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Posts Tagged ‘Divine Nature’

In His Name – Part 1

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , , , , on May 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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By Mavis M. duCille

Scripture reading: Ephesians 4:31-32

In these days, there is so much strife and division among people that there has been the need to cry out, “Lord, how can these things be?”

The natural, physical body functions beautifully and perfectly, without any single part being against the other. This physical body is a type of the Spiritual Body, therefore, there must be a perfect function of the Body of Christ.

God divides and separates through the working of the Spirit – good from evil, light from darkness, righteousness from unrighteousness – so that His people can be free from all the works of the enemy, and be separated unto Him in Holiness and Righteousness – PRAISE GOD.

God, the giver of understanding, has been unveiling the mystery.

Deliverance from every situation is in HIS NAME – not name as label on someone or something, but HIS NAME which is HIS NATURE. That nature is love, peace, submission, etc. Whatsoever we ask in His Name.

So many times, believers come together and leave undelivered and unblessed – frustrated and discouraged, not having received from the Lord that which has been promised. The reason is that something is wrong with the gathering or the gathered; it was not in HIS NATURE. There may be unforgiveness, hatred, bitterness, malice, strife, guile, cunning craftiness, and such things that are contrary to the NATURE of Christ. It is like having flies in the ointment. Clean hands and a pure heart is that acceptable offering before God. Remember, God looks at the inner being. He sees light or darkness. Forgiveness and cleansing through the atonement sanctifies the vessel, making way for the greatest blessings.

God cannot bless while the contrary nature is encouraged in the soul. All the sacrifices and necessary preparations were made in the Outer Court so the services of the tabernacle would not be hindered in any way, hence the needs of the people were met. When Israel made the perfect sacrifice, God was pleased and they were blessed to the fullest. Their enemies could not stand before them; they had complete victory in all areas. When they transgressed, they fell prey to their enemies, even to the bondage of slavery.

The fruits of the flesh (anger, wrath, malice, strife, envy, bitterness, etc.) are all works of the evil one, works of darkness – where Satan presides as lord. When we therefore entertain these, we fall into the realm of darkness where Satan has power over us. We only have power in Christ; we have no power in darkness.

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with ALL malice: And be ye Kind one to another, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath FORGIVEN YOU.” Ephesians 4:31-32.

There should be no place given to the devil, or he will take advantage of every opportunity to rob and destroy.

PRAISE GOD. WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS, because God made available to us, His People, every necessary piece of armament to insure us the victory.

His active presence can be experienced in the fullness of His revealed character. His NAME is linked with His righteousness, faithfulness, holiness, goodness, mercy, love, truth, etc. – that is His NAME. Since the assembling of believers forms the basis for spiritual unity with Christ, for participation of His bounties and viewing of His Sovereignty, believers must, through the divine power, rise from the lower realm (which is the opposite and contrary nature) to partake of that DIVINE NATURE.

God will not share His Glory. There must be a rejecting of one nature in order to receive the other nature. Self takes the place of Christ in the soul – the more self is rejected and cast out, the more of Christ we can have.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, pages 57-59)

Thought for today: Deliverance from every situation is in HIS NAME – not name as label on someone or something, but HIS NAME which is HIS NATURE.

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The Power of an Endless Life

Posted in Overcoming, tagged , , , , on April 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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By Mavis M. duCille

Scripture reading: Hebrews 7:14-16

Some weeks ago, the Lord brought to my attention the fact of the absolute necessity of overcoming.

The way out of the bondage of sin and self and humanness into the Divine nature is through the “flaming sword.” Since this sword turned every direction, there is no way of escaping the fire of purification.

It certainly is not enough to say, “I have accepted Jesus as my Saviour,” or to relax and feel okay, waiting for Him to come and take us away to heaven. The forgiveness of sins brings one into the experience of knowing Jesus as Saviour, but after this experience, one should willingly and deliberately desire to know Him as Lord, which means giving Him perfect control over one’s life. There would be no place therefore for cheating, lying, drinking, swearing, malice, strife, bitterness, wrath, cunning craftiness and all unrighteousness. This can only be done by the regenerating, sanctifying work of Christ, which is the purpose for the indwelling Holy Spirit. God wants to destroy sin, and the Holy Ghost brings to us the Life of Christ Jesus, which does just that.

Adam and Eve were tested and tempted in the garden: if Eve would have resisted, they would have overcome the enemy then and there. Temptation does not necessitate a fall, but resisting builds strength and virtue.

The tree of life is made available to man through Jesus Christ. He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. Unless we eat Him day and night, we have no life in us – thus no overcoming.

Love, mercy and truth are conditioned by holiness; therefore, when God establishes His law in man’s heart, it constitutes a revelation of holiness – thus through GRACE, man finds a true revelation of LOVE.

Blessed are the people who have been brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ through His blood, and have been established in His grace to embrace that LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST – when man ceases to be an outsider of the Kingdom, and realizes the liberty of the SONS OF GOD.

Overcoming daily establishes holiness as a permanent state of the soul. One writer said, “Our conscience and power of self-control act as a sort of watchdog over our worst selves during the day, but when the watchdog is off duty, the primitive or natural man is at liberty to act as he pleases, and our soul has left us at the mercy of our own evil nature.”

God’s divine power, however, greatly counteracts the forces of evil. This power and anointing is Christ, which can only be experienced as the believer gives way to the Holy Spirit. In this way, man is brought to the place where total redemption overcomes total depravity, and God’s redemptive power shines forth in spite of ourselves. It is the Spirit that brings redemption; human nature can take no credit; the flesh is weak, but the indwelling Christ has power over all THINGS.

When the believer comprehends Christ’s relationship to man as a whole, and to the Christian in particular, then he is enabled to declare as never before the saving, keeping, resurrection POWER OF JESUS CHRIST – LORD, MASTER, KING. Giving way to the persuading influence of the Holy Spirit empowers believers to bring under subjection the dreadful and evil soul nature, which hampers and resists the power of the LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS. Yes, the Holy Spirit is always revealing US to US, but He does so that man, by this power of “an endless life,” might be lifted out of this carnal, natural state to the spiritual, heavenly realm. We have been raised together with Him, Jesus Christ, and the vital union causes us to sit in heavenly places with Him. As we have borne the image of the earthly in Adam, so through Christ Jesus, we will bear the image of the heavenly – a place not only over sin and human weaknesses, but a place of authority and glory.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, pages 61-63)

Thought for today: The tree of life is made available to man through Jesus Christ. He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. Unless we eat Him day and night, we have no life in us – thus no overcoming.

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Grace and Stature

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , , , on April 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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By Mavis M. duCille

Scripture reading: Luke 2:52

Not very long ago, a situation arose in which a child of God behaved very unseemly. On seeking the Lord about the matter, and with much grief of heart, the words came strongly to me, “Grace and Stature.” This was followed by greater clarification of the word, “GRACE.” Though GRACE in one sense means unmerited favor, which is from God to man, yet it involves a work in man’s soul in its more extreme application.

AMAZING GRACE: “‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me on.”

This song speaks of grace as a beginning work, a work of continuation and a work to the end. Through grace comes Salvation, but it also takes grace to love, to forgive, to be patient, to be kind and gentle, to endure all things, to be loyal, etc. It is, therefore, the continuing in the grace of God that leads one into that final bliss, which is the heart’s cry of every true believer. There is a standard of inexhaustible fullness set by God for man. For this reason, the true and noble child of God will not rest or be satisfied with his or her own soul attainment until this fullness is achieved, which is divine perfection. The presence and power in the human soul enables man to be delivered from the human nature (earth bound) to the divine (heavenly).

Christ must reign through grace in the hearts of believers until all enemies (all the contrary and unsubdued nature) are put under foot. Believers who resist this operation in their daily lives frustrate God’s plan for their soul’s salvation, and fall terribly short of the glory of God. For this glory, the whole creation is waiting.

It is therefore possible to receive forgiveness of sins initially, and not grow IN GRACE; then the ugly attitude of the human soul will manifest very unseemly.

Through God’s grace, the believer can say the right words and not offend, but rather love, respect and regard one to another, have proper control over the members of the body, thereby bringing the mind in harmony with the Spirit; then there will be no place for the Devil.

STATURE – Webster’s Dictionary: time of life, age or one’s height to stand, growth, maturity, development.

There is natural or physical, political, and Spiritual stature.

Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the STATURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST.”

Stature depicts a standing and a height in Christ that would put one in a position, not above his brother, but risen above the flesh or carnal nature; standing firmly in the Divine nature; refusing, through His grace, virtues and excellence to return to the weak and beggarly elements. There is a place of integrity in Christ to be attained, maintained and sustained above the rudiments of this world, where the believer will no longer be a tool or an instrument of the enemy in any way. We have been raised up with HIM FAR ABOVE PRINCIPALITY AND POWER, and made to sit in HEAVENLY PLACES. Believers are His workmanship created unto GOOD WORKS. Although stature means time of life, age and maturity – one can be many years a believer or Christian, and experience very little spiritual growth or maturity. Year after year finds him or her going around the same mountain, having the same weaknesses and behaving the same old way; not experiencing much change in character. On the other hand, some show such growth and maturity in a few months that the difference is apparent. Growth and experience should be most important in one’s spiritual life. Anything that hinders one’s growth and progress should be dealt with before it is too late, when it would become so much a part of that person’s nature that separation becomes absolutely difficult or almost impossible.

Spiritual growth is not flourishing in the gifts, or being an outstanding ministry. Paul said he had to be careful, lest after placing many into the Kingdom, he would himself be a castaway. The gifts and ministries and every blessing of the Spirit is to bring the believer into union and harmony with God. The tendency is to glory in the gift and not the Giver.

It takes GRACE to deny the man and let the CHRIST come forth. It takes abiding, not in and out, hot and cold, here and there, back and forth, sometimes up and sometimes down. “Who shall abide?” He that hath clean hands and a pure heart. God will give grace to the humble and succor the weak, that he/she may be able to stand under all circumstances and conditions and glorify his/her Heavenly Father.

One might not be aware of one’s own spiritual growth, (which is good, no space for being puffed up), but others with whom you come in contact will surely witness that you have been with the Lord. This is one’s testimony.

Each day should bring us closer to that mark of the high calling. The Divine Nature must be engraved deep in our souls, that as the months and years go by, we mellow, not in churchianity or in church politics, but in CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, 1997, pages 80-82)

Thought for today: Christ must reign through grace in the hearts of believers until all enemies (all the contrary and unsubdued nature) are put under foot.

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The Spirit Indeed Is Willing – Part 2

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , , , , , on April 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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By Mavis M. duCille

Scripture reading: Zachariah 4:6

Taking a look at the Old Testament, there appears much evidence of the weakness of the flesh, like…

DAVID – chosen of God, courageous, a champion, a good soldier, but was led by passion to violate the law; (to) yield to gross sin. When the Spirit of the Lord anointed him, he did mightily; outside of that, he was an ordinary man subject to the weaknesses of the flesh.

MOSES – leader and law-giver of Israel; was as God to the people; spoke with God’s personality; moved mightily under the anointing, but manifested as an ordinary man when provoked.

SAMSON – Showed such supernatural power and might, yet there was the expression of the carnal appetites; weak in resisting temptations.

The plotting, planning, cunning, scheming JACOB (could have been a familiar spirit; mother deceived Isaac, Laban her brother deceived Jacob) had a bout with the angel all night, but thank God he had the tenacity to hang on for the blessing or measure of deliverance which he received towards morning. The Jacob nature must be dealt with by the Spirit before any possession of the Land. No one is going to conquer those giants in the land, but the one who owns the land. The Land is OURSELVES. Each individual is well acquainted with the giants that rise up in his or her own soul to challenge the Spirit. Some have been there so long, that they appear to be part of the person. The individual may even be afraid to lose that spirit which might well be a controlling spirit. Anything that cannot be identified with the gift of the Holy Spirit and righteousness (Christ’s nature) is of the carnal, evil spirit, and must be driven out of the land.

There are so many examples in the Old Testament proving the weakness of man, that it is virtually impossible to deny the fact that “in man dwells no good thing.” Without the Spirit there is bound to be failure.

Take Peter as an example. In the New Testament, Peter had been with Jesus for three and a half years, and seen and shared in all that Jesus manifested; yet, in his humanness, he denied Him before the people, and returned to fishing after Jesus left. No wonder Jesus said to him, “Peter, lovest thou me?” – asking the same question three times and receiving the same answer from Peter, even with a little disgust at the last. Then Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” At one time, Jesus told Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee.”

Peter, as well as all of us, have to be fortified by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, or there is no overcoming of the flesh (the world, the flesh, and the devil). Peter’s impulsiveness and all other weaknesses of the flesh, as well as all of us, have to come under the effectual working of the Spirit if we are to be transformed to HIS IMAGE.

It is not because these characters mentioned in the Bible were bad or evil that they fell short of the expressed image of God, but because in the Old Testament, (or in other words under the old covenant), the Spirit of God was not yet come to indwell the believer (John 7:39), and in (the) three and a half years that Jesus was on the earth with His disciples, the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. Therefore, Peter was without strength. Jesus said, “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” When the Spirit fell at Pentecost, Peter rose up in the midst and proclaimed the wonders of salvation.

The willingness to the Spirit anointing was not enough for the Old Testament believers. Some did mightily in spite of their limitations, yet they were judged.

God expects greater overcoming from those to whom He has given not an overshadowing of the Spirit only, but an indwelling portion to all who will receive.

To this FORTY-SECOND GENERATION, therefore, He says, “Thou art inexcusable, O man,” (Romans 2:1), in that God has, through Jesus, laid the way wide open to redeem man from the bondage of corruption (bondage of human nature), and raised us through the Spirit to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh.

“…Not by might, nor by power (in the natural), but by my SPIRIT, saith the Lord of hosts,” Zechariah 4:6.

There is no sin or weakness that the blood of Jesus, the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit cannot overcome.

Walking in the Spirit destroys or retards the weaknesses of the flesh, (and) builds spiritual character, thus the true nature of Christ is formed in the believer.

The Holy Ghost is given and is always willing and ready to purge the dross, that the gold (which is the nature of God) may come forth; that the world may see Christ Jesus living in His temple. As the temple of God, we should allow the Spirit to deal with the weaknesses of the flesh, so that the Divine Nature might destroy the evil nature, and take full control of the man for Christ’s sake. Amen.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, 1997, pages 71-74)

Thought for today: There is no sin or weakness that the blood of Jesus, the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit cannot overcome.

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We Must Be Overshadowed

Posted in Time of the End, tagged , , , on January 31, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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Scripture reading: Psalm 57:1

In order to be filled with the “divine nature,” we must be overshadowed by the divine. The effigy of the two cherubim on the Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle of Moses is a type of the divine overshadowing. The Song of Solomon speaks of the love between Christ and the church, and the final act of planting the seed of life within the soul, the womb of the church. This is God’s divine order of bringing forth life.

Isaiah 51:16, “And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.”

Since the heavens are of old, and the earth is already founded, we can only conclude from this scripture that it speaks of the heaven, or abiding place of God within the soul of man, and the earth, to mean the physical man which as the scripture says, will be made immortal. The covering here is one of protection, an overshadowing that does not only change man’s nature, but protects him while the change is being made. This idea is carried out by the scripture as shown below.

“And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by.” Exodus 33:22.

It is absolutely amazing that God had to cover Moses to protect him from Himself. In simple terms, the power of radiation of God was too much for Moses’ eyes, so God simply hid him in a rock. The overshadowing always brings protection along with the main purpose for which God gives it.

“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee; yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” Psalm 57:1.

“For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” Isaiah 25:4.

Here again, we see the double purpose of overshadowing. Not only is it a place of hiding, but in this scripture, it created strength to the poor.

“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” Genesis 28:15.

In 1st Corinthians 10:1-2, Paul writes in the Holy Ghost,

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”

With every age, there is an overshadowing, and this must come forth within those overshadowed by the will of God for their time. We, therefore, in this time have an overshadowing, and this is the greatest of all the overshadowings of the past. They were only a type of that which God is bringing forth within us for our time and for all mankind.

(Excerpt from The Pattern, 2nd edition, 1995, pg. 150-151)

Thought for today: We, therefore, in this time have an overshadowing, and this is the greatest of all the overshadowings of the past.

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