In case any of you have been wondering where I have been lately, this excellent article by Susanne Schuberth pretty well describes it.
I could have also called this state I am finding myself in ‘the period of putting off the old self and putting on the new self’ which is something no one may observe but God and me. It is like bein…
A Wilderness Voice 
Thank you so much for the immediate reblog, Michael! Am encouraged, my brother! 🙂
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Susanne, your article was easy to reblog because this is right where God has me as well. Like Paul said, “Out from me, that is my flesh, comes no good thing.” Jesus made it clear that none were good, not even Him, but only His Father in heaven. He also said that all the works He did and words He spoke came out from His Father. The sooner we understand and believe this as also being true of us, the better.
So many people have natural gifts in and of themselves so they set out to do great things out from themselves, separate from the leading of God. Whether we use our natural talents for good or for evil, we are STILL in rebellion against God! We are still eating and feeding others (as Eve did to Adam) from the wrong tree. Only the Tree of Life which is the Ascended Christ can add to the spiritual health of others. I love these two quotes from T. Austin-Sparks which you shared,
“This ministry is only possible in the power and fruit of His (Christ’s) resurrection.”
“The ministry of the House of God is spontaneous, when there is union with Christ in risen life; the fruit is there at once.”
Or as Jesus put it, “If you abide IN me and I abide IN you, you will bring forth much fruit.” Ours is to abide IN Jesus Christ. His is to bring forth His fruit in us. Dear sister, may we both find that rest in the presence of the Father and the Son from where REAL spiritual fruit comes as we abide in the One who IS Life. Jesus prayed,
“That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:21, ESV2011)
THIS simple abiding together in the unity of the Father and the Son is where our witness to the world comes from, not our clever writings and speech. “Amen, Lord Jesus, make it so!”
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It is His work done by Him and we are privilaged to be used as His instruments
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Yes, Ken, for sure. Not only that but instruments that have a loving relationship with Him as part of Christ’s body.
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