Ephesians 5:25-26 

In Ephesians 5:25-26, the Apostle Paul speaks of Jesus having given Himself for the Church “that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”
The purpose of this washing is so Jesus “might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (verse 27).

You and I are fast approaching this time when Jesus will present to Himself a glorious Church. So it is fair to say and assume that we are going to be going through a cleansing time in preparation for His arrival to be that 'glorious church' He's coming for. And for us, that means—a lot of scrubbing is about to happen! Statements of 'Jesus I want more of You and less of me', 'I want to be a vessel that carries the fullness of your annointing'. God use me! When our focus is on Him, to be that work in progress to focus on Jesus, Then expect cleaning out!

What's the clean up like?  Well it's like Children playing outside. Children love to get dirty. They love to play in dirt. And when it comes time to clean them up, have you ever noticed how they act as though they’re being tortured? They scream, cry, stomp their feet...all because they don’t want to part with their dirt.

Well, get ready. You’re about to have your own opportunity to scream, cry and stomp your feet—if you haven’t already—because God wants you to part with some dirt.

Remember!, God does not want you to go to a place of shame and condemnation and ignore or hide your sin, He’s just out to clean you up. And He has good reason to clean you up. He has a greater job for you to do. He wants you to be part of the end-time outpouring of His glory. He wants you to be out in front...leading this move of His glory in the earth.

We need to be going before God and having regular spring cleans. 'God, what is it that you want to me to lay at your feet?'...'God, are there attitudes or things that I am rebelling in that I need to address?' Sometimes it can be staring you right in the face. It can be something so small or out of alignment by a centimeter, but it needs to be surrended and repented and bound in the name of Jesus.

1.We need to address the sin - Identify it - Ask God!

2.We need to have conviction, not condemnation. We need to repent of it - God I'm sorry, then move on!

(If your heart is to truly seek God then your going to have to learn to repent - Regularly!)

3.We need to renounce it and bind it in the name of Jesus!

AND MOST IMPOTANTANTLY!! Ask for God's presence and character to replace it.

We can only do this through the supernatural empowerment of God's Holy Spirit, don't fall down after repenting and think that you can power on in your own strength and character you need God's strength and character! That's what he means about not being anxious, letting HIm carry our burdens.

The more you do this cleaning out, the more you see things that need to be under submission to God, the closer your walk becomes. You understand what it is to fear the Lord and not His correction, because REMEMBER He corrects the one's He loves.

*Remember during this whole time, Jesus 100% only sees you in the blood of Jesus as someone beautiful and clean! This cleansing is for us.

*Don't misunderstand what I'm saying either. God will use whomever, whenever, when available if there is no one else! He even used a donkey. But He chooses to use us for His glory - Work it out??!!!  Thank you God!! It's all about your choice, your responses. Your walk and pursuit of God.

It's your heart, what's it desire? Are you willing to have your heart taken to such a place of brokeness so that you learn to go through these processes, this cleansing with your heart totally and 100% in the right attitude?

Deuteronomy 28:45-47 tells us:
All these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things.

The point is, obedience means a lot in the spiritual realm, as well as in the natural. But oftentimes when we violate a spiritual principle, it doesn’t seem like it has much consequence in the natural—at least, not at first. Don't be like Jonah and go through all the motions doing what God says (eventually he did that I might add!) but have resistence  in your heart as God searches our hearts not our outward actions. God looks upon the heart. He looks at whether we do things with a cheerful heart or with grumbling. The cheerful giver gets the blessing, the grumbler just sees it around them.

Last but not least - KEY STUFF for this walk and pursuit of holiness....

• Serve one another - At home, at work, in the House of God. Really seek God's input on this one as to what a servant heart really is.
• Love one another - Our attitude. Keep it in check with God.
• Encourage one another - When you see another believer stepping out in God, don't say 'about time', or feel intimidated that God is moving in them - CHEER THEM ON!!!! 
• Bless One Another - Have a heart that seeks to bless. Leave people with a blessing. Mow someone's lawn, Cook them dinner, Honour someone, Give words of encouragement, Or even better make a committment to PRAY for them!
  
  
  Lotsa Love Stevie :)