Yet the meetings are going to a much deeper level on "how to lead our families." Last night the Lord came in such power to reveal to us that we can't lead our families when we live for two wills. Our will and Gods' will.
Last night Romans 7 and 8 were opened up to us in a new way and why that as the leader of our home, we must live the Gospel, not just take them to Church and live the American Dream church life. A life of going to church, or do a ministry, or pay your tithes, and live the rest of your life for yourself is not true Christianity or the Gospel as Jesus preached it.
The Holy Spirit showed us what this has done to our nation and the families in our churches. Men may have a prayer time with their family, go to work, teach Sunday school, but because they are living for another priority the 'self life" while trying to serve God, they never become truly one with the Lord in his purpose and plans. Jesus said, "if any MAN by my disciple let him, DENY HIMSELF, pick up HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM!"
How can a Man of God lead his family when he is not truly led by the Spirit of God to follow Jesus and live in complete obedience to God's will. When a husband or father does not know what God's will is for his life, how can he pray for his wife and family? How can he lead them when he doesn't know where he is going?
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."
Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Again the question the Holy Spirit asked us was, "how can a man lead his family if he does not live fully and only for the will of God?" How can a man lead his family when he doesn't seek to know the will of God, God's thoughts and plans for his own life?
The thoughts and plans of God are "higher than our thoughts and higher than our ways. "They are spiritual and must be spiritually discerned and received from God to the Husband and Father as a "spiritual man," if he is going to take his proper headship over his family. God expects a Husband and Father to be a "spiritual man' led by the Spirit of God.
God is expecting us, men of God to be a man like David that is after God's very own heart. He is looking for husbands and fathers, and men that with every fiber of his being finds God's plan for his life and his family as well. God is looking for us to be men full of faith" and "full of the Holy Spirit." Paul warns us as men of God the following from Ephesians 5:15-17:
15 Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),
16 Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.
How can a husband lead his family when he doesn't know the will of God is for his life or his wife and children? How can he lay down his life for them and help them become everything God created them for if he is not living for the will of God alone? A Godly husband and father can not bring his family where he has never been or seen in God.
In our nation Christianity is reduced to a different set of goals like go to church, a get a better job, more money, a house, car, vacations, and God wants to bless you. It is all about we can get from God and maybe we can doing something for God, but only as what is left over of our time and life? Why is getting home for church to watch our favorite football team more or equal of importance of being with God. Isn't a disciples supposed to be like his master?
That is why there are so few Peter, James and John's in our generation. That is why there are so few men "full of faith and full of Holy Spirit like Steven. I know we don't want to hear it and may even gnash their teeth at this word, but we men needed to hear this powerfully spoken by the Holy Spirit last night.
Today in our American church we do not have to "leave all" to follow him. We can keep the comfort of our own life and desires and try to live a life for God's desires. The problem with that is it does not work, and we are loosing our families to the enemy every day.
The real life a Christian man of God is not to be a better Husband and Father then we are now, It is to be a "new creation" husband and Father living only to do and for God's will. That husband is aligned correctly with God and now can lead his family into the will of God.
He is living sacrifice to our Lord Jesus Christ living only to do His will fully and example to his family and the world as well. That man is living the life of the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is heaven and not a religious carnal infant life that so many men settle for in the church.
In our country we have many good "carnal Christians Fathers and Husbands who are trusting Jesus to save them, but live for their own priority and agendas and God's at the same time. This has produced a lukewarm church that God will spew out of his mouth. Jesus said, "that you say you are rich and need of nothing, but I say, you are poor, pitiable, blind and naked."
Why you are living for two wills, you are lukewarm? I counsel you to come and get eye salve for your eyes so you can see, and buy gold by the fire, and receive a white raiment to cover your nudity. That is the state of so many men in our churches today and the very church itself, except the Lord has left us a remnant that is not living this way.
The conviction of the Holy Spirit may not be felt in this post, but the glory and power of God was so strong that we were in tears and undone by the Holy Spirit. He truly caused us to confront our life in the light and power of the Gospel message of discipleship.
What are Jesus' terms to being a disciple? "If any man be my disciple, let him, deny himself pick up his cross and follow me. If you love you wife, husband, sister or brother than me, you can't be my disciple. If you not willing to loose your life (your will) for my sake, you can't be my disciples."
There is only one will in the kingdom of God, His WILL. Jesus prayed in the garden to subdue the will of the flesh, and He sweat great drops of blood as he stood in our place to overcome this self life. He cried out, "Father if it is possible take this cup from me, but nevertheless not my will, but Thy will be done."
He finished that victory by dying on the cross for us and rising from the dead. He has sent down the power of the Holy Spirit to live that life completely in us to make us true disciples and men of God.
As he was obedient to doing God's will alone, he became the first born of many brethren who now also can live to do God's will alone and lead their families, cities and nations to live for God's will as He did.
This is what God revealed in us and to us last night, It was a very sobering time with the lord. The word from God to us was spot on and what we needed to hear.
The men said, "these meetings aren't just about being Husband and Fathers they are much more than that." The Lord is making us His own, His army, His end-time warriors of His kingdom. That is what God revealed to them personally.
The men realized as long as two wills exist, we can't fully be or even at all led by the Spirit of God to become full grown sons of God. It was not easy, many cried out, "I feel a resistance in me not wanting to?I feel helpless that I can't do it," but the Lord assured us the power of the Holy Spirit was given to us "both to will to do it," and then the "power to do it" in us.
Philippians 2:13, [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
We have to come to the end of our trying to be "better Christians." It is time to be changed into new creation men of God as God has promised. He spoke "old things" will pass away, and all things shall become new!
If only the church leaders in America would only allow the Holy Spirit to teach, convict of sin, and then of righteousness and judgment as he has come to do, we would have more truly Godly men full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit who are not just church goers and worker, but true living disciples of Jesus Christ.
Isn't that the great commission? Go into all the world and preach the Gospel making disciples of the nations. He didn't say go make more church members, bigger buildings, or ministries or make pew sitters. He commanded us to go preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, and make disciples in the nations who were to be just like their master.
Beloved's how can a man and wife truly become one flesh, when he has a divided heart with God. A man that lives for his own will and God's will can never be fully joined with Him as one.
Therefore, he can never be truly united with his wife as one flesh because he is not aligned with God properly first. How can the two become one flesh when the husband is leading his wife and family out of alignment with God's will?
A Christian couple can live a happy life, have all this world offers, and look like they have a wonderful marriage, great kids, and still never become one flesh with their wives. They will have temporal pleasure, but the joy of the Lord will not be their strength because they are living for two wills.
The word of God says, " a man shall leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife, and two shall become one flesh. This is the mystery of Christ and his church."
How can a man truly love his wife and be one with her as God designed if he is not living only for the will of God. God created his wife to live for the will of God fully along with him as one flesh. If the husband lives for God's will and the wife does as well she becomes his perfect help mate and he becomes God's perfect covering over her and the family.
The husband is now able to love her and cherish her as Christ love him and his church. This is what a Christian marriage is to exemplify to their children, communities and the world. The mystery of Christ and church. No wonder why Satan wants to redefine marriage and destroy the husband and wife role.
If the man is living a double life of God's will and his will, his life can only produce mixture in his family. He can never cleave to his wife because he will only love his wife for his own needs and not God's needs and why He made her.
If a husband doesn't know God's will for his life and why he was made, where can he lead his family too? That is the powerful message God spoke to us last night.
God did so much in us last night. There was such a rich heavy presence of God in our midst and a true spirit of repentance and restoration in our midst. To God be all the glory who did this revealing work to our hearts in all the men that came. We were undone!
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