Once Broken-Becoming a Vessel of Glory Devotional

By Marni Hawkins
Easter 2022

Well friends here we are again. Seems like only a short me ago we had been sharing together another one. Oh wait, we were. The topic was on Unconditional Obedience……..

(Complete and Printable copy HERE)

 

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Unconditional Obedience

A 7-day devotional about ushering in the Hannah Church

By Marni Hawkins
(Printable copy HERE)

 

Hello friends. I feel so blessed to be sharing the Word with you every day, this week. I am prefacing the first day with a question. However, it’s source comes from a Home Group Bible Study we have been doing called Drawing Near by John Bevere. He asks this: “What characteristics must we possess for God to entrust us with his ways?” This response follows: They were unconditionally obedient to God, completely dependent on God and Have a Godly view of themselves throughout their entire lives. “I read that and was like…. the Holy Spirit stopped me. My mouth dropped open; I began to tear up. He said this to me, “your obedience to Me is still too conditional dear one.” Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!!!! I got on my face and asked His forgiveness and that I need His grace to help me turn that around in my life. Our flag scripture for this devotional is a pretty short in comparison to the initial question. Isaiah 66:2 NIV reads,
This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.

Through much prayer, I knew the first four days of this devotional came from that verse. Then I asked, “Holy Spirit how am I supposed to finish off the rest?” I had to wait for that to come revelation later. It came last Sunday, when Pastor David was preaching on Barrenness to Birthing. One sentence gripped me, and just happened (No coincidences there) included “3 aspects of what a Hannah church is: one that is authentic, prophetic and cares deeply about souls.” He went on to describe the potential of how messy this could be. For example, a delivery room in a maternity ward, is to bring life. The Eli church of religion has squelched the breath, fire, and communion with the Holy Spirit out resulting in barrenness. How does the flag scripture connect with the Hannah Church? I’ll tell you in three words: it’s the cure. Did you catch that? I’ll say it again it’s the cure and we as the church have a major role to fulfill. That role stems from our unconditional obedience from a godly view of humbleness, trusting God with no limits on Him, being broken when that trust is violated and knowing what and who we value.

 

Day 1                                                                                     Read Isaiah 66:2-4, 1 Peter 5:5,

            Let’s starts off with a couple of definitions for unconditional obedience. One, unconditional is not being subject to any conditions. Two obedience is defined as, compliance with someone’s wishes or orders in acknowledgement of that person’s authority. Combine them and…we find a complete trust in God’s orders and desires without exceptions conditions or amendments with a humble perspective of who’s not in charge. I think this quote from an article called Bearing the Standard carves it out for us best. “Our Grand business before Him is simply to obey. We have neither the prerogative nor responsibility to determine our own beliefs, establish our own values, or prescribe our own boundaries of behavior. Our job is no more no less than to do what we are told. His boundless care and abundant provision set us eternally free. Every thought, every assumption opinion, vision plan, and precept is subject to judgement of the scripture, THEREFORE THERE IS NO APPEAL,” Kevin Geoffery from perfectword.org.

            This quote leads to our first characteristic humility. A short synopsis of what it is not is my Life lesson for today the Holy Spirit checked me and said “You certainly are good at drawing lines in the sand?” I thought to myself great I’m good at limiting what I will do, won’t accept or can’t go past! Let me spell it out for you: Marni placed conditions on the Holy Spirit. Obviously, I needed to go and confess the sin right away. To be humble is: to obey even when you don’t understand, whether it benefits me or not, and seeing yourself through worth of Jesus by not getting in the way!!! If we are going to be in the place of birthing, there is no turning back. I feel strongly the Holy Spirit is saying not only has it begun but no U-turns are allowed. 1 Peter 5:5 says God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Where are you limiting what you will or won’t do? What are you accepting that you shouldn’t and not accepting what you should? Who is drawing the line you can’t go past? Are you or is God?

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for being great at placing limits on what Your Spirit is doing and will continue to do in and through my life. I don’t want to be great at telling you “No, Holy Spirit,” anymore. I don’t want to be great at not accepting what you have for me. I don’t want to great at saying stop again, I’m done and will go no further thank you but no! I don’t want to be great at placing any conditions on you at all!! I’m tired of telling you what to do when it’s not my place. I know it hurts your heart God when your will is much smaller than mine. I know it frustrates you when I get in the way and your anointing is stunted and the preciousness of your presence I can no longer feel. I’m choosing to humble myself and ask for Your presence right now Holy Spirit, to be the grace I need to get my own self agendas, busyness, work, acts of religiosity, and surrender all my benefits and I am placing them on the altar so Your fire will consume my “fleshy” ways. If I am going to be part of birthing a new move, Lord please be my point of no return so I only see the road to maturity and thankfulness and a transformed life. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

Day 2                                                                          Read Isaiah 66:2-4, Isaiah 57:15, Psalm 34:18

As a tie in from yesterday, I ran across this quote from Elisabeth Elliott, “Obedience to God is our job. The results of that obedience are God’s.” Psalms 34:18 says this, He is near to them that have a broken heart and saves those with a contrite spirit. Contrite in the Hebrew is “Dakka” and is defined as being crushed or bruised to a powder. Therefore, a contrite spirit is one which pride and self-sufficiency have been completely crushed, crippled or broken. I’d like to say there is not even any residue of the powder remaining. It’s a conscience cleansed of dead works and cannot bear the weight of its own guilt and offers no excuse or blame. In a nutshell, we grieve over the crippling weight of own sin. A key factor to remember is repentance in 2 Corinthians 5:21) is to remember, Christ became sin for us so we can be God’s righteousness in Him. Without this contrite attitude there is the potential to become like the Pharisees, we go through the motions but the sin remains. This can happen when we delay our obedience also because delayed obedience is conditional obedience. The delay is never on the Spirit’s end only ours. It means it’s happening not in our timing or its us that’s hindering it. His answers to us require us to wait with expectation for His intervention as He waits in expectation for us not to delay in obeying Him.

Remember what your sins cost Jesus Christ. His Spirit makes you a dwelling place with our heavenly Father is our promise. According to Got Questions.org’s comment on Isaiah 57:15, “God’s purpose of dwelling with us is two-fold. One which is union, reviving the spirit of the humble. The other is presence, reviving the hearts of the contrite ones.” Bible Hub expounds the same verse as, “He will abode to revive the humble and comfort the contrite.” He never leaves you alone, even in your hard thoughts. I had to pause on that for a moment. Do I have hard thoughts about God? Do you? What they are you may have to dig a bit deeper here? John Own Says, “If we think God is continually disappointed in us that is thinking hard thoughts about God.” In that we can dis-appoint ourselves from what God has called us to and so you may need to ask the Holy Spirit to re-appoint you in those places. “My question for you dear friends is this, where is your burden of sin weighing heavy and resulting in hard thoughts which makes you think you are disappointing to God or to others?”

PRAYER: Father God, first of all I admit that sometimes I am not patient enough and I cause a delay of Your answers by not being obedient to what You ask of me. Crush my conditional ways and expectation of how I want You to do things. Cripple the anxious and hard thoughts I have about myself and others which make me feel I am a disappointment to You or someone else even myself. Break any spirit of self-sufficiency or pride so there will be no microscopic residue of any chance for it to remain. Holy Spirit, I need Your presence to revive my heart to contriteness and align me with You to awaken a humble heart in me. I’m coming near to You, my Helper, because Scripture says You will, if I ask. I’m asking will You come? Will You reveal Yourself to me in a new way? Will You teach, train, correct, and rebuke me according to The Word You Inspired? Will You reappoint me and position me in who You say I am? Will You remove the weight of the guilt I’m confessing to You right now? Make me alive in the righteousness Jesus purchased for me, aware of what it cost Him and make Your home in me even the place I do not know I need You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

 

Day 3                                                              Read Isaiah 66:1-2; Luke 6:46; Philippians 2:12

            Friends, time is moving way too fast for me in recent days. I feel like it is speeding up and sometimes I’m not able to catch up. Has that been happening to any of you? In that there is Chronos time and Kairos time. Chronos is our chronological sequential time. Kairos is the opportune time, right moment or season which cannot be measured. Our life is a series of choices or potential proactive moments. Our subject today is trembling at His word. In our flag scripture it says, My referring to the Lord. Charles Spurgeon says this about those who fear the Lord and tremble at it: “they reverence the Word, who would not have a syllable of it touched, who regard it divine after its measure and therefore sacred the skirts of Deity and continue to tremble at it in their lifetime. Not to tremble is to not know Him.”

Sometimes this trembling may be physical where we shake, weep, or fall down as dead like John in Revelation, in the spirit. This quaking should be contagious and our weakness be made aware. When the power of God hits and we realize His majesty is abundant: we our undone as in Isaiah, Peter when he was convicted of his sin in the presence to the Messiah for the first time, and Nehemiah when he gets the burden of the walls in Jerusalem being destroyed. Do we care about working out our own salvation with fear and trembling? (Philippians 2:12) Charles Spurgeon calls this process “The refining fire of sacred truth, the endurance of the thundering and flaming fire of the Word of the Lord, and Jesus’s punishment of our sin at the forefront which we cannot reach without His assistance where unbelief has no place.” Did you know Martin Luther ‘s knees often knocked together when he preached in fear of not being faithful to the Word of God? Just a note, even when you read the Word read it aloud for God’s Word does not return to Him void but fulfills the purpose for which He alone has sent Isaiah 55:11. Prior to our flag verse, Isaiah 66:1 says, Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build for Me and where is the place of my rest? We are that house on a personal level and a corporate one, Amen? One whose life is worship where he is “enthroned in our heart and the footstool of our conscience”. Ummm, I am convicted because I am not there yet. Are you?

PRAYER: Father, let Your word daily search me and try me to know my anxious thoughts and emotions so I cannot be deceived in mind hearts or action or judge others by the same. Fill me with Your love so I will not vex nor offend You. Let Your Word instead offend/judge me to repentance. Take me through the shaking so as not to be unfaithful to Your Word. If you are not enthroned in my heart, I throw myself off of it and ask you to occupy it once more. Forgive where my ego has invaded the position of servanthood that strengthen me to choose to do right. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

Day 4                                                                          Read Isaiah 66:1-2

            I purposely waited until today to include the beginning of Isaiah 66 verse 2 it reads, On this one I will look (NAS). This one I will esteem….one who is_______ , has a _______ ________ and _______ ___ ___ _____.(NIV). If you are looking at someone, shouldn’t you be paying attention to, focusing on and engaging with them? Real quick esteem defined is what we place value on or give worth to. The Hebrew word “chasabh” is to think, reckon or value. Esteem is not the same as self-esteem though, self-esteem is how we value ourselves. Esteem is the value the Spirit of God places on us. Oh, friends how highly He thinks of us and longs to pay attention to and as John Bevere says, “chases after us.” How does this relate to unconditional obedience? In a nutshell it is the result of the 3 traits that follow it in the verse. I want to read to you a quote from one of my favorite devotionals by Pete Briscoe; “Someone who believes they are a sinner, saved by grace, tends to focus on sin management, more than pursuing intimacy with God. Managing it keep us down in the dumps. Our identity is not just of that sinner.”

Instead, we first need to be reminded that we are saints: a true believer of Jesus Christ made in His image and we still suffer the effects of sin in a fallen world. By His Grace, we are being transformed by the Holy Spirit as saints because we confess our sins and remember them no more. Second, our Heavenly Father sent Jesus so we could be reconciled back to His heart and life by His Spirit who yearns jealously to have continuous fellowship with us, you notice I did not say visit. I said continuous and constant. Do you yearn to be close to someone you never talk to? Can you build trust, accountability, respect and love that way? I know I cannot. There are no shortcuts to get close to Him. When we see the way, He sees us; we can do what He says without hesitation no what’s, why’s, and’s, ifs, or but’s about it.

Here is a very short list of ways God values you:

  1. He made you in His image (Genesis 1:27)
  2. He will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:15)
  3. He has plans for your future (Jeremiah 29:11)
  4. He loves us without measure. (Jeremiah 31:3)
  5. While you were a sinner Christ died for you. (Romans 5:8)
  6. He redeemed you with the precious blood of His Son. (1 Peter 1:18-19))
  7. He made you a new creature. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  8. He made you alive together with His Son (Ephesians 2:4-7)
  9. He made you Christ as ambassador. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
  10. He calls you, His child. (1 John 3:1)
 

PRAYER: Oh, how You Love me! Oh, how you Love me! Oh, how You love me! Oh, how you love without measure! Thank You Holy Spirit for giving value you to me in the image of Jesus Christ. Help me to not forget You and not get in the way of Your future for me. Bring to remembrance quickly my sin for I am redeemed through the blood of Your Son. You saw my frame and my newness before I ever did, because I’m alive together with Him. May my representation of you as Your ambassador, your daughter or son be constantly pursuing chasing intimacy with You by Your Spirit and let that closeness flow out to chase others. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

Day 5                                                  Read Isaiah 66:8-9; Isaiah 27:2; John 15:5; 2 Peter 1:5-9; Galatians 5:22-23

If you remember from the introduction, there is a cure for being able to maintain a Hannah church culture it’s called unconditional obedience. We just focused on the 4 aspects of it: humbleness, a contrite spirit, trembling at His word and esteem. The next 3 days, is centered on what encourages the development of that Hannah Church atmosphere of birthing a Reformation. First it must be authentic and strong enough to bear down when the time comes. The most concise definition for authentic is real, not false or a copy. Here’s a quote from Gary Neal Hansen,” authentic is not doing church but being the church. We are the church the body of Christ. Personal relationships result from corporate relationship in the church.” I want to point out something, there is one relationship in the corporate body, the relationship with Jesus and to carry out His mission mandate for His Body and its manifestation of it by the Holy Spirit. Relationships are the result of that one REAL relationship. I am going to challenge your thinking for moment because we perceive our personal relationships are establishing the corporate. I feel it’s the opposite combination which builds our authenticity.

  1. Eugene Levy says, “Are we authentic or really good at faking it? At Wednesday night Bible study, Pastor David made a comment on this subject that really resonated with me, “Is the church in real time in alignment with the Holy Spirit or not? Maybe the church has made itself so perfect it doesn’t really have to work.” Now I want to relate this to the bearing down part of our labor, without being too graphic, of a Hannah Church’s capability. To bear down in Webster’s dictionary says, to carry or transport someone or something down along something or to put forth one’s maximum effort or apply ones maximum concentration toward action. I’ll give you it’s spiritual context: Bearing down requires maximum strength or authentic spiritual muscle to bring forth the on fruit needed in birthing this Reformation. In Isaiah 66:9 it says, Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? As soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery says the Lord. O shall I who gives delivery shut the womb? Says your God. (Amplified version) Gills Exposition of the bible commentary on this verse as, “God will not shut the womb of a conversion until they are all brought to faith in Christ and repentance towards God. He will beget many more until all His gentile sons and daughters brought forth and brought in and all His promises to not cease from his work until this is complete.” What is the strength of our All-In-ticity (Marni’s -ism for authenticity), in the Hannah church corporately and second in our lives personally?

 

PRAYER: Oh Father God, we need you to keep us on mission of Your Son and the empowerment of You, Holy Spirit to build our authentic strength up to full capacity. You are vital to the development of our spiritual muscle. We will need this strength to carry this New Reformation, missionally full term. Forgive us when we have tried to make ourselves good at faking Jesus or playing church apart from Your presence. Holy Spirit have Your way. Even if it doesn’t look, taste, smell, feel or sound like we want. Purge what we are used to. We as a corporate body need just one thing You, Lord in common to bring in, Your presence, fullness, and the real glory undeniable to all. Holy Spirit we cry out for Your manifest presence, without it we will carry a lightless, gospel that cannot live in the now. In Jesus, Name, I pray Amen.
 

Day 6                                                                        Read Micah 2:12-13; Isaiah 26:18

 

Ok you guys I’m getting super excited about it this! I pray you are also. Our second characteristic of developing a Hannah church culture is that its prophetic. What does that even look like besides just prophecy being given? Since prophets are messengers who share/connect the heart and mind of God and reflect that through the nature of Jesus Christ in words, works and wonders by the Holy Spirit. A prophetic church does the same. This stage I call, birthing of spiritual children. In the natural delivery is messy, Pastor said. I like what Micah 2:13 (Amplified) says, the breaker [the Messiah who opens the way], shall go up before them [liberating them]. They will, break out, pass through, and go out; So, their King goes on before them. The Lord at their head. What we don’t want is giving birth to wind with much twisting and struggling, which does not accomplish the fruit of the gospel work of salvation for the earth (Isaiah 26:18). 5q central.com had the closest way the prophetic is demonstrated in our Hannah church:

  1. Deep Spirituality- We have passion for God’s heart, feels what the Holy Spirit feels. There is tangible accessible presence of God. People are really hungry to obey the Holy Spirit. We Have Intentional Expectant Listening which encourages confidence in God where they can hear from the Holy Spirit themselves.
  2. Inwards to each other- The Father’s heart is revealed in how we love each other and connect with His, so we are strong comforted, and encouraged. The presence of the Holy Spirit manifests in revelatory gifts (wisdom, knowledge, prophecy). We are servant hearted, intergenerational, and inclusive.
  3. Brings transformation out of the world: to our local and national community by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. Confronting powers and principalities. Truth is backed up with the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
Results of this is Healthy spiritual children ready to be cared for. This leads to our last characteristic caring for souls.
 
PRAYER: Lord, we come to You rendering our hearts and not our garments on behalf of all the spiritual children who have been aborted from Your hands. Forgive us, where we have not been the parents or family those kids needed. We repent our lack of diligence in doing everything possible to keep them alive and healthy spiritually, physically, or emotionally. We confess this is like giving birth to wind which has resulted in a spiritual barrenness. They are alive but are deficient or malnourished or unfruitful, and disconnected from the love of God. We cry out for a prophetic shift; Holy Spirit heighten our spiritual senses. We are desperate for Your mind and heart Father and a connecting message for a lost world. Holy Spirit impart your powerful evidence in, words and wonders in us. We ask for the anointing of the breaker to open the way and liberate the generations to follow. We need your revelation of wisdom knowledge and prophecy to oversee their development in becoming healthy, mature, and Holy Spirit filled. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

Day 7                                                                          Read Isaiah 10:27; Hosea 5:15-16

            YES! So Proud of you guys for following through to the end once more. What does caring for souls even look like? Let’s think about the postdelivery process. Afterbirth the babies need to cleaned up, fed, dressed in something warm and make sure they are healthy. Pastor David shared that caring for souls is helping make sure their life matches their destiny. It’s their birthright. Its teaching them how to go out to receive: their nourishment from The Word, Christ, accepting the Fathers love for them resulting in salvation and the confident powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit which breaks and destroys the yoke (Isaiah 10:27). Once they learn they can teach someone else to do the same.

            Hosea 5:15-16 reads, I will return to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress, earnestly Seek Me. Come let us return to the Lord, for he has torn us that he may heal us; he has struck us down and he will bind us up. I feel this verse sums up the unconditional obedience process of the last week. We first Humble ourselves in returning. Come with a repentant and contrite heart. We find His presence by earnestly fearing the Lord. In return, He chases us Then there is the Birthing process of a Hannah Church. In comparison to a delivery, there may be a tearing in bearing down (strengthening the muscle capability our authentic church with real obedience). In birthing His new Life/paradigm in us and others (we obey because we know God’s heart and mind) we will heal. Lastly, God will bind us up and care for us (clean us up, clothe us and nourish us to fulfill our destiny on His terms). Obeying God breeds endless possibilities. Until we do this again, Evangel family know I love you all and enjoyed so much sharing God’s heart with you.

This is how we will close the devotional:

This last prayer is song lyrics I wrote but never put to music, but My heart and spirit know how to sing it just fine. It’s called Carry Me:

Do you hear My Spirits voice speaking?              l           Yes, we hear Your voice speaking

Do you see My Spirits form coming in power?   l           Yes, we see Your form coming in power

Do you feel My Spirits womb quickening?          l           Yes, we feel Your womb quickening

Do you taste My Spirits rain refreshing?             l           Yes, we taste You rain refreshing

Do you sense My Spirits wind blowing?             l           Yes, we sense Your wind blowing

Spirit of God we need you, we breathe you, we see you. Pour out Your wisdom, knowledge power and revelation from Heaven’s throne and let it declare, Carry Me.

Spirit of God we love you, we long for you, we hear you. Bring forth your proclamation on the wind and rain of your refreshing presence. May it prophecy, Carry Me.

We carry Your breath so gentle. We carry Your love so unconditional. We carry Your power endowed from above. We carry Your strength incomparable. We carry Your word incorruptible. We speak, “Revive us until all the earth sees Your glory as the waters cover the sea.”

We sing the song You are birthing from within. Will go deeper, wider, higher and longer. Precious Lord, we will carry Your Spirit of Your son to the world.