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THE "D" WORD
5/20/99
Hi Loved Ones,
For the past several months the Lord has been circling a theme, a "word"
if you will, to my attention and it isn’t exactly my favorite! The word
is "Discipline." (Ouch.) There are 2 kinds of discipline. The first is self
discipline. Mature believers have developed a measure of self control,
temperance, and an ability to exercise their own behavior and attitudes properly.
When one is not self controlled, he must be trained to be so, and so the
"self" is deleted from self-discipline and it now becomes the "D" word! In
other words, if one can not discipline himself, then he is disciplined until
he can discipline himself. (Again I say "ouch!")
Years ago, as a baby Christian, I remember complaining to the Lord about
how unfair it was to be spanked or disciplined by Him, when I wasn’t
sure if the painful things occurring was His discipline. There was always
this nagging doubt, "I wonder if God is trying to tell me something?" I was
always very repentant when I suffered the consequences of wanting my own
way, but I lived with the doubt as to whether I REALLY had been disciplined.
Because it was never quite solidified, I somehow justified the same behavior
or attitude once again.
Years later, when I began to intercede about judgment, the same thoughts
came back. I felt a measure of frustration because I knew there was a lack
of understanding and blindness upon God’s people and it doesn’t
do a whole lot of good to be spanked when we don’t know what we did.
It’s even worse if we don’t even realize that we ARE being spanked!
I was thinking about training a cat (ha, ha) and the fact that a cat’s
memory is so poor, its feet so fast, that you can’t catch it quick enough
to discipline it in time for the cat to even realize that it is receiving
feedback about its behavior. I identify with the cat.
I prayed, Lord we need to know IMMEDIATELY if we have grieved You and
have IMMEDIATE feedback about our behavior, so that we can remedy it and
not sit around and question if You are trying to tell us something!" Well,
sometime around the turn of this year, His feedback has become quicker, stronger
and more obvious. If you are questioning whether the Lord is trying to tell
you something about issues He has been dealing with you about for a long
time, chances are He has turned up the heat, and His answer is "Yes." The
good news and mercy side of this is that He loves us and He wants us to
understand, to comply and be formed into Jesus’ image. The bad news
is that sometimes this hurts. The good news is that it doesn’t have
to hurt if we can discipline ourselves. The scripture says, "Behold then
the kindness and severity of God." (Rom 11:22 NASB) We are now entering a
time in history when God will no longer blink at sin. And the closer we are
to Him, the more our rationalizing minds will yield, and choose to re-define
sin according to His Word. If it’s disobedience, it’s sin.
If it’s not of faith, it’s sin. (1Sam 15:23 & Rom 14:23)
We long for the glory of God. For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:29)
The closer He comes to descending upon us, the hotter the fire is going to
get. That is because He is HOLY and He dwells in the holy places. We can
be consumed by the passionate heat of His anointing and glory, or we can
be consumed by the heat of His fiery judgment. The good news is that He is
the loving Father that looks into our hearts. If He sees the fiery passionate
heart burning for Him, His fiery judgments will pass by and reward the heart
of passion! In the days to come we will see both great blessing and anointing,
and great judgment and discipline.
The following is a story that was forwarded to me. It portrays so well,
the training of the Lord:
The Fence
(Author unknown)
There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of
nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in
the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.
Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his
temper than to drive those nails into the fence! Finally the day came when
the boy didn't lose his temper at all... He told his father about it and
the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that
he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally
able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said,
"You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence
will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just
like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter
how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound
is as bad as a physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They
make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share
a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us."
[end of story]
No matter what the sin, it leaves a hole in ourselves, in others and in
the kingdom. Sin is never worth the consequences. Our loving Heavenly Father
loves us so much that He is about to train us afresh that it is easier to
discipline ourselves than it is to suffer the consequence. It is our
choice.
In the midst of transition and unstable times, let us remember the following
passage:
And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his
child? He said, "My son, don't be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don't
be discouraged when he has to show you where you are wrong. For when he punishes
you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really
his child." Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does
for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected? If God
doesn't punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons,
then it means that you aren't really God's son at all-that you don't really
belong in his family. Since we respect our fathers here on earth, though
they punish us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to God's training
so that we can begin really to live? Our earthly fathers trained us for a
few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God's correction
is always right and for our best good, that we may share his holiness. Being
punished isn't enjoyable while it is happening-it hurts! But afterwards we
can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. " (Heb 12:5-11TLB)
Oh Lord help us to be willing and yielded to Your heart’s call to
discipline ourselves. Prepare us for Your glory, Lord! Kindle our hearts
with a burning passion for You! In Jesus Name, amen.
WORD O GRAM: DISCIPLINE
Drilled
Instructed
Schooled
Corrected
In training
Preparation
Limited
In learning
Nurtured
Enlightened
Heb 12:9-11
NKJV
Furthermore, we have had human
fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect.
Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the
Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few
days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our
profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no
chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but
painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable
fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by
it. |
