Sharon and I have friends in Jesus like Bill and Monica Ruhl. Pastor Bill is Vice Chairman of FGGAM. A few years ago Bill just walked into my office at KKIM and said, “I am here to serve.” He is a gift from God. Then I met his lovely bride, Monica! She has spoken words into me and sent me writings like the one you are about to read. Monica is so gifted. Please pray over this devotional as you read it, save it.I encourage you to read this at least three times and then pray.
Recently the Lord gave me a vision. In this particular vision I saw the form of a human body in my spirit. Head, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, torso, waist, legs, feet, toes. You get the picture. The Spirit of the Lord began to explain to me that over the last several years God’s been watching everything about the body parts and how they are working in connection with the Head. He’s been checking for: obedience, teachable spirit, submission, hearing, doing, attitudes, actions, personal disciplines, etc. You might say we’ve been under “divine observation” almost unaware. I got the impression that God has angels that write things down about all this and they report it back to the Throne. At some point there will be a graduation of those growing and walking in obedience to the Lord. They will walk in greater authority and be entrusted to accomplish God’s will and purpose individually and corporately in a new season/era directly ahead of us. God will fit together the body parts that are submitted to Him and this will become His end-time army who are under His government.
Then the Spirit of the Lord said to me: I AM about to shift many things so that My plans can and will be accomplished. There will be the removing and rebuilding—it’s RENOVATION TIME! I have vessels (many different kinds) in place who will be in the picture of this Kingdom operation. Angels (messengers) will release and issue My divine orders. I AM establishing “order” in My house. I AM removing. I AM reproving. I AM demolishing. I AM abolishing. I AM rejuvenating. I AM enforcing. I AM establishing My order of direction that will fulfill My plans. I AM ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER. I AM THE TRUTH. I AM THE WAY. I AM THE LIFE. I AM YHWH.
- The swell of “prayer movements” are quickly growing and will continue to increase. There will be many different kinds of “prayer-skins” which will produce momentum in the events of the unfolding revelations of the Kingdom of God. We are in a New Era.
- God is preparing a habitation for His glory. What He assigns for us to do is a “holy work”. There will be more shifting, shaking, and changing. He will arrange and assemble His parts that are designated to “occupy” in this hour. We must therefore be attentive and hear what the Spirit of the Lord is speaking.
- Be governed by the Spirit of Truth! Truth will always challenge us to a higher degree of knowing Him that develops deeper intimacy. Comfort will keep us from our assent into God.
There is an interesting aspect to the renovation of the soul. It is difficult to explain by human language. I am familiar with it by experiences I have observed in my life as I have sought to learn and know the Person Christ.
Our souls have to be prepared and developed for greater revelations of God. Even Jesus told his disciples just before He was crucified that He had many things to tell them, but they could not bear them at that moment. We are changed by “degrees”. There has to be a finished work for each degree in order to enter into the next realm of revelation/glory. If the soul is not prepared, it will be unable to receive the next level of Truth/revelation.
A type of building blocks or stones of Truth must be formed in the soul by the Spirit of Truth. As each block is fitted together with mortar and cured, then another stone can be put in place. God knows how to build our souls in Truth.
We need a regular committed Word and Prayer life (environment) for this to happen. Certain trials call us to the fact that we need “change”, “holiness”—God. Other trials test us to see if change has formed in us. We must position ourselves with an attitude of thanksgiving to God for His Wisdom in the “mystery of change”/transformation/metamorphoo (see Romans 11: 33-36, AMP). Our resisting this prolongs the process and God must deal with (break) our pride. God’s intent isn’t misery, although change is often very difficult and painful because our soul (carnal nature) wars against God. It is His love that puts us in the crucible of fire over and over removing the dross (impurities) from within us. I think in our early stages of development this is not easily seen or understood. As our souls become more purified we begin to see this reality that God is creating/forming Christ in us the hope of glory. In time we begin to see the fruit of change where we no longer act, behave, or desire things the way we once did. Instead we are deeply compelled to please God’s heart because we love Him above all things. It is in this profound place, the secret place, that our souls are being renovated, healed, restored and developed into maturity in Christ.
Our souls are a container of hundreds of departments. That’s why the salvation/transformation (metamorphoo) of the soul is a cooperative progressive work of the Holy Spirit “refining by fire” our inner man. He is creating the divine pure language of God in us—God’s DNA!
Our spirits are saved when we ask Christ into our hearts. However, in order to walk above the circumstances in life as overcomers in Christ we must seek for transformation of the soul. The final goal is that Christ is living in our minds, hearts, and will continually—we are completely owned by Him. For obvious reasons we can see that these “processes” involve time, discipline, and true devotion “to know” Christ.
As the “substance” of Truth/Christ is built into our souls we become pillars of Light/Christ which are soon to be revealed as “sons of God” (Is 60:1-3; Is 61: 1-4, AMP).
- Distractions (things that appeal or amuse our soul—the “I wants”) will detain us. They are eddies that potentially dwarf growth. When God does something it carries a “spirit of awe” (child-wonder) which produces “reverence” to Him Who is holy and this in turn produces transformation in the soul by means of uncreated Light—the Light of God.
- Personal desires (soulish desires) can take us quietly into idolatry.
- Unforgiveness blocks Life. Forgiveness moves through the BLOOD. Appropriate the BLOOD.
- Unteachableness hinders growth. The Road is very narrow, indeed!
- Being led by the Spirit of Truth exercises our faith IN God. We know that the Word teaches us that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. If we keep our eyes on Him, that is to say, that we are devoted to “reading the Person Christ” explicitly diligently searching with all our hearts and minds, then “His Faith” is what is imparted into us. We must grasp a very real issue—that what IS CHRIST will succeed. As Brad clearly shares we must be developed on the inside. Only what IS THE VIRTUES OF CHRIST should be operating in us. This is true Holiness which is His ultimate goal!
- If we remain on the Vine there will be Fruit. It is, therefore, the Spirit of Truth that proceeds from the Father (John 15:26) intentionally purposed to renovate and transform the soul establishing as its goal the “fruit of Christ” within us from the Seed (Second Adam) becoming The Tree Of Life.
John 15:1-17, AMP
I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love. I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. This is what I command you: that you love one another.
~Monica Miller-Ruhl, Global Destiny Ministry 3/26/13
