THE ONLY WAY TO GO HIGHER... IS TO GO DEEPER!

The torrents are coming in waves. And many more will come.

But those who are ANCHORED in the Lord--whose lives and feet are firmly planted deep in the security of God's love, will not be shaken. They will not be moved in any form or way. Many times we are moved when the Spirit "flicks a finger" but even with these experiences, if we are not anchored securely in the LORD & His love, we will be blown away like ants when the torrents come.

If we have shifted our focus/attention/purpose from the Lord to the things of the Lord, then we have been deceived from the Truth.

1 Corinthians 3:11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Ephesians 4:15
Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

The high waves of the Spirit will come, and we anticipate it eagerly! But God wants our Eyes, our Pursuits, our Passion, our Everything plunge deep into BE-ing in the Lord and His love.

THE ONLY WAY TO GO HIGHER, IS TO GO DEEPER.
You can only go as high as your depth

No depth = no heights

The Lord is not talking about anointing and gifting here.
He is talking about the giving of our lives for Him.

John 15:4,5
Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

How high we wanna go = how deep are we willing to go?

Gifting and anointing of the Lord are things that come from the Lord. He is the Source of the grace by which we function and operate. He does not look at the level of anointing and gifting we have because He alone supplies them! And He never looks at our exterior packaging. We will be so misled to think the more anointed a person is, the more right that he/she is in ministry.

So what then is the Lord looking for in us? The answer is in these scriptures :

Isaiah 66:1-2 (emphasis mine)
THUS SAYS the Lord: Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house would you build for Me? And what kind can be My resting-place? For all these things My hand has made, and so all these things have come into being [by and for Me], says the Lord. But this is the man to whom I will look and have regard: he who is humble and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at My word and reveres My commands.

2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him....

JESUS CALLED US TO HIMSELF
(what qualifies?)

Mark 3:13-14
And He went up on the hillside and called to Him [for Himself] those whom He wanted and chose, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve to continue to be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach [as apostles or special messengers].
And to have authority and power to heal the sick and to drive out demons: )

The Lord did not call us into credentials and institutions to qualify. There is a place for these things, to be equipped and to be educated, but they are NOT the qualifying criteria.

Too many times have we heard of ministers being asked as the first and qualifying question: "Which institution/Bible School did you graduate from?" And too many in the body of Christ enter into full-time ministry simply because its the most natural thing to do right after graduating from a Bible college. Yes we are to preach and teach the Gospel of Christ to the world. BUT in the right place, in the right arena that God has planned and set for you. It is His will, not ours. You do not have to wait till you have graduated from a Bible institution before you can start telling the world about the Lord Jesus.... You wait for Him.

The Lord called us to HIMSELF, to be appointed to BE WITH HIM CONTINUOUSLY... so that He may send us out to preach with authority, signs and wonders following.

Credentials and institutions are not the qualifying criteria. The degree of our intimacy with Him is.

WE ARE NOT KNOWN BY THE ANOINTING/GIFTING.
WE ARE KNOWN BY THE PRESENCE WITH JESUS.

We cannot substitute our Lord Jesus with the things of God (anointing/gifting/talents/works). It is never about the substances of God. It is always about the God of the substances. (see Isaiah 66:1-2, Philippians 3:3).

Acts 4:13 - The disciples were not known by their abilities or the lack of it. They were known as "one having been with Jesus".

Exodus 33:16 - Moses understood the prime issue when he said, "Your Presence sets us apart from the people on the face of the earth!"

2 Samuel 7:26 - David understood the heart of God when he said, " May the dynasty of David be established in Your Presence." (NLT version). May we desire and ask the same of the Lord!

WE ARE CHANGED ONLY BY BEHOLDING THE LORD

2 Corinthians 3:18
And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

The world cannot be changed by beholding the church/people/doctrines. Neither can we. The world will only be drawn to the Lord when the Church begins to Lift up the Lord instead of itself. Likewise we can only be changed when we behold the Lord Himself in His glory.

The glory of the Lord is not just about the supernatural manifestation. It is anything and everything about Him. For He alone personifies glory. The more we behold Him in His glory the more we become like Him.

Glory of His Nature = become of His Nature.
Glory of His Strength = possess & function in His Strength
Glory of His Works = do greater works through His Spirit
Glory of His Person = intimacy with His person and the ability to relate with others as with Him.

Behold His Glory and you will be transformed into His Likeness, from Glory to Glory!

TRUE FOUNDATION

The Lord asked, "To whom/what do you lead the world to?"

Are we leading the world to the church and the christian culture? Or do we lead the world to the LORD HIMSELF?

"Behold! The Lamb of God!"
(See John 1:36-42)

Andrew did not try to convince/convert Simon with a lengthy discourse of scripture/doctrine/format. He simply brought Simon to Jesus. Peter was not built upon doctrine/institution/formats. Peter knew the Lord--and became the man who stood boldly before powerful and educated people in his nation.

If we are led to Jesus and not just the church/doctrine, we have come to the only True foundation. Then we will have true spiritual growth.

The works of Jesus reveals the Father.
The True works of the Church reveals JESUS!

In Christ,
Beulah "FLOW"