Many new places and boundaries are coming into being.  So many of us don’t know where we fit, or how we fit.  We try to incorporate old ways, thinking it’s better and safer.  Many feel insecure about all the changes.

What we must remember to never compare ourselves among ourselves, because every time we do that, we limit God in us.  For when we measure ourselves among ourselves we are not wise.

We must know who we are in Christ and know why we have been sent.  Then we wait on God to make room for our gift.

If you don’t know who you are, then people will tell you who you are.  You will become who they want you to be, instead of who God wants you to be.  The refinement of men pleasers goes into action when we fail to know who we are in Christ.  Leave your destiny to God and not man.

Humans always gravitate toward the herd mentality and what is popular.  It takes a strong identity in God to go against the herd mentality.  The devil and man wants to snuff out your identity.

Shall we be men pleasers or God pleasers?

Jesus lost his identity on the cross because of our sin when he hung there.  That means, you will never have to loose your identity in Him.  The LORD will be there to affirm you.  The LORD has not changed HIS mind towards you.

Elijah stood against a whole nation when he confronted Baal that day.  The people were like lost sheep who had lost their way.  They didn’t know who was right, until God proved His Way!  Oh yes!  Don’t think because a great victory comes that it will keep you esteemed highly in the eyes of man!

The spirit of Jezebel sits in her lurch ready to launch a massive campaign to discredit and kill the prophet, because her works are being destroyed.  So what did Elijah do?  He ran to hide in the cave and wondered why God would ever choose to use such wishy-washy thing like him.

In those secret places with our Master, we receive the assurance and our confidence in Him.  This will give us the determination to go once again as he directs our pathway and makes it straight.

God will keep us in the wilderness and caves to humble us, so we will learn to trust and be dependent on Him.  These times are never wasted times, but are for the purpose to further the Gospel.

Afflictions reveal the depths of our heart and produces a desperation within us.  This can cause us to seek God with greater fervency.

These pressures are designed for our growth.  Why?  Because pressure produces character and as living epistles (walking letters) we are seen and read of all men.  We must therefore be His witness to the end of the earth, by showing His nature and character.

It doesn’t matter how anointed we are!  Why?  Because the character issues are what bring us down to discredit our message.

I think a lot of saints get confused.  They see the anointing, so they think because the anointing is in operation, that God is always pleased with the individual.  Let us not be deceived.  The anointing is on the person for Gods people.  Not to approve of their bad behavior.

The LORD has a place for all of us in His body and like puzzle pieces, He connects us to each other to form a greater picture of His purpose.  The LORD said He would provide Shepherds after His heart who would guide and protect His flock.  We must stay where God leads us, and not run because of conflicts.  Conflicts are just another method we can yield to and grow by, instead of run from.

In our family we learn how to deal with one another in love.  When in crisis, we don’t run from them, we learn to work things out and how to love difficult people.  Jesus said to judge by the fruit.  The LORD created us for His pleasure and His desire is that we awake with His likeness.  That means, the fruit of the Spirit is formed in us.  Fruit cannot grow on a plant that continues to uproot itself and run.

Fruit forms by being rooted firmly by the river of Life and by going through the seasons of life and the pruning process, which are all difficult times; however through the difficulty, comes the fruit at the time of harvest.

Our goal should be, the nature and character of Christ in us.  When we awake with His likeness, all of the discipline it took to change the mindsets to the mind of Christ, will be evident to all who see and know us.

Jesus said to go and make disciples of all nations.  Making disciples is not easy.  You first must have willing vessels that allow the discipline of the LORD to come into their lives.

You never follow a leader blindly, you follow them as they follow Christ.  And when God plants you, you don’t move until He says move.

Leaders make many mistakes, but our job is to pray for them so they are free to hear and obey God on our behalf.  Before you lead, you follow.  And sometimes you won’t like to follow, but the LORD is tempering you, testing and refining you in servant hood.  Leadership is servant hood.

Because of the condition of people, they become threatened and insecure by anything they cannot control.  A religious establishment that departs from following the LORD, usually becomes an organization that resists Him.

For where sin abounds grace much more abounds.  We must show more love, more grace, for it is His loving kindness that leads men to repentance.  We must kill them with kindness.  We must learn to love the devil out of them, and give space for God to work.  Love covers a multitude of sin and iniquities.

I believe one of the greatest tests of our hearts doesn’t come in the form of our enemies, but in the presence of our friends that are close to us.  It is in these testing times that God is making sure He can release His message in us.  In this test, it will be mixed with His character with all the right ingredients of His Word and timing.  Amen and Amen!

“We, on the other hand, will not boast beyond our legitimate province and proper limit, but will keep within the limits (of our commission which) God has allotted us as our measuring line and which reaches and includes even you.  For we are not overstepping the limits of our province and stretching beyond our ability to reach, as though we reached not (had no legitimate mission) to you, for we were (the very first) to come even as far as to you with the good news ( the Gospel) of Christ.  We do not boast therefore, beyond our proper limit, over other men’s labors, but we have the hope and confident expectation that as your faith continues to grow, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, still within the limits of our commission, so that (we may even preach the Gospel in lands (lying) beyond you, without making a boast of work already done in another (man’s) sphere of activity (before we came on the scene).  However, let him who boasts and glories, boast and glory in the LORD.  For (it is) not (the man) who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but (it is the person) whom the LORD accredits and commends,”   2 Corinthians 10:13-18 AMP.

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

Sherry Edwards Mackey
Please Note: Publications and or prophecy taken from this may be used to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The articles taken must be used according to it’s entirety with credits.  Thank you kindly!

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