Confidence in the Lord’s Presence

I have just a few minutes here today for a short post, and I would like to say something about the confidence of the Lord being with you in what you are doing in regard to the ministry of his gospel. When you know that you are walking in his Spirit, and showing his love, and speaking and doing what his Spirit would have you to speak and do, there just is absolutely no strain or wondering about what you have done or said, or how it has been taken by anyone you have dealt with. There really isn't. Reason being because you are without doubt or question that it is the Lord "working in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philip. 2:13). And the unshakable confidence of that is that you know perfectly well that whatever comes of it is up to whoever you have dealt with, and it is solely between them and God. When someone has been exposed to the holy Ghost with the truth and the love that it sets forth, there is no possible way that they can become unexposed to it. Of course they can choose to not be around it anymore, but they cannot unhear or unfeel what they were exposed to; and those who are in tune with God's Spirit in the work of his gospel know that. The apostle Paul said that he and those with him were confirmed "by the manifestation of the truth that [commended them] to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (II Cor. 4:2). And I have to say there is perfect peace in knowing that is the case. I never feel that I have to do just a little bit more to persuade someone of something, after I have spoken with them or done something for them by the Spirit. In fact I never feel that I have to do anything to begin with unless a door opens and I feel the Spirit lead me into it.

This gospel belongs to God and so do his people (I Cor. 6:19,20). Whatever and however he wants to execute his work is altogether his business, and none of mine or yours. But it IS our business to keep ourselves in a condition where we can be spiritually aware of what HE is doing, and go along for the ride. The problem is that most people in the body of Christ today have been taught by the ministry of man and not by the ministry of the holy Ghost, and have not been conditioned to be in tune with what God's Spirit is saying or doing. And one of the undue results of that is that most folks are trying to "win souls" to God by man's way to man's gospel. And while many will ignorantly follow that lead into man's flesh-pleasing gospel, the results will not be many being stabilized and preserved in God's love and peace. In fact the result of all of this is nothing but a furthering of spiritual chaos and confusion. All I can say about this state of things is to echo the admonition of the apostle Paul, the great apostle to the gentiles: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Rom. 13:12-14). If this can be truly learned and done by God's people in large part, we will see a unifying of the body of Christ and an outpouring of God's Spirit that will rock the world. Amen.