Our growth is not always free from challenges. In truth, to grow lushfully lies in pruning! One of the ways He prunes us is by the power of His word.  Our obedience as He speaks is where we are being trimmed, most especially when what He says is contrary to what we are thinking.

Recently I had this powerful revelation about how God chooses to see FASTING and FEEDING with such congruency. See my blog  Fast And Feed! if you opt to.  I saw how we are to set the captives free, heal the broken-hearted, encourage the weak, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, seek the lost and bring them back into our Heavenly Father’s embrace.

In addition to this, I came to know how we are to bring honor to all people regardless of their stature (1 Peter 2:17 NASB).  Honor is where we recognize who the person is, created according to God’s image and likeness, without stumbling for who they are not.

I have always thought that we are only to bring honor whom honor is due.  It is only partly correct.  My knowledge of honor is just limited to the world’s view of it.  But honor is to see a person according to how heaven sees him.  It is when we honor a person without having earned or deserved it.  Kingdom honor is not based on “if I see you honorable, then I give you honor.”  Hmmmm … Kingdom honor is because I received honor from the Lord (Hebrews 2:7), therefore I choose to freely give honor to a person even when he is not worthy of it.  Truly, we cannot freely give what we do not have.

Here goes the pruning of my thoughts.  Here goes the renewing of my mind.  Honor is not dependent on the receiver’s character.  It is dependent on the giver’s character and in this case, my character.

I have met someone who has been in financial crisis for some years now.  No matter what pieces of advice we have given him, they were just treated as “in to one ear and out from the other!”  And so, until now he is still in this agonizing loop.

I see how he is doing and my heart is grieved seeing, but because of his past carelessness in monetary handling, there was this battle in my mind whether to help him or not, in my own little way.  For days I was in “yo-yo”!  I sought the Lord to give me wisdom on how to deal with this and it seemed like until something is done, this battle will remain.

When the Holy Spirit breathed into the words where I got the revelation of what it means to fast and feed, I was determined to help him regardless.  But then again, there is this voice that keeps bugging me.  It always says, “Is it really wise for you to do that?”  I felt it sounded like the voice in the garden of Eden, “Did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden? (Genesis 3:1) hahahaha!

Then the revelation of honor came to me as I was into my studies and it strengthened me.  Oh how pruning continues but as we always see situations in the light of His word, there is always fruitfulness that comes with it, brings JOY into our hearts and graces us to obey.

The morning when I finally decided to help him, I still continued to pray for confirmation and this is what I got from Smith Wigglesworth’s book:

“God does not have to arrange with mortals to carry out His plans.  God has the power to hear the cry of some poor needy child of His who may be suffering in England, Africa, China, or anywhere else, saying, “O God, you know my need.”  

And in New York, Germany, California or some other place, there is a disciple of His on his knees, and the Lord will say to him, “Send help to that brother or sister, and DO NOT DELAY!” And the help comes!”

Hmmmm … what else can I say?  Geographically, we are not even at the opposite ends of the earth.  He is right there in front of me every single working day. The Lord hit the nail on the head with that powerful confirmation. 

Hmmm … What does love look like?  Did the woman caught in adultery who deserved to be stoned to death get condemned?  No!  She was freed by Jesus.  Her restoration was not earned. God’s love did it all.

With our own little ways, never undermine how far, how deep, how wide His love flowing in and through us can do.  There is always an apple tree in an apple seed.  Everything done in love is an incorruptible seed. Then, the battle in my mind ceased and I joyfully obeyed and blessed him.

Pruning indeed is NOT punishment.  Discipline is NOT punishment.  His word says, “He disciplines those He loves.” (Hebrews 12:6)  He prunes us that we may bear much fruit.

“I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.  Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.”  (John 15:1-2 AMPC)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for always hearing the cry of the broken and answering our needs in ways and means that only You know how.  Thank You, Jesus, for demonstrating the love of the Father to us who are not deserving.  It is Your mercy, love and grace that sees past our faults and failures, washes us clean by the power of Your precious blood and makes us worthy to be Your temples.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for being our teacher Who knows all things, empowering us to understand and gracing us to act on the revelation that You have unveiled before us. Amen!

 

 

 

 

with our words, for what we speak are of vitality to our reality.
Life and death is the in the power of our tongue.
In every situation, we are to listen to the words that come out from our mouths for out of which flows the issues of our lives. It comes from the abundance of what has been deposited and stored in our hearts.
But, we need to consider and understand that it is impossible to see a change in our words without changing our hearts. There is such a powerful connectivity between our mouths and hearts. It is also impossible to change our hearts without changing the way we think. It is in meditating the word of God, breathed and revealed by the Holy Spirit, is what shifts our mindsets. In the same way, it is impossible to change or mindsets without changing what we allow ourselves to be influenced of that comes from what we see and hear. Our gateways play an important role. Words of life IN, words of life OUT! Garbage IN, garbage OUT!
Sometimes we take what we listen to for granted. We think that it doesn’t have an effect on us, but it surely does! Thus, He constantly reminds us, “Incline your ear and come to Me.” (Isaiah 55:3) “My words are spirit and they are life.
As we spend time in His presence just as Mary did sitting at Jesus feet, that ONE THING will never be taken away from us. He will never deprive us from hearing Him speak and seeing Him face to face. Oh how He longs to bathe us, feed us, nourish us and strengthen us by speaking to us. Truly, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out from the mouth of God.
Receiving the implanted word of God that is able to save our minds, wills and emotions propels us from faith to faith. Our journey is an undending pursuit of knowing Jesus and He is making Himself known to us moment by moment. Our revealed knowledge of Him is what changes us and eventually changes the way we think, perceive and speak.
Testimony – speaking life to the preaident