| Maintaining
an Active Personal Relationship
With The Lord
Wade E Taylor
A
word that is being quickened at this present time is a
call to Come Higher. Wherever
we are in our spiritual life experience, the Lord is telling us
that there is more and He is challenging us to come higher.
After
these things I saw a door standing open in heaven. The first voice,
which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, Come up
here, and I will show you what must happen after this. Revelation 4:1 International Standard Version
There
are several terms that relate to our having a deeper life
relationship with our Lord. One
of these words is, overcomer.
An
overcomer is one who rises above a difficult situation
or circumstance, by dealing with it.
An overcomer chooses that which relates to the will and purpose
of the Lord, no matter how it may affect his personal comfort and
well being. Being an overcomer is not the result of something
that we do, as it cannot be earned.
Rather, it is what we have become through the experience
of what we do. It is the
unconditional commitment of our life to the Lord our
heart attitude in putting the Lord in first place in all
that we are and do.
But
seek you first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and
all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
As
we submit ourselves to being totally dependent upon the Lord, as
a branch depending upon the vine to receive its
life, we should experience our Lords abiding presence, as our life
becomes the expression of His life.
I
am the vine, you are
the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings
forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. John
15:5
The
world recognizes our need for increased energy, and advertises all
kinds of things to give us that energy.
Our spiritual energy also needs to be maintained
and increased, but this energy must come from above.
Abide
in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide
in Me. John 15:4
A
vine has roots (Jesus the tree of life) through which it receives
life. The branch
(you and I)
is attached to the vine, and draws life from the vine. If the branch becomes detached, within a short
time, it will wither and soon die, as it is not capable of maintaining
life within itself.
The
Word tells us that in our spiritual life experience, we
are as a branch. Therefore, we must attach ourselves to the
vine, (Jesus) in all that we are and do. As
we do this, and we begin to draw on the life of the Lord, we will
have a deep inner-sense that we are receiving the very
life of the vine (Jesus)
into our lives.
After
His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary:
Touch
Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father. John 20:17
Jesus
ascended, and applied the blood of redemption to the altar of heaven,
and the full penalty for our sin was accomplished, and we are eternally
forgiven. He then returned and spent forty days appearing
to those who believed, strengthening and empowering them, as they
touched His very life.
And
as they thus spoke, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them,
and saith to them, Peace be
to you. But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that
they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, Why are you troubled?
and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and
My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit
has not flesh and bones, as you see Me have. Luke 24:36-39
This
impartation of His life that came into their being was
so powerful, that the first generation Church literally turned the
world of that day upside down.
In
His ascension, the blood of Jesus became the power of an everlasting
life.
Who
is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after
the power of an endless life. Hebrews 7:16
Jesus
said:
Verily,
verily, I say to you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man,
and drink His blood, you have no life in you. John 6.53
As
we partake of His life in true intimate fellowship, and, as we partake
of communion, we are receiving the power of an endless life. As we receive the life of the vine (Jesus)
into the branch that we are, we will live to the fullness of all
that our Lord intends for us. The
Lord said:
I
am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
There
is an end-time witness that the Lord will give to this
world, through the present-day Church (you and I). Today, the world
laughs at the Church, and considers it as being a nuisance. But the world is about to be shaken, as there
is an end-time apostolic empowering from above that is
about to be released. The
powers of heaven (the throne of God) are increasingly being made available, but we must tap in, as
a branch coming to the vine to receive its life and strength.
Most
of us can say that we have never been busier in our lives. There is so much going on, which keeps us earth-bound,
and unable to take the necessary time to ascend, to receive
of His life and strength. These
things need attention, but in the end, they will all be left behind,
for they have no value in relation to eternal things.
There
is another word, Bride, that is being quickened at this
present time.
Our
being a Bride speaks of our having a submissive
relationship to the Lord. This
Bride is within the present-day Church, and is quietly
being made ready for her unveiling. As we establish our utter dependence upon the
Heavenly Bridegroom (Jesus), and commit our lives to Him, we loose our identity, and
take on His identity, that in a submissive relationship to Him,
we become the witness and expression of His life, as was John the
Baptist.
He
said, I am the voice of One crying
in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said
the prophet Isaiah. John 1:23
Another
term that relates to the present workings of our Lord is the
sons of God. Being a son speaks of our having a
cooperative relationship with the Lord.
Come,
My beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the
villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards. Song of Solomon 7:11-12a
Through
those who have made this level of commitment, the Lord will demonstrate
His life and power to this present world.
There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there
is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
In
the Church, under the anointing, there is neither male
nor female. We can all function
as we are enabled by the Lord, totally irrespective of
gender. Male and female
become a type of our relationship to the Lord.
As
a Bride, I am dependent and have become one
with Jesus. As a son,
I enter into a cooperative relationship with the Lord. I rise above the earthly, and as an overcomer,
His very life begins to flow out through my life. I am then able to give expression to the life of the Lord, as my
life becomes a witness of His life.
We
are approaching the last days - the time of the closing out of the
Church Age, the tribulation judgments on the nations and the establishing
of the Millennial Kingdom, which is the Theocratic Government
of God ruling all mankind.
And
while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were
ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Matthew 25:10
Those
who are prepared to enter with the Lord into the marriage feast
will be able to sing a new song that which they have
become:
And
they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy ... and have made
us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Revelations 5:9a-10
|
