Servias Ministries Blog

We are intended to live in an Open Heaven!

We are intended to operate in the unseen realities of GOD.  What you can see is temporal whereas what you can’t see is Eternal. 

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 4:

18 because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is Eternal.

We are to partner with HIM, carry HIS Name, carry HIS Presence into redemptive purpose to restore this planet to GOD’S Divine Intent.  That assignment has not changed.

“Open Heaven” is a Biblical theme, signifying a direct connection between God’s reality and Earth. If is found throughout Scripture.  FATHER placed man in the Garden of Eden and humanity was assigned to co-labor and extend God’s rule onto the earth. 

Inside the Garden was light and outside the Garden was chaos and darkness.  Their assignment was to subdue the earth.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Genesis chapter 1:

28 And God blessed them in His Love, saying, “Reproduce and be fruitful! Populate the earth and subdue it! Reign over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every creature that lives on earth.”

The word subdue means to take dominion or to control in an appropriate fashion to release the greatest potential to benefit GOD’S highest creation: humankind.  FATHER chose man made in HIS Image, the honor to subdue the earth.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Genesis chapter 28:

10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.

11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.

12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to Heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Heaven was opened to Jacob!

13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.

14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.”

17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God, and this is the gate of Heaven!”

What is a gate?  It is a separator between two realities.  You are on one side or the other… in or out, up or down.

Jesus gave His disciples (and us) a very specific responsibility.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 6:

9 Pray like this: ‘Our Beloved Father, dwelling in the Heavenly realms, may the glory of Your Name be the center on which our lives turn.

10 Manifest Your Kingdom realm, and cause Your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is in Heaven.

We are to represent HIM and HIS World here on earth.  We have a mandate to bring forth Heaven to earth.  HE is well pleased with those who accept this responsibility.  As we immerse ourselves in being bound by THE SPIRIT, we will realize that Heaven is open for our access.

What is the mission of The Holy Spirit?

It is to give us a revelation of Jesus Christ and to make The Word of GOD Life unto us as it was when spoken by The Son, as new, as fresh, as effective as if The Lord Himself was speaking.  We have within our hands, within our hearts, within our minds, this blessed reservoir of promises that is able to do so many marvelous things.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 10:

38 “Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with great power. He did wonderful things for others and Divinely healed all who were under the tyranny of the devil, for God had anointed Him.

Many have been suffering because they have had a limited revelation of Jesus, of the fullness of Life there is in Him.

Jesus spoke to us in John chapter 14:

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.

Most Christians will never move beyond spiritual mediocrity.  Most believers will never experience the fullness of what GOD has made available through the Baptism of The Holy Spirit.  Why?  Because they are content to possess THE SPIRIT without being possessed by THE SPIRIT. 

They want just enough of GOD to feel saved, but not enough of GOD to be dangerous to the enemy.  They want just enough anointing to be comfortable, but not enough to be uncomfortable.

They want the benefits of The Kingdom without the burden of The Kingdom.

GOD is looking for men and women who will say, “Take all of me, possess me completely, bind me in YOUR SPIRIT, lead me where YOU want me to go, use me however YOU want to use me.”  HE is looking for people who will lose their lives to find them, people who will die to self so that Christ can live through them.

The moment you stop seeking fresh encounters with GOD, the moment you stop pursuing deeper levels of surrender, the moment you settle for yesterday’s anointing, you have lost the vision. 

Without the vision, you will go back to being an ordinary Christian living an ordinary life, with ordinary results… but GOD is calling you to something extraordinary.  HE is calling you to be possessed by THE SPIRIT, HE is calling you to be bound in THE SPIRIT.  HE is calling you to be driven, led, and controlled by THE HOLY SPIRIT until people look at your life and say, “That is not natural, that is supernatural, that is GOD!”

Let us pray the prayer Paul recorded by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 1:

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to us the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

18 the eyes of our understanding being enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Amen!

Are you taking hold of your inheritance as a true child of GOD?

There are three progressions in becoming mature sons and daughters of GOD.

Mark recorded by The Holy Spirit in Mark chapter 1:

9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.

11 Then a Voice came from Heaven, “You are My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.“

12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.

The first progression is to be driven or compelled by The Holy Spirit.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Luke chapter 4:

1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

The second progression is to be led by The Holy Spirit.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 20:

22 And see, now I go bound in The Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,

The third progression is to be bound by The Holy Spirit.  Driven, led, bound!  GOD is taking hold of humanity and possessing it with HIS Holiness, with HIS righteousness, with HIS Truth, with HIS faith, until a person can say, “I am bound in The Spirit, I have no choice, my only, my only desire, my only ambition is the Will of GOD”.   

We do have the choice to move through each progression.  We have the choice to move into full submission to The Holy Spirit.  FATHER will not force us but is well pleased when we come into full submission to The Holy Spirit.

What happens when you are bound by THE SPIRIT?  You never lose the vision of what FATHER is establishing on the earth.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 3:

7-8 I have been made a messenger of this wonderful news by the gift of grace that works through me. Even though I am the least significant of all his Holy believers, this grace-gift was imparted when the manifestation of His power came upon me. Grace alone empowers me so that I can boldly preach this wonderful message to non-Jewish people, sharing with them the unfading, inexhaustible riches of Christ, which are beyond comprehension.

9 My passion is to enlighten every person to this Divine mystery. It was hidden for ages past until now, and kept a secret in the Heart of God, the Creator of all. 10 The purpose of this was to unveil before every throne and rank of angelic orders in the Heavenly realm God’s full and diverse Wisdom revealed through the church. 11 This perfectly Wise plan was destined from Eternal ages and fulfilled completely in our Lord Jesus Christ, so that now

12 we have boldness through Him, and free access as kings before the Father because of our complete confidence in Christ’s faithfulness.

Paul never lost the vision!

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in Galatians chapter 1:

16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

GOD laid hold of him; GOD bound him.  Paul did not seek approval of men to affirm his calling.  GOD preserved him and it is a wonderful position to be in, to be preserved by THE ALMIGHTY GOD.  After having been near death five separate times, I can relate.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 9:

24 For if you choose self-sacrifice, giving up your lives for My glory, you will discover True Life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will lose what you try to keep.

25 Even if you gained all the wealth and power of this world, and all the things it could offer you, yet lost your soul in the process, what good is that?

26 So why then are you ashamed of being My disciple? Are you ashamed of the revelation-truth I give to you? “I, the Son of Man, will one day return in My radiant brightness, with the Holy angels and in the splendor and majesty of My Father. On that day I will be ashamed of everyone who has been ashamed of Me.

27 “I promise you this: there are some of you standing here right now who will not die until you have witnessed the Presence and the power of God’s Kingdom realm.”

Are you willing to fully sacrifice “self” to discover True Life as a Son or Daughter of THE ALMIGHTY?  Paul did, so can you!

Are you truly walking in humility?

As I wrote yesterday, there is a profound difference between merely “possessing the Holy Spirit” and being “possessed by the Holy Spirit”.  Paul transformed from the high-powered Pharisee (Philippians 3:5) to a true servant of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  He completely surrendered to God and had fruit to prove it.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 20:

19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,

21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 And see, now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,

Paul operated in God’s miracle power with great humility and served faithfully with many tears.  He endured numerous ordeals because of the plots of the Jews.

We must open our eyes to recognize human helplessness and human insufficiency.  Let us no longer rest on human plans, human devices, and human energy.  We will continually look to GOD for HIS Thought, for HIS Voice, for HIS Power, for HIS all sufficiency in all things.

When Paul spoke of being “bound in the Spirit”, he referred to himself as being fully possessed by The Holy Spirit.

23 Yet I know that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town, saying, ‘Chains and afflictions are prepared for you.’

24 “But whether I live or die is not important, for I don’t esteem my life as indispensable. It’s more important for me to fulfill my destiny and to finish the ministry my Lord Jesus has assigned to me, which is to faithfully preach the wonderful news of God’s grace.

Effectively, Paul said, “I am all in!”  He had no fear of what lied ahead because he knew he had to fulfill his destiny.  How many of the five-fold ministries of today, have this same mindset?  How many seek to serve rather than to be served?

Luke continues recording:

25 I’ve been a part of your lives and shared with you many times the message of God’s Kingdom Realm. But now I leave you, and you will not see my face again.

26 If any of you should be lost, I will not be blamed, for my conscience is clean,

27 because I’ve taught you everything I could about God’s Eternal plan and I’ve held nothing back.

Paul held nothing back.  As we read, he preached 9 to 12 hours through the night before he left.  When is the last time you heard of such a meeting in a church?  Most megachurches preach about 30 minutes in their Sunday morning services.

28 So guard your hearts. Be true shepherds over all the flock and feed them well. Remember, it was the Holy Spirit who appointed you to guard and oversee the churches that belong to Jesus, the Anointed One, which He purchased and established by His own Blood.

What does feed them well mean?  Oh my, how times have changed!  Many pastors have become “milkmen” rather than meat providers.

29 “I know that after I leave, imposters who have no loyalty to the flock will come among you like savage wolves.

30 Even some from among your very own ranks will rise up, twisting the Truth to seduce people into following them instead of Jesus.

31 So be alert and discerning. Remember that for three years, night and day, I’ve never stopped warning each of you, pouring out my heart to you with tears.

32 “And so now, I entrust you into God’s hands and the message of His grace, which is all that you need to become strong. All of God’s blessings are imparted through the message of His grace, which He provides as the Spiritual inheritance given to all of His Holy ones.

What an example for the five-fold ministry to live by today!

33 “I haven’t been after your money or any of your possessions.

How many “senior pastors” rely totally on the flock for their income?  Paul was NOT counted among them.

34 You all know that I’ve worked with my hands to meet my own needs and the needs of those who’ve served with me.

Paul’s work ethic not only met his needs but also those who served with him.

35 I’ve left you an example of how you should serve and take care of those who are weak. For we must always cherish the Words of our Lord Jesus, Who taught, ‘Giving brings a far greater blessing than receiving.’ ”

What an excellent example of being “possessed by The Holy Spirit” for the benefit of others!  Paul walked in true humility.

Are you feeling powerless?

There is a profound difference between merely “possessing the Holy Spirit” and being “possessed by the Holy Spirit”.

The true Spirit-filled ministry is exemplified by Apostle Paul raising Eutychus from the dead and continuing to preach.  This required complete surrender to God.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 20:

7 On Sunday we gathered to take communion and to hear Paul preach. Because he was planning to leave the next day, he continued speaking until past midnight.

8 There were many flickering lights in the upstairs chamber where we were meeting.

9 Sitting in an open window listening was a young man named Eutychus. As Paul’s sermon dragged on, Eutychus became drowsy and fell into a deep slumber. Sound asleep, he fell three stories to his death below.

10 Paul went downstairs, bent over the boy, and embraced him. Taking him in his arms, he said to all the people gathered, “Stop your worrying. He’s come back to life!”

11 Paul went back upstairs, served communion, and ate a meal with them. Then he picked back up where he left off and taught until dawn.

12 Filled with enormous joy, they took the boy home alive and everyone was encouraged.

What would happen in 99% of the churches today?  How many ministers preach longer than 45 minutes on Sunday morning?  How many believers would stick around past midnight and into the morning?  The early church had a different level of commitment than today’s church.

The Holy Spirit’s baptism involves both receiving the Spirit and being fully taken over by Him. The latter leads to limitless possibilities as God works through you.

Transformation involves full surrender.  When humanity yields to Divine power, failure ceases to exist. Paul’s transformation from persecutor to life-giver is presented as a prime example of being possessed by the Spirit, not just baptized in it.

When we are fully possessed by The Holy Spirit, we will suffer for righteousness’ sake.  We will suffer persecution, slander, and strife for Christ’s Name but will not be harmed.  This attack will ignite a Holy ambition in our hearts.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 5:

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

In other Words, how enriched you are when persecuted for doing what is right! For then you experience the realm of Heaven’s Kingdom.

True Spiritual power comes from yielding to God, decreasing oneself so that He can increase.

Humility is essential for ministering the New Covenant with power.  When we are

bound in the Spirit, there is a progression from being “driven,” to “led,” and finally “bound in the Spirit”.  It signifies complete surrender to God’s will, where one’s only choice is for God.

In the measure that the dying of the Lord is in me, the Life of the Lord will abound in me.  This means surrendering one’s own will and desires for God’s will to take over.  Humility enables believers to recognize human helplessness and insufficiency, leading them to continually rely on God for His Thoughts, Voice, power, and all-sufficiency in all things.  Paul understood this full surrender.

Luke also recorded that Paul said by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 20:

22 And see, now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.

In other Words, “But whether I live or die is not important, for I don’t esteem my life as indispensable. It’s more important for me to fulfill my destiny and to finish the ministry my Lord Jesus has assigned to me, which is to faithfully preach the wonderful news of God’s grace.”

Being filled and possessed by the Holy Spirit transforms ordinary individuals into extraordinary ones.  This requires continuous pursuit of deeper surrender and fresh encounters with God.  What will be the results?  Miraculous manifestations including testimonies of healing and full restoration.

Many Christians settle for Spiritual mediocrity, content with possessing the Spirit without allowing the Spirit to possess them entirely. Let us pray for Wisdom and revelation to fully understand and embrace this deeper surrender!

There are no rewards without choices!

Our Heavenly Father longs to bless us as we choose the right path and make the right decisions.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 11:

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently (and passionately) seek Him.

FATHER rewards us for our benefit.  HIS reward is an expression of HIS Love for us and HE is overjoyed as we are prosperous in what we set our hand to through righteousness.

Jesus fed more people when He started with less food and more leftovers, as He expressed to the disciples in Mark chapter 8:17-21.  Jesus wants us to diligently seek FATHER so that we can walk in the supernatural.  He wants us to walk in excellence and completeness.

THE LORD uses small to impact big!  Isn’t this the essence of the remnant?  Gideon’s army is such an example.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Judges chapter 6:

11 Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.

12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

16 And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

In chapter 7, Gideon ended up with 300 men of excellence to defeat the Midianites.  They defeated an army of over 130,000 men.

You may see the small situation that seems to be so undeveloped in your life.  Don’t be concerned about small beginnings.  It is the seed of the miracle you have been praying for. 

Faith is developed by stewardship of what is hoped for.  We are to honestly give thanks in the middle of what appears to be lacking.  We must walk in faith, not unbelief.  We must not let the counsel of the ungodly impact our path of righteousness.  Worldly opinions are usually opposed to what FATHER is instructing us.

No one has the key to the garden of my heart.  I am the only one who has it.  FATHER gave you and me the responsibility to tend our own garden and determine what is planted in it.  Good seeds produce good fruit!  Our rewards will be determined by what we plant in our garden.  It is our choice.  If weeds flourish there, it is only because I am giving them attention.

Jesus celebrates small things.  He celebrates the widow who was willing to give her last meal to the prophet which unlocked an endless supply in the midst of famine.  She apprehended her moment of smallness and GOD turned it into greatness. (1^st Kings 17:8-16)

The widow made a choice and received a great blessing that sustained her and her son during the famine.  It’s all about choices.