“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
God is doing a new thing now. It is not good to be those who are doing the same thing of our preference. We have inner fears of being inconvenienced, interrupted turned in unfamiliar directions,
We are not in control to choose the way and time. As Spirit filled Christians we need to be discerning of Him and subjected in obedience to His promptings.
Where God chooses not to act sovereignly. Not to use us as robots but to be in partnership and co-labouring with His body. We are His hands and feet and host and surrender to Him.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
The quote from Teresa of Avila below is poignant.
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
~ Teresa of Ávila
We should know the hour we are in. The only hour we are scripturally not privy to is that of Christ’s return. Revival is delayed by our response and action. We activate it.
By praying for the Holy Spirit and Revival to come we are in denial of the enormity of what God did at Pentecost. We have to wake up to what He has done and is moving in. God is here and present but moving to do greater things as defined by His subtle shaping and defining of our identity not as being in us but in Christ.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Being fully yielded to God is wisdom but on the other side of the coin we loose wisdom if we are in fear of men and not God.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
In Job we encounter the sense that we attract and will what we fear into being . It behests us to resist negative fears and instead have reverence for only good from God being in my thought and of significance.
“For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.”
If we are a body paranoid about loosing control we are defensive, offend able, and not content with contentment with the outcome whatever the circumstances.
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
The entry point into the kingdom is for us to give and lose and sacrifice ourselves. Die on the cross as Christ did. Redemption comes from laying down all rights .
Our own rights are not of the kingdom. Submission is not adding Jesus to the way we already live as an add on. That is selective submission and our choices for our own sakes makes us the same as the world.
The world needs to see us and a church that is in Christ’s image and Christ like.
God has to be God. It is for Him to be known, not us.
Our identity lost as we morph into His identity. We give our life away to be in the image of Christ. Others look at us and see Christ visibly and in action. Kingdom is Counter culture.
“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”
The opportunity for revival is in us for we are In Him. Jesus is Life. We in Him are revival.
The illustration shows us corporately in the image of Christ reflecting His being, life and light in the world to push back the darkness.
Nine Scriptures that come to mind:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”Romans 12:1-2 ESV
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”Luke 9:23, 25 ESV
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27, NLT
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” ~ Ephesians 2:10, ESV
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”Proverbs 9:10 ESV
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.”1 Corinthians 12:27-28 ESV
“For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.”Job 3:25 ESV
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”Philippians 4:11-13 ESV
“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”Luke 17:33 ESV
The song I Speak Jesus. Charity Gayle
https://youtu.be/PcmqSfr1ENY
Lessisgreater 