I THE STAFF AND SWORD MINISTRY
PART 13C
April 2014
MANIFESTING CHRIST A CLOSER WALK WITH JESUS
WALKING THE WALK — N—N
--'►/--PSI---
Imo/ ---NAI
by Nancy-TONI Youngbrandt There are times in everyone's walk in the Lord where they experience a dry period, a time when Jesus feels farther away and no new insight or revelation comes. Unfortunately, there are times when that happens due to a sin area in our lives that has come between us and God, but if that is not the case, then it is likely a period when the Spirit of God simply wants us to apply the things we have already learned. So often we fall into the trap of wanting `new' prophecy, new revelation, new things to learn, which can be exciting but we may not have fully absorbed and learned to apply the things we have already been given. We haven't really exercised our faith muscle and applied and walked in what we have from Jesus already. We haven't actually prayed to understand and know things for ourselves, ifthey are of God or not, and then taken them in ourselves if they are, but rather we remain simply hearers of the word only. In the dictionary it says the word `do' means to take action; to deal with as required; to have as one's work. So, if we are to be doers of the word of God, then we are to not just take action but to deal with God's Word as required; to have as one's work the Word of God. For some, this automatically means outward works such as feeding the poor and homeless, taking care of the sick, doing for others -- which is certainly a dimension of `doing' the Word of God. However, it first should begin with inward actions with the outward actions to follow, it means taking to heart, within ourselves, letting the Word of God take root and bear the fruit of the Spirit of God in our lives, from which our outward actions flow. I recently read something by Oswald Chambers that perhaps helps to explain my point best. He wrote; We are not saved only to be instruments for God, but to be His sons and daughters. He does not turn us into spiritual agents but into spiritual messengers, and the message must be a part of us. The Son of God was His
own message — "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are fife"