August 20, 2022

This was a teaching that the Lord put on my heart in March 2014.  Today, have I only felt led to post it as a VERY important message for the hour the Body of Christ is in now.  It is a necessary teaching to really meditate on for further understanding as to why God has us go through various things, for His glory and for our own spiritual growth to manifest fully in Him.  Please take the time to go through this teaching with the Holy Spirit’s leading, so that He may impress upon you the understanding of what many of you will learn to go through, for your own good.  This is the journey of hope and redemption in Him…

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

There has been great revelation poured forth from the Lord about what He is trying to do in His people. I have been led to share this with others because this is something that He has laid upon my heart, to give more understanding of what He is doing and why. It has truly encouraged me to see it as He sees it. Hear by the Spirit.  God is really trying to deal with the inner man, which begins with the heart. It’s the flesh (the sinful nature) that makes the heart sick.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9)

When you are called to live a holy and separated life in Christ, He begins to deprive you of everything that’s of this world (fleshly in nature) and it is necessary to abide in this place until He has cleansed us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9; Eph. 4:22-23). The process can be grueling. It can seem your whole life is out of order, everything is going wrong, and you may find yourself at a loss (at least what seems like a loss). Truth is, this is the normal process in God’s eyes (1 Pet. 4:12). Of course we won’t understand it at the time because we don’t truly know His ways, but this is why He does it (Isa. 55:8; Prov. 3:5)….so we may learn of His ways and walk in righteousness.

When this process begins you may want to yell, kick, and scream because everything you put your trust in aside from God, will be of no good to you. For God says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12)…..for this is what we are truly battling with within ourselves. It’s a spiritual battle.

 Be careful not to become angry with God or take offense when He takes you through the process because this is really His grace and mercy being shown to us, which gives us the ability to endure (Prov. 3:11; Luke 7:23; 1 Cor. 10:9-10, 1 Cor. 10:13). He is merciful. (1 Pet. 1:3; Eph. 2:4; Ps. 145:9). In your eyes it may seem God is not merciful and you may see no good in it or how is it helping you in any way. It seems to be tearing you apart. Well, that means the process is working. If it is getting us where we need to be in Him, we should rejoice. In this time we receive answers to questions we have never known. We learn to wait and rely upon Him (Isa. 40:31; Ps. 13; Ps. 37).

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials”. (1 Pet. 1:6)

 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11)

What I have come to understand and am being taught by these experiences, is that if God did not discipline and humble us, we would be like spoiled children. We would never learn discipline or obedience. We would take no instructions from authority and we would never follow any rules set in place by them. By taking the route of disobedience (rebellion), in the end there are no lessons learned and it will lead us to a life of destruction. We would continue in our sins and never learn a thing in the process. We would totally forget about Him (Heb. 3:12; James 1:14).

It is significant as to why God says this:

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6)…so that once we have come to maturity in Him, we will not depart from Him and go our own way.

So, we must humble ourselves and become teachable, as we will learn discipline through these various stages in our walk that the Lord may have us go through.  This is in order for us to stand at the right time. If we allow Him to continue this process in us, the fruit will become evident in us over time. Lessons are being learned and heart issues are being brought to the surface through all of it. We actually should be glad that He is doing so, instead of destroying us completely (1 Pet. 1:6; Rom. 5:3; Jam. 1:2). This walk with the Lord requires a life of discipline, humbleness, and obedience. It is required in order to rule and reign with Him and receive the crown of life (Acts 14:22).

The Lord warns there will be those who will reject this calling and it will lead to death (Ps. 106:24-26; Ps. 78:32; Acts 19:9) God has not promised us an easy life. Continuing to become one with the world will keep us from knowing our true identity in Christ. This union with the world makes the heart become filthy and weighed down with sin and darkness. In addition, it makes us unable to love others.  We can become selfish, lust after things we shouldn’t, and indulge ourselves in our own pleasures (1 John 2:16; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Col. 3:5). Worst of them all, it separates us from God. Does that sound like a life God wants for His people? No, it’s not even close to the ideal.

It will seem strange to you when He begins to deal with your heart (1 Pet. 4:12-23; Ex. 20:20). I have even questioned whether it was necessary. WHY it was necessary?

I found that attending church and listening to someone teach you how to live for God does not bring about the required process to walk in Christ rightly when their own lives show no discipline, humbleness, or obedience to God. They are not being led by God in all things and this brings God‘s people into error. It only shows that they are still walking in the flesh and have become entangled in the harlot system of hypocrisy (2 Pet. 2:1-3). This is a false reality, and this is why He so desires to cleanse us. They are not true teachers who are led by God in everything they do (Matt. 23:2-7). There is no true repentance in the heart. They are only laying false claims to justify their false faith. They are just pretending. (Matt 23:13).

We have not truly changed unless we go through this heart changing process with God. We must be led by the Spirit.

“But he who is a Jew who is one inwardly, and true circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not literal matter. His praise is not from men but from God” (Rom. 2:29)

 The ones who are laying false claims are shown to have the same heart as the Pharisees and Sadducees. They are hypocrites. (Matt. 23). Are they teaching you to live a repentant life constantly, pleasing to God? Are they telling you to obey God’s voice above all else? Are they preaching Christ crucified (living the life of the cross; crucified to the flesh; dead to self; 1 Cor. 1:23; Gal. 6:14)? If they are NOT teaching a holy and crucified life to Christ, you better RUN! There must be a transformation and God will have it no other way. No one is greater than another.

“Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16)

Our salvation is not in the hands of our pastors or teachers, but in the hands of God. Only through Him can we truly be saved and each of us will have our time with God. So, will you be found among the sheep (God’s true people) or the goats (the false) when God comes through to test His people (Matt 25:32, Matt 13:49; Ezek. 34:20)? God has given us a choice as to whom we should follow, but when you choose Life (Christ), you give up that right to live for Him alone—no longer putting yourself, others you love so much, and things you love so much before Him. In addition, most people have misinterpreted this and used it as an excuse to sin, therefore they reject the Truth (Josh 24:15). It’s no longer you, but HIM in you.

 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20)

So, this why we must be tested and put under trials in order that Christ may bring it to completion; now it‘s high time to do away with sin.

“And do this, understanding that the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from slumber, because our salvation is nearer now that when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

 It’s time for full submission to God in ALL things because that which is perfect has not yet come until ALL has been put and placed under Him (1 Cor. 13:9-12). We will then come to fully grasp and understand what this process is accomplishing in us. God is working on the matters of the heart (Deut. 8:2-3). What’s in our hearts will manifest itself in our outward actions. If it causes us to sin, whether in thought or action, it must be brought under submission to Christ and it’s by this reason He says to “renew” our minds and “guard” our hearts. (Rom. 12:2; Prov. 4:23). The problem has to be RECOGNIZED and UNDERSTOOD first before it can be fixed. It takes the manifested presence of God to bring it to the surface. He will always reveal Himself to us, and when His glory comes in, His presence will expose ALL that is dark within us. Anything that is not of Him will not stand (Ps. 101:7).

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (1 Cor. 4:5)

Before Christ returns for His bride (His true church), this process must take place in His people and He will expose all through whatever means necessary to get us to see what we need to see. It is through His righteous judgments (Eccl. 12:14) that He is able to expose it and cleanse us accordingly. All who exalt themselves will be brought low (humbled) and those who have been trained by these things and have matured in their walk with Christ, will be exalted in that day (Luke. 14:11) because they were willing to be brought low, stripped, and deprived of everything of the flesh by taking up their cross daily, as Jesus did. In order to share in God’s kingdom, we must drink from the same cup as Christ (1 Cor. 11:26). Jesus became a servant and did not make Himself rich in the things of the world. He humbled himself under the hand of God and lived a disciplined life obedient to His Father, only pleasing God (John 5:19; John 12:50). He preached life pleasing to God and death to the flesh (John 3:3-6). He was put under trials and testing (Matt. 4:1-11). He endured hardships and persecution (John 5:16; Mark 10:33-34). What makes us think that God didn’t want this for us if He required it of His Son? Now look where God placed Him. He placed Jesus at His right hand and exalted Him and now He rules and reigns as the King of kings with authority over all of heaven and earth (Mark 16:19; Ps. 110:1; Matt. 28:18).

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory” (Rom. 8:17)

 “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10)

So now it is time for us to get those heart issues sorted out. This requires the power of God (Zech. 4:6; Prov. 23:26), as it’s the only way it will be successful. It will not be in the way we think God will do it because He will definitely take us out of our comfort zone and away from what pleases us to what pleases Him. It will not be easy, but be encouraged and know God does not leave us in weakness, but it is through our weakness that we become who we are in Him and are able to stand in times of trouble (2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:13).  To come to this true understanding, you will SEE it for what it is; dependence and trust in God and not man. A separated life will seem very strange to those who know nothing about what is truly required to enter into God‘s kingdom. You will be rejected because of this Truth as they had rejected Jesus (John 15:18; John 16:1-4). That is why they crucified Him. You see? They could not see through their own filthy hearts. These filthy hearts are the same hearts that sent Jesus to the cross by the will of God (Mark 10:33-34). If we don’t understand it according to our own standards, we reject the Truth (Luke 10:16; John 12:48). Why do you think Jesus was rejected by so many? It is because His standards did not match theirs. Though they preached Christ, they denied Him when He had come to them because their foolish hearts were darkened by sin (Rom. 1:21; John 1:10-11; Isa. 53:3). It was required of them, but they refused it because it did not glorify the flesh.

So, allow God to get down deep into the matters of your heart so you may be made new in Him. It will yield the GOOD FRUIT required to walk in HIS KINGDOM (Gal. 5:22-23; Matt 5:8) Remember, you cannot hide what’s in your heart before a holy God. So be encouraged through your time of cleansing and progress onward so that all will be made new when God is finished doing the work He has longed to complete in you.