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Category: ARTICLE OF THE MONTH

Impartation

Wade E Taylor

To be “anointed” and to have the ability to “impart” are different, but they relate and work together.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor….  Luke 4:18

For us to be anointed means that a “divine enabling” rests upon us.  Whatever we do or say, we will do it better, according to the level of anointing to which we have attained.

“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established.”  Romans 1:11

The ability to “impart” includes, but goes beyond our being anointed.  If we have this God given ability of impartation, then whatever we say or do, under an anointing, will deeply affect those who are hearing.  Also, the very “substance” of His being (Jesus) will be imparted into the spirit of those who are responsive.

“I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me. That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.”  Proverbs 8:17, 21

Developing a Personal Prayer Life

Wade E Taylor

Prayer should be a natural function of our everyday life and at the very heart of our relationship with our Lord.  The heart of our prayers should always be the expression of our love for the Lord, and of our desire to personally know Him.

“I love them that love Me, and those who seek Me early shall find Me.”  Proverbs 8:17

Our need is not to be better informed about the methods and principles of prayer, but rather, to be stirred to spend quality time in prayer.

Divine Purpose

Wade E Taylor

“Deep calls to deep. At the noise of Your waterspouts, all Your waves and Your billows are gone over me.”  Psalm 42:7

The first “Deep” relates to the heart desire of our Lord for communion and fellowship with us.  The second “deep” relates to the spiritual capacity within us, which the Lord created to satisfy His desire.  The fact that the first “Deep” is calling to the second “deep” tells us that our Lord actively seeks and desires our fellowship with Him.

“Behold, I stand at the door (of your spirit), and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.”  Revelation 3:20-21 (comment added)

In search for the fulfillment of His desire for fellowship, God created the expanse of the universe, but still could not find that which He desired.  Therefore, He returned and formed man from dust (Adam was created to be dependent), and created within him a “depth” in his spirit that is inversely commensurate with the vastness of the universe.  This “deep” within man is capable of unlimited communion with God, through which the Lord receives a measure of satisfaction.

Maintaining A Personal Relationship With The Lord

Wade E Taylor

A “word” that is being quickened at this present time is, “Rise Up,” or, “Come Higher.”  Wherever we are in our spiritual life experience, the Lord 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 “higher” (deeper) walk with the Lord.  One of these words is “overcomer.”

A New Song

Wade E Taylor

“And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”  Revelation 5:9-10

This “new song” is not one that we learn.  Rather, it is the result of our submission to the dealings of the Lord, and it is a testimony of what we have become – “kings and priests.” 

The “twenty four elders” represent the Old Testament overcomers.  The “four living creatures” represent the four sides of spiritual maturity, the New Testament overcomer. They are singing – “and has made us.”  This song is the result of the “processing” that takes place during our life time, which leads to our being chosen as an overcomer.

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”  Matthew 22:14

A better way to say this is, “Many are called, but few will pay the price in order to be chosen.

Born of the Spirit

Wade E Taylor

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night….  John 3:1-2

Nicodemus waited until it was dark so he would not be recognized.  However, there is a deeper meaning as to why he “came by night.”  The Old Covenant, the Law, began in manifest glory, but had degenerated into a religious ritual which resulted in spiritual darkness.  Nicodemus walked out of this religious darkness toward the One he now recognized as being the “light” that he sought, but being a Pharisee, had not previously found.

“Again therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  John 8:12  Douay-Rheims Bible

As Nicodemus approached Jesus, he said, “Good Master.”  He was saying, “Jesus, You have something that I do not have. I have come to see what it is, and receive.”

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:3 NASB

Two Ways

Wade E Taylor

“And it came to pass, that as the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake….  Luke 5:1-2

Notice that the people were “pressing upon Jesus to hear the word of God.”  Whenever we take a step toward the Lord, He will respond and begin to draw us closer to Himself.

There will always be “two ships” (two possibilities) in our spiritual life experience.  These are placed in our path by the Lord to cause us to make a choice.  Jesus will never enter the ship that relates to our self-life (our being in control of all that we say and do).  When we make the right choice, Jesus will enter the ship that relates to His will and purpose for us, and become active in our spiritual life experience.

“And He entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.”  Luke 5:3

Waiting Upon The Lord

Wade E Taylor

“I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find me That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.”  Proverbs 8:17, 21

The “approbation,” or favor of the Lord rests upon those who have fully yielded their lives to Him, who desire to intimately know Him and are willing to spend time in His presence.  The result is that these will be able to recognize His presence and will have “understanding” concerning His ways.

If these qualities are to become a reality in our lives, we also must first learn to “wait upon the Lord.”

“Blessed is the man that hears Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors. For whoso finds Me finds life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.”  Proverbs 8:34-35

Deep Calling to Deep

Wade E Taylor

“Deep calls to deep. At the noise of Your waterspouts, all Your waves and Your billows are gone over me.”  Psalm 42:7

Deep calls.”  Our Lord is a seeking God who desires a satisfaction that can be found only in us – our worship and our times of fellowship with Him.  We were created for this purpose, which became marred by the transgression of Adam.

At the noise of Your waterspouts.”  Our initial response may seem to us as being “noise,” but as we continue to worship and spend time in fellowship with the Lord, it will become as a “song.”

“The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”  Exodus 15:2

The Keys of the Kingdom

Wade E Taylor

“And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:19

This speaks of our having the “key” that will unlock the door of entrance into our having “kingdom authority.”  It will enable us to have a part with the Lord in cleansing both the heavens and the earth, in preparation for the coming Millennial Kingdom.

“And has made us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”  Revelation 5:10

The “kingly” aspect will enable us to affect the earthly realm, through our overcoming obedience.  The “priestly” aspect will enable us to affect the heavenly realm, through our worship and communion with the Lord.

“And he that overcomes, and keeps My works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron….  Revelation 2:26-27

For us to be ready to function in kingdom authority in “that day” means that there must be a present ruling (overcoming) within our lives.  We will never be qualified to rule others, unless we have first submitted ourselves to divine governmental rule over us.

Giftings of the Holy Spirit

Wade E Taylor

“And now I want to write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of you, for I do not want any misunderstanding about them.”  I Corinthians 12:1 TLB

Our being used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the result of our ability to yield to the presence and power of God.  The quality of that which flows out through the operation of the gift directly relates to the accumulated spiritual “substance” that abides within the one being used.  This spiritual “substance” develops through the integrity of our relationship to the Lord, and to the quality of our devotional life.

“Now there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments, and they vary, but the Holy Spirit remains the same.”  I Corinthians 12:4. AMP

Seeking to Come Higher

Wade E Taylor

“For it is under His direction that the whole body is perfectly adjusted by each joint that furnishes its supplies. And by the proper functioning of each particular part, there is brought about the growing of the body for its building up in love.”  Ephesians 4:16 Williams

Our spiritual life is far more than the accumulation of information that we gather, such as understanding doctrine and the written Word.  Rather, the “measure” of our spirituality is the result of the accumulation of the decisions that we make during our span of life.  When we stand before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ, the level of spiritual life to which we have attained (30, 60, or 100 fold) will be compared (measured) against His overcoming life.

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man (spiritually mature), to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  Ephesians 4:13

Life is never easy; it is a struggle in which we must continually choose what we will do, or which way we will go.  Because of the many desires that we have, along with the responsibilities that have been placed upon us, at times it may be difficult for us to make the right choice.

Cultivating Our Spiritual Hunger

Wade E Taylor

“Draw me, we will run after You.  The King has brought me into His chambers….  Song of Solomon 1:4

This verse expresses in two words, a prayer that is vital to our spiritual well-being, “Draw me.”

Following our prayer of desire is a commitment to the Lord that we will indeed respond to Him, as He creates within us a spiritual hunger that will enable us to make this commitment, “We will run after You.”

Finally, “The King has brought me into His chambers” is the marvelous result of the outworking of our prayer of desire, and of the expression of our determination to respond to the Lord.

This essential prayer, “Draw me,” relates to the spiritual hunger that in varying degrees is resident within each of us.  This hunger drive, a powerful basic “urge” that is at the foundation of all our desires, seeks its satisfaction in many ways.

The Lord will enlarge our spiritual capacity, as in faith we look to Him to cause us to become spiritually hungry.  A primary means to accomplish this is to present ourselves before the Lord, and then actively “wait upon Him.”  As we wait, the Lord will work in our behalf and will respond to our desire for increased spiritual hunger and capacity.

A Key to Spiritual Hunger

Wade E Taylor

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.”  Matthew 25:1-2

When considering this passage of Scripture, we may attempt to identify those who are foolish, rather than looking at ourselves.  The only way we can point a finger at someone is to point three fingers at ourselves.  If we will apply this verse to ourselves, it can be said that each one of us is half-wise and half-foolish.

Thus, we cast the deciding vote as to where we will be found in “that day” – either among those who are wise, or among the foolish.

“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet Him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  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 25:5-10

The desire and intention of the Lord is that we will be found among the wise; thus, the exhortation that those who are wise should take “oil” with them (renew their strength).  This oil results from an active on-going devotional life, by which we receive from the Lord a supply of His grace.

Living in the Spirit

Wade E Taylor

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:25

To “live in the Spirit” is a state of being in which we have died to our self-life and have yielded the totality of all that we are and have to Jesus, so He can live His life through us as a present day witness.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me….  Galatians 2:20

I live; yet not I.”  This requires us to live on a high plain of integrity and commitment in order to maintain the necessary spiritual sensitivity that will make this possible.

“If we are living by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us be guided”  Galatians 5:25 BBE

To “walk in the Spirit” is to live one step at a time, with every aspect of our life experience being lived in total yieldedness and willing obedience to the will and purpose of our Lord.

As we walk with the poise of our spirit upward toward the Lord, His abiding presence and peace will confirm that we are walking in the center of His will.