on becoming a capacity

The Holy Spirit wants to indwell us. Oh, how excellent that God has designed this!

But, God is holy and jealous. He does not desire to share our hearts. He wants all of us. So, if we are satisfied, entertained, or preoccupied with other desires...well, then, the Holy Spirit cannot abide in us the same as He could if we were wholly given to our Lord.

I want to be a vessel with a full capacity for the Holy Spirit to come and abide in me. I want the Lord to speak to me and lead me. I don't want to be numb to the Holy Spirit because lesser things of this age have satisfied me. I want my kids to be sensitive to the Lord as well.

Sometimes our own flesh gets in the way of the Holy Spirit even when we don't want it to get in the way.

For me, the best time and the best way to experience this is to fast as a family. That way, you can just irritate each other until every little tiny speck of nasty, unholy flesh can bubble to the surface! (then your flesh can sarcastically blog about it!) Oh, you might say, "Toddlers should not fast." But, I would say, "I have found a wonderful way for them to fast. It's called a media fast." That's right no cartoons for the little ones! Explain to them that we want them to love Jesus more than cartoons! At the same time, teens and adults should media and food fast.

This is a great way for the entire family to create a greater capacity for the Lord in their hearts. You will very quickly experience severe mental, emotional, and physical discomforts...followed by screaming toddlers and moody teens!

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

01/10/09 4:11am Choose to Love God Now

This morning during NightWatch the Lord really made me realize that He sees my love and my obedience towards Him. He showed me that while I look around at my circumstances and lose hope that my weak love moves Him--He assured me that it does.

I just felt Him saying, "I see you. I see what you struggle against. I know what natural enemies come against you. I know the natural limitations you face. Don't you see how one glance towards Me, in the midst of darkness and temptation, moves Me? It matters to Me now and it will for eternity. Your love for Me will be eternally reflected in the wedding garments you will wear forever. This love is storing treasure for eternity. Don't say this love is weak. This love moves the King of Kings."

It made me think that we all need to choose to love the Lord now. Our circumstances will not improve. This age is coming to an end. Until Jesus enters Jerusalem to establish His throne, this age will not improve and our circumstances in it will not improve. In fact, if we cannot strive now to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, how much more difficult will it became as darkness increases in the age?

Right now is the most optimum time to pursue the First Commandment.

1/9/09- NightWatch ramblings of rapture

I've been seeking God from approximately Midnight to 4am in the prayer room these days. So, I haven't been bloggin' or many other functions outside of takin' care of children, sleepin' when possible, and seeking God in the night. Anyway, in an effort to just remember some things that God puts on my heart, I think that I will start blogging more. And, if anyone else is reading this...well, may the Lord bless you and speak to you as well.

I studied the Church's rapture tonight for about 3 hours. I believe that we will be raptured "at the final trumpet" (book of Matthew... too tired at 4:20am to put all the references in, sorry. I will post references later). The final trumpet is the 7th trumpet (clearly book of Revelation). The Bride of Christ is not going to miss any of the action (i.e. tribulation).
In the Tribulation, first comes the 7 seals which last 2-2 1/2 years. Then, the 7 trumpets begin and last 12-18 months. At the 7th trumpet we are raptured. Then, during the final 30 days of Tribulation (Revelation, Daniel) in which the 7 Bowls occur, we will be marching through Jordan (Edom) with Jesus in our new resurrected, glorified bodies. This can be referred to Jesus' Second Coming Procession. Then, finally He will make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

I respectfully realize that this belief contradicts the popular pre-tribulation rapture teachings that began in the mid-1800's and continue in popularity today. However, this belief is in keeping with the rest of church history.

So, if anyone else is reading this and has never studied the idea of rapture at the 7th Trumpet it is worth the time and effort to search out.

Blessings!