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Split Open The Heavens
by Kris Belfils Isaiah 63:1 [God's Word Translation] If only you would split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at your presence. SPIRITUAL HUNGER BECOMES MORE INTENSE AFTER WE EAT Have you ever longed to be in God's presence? Do you hunger for more of God and receive more of whom He is in your life? I believe God is pouring out His precious Spirit upon all flesh and this out pouring will bring more and more souls into His kingdom. More lives will be transformed by just one moment in His presence. But there is a longing in my spirit for even more. You see, unlike our natural hunger that is satisfied after we eat, our spiritual hunger becomes more intense after we eat and partake from God. The more you spend time in God's presence, the more you want to stay there. He is so beautiful and loving. His joy will fill your very being. You will know that He has everything under His control. It is a precious place to be in the everlasting arms of God. I think the church today doesn't even realize how much God wants to be with us and manifest His presence in and through us. We can look at Moses and His relationship with God. Their relationship was unique. He talked with God yet he wanted to see His glory (Exodus 33:17 23). There is an intimacy that God longs for but, it will cost us something. The cost is dying to our flesh. We have to decrease so that God can increase in our lives. I know you have heard that saying before but let's look at it more closely. WE MUST DECREASE SO GOD CAN INCREASE Our self-sufficiency will destroy us and our pride will prevent God's favor and blessing in our lives. The flesh is hard to tame. The only thing that will tame it is to lay it down at Christ's feet and say, "Have your way in me." Christ said it well in Matthew 26:39b Amplified Bible, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire." Even Jesus gave up control to the Father when He literally laid down His life for His Father's will. The process of surrendering our all to Christ is a difficult and painful process, yet extremely rewarding once we do it. For me, the process took time. I fought God on this issue. It was not until I was firmly confronted by someone, that I realized I was fighting to keep control of my life. It surfaced one day and my reaction was ugly. How could I give up control? Maybe a better question would be, "When did I take back control of my life after I asked Christ into my heart as my Lord and Savior?" I was concerned that if I gave God back control, I might become someone I didn't want to be, or do something I didn't want to do. I spent a good portion of my life building up what I wanted to have happen instead of waiting on God for His time and what He wanted for me. I realized my self-worth was wrapped up in what I did, not in who I was in Christ. I had to face myself, or as the Bible calls it, my "flesh," and what I saw was not a pretty sight. My right to myself had to be broken. "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain," Philippians 1:21 (NKJV). Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) states, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." These passages of scripture show how we are to view our lives. It's all about what He wants. When we give our hearts to Christ, we are not our own but His. You need to deal with your flesh immediately. Your flesh doesn't want to die. It will scream out at you to stop. It will scream out in self-pity to have its way. Be aware of it when the time comes for you to let go of your control to God. If self-pity wins, sin has won. Press through the pain of letting go of your will. The world will tell you to look out for yourself, stand up for your rights, but God requires us to be broken and have a contrite heart, these sacrifices God will never despise (Psalm 51:17 NKJV). It's never fun to die. It costs us something. Our will has to die. Flesh wants to run when it is costly or painful. I like how the Amplified Bible states Galatians 2:20; I am crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. We must die to our flesh, our pride, and self-sufficiency, because they can rob us of a close relationship with Christ, and prevent us from being what God created us to be. Amy Wilson, with the Christian Literature Crusade, expresses this thought well; God, harden me against myself, The coward with pathetic voice Who craves for ease and rest and joy. Myself, arch-traitor to myself, My hollowest friend, My deadliest foe, My clog, whatever road I go. Our flesh will scream for us to have its way. We are only deceiving our self if we let it win. Part of our flesh is our pride. Pride comes in so many packages. One big package was my stubborn will. I had to lay my dreams and goals at Christ's feet. They were my crowns, or the precious things I had carried all my life, and really they amounted to nothing compared to God's plans for me. Laying down my dreams and letting go of my self-sufficiency was making me decrease, and giving God back control and allowing Him to transform my life was making God increase in my life. OH SPLIT OPEN THE HEAVENS AND COME! When I decreased, it was no longer about me, but God. When God increased, He not only became the center of my life, but He increased Himself and His presence in me. He increases areas of my life as I walk in obedience to His word. It is a fail-safe plan to decrease and have God increase in our lives. It is a "win win" situation. There is something about God's glory that is intoxicating. To behold His beauty is truly overwhelming. People respond differently when they encounter a Holy, glorious God. How do you respond when you encounter God's presence? You might have heard the song that talks about only imagining what one would do when Heaven is split open and God comes and manifests Himself. All I know is that I have to have an encounter of the Living God daily. He is my portion. How can I meet people without meeting my Creator first? His love is given to us extravagantly. God is more than enough for whatever need, for whatever longing, for whatever trouble you may have right now. God will split open the heaven and come down to a heart that is longing for Him. Are you hungry for God? Your hunger will move the heart of God towards you. Jim Goll has stated, "The depth of our hunger is the length of our reach for God. God's desire is to create in us a greater desperation that will stir up a fiercer hunger that will release a longer reach." Living in the presence of God moment by moment is what I have to do. There are times I just think about His goodness. There are times when I just soak in His presence and listen to His voice. There are times when I cry out my heart to God and He comes and comforts, heals, and restores my soul. He is the air I breathe. God is not far away. He is waiting for us to decrease so He can increase in us. He is waiting for our passion to turn into desperate hunger for Him. This will split open the Heavens and bring His habitation. He will come and live and stay. Then we will have built that "throne" for His weighty presence to rest upon. This was my cry when I wrote the song; "Please Come." Here are the lyrics from my new CD; "Brokenness." Isaiah 63:1 [God's Word Translation] If only you would split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at your presence. Blessings, Pastor Kris Belfils Kris Belfils is an Author, Pastor, Singer/Songwriter, Speaker, and Worship Leader. She has a passion to see people transformed and set free. Her newest book, "The Garbage Man Always Comes On Fridays," is a powerful tool to help others overcome their past. www.krisbelfils.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |