The Sufferings of Intercession

Within the following post I would like put forth a new insight that has shed some light on the activity of intercession for me. Throughout the writings of Paul we can see a theme of “fellowships” that have been laid out and he called us to. His epistles speak of the “fellowship of the Son” (1 Cor. 1:9), the “fellowship of the Spirit” (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1), the “fellowship of faith” (Philem. 6), and even John notes a “fellowship” we have with “one another” (1 Jn. 1:7). But the one we will be addressing throughout this post is what Paul refers to as the “fellowship of sufferings,” found in Phil. 3:10. I have always looked to this verse as being mostly the partnership we make with the Spirit through our denial of self unto the pursuit of holiness. For instance, I will deny giving into my carnal desires, fast from food, entertainment, external pleasures, pray on a consistent basis, try to be humble, and view this as the majority of that which Paul called us to in this fellowship (excluding the “external sufferings” that we will briefly discuss below). And it is this, but only a part. It’s one side of a two-sided coin.

The Glory of the Wrestle – Part 1

In the beginning God…

What does it mean to engage with a being that created the very air you are breathing and the ground you are walking upon? What is dialogue’s formula when the one you are speaking to “hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7)? Thankfully, because of the Cross, the only formula needed is a persistent “yes” that maintain’s an agreement with the Spirit’s leading, which in turn will fuel the exerting of oneself to do the things the Word calls us to. As we agree with His ways and pursue the knowledge of God through prayer and fasting, we grow in grace and enter into a Christian lifestyle that is an advocate of scripture — for this is Christianity in its most simplified form.

The Forerunner – Part 3: The Mandate

The mandate of a forerunner is by far the weightiest subject to be addressed in this set of posts. Within my own reflection, I tend to define this as a commissioning the Lord gives to believers for the ushering in of a greater “kingdom now” reality. It is a ’sending’ (greater authority given) from God (you will understand to what and when you have been sent) to make ready humanity’s intellect and spirit for the coming of Jesus, by way of the “Kingdom” emerging into the “now” in an increased measure.

We have all been given a gifting for ministry (Eph. 4:11) but we are to use these giftings to walk out a greater calling, which has been strategically set upon our lives (example – Paul was an apostle, but he was sent to the Gentiles). In essence, what we are talking about is a sending. This mantle pervades

The Forerunner – Part 1: Being a Voice

Over the next few posts my intention is to look at the calling of a forerunner and what all this entails for those of us who have that ‘burn’ and need of a message realease. Due to the rather large amount of information this subject holds I will most likely try to keep these posts to a few paragraphs. This is so there is not such a large document to read each time I post.

Forerunner: A person or thing that precedes the coming development of someone or something; also a sign or warning of something to come (Oxford American Dictionaries).

Many seem to think the delivery aspect of a message is the most difficult in the preparation and learning process. Delivery is somewhat wearisome, but the most demanding angle of this growth process, by a large margin, is the spiritual discipline that is obtained while focusing on the finish line. Anybody can proclaim a message to their buddy over coffee they received from an early morning devo. And that counts, I don’t want to minimize that. But there is a dimension of being one who has the true calling of a forerunner that involves the process of gaining both a voice and a message.

A Life of Preparation

A Christians place of training is found in Matthew 5, 6 & 7. And it is only through prayer that a true born again believer can follow through with what Jesus called us to in those few chapters. This is because prayer moves our flesh to a state weakness and our spirit to a place of strength. As we become more aware and sensitive to the Spirit of God dwelling within us we become more equipped to overcome the daily battles we find in our lives. A man of fervent prayer avails much (James 5:16) but the one reason we can withstand anything as we dwell within our carnal frames, is due to the awakeing of the Spirit this prayer brings forth. We not only gain discernment and realationship through this most intimate of interactions, but we gain also a vibrant Spirit in our inner man that will continually, if we listen to Him, speak to us the mysteries of the Kingdom.