Deep to Deeper Still

I saw a tall old-fashioned oil derrick and drill at work.  Plans had been made as to where they thought they would strike oil.

I saw a tall old-fashioned oil derrick and drill at work.  Plans had been made as to where they thought they would strike oil.

Then in this vision, I saw as they diligently drilled, suddenly a blowout gusher of oil broke through and a wild well emerged, the oil shooting high into the sky!

Spiritually, many of us are like that drilling process — we are seeking God with all our heart and we feel like we should keep drilling and pressing in so strongly.

But it seems like we keep hitting an empty well or wall!  Or it just seems too deep, and we get discouraged and just want to be content with the little experience, when God wants us to have everything He has for us!

However, we must understand that The LORD knows what He made us to be, and knows how we need to be equipped.

No matter how old we are in The LORD, we will always need to go deeper still.  In God, there is no retirement, there are always new realms and horizons to amaze us!

As we continue to drill in prayer and press towards God, He delights in our desperation and desire for He is our betrothed.

His desire is towards us, and He loves us when we desire Him.

“Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled,”   Matthew 5:6.

Because you feel a strike is imminent, it also opens doors for us to experience more of His mighty power and His wonders to perform!

The LORD desires our time and our hunger towards Him, and He will reward those who diligently seek Him.

Sometimes we must return to our first love, because the cares of this life have kept us bound to circumstance and situations, (Revelation 2:4).

Our first Holy Spirit baptism was awesome, but now you are craving The LORD so much more!

God knows you need to be equipped and dripping in oil so you can ignite into flames of fire!

When we become desperate we drive our focus totally on The LORD for we need a deeper well of experience and a deeper desire to be immersed totally in the oil of the Holy Ghost!

Oil is the precursor of Fire!  He makes His angels spirits and His ministers flames of fire,  (Hebrews 1:7)

Deep will always call us to deeper still.  Selah…

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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Pull Back, Back Up!

Up and coming leaders, listen!  The Fruit of The Spirit is not an option.  Having a godly character is the witness of The Spirit of an individual.

Spiritual Maturity and jealousy cannot mix!

Up and coming leaders, listen!  The Fruit of The Spirit is not an option.  Having a godly character is the witness of The Spirit of an individual.

Having to stand strong on a point when everyone calls you goody two shoes or false, takes clear resolve.  But these who lack maturity don’t understand at all.

It is the mature whom God draws the reins back that remain separate and not become one of the boys or the popular groups that want you to agree with everything they say.  “Come aside and be ye separate,” says The LORD.

King Jehoshaphat although he was a good King, got into trouble by making Alliances with wicked Kings.  But God in His mercy kept him safe, but his alignment to other wicked kings made him guilty as they were and cost him consequences to his decisions,  (2 Chronicles 18).

King Jehoshaphat was trying to be good, accepting and he assumed, causing to lose ground, costly events, and lost lives.  It is very important who we ally with and what we stay clear of.

Although King Jehoshaphat was personally loyal to his faith and purity of life and motive, his greatest failures lay in the precise areas of his greatest success; International relations and religious reformations.

He could not root out the unlawful. His diplomacy by alliance into intermarriage with the house of Ahab and Jezebel brought all his gains to ruin within a few years of his death.

The poisonous effect of that union became an arrangement that was very expensive to Judah; the king supported with treasure and manpower to fund Ahab’s wars.

The king assisted in at least two fruitless campaigns with the kings of Israel.  He suffered personal physical peril and spiritual loss to himself and his kingdom.

“Hear the word of The LORD!  Corrupt alliances by deceit come to prostitute and ride on your anointing.

To prostitute your oil and wine they gain victory and prestige.  Their numbers are great, they love a crowd.  They corrupt your goodness by flattery.  They take advantage of their own personal gain.

As I live,” says God, “I tell you the truth, I wouldn’t even look the way of these corrupt flatterers, but because I honor your life, I will speak and warn you!”

We are known by the company we keep.  Birds of a feather DO flock together.  What we come under can be a big problem, but thank God in his mercy he leads us.

Get a grip!  Most will judge you for standing back and waiting on clarity.

God must pull back prophets to back up prophets.

These prophets speak the mind of God to make decisions between God and the people.  These cannot be conformed or led away from The LORD’s heart.  They were sent in by God to announce God’s will and to confront evil.

Those who intimidate you will continue to provoke you to do it their way. I t takes a solid person to remain on task in not becoming one of the popular people as we all like to be accepted but we cannot go after that or we will face some very hard consequences.

Spirits of religion, controlling, manipulation, jealousy, strife, contention breed every evil work!

Pride will cause people to provoke you to lead you off the right path with God.  Their motives are veiled, not clear as many are not operating in the right Spirit.

Jealousy is usually the open door, and jealousy is as cruel as the grave!  Their veiled motives are to win you over to their side, but The LORD will separate those of His that search him out.

Like John the Baptist, Elijah, Micaiah, and other prophets did in the Bible, God will back up his prophets.

In many instances the church is not ready for these types of prophets that are coming on the scene, but ready or not they are coming!

Study 2 Chronicles 18 and Revelation 2.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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The Process of Destiny

Your brothers will accuse you of all sorts of things and especially selfish ambitions.  But when they see the success, they change their allegiance!

While hidden away protecting and tending to a few sheep in his Father’s care, David was told to take some food to his three oldest brothers who were enlisted in King Saul’s army.

As he went to serve his brothers, approaching into full view, seeing, and hearing the situation and witnessing the fear, intimidation, and control that a Philistine giant had, as he was taunting and defying Israel, David was shocked and angry at the display that put the army of God in fear!

King Saul cowered beneath the situation and offered a great purse of riches and the King’s own daughter to the one who would stand up against this foe and destroy him.

This young man, David, who was anointed by God through the prophet Samuel, kept the sheep of His father, being the youngest of his father’s sons.

He walked up to the front line in shock! He was sent to bring sustenance for his brothers, not realizing he was divinely stepping onto a stage prepared by God for such a time as this.  Not even realizing, he walked right into destiny!

As David cared for his father’s sheep as a shepherd, he was unaware of how prophetically significant and aligned he was!

God seasoned David as a shepherd who protected his father’s sheep from the lion and the bear.

David’s destiny began at home and his training led David to have absolute faith and confidence in God’s protection through life experiences.  Little did he know that God had prepared him in advance to have absolute confidence in His God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

On the front line of destiny, the cast was all set, all coming into alignment concerning this uncircumcised Philistine who defied the army of the living God!

Sudden reality flashed before David’s face, visually reminding himself that by The LORD’s hand he slew a lion and a bear while protecting his father’s sheep!

He looked with the eyes of faith at Israel’s army in unbelief!  Surely his thoughts said, “This can’t be so!!!”

This taunting giant intimidated the entire army of God through fear by paralyzing the troops, who were shaking in their boots!

Prophetically , God sent a son of destiny who would be known to rule as a man after God’s own heart!

Being a young man after God’s own heart, no one could fathom the rank or dream of that role that David would have.

For The LORD looks at the heart, not the size, or the weighty armor or giftings for God alone searches the earth for a man who will believe to dream!

It’s those whose faith determines their outcome.  In the mind of David, he already had faced a lion and a bear and trusted the familiar method by which he had overcome those predators.

“For the eyes of The LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him,”   2 Chronicles 16:9a KJV.

We exercise and flex our spiritual muscles when we have faith in God’s word.  Knowing God’s Word makes us strong in faith and gives us the sensitivity to exercise and to discern situations.

We are not able to pursue, overtake our enemies, and recover everything stolen from us without a strong faith.

The LORD wonders that when he comes if he shall find faith in the earth.  For men look at the outward, but God looks at the heart.

David denied the King’s armor and opted for his well-trusted sling with five smooth stones.  This method combined with great faith and experiences in God’s promises made him able to spare the sheep from predators by winning the victory and the security of the sheep.

Here we see a young man with no fear or formal military training or service take his trusted sling, releasing a stone to incapacitate the giant, before taking the enemy’s own sword, and cutting off Goliath’s head with his own sword!

The enemy’s giants, who come to bring us fear, intimidation and who taunt us, should provoke our hearts!  These times of intense pressure can become a catalyst to press us to react, then to act, by using the Word as our weapon of warfare which is the sword of The Spirit.

It matters not how old we are in God either.  The Word works for those who work it.  We can actually reverse the enemies’ curse so that the enemy falls in his own pit.  He who digs a pit for the righteous, himself shall fall into it!

Beloved, now is the time to use what you have!  Your confidence and faith in God were developed through your seasoning process, by making you who you are! Just be who you are and cut off the head of your giants!

Just like that Philistine champion, once that obstacle was breached, broken, and their works destroyed the enemy who had put all their confidence in will run in terror!

We shall all face obstacles before we possess new land and levels.  All of us who pick up our cross and follow Christ will face giants in our growth to see how we respond.

Don’t be surprised when you make up your mind, deciding to face the giants, that your brothers will be happy with you.

Au contraire!  They will become angry, pride-filled, jealous, and when you are blessed and successful these shall seek your favor wanting to be a part of the blessings when things are successful with you.

These will judge and accuse you of wrong motives, pride, and leaving your low position as they weigh themselves against you by trying to keep you beneath them.

We should be happy when our brother is elevated by God to greater heights, because it means greater service and servant-hood for building The Kingdom.

These don’t want you to rise and they are not happy when you are elevated.  They measure themselves and compare themselves against you!  Their character is not developed through trial in the fruits of the spirit and they look at the situation from a totally worldly standpoint.

Just watch what comes out of the woodwork when you are successful!  It will seem to them that you are a goody-two-shoes and snob thinking you are trying to be better than everyone else.  Every upcoming leader will face this.

Your brothers will accuse you of all sorts of things and especially selfish ambitions.  But when they see the success, they change their allegiance.  Success draws out all sorts of evil spirits and people who want to prostitute and ride on your blessings and anointing.

These opportunists seek favor wanting to be a part of your benefits without the price when things seem successful.  However, watch who remains when a trial comes!

David, the man after God’s own heart who was anointed by Samuel as a youth ran from demonized King Saul.  Saul knew the prophecy about David yet knowing that the anointing had left him caused him to go mad and so he pursued David relentlessly wanting to kill him.

Yet those who were in debt, distress, and discontented found David in the stronghold and joined in with him and he encouraged those who joined telling them not to fear but abide with him as a safeguard as David led them.

Finally, David would not touch God’s anointed King even though the opportunity seemed right at the time as the anointing departed from King Saul.  David chose to do it God’s way and wait for The LORD to raise him up!

David knew the power of fulfillment with the prophecy.  When God anoints, appoints and establishes, everyone will know it.

“I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.  And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.  I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land,”   Exodus 23:27-30 KJV.

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.  Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee,”   1 Timothy 4:12-16 KJV.

“Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil,”   Hebrews 5:11-14 KJV.

“Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And The LORD said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”   Luke 18:2-8 KJV.

READ and Study 1 Samuel 17-22.

 

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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All in the Process

Our God is a jealous God and continually seeks to draw His beloved closer to him in intimacy, reminding us that we cannot just ally ourselves with anyone.

Walking with Christ closely will often cause us to walk alone and many will not understand us as there will be some offended by our silence and these shall pressure us in their attempt to lead us to abide with them.

It isn’t easy when you love people and have a lot of compassion.  There is a balance we must have by keeping God first, including keeping Him first before people in need.

There are many needs and the poor will always be among us but that relationship you develop and have with The LORD is of utmost importance before anything; no matter how important the need may be.

Be NOT hasty and miss the way.  Our God is a jealous God and continually seeks to draw His beloved closer to him in intimacy, reminding us that we cannot just ally ourselves with anyone.

As we grow in grace and maturity in Christ, who we use to hang out with or attend, may not affect us with good anymore.  Jealousy is as cruel as the grave!

There will be those we know that will try to sabotage our efforts for good in our lives.  There will come a day and time when HE will not allow us to live on others’ words or experiences.

He wants us to learn to keep Him first and foremost so to be influenced by Him.

Being committed and influenced by The LORD and not man will cause people to falsely think and accuse you of being prideful and aloof, or in their insecurity, they will think you believe you are better than they are.

When you commit totally to Christ and determine to mature in the faith, there will be those who once hung on and hung out with you; these will turn on you.

You would have never fathomed they would turn on you becoming an enemy of the cross you carry and becoming your worse critic.

The majority of times, it is because of jealousy.  They don’t want to see you progressing and advancing without them but yet they fail to see the cost of the cross that they must walk in and it is not elementary and not everybody can walk where you walk.

They don’t see the cost and price tag!  They see the blessings and benefits and think they are entitled to your blessings and your presence.  Watch your purse, wallet, and billfold! T here are no short cuts or an easier way.

Remember what Joseph went through before he became second in leadership only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt.

Joseph went through the revelations, then the process to prepare him to lead . Joseph ended up in a pit by his own brothers, Potiphar’s house, prison, and the Palace.

It took him years and he suffered much.  Joseph could not have learned the way of the leader until he was humbled, broken, and in prison for something he never did.

And even in the darkest times, he was being prepared.  We are prepared through trial and don’t let anyone tell you aren’t.  There are many false doctrines that press the issue that we won’t suffer.  Don’t buy into it!

There are always struggles in growth! There is a struggle for growth even in dark places that we fail to realize.  We start growing once we are conceived until our dying day!

When God promotes and advances, everyone around our lives will know it.  However, we must understand that no matter how long these trials continue to come, we still have a destiny!

God is at work through it all and knows us better than ourselves, yet it still causes bad repercussions among those who are insecure and jealous.

Progress and advancement come from The LORD.  Not everyone will be happy with your promotion to transformation, courage, with boldness.

Anytime a leader is born through much travail and prepared very well through years of being tried, tested, and seasoned, yet many who thought they knew you don’t see you for who you are!

They have no idea as to what process you went through to get you to where you are today.  We are ALL in a process, all on various levels and time does tell all things.

Leaders in the body must face this fact that people will not be happy with them.  Stop chasing foxes that spoil the vine and not the furry kind!

Let the people think what they will!  Quit trying with much effort in attempting to put out demonic fires motivated by jealousy!

You will lose so much time!  You are bigger than that!  Move forward and forget those things which are behind!  You have nothing to prove to anyone!

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,”  
Philippians 3:7-14 KJV.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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