The Shepherd's Secrets Revealed.

" Thus, by the Shepherds secrets are revealed,

Which from all other men are kept concealed.

Come to the Shepherd then, if you would see

Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be."

-John Bunyan

The deep mystery's of life that are often discussed and identified are those resting within the realm of the nature of the Almighty. How sweet it is to think of His omnipotent, omniscient Self (As though we can even begin to know the smallest fraction of Who He truly Is)! However, there is yet another mystery that creeps at hand, steadily, verily stalking the hearts of the one's in whom He delights in. This " mystery of Iniquity" (2 Thess. 2:7 KJV) is none other than Sin; the product and tool of the one who maliciously attacks our very hearts and souls. Sin is an issue within the church. Why? Because we are all fatally human; this fatality rests within the existence of a sin nature within a culture of tolerance.

Sin is an issue. It is the very thing that separates us from our ultimate purpose, being alive in relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord! Yet now matter how desperately we want Him, it seems as though sin continues to knock at the door of our hearts, sneak through the chimneys of our minds, and begin to slowly tear away at what we think is the very core of our soul. Why? Why when we are redeemed, does sin seem to still be an issue? We would be ignorant to think that surrendering our life to Christ once denies us our right to choose to disobey Him. What kind of love would that be? In Galatians, Paul is talking about rebuking Peter for his hypocritical actions in reference to how he treated new believers coming into the flock. Paul epitomizes his frustration in this...

" But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down." -Galatians 2:17-18

Paul explicitly expresses the reality that once we are redeemed by Christ, embracing living by the 'law', rather, by the rules and things we do instead of with an intimate understanding that we are all sinners and , 'fall short of the glory of the Lord' (); we have officially embraced the lifestyle of a 'sinner' once more. We begin to fail as Christians once we turn and begin to follow the old systems we had in place before we were introduced to the freedom we have in Christ! And by the old systems, Paul is referring specifically to the sanctifcation processes and differences between Jews and Gentiles. That means, once we have lost sight of what truly saves us daily and begin to judge and disengage from the lost world around us, we have sinned. How that describes the condition of our hearts collectively here in our wonderful nation.

" When Jesus heart this he said, " Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do. Now go and learn the meaning of this scripture, I want you to show mercy not offer sacrifices. For I have come to call no those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." -Matthew 9:12-13

This verse in Matthew describes the heart of Christ Himself for us, sinners. He states the obvious, that sick people need a doctor, however, He also addresses the reality that His heart is for us to show mercy, not offer sacrifice, for He has come to call those who know they are sinners. For Christ Himself to tell the pharisees that His heart's desire was for them to show mercy (a trait commonly expressed when compassion envelops the heart) rather than offering sacrifices (which as we know was their only way of sanctifying themselves from their sins). This statement Christ made is RADICAL in nature! It defies all that the pharisees ever knew about what it meant to be atoned and forgiven from their sins! Mercy rather than sacrifice? Showing love and compassion towards another rather than sanctifying one's own self? Jesus then clarifies by saying that He has not come to save those who think they are righteous, but rather those who know they are sinners. We are all sinners. This is where His mercy befalls upon our lives in amazing ways. I am still left to wonder though, where in my heart am I still offering sacrifices of doing upon the alter of His mercy?

Romans 5:6-10 says, " When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, Most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from Gods' condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son."

Our greatest failure in our personal lives will be to forfeit the grace that comes with being forgiven for taking up the mantel of past systems of law in our lives; the very lies that held us captive. Paul expresses that we are utterly helpless in our sin. This is the very reason Christ showed mercy and compassion upon us by giving up His life on the Cross, while we were still sinners! The magnitude of the implication of that statement reaches far beyond the reaches of modern vocabulary. His love is GREAT, yet our desires of the flesh rest with the , " mystery of Iniquity". This mystery is one that threatens to take our very life from our grasp, our relationship with Christ. Sin separates us from Christ, and the mystery of sin may very well be our active choice to deny grace and re-engage within living the old, law filled life; Void of the active power of the Holy Spirit, offering sacrifices of doing rather than obedience to the Almighty. I am guilty, and thus I am restored through forgiveness once more. The remaining statement of Paul in Galatians two is this,

" For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law-I stopped trying to meet all its requirements-so that I may live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ, that I no longer live but it is Christ that lives in me! So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless, for if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." -Galatians 2:19-21

We are called to live in authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, and it is not by works that we are saved that, " no man can boast", but it is by the Grace of God alone. How do we deny the mystery of Iniquity, the temptations, the sin, the enemy? We experience God's grace and allow it to humble our hearts, that we may approach the throne room with boldness, for we are sanctified not by what we do, but by Who He Is: Jesus.

Soli deo Gloria.

Brianna

Carnal Ambitions: the Vice of Authentic Relationship

" Yet for all God's good will toward us, He is unable to grant us our Heart's Desires till all our desires have been reduced to One. When we have dealt with our carnal ambitions; when we have trodden upon the lion and adder of the flesh, have trampled the dragon of self-love under our feet and have truly reckoned ourselves to have died unto sin, then and only then can God raise us to the newness of life and fill us with His blessed Holy Spirit."

- A.W. Tozer, Born After Midnight.

We indeed, are a people existing within the epic battle for our soul. The enemy plays upon our 'carnal ambitions' and calls a check-mate as soon as he has pushed the right button within the confines of our flesh. Once this button is thus pushed, and alarm resounds within the heart of humanity; condemnation and guilt then ensues. God's mercy upon our lives thus then lies within the reality that at any cost, our lives must be reduced to one singular desire: To know Him. Galatians 2:20 says, " For I have been crucified with Christ, that I no long live, but it is Christ that lives in me." Many of us within the general church have a basic presupposition that our salvation is for our own comfort; knowing that beyond everything else God will 'take-care-of-me' however, the truth of God's care for our lives is manifested in many different ways, not just in material blessing. God's mercy upon our current generation is, and forever will be, bringing into full light our carnal ambitions and demanding in all love and tender justice that we reduce all other life's desires down to one singular goal, Jesus.

Jesus says in John 10:1-5 ,

" I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold,

rather than going through the gate must surely be a thief and a robber!

But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his

voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them,

and they follow him because they know his voice.

They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."

Our Carnal Ambitions, or selfish desires, our very sin nature demand that we ignore the voice of our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. However, when we truly walk through the gate into His fold we are acknowledging that we have been bought with the precious blood of the One who saves. We are laying down our life in full, and when we lay down our life we are not just giving up pieces of our hearts but our everything. God loves us enough to drive us to a place where all other desires but one die within the fire of His presence. He has gathered His flock and now calls us to take up our cross and allow for that one desire to reign prevalent in our lives. The desire to know Him. John 12:25- says, " Those who love their lives in this world will lose them, but those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity." Jesus thus introduces the reality that though there are many things in this world that exist for sheer distraction and comfort, our life is found in the fullness of Christ Jesus our Lord. His sheep will know His voice, and the voice of another they will not follow.

Our carnal ambitions are constantly vying for our attention, and are persistent, however the Holy Spirit is calling us to something greater, a life lived with one desire, one passion, one heart. To know Him, in all His fullness, in all His glory, in all His justice, in all of His faithfulness, and in all that we can possibly discover this side of Heaven. May our desires be reduced to one singular goal: That Our God would be Glorified and be made known to the World in Truth.

Galatians 5:24 says, " Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to the cross and crucified them there.

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading

in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited,

or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

When we belong to Christ, we voluntarily nail the desires of our flesh and our sin nature to the cross. This happens daily, minute by minute, constantly rendering our hearts unto the One who sanctifies them. Our goal must always be to Glorify the Lord, and through His glory to know Him. Then, and only then will we truly fulfill all that God has called us to in our lifetime. A walk with the Lord is epic, taking us far beyond the reaches of our own understanding and beyond what our thoughts can fathom. The question is, will we render our hearts unto the Cross and choose to know Him? Will we deny the flesh, recognize His voice, and pursue a life lived in relationships and communion with our Savior? Can we truly and authentically finally give up our sin and flesh to the Lord and truly begin to Live? When we take up our cross in humility and with repentant hearts we can finally truly begin to reduce our desires to one: Jesus.

Psalm 37:4-5 " Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give

you the desires of your heart. In all your ways acknowledge

Him and He will direct your paths."

Soli deo Gloria.

Brianna Jensen

For the Sake of the Cross

" To enter upon such a life, seekers must be ready to accept without question the New Testament as the one final spiritual authority on Spiritual matters. They must be willing to make Christ the one supreme Lord and ruler in their lives. They must surrender their whole being to the destructive power of the cross, to die not only to their sins but to their righteousness as well as everything to which they formerly prided themselves....It is a hard way, but a glorious one. Those who have known the sweetness of it will never complain of what they have lost. They will be too well pleased with what they have gained."

-A.W. Tozer, excerpt from The Radical Cross

We live in a day and age where the Holy Spirit is calling many different people from many different walks and traditions to answer the cries to live a deeper life. This life is not one consisting of surviving until the next greatest encounter, but thriving within the heart of an infinite God. Somehow, throughout time and testing, Christians around the world and throughout history have not only looked into the eyes of persecution and desperation, but held hope steadfast and ready until their breath ran dry. This tenacity dwells within the almighty power of the Holy Spirit at work within the ordinary, therefore making our reality extraordinary! I believe we have lost sight of the one thing that holds our hearts and lives near, and that is the reality of the cross. This seems to have developed into a more charismatic term in our generation, however, it does not change the radical nature of it's power. When we submit our hearts and lives to the Lordship of Christ, the veil is taken from our eyes and we see clearly for the first time.  Somehow throughout the ages people from around the world have come together under the banner of Christ and the authority of God's word, eliminating denominational boundaries and class distinctions. We are the called and the redeemed. To live a life less than that is to deny the Lamb the rewards of His suffering. The beauty of the cross rests not only within it's implications, but within the reality that it bridged the gap between a sinful mankind and a perfect God.  To fall in love with Jesus daily through the power of is authoritative Word and indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit should be the foundation for our lives. 

Ephesians 5:14 says, " AWAKE, O SLEEPER, RISE UP FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST WILL GIVE YOU LIGHT!" (emphasis my own)

The cross is calling a people to wake up and rise from the dead, that we will retain the light needed to take His Truth to the darkest parts of the world, both physical and metaphorical. There is not one human being that can honestly say they have never fallen asleep in their walk with Christ, the danger comes when the sleeper loses sight of the one thing that can save him: Jesus. There is more to life than doing internships and buying motivational t-shirts; or even going to youth conferences and living within the perfect community. It's about more than driving a dream car or owning the best mountain gear that is made. It's about more than moving to the one place in the world where the best church seems to be, or more than the next greatest church scandal. It's even about more than yourself, it's about Christ and His heart for the world.  Though it seems as though there is no gaurantee for the future right now, take heart church, my people, my family, that though the world seems to fall into utter chaos, the God of the Ages sits upon the throne like He has since the beginning of time and beyond to judge this world righteously, and to take care of His own. He delights in His sheep, and feels the cries of a broken humanity. Remember, He is still GOOD. God is good! We serve a God who defies all natural and lives within the Truth of Himself to stand as faithful and indescribable!  Our message is not one of the uncertainty of life, but the inexpressible beauty and peace of the Jehovah Rapha, Yaweh, the God who saves. 

Hosea 7:6 says, " I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings."

We serve a God who wants more than visual representations of honor and glory, to know us, and incomplete and broken humanity.  When we lose sight of the cross, we lose sight of life. Galations 2:20 says, " For I have been crucified with Christ, that I no longer live, but CHRIST lives in me." This self-sacrificial abandonment to ourselves allows for Christ to radically change our hearts, that we may truly live and live abundantly ( John 10:10). His heart is to know you, and know you intimately. We must be willing as a people, as a church, to deny ourselves and take up this radical cross, not because we feel obligated, but because we are so destitute without Him, and in Him, we find true life. God Bless.

Soli Deo Gloria

" My prayer is not fro the world, but for those you have given Me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to You, and You have given them to Me, so they bring Me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, You have given Me Your name, now, protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as We are...I have given them Your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do  not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by Your truth, teach them Your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by Your truth." John 17:9-19