SHULAMITE PODCAST

In a recent meeting of this Shulamite group, the Lord revealed that He was calling for a conference in October prior to the US elections. The Kingdom of God is the only unshakable government and it reigns over all other nations. This conference is linked to the Reign of Grace conference we had in April and is a continuation of the believer's right to rule and reign in this life by the One, Christ Jesus.

The Lord asks, "Do you want ME as much as I want you?" Humanity is obsessed with our deficit but not aware of His sufficiency. We are not truly aware of Christ's mind and attitude toward us. He came down to this common earth to suffer with us and die FOR us, how could we comprehend how much He wants us? His love is not dependent on our wanting Him. Christ's love is a force so powerful that it captures us to want Him enough to die for Him.

Simple prayer: God show me where I am wrong. All deep dealings with God happen in solitude and then you come to the group with your experience of Christ. He reveals Himself individually to you. Solitude is so key to Body life for Christ's presence. Isolation is a choice of the world and is entirely different than solitude. How wonderful is His chastening!

God WILL judge the wicked in this life, and it is to save us from the future judgment. Nee wrote a book called "The Spirit of Judgment," a wonderful book showing His chastening is redemptive. God has every means in place for our forgiveness and cleansing. Julie learned this: "Compassion never delivered you from anything but accountability did." There is a personal work alone with God, that brings lasting transformation.

Discipling doesn't mean that another person solves your life for you instead of you. The basic foundation of responsibility is to face God alone for yourself. God has fixed a day when we will all face Him and give account of our lives. We can face it now and stand before Him blameless as He promised.

Why do we avoid solitude? Perhaps we dread facing our accountability before God. Solitude is coming to the Light, where you see yourself in God's view. We will be measured by the standard of Christ, meaning how much we let Christ be our identity and life. Accountability is freedom and preparation to meet God.

The Spirit is dangerous to our agenda. Yet He is the safety for our completion. He is the security of our walk but He requires absolute surrender. We think we need control of life. "Where you are controlling you are controlled by the very thing you are controlling." The only proof you have of the Holy Spirit's move is by the result. He affirms His guidance by the fruit of it. T. A. Sparks says you step outside of sonship when you are not being led of the Spirit.

The passion of the Spirit is to bring the rebel back to the Father. It's the very purpose of Christ who made it possible to be reconciled to God. We are trained to be open handed and flexible in the Spirit. The Lord must be satisfied that we come on His terms, but He is so willing to forgive all and instantly restore us to fellowship. The Spirit moves as the wind and He cannot be anticipated. He must have control of us so that we are moved by the wind.

When the Holy Spirit is in charge flexibility is our need. Even in separation, when God is satisfied, reconciliation is instantaneous. We are either moving with Him or we miss Him. There is one mandate to the believer: "be led of the Holy Spirit." And that happens from an intimate relationship of obedience to Christ.

Each of us must work out our own salvation. We have solitude as our base and Christ as the Source. We help each other but ultimately our being intact and stable is only in Christ. The life of solitude is facing our accountability before God. Personal responsibility can only be solved alone with Him. Those who are not WITH Him alone cannot function as members WITH His Body Life. Unity in your private life brings Unity into Church Life.

Carole sees: "The Cross of correction brings repentance and out of that comes the seeing of Jesus Christ. The fruit of repentance is HIM~ His Presence. HE is the reward." John says, "We numb our soul and spirit by pursuing many meetings and many relationships. It dulls our hearing of His voice and dilutes our relationship and focus on Christ alone.

Carole mentioned in an earlier podcast that in a very public area we were all together but each in solitude with the Lord. The individual solitude of each of us is the foundation, the rock of our Body Life. We come together from the solitude that each of us experiences with the Lord. And out of that, Body Life happens. Solitude is simply being with the Lord alone, fully aware of Him.

By the Spirit alone, not logic or judging, we discern others and even ourselves. The Shepherd's rod and staff are for correction and protection. Jennifer finds it a comfort that He brings correction, a wonderful security. We cannot keep or parent ourselves with any true self-knowledge. The Father says, "I'm in control, I'm on the throne." He is able to present us pure and faultless without blame when we appear before God. If we let Him!

To be led of the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit. Letting Christ live in your body is the New Testament worship of Romans 12:1. "Come Lord Jesus, and be what you want to Be within me." John sees that the ultimate premise of Church discipline must be surrender to the Spirit's insight and control. Carole knows the blessedness of confrontation "so that we can know the passionate Love He so longs to give us and that same Love can be poured out for others."

The first century church as recorded in Acts is the basis and model of the true Church, a standard of courage and surrender that is rare today. Jennifer gives her testimony of meeting the wrath of God within Church life. The fierce correction of the Father through the Spirit, is the redemptive zeal of the Lord for His purpose and not punitive. Truly it is the active love of God seeking to pierce our heart's fortress and effect a glorious transformation, such as Jennifer has experienced.