Servias Ministries Blog

Ephesians 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

As we walk in Love, it will include an offering and sacrifice which includes affliction.  Jesus became afflicted for us and we must also suffer afflictions for our brothers and sisters.  Our ego must be placed on the cross and be allowed to die.  As we walk in Love, the Holy Spirit will move us toward reconciliation and restoration.  This does not mean to fellowship with lawlessness but to be a standard by which lawless ness is exposed.  Love includes correction, not just some passive acceptance of others who maintain a lifestyle of sin and lawlessness.  Paul warns us:

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Though we must not fellowship with darkness it does not mean we should isolate ourselves from those who walk in darkness.  We should minister and restore as we are led by THE SPIRIT.  This is one reason being sensitive to THE SPIRIT is so important.  Love is actively in the restoration business, even to those who have gone off the deep end of cunningly devised fables.  Those who embrace these fables often find themselves there due to being hurt by those who profess to be Christians.  The lack of Love is often at the source of the division.  The hypocrisy comes to light and alienates those who lack the strength to withstand the inconsistency of word versus deed.  As a result, they fall into the ditch.  They looked to man to affirm them rather than FATHER.

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Empty words are devoid of truth, there is no fruit.  There are those who “write checks with their mouth their body can’t cash”.  They talk the talk but they don’t walk the walk.  As we follow the path of Christ, we will walk in Love.  As we walk in Love, we will take on the Divine Intent of Our Heavenly Father.  No longer will we speak empty words or pursue acts of lawlessness.  We will walk in the essence of Love and be a sweet-smelling aroma to Our Heavenly Father.

2 Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

One of the challenges of communicating is one of proper representation.  My goal is to be trustworthy in everything I share.  Every now and then I must stop, reflect, and remind myself of what FATHER has done in the past as a confirmation of direction and content.

I recall when I once believed and argued the “pre-tribulation” understanding.  Much of my understanding was actually drawn from seasoned Bible teachers, mostly on TV.  I relied heavily on their credibility rather than my own relationship with FATHER.  As I developed “ears to hear”, I was given deeper truths.  As I look back, I found that my doctrine changed as greater revelation came forth.  Knowing this, I am cautioned about defending any current revelation with too much zeal.

As we move toward what appears to be a consummation of the age, we must be very careful about where we place our trust.  As Peter wrote in the above passage, there are cunningly devised fables meant to move us away from the Truth.

Jesus stated it like this:

Matthew 24:24  “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

As each of us aspire to a higher level in our walk, we must be sure to have a witness of THE SPIRIT.  This includes anything I write or convey.  I have urged those who read this site to have a personal relationship with Our Heavenly Father and have expressed the critical need to hear HIS VOICE.  It is indeed the most Trustworthy Word you can hear.  Let us all express Truth in Love, the essence of HIS Divine Intent.

Jesus spoke:

John 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Perfection, completion, and full maturity will only come by the bond of Love.  If you truly want to move toward the fullness as an overcomer, one of the elect, you must come to the full revelation of Love.  What a bold statement!

There are those who focus only on “The Spirit” and those who focus only on “The Word”, but I say unto to you both must be emphasized.  A righteous judge will operate under not only the “letter” of the law, but the “spirit” or intent of the law.  These two aspects must be bonded or fused together to become inseparable.  How can this occur?  By Love, the bond of perfection.

On the mount of transfiguration, Jesus was joined by Moses and Elijah.  They were the essence of Old Testament Word and Spirit.  Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse, a revelation of Jesus that night.  Those who focus on one or the other miss the point of transfiguration.  Altars were not allowed to be built for Moses or Elijah even though they were recognized by the three disciples.  Both men pointed toward Jesus Christ as being The Way.  He is the culmination of the bonding of Spirit and Word by Love.

We must be cleansed by the water of Spirit AND Word.  Water typifies both the Spirit of God and the Word of God:

Ephesian 5:26  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

If we don’t have the bonding agent, how can we expect anything to stick in our pursuit of the fullness of all that Our Heavenly Father has for us?  If we are to be fitly joined together, we must have Love as the bond of perfection.  When Love is in our midst, all the pieces begin to fall in place.  The Body of Christ moves toward completion.  As His Body is formed, the Head transmits life-giving signals and commands to walk in accordance with His perfect will and pleasure.  The body is now plugged in and can access the real treasures:

Colossians 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

This is where the real treasury is!

When Our Heavenly Father instructs you to do something, you must proceed without delay.  By delaying, you set yourself up for loss.  The loss may come in different forms such as time, financial, emotional, etc.  A mature son has the confidence in the FATHER to immediately respond without questioning the motive or intent of the FATHER.  Why?  Because he knows that the FATHER’s intent is always born out of Love and that the action is needful to navigate through the challenges ahead.  Fruitfulness will come forth on time when you act immediately upon hearing HIS Voice.

The ego of “self preservation” will be the one who promotes the second guessing after you hear the Word from FATHER.  The ego will move you toward compromise and inaction.  This happens often when it comes to making a charitable contribution.  HE may instruct you to give $100 or $1,000 but by the time you have allowed your ego to provide a convincing argument of compromise, the amount will be notably less or nothing at all.  When this happens, you have just missed a blessing.  You have failed to plant a seed of fruitfulness.

Giving and acting exposes the intent of your heart.  The old man will always try to focus on the recipient of giving and convince you there is some issue with the recipient in order to compromise the Word.  Over the years, I have found that my giving is independent of the recipient’s holiness.  It is all about the intent in my heart as to the harvest of my obedience.  FATHER knows the hearts of men.  Consider the fact when the recipient of an action or resource is lawless, correction will come as a result.  Once lawlessness is manifested, the righteous judgment will manifest in response.  Your giving may trigger the reconciliation or restoration.

In 1989-1992, I had an investment with a man down in Florida.  The investment had been made after due diligence and at the recommendation of credible business associates.  FATHER told me to make a trip to Florida and “look the man in the eye”.  It was inconvenient and costly, I delayed.  I told HIM that I would but it would be awhile.  About nine months later, I received a letter from the FBI fraud division.  Yep, the money was gone.  He started losing money but reported the opposite to the investors.  The losses mounted to the point of becoming a Ponzi scheme.  He was once a viable fund manager but became a fraud.  I learned my lesson of responding “without delay”.  It was a costly lesson to be sure.  The loss far exceeded the cost of airfare at the time.  Ouch!

What is HE telling you to do?  Don’t overanalyze HIS Word, just do it!  Without delay!

2 Corinthians 12:9   . 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Our weakness requires the mercy of Our Heavenly Father.  Have mercy on me O LORD!  Yet HIS grace is what enables us to deal with the trials and tribulations we are subjected to.  Paul refers to grace as a gift of Spiritual power:

Ephesians 3: 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Grace is generally defined as “unmerited favor” but it goes beyond passivity.  It instills power from Above to enable us to carry out our calling.  There are levels of grace:

Acts 4:33  And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

HIS grace is resident in us just as the Holy Spirit resides in our temple.  There is a power in HIS grace that will lie dormant as long as we remain subject to the flesh.  But as we die to the flesh, the power of Divine grace enables us to overcome all of the challenges set before us.  Paul further states:

2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

At some point, those who thirst and hunger after righteousness will reach an inflection point where they enter the flow of grace, they will tap into the effectual power of the Spirit.  These are the ones who are fully committed as Love slaves to Our Heavenly Father.  They are the bondservants who have decided to walk solely in HIS provision, not theirs.  They have let go of the old man and have taken that leap of faith.  Their minds have been renewed and their spirits quickened to HIS Feast.  They have responded to HIS invitation to attend.  They have removed the clutter of the world and simplified their day so that they would be ready on a moment’s notice to move into the effectual power of the expressed image of Christ.  They have been Divinely enabled to carry out the mission.

1 Corinthians 2:

6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written:

​​​“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

​​Nor have entered into the heart of man

​​The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

​10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

The deep things of Father are reserved for those who Love HIM, it’s that simple.  Love is the key to move us into the deeper mysteries HE has reserved for HIS sons and daughters who Love HIM so much that they set everything else aside and desire only to do HIS Will.  The things of this world become of little value to them, they just don’t matter anymore.  What matters is fellowship with HIM and then doing HIS Will.

HIS Will may seem inconvenient at times.  It is usually due to a lesson needing to be learned.  We must learn to submit to HIS guidance as we proceed throughout each day.  What “will” you me this day FATHER?  IN HIM, we have our being.

A bondservant is a Love slave.  He has served the necessary servitude and is ready to be released as his jubilee from his debt.  However, he may opt to stay with his master.  If he does, “is ear is opened” by the master:

Exodus 21:1 “Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them: 2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. 3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

He who has ears, let him “hear”.  We are at the door and the choice is ours.

We are called to be fruitful.  Observation and inspection of fruit is a responsibility given to each of us to assess our progress toward the fullness of maturity in our walk.  In the epistle of Titus, Paul provides specific direction about our walk:

3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,

2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

In the above passage, Paul mentions our regeneration, or rebirth by the Holy Spirit.  We have within us HIS Life and Love.  We now contain HIS Character of Love, waiting to be expressed in our lives.  We are now ready for every good work.  As we discussed in our online Bible study, the acorn does not have to commit to be an oak tree, it is simply an oak tree waiting to be expressed as one as it proceeds to full maturity.  Once we have been regenerated, we are then ready to die to the old man thus allowing the new man to be expressed from within.  We now have the “genetics” to fulfill our calling.  No longer should we walk in the foolishness, disobedience, and deception of the old man.  We are now to proceed to full maturity.  We do not have to work and commit to take on something that is now resident inside of us.  Simply plant, feed, and water an acorn and it will grow into a mighty oak tree.

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Good works are an outworking of the Love of FATHER within you.  They are an outward expression of your progress and maturity.  If you do nothing, there is nothing to inspect.  If Love isn’t expressed, the following will be observed:

9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. 10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

We are to avoid disputes with divisive men.  Divisions can occur in the most subtle manner.  Words and actions either serve mankind or serve “self”.  Those who exalt “self” will move the focus away from the Love of FATHER and the Way of Jesus Christ.  The focus will move toward lack of something: revelation, knowledge, resources, understanding, skill… in an attempt to focus on their ability to provide something you lack.  This in itself is a counterfeit to Our Heavenly Father being the source of everything we need to mature and flourish.  In 17th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus made it quite clear that Our Heavenly Father is the source of all.  Jesus expressed HIS Image.

As we tap into the SOURCE of all, we will maintain and promote good works among the brethren.  Unity can only be attained by Love, the bond of perfection.  Our good works are an outworking of the Love that is flowing within us.