Sound of the Bugle

Time cannot define you only express you.

2007-11-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

It is wonderful to note that God knows us way before we were born. He refers to us way beyond time. It is in this context that we have to see ourselves. We have an association in him that goes beyond time. Eph 1:4 states "...that he chose(associated) us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless..."

God had to look at himself first before he made us and that is our true identity. Not even the failure of Adam could cancel what God knew about us. He saw us in Christ way before man could identify himself with Adam.

It has the solution to so many problems in our day and age in which man struggles to find identity in the sense realm (time). We have become bound by the definition of our experiences, instead of being liberated by the truth of our real origin in God. Being the offspring of God and being created in his image and likeness. We need to return to our place of birth, our Heavenly Fathers heart. We are a product of His imagination. We were created for His pleasure.

For all things exist for him. Everything has its origin in Him that includes you and me. From Him , for Him and to Him are all things. We were created for His pleasure to express him in the earth. So that eternity can be revealed in time, the word made flesh. God in a human body. We carry his likeness and image to accurately reveal him. His love has been poured into our hearts.

Celebrate Christ in You!

2005-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

We just had one amazing weekend of rich fellowship in West Sussex, England.

Effective Fellowship
"I pray that the communication of your faith may become effective through the understanding/acknowledgement of every good thing we have in Christ." Phil1:6

If Christ in us, is not enough what will be? Christ in us the Hope of glory! If Christ in us is enough anything else will loose it's attraction and hold on us, but it is so glorious when we can recognise him in each other. He is bigger than man's opinion, bigger than your past. He is the eternal truth of your life. God chose you in Him before time began. Eph1:4

The weekend just reminded us what Jesus came to restore in us and desires to reveal in and through us. He no longer lives in temples made with hands. God’s strategy is Christ revealed in the individual. People relate to people. The nations await the revelation of their true identity reflected in us, God in a human body, the word becoming flesh in us.

I am reminded of the song: "I see Jesus in your eyes and it makes me love Him, I feel Jesus in your touch and I know He cares, I hear Jesus in your voice and it makes me listen and I trust you with my life because you're His, I see Him in you", what a revelation.

The gospel is the revelation of the now.
"The righteousness that comes by faith does NOT say: who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down or who will go down to the abyss? To bring Christ up from the dead, but what does it say: Near you IS the word, in Your heart and in Your mouth. "Flesh-bibles" Rom10: 6-8
Enjoy the Now of the gospel. If the enemy can keep you waiting for a future event, you will miss the now of experiencing and expressing your Father intimately. He is our exceedingly great reward.
John who once said; Look at the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world was deceived into believing this lie. He sends His disciples to Jesus to ask him the question: Are you the One who is to come or shall we expect some other?( Luke7: 17-21) Don't let the enemy keep you busy with a futuristic gospel.

Discover the today of your salvation of God's favourable opinion of you.”
Jesus said; “today when you hear my voice." You are so complete in Him.( Col 2:10) No experience positive or negative can abolish the finished work of Christ on your behalf. All God has done in Christ was complete and enough to satisfy the Father, once and for all. He saw the fruit of His travail and was satisfied. God entered His rest concerning you. God is not fooling himself when He looks at you. He sees Himself reflected in you. You are born from above. You are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. When God looked at man He entered His rest in silent satisfaction. He beheld, His image and likeness.

To appreciate what God appreciates is the greatest act of praise and worship we can give him. To believe what He believes is what will liberate and transform you. Have the faith OF God.

“I have been crucified with Christ: the life that I now live is not for myself; but the life which Christ lives in me; and my present life is lived by faith in the Son of God; who loved me and sacrificed himself for me.” Gal2:20 NEB

What a joy to know that Christ is so at home in us, He is our very identity.(1John 4:17-18)
Read this passage until God gives you a revelation of this truth.

God is hopelessly in love with us. Enjoy His embrace.

Love

Tans and Portia

Living Epistles

2005-08-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that if you spend time around people who have strong personalities, you will automatically be affected by them? You'll find yourself doing the things they do. Their mannerisms will rub off on you. You can't help it. They just influence you, because you find yourself with them all the time. After a while you can even think what they think or what they would have said about a certain issue. You become so intimately intertwined with that person.

The same thing is true in your relationship with God. If you spend enough time with Him, being so aware of His opinion of you, that He's going to rub off on you! His thoughts will become your thoughts and His ways will become your ways. Hang around His Word and feed the real you, the spirit man. Before you know it, you'll begin to notice yourself changing. You'll find your character becoming more like His. You'll begin to think like He thinks and talk like He does and even act like He does. His image will begin to shine forth in you! 2 Corinthians 3:5-18; Gal 2:20

This is exactly what Jesus did in His relationship with the Father. Just to remind you. We already discovered in our previous study that faith has everything to do with our identity in Christ. (2 Cor13:5) . See what He says"The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him" –John 8:29

Jesus lived by faith. Did you know that? Some people don't seem to realize that. They think that because He was the Son of God, He just floated through life with some mystical, supernatural power we could never have. But Jesus Himself said that the Father hadn't left Him alone and that He always did those things that please His Father. Jesus walked by faith - and He got that faith the same way we get it. Hebrews11:6 “for without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ" (Romans 10:17)

Jesus had always lived by faith. He was living by faith when He was just a young boy of 12 years old saying, "I have to be about My Father's business." Who told Him God was his father? He said, "As my Father hath taught me, I speak these things" (John 8:28). Jesus had to be taught. Year by year, He kept growing in faith, just as He grew physically. How was He taught? By the Holy Spirit through the written Word! Luke 4:16 says that when Jesus came to Nazareth, "as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read." Jesus was a Bible reader! That was His custom. He studied. He meditated. He continued in the Word of God. He preached the Word of God. The Father's opinion soon became His meditation.

We simply cannot afford to cast aside our Bibles and go skipping off after signs and wonders. No! Our Father needs us to grow up in Him. He needs those who will dare to stand on the Word and develop their faith so that instead of seeking miracles at the hands of others, they will become the hands that deliver those miracles. And that is the day we're living in. Jesus did and you are His disciple.

But what does the Word reveal? It reveals the awesome desire of the living God.
"For those whom He foreknew--of whom He was aware and loved beforehand--He also destined from the beginning...to be moulded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness]." (Romans 8:29, The Amplified Bible) Gal 1:15 The Father's desires to reveal himself in and through us. The Word of God needs to be interpreted in the light of this truth. His Word is spirit and life. The Bible will become so precious to you if you can discover God’s immense desire to reveal Him in you. The Word is all about Jesus and Jesus is the revelation of your life. He successfully redeemed you to fully express Him. Read John 2:1-11, Psalm17:15, James1:19-23, the Bible is a mirror.

As a believer, you're destined to be moulded into the image of Jesus, to grow in spirit until you look just like Him, outwardly. We are already like Him in this world. The Word says as He is, so are we in this world. (1 John4:17) You were changed on the inside. How successful you are in allowing this change to progress to the outer man is mostly up to you. We grow up spiritually just like we grow up physically. True discipleship is about mirroring - model the life - be imitators of Christ; Living epistles.

Religion has tried to reduce the gospel to a sermon or message when God had a life in mind. The message merely contains the revelation of the life within. That’s why Jesus could say: "today the scriptures are fulfilled in your hearing." The manual points to Immanuel, God with us, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Act 17:11 “...The Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said”. God spoke to us through His Son. All God ever wanted to say to the human race, He said through His Son. Hebr1:1-3 Jesus is the exact representation of the Father and all about you at the same time. In His light we see light. You cannot become more than what God already made you to be but you can walk in a greater awareness and appreciation of your true identity in Christ as you fellowship with Him through His Word. Be willing to live by the spirit and not the senses, so He can guide you, teach you and live His life through you.

I pray that God will give you a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of the glory of God (Glory, Greek doxa = Opinion), in the face of Christ Jesus. 2 Cor4:4-7

You’re about to enter one of the most exciting and fulfilling times of your life, because He chose and designed you to be an expression of Himself. That, my friend, is the greatest thrill of all.

Love you guys,
Tanswell and Portia

Can it be? As He Is So Are We!

2005-08-03T04:15:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled by this one verse: Look at the tenses in the verse.
1John4:17 "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world"

Do you think right now Jesus is worried, afraid, hopeless, depressed, concerned about the future, in sin, sick, lack conscious, feel distant from His Father, I don’t think so, do you?

In the light of this question I would like to bring to your attention the b-part of this verse.

"As He is (right now, not 2000 years ago) are you in this world" Give it a bit of thought, ponder on it. You need to KNOW AND DISCOVER THE REAL YOU. Jesus is all about you. He came to reveal the true you, in Himself. He is the light of your life. He's life awakens the light to your true identity. John1:4

Is there more to you than just the meat box and the looks, the background, history, the bank balance, feelings and emotions?

If nobody ever told you, you are just like Him; you just heard the best news of your life. Could it be that someone lied to you concerning your true identity or that you believed a lie about yourself.

As He is so are we in this world. Don't settle for any lessor opinion. You carry His label, His inscription. He is your true origin. That's why Jesus is not ashamed to call you his brother, because you come from the same Father. Heb 2:11. You have the same origin. The Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him out. Shall we pay taxes? He replied: "Bring me a coin whose portrait or inscription is on it? Caesar’s they reply, now render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and render to God what belongs to God." You were created for His pleasure. Eph 2:10 says you are His workmanship. When you esteem the new creation you are esteeming the Creator. To belittle the creation is to belittle the Creator. You are His workmanship.

Eternity knew us long before time could define us.
God has a bigger claim to our lives than our past, our genealogy, organisation, the devil or any person for that matters. Gal 1:15 “…we were set apart from our mother's womb (natural identity) to reveal Christ in us and to preach Him in the nations” The secret of our lives is our union with Him. The secret to the success of our lives is our consciousness of our union with Him. We are the dream of God realised. We are not a mere experiment of man’s desire or aspirations. Our identity was sealed in Christ Jesus and whenever Jesus is revealed we are co-revealed with Him. Col3:1-4; 2 Cor13:5; Col 1:26;27.

In this day and days to come, purpose to walk in an awareness and consciousness of the living Christ that indwells you. It takes an agreement on your part to believe what He thinks of you. See how your life will be transformed when you believe and awake to this truth.

Your faith has everything to do with your identity.
What do you believe, if God is convinced you are just as Jesus is, right now? HAVE THE FAITH OF GOD! The only faith worth pursuing is what God believes. Gal 4:9 “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

Paul realised that only God’s faith and opinion of Him has a lasting impact that results in true freedom and liberty. Look into the perfect law of liberty and see yourself in the mirror of His Word. Only those who are willing to gaze deeply into the mirror of His Word will enjoy the fruitfulness of what the gospel reveals in Christ. Deception is merely adhering and agreeing to a foreign identity. As He is so are we in this world and anything less is to walk in deception and to fail the test of what faith came to reveal.

“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? 2 Cor 13:5

Awake, o sleeper and let Christ arise and shine in and through you.

Love you guys!

God's View and Claim Over London

2005-07-08T04:25:00.000-07:00

The events of yesterday was really evident on the faces of every person in the city of London this morning. I travelled on the underground at the same time yesterday when the first bomb went off, but on another line. London is shaken and very nervy! People are asking the life questions, this morning. It 's almost if I can hear they call out within them "what am I worth?

I thought this morning on my way to work, ... if fear has this impact on a city, imagine what faith will have?
It was is if the Spirit of the living God was welling up within me to capture the imagination of God. The word says: "our faith already overcame". God has chosen His "ecclessia" (church) to make known His manifold wisdom. Just such a wonderful opportunity to share the living Christ with people.What a joy and honour to reveal Christ in us and to preach Him in the nations. How valuable every person is to Him. He valued us with His own life, when He died for us. We are Jesus worth to Him. HALLELUJAH!

Two people came to our door yesterday to warn us of the end-times. After 1hour, Portia had the joy to share with them the present reality of the living Christ within. Don't be fooled into believing in a historical Jesus or a future event that can somehow bring you to a closer experience with your Maker. Tears rolled down their cheeks as the Spirit of the living God convicted them of His great favour and love. How great is this mystery, Christ WITHIN YOU the hope of glory. The revelation of God's opinion of them was so overwhelming that they insisted that they want to come and see us again. "One size fits all"

I thank God that this gospel is bigger than any label man want to associate himself with. The substance belongs to Christ, because in Him all men are included and in Him all men discover their true value and identity. Any other opinion lacks substance.
"It is this love that defines your value. You have a value that far exceeds your current wealth plus your earning power plus your achievements. It is not that your achievements are worthless or that your titles mean nothing, it’s just that measuring your value by them can’t do justice to your true value.

What title can compare to: ‘son of God’.
What position can compare to being seated with Christ in heavenly places?
What heritage can compare to being born of God?
What status can compare to being called His friend and personal representative?

He values you beyond your greatest achievement. He values you even if your only achievement is failure. He can see the truth about you, the reality of your worth, even if no one else (including yourself) can. He invites you to see YOU from His point of view.

There was an event in history in which God was required to place a value on man. Man was up for sale (redeem means to buy back) and nothing but the exact price would do. He made a calculation and came to a definite answer: Man is worth as much as I. He gave Himself as a ransom for you." (Andre Rabe - a piece from one of his articles)

In our hearts we are very excited and are aware of His powerful working in us. Those who know their God will do great and mighty exploits. This is the time to anticipate and expect God to confirm His word with signs and wonders. To see God reveal Himself IN US, not one day in the future,but now in this present day. Do not say another four months and then the HARVEST, look, see, they are ripe unto harvest!

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you WHATEVER you ask in my name.John 15:16

"Arise, shine, for your light HAS come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon YOU.
2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon YOU and his glory appears over YOU.
3 Nations will come to YOUR light, and kings to the brightness of YOUR dawn.
4 "Lift up your eyes and look about YOU: All assemble and come to YOU; YOUR sons come from afar, and YOUR daughters are carried on the arm.
5 Then YOU will look and be radiant, YOUR heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to YOU, to YOU the riches of the nations will come.

If God can't lie and He said it, praise God, I believe it. We about to see the revealing of the sons of God(YOU) who dare to believe what He believes, concerning YOU. The only faith worth pursuing is what He believes, CONCERNING YOU.

Live a Large Life in God. It's the greatest thrill and adventure you can imagine.
Love you guys! Tanswell and Portia

2005-06-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Lord provided us with a Mini-bus to be given as a gift to our friends Leon and Jacobi who are missionaries in the Ukraine for the last 9 years. The mini-bus will make a huge difference in the lives of the people they share Jesus with.

From the 15-28 August we will be driving the mini-bus over to the Ukraine and visit Leon and Jacobi. We will be driving via the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and down to Odessa in the Ukraine, close to the Black Sea.We trust God for amazing favour and time for fruitful labour with Leon and Jacobi. Should you wish to help us financially to cover our expenses to get the mini-bus to the Ukraine please contact us or donate online.

Please pray with us for this very important project and should you wish to help us financially to cover our expenses to get the mini-bus to the Ukraine please contact us or donate online. .

Who's opinion dictates your life?

2005-06-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

It is a wonderful thing to know that we can live free from man's opinion. There is a reference to our lives that gives God a claim to our life that is greater than my past history or geneology. The opinion God has of us is so far superior to what the world may give you through status, man's applause or personal achievement. Not even your biggest failure can demolish His esteem of you.

Our origin.
God included us in Christ, before the fall of man. Man's biggest dissapointment couldn't erase our origin. Eternity defined us before time could. God chose us in Christ before the foundation(fall of man) of the world to be holy (set apart) for God exclusively. Eph1:4 The word used chose in verse four in the original text, refers to the thought of association. The word associate implies that it is impossible to think of one person without having to think of the other at the same time. eg. If I walk in the room, my friends would immediately ask me how my wife is doing, if she is not present, because of our association. When they see me they think of her and when they see her they think of me.

Jesus came to the earth to reveal to man His true identity. Jesus Christ carried in Him the blueprint of our design. God knew us way before we could define ourselves through the limitations of the senses. Jesus is the true light of every man, he came to His own and they did not receive Him. John1:9;11 He needed no one to enlighten Him to the testimony of man, for He knew what was in man. John2:25

What gives our lives definition is reflected in His face. In His light do we see light (the light of our true identity), this is the voice of faith. Our faith is not some attempt on our part to get God to move on our part. Our faith finds its expression in our identity. Paul writes in Romans chapter 10. This is what our faith says; "it does not say who will go into heaven as to bring Him down or will go in the the abyss as to bring Him up; but near you is the word in your heart and in your mouth". In 2 Cor13:5 Paul appeals to the Corinthians to examine themselves accurately and to test and see if they are in the faith; do you not realise Christ within you. The conclusion of faith is to see yourself so clearly reflected in Christ that no contradiction or lie of the enemy will be big enough to steal your identity in Christ.

"For if we believe the testimony of man, God's testimony is greater than any other testimony". 1 John5:9 This testimony is not just a "feel good factor" to somehow help us feel better about ourselves or from the circumstances we may face, but it is the revelation of the knowledge of the indwelling Christ. We have the testimony of Christ confirmed in us. 1Cor1:6 What gives our lives substance is Christ revealed in us.

You are the God kind. When God sees Jesus, He sees you. When He sees you, He sees Jesus.
"... As he is so are we in This World..." 1John 4:17-19

Consider your worth!
The value of any product is reflected in the price you have to pay for it. God knew that the only price big enough for mankind to redeem him back to himself, was God himself. You are bought with a precious price, Jesus himself, because that is what you are worth, silver and gold and all the wealth of the world combined was not enough. God identifies you with the last Adam (Jesus), the firstborn among many brethren. To make the first Adam your reference is to walk in error. He abolished the first to establish the new.

The only opinion worthy of your full attention is what God believes concerning you. You are His love dream fullfilled!

Why settle for a visit, If God came to stay.

2005-06-20T04:10:00.000-07:00

We spend enormous amounts of time and energy and even large sums of money to try and "track" God. We try to find the latest formula to get God's attention to come and give us a visit. Some will ask; "Where is He now...we cannot afford to miss Him." We are zealously pursueing another touch, move or wave of God. I continue meeting precious people and believers trying so hard to get God's attention in order that they may experience Him in all His fullness. When I sit in this kind of talk I somehow can't help getting a picture of a God that seems very reluctant to meet and have fellowship with His children. In my heart I know this is not true, nothing can be more further from the truth.

Am I asking the wrong question or can it be that we are failing to interpret what God said in Christ?
Personally I think it is the latter. We read in the book of Hebrews in the first few verses of chapter one that God spoke in many various ways but in these last days communicated to us through His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the voice of God concerning us. All God ever wanted to communicate to us, He said in His son. Yes, you heard right, ALL God ever wanted to say, He said in His Son. Jesus was the exact and complete expression of the Father. The Bible is all about Jesus and Jesus is all about you. When you see Jesus, you see the mirror of your own life reflected in Him. 2 Cor3:18, James1:22-25. "...As He is, so are we in this world..." 1John4:17-19

Rom10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Paul is addressing a people who sincerley wish to encounter their God. They are full of the zeal for God, but fail to interpret with understanding the zeal of God. They did not submit themselves to God's achievement in Christ on their behalf. God's zeal produced their righteousness but they were still trying to achieve it on their own.

Religion can be best described as mans attempt to please His Maker or get His attention. It's man made, it has performance written all over it. How you should pray, worship, act, do etc, that will somehow convince God to pay you a visit. Look at what Paul has to say to the religious people of the day.

Acts17: 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. ( very riligious)
Acts 17: 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Acts17: 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

While religion is man's attempt to somehow get a hold of God, the gospel is the revelation of God's achievement in Christ Jesus to get a hold of you. When He came, He held nothing back but gave His best. All God's favour (acceptance of you) was displayed while you were yet sinners. "For God so loved the world that He gave....Christ died for us while we were yet sinners" It is in complete contrast to the religious spirit that is rampant in the church today. It is time to awake to His favour and to see yourself as He sees you. The veil was torn from top to bottom, so He can live and move in you. Rom5:8: John3:16 God is far more eager to meet with us and to share himself with us than all our best attempts to somehow reach Him.

Lets see what the Word says:
Acts17: 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Acts17: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Acts17: 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Acts17: 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Gal2: 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1 Cor6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Cor6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

If He lives in us why do we keep on asking Him to come and visit us?
This gospel reveals the nearness of God. The mystery has been revealed, Christ is in you. (Col1:26,27) He is in you!

If Christ in you is not enough, what will be?
Let me assure you , He alone is more than enough. We simply allowed the enemy to fool us into waiting for another visit or move from God, when God waits to move through our lives in His power and glory. We are in for a long wait, if we continue to preach man's gospel (mans's effort) and not Christ and Him crucified (God's achievement). We have become so entangled with ourselves and preaching human experience, appealing to the intellect of man, that the simple truth of the gospel no longer appeals to our ears.

2 Cor11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Eve aspired to become something she already was. She grew dim in her appreciation of her identity. She carried His likeness and image. She was more than a "meat box". The most truth inspiring revelation that ever flooded my spirit was the realisation that all of God indwells in me. Of His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. We are His dwelling place. Daily He desires to move and touch people through us. He refuse to live in homes made with hands, you are the only one who can accurately display Him in the earth. You carry His image and likeness.

While religion wants to get a hold of Him, the gospel reveals how God got a hold of us. He came to stay and abide. He desired zion as His dwelling place. (Psalm 132:13) God cannot get any closer to us than what He already is. Our ignorance of this truth does not nullify the nearness of His presence. We need to arm our thoughts with this truth. Awake and become aware of what treasue you carry within you daily.

Refuse to accommodate distance between you and God, let it be the focus of your life.
John15: 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. We are united with Him.

I grew-up surrounded by vineyards in Cape Town, South Africa. I noticed the sap that flow through the vine is the same sap that flow through the branches. The branches (that's us) carry the fruit that brings glory to the Father.

Col3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. He is in you! He is your identity!
1Cor6: 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

I Am, that I Am is in you. Emmanual, Our God is with us. We are God containers!

I believe a greater awareness of this truth will result in an amazing demonstration of His manifest presence in our lives. Walk with a consciousness of His indwelling presence, you may just find yourself to be the next wave and move of God, you were waiting for.

The Father's Heart.

2005-06-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

When we read this scripture, most of us immediately interpret that Jesus was talking about heaven, as the place he will go and prepare for us. What place then was He talking about?

John 1:18 “…the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, …” In this portion of scripture Jesus indicates, where He is. He is in the bosom of the Father. The place He was going to prepare for us, was a place of intimate dwelling with God the Father. We were created for an intimate friendship with God.

Lets have a closer look at Eph 1:17-18 "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him… that the eyes of our heart (spirit) may be enlightened…to know the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” Note it was His inheritance. You enriched God in fellowship, because you were restored to fellowship with your Maker.
The word glory, is the greek word (doxa). It means a mindset or an opinion, which is reality. So the Father has an opinion of you, He has a mindset concerning you and me. He’s mind is made up but we need a spirit of wisdom and revelation, because you cannot perceive it with the natural five senses.

What is God’s opinion of us?

Matthew: 13-17 “This is my beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased.” The meaning of the word beloved is to be loved or it also means, my beloved one, the one I love deeply, the one I am in love with. I know you are all going yes, amen, Hallelujah! Of course, Father God is deeply in love with Jesus; after all, He is Jesus. However, let see how Jesus prays in John 17:26 “ … that the love that you loved me with may be in them, and I in them.” The Father has no inferior love for us than what he has for Jesus. God restored us in Christ to the same position and quality of relationship that Jesus has and desires that we share the same intimate bosom experience Jesus enjoys with the Father.

John10:10 “…Have eternal life and have it to the full/abundantly” that we may have the God kind of life experience, the very “zoe” life of God. The word abundantly = Superabundant, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, above the ordinary, more than sufficient.This leads to the next question.

What is the life Jesus gave us? What is eternal life?

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”1John5: 20 “ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, that we may know him who is true. And we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.” Jesus came to restore us in order that we may know Him intimately. This is far more than just sense knowledge or something we grasp with our minds, but an intimate experience of the heart of the Father, it is "bosom dwelling".

2 Pet 1:3.4 “ seeing His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory (opinion) and excellence, for by these he has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Eph 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 145: 7-9 “… the memory of your great goodness. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”

God himself is our exceedingly great reward. Gen15:1 Knowing God intimately is the only way to experience His overflow and extraordinary power towards you, which He worked in Christ Jesus. We are His workmanship. We are a product of His doing. We need to embrace His opinion of us in Christ Jesus. As long as we keep on asking God to do something he has already done, you are training/telling your heart that you don’t have what he says you have IN HIM. Note all the tenses of these scriptures are not for one day in the far distant future. It is a "done deal" Jesus went to prepare a place for you and me to enjoy the Fathers embrace right now.

Proverbs 16:6 “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged from our hearts.”

Righteousness = Straight, right. The opposite of righteousness is iniquity = crooked, crookedness. A crooked heart is one trained to live in a foreign opinion to its original design. People are so trapped in their experiences that they accommodate and suppress the truth of God’s opinion (the truth concerning their identity, as revealed in Christ). Man is either talking himself out or fighting for the right to accept a lessor opinion of himself than what God sees and believes of him. The human race can’t see itself worthy of receiving.
"How lovely are the feet of those that bring good tidings." The gospel is the revelation of mans righteousness on the basis of Christ's finished work on man's behalf. Rom1:16,17 We must learn to receive. It’s a gift, you cannot work for it, or otherwise it will be a reward. God gave righteousness to us as a gift. The giver the determines whether you are worthy enough to receive the gift, that's why He gave you His best, Jesus himself. You are Jesus worth to the Father, because that is the price He paid for you, to enjoy He's embrace.

Pitfalls for not enjoying the Fathers heart.
Unbelief/ Slow in hearing. Dull in hearing. Didn’t mix the word with faith. Heb 4:1-4, Hebrews 5:11 “…of Him we have much to say, but you have become dull of hearing”Matt15: 6 “The traditions of men (human effort and experience contrary to God’s opinion) have made the Word of no effect.”

Summary:

Discover the much more gospel/ don’t misinterpret your redemption. Rom5
Rom8: 30 & John17: 1 We need to become familiar with our exaltation/glorification, which God worked in Christ on our behalf. Jesus didn’t just do something for you, but with you. It’s only then when we experience his permanent glory in our lives. What you bring about in your life by your own power has to be maintained by your own power and strengths, BUT what God has brought by His doing, He will also maintain by His power, Amen.
Pay attention to what the mirror of the word reveals. A mirror reflects. It communicates to you exactly who and what you are, not what you must become. No effort or lack of it on your part, can add or take away, to what the mirror reveals you are. 2Cor3:18, Heb2:1
You’re a son that lovingly serves. Stop living and working to gain God’s approval and start to live in His approval of you. Rom5: 8 He knows you far better than the best definition of yourself. Dictionary defines rest as: “to cease from all investigation and find refreshments and recreation.” Rest is the state of realising that God approves of me.
Rest in His finished work on your behalf. Matt 11:28 “ …And I will give you rest.” Message bible says: “… we must learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”

For further study.

2Cor 5:17 “…. for behold everything has become new”

2 or3: 18 “For we behold Him as in a mirror”.

Deut 32:4,18 God’s work in you was perfect.

Eph2:10 “You are His workmanship”

Col2:10 You are complete in Him.

This gospel is ALL good news.

There is not an inch of bad news in it. You are all together lovely and the Father loves you deeply.

"My love for you are completely beautiful, devestating, nothing to be improved and totally Ten out of Ten." Songs of Songs, a quote from The Street Bible, Paul Lacey.

Awake , Awake o sleeper and let Christ shine in you!

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Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (1 Cor15:34)
And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
(Ps17:15)

Paul prays that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened with the knowledge of Jesus Christ. When we get to know who we really are, what joy, liberty and freedom it brings to our hearts. Anything short of satisfaction is an indication that I did not awake from my "sleep" yet.

To be asleep is to be unaware of anything around you, but being asleep does not alter or change the reality of your surroundings. Your eyes are the gateway. Jesus says. "... the eye is the lamp of the body and enlightens up the whole body" Jesus revealed to us the truth of our lives. "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light". Psalm 36:9 In His light do we see the light of our own life. Jesus is the revelation of our true identity. He did not come so we can admire Him, He came to reveal who we really are.

He is not ashamed to call us bretheren, because we have the same origin. Heb2:11 The root word for brethren used in this verse, implies those who come from the same womb. He is our origin. He is your life. Peter discovered who Jesus is in the book of Matthew chapter 16 and discovered at that very same moment, His true identity. Blessed are you Simon-Barjona, for you are Cephas(petros=Rock). Deut32 says, "Ascribe greatness to the God our Rock, His work is perfect". "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus..." Jesus is the blueprint of our life. "Do not forget or be unmindful of the Rock that begot you". Deut32:3,4,18 & Eph2:10

You were made for this truth. Only the sound of your true identity will satisfy you. Any other voice will leave you frustrated.

Awake to your true identity and celebrate Jesus in you. You are indeed complete in Him. (Col2:10)

Make the distinct sound of the bugle. "Blow the trumpet in Zion". 1Cor14:8

My desire with this site is to awaken in you the reality of your true identity, to raise up my voice with strength, to blow the distinct sound of God's opinion of you in your hearts that will propel you into a place of intimate dwelling with your Maker.

His bosom is your destiny!
You are His love dream fulfilled!
You are the object of God's desire!
We are exclusively His!

Why wait, He's yours to enjoy now!