- araratchurch
- Jan 31, 2024
- 3 min read
”O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.“
Jeremiah 10:23-24 NKJV
When hearing what we began to look into yesterday concerning becoming nothing, some people will suppose that they already see themselves as nothing. But the nothingness experienced before God has nothing to do with low self-esteem, self-loathing, or any other such psychological ills in a man. The sense of nothingness with which I began the spiritual journey we are sharing together, had no connection to any statements of my being one way or the other. There was no thought of my qualities and strengths. At the same time, there was no thought of my weaknesses and shortcomings. The nothingness that began my spiritual journey was being experienced in a vacuum, so to speak. It was a knowledge that I was nothing without any sort of commentary coming with it.
The apostle Paul, though highly trained in The Law, came to understand the nothingness we must all experience before the Throne of God.
Even when defending his credentials (which were being challenged), he made clear that he was not arguing that he was anything. No, rather, he was nothing.
”I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.“
II Corinthians 12:11 NKJV
You see, Paul had come to recognize that any good thing, any ability, any sufficiency was only the product of Christ working in him.
”Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
II Corinthians 3:5-6 NKJV
Indeed, Paul came to understand that his whole identity came from one Source. It came through Christ.
”For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.“
I Corinthians 15:9-10 NKJV
Our Lord openly recognized that whatever He did when walking as a Man, had only one Source: the Father.
”Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”
John 5:19 NKJV
As well, the Lord made it clear that outside of our union with Him, we can do nothing.
”Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.“
John 15:4-5 NKJV
Our opening scripture is the way the prophet Jeremiah indicated his awareness of being nothing. He knew that we were bankrupt in terms of being able to—in any way—correct our course.
So, my spiritual journey had begun with a sense of nothingness. But, the nothingness wasn’t the destination, only the vehicle.
We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jan 30, 2024
- 3 min read
”For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill. Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.“
Isaiah 30:15-18 NKJV
The spiritual journey I am sharing with you began with a sudden onset of severe illness. Almost without warning I felt as though my actual life force was leaving my body. Yes, this spiritual journey began with this sudden onset on January 16, 2024. On January 17 I passed out from a full standing position, falling between my bathtub and toilet, onto the tile floor between two porcelain fixtures. Of course, I was sore from the episode, but I knew it could have, and was meant to bring my demise. Yes, I should’ve died that day, at that moment, and if I have ever known anything, I know that to be the truth.
Later on in that day, I spoke to my husband telling him that I knew what being nothing felt like. Indeed, I felt a sudden awareness of being absolutely nothing. Now, if you’ve never been there, it’s hard to explain. In fact, it would’ve been difficult for me to understand before this.
You see, I’ve had good days and bad days, just like any other human being. I’ve even had some very close calls with death; but this experience was different. It somehow had gone beyond the acute physical onslaught to a spiritual place of reckoning. At this point in the journey, the only thing I could see and know is that I was nothing; and for the first time when facing some form of adversity, I could not see beyond this moment of total vacuousness. Praise God, all that would change; but not yet, not nearly yet.
During my trying to explain to my husband (he was also ill, but not to this supernatural depth I was experiencing) what was going on with me, I said that I felt I had been whittled down to nothing but a meaningless pole, standing on a hill, standing alone.
Our opening scripture is what I was referencing. In this instance, the Lord had allowed His people to be taken down to nothingness because of their unwillingness to follow after Him.
Before I go on with that, you may be wondering if my experience was triggered by willful disobedience. I can tell you unequivocally that the answer to that is no. For me, this process was being used by Satan to sift me and leave me vulnerable to a knockout punch. But God was using it to do what He speaks in verse 18 of our opening scripture. He brought me here to be nothing so that He could be gracious, and have mercy on me, ultimately leading me to the point of denouncement of that which I was not aware was still somehow operating in my spirit.
Now, make no mistake, I understand that many people will take offense at me saying that the Lord was using this intense moment to bring about something good in my life. I will not argue with the naysayers. You see, I’ve been on the journey, and I know what I know.
The fact is, until we become nothing, until we become aware of the point the apostle Paul was making in Romans 7, and we are totally dependent, totally trusting in our Lord, we will fall short of what He has for us. And—living in these last days before the coming of Jesus Christ—we may well be taken out because of trusting in that which is nothing.
”For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.“
Romans 7:18 NKJV
Tomorrow we will talk further about becoming nothing. For me, it was the first step in this spiritual journey; and it was setting me up for a great victory. But there was much more yet for me to learn.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jan 29, 2024
- 2 min read
In preparation for our discussion over the coming days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:
”God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable. I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.” Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.“
Psalms 82:1-8 NKJV
”For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill. Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.“
Isaiah 30:15-18 NKJV
Psalm 91 (all)
During a recent severe illness the Lord took me on a spiritual journey. This journey was nothing like anything I have ever experienced.
Over the coming days—Lord willing—I hope to share with you what the Lord showed me during this multiphase journey. My desire is that you receive from this experience that which the Lord will enable me to share. As well, I want you to understand that in someway or another, no matter how it may happen or what it may look like, we all must take a personal spiritual journey. In this journey we must come to understand the true condition of the world, the nature of the gift of our salvation, as well as renouncing any residue left from the world system.
Please understand, whether in our thinking, emotions, behavior, whatever part of our being, we must be completely purged of any pull (access) retained by the enemy of our souls. Only then will we be ready to pursue all that the Lord has for us.
Please join with me over the coming days (the number of which is yet to be determined) to hear about this spiritual journey and find your own moment of truth release.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!