EMBRACING THE PROCESS (3)

Recently, we have seen God as the Refiner’s fire, burning out the impurities in our lives so more and more of the likeness and beauty of Jesus would be seen in us.
Yesterday, we looked at the writer to Hebrews picture of God as a parent, disciplining (even painfully) His children so we do not become rebels and delinquents, but grow to maturity as a loving obedient son and daughter.
An illustration I have used for years is that of God being a surgeon. I can relate it it so well from my own recent hospitalisation. When you are admitted to hospital, the nurse will give you the time when you will be operated on. The orderly comes to your room and transports you to the  operating theatre, and you are transferred to the operating table. The first procedure is to get you put to sleep, but there is no Anaesthetist in God’s operating theatre. Jesus enters the room with a scalpel in His hand, and touches our flesh, we, wriggle, and squirm and cry out because of the pain. We must learn to:
1. Lay still and the operation will be over much more quickly.
2. If we continue to wriggle and react, God could life His hand,
We will then roll off the table and go all around the mountain, and guess where we return too ? God operating table, and He asks “are you ready now to let me work on you”. Remember He will never violate our will, and is waiting for us, to respond to His dealings and callings on our life.
Paul tells us in Rom.2 that true circumcision is of the heart, and God wants to remove the fleshly parts of our lives, so we will grow and live and walk in the Spirit in victory, and power and purity. Physical circumcision is a one off operation, but spiritual circumcision can happen numerous times in our walk with the Lord.  The Lord will only perform that necessary surgery that we can handle, but as we draw closer to Him, He shows us more of our depraved sinful nature, and we should desire, that God will do whatever he needs to do to make us more like Jesus.
I am sure you are getting thje message, that God has a process He needs to take us through from time to time, to cause us to move to the next level, and so we can be a cleaner, purer vessel for Him to use.
I wonder if there are those who have read these blogs, think this teaching is negative and unnecessary. We are often bombarded with teaching, that life is meant ot be a bed of roses, prosperity and blessing every day. The scriptures sure teach us that God has so much blessing he wants to pour out on us, but it isn’t simply served to us on a plate, but THERE IS A PROCESS.
The more we learn the life of surrender, the more we recognise God is sovereign, and that EVERYTHING  that comes our way comes with God’s permission (remember of course we have too:)
Walk in the light of God Word and our conscience,
We must  abide in the Lord (Vine) and let His Word abide in us,
We MUST keep His commandments
BECAUSE GOD HAS A PLAN
As we recognise it, and respond to His dealings literally the sky is the limit.
We only have a small glimpse of all that God wants to do in us and through us.
I received an sms from a friend this morning who is serving the Lord in the U.S. and he was encouraging me to believe for the next exciting God season in my life. I have not been able to teach overseas for the past almost 2 years because of the staph. infection. But have experienced :
God’s refining fire
His parental discipline
His divine surgery.
In a just a few weeks, I should be completely pain free, walking well, and ready for the next season. So these 3 blogs have been personal, (not that my intention was to put the spotlight on me but the Lord) but it is the Lord’s methods He uses with all His kids, to bring them closer to Him.
What do you think is in your next season in God ?? do you have some ideas ???
I trust these teachings have helped you to understand God’s plan and our need to embrace the process. No current dealings are enjoyable, but the results can be awesome, and as Paul says in Eph. 3.20
Now to Him,in consequence of) the (action of His) power, that is at work within us, is able to (carry out His purpose and) do superabundantly, far over and above all that we (dare) ASK or THINK  infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dream.AMP. N.T.
God can do anything you know far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams ! he does it not by pushing us around but working WITHIN us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us.  (Message)
We are living in exciting but in many ways difficult days, let us be part of God’s mighty army He is raising up to see His Kingdom come and His will be done, before He breaks through the clouds and takes us home.
Do you agree ? write and tell me please ? God bless you.