There are many right now that are feeling tired and disillusioned in their calling and faith. I had a dream where I saw people laying down their torches on the ground because they became too weak to carry them any longer. But I was walking around placing these torches back into their hands and speaking strength into them. Then I heard “Don’t lay the torches down, tell them to lay down instead!” The strategy of the enemy has been to wear you out, but as you lay down in the presence of God you will be refreshed and re-strengthened. This is why it has been so hard to stay focused in worship lately – because the enemy wants you tired and weary. But today it shifts! Today get back your strength!
“Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments!” Isaiah 52:1
God was telling them to lay down….into the death of Jesus. The trouble is **** , you are trying to put torches into the hands of people who have yet to accept their own death on the cross in Christ. Stop feeding them destiny/calling/vision etc etc. What they/we need is to accept fully that God will not use a self that imagines itself to have a life with which to serve God with. That self DIED and was crucified and is DISQUALIFIED from the Kingdom. But most encourage that old self to stay in the game and not to give up…because you know, one day, God will make you great! Nope. Lay down into the ashes! Lay down into His death. Lay down into the tomb and allow God to raise you from death. Remember Isa 50:11
10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.
11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
It is not the enemy who wants you tired and weary it is the Holy Spirit! God opposes the efforts of the false self and blocks it’s path just like He did with Balaam’s donkey.
Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass YOURSELVES about with sparks: walk in the light of YOUR fire, and in the sparks that YOU HAVE KINDLED. This shall ye have of mine hand; YOU SHALL LIE DOWN IN SORROW. isa 50:11Isaiah is describing most so called Christian ministry. The false separate self has good intentions…wants to help God…help people…but in the end it will be shown to be NOT of God and all it’s works shall be burned up.Oh that God would lay the death of the Cross upon all selfish ambition and fleshly striving to be “something” in God.
The fire of God is constantly burning up
all that is veiling the true you..don’t fight it! He will burn up everything you thought was of God but was not in your life.
Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
Many if not most “Christian” ministry shall be brought down to the dust by His fire. It shall be brought down into the ash heap. This must happen for the true Life of Christ Jesus to spring forth in us. God will NOT ALLOW THE FLESH to parade itself around as “Christian” any longer. He opposes the proud.
The ‘separate self’ or “the flesh” sees itself as a separate entity from Jesus. It imagines itself to have a life of it’s own with which it must serve God. But it is only imagination. For there is only one Life –Jesus Christ. All flesh died on the cross…now all live unto God by the life of His son Jesus. But the imagined self thinks it has to fulfill some calling for God. Nope. All you are is a vessel made to contain the life of another person as your ability.
Pride says I want to be a Christian minister…I want to be used of God…I want to be a preacher… I want to be a prophet a apostle etc etc….
God opposes all that vanity.
When His fire sweeps through the church there will not be many standing up as true ministers afterwards. Most will have seen their own pride and allowed it all to burn down…they will agree with God and surrender all their claims to being anything or anyone.
I heard Tracy Chapman singing her song on the radio last night…she sings the soulish separate-self lament perfectly…
And your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone. Link
This describes perfectly the realm of the false self….it pines all day to feel wanted, feel important, feel loved, feel special…It wants to be someone!!
The separate self will simply not ever accept that Jesus is the ONLY LIFE that God is pleased with.
The separate self will strive against God to be used as “a minister of God” in order to PROVE to all that it is someone.
When in fact it is NOTHING AT ALL.
In fact that self is WHY JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS….TO GET RID OF IT!!!
But most ministry in the earth today is encouraging it to stay alive and to strive to never give up on it’s dreams and visions.
As Isa 50:11 said….they shall LIE DOWN IN TORMENT AND SORROW!!
But in the end the fire shall set us all free and bring us through to full maturity and completion in the PERFECT ONE.
