Labyrinth of Life in the Spirit by Pastor Marie Esposito
As we move forward and mature on our journey, there are two basic truths that we can rely on as we walk in the labyrinth of life in the Spirit.
There is a witness between the Sword and the Spirit. The Word and the Holy Voice.
Labyrinths have one continuous path, with twists and turns, simple or complex, which leads to the center.
We mix the Word with our faith, which is the victory that overcomes the world. The prophetic word we hear, [the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking in our inner man] is as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts…with the revelation of the Living Christ. Ever increasing as we immerse ourselves in the Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Psalm 119:89
Psalm 119:130
Genesis 2:7
John 20:22
Jesus is the Living Rhema and the Living Logos.
John 1:1-4,14
Revelation 19:13
God is alive and as He cannot be separated from His Word, therefore, His Word is alive. It breathes as He breathes.
John 6:63
Hebrews 4:12
I Corinthians 2:12
OVERCOMERS IN THIS LIFE, MORE THAN CONQUERORS
There is a Balance between the LIVING WORD and the LIVING SPIRIT. We don’t want to become lopsided in our faith.
Jeremiah 1:11,12 Jeremiah ‘SAW’ AND HEARD
LET’S WALK CLOSER AND CLOSER TO OUR CENTER, AND BREATHE HIS LIFE INTO OUR HEARTS AND THEN OUT TO A WORLD THAT NEEDS THE REAL JESUS.
“What was lost in the Garden can be RESTORED in the wilderness.”
Wilderness – the place where distractions, idols, toys, falsehoods are limited or totally eliminated.
Ephesians 1:17-20(TPT) – “Immeasurable greatness” – Power that is greater than great!
The “Strength of His Might.”
Every Christian has this power accompanying their lives!
Romans 8:10-11(TPT)
The “wilderness” affords us the OPPORTUNITY to EXPERIENCE it and have it become usable.
Ephesians 1:21-23(TPT)
The “Spiritual Battle” is not in the circumstances but rather between surrendering ourdistractions and “WAKE UP” in order to “SEE” from an elevated spiritual viewpoint.
Humility is one of the main keys to healing the Holy Spirit.
We bow down low.
I am sharing these truths about the Holy Spirit to sharpen your vision and to increase your faith in the Holy Spirit and the heavenly realm.
HOLY SPIRIT IS summoning us from within, to surrender to Him; empowering us: BRINGING CHANGE FROM THE INNER COURTS: AWAKENING US TO BECOME HIS LIVING BRIDE.
He is the DIVINE HOPE as He works to bring restoration to each of us individually and corporately.
At Pentecost, the reality of the prophetic word in Joel 2:25 came forth.
“ I will restore…the years the locusts have eaten…I will pour out My Spirit…”
GOD sent the locusts 4 times to Israel, 4 different locusts: cutting, swarming, hopping, and destroying…because the children of Israel did not repent. Finally they did.
The devastation was so severe that the nation was brought to ruin. The end result after they repented was,
RESTORATION: “And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I AM IN THE MIDST OF ISRAEL, and that I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD AND THERE IS NONE ELSE. and my people shall never again be put to shame.” Joel 2:26-27
Joel 2:22-23
Both physical and spiritual restoration: “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord Who has dealt wondrously with you.” Joel 2:26
****There is a promise for a total recovery during the age of the Holy Spirit which is now, in the Kingdom age…*****
Restoration traditionally means to bring something back to its original form.
BIBLICAL RESTORATION is a bit different. When something is restored in Scripture, it always grows, multiplies or improves, so that its final condition is superior to its original state (see Joel 2:21-26).
When we turn back to God in repentance, His restoration is miraculous: multiplied and added. God restores everything down to the minute detail. He makes a way for complete restoration; even back to the life we lived before Christ.
God spoke to me the other day about “Meadows:
MEADOWS of Grace.”
As I sat with Him in contemplation, He opened my vision of a vast meadow that was filled with a multitude of flowers. There was a beautiful river and rich green grass, and mountains in the distance.
He then reminded me of a poem that I had found many years ago and read to my husband early in our relationship: my heart filled with love for him. That poem had been lost, but I remember the first few lines.
At our 40th vow renewal service, I rewrote that poem; re-finishing it and read it to my husband.
It was restored, and improved as well, since so much time had passed, it made it more precious and since I rewrote it, it was totally from my heart instead of another author’s words.
It starts like this “I love you like a million little kids rolling down hills laughing. Like 50 bees in a field of two million flowers, and they visit each one…” As I sat there considering the vision I realized that…It was THE MEADOW OF GRACE. I connected with God.
I sat there sobbing, filled and grateful to God for the restoration of my life and the love I have in my heart for my husband has been multiplied and added to and completely restored..BETTER.
Restoration Christian Fellowship was formed on the reality of God’s Word as truth speaking from Isaiah 58:12: “Those from among you shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to dwell in.”
Restoration Christian Fellowship began as three of us joined together in unison, in worship, in prayer, and in intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit and then listening to Him and following His leading. Pastor Roy and I met with Pastor Gary and I sat at the piano and we worshipped together. The Holy Spirit fell on the three of us in power. It started there.
The vision of the church is for all of us to be restored fully: individually and corporately and to bring others into the fullness of this same restoration as we continue to grow in wisdom and in the knowledge of the Lord. We worship, we pray, WE STAND.
The final restoration in time is NOW: the maturity of the Church, the LIVING BRIDE of Christ, to stand as His Body in the fullness of His power as Kings and Priests. The year of the Mouth 5780.
Remember: EXPONENTIAL
The RESTORATION OF THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID embraces the intimacy between God and man; receiving grace and mercy and forgiveness [new covenant] and the discarding of formality, condemnation and legalism. [ the old order of things: old covenant] WE EMBRACE THIS TRUTH.
We ask Him to come in full measure, displaying the ever expanding dimensions of His Presence. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, we pray in agreement with His will, as we gather together and praise and worship Him acknowledging Him as the supreme Creator Who is everywhere: Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent. WE STAND TOGETHER.
THIS RESTORATION FOR US IS “CHRIST IS OUR LIFE” Col 3:4
Romans 8:10-11
Phil 2:13
Col 1:27
Phil 2:10
Phil 2:12b
“We must live in the Holy Spirit and follow after Him” Gal 5:25
“He has planted eternity [ a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [ a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]...”
GOD placed within every human being a desire for Him.
So there is always a draw BY GOD, inside of us, TOWARDS GOD.
Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. He is still here. He empowered the disciples and He empowers us. He is the Spirit of Grace and mercy: a Teacher, a Comforter, a Helper.
Romans 8:14 tpt - nkjv
Pray: I ASK YOU TO COME, HOLY SPIRIT OF TRUTH.
Rain over us.
If He’s already here in us, around us and over us, why ask for Him to
come?
Because there are different measures and dimensions of God’s Presence.
Even when He comes, there is always more to come. We can invite the increase. INCREASE IS COMING.
Isaiah filled and continually filled.
Here are some keys about the God we serve and worship.
First, GOD INHABITS EVERYTHING and holds all things together Col 1:17 He is everywhere, the glue that holds His creation in place.
A Second dimension of God’s Presence is HIS INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT INHABITS those who have been born again. He specifically comes to make us His Home: His Tabernacle. US.
A third dimension is seen WHEN BELIEVERS GATHER IN HIS NAME. As He promised, He is ‘there in their midst” Matt 18:20 /Zeph 3:17
This is where the principle of EXPONENTIAL INCREASE comes into play.
EXPONENTIAL-AN INCREASE. RISING OR EXPANDING AT A STEADY RAPID RATE. in agreement with His Kingdom
A fourth measure or dimension occurs WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAISE HIM, for He says He “inhabits the praises of His people.” Ps 22:3
A fifth measure is seen when the Temple of Solomon was dedicated: GOD CAME SO PROFOUNDLY that the priests were incapacitated. I Kings 8:10-1 They were completely UNDONE AT THE MEASURE of His Presence.
On the day of Pentecost, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME to the disciples as they waited in obedience for FATHER’S PROMISE, and they were EMPOWERED through TONGUES OF FIRE, and a HOLY ROAR OF RUSHING VIOLENT WIND FROM FATHER’S MOUTH CAME: a SOUND OF HEAVEN’S BREATH… It was heard throughout Jerusalem.
The Holy Spirit descending on the waiting disciples illustrates ALL OF THESE 5 PRINCIPLES relating to GOD COMBINED: BRINGING RESTORATION TO HUMANKIND FOR HIS PURPOSE. Acts 2
THEN the DISCIPLES carried Him with them wherever they went.
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It is the YEAR OF THE MOUTH- from the hebrew calendar 5780. The prophetic meaning of this timeframe is all about speaking GOD’S KINGDOM. It is a year of the BRIDE OF CHRIST TAKING HER POSITION AS A KING/PRIEST of the Most High God and DECLARING HEAVEN’S WILL INTO THE EARTH REALM.
The responsibility for the measure of God’s Presence that we carry lies with us. How much of God do you want?
TRUE BELIEVERS GATHERING IN HIS NAME
TOGETHER IN AGREEMENT EMPOWERED.
RISE UP-RELEASE YOUR VOICE IN PRAISE TO YESHUA.
THERE IS A SHIFT COMING
The kingdom has a King and
The kingdom of God is within the Presence of the Holy Spirit of God.
‘FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS...IN THE HOLY SPIRIT’
Rom 14:17
God’s desire is: “to create a people suited to carry the fullness of God on earth.” Eph 3:19 US
His love.
The inferior realm of darkness gives way to the superior nature of His kingdom. COME SPIRIT OF TRUTH
HIS KINGDOM ALWAYS OVERCOMES
God was summoning His people then and
He is now summoning a people. YOU
When we change an atmosphere we change a destiny.
It is a display of our harmony with the Holy One.
HOLY SPIRIT OF TRUTH, come.
“ASK FOR RAIN IN THE TIME OF THE LATTER RAIN” Zech 10:1
— As Christians we are not called to worry or wonder about our future —
We are called to CREATE it!
— Eph 1:17-19 (Passion) A greater impartation of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation resulting in deepening intimacy with God
— Matt 6:10 – Create Heaven’s atmosphere in this realm
— “Discerning the Times” – Requires stepping back and LISTENING for the Spirit’s instruction
— The Lord’s Prayer – A prayer for God’s discerning light to illuminate the darkness and make us free to create a change to the reality we live in.
— Our enemy will contort and contaminate the current moment but can not force us to do evil — It’s always our choice!
— “Sophisticated Spiritual Awareness” – the ability to “see” what the enemy is doing and so reject his efforts
— Contemplative Prayer — allows the INFLOW of God which can only be received PASSIVELY, in HUMILITY
–– Eph 6:12-13 (NKJV) — We’re dealing with an INVISIBLE world — fighting an INVISIBLE foe.
— Phil 1:9-11 (NKJV) Abounding LOVE >> Knowledge >> ALL Discernment
Phil 1:9-11 (Passion) “ I continue to pray for your Love to Grow and Increase beyond measure, bringing you into the rich revelation of SPIRITUAL INSIGHT in all things.
This will enable you to CHOOSE the most excellent way of all – becoming pure and without offense until the unveiling of Christ.”
— Insight (Grk) aisthesis— a practical understanding of things linked to life; walking out the truth that insight reveals — to experience the reality of something and apply itto life.
Proverbs 13:12 – “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”
Heartsickness can cripple your walk with God because it undermines FAITH
Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is the substance of things HOPED for…”
2 Samuel 21:15-21 – David became “faint-”
Goliath’s family made the attack look like the same battle David had already won.
Ephesians 6 – Take up your spiritual armor and STAND! Stand to Withstand the NEW challenge to your faith.
1 John 5:4 (Passion) – “…for our FAITHis the victorious power that triumphs over the world.”
Sukkot – “The Feast of Tabernacles” – celebrated by remembering what God has done on the journey through the wilderness. Symbolizes the Restoration Process.
“Feast of Booths” – the ingathering of God’s people and the beginning of the Harvestseason.
Leviticus 23:40 – “Lulav” – slender palm branch held together with 2 willow branches and 3 branches from the Myrtle tree — waved with Citron as a Mitzvah (blessing)
Myrtle – God with them in the mountains of the desert. (Hard situations with few resources)
Palm – His Presence in the plains
Willow – the brooks that refreshed them with water
“Promised Land” – symbolic of Heaven for Christians
If we embrace our lives as symbolic of the journey it takes to get to the Promised Land we will hold the wilderness assacred b/c it leads to the Promised Land.
The hard trek becomes a Heavenly Road because it’s ending is Heaven.
We offer thanksgiving because our journey will lead us to God.
PRAY TOGETHER:
“Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has commanded us concerning the waving of the Lulav.”
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe who has granted us life, sustenance, and have permitted us to reach this season of life.”
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness endures forever.”
“We implore You, O Lord, save us. Save our country. Heal our president – in his body – in his mind – and have mercy on his soul.
“Spare all those who have been afflicted by this plague.”
A word of encouragement from Pastor Marie and a timely message for the body from Pastor Roy.
God’s Kingdom Within
–– Luke 17:20 “The Kingdom of God is within.”
— Romans 8:14-16 (Passion)– God’s Spirit will bear witness with our spirit
— “Know Yourself”— Get in touch with you’re personal elan; unique strengths, style, motivations, and deep desires
— The inner sense that, “This is right for me.” — and let God “bear witness” to it: Yea or Nay through the Holy Spirit living within you.
— Isaiah 30:21-22a —“This is the right path; follow it!”
— Jeremiah 20:9 — “His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.”
— The “seeds” of His will have been placed deep within you at the time of your creation. They are found in the same place that your personal elan exists. They will interact with the environment you live in and develop God’s purposeIN you.
— As they are allowed to grow they will bring you into the fullness of your potential; Spiritual Maturity.
— Carl Jung — “The purpose of our lives is to become fully the person we are.”
— Discover the “seeds” — Task
Nurture the “seeds” — Responsibility
— Listen to all parts of yourself: Conscious and Unconscious (dreams and visions), physical senses, spiritual senses (inner voice of God)
— Hebrews 4:9-11 (Passion) — Don’t force it — REST in His peace
— Proverbs 3:5 — TRUST in God
–– Psalm 46:10 (Passion) — Surrender you anxiety– stop striving!
— Psalm 131:1-2 — David’s approach and positioning
— Psalm 131:3 — Word for RCF –: “O, people of God, your time has come to quietly TRUST.”
