HE IS ALIVE!

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another (Ps. 75:6-7).

Promotion=to rise or to raise; to bring up. To extol; to mount up, set up; tall strength; advancement in rank; forward motion as in being advanced to another level of authority.

God is in absolute control! So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy (Rom. 9:16). It doesn't matter what we say or what we do in our efforts to make change happen; if God doesn't 'cause' us to rise and advance, if He doesn't promote us, if He doesn't give us forward motion causing us to be lifted unto the next level of authority in Him, then we cannot go!

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). We are totally dependent on God, Jesus Christ. This is a hard lesson for most to learn, but one that is vitally necessary for any real usefulness in the Kingdom of God. Promotion doesn't necessarily mean a change of position in the sight of men. There is a spiritual promotion which men will only see the fruit of. God is a Spirit! (Jn. 4:24). The promotion of God is the propelling power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ lifting you to another level of authority and annointing in the spirit realm of God's kingdom. Because it is a soverign choosing of God to promote us or not to promote us, the only thing that we can do is to humble ourselves before Him.

: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (1Pet. 5:5b). This humbling before the presence of God is vital and absolutely necessary. We must come to understand and submit to the SOVERIGNTY of God before we are ever released into the deeper dimensions of his Spirit.

This humbling before the soverign God of the universe is the beginning of all true wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding (Pr. 9:10). The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility (Pr. 15:33).
 

Preparation of the soil is necessary before a farmer will plant seed in the ground. To plant seed in the ground that is unprepared, full of weeds, rocks, thorns and thistles would be a waste of the farmer's precious seed because with the ground in this condition the seed will not produce fruit. It would be choked out and lost. God hears our cry to Him when we are asking Him to speak, to promote us and move us forward into another level in His Spirit, but He will only speak when we are ready to RECEIVE His seed, His Word.

God's assesment is always upon the soil of our hearts before He sows His seed. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you (Hos. 10:12).

For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come (Mrk. 4:22-29). There is power and Life in the Seed of God, the Word, Jesus Christ.

Promotion in the Kingdom of God is a matter of RECEIVING and not one of achieving! But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:(Jn. 1:12). As many as receive Him, He gives the power to BECOME. This is the power of promotion. This is the process of changing from one level to a new level of authority in God's Spirit. How? By RECEIVING HIM!

By receiving Jesus Christ we are released form who we are to become the sons of God. We are released from the realm of the seen into the realm of the unseen; released from the realm of death into Life - His Life.

We become what we look at, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18);and as we receive Him we are released to see Him by the Spirit of God and are actually changed and promoted into the very Life of the Son of God!

He alone gives us the right and authority to become, and to be promoted through revelation of His Spirit. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him (Matt. 11:25-27).

What does it mean to be a babe? A babe is someone that is totally dependent upon their parent for life. One that is not full of preconceived ideas about life, but is constantly learning; in other words, one that has clean fertile soil of the heart in which to receive. Jesus was a babe in heart. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise (Jn. 5:19). Jesus was totally dependent upon the Father. What He saw in the Father, He was able to become.

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:1-4).

Promotion in God's Kingdom comes from seeing and receiving Him, the Word. We cannot receive until we are converted and become as little children before Him, totally dependent.

In this world we are taught from a young age to be independent and to 'stand on our Own two feet', but in god's kingdom it is just the opposite...we are taught to be dependent upon the Father. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Rom. 8:14). The word led means to'bring forth' or 'carry upon the shoulders of'. Thus, those that are' brought forth' and 'carried upon the shoulders of' the Spirit of God are the ones being conformed into the image of the sons of God. This is the image of the Word sown in our hearts and as many as receive Him He gives the power to become the sons of God!!
When we receive the Word, we have a Life inside of us that is bigger and more powerful than us. We have a Life inside of us that will cause us to become! : because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1Jn. 4:4b).

The Life of the Word of God in us will release the faith in us- So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17)- that will cause us to overcome and have the victory! For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1Jn. 5:4). 

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (Jn. 1:4-5). The darkness of this world cannot comprehend (overcome) the Life of the Word of God in our hearts. God works continually to bring us to a place where we will receive His word, to a place of humility and dependence upon Him.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live (Deut. 8:3). Every test and trial that we face is to bring us to know that without God's Word, God's voice to us we cannot live.

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; For our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:25-29). Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matt. 24:35). Everything thing that can be shaken in this temporal world system will be shaken and removed. The only thing that cannot be shaken is the eternal Kingdom of God. His kingdom is where the Word of the King dwells. Again the Living Word promotes us and propels us from grasping to the carnal , natural, temporal realm. As we receive Him we have Eternal Life.

Have you received this Life? I mean really received the Life of the Son of God that overcomes the world? Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed (1Pet. 2:1-8).

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Matt. 21:42-44).

Jesus was rejected by men, but that didn't matter; he was accepted and promoted by God the Father. Again promotion from God doesn't necessarily mean promotion or exaultation in the eyes of men. In fact it is usually just the opposite and takes place in brokenness, humility, childlikeness and total dependence upon God's soverignty.

Have you been broken since you first believed? Have you come to a place where you realize that without Him you can do nothing? Prepare your heart to receive His Word and He will speak to you and give you new Life. Prepare your heart to recieve by letting go of all 'religious' tradition that you might have been taught. Prepare your heart to receive Him, His Word. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart (Jer. 29:13).