The Commanding Reality


‘If we become spiritual in this sense, if the Holy Spirit is the commanding reality in our life, and we are walking by the Spirit, we are bound inevitably to come into all God's thought. The Lord wants a people to come into His full thought. That is only possible as they cease to be governed by some outward order of things, and learn what it is to move with God in the Holy Spirit.'                                                                            T. Austin Sparks from: Life in the Spirit - Chapter 6 

Throughout the scriptures there is one overruling thought; that to be pleasing to God you must learn to be led by Him. That is why His Grace appeared and brought faith and salvation to us. (Titus 2:11-14)   This truth is revealed in many different passages of scripture …. Here are just a few.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  (Rom 8:14)

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Col 3:15)

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  (Rom 8:5)

For many of us in Rose Creek Village these words have proven, once again, to be a guiding light of healing and restoration. Sometimes I wonder how people who love God so much can get so far off their original intent. 
Since our inception in Geneva Florida some twenty five years ago, all we ever wanted was to be the Body of Christ as revealed in the Scriptures and enter into the full thought and desires of our God. It would be fair to say I believe that we are making some progress in that intent…. Despite ourselves.

Yet our corporate journey has been fraught with distractions, pitfalls and outright dead ends.  

Distractions for people seeking God’s way can come in many colors, shapes and terrifying sizes. Focusing on one particular truth to the seclusion of others, wondering why everyone isn’t doing what we’re doing, and just the good old fashion cares and pleasures of this ever invasive wicked world are three of them. The last five years have taught us much in this regard.



Yet the pitfalls of any people seeking to accomplish heavenly goals are painfully common to all who have the courage to try and reestablish ancient truths while forging a path for others. Pride, arrogance, unreality can do quite a number on anyone who tries to remain… scriptural.

If you don’t believe that’s true, just re-read the scriptures without the rose colored glasses of contemporary Christianity and take a look at the condition of the churches revealed there. A brief perusal of the first three chapters of the book of Revelation should cure the most naïve seeker of just how bad churches can get.

Some of those dead ends we have experienced came from ideas of what we imagined we would end up looking like. Others came from moving before He said to move. Still others came from blatant naivety of what it takes to invade the devil’s territory with real spiritual Life.

This last year has been, hands down, the most discouraging, depressing and frightening year of our existence. By all assessments of friend and foe we should be divided and dead. And though this last year we came dangerously close to losing our ‘candlestick’ … we are very much still alive and together in His love.  This last month has been the sweetest time I have ever spent with the saints…. Ever.  Why? Because the lover of our souls rent the heavens and came down to rescue us. He alone, once again, has become our salvation.

What has been rather and eye opening revelation is this is how it seems to be anytime God’s people become…. God’s people and try to accomplish His will.  

Until He returns to fully rule this world, Zion will always need to be rescued, Jerusalem will always be surrounded by her enemies, and those who cause us the most pain will be among those closest to us. Every church recorded in the New Testament throughout their existence frequently needed Christ to deliver them from their enemies to avoid destruction and or the removal of their light (candlestick).

There is a phrase coined in the Village a while back that has shed some light on our dilemma. It goes like this… “You don’t understand the length of the answer because you don’t perceive the depth of the problem.”  After forty-two years of being with Christ personally and twenty-five years of being together with Christ as a people …. I think we are beginning to perceive the depth of the problem.  

Our problem and it's answer is actually rather simple to understand but extremely difficult to walk out. As a people and individually as members of His Body we must daily make the presence of the Holy Spirit and doing what He says…  the ‘Commanding Reality of Our Life.’ Nothing or no one must interfere in our pursuit of being led by the Spirit of God.

 We must constantly be on the lookout for distractions, no matter how spiritual or pleasant they may seem. We must be watching out for ourselves and our brethren the pitfalls that would inhibit our ability to follow Christ. We must avoid all dead ends coming from “imagining” where we are going or even what we are going to do when we get there.

From here out our only desire should be in seeing Christ fill everything and everyone. That is a job only the Holy Spirit of God can accomplish… and He will accomplish it through those who follow His leading. If we make the commanding reality in this life to fully and completely follow Him… He might even let us be a part of it all.