THE GREATEST WORK GOD DOES IN A MAN

If you don’t love prayer and fasting you’re not in a high position with God. You have not entered into God’s spiritual house. God’s spiritual house is when you become an effective worker in the Spirit and of full use to God. It starts with presenting your body as a living sacrifice and then not being conformed to this world. The body of Christ was broken so ours could be presented as a living sacrifice. Until then you’re not yet fully fit for the Master’s use. Notice I said fully fit. You can live a nice life and love Jesus and bless some people, but you will be living in God’s acceptable will only, but you’ll never enter into His fullness. God’s highest and best is surrrendering your life to the Lordship of Jesus unto full ownership, but many won’t pay that price. They are not willing.

The high life of full effectiveness of service to God is the death life. Sounds contradictory doesn’t it? But in the kingdom of God that’s how it works. The way up is down. The cross is before the crown. Death before life.

You enter God’s house through Matthew 6. It’s some of the first foundations Jesus laid down. The motive is the bedrock of all the judgments of God. Many know it but few live it. The heart’s motives guide your life, and in the end, will judge your life.

“For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing].” (2 Cor. 5:9-10 - AMPC)

It’s much more difficult to purge yourself from those fleshly things that hinder you from soaring with God.

Without death to your carnal nature you won’t receive the fullness of the mind of Christ in your life. The natural man runs from mortification, but it’s the only way to manifest greater power and character transformation.

In the winter of 2001-2002 after a long season of seeking the Lord He said this to me:

“Without mortification you will not receive the mind of Christ.”

That is when I was led into a lengthy season of fasting, which is the quickest way to mortification and purging yourself from those fleshly impediments and carnal strongholds that hinder your spiritual life.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death (mortify) the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom. 8:13)

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5)

One of the greatest strongholds in Christianity, especially in ministry today is summed up in this verse.

“I receive not glory from men [I crave no human honor, I look for no mortal fame]… (John 5:41 - AMPC)

This is the last and greatest temptation Jesus was offered by Satan.

“Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” (Matt. 4:8-9)

The glory of man is what most humans seek. It is the greatest reason ministers caught in scandals won’t sit down and be disciplined and restored. They don’t want to lose their popularity and influence. The approval of man means more to them than the approval of God.

What an awful place to be!

Apparently, Jesus is not enough for them. Their works will be burned at the judgment seat of Christ, if they even make it there.

“Not everyone who says to Me,‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he whodoes the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? ’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matt. 7:21-23)

The safest place to be in God is this:

Seek to be unknown. Pursue the audience and approval of One.

In my latter days I’ve determined to make this my greatest pursuit, so help me God.