Beloved Intercessors,
Love and greetings from Dubai, United Arab Emirates! I have a 12-hour layover here on my way to Kinshasa, Congo. As you may remember, last year in October I went for what we thought was going to Papa Olangi‘s funeral. Sadly, political complications prevented them from receiving his body back from South Africa where he passed away, so we simply celebrated his life together. It took until the end of May to get his body back. They were finally able to have his burial on June 2. Then on June 3, Mama Olangi had a massive stroke that left her in a coma, and she passed away the next night. Their whole ministry of thousands and thousands were still suffering from the trauma of losing their Papa, and then they received this terrible blow of losing their Mama too.
They are planning to hold Mama’s funeral June 21-26, but because it’s so close to the World Convention, I can’t go then. But we have well over 1500 End-Time Handmaidens and Servants among them, so I felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to go and encourage them at this time of intense mourning. So please keep them in prayer for the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and for me to be an effective witness of the goodness of God in such a time. Please pray for my strength and traveling mercies, and for jet lag not to have any place in my body.
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace: I was listening recently to the book of Matthew as interpreted in the Message Bible. I was moved by the words of Jesus in chapter 11:28-30. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
It’s high time that we learn to walk in “the unforced rhythms of grace”! That is another way of describing walking in the Spirit.*
When we walk in the spirit, we won’t be having “flesh flashes.” You know, those moments when we react to a situation in a way that doesn’t agree with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. And don’t we feel condemned after one of those! But Roman 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Paul goes on to say in verses 4-8 “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity [hostile] against God: for it is not subject [submissive] to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
The life of the Sprit is the life of peace in the unforced rhythms of grace!
Galatians 5:16-17 in the Amplified Version says, “But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.”
Beloved, we are in a critical, kairos time in the events of history. We know that Jesus is coming very soon, and we have been praying as a church for nearly 2000 years “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” In Heaven, everyone walks in the Spirit! In Heaven, everyone walks in the unforced rhythms of grace!
We were not wired for stress! We were wired to know that we are loved and to be filled with the love of God so that we can love the way He does, and be used to build His Kingdom on Earth. He sent each one of us to Earth with a purpose and destiny. We cannot reach that purpose and destiny unless we walk in the Spirit in the unforced rhythms of grace!
We have all been taught that our soul is made up of three parts: the mind (intellect), the will, and the emotions. Watchman Nee, in his book called The Spiritual Man, gives a similar analysis of the Spirit: intuition, communion, and conscience. Your intuition answers your intellect. Your communion answers your emotions. And your conscience answers your will. When we put our spirit out in front of our soul and get it into agreement with the Word of God, all our reasonings will collapse at the singular voice of our intuition. The storm in our emotional water glass will experience “peace, be still!” when we begin to commune with the Lord. Our stubborn self-will comes into obedience when our conscience steps up in authority. Then everything in our body comes into order! That’s where healing take place.
As we are getting ready for the World Convention, our biggest event of the year, we are pressing into God in these days to let go of and overcome our baggage from years of wounds and rejection, and to step into the maturity of the sons of God! We have this opportunity as a challenge and gift from God. Don‘t miss this life-changing and nation-shaking event on God’s calendar!
We are hoping to see you there! Let’s learn together to walk in the unforced rhythms of grace!
Your handmaiden,
Sharon
* I spoke on that subject at Blue Mountain this year. If you weren’t able to attend or watch on our Facebook page, you can order the CDs from us (before June 21 or after July 15).