Published on September 29th, 2009 | Worship

Here is my new t-shirt design… n 2 me c (Intimacy)

I might also get some done in pink.

What do you think?

Published on September 22nd, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Francis Frangipane at Francis Frangipane Ministries.

Love Me Where You’re At

Francis Frangipane

I have discovered that, as we seek the Lord, our most difficult periods can be transformed into wonderful breakthroughs into God’s love. For me, one such season occurred during the years 1979 to1981. The association of churches with which I was aligned had fallen under spiritual deception. Not only were its core doctrines increasingly seeded with New Age influences, but immorality crept in, and key leaders began leaving their wives for other women. I could no longer remain silent. As a result, in 1979 I left my congregation in Detroit, Michigan, where I had served as pastor, and traveled to the organization’s regional headquarters in Iowa. I came to plead for repentance. However, after meeting with the senior leaders, I was asked to leave the group.

So here we were – we had left our church, we had no money, and we had four little children and couldn’t afford even basic housing. Desperate for anything, we finally found an old farmhouse in rural Washington, Iowa. The home was over a hundred years old, but it actually looked much older. After negotiating with the landlord, we were given a year of free rent provided I did basic repairs to the house, such as cleaning and painting.

Even so, the house needed more than I could provide. The furnace did not work well, so we installed a wood burner stove in the kitchen. That first winter, it turned out, was one of the coldest in Iowa’s history. Frost formed on the inside walls, spreading a foot or two around each window; wind chills dropped to 60 below, and even colder, on several occasions.

To keep warm each night, the whole family cuddled tightly on one large mattress on the dining room floor, about 18 feet from the wood burner in the kitchen. A fan behind the stove nudged warm air in our direction. My nightly project, of course, was to build enough heat in the stove to keep us warm until morning.

While I worked the fire, I also would pray and seek God. The wood burner became a kind of altar to me, for each night as I prayed, I offered to God my unfulfilled dreams and the pain of my spiritual isolation. Yes, I knew the Lord was aware of our situation. Though we had virtually nothing, He showed Himself to us in dozens of little ways. I just didn’t know what He wanted of me.

As the seasons came and went, another child was born, and then we fostered a young girl from Viet Nam, giving us six children. Still, as the family grew, the little area around the wood burner became a hallowed place to me. Even in the summer, I would sit on the chair next to the stove and pray and worship.

I would like to say I found the joy of the Lord during this time, but in truth, though I gradually adjusted to my situation, I felt an abiding misery in my soul. Our deep poverty was an issue (I barely made $6,000 a year), but more than that, I felt like I had missed the Lord. My continual prayer was “Lord, what do You want of me?”

Three years of seeking God passed, and I still carried an emptiness inside. What was God’s will for me? I had started a couple Bible studies and spoke a few times in churches, but I so identified with being a pastor that, until I was engaged again in full-time ministry, I feared I had lost touch with God’s call on my life.

In spite of this inner emptiness concerning ministry, I actually was growing spiritually, especially in areas that were previously untilled. I went through the Gospels hungry to study and obey the words of Christ. Previously, I had unconsciously defined a successful ministry as something born of my performance. During this time, however, the Lord reduced me to simply being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Indeed, a number of things I thought were biblical I discovered were really just religious traditions. The Lord desired that I take inventory of my heart and examine those few truths for which I would be willing to die. He said the truths for which I would die, for these I should live.

Frankly, things like the timing of the rapture or nuances about worship style or spiritual gifts dropped in their priority, though I still considered them important. Rising to the top of my focus was a passion to be a true follower of Jesus Christ – to obey His teachings and approach life not merely as a critic, but more as an encourager. I also found myself increasingly free to enjoy and learn from Christians from other streams and perspectives.

Yet, these changes, though deep and lasting, occurred slowly, almost imperceptibly. They were happening quietly in my heart, and only in hindsight did I see what the Lord had done. Throughout this time, I was preoccupied with feelings of detachment from God’s will. My prayer to know the Lord’s plan for me continued daily.

The Breakthrough

One day, as I stood in the kitchen pantry, I repeated again my abiding prayer: “Lord, what do You want of me?” In a sudden flash of illumination, the Lord answered. Speaking directly to my heart, He said, “Love Me where you’re at.”

In this time and season, remember, I was not a pastor or minister. I was a television repairman doing odd jobs on the side to provide for my family. I hated what I was doing. In my previous church I taught against TV and now I was “laying hands” on television sets and raising them from the dead! The Lord’s answer cut straight to my heart. I was awed at its simplicity! I asked, “Love You where I am at? Lord, is that all You want of me?” To this He responded, “This is all I will ever require of you.”

In that eternal moment peace flooded my soul, and I was released from the false expectation of ministry-driven service. God was not looking at what I did for Him, but who I became to Him in love. The issue in His heart was not whether I pastored, but whether I loved Him. To love the Lord in whatever station I found myself – even as a television repairman – this I could do!

A deep and remarkable transformation occurred in me. My identity was no longer in being a pastor, but rather on becoming a true lover of God. Having settled my priorities, amazingly, just a couple days later I was invited to pastor a church in Marion, Iowa. In spite of all my previous anxiety about returning to ministry, I did not jump at the opportunity. For I had found what the Lord truly desired of me. Though I eventually accepted this call, my focus was not merely on leading a church, but loving God.

What God Seeks

More than one’s ministry, God seeks our love. His great commandment is that we love Him, ultimately, with all our mind, all our heart, and all our soul and strength. If we love Him, we will fulfill all He requires of us (see John 14:15). And it is as we love Him that He orchestrates all things to work together for our good (see Rom. 8:28).

Beloved, loving God is not hard. We can fulfill any assignment – auto mechanic or housewife, doctor or college student – and still give great pleasure to our heavenly Father. We do not need ministry titles to love the Lord. Indeed, God measures the value of our lives by the depth of our love. This is what He requires of every true God seeker: to love Him where we are at.

Lord Jesus, the revelation of Your love has swept me off my feet. Lord, You have drawn me and I run after You. Master, even in the mundane things of life, I shall express my love for You. Consume me in Your love.

Published on August 16th, 2009 | Our Music, Songwriting, Technology, Worship

Click here to view

Published on August 9th, 2009 | Technology, Worship

Rick Joyner begins to lay a foundation for new and exciting changes taking place at MorningStar, beginning with a vision for youth and the strategic purposes of their upcoming conferences. He also describes some of the basic dynamics of the new leadership structure that will be implemented in MorningStar in this season of transition.

I’m very excited to see what is happening in the youth there.

Click Here to view the video

Published on August 5th, 2009 | Our Music, Songwriting, Worship

“Play until you become the music; sing until you become the song!” ~ Charlie Hamilton

Published on July 15th, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Graham Cooke at Graham Cooke Ministries.

In God’s DNA is Love

Graham Cooke

Our job as Christians is to represent God’s glory to the world. It is our privilege to receive God, in all His fullness, and demonstrate His loving kindness to those around us. “[Jesus] is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature,” Hebrews 1:3 teaches us. “He who has seen Me has seen the Father,” Jesus Himself added in John 14:9.

As Christ is formed in us, we take on God’s personality. Jesus’ two great statements—“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”—are not just commandments. They are also promises of how God loves us. He intends to love us, for the rest of our lives, with all of His heart, mind, soul, and strength. He has also guaranteed that we will have the capacity to return that type of love to Him. When God loves us with all of His heart, we can love Him with all of ours. When God loves us with all of His mind, we can love Him with all of ours.

This kind of love changes us. I thoroughly enjoy loving God with my mind, sitting down and thinking about Him. I spend four months a year meditating on Him. I have a small room where I go and think. There are days when I won’t leave that room. Meditation is nothing more than thinking deeply about something. When I sit down and think about who God is and what He is like, He cannot resist coming and speaking out what He, in turn, thinks about me. God loves us with all of His mind. His every thought about us is good and pure.

In 1 John 4:16, we read of what this love can do to us—“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” God loved us so much that He gave us His Son to save us, and then gave us the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us as we learn to abide in Him.

The natural outflow of loving God with everything in us is to love others as well. God’s generosity to us must overflow into love for the rest of the world. We can love others because we are outrageously loved. When we truly love God with all of our body, mind, soul, and strength, a breakthrough occurs in our perception, emotion and thinking.

The bigger the failure we have been, the more dynamic our shift into living in the love of God. The Father looks at us and is filled with love. What weaknesses we have become the catalyst for Him to give us what we need to overcome them. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,” as 1 Corinthians 1:27 says. God says, “I know what’s missing in you, and I have a gift to make it whole.”

It is urgent that Christians receive and experience a revelation of how much the Lord loves us. That love didn’t crescendo at the point of salvation; that was only a step in a long journey of deep love and affection. His radical love covers a multitude of sins. Everything in our lives that doesn’t work is covered by His love. The Holy Spirit takes these things and reveals them to us. He shows us the areas where we need the love of God to flow next. He loves leading us to truth and expressing Christ in us.

The love of God for each of us is so deep that it absorbs failure, it covers sin, it overcomes weaknesses, and it gives us astonishing acceptance in the ranks of the beloved. We are so powerfully loved that we cannot avoid His joyful acceptance and confidence in us. His personality is so strong that nothing is impossible—we can even love our enemies.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven,” says Matthew 5:16. When His nature lives in us, we can enjoy and share the wonder of that experience, and His glory will shine into our personality.

Let me make this as clear as possible: the only evidence that God’s DNA is in us is how we love ourselves and how we love other people.

Published on July 1st, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Paul Keith Davis at White Dove Ministries.

The Coming Apostolic Movement

By Paul Keith Davis

Over the course of several weeks the Holy Spirit has once again given several prophetic experiences pointing to the coming apostolic movement. Although the Western Church has several ministries that are functioning in apostolic ways, we have yet to see the true demonstration of New Testament apostolic ministry the way it will be revealed before the end comes. It is crucial at this point in history that we as a generation not settle for anything less than the fullness of our biblically defined heritage.

Clearly we are living in what the Bible defined as the “end of the age.” Even so, the Word is emphatic that the gospel of the Kingdom must be preached in all the world before the end can come. There is a gospel that has been preached throughout the world, but not the gospel of the Kingdom in its fullness as outlined by Scripture and demonstrated by the Lord Jesus Himself and His early apostles. Nevertheless, because time is short, the imminent emergence of this ministry is apparent for a quick work to facilitate the great harvest.

This ministry will come forth not only with insightful revelatory messages of divine truth but also miraculous demonstrations of power through righteous vessels of honor and valor. There is something coming that has not yet been given birth that will provide clarity and identity to numerous ministers and ministries to facilitate their mandate and accomplish their commission. We must hold out for the best wine!

Several years ago the Lord gave me a very compelling prophetic experience or vision to depict the qualities and nature of apostolic ministry according to His definition. In the experience a heavenly messenger entered a room with the loud and definitive announcement, “the Apostolic is coming.” As he did, a voice of ultimate authority echoed from Heaven saying, “The Apostolic IS coming.”

With that affirmation, the messenger continued, “we had better get a good understanding of apostolic ministry under us… for it will be on top of us before we know it. Samuel is a type of this apostolic leadership. The Lord did let none of his words fall to the ground nor did he beg his bread from the people.”

The Spirit of Prophecy

In this experience the Lord indicated valuable attributes through the life and ministry of Samuel the prophet, depicting qualities He desires to impart to the apostolic leadership soon to emerge. Careful study in Samuel’s life provides key secrets to help qualify for this mandate and touch the Father’s heart in preparation.

Very often, prophetic experiences of this nature highlight personalities we know and recognize as a true prophet to symbolize the Lord’s Voice or the Spirit of Prophecy bringing a timely and relevant message.

When the messenger announced on the earth that the apostolic is coming, it was verified with a Heavenly Voice to accentuate its certainty. In Scripture, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord to take up His residence in Him, a Heavenly Voice was heard affirming this great reality. (Luke 3:22)

Likewise, when the disciples witnessed the Lord’s transfiguration, they also heard the confirming Voice declaring Him to be the Son of God Who’s words were eternal. The attesting Voice indicates a truth that is established with certainty to be readily accepted.

True apostolic ministry is coming and the more thorough our understanding of it, the more likely we will be to sustain this awesome ministry without being overcome by the intensity and power of it. Let us pray that we can faithfully administer this notable responsibility with character and integrity.

Saying Only What He Says

The Lord did let none of Samuel’s words fall to ground. What a profound indication of intimacy and fellowship between the Lord and His leadership.

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. -1 Samuel 3:19

Like Samuel, true Apostles must become so intimate with the Lord that they say nothing in His name but what they receive by revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1.12) Samuel did not speak in the name of the Lord presumptuously nor carelessly. Therefore, God’s Spirit was able to perfectly support the words he spoke in the Name of the Lord.

Scripture describes the Lord, our ultimate example, as being so yielded to the Holy Spirit that He said nothing but what He heard from the Father and did nothing but what He saw the Father doing. John 14:10 affirms this saying:

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

This apostolic generation can likewise abide in such a place of total surrender to God’s Spirit that He would let none of our words “fall to the ground” because we would not speak in His name unless we first heard from Him. Romans 8:14 declares, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” The Holy Spirit abiding in us will do the same works through us that He did in the Lord, fulfilling the prophetic promise of John 14.12.

He Did Not Beg His Bread

One of the most notable attributes in Samuel’s life was his determination not to abuse his position and privileges before God and the people. There was not one person in all of Israel who could bear witness against Samuel for pleading for money, possessions or property. Neither did he allow the spirit of this world to affect his ability to judge the people in righteousness and equity. The apostolic leadership soon to emerge should likewise be characterized by humility and genuine love for the people. 1 Samuel 12:2-4 declares:

I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. Here I am;
bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox
have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded?
Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to
blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you. They said, You have not
defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.

The apostle Paul admonished the Church of Corinth, and the 21st-century Church, to stand in righteousness to judge the affairs of men with wisdom and truth. To do so we must possess the character of Christ reflected in Samuel to be free from the tendency to abuse the anointing and authority of God for unrighteous gain.

Certainly, there is a place for giving and supporting the work of the ministry and sharing in the fruitful labors of the anointing. This is an issue of the heart and like Paul we must pray to be trustworthy stewards of the mysteries, power and provisions of God. The prosperity coming to the Church will be for Kingdom purposes not personal luxury and extravagance. The Apostolic Church in the book of Acts shared all things in common and delegated resources according to need, thus reflecting love and unity.

The Lord’s Spokesmen

Like Samuel, the anointed leadership the Lord desires to bring to His church will stand before Him as His spokesmen, extracting the precious from the profane. To them, the Lord will be as a fortified wall of bronze and though the enemy will contend with them, he will not prevail because the Lord will be present to save and deliver. This will further the restoration promised through the prophet Joel as evidence of God’s manifest presence. Psalms 99:6-7 speaks of Samuel saying:

Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called upon the LORD and He answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept His testimonies and the statute that He gave them.

Samuel’s ministry was established by the Lord’s manifest Presence in the order of Moses and Aaron. As priests, they were charged with the role of intercession on behalf of God’s people and instruction in the ways of righteousness. Faithfulness in these areas will begin to lead the church out of Babylonian confusion and restore her to a place of loyalty and consecration to the Lord. As it has been said, if the Lord can find a people without mixture…He will send the Spirit without measure.

These faithful leaders were transitional men in covenant relationship with the Lord for transitional times and marked a point of demarcation for God’s people. This perfectly illustrates the nature of the Apostolic leadership the Lord will use in this day. These three represent the Priest/Prophet/Judge (Kingly) anointing that will be entrusted to this maturing leadership. To each of these three, God proved Himself in Mercy and in Judgement

Priest-Prophet-Judge Anointing

The coming apostolic ministers will be as pillar of cloud by day with prophetic anointing that will function as a pillar of fire by night giving illumination. Each will provide a canopy of protection through the Holy Spirit even as Israel was protected during the judgments of Egypt. The shelter of Goshen will become apparent in the coming season.

The Lord will allow nothing to come upon the earth unless He first reveals His secret
counsel to His servants. (Amos 3:7). Moses, Aaron and Samuel each represent types of the coming government. The manner in which the Lord used these men will also portray the coming leadership and God=s dealings with them. He is going to give divinely granted understanding. God’s word declares that His breath gives understanding and He is going to breathe upon us to give comprehension of these times and the things we must do to walk intimately with Him as His habitation.

Commissioning and Release

Even though Samuel was born through covenant relationship with incredible destiny, he did not experience the supernatural dealings of God until his prophetic commissioning.

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. -1 Samuel 3:7

Many of God’s people have experienced introductions into this realm and tasted the fruit of this promise. There may be many others who feel as though they do not qualify for this type leadership because they have not had prophetic or supernatural experiences in their life. However, Scripture make it plain; the Word of the Lord had not appeared to Samuel until a very specific commissioning experience released him into his purpose and calling. Many of today’s “Samuels” are hidden and unfamiliar with the visions and revelations of the Lord. Nonetheless, great and profound expressions of the Spirit are imminently awaiting these leaders once the grooming is complete and the timing appropriate for their full and complete release.

Published on June 30th, 2009 | Guest Posts, Worship

True apostolic leadership always empowers rather than controls, and empowering a passion for God is one of the most necessary, yet often least cultivated skills, a spiritual leader possesses. ~ Bill Johnson

Excerpt from “Release The Power Of Jesus”

Published on June 29th, 2009 | Articles, eBooks, Technology, Worship

Article adapted from “Gospel 101″

The Nature of Holiness

While in prayer, I asked the Holy Spirit to teach me more about holiness and godliness, and the difference between the two. Within an hour, the Holy Spirit said,

“Godliness is to Character what Holiness is to Nature” ~The Holy Spirit

That’s powerful! The Holy Spirit taught me that before we were born again our nature was in sharp contrast to God. Our natural spirit was corrupt and evil. But God provided a way for deliverance from this evil condition.

Look in Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:1-3 – New King James Version
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

The word nature simply means the way that something is without any outside changes or adaptations—it’s natural.

According to the Bible, by nature we were the children of wrath, meaning that our spirit man was so corrupt, so evil that it could not live in the presence of a Holy God.

God’s Word goes on to tell us that before we were born again, the very wrath of God was against us. Wrath means, anger, rage, and fury.

But for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ, God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation through His precious Son.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – New King James Version
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist, a prophet and forerunner of Jesus, spoke prophetically about the coming Messiah when he said,

Matthew 3:10-12 – The New Testament in Modern English (J.B. Phillips)
The axe already lies at the root of the tree, and the tree that fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. It is true that I baptize you with water as a sign of your repentance, but the one who follows me is far stronger than I am – indeed I am not fit to carry his shoes.

He will baptize you with the fire of the Holy Spirit. He comes all ready to separate the wheat from the chaff and very thoroughly will he clear his threshing – floor – the wheat he will collect into the granary and the chaff he will burn with a fire that can never be put out.

In Mathew 3:10 it says, “The axe already lies at the root of the tree”. In the Bible, trees can represent people. John was speaking prophetically to the religious leaders of his day about repentance and turning back to God with a true heart.

He further stated that Jesus would separate the “wheat” from the “chaff”, meaning those who would not repent and accept Jesus as their savior would be like the “chaff” and thrown into the fire.

This phrase “The ax is laid unto the root of the trees” has another powerful meaning.

Once we accepted Jesus as our savior, Jesus laid the ax to the evil root in our nature removing it from our lives. However, He didn’t just stop there. Jesus also gave us “a new nature” in Christ! Let’s look at this in II Corinthians.

II Corinthians 5:17 – Amplified Bible
Therefore if any person is [engrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold the fresh and new has come!

The Bible is very clear that once we are born again, God removes our old nature and creates within us a new one; a nature of holiness. The Apostle Peter tells us that we have the joy and privilege of partaking of God’s divine nature.

II Pet 1:3-4 – New King James Version
As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Peter tells us that we have escaped the corruption of our old, evil nature and have received the very nature of God.

How?

Through being grafted into Jesus Christ, who is the true Vine.

When you heard the truth about Jesus and received the knowledge of the promise that He died for you, you had to make a clear choice; to either accept or reject him. When you accepted Jesus as your savior, He laid the ax to the evil root of your nature and removed it from your life. God then grafted you into His “divine nature” and you experienced what the Bible calls being “born again.” It’s just that simple!

Eph 4:24 – Amplified Bible
And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

Original Blueprint

It was God’s original plan from the foundation of this world to have sons and daughters who were created in His image and after his likeness.

Look in Genesis.

Gen 1:26 – New King James Version
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image [holiness], according to Our likeness [godliness]; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Emphasis Mine)

Remember what the Holy Spirit said?

“Godliness is to Character what Holiness is to Nature” ~The Holy Spirit

Article adapted from “Gospel 101″

About the Author

Charles Hamilton is the founder of cWorshipMusic.com, dedicated to providing worship music and biblical teachings. He is co-author of Gospel 101 and has released four music CD’s: Walk As Children Of Light (1991), The Jesus Project – Worship (2001), Songs Of The Bride – Higher Deeper (2003), and Transparent (2007). Charles and his wife, Suzanne, live in Salem, Virginia, and have six children.

Published on June 23rd, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from David Wilkerson at David Wilkerson’s Blog.

He Delights In Our Company

David Wilkerson

The Lord has great joy that the cross has provided us with open access to himself. Indeed, the most glorious moment in history was when the temple veil was rent in two, on the day that Christ died. At that moment, the earth trembled, the rocks rent and the graves were opened.

It was at this very moment that the benefit to God burst forth. In the instant that the temple veil — separating man from God’s holy presence — was torn asunder, something incredible happened. From that point on, not only was man able to enter into the Lord’s presence, but God could come out to man.

He who once dwelt in “thick darkness” didn’t wait for us to come to him, but he came out to us. God himself took the initiative, and Christ’s blood cleared away all hindrances. It was a unilateral move on the Lord’s part, the kind when one party declares, “Enough — I’m going to make peace. I’m going to tear down this wall of partition. And I’ll do it out of my own initiative.”

Before the cross, there was no access to God for the general public; only the high priest could enter the Holy of holies. Now Jesus’ cross made a path for us into the Father’s presence. By his grace alone, God tore down the wall that blocked us from his presence. Now he could come out to man, to embrace his prodigals and sinners of all sorts.

Here is the key to my message: you cannot come into joy and peace — indeed, you cannot know how to serve the Lord — until you see his delight in your deliverance…until you see the joy of his heart over his communion with you…until you see that every wall has been removed at the cross…until you know that everything of your past has been judged and wiped away. God says, “I want you to move on, into the fullness that awaits you in my presence!”

Multitudes today rejoice in the wonderful benefits of the cross. They have moved out of Egypt, and they’re standing on the “victory side” of their Red Sea trial. They enjoy freedom, and they thank God continually for casting their oppressor into the sea. But many of these same believers miss God’s greater purpose and benefit to them. They miss why the Lord has brought them out — which is to bring them in to himself.