Posted: 08/03/2016 at 7:28pm
|
IP Logged
|
|
|
Abundant
Life in the Midst of the Storm
By
Ron McGatlin
The true value and significance of life is the breath of
God within us. Abundance of righteousness, peace, and joy flows from Spirit God
within. The living well of Spirit God flows rivers of living waters of Spirit
love and life filling our souls and bodies to overflowing and out to the world
around us. (John 4:13-14) (John 7:38). A scorched and thirsty world awaits the
fresh breezes and soft rain of living water refreshing the earth.
The inner expression of God within us does not come from
the world around us. The life in us is not driven by that which is outside us.
The world around us is to be transformed to the love, power, and peace of God
by the overflowing rivers of living water from Spirit God within us flowing out
to the world.
The breath of God within us is expressed outward to bring
God’s order to the world around us. Thus the world becomes the kingdom of God
on earth. Our speech whether spoken or written has the power of God to change
the atmosphere and the world around us. The family, tribe, or nation that flows
the breath and the living water of Spirit God flows the life of transforming
power and light to the world.
Natural human beings without Christ Jesus live from what
they receive from the world around them. What they see, hear, or experience in
the world around them becomes what and who they are.
Believing That God Exists Is Not Enough
The devil and his followers believe in God. They know He
exists, but they exalt self or Satan above the one true God. All religionists
hold fast to a belief in one God or another; usually they worship created
things or the works of their own hands. Even atheists hate the God they don’t
believe exists.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right
to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name.” John 1:12.
Receiving and believing is the source of everlasting life and the RIGHT TO BECOME
sons and daughters of God ruling and reigning on earth now in this life. The
phrase “right to become” implies there is a process of more involved.
Believing is the first step in coming to God. Beyond
believing is personally knowing God, and beyond knowing God is loving Him.
Knowing the one true God and loving Him with our whole hearts in the real life
of the Spirit and the way to life abundantly now and forever. The sweet and
gentle but ALL POWERFUL love of God becomes who we are. The world around us is
to be transformed by His love into the blessed reality of the kingdom of God on
earth.
We are more than conquerors in Christ who loves us. (Rom
8:37). Yet many things change in the time of severe storms of life. Other
people’s wars may come into our cities and wreak havoc among the people. Fire
storms may leave the land bare and fine homes as ashes. Hurricanes or cyclones
blow in from the sea and life does not go on as usual. There is threatening
danger on all sides and many lose their lives.
Yet there is peace in those who not only believe in God
but know Him and love Him with their whole hearts and lives.
Plainly speaking, our life in love with God does not
consist of natural circumstances on earth but is seated, anchored, and consists
in God in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit. We live and abide in Him at the
throne of heaven in an everlasting love relationship. (Eph 2:6) Truly death is
overcome in victory, and whether we live long on earth or die young in battle,
we are the Lord’s and abide in Him forever. (Rom 14:8). Perfect love casts out
fear, and peace prevails in the hearts and lives of the sons and daughters in
love with the One True God. (1 John 4:18).
Natural Human Beings without God
In those pleasant times when the waves are gentle in soft
warm breezes and the people are prospering in their way and all seems well,
even the natural human beings could feel at peace. However, because of inner
strife there is usually no real peace within them. Fear of a coming storm or
worry of life situations and stress of striving for more than they already have
often robs them of truly experiencing the existing good times.
The natural human being without the one true God within
them are often overcome with fear and dread. They find no peace but crippling
fear stealing their life while they yet live. Even after they live through the
storm, they may live every day in fearful expectation of the next storm that
might come. Even in the good times, they find no real peace and joy in life.
Their only temporary satisfaction is seeking pleasure in satisfying carnal
appetites and in competition always seeking to be number one over others. Some
seek to create a false sense of pleasure by tricking their minds with chemicals
and alcohol into a state of false ecstasy for a short time of feelings of peace.
A family, tribe, or nation cannot survive and prosper in
a full measure of continuing life, without knowing and loving God. Without God,
success is always temporary. There may be a rapid rise to wealth and good
fortune, especially in those who have a bit of God or who attempt to borrow the
concepts of God’s kingdom principles, but do not truly know and love God.
However, there will always be a sudden fall of great failure. That which they
have built and gathered will be given to another who will manage it for God or
temporarily hold it for those who love God who He can trust to use the assets
according to His will and plan. (Prov 13:22).
Western Nations of Today
In the past few centuries the western nations have done a
good job of believing in God and also trusting in God as much as they knew how.
However, they as nations have failed thus far to take the next steps of truly
KNOWING and LOVING GOD.
The great prosperity of western nations in leading the
world is already being tried in the storms of life and being found wanting. God
in His love and desire for a people will do with His called nations as He has
done with Israel throughout history. Israel has gone into captivity and been
destroyed as a nation multiple times when the people have turned away from God
and not moved on to their next step. Always a remnant is saved and purified to
restart the nation again. So it will be for America and the western nations if
there is not a last minute turning to God in truly knowing and loving Him which
leads to obedience through love to His kingdom ways.
God will have a kingdom people who know Him intimately
and love Him with their whole hearts and with all of their strength.
As the storms intensify, a people are being formed who
are falling in love with God in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit in His manifest
presence among and within His people. The light of the true gospel of the
kingdom of God is coming forth in Christ within and upon His people. Heaven has
come to earth in those who have truly come to know God and desperately love Him
with a burning desire for Him and His presence.
It is not about the good things of this life that result
from becoming one with Him. It is completely about a passion that consumes our
hearts with love for our magnificent God who loves us and abides in us and us
in Him. It is more than the natural being can endure to just be in the
consuming flood of His passionate love. Truly this is beyond anything we could
ask or think. All the world dims in the reality of His all-consuming love.
Yes, the storms will come, and the earth along with the
first and second heavens will shake with the purging of all that lifts itself
against God, the all-consuming fire of love. All of our past grievances or
painful rejections by people along with all pain from the loss of that which we
may have cared for on earth are washed away in the ecstasy of His magnificent
beautiful love.
God is planting in many people now in this time an
intense reality of His love. He is consuming us as He pours Himself and His explosive
eternal power of pure holy love into us becoming who we are and who we shall ever
be. We are in His hands.
His love endures forever,
Ron McGatlin
archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net
Edited by Ron McGatlin on 08/17/2016 at 2:50pm
|