Reflections on 2012

Spiritual Growth Reflections of the year 2012:

At the beginning of the year 2012. I made a personal decision to; no matter what, I was going to read at least 1 chapter if not more of the Bible everyday.

I started by reading 5 chapters of the Old Testament and 1 of the New Testament a day. I have accomplished my goal! Because of this past year of reading, I will be reading the Bible everyday for the rest of me life! I have developed a love and hunger for the Lord's Word! For through reading, I have come to have a Love for The Lord, for His people, for His goal, for His hearts desire.

I reflect back on what I was in the year 2011. How I lived my life, and how much I have personally changed. And I am astounded!

I am happier than I have ever been in my life, because I have a love for The Lord that I never had before. I am loving Him first above all things. I'm learning to trust in Him, to follow Him, to look to Him for answers to all my questions and problems. To talk to Him every moment of everyday. To treat Him like the most perfect someone that He is. He loved me SO MUCH that He gave His life for me, so that I could be saved and so that I could love Him as much as He loved me. He has given me so many chances, though I fail again and again at loving Him, He STILL loves me and opens His arms wide when I run back to Him! So Im loving Him as much as I am able, Pouring my all on Him. Though this physical life can sometimes (most the time) weigh us all down... The Lord is SO sweet to take the weight and put it on His shoulders to carry it all away. So I will keep turning to Him for help forever! No matter happy or sad, no matter what I am going through... I will love The Lord with my entire heart, for the rest of my life.

Prayer: "Lord take every room in my heart!"

Lord, I give You the rest of my life to gain me more and more, day by day, moment by moment. Please make home in every room of my heart. I can not make it in this world without You! I love You!

The Song I have sang every morning this year to The Lord:

My heart longs for absolute surrender
That I'd wholly consecrated be,
Not in word alone but all my being
Would be fully given unto Thee.
There is little willingness within me
To place all I am before Thy feet,
So I lay my hands on Thy dear head, Lord
As the burnt off'ring, perfect, complete.
Lord, You are the only One who offered
Yourself without reluctance unto God;
Full obedience to the Father given,
Absolute, You sacrificed Your all.
As this One, You're dwelling in my spirit;
Moving, spreading outward day by day.
There's a whisper of Amen within me
In response to all that You would say.
I say Yes and give You full permission
To touch every corner of my heart;
Break through all the barriers in my being;
Do not let me withhold any part.
'Tis my joy to give You all the ground, Lord;
Make my heart a dwelling place for You;
I want You to be at home within me;
Come and settle down in every room.
Lord, do cleanse my heart from all self-seeking
That I'd truly want nothing but Thee;
Let my soul be occupied, possessed, Lord,
That You would be magnified in me.

The Sleeve of my Heart

Wearing my heart on my sleeve here for a min... The lyrics of this song struck something in me. This verse in particular hit a really BIG soft spot tonight and made me burst into desperate prayers to the Lord!:

"Mold me, shape me, Lord.
Be my reality.
"EVEN BREAK MY HEART,
IF IT HAS TO BE.
I'M DESPERATE, LORD, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR WAY WITH ME."
Others could touch You then through me."

Recently, I had something that I've wanted all my life dangled in my face, then swiped away in an instant from me and the Lord said "No, my child that is NOT my plan for you in this time..." My heart is broken, it has been shattered into a thousand pieces, and all I find myself doing constantly is crying to the Lord; "Lord, what do You want with my life? Lord, I don't want my life! Lord, take my life, do with it what You see fit, because it's not my life it's Yours! I owe my life to You, so take it! Show me what You want Lord! Because... You aren't letting MY plans happen... So what ARE Your plans? REVEAL Yourself to me Lord!"

This is my constant day to day prayer currently, and so far... I have no answers, but I have faith the Lord will reveal His purpose for my life... Someday... But until that day, I pray "Lord give me the faith and the endurance, to keep trusting You with my entire broken heart, with my life. Lord, pick up the pieces of my heart and put them back together with Your loving hands! Show me Your love. Because I desire nothing else other than to love You!"

Here are the lyrics to the entire song:

Though I love You, Lord,
My life seems all deformed.
I give my life to You—
Then drift away.
Lord, may I ask You that You'd draw me yet again,
And keep me running after You.

Chorus:
Lord, I've seen Your purpose.
Your heart's unveiled to me.
Now I'd just like to see You gain me fully.
Though You I often limit
And fail by compromise,
Keep me in the index of Your eyes.

Lord, I want Your best.
I want Your full blessing.
I don't want any less,
Though good it be.
Have mercy, Lord, to push, to pull, lay hold of me.
Keep me still running toward the prize.

Mold me, shape me, Lord.
Be my reality.
Even break my heart,
If it has to be.
I'm desperate, Lord, that You would have Your way with me.
Others could touch You then through me.

Set my heart aflame.
Don't let me stay the same.
Don't let things remain
Which now grieve You.
My life I give to You and all I've claimed as mine.
May I just hold, Lord, unto You.

Lord, I just love You with all my heart!

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/246#ixzz268QQYfkl

"My Life" (August/September)

Okay it's been awhile since I've done any writing (blogging)... sorry!

My life is at a full throttle STOP! "Cross roads" Lots happening, not much to tell.

I'm currently looking for work out in Cali, while attending classes.

I'm enjoying my life, to the FULLEST extent right now... Enjoying my church life... blending... Finding and making new friendships... Continuing old friendships... Trying to find my place in Cali... I'm at peace, happy, and I feel extremely loved by my dear Lord Jesus! My life is for Him!

God has faithfully continued to bless me. And supply every need I have in my life practically, spiritually and mentally! I am one BLESSED human being :)

A word that was spoken in my presence today: "no matter what we are going through, no matter what our situation, God as our Lord, Savior, Master, Friend, Husband.. Can be our supply and joy. When we come to His word, the bible, it can and will fill our every need! It is the supplying word! All we need to do when we come to read His word is pray "Lord, be my supply, be my joy, supply me through the reading of Your words right now, be so real to me! Lord, reveal Yourself to me in Your word!"..."

"These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full."
John 15:11

"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be made full." John 16:24

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you." John 15:16

John 15:16 FN5c: "Ask"
To ask in the Lord’s name requires us to abide in the Lord and allow Him and His words to abide in us that we may actually be one with Him. Then when we ask, He asks in our asking.

My prayer: "Lord, I want to be one that just abides in You, one that remains abiding in You. Lord, I want to always be found abiding in You, that whatever I may ask of You, would be Your desire, and not mine. Lord, I ask You to make me one that has fruit. Lord make me a fruit bearer. Flow in and flow out Lord! Lord, I want to always be found shining out Your light! Lord, everything of You, nothing of myself. Lord Jesus I just love You!"

Following the Lord to enjoy grace!

To leave all things behind and follow the Lord is not to pay a price; it is to enjoy the grace we have received. Do not think that you have sacrificed anything. What you sacrifice is just dung; it is vanity of vanities. Everything under the sun is vanity. Your education, position, and future are all vanity. Dung cannot be considered a price. To leave all things behind is to be unloaded and released. You have been under the heavy load of your position, wealth, and concern for your future. Thus, you need to be unloaded, and the way to be unloaded is to enjoy grace. Grace unloads us. To be unloaded through the enjoyment of grace, however, is not to pay a price. We are not here paying a price. Rather, we are enjoying liberation. Hallelujah, I have been liberated! I have been liberated from my relatives, fame, position, future, and everything; I am completely free. I am not paying a price—I am enjoying grace.

We all need to give up the commercial mentality. Some saints have said, “I have left everything for the church. I have suffered very much, and now I have nothing.” Whenever I have heard this kind of complaint, deep within me I said, “You cannot receive anything, because your giving up of all things and your suffering have not been done in the proper spirit. If you were in the right spirit, you would be thankful, joyful, and praise the Lord that you are no longer burdened.” If we have given up all things for the Lord in a proper spirit, we would say, “O Lord, I thank You that I am not bearing the load of position, ambition, or concern for the future. All the worldlings are under a heavy load. But, Lord, I praise You that I have been unloaded and liberated. I am not paying a price—I am daily enjoying grace. Lord, whatever You give me is not a reimbursement, but a further enjoyment of Yourself.”

Excerpt from Life-study of Matthew, msg. 54, p. 646

Kissed by the Lord

With the kisses of Your mouth,
Have You kissed me, Lord.
From Your kisses flows a fountain,
From a depth unknown.
Gently tempered by Your touching
Of my deepest chords,
My heart's renewed with gladness,
And my love o'erflows.
Let me kiss You, drink You deeper,
Fully satisfy
All the longings deep within me,
For Your presence nigh,
And a deeper, sweeter union,
Of Your life with mine
That our natures fully mingled,
Would our hearts entwine.
Ever increase, Lord, within me,
My desire for You.
Let Your kisses ever kiss me,
And that I'd kiss You.
Dear Lord Jesus, may I ever be,
So betrothed to You.
May I love You, always love You,
And respond to You.
May I love You, always love You,
And respond to You.


Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/365#ixzz222He2rQd

Jesus Lord, You're our first love!

Jesus Lord, You're our first love;
You're the One we love the best.
When our heart is loving You,
How we're filled with Your sweet rest!

Lord, we love You for Yourself,
Not for what You give or do.
Nothing else could e'er compare
With the joy of loving You.

Lord, we've been drawn off by many things;
Now we turn our heart back—how it sings!
We repent of loving other things—
Jesus, Lord, You're our first love.

Never more could we desire
Anything that's less than You,
And to this we would aspire—
Simply to be filled with You.

Jesus Lord, You're our first love;
You're the One we love the best.
When our heart is loving You,
How we're filled with Your sweet rest!

Someone

Is there someone who's a friend
That I can open to?
A someone who understands
All that I'm going through?
A someone when there's no one
I can always come to?
There is no someone like this One.
There is a someone;
Someone you can open to.
There is a someone;
Someone who will take you through.
There is a someone when there is no one;
There is a someone, a wonderful One.
Is there someone who can care
Through all my hardest times?
A someone always there
Though it may rain or shine?
A someone I can lean on
When the stormy times come?
There is no someone like this One.
There is a someone;
Someone in my hardest times.
There is a someone,
Always there through rain or shine.
There is a someone
When there is no one;
There is a someone, a special One.
Is there someone who will take
Take me just as I am?
A someone who'll not forsake
One I can trust to the end?
A someone who knows me
Yet he still wants me?
There is no someone like this One.
There is a someone
Who will take you as you are.
There is a someone;
He will reach you near or far.
There is a someone;
He's the most lovely One.
Just take this someone, the loveliest One.
Is there someone who can reach
Down to the depths of my being?
A someone who can fix
All of my broken heart strings?
A someone who can love me
When there's no love in me?
There is no someone like this One.
There is a someone
Who can touch your inmost being.
There is a someone;
He can make your heart to sing.
There is a someone,
Love is this precious One.
Just love this someone, the wonderful One.
Christ is this someone
Who can touch your inmost being.
Christ is this someone—
He can make your heart to sing.
Christ is this someone.
Christ is this precious One.
Just love this someone, the wonderful One.


Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/lb/69#ixzz2176Ef6m7

IT WAS FOR HER (HIS BRIDE)

Don't you want to know your God?
What's hidden in His heart for you?
How much He longs for you to come
And open up—
To let Him in to every part
Let Him reveal what's on His heart
What was the joy set before Him?

It was for her the church—His bride
It was for her, willingly He died
She is the joy deep in His heart
His masterpiece—
His counterpart.

The Lord chose you to be a part
Of His great plan, His work of art.
What wonder! What a privilege!
To satisfy
His yearning to share all He is—
Divine, unsearchable riches!
What wisdom, multifarious expressed?

As we enjoy and enter in
To all He is then we'll begin
To understand the feeling in
His heart toward us.
What love that motivated Him!
To come to us, despite our sin
Why did He go and sell all that He had?



Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/352#ixzz20vQRXqyf

Lord grant me today's supply of Grace!

Lord, grant me today's supply of grace;
May Your divine life grow apace;
Little by little, day by day, to grow
More and more, into You.
Day by day, bit by bit, life will grow as is fit,
Increasing gradually until,
However imperceptibly,
Your life matures within me.
I would be desperately, constantly, patiently,
Drawing each breath of life from You, Lord;
Knowing that every day while I breathe,
Your life will permeate me.
Every day, may I rest, knowing that each bequest,
Matches my daily need exactly;
Jesus Christ intercedes for me,
A member of His body.
Lord, grant me a heavenly, corporate view;
That all of my growth and prayers to You,
Little by little, day by day,
Would cause building up into You.
We would be corporately, growing up steadily
Till we reach the stature of Your fullness;
Transforming and conforming us, Your
Manifested people.
Lord, grant me today's supply of grace;
May Your divine life grow apace;
Little by little, day by day, to grow
More and more, into You.
Lord, grant me a heavenly, corporate view;
That all of my growth and prayers to You,
Little by little, day by day,
Would cause building up into the New Jerusalem.


Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/214#ixzz209HL42Dm

Banner Songs Summer Training 2012

God's economy in His loving chastisement of Isreal, in his governmental dealing with Isreal, and in His judgement upon the nations issues in the manifestation, in the manifestation of Christ, Christ is the Centrality and Universality in God's economy, Christ as the centrality and universality in God's economy to bring in the kingdom, the age of restoration.

We believers in Christ as the organism of the Triune God, of the Triune God, and we should aspire to be the overcomers, the mighty ones, who will enlarge the manifestation of Christ by walking according to the mingled spirit, who will return with Christ to deal with Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon, and who will be His co-kings, His co-kings in the millennium.

The church as the house of Jehovah, the Father's house, is the dwelling place of God, the dwelling place of God the place where God can have His satisfaction, His satisfaction and rest and where God lives and moves to accomplish His will, to satisfy the desire of His heart, and to carry out His eternal economy to consummate the New Jerusalem, the New Jerusalem as His eternal goal for His eternal expression.

We can live in the divine history within human history and enter into a new revival to end this age by arriving at the highest peak of the divine revelation of the eternal economy of God through the ministry of the age, by living the life of a God- man, a life of a God-man and by Shepherding people according to God for the building up of the church, the church as the house of God, the mutual abode of God and man.

Enjoying Christ in the Church Life

In the early days I spent more time to enjoy Christ in my private life and less time to enjoy Him in the church life. Gradually, however, I have come to enjoy Him more in the church life than in my private life. There is no comparison between the enjoyment in the church life and the enjoyment in my private life. But this does not mean that I no longer enjoy Christ in my personal life. But the taste is not as sweet as the taste in the church life. I am always eager to attend a meeting to enjoy the top portion of Christ. How about you? Often in my private life I am tired and need to rest. When I work, I work with every fiber of my being. This tires me out. Thus, my private life is a time for me to rest my whole being—my spirit, my heart, my conscience, my soul, my mind, my emotion, my will, and every part of my physical body. After a time of rest, I am ready once again to attend the meeting for the choice enjoyment of Christ. This is the reason I am so rich in the enjoyment of Christ. Many are rather poor in the enjoyment of Christ because they spend too much time trying to enjoy Him privately and little time to enjoy Him corporately. I encourage you all to spend more time in the church life.

THE ONE, COLLECTING FLOW

I really enjoyed reading this portion of the ministry this morning. I hope you can also get something out of it. My prayer is that I will always be one seeking to stay in the Lord's flow!

A GENERAL SKETCH OF THE REVELATION

OF THE BIBLE

The revelation in the Bible is a complete whole. The Bible begins with God (Gen. 1:1) and ends with a square city (Rev. 21:10, 16). God is the origination, and the square city is the consummation. Hence, considered as a whole, the revelation in the Bible is a revelation of God issuing in a city. If you do not have this bird’s-eye view of the Bible, the thousands of verses will seem like a thick forest to you, and you will get lost amidst them. You will not know what you are reading or where you are going. You will have no way of knowing what the Bible talks about. If you get into all the details of things such as frogs, locusts, and horns found in the book of Revelation, you will be lost. Reading the Bible can be compared to reading a map of a city. First, you need to have a bird’s-eye view. Then you need to consider the main streets. This will afford you a general sketch of the city, and the sketch will guide you into all the details.

I would now like to present a general sketch of the revelation of the Bible. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created.” At the end of the Bible there is a city lying foursquare. The length of this city is the same as the breadth, for “the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal” (Rev. 21:16). This city has twelve gates, three on each of the four sides. God on the throne is both on the top of the city and in the center of the city (Rev. 22:1). We have seen that God is the origin, the beginning, and that the square city is the consummation, the ending. The city of New Jerusalem is a golden mountain, and God’s throne rests at the peak of this mountain. Now we must ask how this city is related to the very God who is the center of the city, how this city as the consummation can be the issue of God as the origination. There is a flow within this city spiraling down around the golden mountain. Revelation 22:1 says, “He showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The river of water of life proceeds out of the throne and flows in the midst of the golden street. This flow connects God and the city.

THE ONE, COLLECTING FLOW

This flow did not start in Revelation 22; it began in the second chapter of Genesis. In Genesis 1 we see God as the originator and the origination. After man was created, he was placed in front of the tree of life, whence flowed a river (Gen. 2:9-10). Genesis 2:10 says that this river “was parted, and became into four heads,” flowing toward the four directions of the earth, indicating that the flow is for the entire earth. The picture in Genesis 2 is a miniature of the portrait in Revelation 22. In Genesis 2 we have God, out from whom flows a river. Man was put by this flowing river. Although in Genesis 2 there was a garden, there was no building. The difference between the garden and the city is that the garden is something of God’s creation in its natural state, whereas the city is something built up with certain materials. At the beginning of the Bible, we have a garden with all the natural things created by God. At the end of the Bible, as the result of God’s dispensing Himself into man, we have a city which has replaced the garden. Both at the top and in the center of this city is the throne of God, and out from this throne proceeds the living flow that spirals down the mountain. The more this river flows, the more of the city it reaches. Eventually, this one flow reaches all twelve gates on the four sides of the city.

No matter from what direction we approach the city, whether north, south, east, or west, we may immediately be in the flow. Those who come in from South America come in the south gates, and those who come in from Europe come in the west gates. After we enter into the city through one of these gates, we find ourselves in the flow. Praise the Lord, we are in the flow! Eventually, this flow gathers us together as one. In this flow we are truly one. Before we came into the flow, we were scattered. The Brazilians were Brazilians, the Danes were Danes, the Americans were Americans, and the Chinese were Chinese. Hallelujah, there is a collecting flow on earth today! Wherever this collecting flow comes, people have the opportunity to be gathered in by it. Sometimes I have tried to jump out of the flow, but I have been unable to do it. I am still in the flow. 

Ministry Excerpts -Young People's Training

THE CHURCH AS CHRIST’S COUNTERPART

The church is also Christ’s counterpart, His wife (Eph. 5:25-27, 32). The church as the counterpart of Christ implies satisfaction and rest in love. Every husband needs satisfaction and rest, which are found in love. The brothers who are husbands can testify that our satisfaction and rest can only be in our wives. If we say that we are the church, then we must ask if Christ has His rest among us. This is serious. Do not be so quick to claim that you are the church. To be the church is to render to Christ the adequate satisfaction and rest in love. Christ needs such a wife. The church is not merely a gathering of God’s called ones. It is a satisfaction and rest to Christ in love.

THE CHURCH AS THE TEMPLE

To God the Spirit, the church is the temple. First Corinthians 3:16 says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” The believers as a corporate unit in a certain locality are the temple indwelt by the Spirit of God. Hence, to God the Spirit we are the temple filled with Himself. It is not simply a matter of having the manifestations of certain gifts, such as healing and speaking in tongues. It is a matter of having the corporate indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is the reality of the church life.

THE CHURCH AS THE ARMY

To the enemy, Satan, the church is an army (Eph. 6:11-13). Being the army is not an individualistic matter. At most, you and I can only be soldiers. But all the soldiers must be formed and constituted into an army. Whenever we are detached from the army, we are in a very dangerous situation. We must have the protection of being in the army. Because many Christians today are not in the army, they are constantly under the attack of the enemy. The church is absolutely a corporate entity. All the aspects of the church we have covered—sonship, family, Body, counterpart, temple, and army—are corporate entities.

THE CHURCH AS THE NEW MAN

In addition to all these aspects, the church is also the new man (Eph. 2:15-16). The church as the new man is for our living. Hallelujah, on earth there is such a new man living here! To the Father, the church is the sonship and the family; to the Son, the church is the Body and the counterpart; to the Spirit, the church is the temple; to Satan, the church is the army; and for our living the church is the new man. Praise the Lord that we are the new man! Individualistically we are not the new man. God has one corporate new man—the church.
After seeing all these aspects of the church, can we still be individualistic? I can testify that after I saw all this, my individualism was killed. I have seen that the church is absolutely a corporate entity. With respect to the Father, to the Son, to the Spirit, to the enemy, and for our living, the church is a corporate entity. Hallelujah, the church is the sonship, the family, the Body, the counterpart, the temple, the army, and the one new man!

Practice, and turning to the Spirit!

THE NEED OF PRACTICE

I have concluded that nothing works except the all-inclusive Christ as the life-giving Spirit. As long as I live by Him and take Him as my life, my person, and my everything, I have no need to overcome sin. He is the way. I do not need to seek holiness. Holiness is mine because Christ is mine. If the married sisters try to submit to their husbands, it will never work. The only thing that works is Christ as the life-giving Spirit. There is no need to retreat into your private room and pray. No, as you are about to do anything, stop and examine whether you are taking Christ as your life, whether you are living by Christ at that very moment and are taking Him as your person. You should say, “Lord, be one with me. I take You, Lord, as my life, my person, and my everything.” If you practice this, there will be a great difference in your daily living. You will have victory, holiness, and life.

TURNING TO THE SPIRIT

There is only one place where we can experience Christ— in our spirit. The mind, the emotion, and the will do not avail in this matter; only the spirit avails. We must constantly turn to our spirit. Some may ask how we can know whether or not we have turned to our spirit. Although it is difficult to say what the spirit is, you do know quite well what your mind, emotion, and will are. As long as you are not in the mind, emotion, and will, then you must be in the spirit. If you are a married brother and are about to talk with your wife, examine whether or not you are in the mind, emotion, or will. If you are in none of these places, then you must be in your spirit and you can freely converse with your wife. There are only four chambers of your being in which you can dwell: the chambers of the mind, emotion, will, and the inner chamber of the spirit. If you are in your spirit, then you may say to your wife, “Dear, I’m not in my mind, emotion, or will. Therefore, because I know that I’m in the spirit, I have the confidence to talk to you.” I’m certain that you could never attend a movie in your spirit. Try to lose your temper in your spirit. I doubt if you can do it. Whenever we get into our spirit, all the bugs and pests are exterminated. The most effective pesticide is our spirit, the unique place to experience Christ.

Young people, you need to experience Christ and to practice living by Christ. If you do a work among other young people without living by Christ, it will be a shame. To talk to people without taking Christ as your life is a disgrace. We all must learn to live by Christ. I do not care whether or not you are able to preach the gospel. I only care for one thing— whether or not you are living by Christ. As long as we live by Christ, our preaching of Christ will be prevailing. But if you attempt to carry on a work without taking Christ as your life, as your person, and as your everything, it will be a shame to the Lord’s recovery.

THE TRIUNE GOD SPREADING WITHIN MAN

God’s economy is to dispense Himself into our spirit as His abode and to take His residence in our spirit as a base to spread Himself through our whole being. Our spirit is God’s home, His dwelling place, His habitation, the very place from which He spreads Himself through our whole being (Eph. 2:22). By spreading Himself within us, He saturates every part of our being with Himself. First, He thoroughly mingles Himself with our spirit, then with our soul, and finally with our body. He comes into our spirit to begin the mingling by regenerating our spirit. Regeneration is the mingling of God Himself with our spirit. After our regeneration, if we cooperate with Him, offering ourselves to Him and giving Him the opportunity, He will spread Himself from our spirit into our soul to renew all the parts of our soul. This is His transforming work (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18). Through transformation the very essence of the Triune God is mingled with our soul, our very self. When our soul is transformed into the image of the Lord, our thoughts, our desires, and our decisions will always express the Lord.

God’s first step, therefore, is to regenerate our spirit; His second step is to transform our soul; and finally, His last step is to transfigure, or change, our body at the second coming of the Lord (Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:51-53). The Lord will then permeate our body, and His glory will saturate our whole being. This transfiguration is the ultimate consummation of His mingling with our being to the uttermost. At that time God’s economy of dispensing Himself into us will be fully accomplished. We need to remember these three steps by which God mingles Himself with us in every way. The following hymn expresses the final consummation.

Christ is the hope of glory, my very life is He,

He has regenerated and saturated me;

He comes to change my body by His subduing might

Like to His glorious body in glory bright!

He comes, He comes, Christ comes to glorify me!

My body He’ll transfigure, like His own it then will be.

He comes, He comes, redemption to apply!

As Hope of glory He will come, His saints to glorify.

Christ is the hope of glory, He is God’s mystery;

He shares with me God’s fulness and brings God into me.

He comes to make me blended with God in every way,

That I may share His glory with Him for aye.

Christ is the hope of glory, redemption full is He:

Redemption to my body, from death to set it free,

He comes to make my body a glorious one to be

And swallow death forever in victory.

Christ is the hope of glory, He is my history:

His life is my experience, for He is one with me;

He comes to bring me into His glorious liberty,

That one with Him completely I’ll ever be.

Hymns, #949

THE HEART AS THE LOVING ORGAN

Second Corinthians 3:16 says, “Whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” The heart must first turn to the Lord. This is real repentance. When we were fallen, our heart was turned away from the Lord, but when we repented, our heart turned to the Lord. The turning of the heart to the Lord is not once and for all. The heart must be turned to the Lord all the time, day by day. Every morning we must turn our heart again toward the Lord. After raising, we should go to the Lord and tell Him, “Lord, here I am. By Your mercy and grace I wish to turn my heart anew to You for this day.”

When our heart is turned to the Lord, the veil is gone. Many people wonder why they do not have the Lord’s guidance and why they do not know the Lord’s will. But the problem is where is their heart and in what direction is their heart turned? Their heart must be turned and tuned to the Lord. When I was young, I prayed over 2 Corinthians 3:16 nearly every day: “Lord, cause me to turn my heart to You.” I must testify that this kind of prayer works. I encourage you to try it. Before you read the Word in the morning, you should first turn your heart to the Lord. If you do this, the veil will be gone, and there will be light. The veil between you and the Lord will be taken away by you turning your heart to Him and you will see the light.

Once our heart is turned to the Lord, it must next exercise faith. Romans 10:9-10 says, “Believe in your heart” and “With the heart there is believing.” Hence, believing is not an exercise of the spirit, the mind, or the will, but an exercise of the heart. We need to learn how to exercise our heart to believe in order to cooperate with the indwelling Spirit. After our heart is turned to the Lord, we should immediately exercise faith in our heart. Whatever the Lord says in the Word, we must exercise our heart to believe. Whatever we sense deep within, we must believe by exercising our heart. We must believe in the Lord in the midst of our environment. In all the situations within our set of circumstances, we must always exercise our heart to believe the Lord. Exercise faith in the Lord will keep our heart from doubt. We must even pray that the Lord will protect our heart from doubt.

Third, our heart must be sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb 10:22). The heart itself is not to be sprinkled, but the evil conscience. Our conscience always needs the sprinkling of the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus. The more we turn our heart to the Lord and the more we believe in the Lord by exercising our heart, the more we will feel in our conscience that we are wrong in many matters. When our heart is not turned to the Lord, we will never sense: that we are right in everything; everyone else is wrong, but we ourselves are right. When we turn our heart to the Lord we can see only ourselves: we cannot see others. The more we believe in Him, the more we will sense how wrong we are in a great many things. We will sense that we are wrong with our wife, with our husband, with our children, with our parents, with our schoolmates. These accusations in our heart are the accusations of our conscience. At such a time we will spontaneously confess everything according to the inner accusation of our conscience. The more we confess, the more the blood of the Lord Jesus will be applied to our conscience. As a result, our conscience will be purged, cleansed, and without offense – a purified conscience. To have our heart sprinkled from an evil conscience means that our conscience has been so purged that there is no more condemnation in our heart. Our heart is at peace and full of joy in the Lord.  

Furthermore, according to Ezekiel 36:26, the heart must be renewed. In Ezekiel 36:25 the Lord said, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols I will cleanse you.” But this is not all. To cleanse us from all filthiness, from all sins, and even from idols is only on the negative side. We need something positive. Therefore, the next verse says, “I will also give you a new heart.” The new heart is the old heart renewed.

Thus, there are four steps in dealing with the heart. These steps do not take place once and for all when we believe in the Lord Jesus and receive Him as our Savior. We who are seeking the Lord must have our heart refreshed by these four steps every day. We must turn our heart to the Lord, exercise our heart to believe Him, have our heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and have it renewed again and again. The renewing of the heart is not a once and for all matter. I believe that if he were living today, the apostle Paul would still need to have his heart renewed. We need to put all these steps into practice immediately. When we first rise up in the morning, we should pray, “Lord, cause me to turn my heart to You.” Then we need to exercise our heart to believe the Lord: “Lord, I believe You and Your Word. I believe in Your dealing within me and in all Your dealings in my environment.” At this point we will sense how wrong we are, how many mistakes we have made, and how much filthiness we have. Therefore, we must confess in order to be cleansed and sprinkled from an evil conscience. Then our heart will be renewed afresh.

These four steps will cause our heart to function adequately. The function of the heart is to love the Lord, for the heart is the loving organ of our being. This is proven by Mark 12:30: “You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart.” The heart was created for the purpose of loving the Lord. If we do not have a heart, we cannot love. Just as we cannot see without eyes, hear without ears, or think without a mind, we cannot love without a heart. Many Christians do not know what the function of the heart is. They know the function of the eyes, the ears, and the mind, but they simply do not know the function of the heart.

Love is a matter of the heart. We cannot love people with our nose, nor can we love them with our hands. Our heart is the only organ by which we can exercise love. No one can say that he does not love anything. Everyone loves something—either the Lord Himself or something else. The more we turn our heart to the Lord, the more we will exercise our heart to believe the Lord, and the more our heart will be sprinkled from an evil conscience and renewed. Then it will have a greater capacity to love the Lord. This is the function of a renewed heart. Every morning we must renew our heart so that we may love the Lord more and more.

All spiritual experiences start with love in the heart. If we do not love the Lord, it will be impossible for us to receive any kind of spiritual experience. In fact, the first experience of our Christian life, our salvation, involves our heart loving the Lord Jesus. Not one person who truly repents is without love in his heart toward the Lord. He may not have the language to express it, but he has the sweet sense of love within. He does not have the knowledge, but his initial experience of salvation is a reaction or reflection of love in his heart toward the Lord.

We all must learn how to continually turn and exercise our heart in order to have our heart purged from an evil conscience and renewed again so that we may love the Lord more and more. It was the loss of its first, fresh love to the Lord that was the cause of the church’s fall and degradation (Rev. 2:4). When our heart is not fresh in loving the Lord, we have fallen. We must turn our heart back to the Lord again and again and have it continually renewed that we may have a new and fresh love toward the Lord.

The Spirit is the Mutual Abode

John 14:23 says that the Father and the Lord will come to make Their abode with us. What does this mean? Have you ever experienced the Father and the Son coming to make Their abode with you? This is the mark of God's economy that we are considering. This abode has two aspects -- the Father and the Son become our abode, and we become Their abode. Thus, it is a mutual abode. How is the mutual abode possible? Only as we are in the Spirit, just as the Father and the Son are in the Spirit, can we experience this mutual abiding. When we are in the Spirit, we are abiding in the Son and the Father, and at the same time They are abiding in us. Only then will we have an intimate communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son. We will have an inward "talking." We will talk with the Lord, and the Lord will talk with us. These are the practical experiences of the mutual abode.

The God shaped Vacuum

Such a great video. Was very well done. Enjoy!

The Valleys and the Mountains

2 Corinthians 6:8-10 "Through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet true; As unknown and yet well known; as dying and yet behold we live; as being disciplined and yet not being put to death; As made sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things." If you can experience Christ in times of trouble and trial, how much you will have flowing out to others! It is not in peaceful times or happy days that you can do this. It is in the days of sorrow, the days of sickness, the days of trouble. It is by your experience of Christ in these times that you may have the living flow to water others. Each situation of death may bring forth a greater outflow of refreshing water. Not only the mountains but also the valleys; not only the valleys but also the mountains. We need many experiences of the Lord's death and many experiences of the Lord's resurrection; then we will be full of the springs, the fountains, and the streams.  These are indeed sweet verses. It is a good land, a land of water brooks, of springs and of deep waters, flowing forth in the valley's and the mountains. And it is by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and yet we live, as sorrowful and yet always rejoicing, as poor and yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. Try to experience Christ and apply Christ when you are in all kinds of suffering; then you will have something which not only refreshes yourself, but also flows forth to water others. This is but a part of the  unsearchable riches of Christ; this is just one item of the riches of the good land. The land is good in the riches of water: in brooks, in springs, and in deep waters, flowing forth in valleys and mountains. 

Visiting the nieces

While visiting my nieces for two weeks, I had fun taking lots of pictures of them. Here are some of my favorites :)

My cousin Jody came to visit.

I gave my niece Nora her very first hair cut.

My sister found a radio flyer wagon on craigs list for $10

They are two very precious girls, they entertained me very well.

Though I was sad to leave them, I'm very happy to be home. I got home sick after a few days, and couldn't shake it!

We skyped with grandpa and grandma (my mom and dad), on two separate occasions.

All in all it was A lovely trip.

Glad to be home. But miss the girls like crazy!

Happy Tears

Psalms 84:6-7 "Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring; indeed the early rain covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength; each appears before God in Zion." Psalms 84:6a speaks of passing through the valley of Baca.... "Baca" means "weeping." On the one hand, when we had the intention to come into the church life, we were strengthened in God; on the other hand, we were opposed by Satan, who has caused many saints to suffer persecution. The trouble and persecution caused by Satan can make our highway a valley of weeping.  When we pass through the valley of Baca, God makes this valley a spring. If we take the highway to go to God's house; trouble and persecution will come to us, and such things will cause us to weep. But God will turn our tears into a spring. Only those who weep will have a spring. THE MORE TEARS WE SHED, THE GREATER WILL BE THE SPRING!  Psalms 84:6c says, "Indeed the early rain covers it with blessing." According to our experience, this means that our tears become a spring and that this spring becomes the early rain that covers the valley with blessings. This early rain is the Spirit, and the Spirit is our blessing.... Those who come into the church life by passing through the valley of weeping will find that this weeping eventually becomes a great blessing to them. This blessing is the Spirit. The tears they shed are their own, but these tears become a spring, which becomes the early rain, the Spirit as the blessing.  Whether the valley of weeping is a place of blessing or not depends wholly on us, not on God. If you take the church way, at a certain point you will encounter many trials and troubles. If you turn away, you will find yourself in a real valley of weeping. But if you are faithful at any cost, if you say, "Lord, even at the cost of my life, I will still go on," you will make the valley of weeping a spring... I have seen many who, in spite of all the trials, have still gone on in the church. I can testify that their weeping was transformed into blessing. The tears were transformed into springs, into rain which covered the valley with blessings... Be careful; it all depends upon you. It is not God's responsibility. It is yours. It is not God who makes the valley of weeping a place of blessing; it is you.  My prayer: "Lord cause me to be one who weeps! Lord I want Your blessing. I want my tears to become a spring, to become the early rain that covers the valley with blessings, the early rain that becomes the Spirit as the blessing! Lord even at the cost of my life, I will go on with You! Lord, I give You my life, my possessions, and my future! Lord do with them what You will, nothing else matters to me but You! I just love You Lord!  (Christ and the church revealed and typified in the psalms, pp155-156)

Hymn #1225

Lord, to know Thee as the Body,
Is my desperate need today,
Oh, to see Thee in Thy members,
'Tis for this I long and pray.
No more just to know Thy headship
In an individual way,
But to see Thee incarnated,
As the Body-Christ, I pray.
Through the years, Thy saints have sought Thee,
Longing for reality;
Gazing upward, searching inward,
Thirsting for the sight of Thee.
Now reveal that Christ in heaven,
Is the Body manifest;
And the Christ who dwells within us
As the Body is expressed.
Prone to be misled, I know it,
By my lofty thoughts of Thee,
Easy 'tis for self to seek Thee,
Yet not touch reality,
Oh, how much I need to find Thee,
In Thy members here below.
God eternal dwells among us,
Manifest in flesh to know.
Limit, Lord, my independence,
Let me to Thy Body turn;
Not just seeking light from heaven,
But the church's sense to learn.
May we be the stones for building
Not the formless, useless clay,
Gain in us Thy heart's desire
Corporately Thyself display.


Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1225#ixzz1s30CARxz

Lord I love You, with all my Heart

I love you Lord, with all my heart! 
Not with just a part, but with all of my heart!
I love you Lord, with all my heart! 
The Lord is making home in all my heart!

The Lord is making home in my heart!
The Lord is making home in my heart!
Lord I let You in, so You can begin to make, 
Your home in my heart! 

Enjoyment from MR

1 Corinthians 6:17 "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" 

Now we have not only the divine Spirit with our spirit but also the mingling of the divine Spirit with our spirit. Thus, the two spirits are one.... Praise the Lord that these two spirits have been mingled into one spirit! This is the reason that in the verses concerning our walk in the spirit, it is difficult for the translators to determine whether to render pneuma as "Spirit" or as "spirit." actually, to walk according to the Spirit means to walk according to both the divine Spirit and the human spirit, according to the two spirits mingled as one. The two spirits are mingled not in the heavens nor outside of us but within us. This is the focus of the divine economy. Whatever God intends to do or accomplish is related to this focus. If we would have certain basic spiritual experiences, we must have a clear understanding that the focus of God's economy is the mingled spirit, the divine Spirit mingled with the human spirit. 

To be one spirit with the Lord means that we are blended with Him organically and mingled with Him in life. We urgently need more experience of this. We need to remain rooted in Christ and absorb all that He is into us. Then we and He, He and we, will be blended together in life organically to be one spirit. How profound! How wonderful! 

Our real status is that we are one spirit with God. We have been saved to such a high level. What God is, we are. 

Never did I dream before

Never did I dream before,
Such a place could e'er be found,
Where the tears of sorrow cease,
Songs of endless joy abound.
One who seldom ever sang,
Now delights his voice to raise;
Singing hymns with all the saints,
Echoing the ceaseless praise.
Day by day the world goes on,
Just as it has gone before.
Millions grasp and clutch at life,
Wond'ring if there could be more;
Such was I and would be, yet
Mercy found me out somehow;
With what gratefulness I say,
"I'm in God's own family now."
How delightful 'tis to know;
How subjective, real, and sweet
Is this inward joy of grace
We experience when we meet;
Life abundant Jesus gives
As my full reality;
Praise You, Lord, it's really true,
I'm in Your own family.
At the closing of this age,
Just before Your kingdom's dawn,
May You gain a people, Lord,
For Your dwelling place, Your home.
Since for me You gave Your all,
Everything I lay aside;
For Your church my all I'd give,
That You would be satisfied.

I Love my Master!

I love my Master, and I will not go out free.
For He has died for me, the highest price He has paid for me.
I love my Master, I will serve Him willingly. 
Remaining near, and close to Thee this my plee.

Chorus: 
I love You Master, from You I will never leave.
You are my liberty, and my joy complete.
I love my Master, and I will not go out free.
To Him I give my all, my life eternally! 

Oh Jesus, Master, to the door post now bring me.
Open my ears to head, Your voice and all You say to me.
Oh Jesus, Master, I will obey willingly.
To love and serve Him all my life, this my plee!

Spreading our Nourishment

I am deeply burdened by the fact that many who love the Lord Jesus and seek Him have been deceived and frustrated. We must find a way to share with them the spiritual riches the Lord has provided us. Many who truly love the Lord are starving. We must take up the burden to supply them with food. We all need to be good ministers of Christ, serving others with His riches. Let us first be nourished ourselves and then minister this nourishment to all the people of God.

We would emphasize that being nourished is for the growth in life. This is a matter of life and it differs from merely being taught, which is a matter of knowledge. To minister Christ to others requires that we ourselves first be nourished with the words of life concerning Christ. 

Southeast College Conference enjoyment #1

Message 3. The Living Water out of the Smitten Rock.
Focus: We drink Christ as the living water by calling and praying, and we flow out Christ through our speaking to the Lord and by the Lord for the building up of the churches God's dwelling place. 

I was really impressed by this point of speaking. 

If we are in our spirit the Spirit will guide our speaking. So we need to eat and drink the Lord constantly moment by moment for His spiritual nourishment. So that when you find yourself in a situation to speak to someone, the Lord will give you the right words to speak. In my experience, this is the only way. Because within the self there is always hesitation, doubt and fear. But within the spirit, the Spirit gives LIFE! "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" John 6:63

Calling, Oh, Lord Jesus! 
How it makes our spirit strong.
We can really touch Him, 
And our gloom is turned to song! 
Don't listen to Satan with all his distractions. 
Turn to your spirit, 
Spring into action! 
Calling, Oh, Lord Jesus!
You'll enjoy Him all day long! 

Sweet Fragrance

II. As captives in Christ's trimphal procession, we manifest the savor of the knowledge of Him in every place-- 2 Cor. 2:14b "triumph in ³the Christ and manifests the ^4csavor of the ^dknowledge of Him through ⁵us in every place."

1. On the one hand, the apostles were captives; on the other hand, they were those bearing incense, the fragrance of Christ.
B. The transcendent power of Christ's resurrection in us enables us to endure the sufferings that others cannot bear and to live a life that others cannot live, thereby manifesting the fragrance of Christ-- 2 Cor. 1:9; 2:14-15; Phil. 3:10
"9 ¹Indeed we ourselves had the ²response of ^adeath in ourselves, that we should ^bnot base our ^cconfidence on ourselves but ^don ³God, who ^eraises the dead;

14 But ^athanks be to God, who always ¹leads ²us in ^btriumph in ³the Christ and manifests the ^4csavor of the ^dknowledge of Him through ⁵us in every place.

15 For we ¹are a ^afragrance of Christ to God in those who are being ^bsaved and in those who are ^cperishing:

Phil. 3:10 To ^1aknow Him and the ^2bpower of His resurrection and the ^3cfellowship of His sufferings, being ^4dconformed to His death,"

1. Through the power of His resurrection, Christ leads us in joyful triumph and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us.

2. If in our daily living we are enjoying Christ, depend on Christ, fellowship with Christ, and are filled with Christ, others will sense the fragrance of Christ in us; this fragrance is Christ living Himself out from us--1:21a "21 For to me, to ^1alive is Christ and to die is ²gain."

C. The excellent knowledge of Christ is a fragrance, an aroma--3:8; 2 Cor. 2:14 "8 ¹But moreover I ²also count ^aall things to be loss on account of the ³excellency of the ^bknowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, ⁴on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as ⁵refuse that I may ^6cgain Christ"

1. We who have been brought into Christ's triumphal procession speak to others the excellent knowledge of Christ--v 14

2. As the Lord leads us in triumph, we speak to others about Christ, and what we say concerning Him is a sweet-smelling savor -- 4:5 ; 2:14-15 "5 ¹For we do not ^apreach ourselves but Christ Jesus as ^2bLord, and ourselves as your ^3cslaves for Jesus' sake."

a. Whenever we speak Christ, this speaking is the spreading of the fragrance of Christ-- Acts 8:4-5; 17:18 "4 Those therefore who were scattered went throughout the land ^1aannouncing the word as the gospel.

5 And ¹Philip ²went down to the city of ^aSamaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. 17:18 And some of the ¹Epicurean and ²Stoic philosophers also confronted him. And some said, What would this ³babbler wish to say? And others, He seems to be an announcer of foreign ⁴deities -- because he was ^aannouncing Jesus and the ^bresurrection as the gospel."

b. As we speak Christ to others, in our speaking, the fragrance of Christ ascends to God for His enjoyment--2 Cor. 2:15

D.The apostles were a frangrace of Christ to God because they were saturated and permeated by Christ and with Christ -- Eph. 3:17a; S.S. 3:6

1. When they spoke of Christ to others, the Christ with whom they were constituted spread Himself out from their being and became a sweet fragrance to God for His enjoyment -- 2 Cor. 4:5; 2:15

2. Whenever they went, God could manifest through them the fragrance of Christ -- vv 14-15

3. This should be our experience today; while we are speaking of Christ, He should come forth as a sweet fragrance--4:5

4. Bearing incense involves the divine dispensing--2:14b-16; 13:14:

a. Through the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity, we can mature in life and triumph in our ministry--Eph. 4:13, 15-16; 2 Cor. 2:14

b. We should allow Christ to spread through us His sweet fragrance to God for His enjoyment--v.15

c. The spreading of incense takes place through the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity into our being--Eph. 3:16-19

Prayer: Lord, I just love You! Lord, I just want to be one smelling of your sweet fragrance. Lord, make me one who eats of You daily moment by moment, so that I have the essence of Your fragrance radiating out of me. Lord, I want to became a sweet fragrance for Your enjoyment! Lord, I love You! Make me one who has the sweet fragrance radiating out, for Your enjoyment and for others to enjoy! Oh Lord Jesus, I just love You!

Fill all my hunger quench all my thirst! Hymn 811

I have probably posted this before, sorry for the repeat, but I REALLY love and enjoy this hymn

1 My heart is hungry, my spirit doth thirst;
  I come to Thee, Lord, to seek Thy supply;
  All that I need is none other but Thee,
  Thou canst my hunger and thirst satisfy.
Chorus  
  Feed me, Lord Jesus, give me to drink,
  Fill all my hunger, quench all my thirst;
  Flood me with joy, be the strength of my life,
  Fill all my hunger, quench all my thirst.
2 Thou art the food and the water of life,
  Thou canst revive me, my spirit upbear;
  I long to eat and to drink here of Thee,
  Thyself enjoy through my reading and prayer.
3 Thou art the Word with God’s fulness in Thee,
  Thou too the Spirit that GHod my life be;
  Thee in the Word I enjoy as my food,
  Thou as the Spirit art water to me.
4 Thou from the heavens as food camest down,
  Thou to be drink hast been smitten for me;
  Thou as the food, my exhaustless supply,
  Thou as the water, a stream unto me.
5 Thou in the Word art the Spirit and life,
  Thus by the Word I may feed upon Thee;
  Thou dost as Spirit in my spirit live,
  Thus I may drink in the spirit of Thee.
6 Now to enjoy Thee I come to Thy Word,
  On Thee to feed till my hunger is o’er.
  Now in my spirit I turn unto Thee,
  Of Thee to drink till I’m thirsty no more.
7 Feeding and drinking, Lord Jesus, of Thee,
  Feeding by reading, and drinking by prayer;
  Reading and praying, I eat and I drink,
  Praying and reading-Lord, Thou art my fare.
8 Here, O my Lord, may I feast upon Thee;
  Flood with Thy Spirit and fill by Thy Word;
  May, Lord, Thou be such a feast unto me
  As man hath never enjoyed nor e’er heard.

God's work being based upon our prayer

We know that God's work is based upon our prayer. How much God works depends on how much we pray. How strong God's work is depends on how strong our prayer is. How effective God's work is depends on how much spiritual element we have in our prayer. A certain servant of the Lord once said that the extent of our prayer determines the extent of God's work. 

We look to the Lord to work among us not only today but even more in the future. For this we must have much more prayer. Without sufficient and thorough prayer, we cannot expect God to work more. Therefore, we look to God to grant the saints the burden to pray. We look to God to press them to pray, even to the extent that they would not be able to eat or sleep until they pray. The Psalmist told us that a day in the courts of God is better than a thousand elsewhere (Psalms 84:10) "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand; I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of the wicked." This means that spending time in prayer is a thousand times more effective than spending it in other matters. To spend a day in prayer is better than spending a thousand days in other matters. We look to God to grant us adequate prayer and also an adequate number of praying ones. 

 

Prayer is important

A prerequisite for having a proper church life in the Lord's recovery today is to have a prayer life. A proper church is a praying church. A church without prayer is pitiful. Prayerlessness is a sin. All the Lord's recovery must be prayerful ad stand against the sin of prayerlessness. The elders in the churches must take up Paul's charge to "first of all" pray.

Prayer is more important than work. May we all learn the lesson the way to have a good church life is to pray. This is crucial. If our talking is turned into praying, the church in our locality will be transformed. 

An evening prayer

If I have wounded any soul today, 
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive, Dear Lord, forgive.

If I have uttered idle words or vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I myself shall suffer thru the strain,
Dear Lord, forgive, Dear Lord, forgive.

If I have been perverse or hard or cold,
If I have longed for shelter in Thy fold,
When Thou hast given me some fort to hold,
Dear Lord, forgive, Dear Lord, forgive.

Forgive the sins I have confessed to Thee,
Forgive the secret sins I do not see.
Oh guide, me love, and my keeper be.
Dear Lord, Amen, Dear Lord, Amen.

Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

2. The Definition of Love vv.4-7

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a says: "Love suffers long. Love is kind; it is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not puffed up; It does not behave unbecomingly and does not seek its own things; it is not provoked and does not take account of evil; It does not rejoice because of unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; It covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never falls away"

8fn1 (Never) Survives everything, holds its place. Love survives everything and holds its place forever. It never fails, never fades out or comes to an end. It is like the eternal life of God. Only love is a characteristic of a mature man and will last for eternity. Hence, when we live and act by love, we have a foretaste of the next age and of eternity. 

I'm in love with my the Lord. I fully believe that "God is love." I used to think I could love without God. But I know that I can't love without God, because God is love. I love my family, I love my friends. I love a lot. I truly try and show kindness to strangers. I try my best to live a life according to that which my God and Father has set as a pattern before me. I fail daily. I have learned that I can not do anything of myself, I NEED the Lord! As my guidance, and at my side walking daily with me moment by moment as my supply. So, that I can be fully happy, abiding in Him as my Husband, Father, God, and best friend. I have the greatest best friend. The Lord Jesus!! 

John 15:9 says: "As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love."

I want to abide in His love for all eternity!

John 15:16-17 says: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.
These things I command you that you may love one another."

I love these words "I chose you." This shows me that out of all the people in this world, God chose ME! I used to ask God. Why me? Out of everyone, why did you spare me? Why did I grow up knowing You? I used to take the Lord for granted, having grown up always knowing of the Lord's existence. I lived my life for years, not really appreciating the Lord at all. I can not say I regret anything that has happened to me in my life, I have to tell the truth. I am however truly thankful to the Lord for having mercy on me, and showing me just how much I missed having Him in my life. I thank Him everyday for allowing me that time, so that I could love Him THAT MUCH MORE!! You might think I'm a bit crazy for saying it, but it's just the truth. I love the Lord with all my heart. And thank Him for loving me even more than that! 

In relation to those verses...:

16fn3: (that) after we go forth to produce believers in the Lord, we need to care for them. The best way is to set up meetings on their homes to cover and protect them that they may be cared for by being nourished and taught, and may become the remaining fruit, living in the branches of the true vine, that is, in the Body of Christ, to be Christ's increase. 

17fn1: (love) This is to love one another in the Lord's life, the divine life, in the Lord's love, and in His commission of fruit bearing. Life is the source, love is the condition, and fruit-bearing is the goal. If we all live by the Lord's life as the source, in the Lord's love as the condition, and for the fruit-bearing as the goal, we surely will love one another. 

Thank You Lord for loving me!

Enjoyment from 1 Timothy

Favored with the Lord's Grace

Verse 14 (1 Tim. 1:14) continues, "and the grace of our Lord superabounded with faith and love in Christ Jesus." The Lord's grace, following God's mercy; visited Saul of Tarsus and not only abounded, but superabounded in him with faith and love in Christ. Faith and love are the product if the Lord's grace. Mercy and grace come to us from the Lord; faith and love return to the Lord and us. Faith is for us to receive  the Lord, (John 1:12), and the love is for us to enjoy the Lord whom we have received (John 14:21, 23; 21:15-17).

Saved by Christ Jesus

In verse 15 Paul declares, "Faithful is the word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." Christ came into the world to be our Savior by incarnation (John 1:14). He was God incarnated that He may save us through His death and human body. This should be constantly announced as the gospel, the glad tidings, in a local church. 

Believing on Christ unto Eternal Life

In verse 16 Paul speaks of believing of Christ into eternal life. The uncreated life of God is the ultimate gift and topmost blessing given by God to those who believe on Christ. 

The Goal of the Christian Life

The kingdom is the goal of the Christian life. Today we are living in the church life with the goal that one day we shall enter into the kingdom of God. The New Testament emphasizes the cross, the church, and the kingdom. The cross produces the church, the church ushers in the kingdom. As we are living in the church life, our goal is to enter into God's kingdom. 

This goal is neglected by many Christians. If you were to ask certain  Christians what the goal of their Christian life is, they would probably say that their goal is to go to heaven. This kind of answer is very poor. The church life does not usher the believers into heaven; it ushers us into the kingdom. Actually, the church life is preliminary to the kingdom. It is a preliminary stage of the kingdom. This is the reason that, in a very real sense, the New Testament considers the church life to be the kingdom. Romans 14:17 says, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Because Romans 14 speaks concerning the church life, the kingdom of God in this verse signifies the church life. According to  Paul's understanding, the church life is the kingdom. Of course, the church life today is not the kingdom in full. Rather, it is the kingdom in a developmental stage, a preliminary stage. We are in this preliminary stage of the kingdom with the kingdom in full as our goal. We are proceeding from the preliminary stage to the stage of fullness. This is the correct understanding of the proper goal of the church life. 

http://ministrybooks.org/books.cfm?id=%23%26J%2F%29%0A

Concerning the Emotion

The artery of the emotion also needs to be unclogged. When we realize how serious is the problem we have with our emotion, we my be deeply sorrowful. We my despair and feel utterly ashamed of the condition of our emotion. We shall realize that in many cases we hate what we should love, and we love what we should hate. When we come into the light of the sanctuary, we shall see that the most ugly aspect of our being is our emotion, for we do not use it properly. Both our joyfulness and our sorrow may be altogether natural. As the Lord exposes us, we may feel ashamed of the way we have expressed joy and sorrow, for that expression often was natural, fleshly, even fleshy. No wonder our psychological heart does not function normally. 

If we take the time necessary to unclog the three main arteries of our psychological heart, we shall have the sense that our entire being has become living. Our mind, will and emotion will all be in a very healthy condition. All the "dirt" in these "ditches" will then be dug away. 

No one can do this unclogging for you. I can speak to you concerning it. but you must do it yourself. Thus, you need to go to the Lord day by day and ask Him to expose everything wrong in your mind, will and emotion. Then in the light of what exposes, you need to confess. 

"An emotion touched with the love of Christ"

In Ephesians 3:17 Paul says, "That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, that you, having been rooted and grounded in love." Love is a matter of the emotion. According to this verse, Christ makes His home in our hearts, and we ourselves become rooted and grounded in His love. This indicates that our emotion is touched by His love and that we grow in this love. To have our emotion filled with the love of Christ surely is an aspect of sanctification. Furthermore, when we are rooted and grounded in love, we can "know the knowledge--surpassing love of Christ" (Eph. 3:19). This is also related to the sanctification of our heart, in particular of the emotion. To have our emotion filled with the love of Christ is to be saturated with Christ. No doubt, this is the sanctification of our emotion. 

Deep Within I know You're My Only Love

Jesus Lord, my best love Thou art,
Thou hast fully captured my heart;
There is none in heav'n nor on earth like Thee,
With Thy beauty none can compete.
When Thy voice first came to my ear,
Whisp'ring in my heart words most dear,
All past loves and aims lost their charm for me,
All my boasts so vain now appear.
Throughout all the world, who compares with Thee?
Who so full of worth, who so fair and sweet?
Only Thou art worthy my love to win,
O Lord Jesus, how I love Thee!

No more I who live, no more self-deceived,
No more in the self's world indulged to be,
Deep within I know You're my only love,
My best love is none else but Thee!
Jesus Lord, my best love Thou art,
Rid all rocks that hide in my heart;
Gladly I Thy bondslave of love would be,
One heart, one will ever with Thee
Though my heart is oft not subdued,
Still Thy way alone it would choose;
All I yearn for is what Thy heart desires,
In Thy love alone peace I find.
Jesus Lord, my best love Thou art,
Ne'er again from Thee I'd depart;
Never hide Thy dear, smiling face from me.
To none else I'd cling, Lord, but Thee.
To Thee, Lord, my all I outpour,
How Thy love my heart deeply fills,
My eternal portion, most precious Lord,
None but Thee I want evermore.



Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/351#ixzz1lrJYtsQW