Servias Ministries Blog

Jacob had a calling on his life but he had to overcome a notable character flaw, he was a manipulator.  Jacob’s name means “supplanter” which is a usurper: one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another.  Simply, he was a manipulator.  If you stop and think about it, Jacob’s name describes the soul before its redemption.  Jacob’s life was one of self-preservation.  He had a major calling on his life but believed Our Heavenly Father was not powerful enough to bring it to pass so Jacob needed to manipulate others to achieve his calling… a definite character flaw.

Jacob met his match when he sought to marry Rachel (Genesis 29).  Laban beat Jacob at his own game of manipulation thus it took 21 years for Jacob to finally be rid of Laban’s manipulation, but not until Laban had substantially gained much from Jacob in terms of labor.  Jacob received what he planted- manipulation.

It wasn’t until Jacob wrestled with GOD (‘elohiym) that his soul was redeemed from the self-preservation flaw.  He had to come face to face with ‘elohiym before he would change.  This expression of GOD was the angel Peniel which means Face of GOD.  This was just prior to him meeting up with his brother Esau, the recipient of Jacob’s manipulative efforts.   Jacob had feared that Esau would kill him because of his deception toward their father when he was pronouncing Esau’s blessing mistakenly on Jacob.  In the end, Esau forgave Jacob and spared his life, their relationship was restored.  Jacob was redeemed from his character flaw and thus Our Heavenly Father changed his name to Israel- the Prince of GOD.

Once we finally come face to face with Our Heavenly Father, our soul has come to the realization of its divine nature.  Are we not made in HIS image and likeness?  Does not the mature son reflect the attributes of his Father?  Isn’t it Our Heavenly Father’s plan for us to be HIS expression on earth? 

Romans 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The question each of us must resolve is this:  Is the fullness of the power of The Holy Spirit resident within us just as it was in Jesus as He walked the earth for the 3 1/2 years of His ministry (prior to Pentecost)?  If we truly believe this to be the case, then the second question that demands an answer is this:  What is preventing us from accessing this power and authority?  It is clear to me that something must change in me.

Psalm 49:15 

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah

I am determined to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, not only to comprehend and prove what is good and acceptable, but what is the perfect will of GOD.  As I walk out Love (the bond of perfection) as HIS expression towards mankind, I replace the acts of self-preservation with acts where I lay down my life for all of mankind.  As I sow acts of Love toward men, I will reap acts of Love.  Jacob sowed acts of manipulation and in turn was manipulated by men.  He did get what he deserved.  This is why Jesus said that we should forgive that we be forgiven:

Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This is an expression of the “Law of Victim’s rights”.  Our Heavenly Father is bound by HIS righteousness to carry out the Law of Victim’s rights.  The scales of equal weights and measures demands that there be a restitution for our lawless behavior toward our fellow man.  When we pay restitution or are forgiven our debt, we have in essence rebalanced the scales.  When we forgive others of their debts to us, we remove a judgment against them.  They are no longer required to pay for their misdeed.  “Forgive us as we forgive” removes the need for much righteous judgment from the docket.  As Love prevails, forgiveness will spread among the people.  The result will be peace.  As peace breaks out among the people, wars will cease.  Instead of seeking how to extract resources of others, mankind will be able to tap into the abundance of Heaven where there is no limit to the resources available to sustain life.  A transition is coming!

The purpose of prayer is to raise our consciousness toward Our Heavenly  Father’s ways.  HE tells us HIS ways are not our ways and thus when we pray, we seek to raise our understanding and knowledge to HIS ways.  Prayer or communion with Our Heavenly Father provides us a path to access a power and authority that supersedes the lower laws we have been subjected to all of our life.  Jesus spent much time in prayer.  He understood the need to access this higher plane of reality.  This decision to pray clearly supports the fact that He had a free will to choose to pray.  Otherwise, if everything was predetermined and His actions could not be altered, He would have had no need or desire to pray and commune with Our Heavenly Father.  You also have a choice to pray or not.  I choose to pray and commune with Our Heavenly Father continually.

This raising that occurs could be compared to “leaven”.  As our consciousness is raised to a higher level, we are able to access and walk in higher Spiritual laws that were unknown to us prior to our realization that they could possibly exist.  Our Heavenly Father has used prophets to make the people aware of the potential for greater processes and events to occur.

We must have and exercise faith that a higher law exists in the first place.  Faith comes by hearing THE WORD.  When Our Heavenly Father speaks, there is sufficient power to cause HIS Words to come to pass.  As we hear and believe HIS Words, our faith grows and manifestation occurs.  Jesus noted that there were men of no faith, little faith, and great faith.

Mark 4:40   And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Mark 8:26   And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Mark 8:10   When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

The more you know a person who is reliable, the more faith you have in his word.  This is true in our relationship with Our Heavenly Father.  As you focus on Love, the primary characteristic of Our Heavenly Father, you begin to know HIM fully and completely.  Your faith IN HIM grows.  Your trust IN HIM increases to the point that it fully encompasses your heart.

We must reaffirm our relationship with Our Heavenly Father continually in our thoughts.  The old man would try to convince us otherwise.  The more time we spend with someone, the better we know them as life confronts our relationship.  We know how they respond to new circumstances.  We experience life together.

In Psalm 46:1   God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Notice the word “is”.  HE is with us always.  HIS Spirit is with us as well.  HE is not on some distant throne dispatching angels in the nick of time.  We are in HIS Presence whether we acknowledge it or not.  When HE asked Adam “Where are you”, do you think Our Heavenly Father didn’t know the location of Adam?  The question was posed for Adam’s sake.

Our Heavenly Father is our strength.  HIS anointing is available to us.  HIS power and authority is reserved for those mature sons who have taken on HIS character of Love.  Maturity comes with a consistent focus and desire to be in the Presence of Our Heavenly Father.  You want to “hang out” together.  HIS strength is sufficient for all of your encounters in life.  The Creator is greater than the creation, by design.

HE acts through us by changing our consciousness.  We have power available to us and resident in us.  We will never access that power until our consciousness is raised to enable us to obtain the key.  Do you have faith in the words of Jesus when He said that we would do “greater things”?  As our consciousness expands, the whole lump will be leavened:

Matthew 13:33  Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

How much faith do you need to start with?  Jesus spoke:

Matthew 17:20   So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 13:31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The mustard seed had all the necessary attributes of the mature tree, it only needed to mature.  As it increased in stature, it became a place of refuge.

The Pentecostal Age is meant to be used for our development in preparation to occupy the Promised Land.  It is a time of preparation, not a time of passive waiting for some cosmic event to occur that would immediately impart some super-human attribute into our bodies in a moment.  Yes, there may be a tipping point when a notable event occurs.  However, a tree does not spring up overnight from nothing.  First, a seed must be planted and it must mature over a period of time.  A mature tree will then spring forth with fruit to be fed to the nations.  The tree is planted by the living waters and provides healing to the nations but it was not created in an instant.  Our Heavenly Father established the law of seedtime and harvest and will surely bring forth the Sons in like manner.

Are you known for great faith, little faith, or no faith?  When the trials and tests arrive, how do you respond?  By spending time with Our Heavenly Father on a daily basis, we will mature in an unhindered fashion.  We will overcome the trials and tribulation that come our way.  Our faith IN HIM will be sufficient for each day.  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

John the Baptist foreshadowed Father’s FIRST WORK through Jesus the MAN, under the "Elijah anointing" to prepare the way which served to "open the door" into the Holy Place (Soul) for the Comforter to perform the SECOND WORK.

Jesus foreshadowed Father’s GREATER WORK through the CHRIST, under the "GODHEAD anointing" consisting of Father, His firstfruit Sons and His HOLY SPIRIT which served to OPEN the DOOR into the Most Holy Place for Father to fill the earth (Body) with His GLORY.

The SECOND WORK "binds up the brokenhearted" by repairing the breach.  As the COMFORTER removes the veil, we become "aware" of this breach and mourn, longing to "bind up" the broken 3-cord strand of –Father, Bridegroom and Bride– and work with the SPIRIT to restore Our Father’s House that fell when it was "divided against itself". The SECOND WORK "opens the door" for His Glory to FILL our earth, first the corn (Spirit), then the ear (Spirit and Soul), then the FULL corn in the ear (Spirit, Soul and Body). As He brings many Sons to  GLORY by His SECOND WORK, this Unity brings the GREATER WORKS WE SHALL DO of opening every door and setting every captive free until ALL the earth is FILLED with the Glory of Our Father.

As for "signs", a wise man "discerns" their spiritual meaning, viewing them as a "parable" or a lower example of a HIGHER TRUTH. This "exercises our senses" as we progress in levels of maturity from children to fathers. There remains varying levels of maturity among His many members until His "measure" rises in each of us and leavens the whole lump. Mature sons move from being distracted by the signs to discerning the spiritual TRUTH behind them, thus moving from man’s lower ground to Our Father’s higher ground. If our attention gets diverted and we veer off the path, LOVE NEVER FAILS. TRUTH loves His lost sheep and sends the Spirit of Truth to seek them out. Those who love TRUTH will return because they KNOW His voice.

Just SHARIng!

Fear enslaves you.  The threat of eternal damnation kept the masses in check for centuries.  The fear of dying is the source of self-preservation and our ego works overtime to insure we will remain enslaved to that fear.  How many time are we told to “fear not” in Scripture?  As we seek the Kingdom, fear will depart for Jesus said: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

All Scripture was given by Divine Intent, and at the source of Divine Intent is Love.  Love desires you to be complete and equipped for every good work.  Love will shatter false beliefs if you will only dwell in Love.  The presence of Our Heavenly Father is available to each and every one of us, all of the time.  We need not rely on others for our entire belief system.  We are to mature to the point of being thoroughly equipped for our calling.  Our Heavenly Father’s words will move us toward maturity in a robust fashion once we decide to know HIM intimately.  This is done in the quiet time in your closet.  You must set aside time for HIM.  You cannot exert will power to bring forth a relationship with HIM.  Instead, it is done by submitting yourself, quieting your mind and thoughts, focusing on HIS Presence.  Do you truly believe HE is omnipresent?  If so, start living your life accordingly.  Listen for HIS Voice while in your quiet time. Dwell on HIS Words in Scripture.  Be ready to receive correction in order that your false beliefs may be removed.

The ego promotes scarcity, yet astronomers tell us that the universe is in a continuous expansion mode.  New stars, planets, and galaxies are being created as you read these words.  The mind, when given a plausible explanation, will believe about anything.  Those who suppress the truth and promote false beliefs will suffer accordingly:

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness

Men want to preserve “self” by suppressing the truth.  Our Heavenly Father will give you what you desire.  If you want to perpetuate a false belief, you will be given signs to confirm those beliefs.  The ego will work overtime to conjure up double witnesses to false beliefs.  At the end of the day, you will be fruitless and life will have been sucked out of you.

Ezekiel 14:4  “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,

What an important word!  You reap what you sow.  Have you set up idols in your heart?  Are there status symbols you want to relate to?  There is a subtlety associated with idols.  The ego will slide in a thought for you to ponder.  As you entertain that thought, it gains traction in your life.  Before long, you act on an empty promise to be fulfilled.  You produce no fruit.

Romans 1:21   Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

When we fail to glorify Our Heavenly Father in our lives, we become slaves to our old man.  The mind is the battlefield.  As we seek HIS Presence, the old man’s thought processes cease and Our Heavenly Father’s words replace death with life.  We become set free of the weights that had held us back.  False beliefs have no traction among those who seek HIS Face daily.  Wisdom from Above corrects our thinking and reveals those thoughts that don’t conform to reality.  What better way to identify reality than to ask the One who created reality.  Let HIM remove those chains brought on by false beliefs.  Let HIM set you free.  As you seek HIS Presence on a daily basis, you open the door to new opportunities.  You allow the resources needed to fulfill your calling to be released.  You are no longer enslaved.  Instead, you take every thought captive.  That is when those chains of slavery are broken.

2 Corinthians 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Ephesians 4:14  that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting

One of the biggest issues I see among Christians is that they don’t “manage” their mind.  I speak from firsthand experience.  The world focuses on how to obtain others’ resources, mostly money, rather than focus on how Our Heavenly Father wants us to prosper.  This world view is one of scarcity, fear, and death.  The mind will convince you something is scarce and that you must focus on obtaining it, then hoard it for some future time.  That time never arrives for fear keeps pushing the date out further into the future.  There are all sorts of cunning and crafty plots to keep us focused on anything but Our Heavenly Father’s voice.  If you always focus on fear and lack, you will live a life of fear and lack, drowning out the Word of THE LORD for you.  Jesus never lacked any resources and was never sick.  HE is our standard.  Your mind would steer you away from that truth and rationalize why you are in the shape you’re in.  In order to change, you must change your thought patterns… and that is not such an easy task.

2 Corinthians 10:5  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ

Are we to only take some thoughts captive and let other thoughts go where they may?  All of our thoughts must be managed into conformity of Our Heavenly Father’s will and plan for each of us.  When we study to show ourselves approved, we are managing our thought patterns to come into alignment with the Character and Will of Our Heavenly Father.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Can it be any clearer than the above passage?  We must change our thought patterns in order to mature as Sons of GOD.  How many of you have spent so much time, energy, and focus on some area that has yet to produce one iota of result in your life?  Be honest.  We are called to be fruitful and multiply.  Observe your fruit and assess whether your current thought patterns line up with your gifts and calling.  What are you waiting for, a lottery win?  We must cast down vain imaginations that suck the life out of us.  What are you dwelling on daily?  Your health?  Your finances?  Your relationships?  Is there anything to difficult for Our Heavenly Father to heal, restore, and make whole? 

One problem Christians have is that they have a predetermined method of how they think Our Heavenly Father will bring a solution.  The mind would have you focus on one channel or method of resolution when what you really should be doing is focusing on hearing HIS Voice.  Let HIM decide the best way to bless you, not your mind.

Isaiah 55:8 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.

Do you really think you can figure out the best way for HIM to meet your need?  Quiet your mind and begin to dwell on HIS Presence.  Replace you thoughts of fear with HIS Love.  Don’t sweep out your house and leave it empty.  You must replace the carnal thoughts with HIS Words and Intent for you.

Proverbs 8:32

“Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.

This post is not about mind over matter.  It is about coming into conformity with the Divine Intent of Our Heavenly Father.  It is about blasting away your doctrines that have prevented you from maturing into your calling.  Refocus on the Words of Jesus:

Matthew 6:33  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Luke 17:20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’fn For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

I cannot change your thinking, your thought patterns, or processes.  Each of us must do this individually.  Are you habitually thinking about the crisis you are in?  How’s that working out?  As a man thinks, so is he.  Let’s break the cycle.  What is Our Heavenly Father’s good pleasure?

Luke 12:32   “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Philippians 2:13  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

And Paul prayed: Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power.

Okay, now is the time to manage your mind.

What more appropriate day to bring forth revelation than the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice.  Today is the day of the least sunlight.  From this point forward, the light of day will increase.

I believe that once again, a revelation has been hidden in plain sight and our ego is the culprit in preventing us from realizing the truth of the matter.  For example, men focus on every other aspect of the Law other than Love, even though Jesus specifically expressed the greatest importance of Love.  The “old man” in us blinded us from this Truth thus we studied every other topic we could find in Scripture.  We looked at every number, every meaning of a name, and projected events based on the prophetic feast days.  However, Love was not at the forefront.  This is what partial blindness is all about.

Another area where I believe we missed it up to this point is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Please consider this possibility with an “open mind”.  This means to set aside your current doctrine and consider a fresh view of a topic that was set in stone.

The Earnest of THE SPIRIT:

2 Corinthians 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.  (KJV)

The word “earnest” (or guarantee) means: money which in purchases is given as a pledge or down payment that the full amount will subsequently be paid.  It is the initial portion of something to be fully received or acquired at a later point in time.  Paul expressed it again in the 5th chapter:

5  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (KJV)

Again, Paul expressed it in Ephesians:

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (NKJV)

It has been preached countless times that we have a “portion” of the Holy Spirit and that some time in the future we would receive the rest of the Holy Spirit, that is to say the fullness.  This view has justified our flesh and rationalized away the need to grow in THE SPIRIT.  I now believe we have been missing it for this entire age.  We have been hanging our personal doctrines on a verse here and there rather than considering all of the words and deeds of Jesus, our ultimate example.  As an example, the rapture doctrine was based on one primary Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

We assumed that we would escape the earth, the same place that Jesus told us to pray “Thy Kingdom come”.  After studying the Greek meanings of the words in the verse, we found that the escapism doctrine isn’t credible.  The same is true for the doctrine of “eternal hell and damnation”.  Those who failed to study The Law were blinded from the righteousness and Love of Our Heavenly Father.  Where’s the door to this prison cell I’m in?

We have assumed that the “leaven” of the Pentecostal Age was simply “sin” being resident and tolerated during the age.  Let’s now consider it to reflect something that has been hidden in plain sight.  In the simplest definition, the word “leaven” means: to rise, rising, increase.  For those who bake, the leaven causes the bread to rise or grow in size until the “leavening” has overtaken the entire bread.  Couldn’t we then say that leavening could represent growing into full stature?

Jesus said:

Matthew 13:33 Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

This was the first use of the word “leaven” in the New Testament.  Jesus used parables to hide truths in plain sight.  If the Holy Spirit was deposited into us as a guarantee, did we receive ALL of the Holy Spirit in us, or just 10% or some other minimal amount?  Once you place leaven in the bread, do you need any more yeast to bring the bread to its fullness?  Isn’t the issue about allowing the manifestation of the Holy Spirit Who resides in us to come forth?  Isn’t Pentecost really about growing into the fullness of power and authority rather than waiting on some future date to receive a full dose of the Spirit?  Was Jesus partially filled with the Holy Spirit?  Luke expressed it this way:

Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

The wilderness is a type and shadow of the Pentecostal Age.  Jesus walked in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  Shouldn’t we expect to do the same?  After being tested and tried, Jesus was further described:

14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Now is the time for us to expect the power of the Spirit to be operational in our lives as well.  We need not remain passive, waiting for some future date to arrive.  The leaven has been placed in us and has been hidden away.  It is time for us to die to the flesh and allow the full manifestation of the Spirit to operate in us.  This is what Jesus did and He walked in the fullness of power and authority, even prior to the Day of Pentecost.  Should we expect any less?  Didn’t Jesus say that we would do greater works?  Our old man has convinced us that we have not yet received sufficient means to walk in the same power and authority of Jesus.  However, once it has been revealed that we can, we now become accountable.

Acts 6:8  And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

I guess that Stephen understood the true purpose of leaven.

In the late 90’s, Martin Paulat shared this vision with me:

“I was in a jail cell and two sides were brick, the other two were iron bars.  I could see no door to the cell.  I kept pacing, looking for the door.  Suddenly, it appeared and it opened up allowing me to depart, and I did.”

Today, I believe this vision is fulfilled.  Selah!