Consecration Works

I have been talking about consecration, separation from everything for the cause of the Kingdom of God since the beginning of this year, and every time I think God is going to start taking me into a new direction, He pours out some new truth that knocks me back and makes my jaw drop.

As this whole theme gets more and more complicated, I am finding it more difficult to explain what I am learning here.  The only thing I know to say is this, "Consecration works."  

I am not talking about a Pharisaical lifestyle of outward works and a dead heart.  Not at all.  I am talking about a holy, Spirit filled lifestyle with a burning heart of truth and passion for Jesus and His kingdom.  I am talking about repentance.  Look at 2 Timothy 2:20-21.

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. Therefore if anyone purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honor, sanctified and useful to the Master, prepared for every good work."  

We need to purge ourselves of anything that is questionable in our lives.  We need to repent of dead works (Hebrews 6:1, 9:14).  

Consecration to God completely transforms who you are, allows the blessings of heaven to pour out on your life, and allows to power of God to flow through you freely.  Let me show you why:

Galatians 6:7-8  "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

To boil it all down, you are what you eat, spiritually speaking.

Just like the verse in Galatians says, if you sow to your flesh, you will reap flesh, if you sow Spirit, you reap Spirit.  If you spend all of your time watching movies, listening to secular music, speaking flippant words (Matthew 12:36), etc. you are sowing to your flesh.  Guess what you are going to reap?  Here is a hint:  It won't be the presence of God, the power of God, the fruits of the Spirit (which must be grown, unlike the gifts which are free), or anything else that has to do with the Kingdom of God.

However, if instead you spend your time diligently seeking Him through prayer, fasting, worship, praise, and doing His business, you are going to reap the glory of God in your life.  I am not talking just about the physical manifested glory, although that is certainly part of it.  John 14:21 says, 

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

I believe that, and expect it.  

But what I mean by the glory of God, is all His goodness.  Do you remember when Moses asked God to see His glory?  What was God's response?

Exodus 33:19  "And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."  

God's glory is His goodness.  How do you get it?  By feeding on Him.


John 6:54-55  "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." 

This is the saying God has resounding in my heart as I am writing this:

Flesh gives birth to flesh.  Spirit gives birth to Spirit.
Live for your flesh and you will manifest flesh.
Live for the Spirit, and the Spirit will manifest the Kingdom.

Sennacherib's Defeat

Have you ever read the story of Sennacherib?  It is one of the most amazing stories in the Bible.  One of my favorites anyway.  As always I look for the spiritual symbolism in the Old Testament, because it is absolutely jam packed full of it, and the Holy Spirit is just waiting to reveal them to us.

Here is an excerpt from the story:

2 Chronicles 32:1-4: 

 "After these things done in faithfulness, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came and entered into Judah, and camped against the fortified cities, and commanded to break them open to himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he had set his face to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his rulers and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains outside the city. And they helped him. And there were gathered many people, who stopped all the fountains, and the torrent which ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the king of Assyria come and find much water?" 

So King Hezekiah was one of the few good kings of Judah during the times of the books of Kings and Chronicles.  He had done everything right as far as he knew how, and God was pleased with him.  But wouldn't you know it, just like it happens to any Christian today, the devil was threatened by what he was doing, and sent out an army to destroy him.  

Sennacherib was a demonic king who came against God's people with his massive army.  There is a whole complicated message that goes with this passage, but I just want to focus on one single aspect.

"Why should the king of Assyria come and find much water?" 

In your life there are all kinds of streams flowing into you.  These streams come from lots of different sources, some of them are godly, some of them are probably not.  What happens though, is when Sennacherib comes along to confront most Christians these days, he finds plenty of water to supply his armies and keep himself strong.  As a result he is able to grow in power, and a siege against the Christian becomes a rather simple task to maintain.  The result most of the time is defeat for the Christian.

I am here to council you to make the same move Hezekiah and his rulers and mighty men made.  Cut off those streams.  The only water source you need is the River of God that flows through you.  That includes are things of the Kingdom, like the Bible, prayer, and so on.  Any other stream is nothing more than a source of strength to the enemy of your soul.  

If he comes and finds no streams, I assure you the battle with be much more in your favor.  And if you stay faithful like Hezekiah did, God will send His own army to your aid and save you.   

Consider this verse:

Leviticus 19:19

"'Keep my decrees. " ... "'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. "'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material."

I would ask you a question similar to what Paul asked the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9:9-10


"For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox threshing grain." Does God take care for oxen? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? It was written for us, so that he who plows should plow in hope, and so that he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope." 

Does God really care if a field is planted with two kinds of seed, or if clothing is woven of two kinds of material?  Of course not!  This passage was written for us, as an example of the same message that He has preached throughout the entire Bible.  Do not unite yourself to the world.  Do not be equally yoked. 

That does not mean we are not part of the world, and we do not reach out to the world, but we do not participate in their lifestyle, and we certainly don't make ourselves look like them.  They already have each other, and it isn't good enough.  They need something different, they need the true Gospel from consecrated people, and that does not look like everyone else.