Who Is God For Me?

by Patricia Bellchambers

The gardener came today and trimmed the trees outside my door. All that remains now are bare branches. The pruning has allowed so much more light into the house but has also removed any privacy that the foliage once offered.
Many of us are in a season with God where He is stripping back once again anything that inhibits us from seeing all that remains in our hearts and characters that is not of Him. He is exposing our sin and weaknesses by allowing more light to permeate the   soul and He is stripping back everything which we continue to use to hide behind. There is no privacy in God. He sees it all exactly how it is and He cares too much to allow us to remain in our deception. In His mercy He now reveals to us that which stands in the way of us entering into the future and destiny He has prepared for us. While the process may be painful it is necessary. In this time of stripping back and dying to self at a whole new level it is imperative that we know who God is for and in us. When everything overwhelms and threatens us, we must know that our God is a just God. That He is faithful, kind, loving and we must know His nature and character for ourselves because everything around us will look and feel contrary. We can no longer navigate our way through the trials by what we see or feel. We must rely on what we know to be truth. It is essential that we know the word of God and that we know God Himself. True revelation can only come through true relationship. We have not been this way before so there will be nothing that is familiar except God Himself. He is the only constant in a reality that changes from season to season and more often day to day. Time is short and so this season seems to have an intensity not experienced before. For some of us God is placing us in situations of such incredible vulnerability. This reveals to us the area where we have not yet given God His rightful place, it reveals the areas of self -protection that remain, the areas where we have not allowed the Holy Spirit to comfort to the degree we need, the areas where we have not allowed the love of God to drive out fear. Vulnerability shows us the level to which we truly trust God. Be of great courage and allow God to be God to you in His fullness, Church. It is time we placed our lives back on the altar and embraced the intensity of His all-consuming fire.
The final destination for us all must be where we can say truthfully that “God is enough,” because He shall ultimately be all that remains.

The Glory Of The Lord

by Tony Clark

“They marveled, and they glorified God” Matthew  9: 5-9

To glorify God is one of our highest purposes. He is high and lifted up! And needs to be -  in our minds, and hearts, in our beliefs, in our testimony. “The fame of Him (Jesus) spread throughout the whole earth.” “How can they hear, unless there is a preacher?” The word of God unlocks the glory of God. The testimony of His works, and demonstration of His power - that God may be glorified. It is for a predestined time that the whole earth be FILLED with the knowledge of the glory of The Lord. People are in bondage because they don’t know Him, and don’t have the hope that is in Him. It is the revelation of His Person that brings us to life, and elevates us to our true place of existence where The Lord is glorified, and the knowledge of Him fills us. There is such joy in the heart of the man or woman that glorifies God, because they have seen something of Him that brings hope and relief. People LOVE to see the power of God. The demonstration of His Person. There is nothing like being chosen by Jesus.