy and blameless before Him in Love by the inworking of the Holy Spirit within us.

Romans 8:5-9 (CSB) For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. 6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you…14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.

Every time we say “NO” to sin, the flesh, and the devil, and say “YES” to Jesus, we are engaging with the Holy Spirit’s work to bring us into matured sonship. Our “YES” to Jesus means we are fighting to grow up and overcome the powers of the air that seek to keep us immature and incomplete in Christ.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions — is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

The wicked rulers in high places are trying to stop us from maturing in Christ and inheriting the fullness of God’s out-poured love [the glory] by keeping us distracted and dependent on their earth-born worldly solutions. As mentioned before: Yes, Jesus defeated every wicked ruler of darkness on the cross and put them under His feet. The evil powers still operating from middle heaven are left for us to overcome. In Judges 3, we see God leaving enemies in the land to teach future generations how to fight His battles and overcome.

Judges 3:1-4 (CSB) These are the nations the Lord left in order to test all those in Israel who had experienced none of the wars in Canaan. 2 This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before.

The hope for the glory means that we choose to let the Holy Spirit do His work and grow us up into Christ. We want to be freed from our attraction to the world and delivered from the lusts of the flesh and eyes and the pride of life’s possessions. More than anything or anyone, we want nothing to separate us from first love for Jesus in everything. We rid ourselves of every hindrance and shed every encumbrance.

Revelation 12:11 (CSB) They conquered him (satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.

God’s love is always reverberating from Him toward us. He is for us. And yet we do not feel God’s Love like we hope to feel it and know it. Even though God’s very nature reverberates His Love toward humanity, the evil powers of the air are resisting us. They are resisting us being able to connect with God’s love and grow up into the fullness in Christ.

The dark powers of middle heaven cast their dark lies upon people. They seek to undermine God’s word and His promises. They try to steal our faith and wear down our hope during the seasons of enduring. As the hardship of training and discipline goes on and on, these wicked rulers exploit any delay and relentlessly accuse God, telling us He doesn’t Love us like He says He does. But when we choose to bow and wait, and believe what God has said, no matter what is going on, we dis-empower these spirits and the middle heaven veil becomes thinner and weaker. The very attack sent against us is used to bring God’s answers because we are warring with them and overcoming them with faith in the truth of God’s word and through patience.

Whenever we give in to these lies, we literally shoot ourselves in the foot and steal from ourselves because every lie we believe empowers the veil of darkness to thicken. Our refusal to grow up keeps the veil empowered and is part of why we feel separated from the glory of God’s Love bursting forth from within. The Holy Spirit bursts forth within mature sons. Romans 8:35-39 assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ—the love of God that is in Him. We can purpose to believe and obey God and declare to middle heaven the truth of Romans 8 over our lives.

Romans 8:16-19, 35-39 (CSB) The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed… 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Janet W. Smith – Copyright 2013

It’s not that we have lost our love
Or sunk to candor’s low,
Or that we pity some—not all,
And loveless keep our faith so small,

Of course, we care
Of course, we care
Of course, we see the need,
It’s that we’ve lost our way, our ship—
Our sails are torn asunder,

And when the wind begins to blow
Our course we cannot know.
For lust has grounded she who sailed
So mighty in the earth,
And power-drunk, she sits aground
No longer in the Way.*

Yet still…

Of course, we care
Of course, we care
We just forgot the “how.”

Oh may this mighty ship return
To She** who saw our first,
And grab the lines that keep us strong
And find our anchors there.

America! America!***
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

———————-
* “The Way.” Jesus is the Way. John 14:6 NIV, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'”

** “She” is Wisdom. Proverbs 4:6 NIV, “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.”

*** Lyrics from “O Beautiful for Spacious Skies” by Katherine Lee Bates, 1859-1929.

Janet Smith – 9-4-2020 ©gardenministries.org

Supernatural signs and wonders will become an everyday reality as the emerging Bride of Jesus Christ begins to walk in new levels of authority and power. But there are two sides to the end-time story. There are also those who emerge as the Revelation 17 “Harlot.” They too will walk in powerful signs and wonders.

The Bride’s power comes from the Holy Spirit’s end-time harvest work as He brings His wheat into His Barn. The Harlot’s power comes from Satan’s arsenal to lead many astray into a counterfeit “gospel” of compromise and mixture. The Harlot represents the Tares that Jesus referred to in Matthew 13. The Bride represents the Wheat.

In the face of fiery persecution, the Bride of the Lamb will show His Lamb-like heart and will not return in kind when reviled. Instead, like Jesus, the Bride will entrust herself to the Father’s ability to righteously judge the situations at hand. While the Harlot will competitively seek to dominate and subjugate those who do not comply with its false doctrines and mandates, the victorious Bride will lean into Jesus as her All-in-all and trust the Holy Spirit to convict the hearts of those He speaks to through their witness.

Matthew 13:24-30 NASB Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’

Scripture tells us that signs and wonders will come to both camps: The Bride and the Harlot. Those given to the Harlot’s religion will emerge as Satan’s witnesses. They will promote a “shining” counterfeit religion supported by false signs and wonders but reject the centrality of the cross. Some of these will say they are Christians, but they are not.

Matthew 24:24 NASB For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 NASB …that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

The real and the counterfeit will be fully matured and discernable only by the Spirit of Truth and those who love the Truth. How will we know which is which and who is who? John 13:35 tells us that Love is the way to know who belongs to Jesus. Those who take up their cross and emerge dead-to-self and alive unto Christ, will shine in the glory of God and perform the “greater works” described in John 14. These shining ones will be known for their obedience to Christ’s greatest commandments.

They will hold fast to their first love Jesus, and walk in gracious humility toward others as they fiercely proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ unto the ends of the earth. They have overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and they do not love their lives unto death (Revelation 12:11). These are those who are God’s end-time witnesses, who, like the two Witnesses in Jerusalem, who are preaching to the Jews, these will preach the gospel throughout the earth and display great signs and wonders that point to Christ’s supremacy and great love for mankind.

John 14:12-15 NASB Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

The love of God is perfectly expressed in Jesus on the cross and now in Heaven on earth through His followers. Christ’s Bride will display God’s love. The love of Jesus is different then the world’s “love.” Christ’s love is perfect and bears the Galatians 5 fruits of the Holy Spirit.

John 13:34-35 NASB A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

The world’s “love” is self-serving and fear-based. The world’s Harlot religion will be undeniably evident in these two issues: sexual immorality and idolatry. Just like the name implies, the Harlot will not hold to what the Bible defines as sexual purity in marriage and will encourage idolatry, i.e. honoring and venerating other gods and powers, in their varying forms of religious practice. Another evidence of the Harlot religion is its sterility. It can only bear the deeds of the flesh and cannot bear the Galatians 5:22 fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26 NASB But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

There will come, and has already started, a separation in the Christian camp. Even with the possible cost of losing their closest family members or friends, there will be those who still choose to embrace their cross and publicly confess their uncompromising devotion to Jesus. They will stand firm in the whole counsel of God provided in scripture and seek heavenly wisdom (James 3:17).

Matthew 10:32-39 NASB Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

The Bride’s uncompromising stand of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and her firm belief in the Holy Scriptures will draw intense persecution. The line of demarcation between the emerging Bride of Jesus Christ and the world’s religious Harlot will pivot around those who are willing to face persecution for following Jesus (i.e., they are willing to “lose their life for His sake”) and those who will compromise to avoid persecution (i.e., they will try to “save their life”). Jesus knows those who are His own.

Those who call on the Name of Jesus also know they cannot compromise with what the Bible calls sin. They must turn away from these things or they are being hypocritical. The Harlot will be known for hypocrisy—saying one thing and doing another.

2 Timothy 2:19 NIV Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Satan also knows those who belong to Jesus. The Bride of Jesus Christ will shine in great love and humility amidst the backdrop of persecution and injustice. This persecution ensures pure heart motive’s in the use of God’s authority and power. Peter tells us that the Spirit of glory draws the insults of those who reject Jesus as the only Way to the Father and to eternal life.

1 Peter 4:14 NASB If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Paul told us in 2 Timothy 3:12, “…all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Paul also said in Philippians 3:18 that “many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”

Those who reject the hardship of the cross and its death-to-self process, are those who have set their mind on earthly things. If we are not willing to undergo the painful process of yielding our will to the Father in the fiery trials He allows, we are likely to succumb to the harlot religion’s seduction.

James 4:4 NASB You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

God will allow His own people to be persecuted to purify and preserve a righteous heart motive. Christ’s Bride will carry and display the glory of God at personal cost and will always point to Jesus Christ as the only and exclusive way to the Father and to eternal life. They will not take the credit or the glory unto themselves but always give it to Jesus, the One they love, serve, cherish, and follow. If we do not let the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctifying our self-centered, soul-life ego, we will be ensnared by the Harlot religion.

When we allow our soul life to be led by fear and selfish ideals, our ego remains uncrucified with Christ. Galatians 2:20 is not yet activated and at work within our hearts. We cannot purify our own souls and we cannot discern our own selfishness, unless the Spirit of Truth reveals it to us. We cannot “die to self” without the Holy Spirit’s conviction and empowerment. We have to ask for this process and then submit to the Holy Spirit’s work through the fiery trials He brings our way. We are not in charge of our death-to-self process, Jesus is.

The pure and spotless Bride of Jesus Christ will stand firm, even unto death, and publicly confess that Jesus is the exclusive Way to eternal life with our Creator Father God. In the face of the Harlot religion’s false peace and false unity, the uncompromising Bride of Christ will appear as an enemy of peace and will be persecuted for her devotion to Jesus. This persecution, and unwillingness to compromise, marks Christ’s Beloved. Her fiery, first-love for Jesus and His body sets her apart from the others.

1 Peter 1:3-9 NASB Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Janet Smith – 9-4-2020 ©gardenministries.org

Very difficult times are upon us and in the midst of it all, the Bride of Jesus Christ will emerge—shining with the message of hope and light. As she emerges, this treasured Bride will be persecuted for her faith and love for Jesus and that’s why her preparation is so important.

When Jesus addressed the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3, He ended with, “whoever has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” This means that one of the most important factors in the Bride’s preparation is to recognize, listen to, and obey the Voice of the Holy Spirit. We are to focus our efforts on distinguishing His Voice from a religious counterfeit or from our own soul’s attempts to convince ourselves of what we want, more than what God wants.

Learning God’s Voice is relationship-based and includes the daily study of Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit living within us. As our relationship with Jesus Christ deepens, the Holy Spirit, as the Teacher, leads us into the Psalm 23 Valley of the Shadow of Death. This is the valley of the cross where we get to apply what we learned in study hall. It is a valley where death always leads to life.

Knowing God’s Voice and what He said to do, and then doing it until it’s done, is how we come into completion. Knowing what to do, but doing our own interpretation of what we really want to do, will not bring us into completion. If we are avoiding the restrictions of God’s narrow path, we may just be spinning our wheels and not maturing. What’s really exciting is that when we do get on the track God wants us on and the fruit of Holy Spirit starts manifesting, we wonder why we ever pushed back in the first place. Never mind the regret though, everyone is invited to humble themselves like this.

Most of us avoid God’s way because we know it involves death-to-self and will take us into a fiery trial that we don’t want to face. Thankfully, God brings us many opportunities to embrace the cross and follow Him. He gives us solid proof of how things work out for those who say, “Yes.” Daniel and his comrades were taken captive and then promoted to positions of significant leadership during difficult times. Above all else, their faithfulness to God in the face of death was paramount to their success.

When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, Father declared over Jesus, “My Beloved Son.” Right afterward, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where He would endure the discipline of testing. The one led to the next and teaches us that Christ’s sonship process is directly connected with His time in the wilderness. Like Jesus, the Holy Spirit trains us in the wilderness of testing so that we can grow up and become mature sons of God and fellow heirs with thee Son, Jesus.

As our human example, Jesus was discipled and comforted by the Holy Spirit as He underwent the hardship of testing. We too undergo the Spirit’s discipling through hardship and testing, comfort and nurture. This is a part of the purifying process of building intimacy with Jesus. We need what Jesus needed so we can stand faithfully in love with Him through the times ahead.

God wants us to succeed and never condemns us when we stumble. He is faithful to lovingly convict us of our self-centered thinking that causes us to treat others poorly and reject ourselves. As soon as we genuinely confess our sin of unfaithfulness and ask for forgiveness, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from the negative effects of our sinful mistrust and willful disobedience (1 John 1:9).

But we must go beyond confession and make ever-increasing choices to turn away from sin.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Preparation for Bridal union with Jesus is really just learning how to die to our own way of doing life, turning to Jesus in submission to His authority, and choosing to rely on Him instead of others. Jesus showed us how to do this when He walked the earth. He emptied Himself of all of His personal rights and yielded His will in complete obedience to His Father—even unto the Father’s call for Him to bear the painful consequences of every single human being’s sin, and then die with it on the cross.

While we will not be asked to go where Jesus went for us, we will learn trust and submission in the same way He learned it. We too, are called to empty ourselves of our own initiatives and grand designs and ask God to sanctify each and every desire before we take matters into our own hands and lead the charge to nowhere!

Hebrews 5:8 NASB Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

1 Peter 4:1-2 NASB Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

Jesus learned obedience through suffering and we follow Him by learning obedience in the same way. Jesus showed us that fallen humanity needs a completion process so He went through it Himself to help us learn by example how the process works. In Hebrews 5:9, the Greek word teleios means “perfect” and refers to a process of becoming complete. God’s discipline, though grievous for the moment, produces eternal fruit. If we stay with Him in it, He promises to lead us out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death-to-Self and into resurrection joy!

There is no human being exempt from needing discipline. Therefore, it’s time to hunker down and let God’s love in like we’ve never let it in before. Can we accept that there is no way around the painful embrace of the cross? Will we finally, just lay down our way of taking care of ourselves and yield to God’s way? Fixed on Jesus, the Author and perfecter of our faith, will we let Him complete us His way?

Proverbs 22:15 NASB Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.

The Hebrew word for “foolishness” in Proverbs 22:15 actually comes from the root word for “evil.” Scripture is not saying children are evil. It is saying that because we are all born with a sin nature, even innocent children will naturally choose to disobey their parent’s leadership until they receive enough consequences to motivate them to make the right choice. The process of learning this doesn’t make them bad kids. They’re just acting out what is going on inside and need confident and consistent direction as they learn how to manage their emotions amidst everyday challenges.

As much as we all wish we were perfected without painful discipline, scripture tells us that humanity is born with foolishness bound up in our hearts and and we need corrective discipline to remove it far from us (see also Hebrews 12, Revelation 3:19).

Children aren’t born trained to love like God loves. They don’t yet know how to respectfully cooperate with others. They need their parental caregivers to raise, nurture, and train them in these matters. Parents who refuse to discipline and correct their children are not acting “more loving” toward their kids.

Life on earth is painful and sweet. Children need to learn how to process the painful side of life within the context of a loving parent’s tutelage. Without learning how to process painful consequences from loving parents, children will incur pain from being in a broken world and be ill-equipped to deal with it.

Bridal preparation means we need to be heart-strong in the face of the great challenges ahead. Without developing the fortitude that Christ’s imparts as we embrace the cross, we will remain weak and fall over at the first sign of persecution. How can we disciple spiritual newborns if we ourselves are not being discipled? Disciple is another way of saying disciplined. Without confident and consistent discipling, children grow up weak and insecure; unable to deal with the hardships of life.

No matter what our age, when love comes to us in the form of discipline, it’s good to bow and endure until the point of it is attained. Discipline aligns us with God’s Truth so we can effectively and unselfishly love others from a humble heart. Because the Truth sets us free, we will soon learn the comforting benefits that come from discipline because the fruits of the Holy Spirit have ripened within us and start to spill out.

Sometimes we need multiple corrections to keep us on that Truth track, but if we stay with it, our mind will be renewed and freed from the lies that pull us off the Truth track. Abiding in the Spirit of Truth keeps us from veering off into ditches and yields a sense of peace and comfort exclusively available to followers of Jesus Christ.

Falling in love with Jesus and seeking to intimately know and obey Him will bring us into open-access to the Living God! (John 14). Without intimacy, we may think His principles and grace are all we need and miss the bigger reason we were created—that is, to respond to the Bridegroom’s wedding invitation and marry Him. And while we may still be saved from eternal death in hell, without yielding our vain imaginations and ego-driven soul life in obedience to the commands of Jesus, we will not become complete—ready to marry the King of kings! True love for Jesus manifests in selfless, sacrificial love for God and others, and always manifests in a willingness to go the way of the cross.

While it may be easier to love “perfect Jesus,” it’s not always easy to love our imperfect family. The first great commandment always yields the fruit of the second commandment (Matthew 22:37-39).

The wholeness of God’s Love has two sides. There is His kindness and there is His severity; His comfort and His correction. The Psalm 23 Shepherd’s Rod strikes our self-centered egos and judges our poor decisions by delivering consequences to turn us away from them the next time. The Psalm 23 Shepherd’s Staff tenderly pulls us out of sin’s dark ditches and nudges us back into the fold. Our Good Shepherd wields both sides of God’s perfect love. We don’t just get the half of God we want. We get all of God. He doesn’t come piecemeal.

1 Corinthians 13 describes how love is the distinguishing factor between the real or counterfeit use of spiritual gifts. Without the love of God, the Harlot religion’s counterfeit use of gifting means nothing and receives no eternal benefits. Conversely, God’s love will shine out from within a cross-hugging, self-sacrificing Bride as she patiently endures hardship, is kind to those who revile her, will not envy or compete for attention, and she will not covet, simply because of this—she doesn’t have to. She belongs to the King!

1 Corinthians 13 NASB If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Janet Smith ©gardenministries.org April 2019/2020

Emotional maturity means we have learned how to fully trust and abide in our caregiving, Good Shepherd’s leadership. We are able to process our emotions, especially those created by pain and disappointment, from a place feeling intimately confident in God’s love.

Without the sense of being extravagantly loved by God, we are unable to trust and abide in our caregiving Shepherd’s leadership. Instead, we process painful disappointments through stressful cycles of pain and anger, mostly relying on soulish fight-or-flight instincts. This approach feeds a victim mentality and never leads to a peaceful resolve. With the right approach, we can rebound and recover from disappointment.

The first step to finding the right tools is to find the right toolbox. Who and what are we looking to for our answers? Are we trusting God and submitting to how He exercises His leadership in our life or are we still mad at Him? It may be just that simple. But can we answer the question honestly? If we can, we will have to take responsibility for our bad behaviors (and perhaps that explains why we often choose to stick our head in the sand and stay ignorant or try to push the blame on others). But honest answers to that question is a step in the right direction.

If we learn to process pain and disappointment by looking to God, waiting on Him, and submitting to His Way, we are in the right toolbox and we will find right answers. With God’s Truth, our emotional responses to pain and disappointment will mature and eventually feel less painful and disappointing.

Ask this question: do my fiery trials leave me feeling more like a failure than a victor? If the answer is failure, then we are not processing our disappointments from a place of abiding in the Presence of the Holy Spirit. We also forget that the way of the cross is painful and we are stuck in a cycle of self-pity thinking we should be treated better than we are. This is because our pride is keeping us from processing pain and disappointment submitted in vulnerable trust of the Spirit of Truth’s leadership.

This pride leads to a sense of shame and we feel rejected by God. When we feel rejected by Him, we won’t trust Him, and mistrust of God is unbelief. Can we see the downward spiral of sticking our head in the sand and doing nothing because we are afraid that the lies may be true? Thankfully, as soon as we see our mistrust and unbelief as sin, we can confess it, receive forgiveness, choose to trust God, and let go of our offense toward His leadership.

Trusting God where we are afraid is the key to moving forward out of our stuck places. We won’t feel a need to trust in areas where our pride has blinded us so don’t even try to tackle that side. We have to be honest about what we’re afraid of and trust Him in that place and take risks to become open, honest, and vulnerable about our fears. The fruit of facing our fears with greater trust and vulnerability will address our pride and lift the blinders.

Another part of our self-pity problem is that we give too much emotional responsibility to others to care for us that God has not first given them to give to us. Reliance on human love above God’s love is idolatry and will always leave us feeling short-changed and disappointed. Can we stop turning to people or things as our answer?

Human love was separated from God in the Garden. Broken by sin and self-centered to the core, human love is always self-protective and self-motivated. Because of this, the fallen nature’s capacity to extend human love is restricted and should not be sought as the answer to our heart’s longings. Jesus knew this and only trusted the Father to take care of Him (John 2:23-25, 1 Peter 2:21-24).

We can only truly trust and rely on God’s perfect love to take proper care of us (1 Peter 5:7). When we don’t, we are setting ourselves up for painful disappointments. The Lord is our faithful, trustworthy, caregiving Shepherd. We lack nothing. Can we trust God to take care of us? Can we process our fiery trials in truth? Do we trust His motives when He sends us affliction and testing? If we only want His comfort and reject His correction, we will remain emotionally insecure and unstable. We will engage in relationships from a selfish victim’s perspective instead of a God-centered victor’s outlook.

While most of us don’t mean to hurt others, yet we hurt them anyway. Our soul-based attempts to “love” others is by nature, self-centered. Only God-centered love can heal a broken heart and deliver us from rejection. We need the love of God’s discipline to find peace for ourselves and to pursue peace in our human relationships.

Hebrews 12:10-14 NASB He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. 12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Those who pursue bridal union with Jesus Christ will intimately know the riches of God’s perfect blend of truth and mercy in the middle of their trials and tests. Christ’s love is the only trustworthy love. His love alone truly satisfies the human heart. If we have hope that God will fill the voids in our heart with His love, we will do the hard work of wholeheartedly pursuing Him and receive both the comforting and the painful methods He uses to heal and set us free.

Let’s never forget that every substitute for God’s love is idolatry and it will disappoint us. The sooner we come to the end of these substitutes and embrace this truth, the sooner we will enter into the hope that does not disappoint and humbled enough to receive the love of God poured out within our hearts.

Romans 5:3b-5 NASB we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8 NASB My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. 5 my soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 23 NASB The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.