Dear Friends,
It’s a great day to be dead to the flesh but alive in Christ!
Fellow prayer warriors in the trench, January has been a challenging month of growth for me, complete with lots of Vitamin D(-ying) and a healthy dose of A(-ffliction)! I say this with a smile now, but it wasn’t so easy in the process! I understand more fully now what Jesus meant when he said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:24-25)
As God continues to test our hearts, He is also maturing us and shining His light on the standard He has called us to live up to. I spent some time fasting this month, as I know many of you did, and the Holy Spirit spoke something very clearly to me through a fellow servant. He said, “Karen, you’ve been convicted, but now it’s time you have to be convinced.” I realized that there are many times I have thought, “I really should or shouldn’t do this” or “That’s not God’s character,” but I’ve ignored it and chosen to respond my own way. I’ve not been convinced of the importance and necessity of walking in obedience to Almighty God in ALL things, and believing His character and what He says at ALL times. The fact that I did not ‘feel’ guilty or experience negative consequences, or hear a loud voice from God saying “DON’T”, has led me at times to decide that I can just do what I choose, or allow myself to accept the way things appear in the natural as reality instead of standing on what I know to be true, even if I can’t see it or feel it.
So what does it take to be convinced? “The greatest of these is love.” I have discovered that my greatest desire and my greatest motivator is LOVE. And I believe that goes for all of us, whether or not we admit it. It was Paul who said, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) John said, “We love Him because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) For me, when I am not convinced of the LOVE of Christ and my FAITH is wavering in that area, my confidence takes a nose dive and I get emotional, confused, and just plain frustrated! Then HOPE runs out the cracks – I get leaky! I feel like even my reservoir – my emergency tank – is empty; I can’t see the truth and I can’t hear from God. And, ultimately, I just get plain tired. But I’m reminded of what God commands us, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9) So, I realize how important faith, hope and love – and especially love – are. I am discovering even more how vital it is to stay in the word and be convinced that what Jesus said is true. We have to know the love of Christ and cannot waiver in our faith in Him that He will do what He said He would do.
In this season when the enemy is coming hard after the people of God and trying to make us weary in well doing, we can’t let our faith fail us. We can’t forget the un-ending, unconditional, joyful, freeing, overwhelming love of God towards us. We have to be convinced! The first step is to humble ourselves and make the choice to afflict ourselves (die to our flesh and obey God). But the second and most beautiful step is to spend time in the presence of the Lord. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before” (Acts 3:19-20). I don’t know about you, but I want the Lord to send Jesus to meet me as I spend time in His presence! So let me encourage you – don’t forget your intimacy! Don’t forget your refuge and your source of strength! Don’t forget to just be with Him; ceasing from your labours, your rushing, your striving, and just seeking and enjoying Him. How can we experience the fullness of someone’s love for us if we never take the time to spend with them and receive it?
Friends, we already know what we need to do. But now is the test of our hearts to see if we will continue to do it even when the enemy tries everything he can to throw us off track and convince us not to be convinced! So this month, let’s discipline our hearts and minds to work continually at being convinced of the truth of Christ and His incomparable love for us. And let’s take some time to give the same love back to Him. In His presence we will find the love, the peace, the truth, the direction, and the JOY that will be our strength for the journey. Remember…
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
Convinced by His Love,
Karen Warankie
News Director, CIP
