The degree to which you are truly submitted to me in your hearts will always be tested and manifested by the degree to which you are able to submit yourself, for My sake, to human authority. There are those who excuse themselves from this by saying that their freedom in Me makes them free from the authority of men, but this is a pretext for a lack of submission to Me. You see here in My word that My servant says submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, to kings as authorities and to governors as delegated authorities. So then do not be deceived by those who say that they only submit to Me and not to man, for this indeed is only using freedom as a cover for evil. You will find that such, in reality, do not honor all men, do not love the brotherhood, do not honor the king or any other government authority, and in reality do not fear Me. You will find that such are not submissive to earthly masters and that they would not for a moment suffer unjustly in order to find favor with Me. In this they refuse to take note as what it says about My Son who suffered unjustly at the hands of sinners and kept entrusting Himself to Me. I would train your hearts in the kind of submission that would not quickly or easily cast aside the yoke or break away from the traces. I would train your hearts to know why submission to authority, whether kings or governors or earthly masters and even those who are unjust pleases Me and finds favor in My sight. I would train you in the heart to submit for My sake and to understand that such submission is accomplishing My purpose and is glorifying My name, that you might be confident if you must endure suffering through such submission it is accomplishing My will.
If you seem to be slaves in such a position, it is not slavery to men but in fact you are serving Me and thus in your apparent slavery you are truly free. No matter how it may appear to men when judged on the surface, it is serving Me and fulfilling My purposes. Determine in your hearts to do this and you will discover that there is abundant grace from Me to fulfill it.
Tags: Authority, Submission
When you are blessed, when you receive the answer to a prayer, when you have waited for a long time for the desire of your heart to be satisfied, when you have been provoked and assailed by an enemy or someone who is contrary to you and you experience deliverance and vindication, what fills your heart? In what do you rejoice? Look and see here the expression of praise in the prayer of Hannah, for had she not been long provoked by Penina, and had not her soul been in anguish over her barrenness? In spite of the love her husband had for her she desired the blessing of a son which would lift her up and give her the joy of having had her reproach removed, and having had the reward of fruitfulness. I want you to notice that she did not become bitter neither against her adversary nor against Me, but she earnestly prayed and waited patiently upon Me. It declares that in the course of time she conceived and gave birth, and even in the naming of the child she acknowledged that he was the answer to her prayer. Look and see that she was faithful to keep her promise and to give him to Me for My service all of his days, and look and see that her prayer revealed that her heart rejoiced in Me. Look at her prayer and you will notice that it is a continual recitation of praise and of thanksgiving, of My victory and blessing for those who trust Me, and for My judgment upon those who trust in themselves. Does your heart rejoice in Me in such a manner? Are you willing, as Hannah was, to offer up the fruit of your life and the answer to your heart’s desire? I would have you see in this that in every respect Hannah desired to please and glorify Me and it was not merely her intent to be vindicated but rather to bear fruit that would give glory to My name.
Thus you see that even when she was greatly rewarded she kept nothing for herself but rather not only offered her son to serve Me for his whole life but in the offering did not grieve but rather rejoiced and counted it a blessing and a privilege to serve Me and glorify Me in this way. I tell you that I seek to have such daughters as Hannah who seek not for themselves but for My glory, and will not those with a heart like hers produce the fruit that will, like her son, truly glorify Me. I will have more to say to you from this portion for it is important to Me that daughters such as Hannah be raised up in My house.
Tags: Give Glory, God Please, Women
The nations have their plans for Jerusalem. The leaders, the rulers, those of whom it says here who wail have their plans, but it is not the plans of the nations nor of those who now rule that shall prevail. That which men devise, though it may seem for a time to be, that which prevails, will not endure. Just as those oppressors of old who were swept away, so shall those who oppress today be swept away. It declares here that My name is constantly blasphemed and that because My people do not really know My name. They hear words, they can repeat what they have learned by rote, which their traditions have taught them, but they blaspheme because they do not really know My name. But you see here My promise that the day is coming that I have foretold when they will truly know My name, and that is the day when Jerusalem will truly become holy unto Me. Now is the day when these promises must be proclaimed, when those words which declare the real hope and the real peace must be held forth, for I indeed will bring it to pass and only those who believe because they embrace My promise for what their eyes do not see will be able, in these days, to proclaim it. And this is the word to which you must hold fast, even though what your eyes may see will seem to contradict it. And this is the proclamation, which you must proclaim even though it may seem that few if any want to hear it.
Tags: Jerusalem, Proclamation, Promises