Away from Me, I never knew you….

Matthew 7: 21-23: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in your name?’  “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

These are some harsh words from our Lord, don’t you think?  Exactly what significance do they have for us here today?  

There are many, I fear, who are looking for an outward sign as to the manifestation of the anointing of God upon one’s life.  People want signs and wonders…do you?  The above scripture states that many will perform miracles to behold but Jesus will stand on the day and say, “Away from Me I never knew you.”  Are you prepared for that?

Clearly, Jesus tells us that signs and wonders will follow those who believe.  Are you looking for signs for the sake of the sign or are you using the God-given power you have been given as His child (do you know you even have power?) to help further the kingdom of heaven upon this earth while putting the power in the right perspective in your heart?

As fallible humans, Jesus already knows that we are going to want to seek a sign or a wonder of some sort.  He is telling us that to have an intimate relationship with Him is better than performing…I have been used by God to give many signs but it seems unless signs are constantly ever present, that people tend to fall away from seeking a personal relationship with God.  We have been so conditioned in the body of Christ to look for outward signs that we can’t seem to get our heads out of the clouds and come back down into the earth and buckle down to actually “do” God.  We don’t seem to have the steadfastness and faith to believe in God unless there are signs.

We are a fallen lot of people and I honestly believe that God is beseeching us to attain a higher calling in Christ Jesus but we are still on the bottle and haven’t even come close to the true meat of the word in our walk with Christ.  We desperately need to buckle down and quit running all over hell and creation looking for a word or a sign.  We need to stop pounding on the gates of heaven asking God to give us power unless we intend to get our hands dirty by doing the will of the Father in heaven.  We need to get up and be steadfast in our everyday lives and hearts, doing diligently what God puts in front of us to the very best of our abilities. 

Hype is fine but at the end of the day when the word has been delivered, hands have been laid on to heal or the prophesy given, you still have to wake up and start your day just like everyone else.  There are no free tickets for anything in the kingdom and I can tell you that God has already tested, proven and tried those whom He is going to use for His glory and to get souls into the kingdom.  Don’t be fooled by signs.  It is the life lived wholly separated unto God that has been through the fire that He approves of.  It is the fire walked through that causes the Fire of the Holy Spirit to flow through.  Everything else is cotton candy and will be exposed for what it truly is.

Put the bottle down and come up to the big table to eat.  It is only God who tests the mind and the heart and He knows exactly whom He has chosen in this end-time harvest of souls.  This is not a game to God, so be wise who you listen to. 

Will He thrust you aside or will He beckon you come unto Him as having known Him?

Molly         

I believe that two disciplines of God’s Word are essential for spiritual growth and moving forward with God’s divine will for one’s life and destiny: prayer and memorization of God’s Word. Each of these has its own discipline that is rewarded with spiritual fruit that cannot be obtained in any other way. Scripture teaches us in Romans 8:20, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Although the walk of the cross is not an easy one, it can become, through spiritual understanding and with much discipline, the best path. 

Prayer is essential to spiritual growth. According to Whitney, “First Thessalonians 5:17 states, “Pray continually.” “While “devote yourselves to prayer” emphasizes prayer as an activity, “pray continually” reminds us that prayer is also a relationship” (Whitney 1994, 33). After turning to Christ at thirty-nine years old, prayer was a key for me which unlocked a door that I had not known needed to be opened. I did not have any theological background or training, but I believed when I would sit and talk to God in the middle of the night that He heard what I had to say. He became my counselor 24/7, and I did not have to pay one thin dime to go to an office or hear that my time was up.

Next, I realized, through listening to teaching ministries on television, namely Kenneth Copeland and Dr. Charles Stanley, that there was much more to learn about God than I could even have imagined. I had no idea who God truly was, much less any of His character traits. I had only known of Jesus Christ and vaguely about the cross. Who in the world was the Holy Spirit, and how did three people get into one body anyway? All of this was from an individual who had grown up in Sunday school and church, never allowed to miss a Sunday.

Memorizing scripture, God’s Word, and allowing it to take root in one’s heart is imperative to overcoming the enemy of one’s soul, Satan. “When Scripture is stored in the mind, it is available for the Holy Spirit to take and bring to your attention when you need it most” (Whitney 1994, 25). If Jesus Christ had to stand on this earth and defeat him with God’s written word, then so does a follower of Christ. Jesus is the example for those who follow Him. 

I have concluded that less of God’s Word daily is not enough to sustain my spirit. Just recently I have been caught up in doing so much ministry work, coupled with lack of meditation, that I have had less prayer time, which has left me feeling empty inside. A steady diet of world events, family issues, and/or much ministry can clog the drain of the Holy Spirit. This is where I have found myself. Prayer and the deposit of God’s Word can breathe life to a dry spirit. 

Bibliography

Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs: NavPress,

         1994.