What Is God Doing?
In these troubling times we need to remember what is important and focus in on our heavenly Father's will. What is God (Elohim) doing in these days?
First, let us quickly touch on this truth; our Father in heaven is Sovereign over all and has given all such authority to his Son, Jesus (Yahshua) the Christ (Messiah - Anointed). He also has all power and ability (nothing is impossible to God). With this in mind, we then see that all events in our time on earth is either directly controlled by God or is at least allowed.
We know by Scripture that God does limit what is allowed, even concerning trouble in our lives. Job 1 is a good starting place. If God were not Sovereign over all, Satan would have long ago destroyed the human race. He comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but he has been limited by what God will allow.
With this in mind, consider that the direction the world is going in has been allowed. It is not taking the Most High God by surprise. YHWH ("Yahweh" - the "I AM") is not on his throne above all dreading what is coming or anxious about a thing. He has already spoken (and written through his servants) the end of this world. He knows exactly what is going to take place and is allowing the world to go the direction it is, until everything is in place for the end of this age to come. Then, Hallelujah!, our Master will return for his people.
So, since we know God is in control, despite what it may look like, what is God up to?
For the world, he is allowing the cup of iniquity to become full. Understand that the Judge over all is both just and merciful. His mercy requires long-suffering, while his justice requires penalty for the unrepentant sinner. Just as with the Canaanites who were given over 400 years to repent before he sent Israel in to destroy them, he is giving the nations of the earth time to repent, while allowing their iniquity to become full, so their judgment may be just and complete, without violating his mercy. The world is blindly going down the broad way to destruction, while celebrating in their sinfulness that is destroying them.
For the Church (Body of Messiah - not a religious organization), he is drawing a line, like he did in the days of Moses with Israel. This is leading to the separating of the tares and wheat as spoken of in Scripture. From this it will become obvious even to the world who is really a "Christian" and who is not. Also, the lukewarm will be spewed out of the Church.
The line being drawn clearly, becoming more and more clear in these days, is not being drawn between denominations or religious observance. It has nothing to do with outward appearance. It has everything to do with whether the person is in the Vine or not, and bearing fruit. It is about those who have taken up their cross to follow Jesus (Yahshua) daily, denying self and living to Messiah, and those who refuse this spiritual walk.
Only those who are found in the Vine bearing fruit, walking with their cross behind their Master, will be exalted with him. A very hard warning is given to the rest who will not pass the test.
Mat 13:24-30 KJVR Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: (25) But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. (26) But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. (27) So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? (28) He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? (29) But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Joh 15:1-8 AMP I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. (2) Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. (3) You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. (4) Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. (5) I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. (6) If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. (7) If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (8) When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.
Do not play around with outward religion or churchianity! Do not believe you are abiding in HIM if you are not bearing fruit, starting off with little, and ever increasing because of the pruning. If HE is not actively working in your life to make you fruitful, you aren't in the Vine! If this is true for you, REPENT! This is not a hate message to you, but one of love - God loves you and Jesus (Yahshua) paid the price to prove that love, but you must receive (by faith) what he offers and then obey him (thus he is both Savior and Lord/Master). Do not deceive yourself or let any man deceive you with vain religion even in the name of "Christ" so that you believe you are in him while you are actually not in him.
The line is not about sectarian ways of appearing right with God. It is not a Baptist thing, a Methodist thing, a Charismatic thing, a Messianic Jewish thing, a Seventh Day Adventist thing, or any other sectarian thing. This line is about the final harvest approaching when the tares (those who look outwardly like wheat but are weeds invading the field) and the true wheat (that which bears fruit for the Kingdom) are separated.
This line is not about current perfection from the individual. It is not even about perfect doctrine or understanding mentally. How many of you know that God can use someone as mentally dumb as a rock or someone with some wrong ideas about certain side issues of scriptural understanding? For example, what if someone believes that all dogs go to heaven, along with other animals. Who cares. Does he believe in and follow the Son of God and have Kingdom fruit to his account?
This line is not about keeping a literal Sabbath day on Sunday, Saturday, or any other day on an earthly calendar, or not strictly keeping Sabbath at all. Again, it is not about one's level of understanding of Scripture so much or if their interpretation of Scripture is right on every subject, but is about being in Messiah and bearing fruit. He can think Elephants are green, but what matters is that he knows God in Messiah and bears the Kingdom fruit.
Fellow believers, you are not called to be an expert in all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. You are called to a specific calling with a specific purpose for you in the Body of Messiah, and you must focus on specializing in your area, so you are the best you can be, for the glory of our Master.
You are not called to be experts of theology or the relationship of the Law of Moses and the New Covenant. You are not called to understand original Hebrew or Greek. You are called to know your place in the Body and diligently and faithfully perform your ministry in that place of specialty.
See the natural body; it's cells are not "well rounded" or "good at everything." The type of muscle cell in the heart is good at sustaining the strength of the heart to pump many times each minute for a lifetime, without growing tired. The muscles in the biceps are good at effective bursts of movement but could not sustain constant activity for a lifetime like the heart muscles. The eyes have one purpose while the tongue has another purpose, and each cell in them has their function to assist the system which allows the body to function properly.
Satan likes to distract us, dear ones. He likes to get us off on pursuits that seem godly and right but lead us to decreased fruitfulness for the Kingdom of Light which is against his kingdom of darkness. He is a crafty serpent who's strategy is genius. He knows he cannot fully destroy you who are in Messiah, as you have the Life of God in you, but he knows that if he distracts you, gets you off course from your specific destiny, then he defeats your part in the Body, and thus weakens the manifestation of the Kingdom of heaven on earth.
I've been duped myself before and speak from experience. I am most productive in my specialty when I'm focused on it, rather than getting my eyes off on things I'm not called to do, or things I do not need to know for my part.
For example, I do not need to know perfectly how to be an intercessory prayer warrior, because I'm not called to spend hours a day lifting up Kingdom agendas in prayer. I'm called to something different which actually needs the prayer support of the intercessors praying for those of us who end up on the "front lines" so to speak.
If I'm spending hours a day in focused intercessory prayer, I'm not doing what I'm actually called to do, and thus I'm not going to be very fruitful. It is like a cell in the eye wanting to move and become a bicep muscle cell - it won't work well. I'm good at what God made me to do, and that he anoints me for.
You don't have to know or be good at everything. Seek to know your place, what it is you are to be doing in the Body, and focus on it. Let those put in the other places of the Body do their thing, and you just concern yourself with your duty.
Only when we stop falling for the distraction and focus each of us on our parts, is the Body going to truly be powerful as it is intended to be. Remember what Jesus (Yahshua) warned us about - you are going to be judged based on fruitfulness. Don't be deceived that it isn't going to matter as long as you knew the right things and obeyed the right commandments the right way, or went to the right fellowship, etc. That is not how the new covenant believer is going to be judged. You are going to be judged on what you do in and for Messiah, to accomplish the commission the Church (Body) has been given.
You may not be called to be an Evangelist, but you have a calling that helps accomplish the overall mission of the Body in this age.
Pray for one another. We may not all be gifted and anointed greatly as special intercessors, but we all are to have a prayer life. Pray for the true members of the Body to be moved on by the Holy Spirit to know their function and place, and to be aligned properly to perform it.
Guard against the distractions, and beware of religious high mindedness. Focus on Messiah and follow his footsteps - the Holy Spirit is poured out to empower you as you cannot do this in your own strength. Do not question if you are able, if you know you are in Messiah (the Vine) having been born of the Spirit. It is not about your ability, but the sufficiency of the God for whom nothing is impossible. If he called you to a work for him, he will enable as you obey by faith. We are all called to live supernatural lives.
A red flag to me when considering in each church/movement I've been through who is a tare and who is wheat, is when a member of that church/movement is not living a supernatural life that gives glory to God (the type of life and supernatural living that people around them can say "God is with him/her!"). The rest seem to just be religious (outwardly) - having a form of godliness but denying the power.
Whether we agree fully in our understanding or not becomes irrelevant when I see clearly the supernatural living worked through them by the Holy Spirit, the anointing of the Anointed on display in their lives, for the glory of our Father in heaven.
When I see religious people arguing and bickering but having no power of a supernatural life, I usually take little time to associate with such people - why should I - what do such people have to add to me to grow in Messiah and edify each other? I'm not here to win men's favor or make friends, I'm here for a mission and my Master expects me to obey him by doing what I'm called to do - that is the focus - let it be your focus from this day forward.
*Not all supernatural activity is of God - the test is whether Messiah is glorified and exalted or not. If self is exalted, it is not the Holy Spirit blessing and enabling the work, as he is not in the business of exalting men who are self-centered. But, if Messiah is exalted and lifted up before men through the supernatural events, this is the purpose and work of the Holy Spirit.
In this time, since Jesus (Yahshua) ascended to his Father in heaven, and poured out the Holy Spirit, the Spirit has only that primary function, to convict men of sin, judgment, and righteousness, calling men into Messiah and forming them in Messiah, to the glory of the Father. The other primary spiritual influence at work is the anti-messiah spirit which will anoint works and messages leading people (even if subtly) from Messiah. The primary way this is done in our time is a focus on SELF - HUMANISM.
The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS make the focus on Messiah. This is important to know as the anti-messiah spirit is even at work in movements that are very focused on "The Law" (whether "of Moses" or a legalistic Christian worldview) as this spiritual influence takes their focus off of Messiah and his work and puts the focus on self, self improvement, self fixing, self healing, self, self, self, self.
This inevitably leads to the fruit of high mindedness, strong sectarianism, self congratulation (even if only in private with false humility in public), and comparing oneself with others (with self being above, holier, more like God). The comparison the Holy Spirit has us focus on is comparing where we are at in our development in Messiah (if in Messiah) compared to the Template, Jesus (Yahshua) the Anointed Son of God. He then empowers us to continue being worked on to be conformed to that image. It is all about Messiah's work for and in us then, and not ourselves or our works.
If every thing you do in your life is not focused on your part in Messiah and how to accomplish your Kingdom purpose, repent. Deny yourself and take up your cross to follow HIM.
Mar 8:33-38 AMP But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God's side, but that of men]. (34) And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]. (35) For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel's will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God]. (36) For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? (37) For what can a man give as an exchange (a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? (38) For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and [preeminently] sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels.
The true gospel is not "come as you are and remain the same" because "it is all about grace." The true gospel is "come as you are so the Potter can make you new." If you have not experienced being made a new creation in spirit, you have never come into Messiah, and you are not "saved." If you have, the new man will desire to follow Jesus (Yahshua), obeying him as Master, and will submit to the work of the Holy Spirit to mold and shape you into the very image/likeness of Messiah.
If you know you are in Messiah, and you are already being changed from glory to glory, from faith to faith, and are bearing fruit, please pray for me that I will be ever anointed to deliver the message for our time, that is scripturally based, that men may be cut to the heart, repent, and be changed for the glory of God.
Eloquent words will not do, there must be that great anointing power of the Holy Spirit for lives to be spiritually and eternally changed. I pray that you also be anointed afresh to function as you are called. Abundant blessings to you who are the called, chosen, and faithful of Messiah.
What is our Father in heaven doing? He is calling and forming a people in the earth, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, of his children, born of the Holy Spirit, glorifying his Son. This is what it is all about.
Rejoicing in the crucifixion and resurrection,
David
First, let us quickly touch on this truth; our Father in heaven is Sovereign over all and has given all such authority to his Son, Jesus (Yahshua) the Christ (Messiah - Anointed). He also has all power and ability (nothing is impossible to God). With this in mind, we then see that all events in our time on earth is either directly controlled by God or is at least allowed.
We know by Scripture that God does limit what is allowed, even concerning trouble in our lives. Job 1 is a good starting place. If God were not Sovereign over all, Satan would have long ago destroyed the human race. He comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but he has been limited by what God will allow.
With this in mind, consider that the direction the world is going in has been allowed. It is not taking the Most High God by surprise. YHWH ("Yahweh" - the "I AM") is not on his throne above all dreading what is coming or anxious about a thing. He has already spoken (and written through his servants) the end of this world. He knows exactly what is going to take place and is allowing the world to go the direction it is, until everything is in place for the end of this age to come. Then, Hallelujah!, our Master will return for his people.
So, since we know God is in control, despite what it may look like, what is God up to?
For the world, he is allowing the cup of iniquity to become full. Understand that the Judge over all is both just and merciful. His mercy requires long-suffering, while his justice requires penalty for the unrepentant sinner. Just as with the Canaanites who were given over 400 years to repent before he sent Israel in to destroy them, he is giving the nations of the earth time to repent, while allowing their iniquity to become full, so their judgment may be just and complete, without violating his mercy. The world is blindly going down the broad way to destruction, while celebrating in their sinfulness that is destroying them.
For the Church (Body of Messiah - not a religious organization), he is drawing a line, like he did in the days of Moses with Israel. This is leading to the separating of the tares and wheat as spoken of in Scripture. From this it will become obvious even to the world who is really a "Christian" and who is not. Also, the lukewarm will be spewed out of the Church.
The line being drawn clearly, becoming more and more clear in these days, is not being drawn between denominations or religious observance. It has nothing to do with outward appearance. It has everything to do with whether the person is in the Vine or not, and bearing fruit. It is about those who have taken up their cross to follow Jesus (Yahshua) daily, denying self and living to Messiah, and those who refuse this spiritual walk.
Only those who are found in the Vine bearing fruit, walking with their cross behind their Master, will be exalted with him. A very hard warning is given to the rest who will not pass the test.
Mat 13:24-30 KJVR Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: (25) But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. (26) But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. (27) So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? (28) He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? (29) But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Joh 15:1-8 AMP I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. (2) Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. (3) You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. (4) Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. (5) I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. (6) If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. (7) If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (8) When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.
Do not play around with outward religion or churchianity! Do not believe you are abiding in HIM if you are not bearing fruit, starting off with little, and ever increasing because of the pruning. If HE is not actively working in your life to make you fruitful, you aren't in the Vine! If this is true for you, REPENT! This is not a hate message to you, but one of love - God loves you and Jesus (Yahshua) paid the price to prove that love, but you must receive (by faith) what he offers and then obey him (thus he is both Savior and Lord/Master). Do not deceive yourself or let any man deceive you with vain religion even in the name of "Christ" so that you believe you are in him while you are actually not in him.
The line is not about sectarian ways of appearing right with God. It is not a Baptist thing, a Methodist thing, a Charismatic thing, a Messianic Jewish thing, a Seventh Day Adventist thing, or any other sectarian thing. This line is about the final harvest approaching when the tares (those who look outwardly like wheat but are weeds invading the field) and the true wheat (that which bears fruit for the Kingdom) are separated.
This line is not about current perfection from the individual. It is not even about perfect doctrine or understanding mentally. How many of you know that God can use someone as mentally dumb as a rock or someone with some wrong ideas about certain side issues of scriptural understanding? For example, what if someone believes that all dogs go to heaven, along with other animals. Who cares. Does he believe in and follow the Son of God and have Kingdom fruit to his account?
This line is not about keeping a literal Sabbath day on Sunday, Saturday, or any other day on an earthly calendar, or not strictly keeping Sabbath at all. Again, it is not about one's level of understanding of Scripture so much or if their interpretation of Scripture is right on every subject, but is about being in Messiah and bearing fruit. He can think Elephants are green, but what matters is that he knows God in Messiah and bears the Kingdom fruit.
Fellow believers, you are not called to be an expert in all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. You are called to a specific calling with a specific purpose for you in the Body of Messiah, and you must focus on specializing in your area, so you are the best you can be, for the glory of our Master.
You are not called to be experts of theology or the relationship of the Law of Moses and the New Covenant. You are not called to understand original Hebrew or Greek. You are called to know your place in the Body and diligently and faithfully perform your ministry in that place of specialty.
See the natural body; it's cells are not "well rounded" or "good at everything." The type of muscle cell in the heart is good at sustaining the strength of the heart to pump many times each minute for a lifetime, without growing tired. The muscles in the biceps are good at effective bursts of movement but could not sustain constant activity for a lifetime like the heart muscles. The eyes have one purpose while the tongue has another purpose, and each cell in them has their function to assist the system which allows the body to function properly.
Satan likes to distract us, dear ones. He likes to get us off on pursuits that seem godly and right but lead us to decreased fruitfulness for the Kingdom of Light which is against his kingdom of darkness. He is a crafty serpent who's strategy is genius. He knows he cannot fully destroy you who are in Messiah, as you have the Life of God in you, but he knows that if he distracts you, gets you off course from your specific destiny, then he defeats your part in the Body, and thus weakens the manifestation of the Kingdom of heaven on earth.
I've been duped myself before and speak from experience. I am most productive in my specialty when I'm focused on it, rather than getting my eyes off on things I'm not called to do, or things I do not need to know for my part.
For example, I do not need to know perfectly how to be an intercessory prayer warrior, because I'm not called to spend hours a day lifting up Kingdom agendas in prayer. I'm called to something different which actually needs the prayer support of the intercessors praying for those of us who end up on the "front lines" so to speak.
If I'm spending hours a day in focused intercessory prayer, I'm not doing what I'm actually called to do, and thus I'm not going to be very fruitful. It is like a cell in the eye wanting to move and become a bicep muscle cell - it won't work well. I'm good at what God made me to do, and that he anoints me for.
You don't have to know or be good at everything. Seek to know your place, what it is you are to be doing in the Body, and focus on it. Let those put in the other places of the Body do their thing, and you just concern yourself with your duty.
Only when we stop falling for the distraction and focus each of us on our parts, is the Body going to truly be powerful as it is intended to be. Remember what Jesus (Yahshua) warned us about - you are going to be judged based on fruitfulness. Don't be deceived that it isn't going to matter as long as you knew the right things and obeyed the right commandments the right way, or went to the right fellowship, etc. That is not how the new covenant believer is going to be judged. You are going to be judged on what you do in and for Messiah, to accomplish the commission the Church (Body) has been given.
You may not be called to be an Evangelist, but you have a calling that helps accomplish the overall mission of the Body in this age.
Pray for one another. We may not all be gifted and anointed greatly as special intercessors, but we all are to have a prayer life. Pray for the true members of the Body to be moved on by the Holy Spirit to know their function and place, and to be aligned properly to perform it.
Guard against the distractions, and beware of religious high mindedness. Focus on Messiah and follow his footsteps - the Holy Spirit is poured out to empower you as you cannot do this in your own strength. Do not question if you are able, if you know you are in Messiah (the Vine) having been born of the Spirit. It is not about your ability, but the sufficiency of the God for whom nothing is impossible. If he called you to a work for him, he will enable as you obey by faith. We are all called to live supernatural lives.
A red flag to me when considering in each church/movement I've been through who is a tare and who is wheat, is when a member of that church/movement is not living a supernatural life that gives glory to God (the type of life and supernatural living that people around them can say "God is with him/her!"). The rest seem to just be religious (outwardly) - having a form of godliness but denying the power.
Whether we agree fully in our understanding or not becomes irrelevant when I see clearly the supernatural living worked through them by the Holy Spirit, the anointing of the Anointed on display in their lives, for the glory of our Father in heaven.
When I see religious people arguing and bickering but having no power of a supernatural life, I usually take little time to associate with such people - why should I - what do such people have to add to me to grow in Messiah and edify each other? I'm not here to win men's favor or make friends, I'm here for a mission and my Master expects me to obey him by doing what I'm called to do - that is the focus - let it be your focus from this day forward.
*Not all supernatural activity is of God - the test is whether Messiah is glorified and exalted or not. If self is exalted, it is not the Holy Spirit blessing and enabling the work, as he is not in the business of exalting men who are self-centered. But, if Messiah is exalted and lifted up before men through the supernatural events, this is the purpose and work of the Holy Spirit.
In this time, since Jesus (Yahshua) ascended to his Father in heaven, and poured out the Holy Spirit, the Spirit has only that primary function, to convict men of sin, judgment, and righteousness, calling men into Messiah and forming them in Messiah, to the glory of the Father. The other primary spiritual influence at work is the anti-messiah spirit which will anoint works and messages leading people (even if subtly) from Messiah. The primary way this is done in our time is a focus on SELF - HUMANISM.
The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS make the focus on Messiah. This is important to know as the anti-messiah spirit is even at work in movements that are very focused on "The Law" (whether "of Moses" or a legalistic Christian worldview) as this spiritual influence takes their focus off of Messiah and his work and puts the focus on self, self improvement, self fixing, self healing, self, self, self, self.
This inevitably leads to the fruit of high mindedness, strong sectarianism, self congratulation (even if only in private with false humility in public), and comparing oneself with others (with self being above, holier, more like God). The comparison the Holy Spirit has us focus on is comparing where we are at in our development in Messiah (if in Messiah) compared to the Template, Jesus (Yahshua) the Anointed Son of God. He then empowers us to continue being worked on to be conformed to that image. It is all about Messiah's work for and in us then, and not ourselves or our works.
If every thing you do in your life is not focused on your part in Messiah and how to accomplish your Kingdom purpose, repent. Deny yourself and take up your cross to follow HIM.
Mar 8:33-38 AMP But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God's side, but that of men]. (34) And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]. (35) For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel's will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God]. (36) For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? (37) For what can a man give as an exchange (a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? (38) For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and [preeminently] sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels.
The true gospel is not "come as you are and remain the same" because "it is all about grace." The true gospel is "come as you are so the Potter can make you new." If you have not experienced being made a new creation in spirit, you have never come into Messiah, and you are not "saved." If you have, the new man will desire to follow Jesus (Yahshua), obeying him as Master, and will submit to the work of the Holy Spirit to mold and shape you into the very image/likeness of Messiah.
If you know you are in Messiah, and you are already being changed from glory to glory, from faith to faith, and are bearing fruit, please pray for me that I will be ever anointed to deliver the message for our time, that is scripturally based, that men may be cut to the heart, repent, and be changed for the glory of God.
Eloquent words will not do, there must be that great anointing power of the Holy Spirit for lives to be spiritually and eternally changed. I pray that you also be anointed afresh to function as you are called. Abundant blessings to you who are the called, chosen, and faithful of Messiah.
What is our Father in heaven doing? He is calling and forming a people in the earth, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, of his children, born of the Holy Spirit, glorifying his Son. This is what it is all about.
Rejoicing in the crucifixion and resurrection,
David