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Pursue Your God In Holiness This is the time of preparing for the future and the kingdom. We are being instructed what to do. Time is speeded up and the future is moving at a rapid pace. If we waste our time and strength on our worldly positions we will be caught off guard, become deceived and fall away from the Lord. Evil is increasing, the traditional church is no longer of assistance, people don’t know what to do or who to listen to. God is shaking until we stop what we are doing and pay attention to the change. Israel was told they would be given every place they set their foot, but they had to follow the Ark of the Covenant in order to gain their inheritance. Now the church has attempted to gain what they think God has promised, but they have not followed the Covenant – they have not paid attention for His leading. People are helping themselves with everything they want and God is not in most of it. Everyone has their idea of how Canaan is to be conquered. But God does not leave it up to us to figure out how to conquer. He wants to lead us with His presence, by the Ark of the Covenant. Jesus said He would build His church on the revelation that He is the Anointed Messiah. He did not say we would build, but HE WOULD BUILD. Two thousand years of man-directed effort has left a stench in God’s nostrils. Once we think we know what God has in mind for us, it is a temptation to forge ahead in our own strength. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; otherwise you won’t see the Lord.” (Heb.12:14) But that is a price most people don’t want to pay. So they add mixture to their Covenant with Christ. There will be no mixture in the days ahead. The holy will remain holy and the filthy will remain filthy. God give us wisdom not to compromise and to draw the line at that which must not be condoned. But this generation doesn’t know how. Parents have compromised, husbands and wives have compromised. Parents don’t want to train, discipline or instruct – they don’t know the covenant-keeping power of God. Are we shunning the filthiness of the flesh so our children know to? Or are we partaking of the world, which drives us away from God, the church and the standard which Christ has fashioned for us? There is no way to avoid difficult decisions in this hour. But God is willing to help if we pray and not become so discouraged we give up. 2 Co 7:1 (KJV) “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” All the denominations of past generations understood holiness and the fear of the Lord. With all its knowledge, today’s generation lacks in holiness. In fact, holiness is scorned as legalism. But grace will not make up for our lack of holiness. We have to be holy if we are to see the Lord. God is a holy God and we have to be holy even as He is holy. The reason the fire is falling all around us is to burn up all the works of the flesh and soul. Unclean spirits cannot abide in the presence of the Lord. When godly people refuse to partake of worldliness, to go where our minds become gutters, it is because they are members of the royal priesthood and they are holy even as Christ Jesus is holy. While others say we can watch what we want and say what we want and go where we want and do what we want, we cannot do these things and remain holy. Whether we like it or not, all that we see, all that we hear become a permanent part of our personality. Until we get down before God and confess our sins and turn away from evil influences, they remain in us and are a part of us, defiling the temple and those around us. May God develop such a hunger and thirst for holiness that we are consumed with pure thoughts and desires and are not afraid to say no to the worldliness. Until we take this kind of a stand and renounce the world, sin and disobedience, we are not able to receive the Kingdom of God, we will not rule with Christ, nor will the Father set up His abode with us: 1 John 2:15-16 (KJV) “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” What does all this mean to us? What is the point? The point is this – why settle for less than God has for you. Partial victory is no victory. God wants you to keep on until there is total release. Pay no attention to those around you who say, “What is the use?” It was that attitude that kept Israel from freedom. It got too hard so they gave in. If we trust God instead of our fears and opinions, God can do anything for us. God said, “Put the enemy to death – all of them.” Do it and God will be with you: Deut. 7:23 (KJV) “But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.” It doesn’t have to be another generation. It can be ours that wins the battle to the end: Deut. 7:24 (KJV) “And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.” The sons of God will march with Christ at the head, until all sin is driven out, until rebellious angels are driven out, until all demons are driven out. God will make an end of sin. God will bring in everlasting righteousness – with no compromise. No mercy will be extended to God’s enemies. All sin will be confined with Satan, his angels, his demons, his people and all who refuse to make Jesus Lord of all. Because there will be no sin in God’s kingdom, there will be no death, no pain, no sickness, no sorrow, do dread, no fear, no terror in the night. Nothing that defiles will enter in. Only love, joy and peace will remain. This is our future, but it depends on our willingness to deal ruthlessly with sin in our own life now. The Son of God was manifest to destroy the works of the evil one. He wants to manifest through you this time. And He will when you are ready to Pursue your God in Holiness. We cannot eliminate the sins of our personality all at once. We are to drive them out little by little. We do not cease warring through the Spirit until we gain complete victory. Be ruthless as Christ drives the enemy from you. Take His part, not your own part. Christ is not indifferent toward wickedness. He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. This is why God wants to anoint us with the oil of gladness above others. When we love what He loves and hates what He hates, He will do it. By the Spirit of the Lord, we are being changed from glory to glory, from victory to victory, from faith to faith into the image of Christ. The third day is the crowning glory of the church. The cleansing process is likened to gold tried in the fire. The purification process is like the heating of gold so the dross and impurities can be removed. From the fires come the pure gold and silver. -Pr. Steve June Newsletter 2003 | Pursue Your God In Holiness | Love: The Protection of God Pastor's Journal June 2002 | The Lord Is Our Refuge | Present Day Fathers part 3 | Pillars and Posts part 3 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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