Christ Is Your Life Blog Articles

THE TWO KINDS of KNOWLEDGE

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:52:08 GMT

There are two types of knowledge: Sense knowledge which rely on the five senses and revelation knowledge.

God cannot be understood by sense knowledge. Ephesians 3:1-5 says that by revelation there was made known to me (Paul) the mystery…..my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

A mystery according to Webster’s dictionary is a religious truth which must be understood by revelation alone without the mind or intellect. God can only be understood by revelation. When a person’s heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

There is a lack of revelation knowledge in the church, but there is a lot of sense knowledge and academic knowledge. An example of revelation knowledge is recorded in Matthew l6:13 when Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do the people say that the Son of man is?” They answered, ”Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.“ This was revelation knowledge. No man told Peter this. Jesus said, “Blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but My Father who is in heaven.”

Paul also declares that the gospel that he preached was not from any man but from God. Galatians 1:11-12 “For I would have you know brethren that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man nor was I taught it, but I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples, “You will see me no more. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will take of mine and show it to you. He will reveal truth to you, and that truth will become yours.” The Spirit of truth cannot be seen or received by the world because it does not know Him.

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Nicodemus saw the results of the Spirit of God moving. He said to Jesus, “No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.” He saw the evidence of an invisible power just as we can see the evidence of the wind blowing, but we cannot see the wind. Nicodemus had to move from the things seen to the things unseen. What Peter saw was spiritual knowledge. Spiritual things cannot be understood by the natural man.

I Corinthians 1:26-29. “For consider your calling, brethren that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised. God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. Base things are those that fall below ordinary human standards.

When Jesus told Peter, “Up on this rock I will build my church.” He was saying upon this understanding. All true believing is given by the Spirit. It is Spiritual knowledge and bears witness to the person.

James talks about human wisdom being earthly, natural, and demonic filled with jealousy, selfishness and greed. The wisdom we have is not of this world.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher, You do not have a chance of understanding unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to you. You cannot force a revelation on another person. The natural man is not just an unregenerated man.The natural man is the physically minded man.

COMMUNION

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:49:45 GMT

Communion, an interesting word. Actually, there are two words in the one word. They are COME and UNION.

An invitation to us from the Christ to enter into union with Him and His Father--no more separation.

Paul said in his writings, “You are dead and your life Is hid with Christ in God.”

Sin had separated us from God. Jesus came to remove that separation. We need never worry about being separated from the Lord. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Paul said in Romans Chapter 8 “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor power, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

Jesus prayed for us as recorded in John, Chapter 17. “I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil that is in the world for they are not of the world even as I am not of the world.”

Jesus always had His prayers answered so we are quite secure. No demon power can remove us from the love of the Father--isn’t that great!!

SATAN'S STRATEGY

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:37:32 GMT

Satan’s method of operation in order:

1. Deception of the mind.

2. Temptation to the flesh.

3. Accusation to the conscience.

4 Condemnation to the soul.

Exactly what Satan did to Adam and Eve in the Garden.

Satan only has the power of suggestion-nothing more.

Deception : To cause one to believe what is not true and to doubt and question what is true.

Adam and Eve entered into a state of sin consciousness which is a universal, spiritual, inferiority complex.

All of the above is remedied for the children of God by a new birth and transformation of the mind.as they study and meditate on the word of God

FATHER KNOWS BEST

warrenrogers@cox.net (Warren Rogers) — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 18:26:16 GMT

It is not the nature of the flesh to appreciate the value of Spiritual thoughts. It seems that only when flesh and blood are brought to the place of utter desolation that a divine appreciation is born within the human spirit.

How we ought to praise our heavenly Father for the trials and temptations that come our way — knowing that His promise IS that it will always end in a divine conclusion. He has said that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us and that He WILL perfect that which concerns us.

You see, in order for God's will to be done we must be purged from every desire that opposes Him. (That's really the only time that God's will is done.) The Father knows just how and when this is to be brought to pass.

It is through these "wilderness experiences" that we learn the most significant spiritual lessons. It is often when we are in the desert of human aloneness and seemingly isolated from the rest of the world that we can hear our heavenly Father talk to us, Sometimes we are not willing to bring ourselves to this solitary place of meditation, so our Father arranges things in such fashion that we are reminded once again of our need to seek His face.

We do not always like the process that brings us to this place of learning, but we may be comforted in the knowledge that ALL things do indeed work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. His purpose, of course, is that we be "conformed to the image and likeness of His dear Son" - Rom. 8:28-29.

Sometimes we forget just HOW our Father brought His first Son into conformity with His will.

We read in the Bible that He was A MAN of sorrows and acquainted with grief — He was tempted in His desires in all ways like we ourselves — He was lonely — despised and rejected of men -- He had emotions and even wept as we might today. Many times He found it necessary to withdraw Himself not only from the multitudes but His own disciples too, in order to pray and seek His Father’s will.

You see, the Father understands the weakness of all flesh -- He made it! He also knows just what must be done in order to conform us to His likeness while all the time strengthening our faith.

The Bible takes time to record that even Jesus, God's first Son, the captain of OUR salvation, the author and finisher of OUR faith, the first born among MANY brethren, LEARNED obedience through the things that He suffered - Heb. 5:8.

Jesus, the human Jesus, was not always aware of His Father's leading in His sufferings, perhaps even as we many times are not aware. His flesh did not necessarily enjoy the process of change any more than ours.

You see, obedience is the criteria here and disobedience is deeply rooted.in ALL flesh. That is WHY in order for man to learn the things of God, his flesh must be subjected to a certain kind of suffering. It is this suffering we are talking about that brings about the will of the Spirit in our lives. Jesus experienced this suffering, for He spoke from the same place of conflict when He said "The Spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak" - Matt. 26:41. Paul says in Romans 8:3 that Jesus came in the "likeness" of sinful flesh. So, you see, the flesh is not really the answer, it is just a part of the problem: that is as long as it is not under the control of the Spirit. In fact, that's all a problem really is, just something that is not yet under the control of the Spirit. Quite simple, isn't it? Maybe we should yield "right away".)

About this suffering thing: the Bible says that IF we suffer with Christ we will also REIGN with Him, It sounds like it is saying, "no suffering, then no reigning". Some today would like us to believe that suffering, any kind of suffering, is absolutely unnecessary. I can't buy that!

The Apostle Paul must have derived the same kind of SPIRITUAL BENEFIT through his sufferings. He must have seen some sort of purpose in it even to the extent that he sounded these most unusual words..."That I might KNOW Him and the power of His resurrection AND the FELLOWSHIP of His SUFFERINGS being made CONFORMABLE to His death" - Phil. 3:10.

Wow! That’s a pretty difficult statement to make, let alone understand, Why in heaven’s name, if a Christian is to escape ALL manner of suffering, would Paul want to fellowship or share in the sufferings of Christ? I thought that Jesus came to deliver the human race from suffering. I thought that one did not have to suffer. I supposed that suffering, any kind of suffering, was a sign of spiritual weakness and ignorance on the part of the believer. 1 thought that if you were to read "Seven Steps to Victory" by Dr. Know It All , one didn't have to suffer.

I thought that all suffering was supposed to be of the Devil and any one who suffered in any way, shape, or form was living far below their God given privileges. Surely, any one that suffers must be out of the will of God and lacking in faith!

Evidently, neither Peter, Paul, James, John or Jesus, who all either wrote or spoke about suffering and trials, had not been fortunate enough to get their hands on the right cassette tape series. They must not have known better.

Question: Could there be a certain kind of suffering that is JUST AS MUCH a part of the will of God as being healed? Seems to me that the Bible speaks an awful lot about trials and temptations accompanying the Life of the believer. Even Jesus mentioned a cross for EVERY ONE to bear. You don't hear much about that to¬day though. It seems that in order to be in tune one must be a heavy advocate of health, wealth and prosperity, or he is out of rhythm.

Maybe there is another side to the coin that flesh and blood does not like to hear.

Even Peter said some of the strangest things about suffering. Perhaps what he said, according to some of our modern day seminar teachers, was way out of context. Maybe the Holy Ghost didn't give him his material. Perhaps he wasn't fortunate enough to have attended one of our modern theological seminaries. Maybe he didn't have a Bible dictionary or an analytical concordance. Maybe he didn’t know anything about Greek or expository preaching. Perhaps he had forgotten to memorize the fundamental principles of "Victorious Living".

Here are some of the things he said about this matter of suffering — listen! "For as much then AS Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin (no wonder flesh wants nothing to do with suffering) — THAT he no longer should live the rest of his time (the time he has left) in the flesh, to the will of man, but to. THE WILL OF GOD. Beloved, think it NOT strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some STRANGE (out of the ordinary) thing has happened to you.

But rejoice in as much as you are partaking of CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS. After you have suffered a while, God will make you perfect and establish, strengthen and settle you. Wherefore let them that suffer ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD " According to what? I Peter 4:1-2.

It sounds like suffering, a certain KIND of suffering, is just as much the will of God as having a Devil cast out. Could it be that there is a particular God ordained suffering that is used to bring ones will into subjection and conformity to the will of the Spirit of God? Aren’t flesh and Spirit contrary one to the other?

If, according to the Bible, Jesus LEARNED obedience BY the things He suffered, then He must not have known what the Father required of Him until He was trained in the things of the Spirit. You do not need to learn something you already know — it is only that which one does not know that he must learn.

The Apostle Paul wrote another thing about this thing called obedience. He said that we are to "cast down (dethrone) imaginations and EVERY high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge (Word) of God and bring into captivity EVERY thought to the OBEDIENCE of Christ". He said that this is HOW obedience is fulfilled ~ II Cor. 5:4-6.

It was Paul who also said^ "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you PRESENT your bodies a living SACRIFICE (how the flesh abhors sacrifice), holy, acceptable unto God, which is YOUR reasonable service: and BE NOT conformed to the worlds system, but be YE transformed by the RENEWING of your mind, that you may understand what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, WILL OF GOD - Rom. 12:1-2. Renewing of the mind IS the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

You see, until we learn to PRESENT our bodies in obedience to the Lord (actually presenting of our bodies IS obedience to the Lord) and to lead every thought captive, suffering will be the inevitable tool that God will use to help bring this about. Someone once said, "God does not use force, but He certainly knows HOW to make you willing". The Scriptures say that the way of the transgressor is hard and as the sparks fly upward man was born for trouble.

Suffering in the flesh is the Father’s way of redeeming the spirit and bringing man’s will into conformity with His will. Even Paul once said that he had delivered a man’s flesh to Satan’s control that the spirit might be saved. The Bible clearly states, "The wrath of God IS revealed from heaven AGAINST TVLL ungodliness". It also says, "Tribulation and anguish upon EVERY soul of man that does evil, but glory, honor and PEACE to EVERY man that works good" - Rom. 1:17; 2:9-10.

It must be clearly understood that when the Bible speaks of suffering, it does not necessarily mean to suffer from sickness or disease or some kind of physical disablement.

The kind of suffering the Bible speaks of here is the kind of suffering that belongs exclusively to the believer. The world does not experience this kind of suffering. This kind of suffering comes from the conflicting and contrary desires that are at war within the believer. The reason for this conflict is because man HAS been made a new creature and that new creature is at work within him and wants to gain control of his mind. If there were only one entity, there would be no struggle. Actually, it is God and the Devil fighting it out for control of man's will through his mind. Man yields to whomever he chooses. The Bible plainly identifies this as ".the sufferings and afflictions of Christ"

You may remember Paul mentioning this kind of suffering when he wrote about the struggle between the FLESH and the SPIRIT - Gal. 5:16-17. He said that they are CONTRARY (in opposition) to one another and they strive to gain control of man's mind. Actually, you might say there is a civil war going on within man. This causes the most painful of all battles until the will is conquered and brought once again into subjection to the Spirit of God. Remember when we said that a problem is just something that is not yet under the control of the Spirit? Jesus Lord .

FOR CHRISTIANS and NON-CHRISTIANS ONLY

warrenrogers@cox.net (Warren Rogers) — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 18:15:15 GMT

What do you turn to in time of need? Do you follow just any old suggestion that comes to mind? A lot of people do. I know of many precious souls who seem to lack direction to their lives be¬cause they just aren't willing to recognize that they are not capable of handling their problems. If we could only realize (real eyes) this, we would stop trying to deal with them and turn them over to our heavenly Father who both wants and is willing to carry the load. The Bible puts it this way, '*Cast thy burden on the Lord and will sustain thee" - Ps. 55:22. Jesus says, "Come unto me all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". Why? "Because my yoke is easy and my burden is light" - Matt. 11:28. May I put it in my own words without re¬moving any of the sanctity? Come to Him everyone of you who are floundering, failing and anxiously striving in the weakness of your human nature, you who are burdened down with earthly cares that hang about thy neck as a great and heavy yoke; take upon thee instead the divine nature (nurture) that can and will sustain you in all of your ways and the promise is thy day so shall be thy strength ’’.

The Bible in so many different ways encourages us to PUT our trust in the Lord. Even King David said in Psalm 33:17, "A horse is a vain thing for safety". We are asked to acknowledge the Lord ways and then He will take it upon Himself to direct our paths, Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and the righteousness that is of Him, and then He will add all else to our lives". Matt. 6:33. It’s so simple, but how we often com¬plicate our thinking. We depend too much upon our own minds.

We have, as it were, entered into a contract or an agreement with God in Christ. Sometimes we get our thoughts mixed and fail to distinguish our work from His. Sometimes we want God to do ours and then at other times we try to do His, We forget that the whole basis of Christianity is trust and that God cannot do ours and we cannot do His. It's in the agreement, and agreements are no good if the ones involved do not keep their word. Jesus says, "You seek me and continue to think on the things that are in my kingdom (that's our part) and I will provide all of your needs according to my riches in Glory, whatever they may be" (that’s His part). Of course, there are earthly responsibilities we must assume; God knows that, but they are not to be magnified above heavenly things. It is often said that we are not to be "so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good". But what about being so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly good? My ex¬perience is that more people are worried about falling into the first category than the second, I've met a lot of people who are earthly minded, but I find it a rare thing to meet anyone who is heavenly or Spiritually minded, even in church, if you please.

It appears to me there is little danger about going overboard with Jesus in most people's lives. I think they are quite secure.

If we are going to magnify something, I believe it would be wise if we took the Psalmist* advice who says, "Come now and let us magnify the Lord together" - Ps. 34:3. We are bound to magnify something 1

So what do you turn to in time of need? Do you turn to that which helps you and sustains you, or do you consider that which only ends up delaying your answer? Is Satan leading you on??

People are all different, not any one of them are alike. They have different tendencies or different grooves of thought. They turn to different things when they become lonely, frustrated, bored, or just plain discouraged. You see, human beings are sub¬ject to many different kinds of emotions. More often then we should, we allow our emotions to rule us and make us slaves to our feelings. Feelings are good and were created by God to be our servant, but when things are turned around, it can become quite a problem. In fact, that’s what a problem really is—just something turned around. It can become heli on earth. Have you ever noticed that "evil" is really "live" spelled backwards?

It all began with Adam and Eve when they obeyed Satan. When feel¬ings and desires became their master, so did Satan. Satan took control of their emotions and they became ego motions—motions motivated by their ego. They became a curse born of selfishness rather than a blessing, but then that’s always the way it is when we yield our emotions to Satan. Ever notice the difference when God has them as compared to the other side I Fear is an emotion and so is peace. Joy is an emotion and so is sorrow. See the difference? It's just a matter of which spirit has control of you—who you yield to. They are just the opposite in nature.

One is the Spirit of God, the other the spirit of Satan. That's how simple it is. Jesus said, "The THIEF comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but I have come that you may have Life abundantly" - John 10:10, The child of God can yield his emotions to the Spirit of happiness “Christ if he wants. He doesn’t have to "pursue" happiness like the world teaches. It's already within him; all he has to do is develop or cultivate an awareness of his posses¬sion. He can do this by magnifying and acknowledging the Lord, not by magnifying and talking about the problem. Try it I It works; whether you emphasize the negative or the positive, you will get immediate results—what we sow, we will reap. And we don't have long to wait for the harvest. You might say that to live dominated by your feelings is living backwards or turned around, and the scriptures say the way of the transgressor is hard. We were not created to live backwards (evil) but front¬wards (live)—our back on our problems and our face in the di¬rection of the Lord- The Psalms say, "They looked unto Him and their faces were lightened, and they were not ashamed" - Ps. 34:5. If you face the Light, the shadows will be behind you, but if you turn your back on the Light, then you must face the shadows. No wonder Jesus said, "Get thee behind me Satan". Some people say we must face our problems, but they don't tell you how to cope. You do it by facing the Lord, and then He will take care of the problem. We are to overcome evil (darkness) with good and ONLY GOD, according to Jesus, is good.

People lean in different directions when they have problems.

Some think of drink when things get rough? others turn to physical activity to drown out their loneliness or boredom. Sometimes they turn to other people in order to discuss their problem. They for¬get that what they really need is for God to talk to their'Spirit so they may "Live'* and learn that God cannot be found in these other things . Inevitably there will come a reckoning (Rom. 6) day when they must learn the truth that David learned when the scripture records a great milestone in his life. It simply states, "And David encouraged HIMSELF in the Lord". There just wasn't anyone else around that could do it for him. And anyway, it wouldn't last any other way.

Well, I guess the question now is, "Where can a person get help that will last and is there really any such thing"?? I suppose that we have all asked these questions at one time or another when we were very preoccupied with the problem at hand, when maybe we should have been putting it under our foot. I wonder if maybe the real problem has been that we too often look for our answer in the wrong thing. The answer, if we are ever to approach things from a sober point of view, must be admittedly recognized as not to be found in drink, or doing, or people, or places, or things; but in Christ and Christ alone. I like that song that says, "There is no disappointment in Jesus, He is ALL that He promised to be".

THE WORD OF FAITH WHICH WE PREACH

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 16:04:14 GMT

In the knowledge of God’s Spirit is conveyed His Power and Ability.

God is in His knowledge; God is Spirit, Knowledge, Power, and Faith.

With God’s knowledge comes wisdom, or the ability to use this knowledge as it can be productive and creative in your life and in the lives of others.

When one speaks according to the knowledge that God gives, he is giving voice to the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto deliverance to anyone who believes.

It will deliver anyone that receives it and believes it, for it is God’s power.

This is speaking as an oracle of God. It is as thought God spoke.

When God speaks, His Word is performed.

The one who ministers the Gospel of Christ represents God, so therefore God must be his ability.

Because the Gospel is Truth, you have the ability to back up the words that you speak.

You cannot separate God’s Spirit, which fills the Gospel of Christ, from Faith, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Deliverance. He is all of these to us and for us.

The Gospel of Christ is saturated with all of these things, for the Spirit says in 1 Cor 3:1 that the Gospel is the image, or expression of God.

Wisdom, faith, healing, and deliverance are all given to you through the Gospel of Christ.

The Gospel is God expressed to the heart of man.

The world was framed by the Word of God. The same Word and ability that formed the world and brought it into existence is released from the lips of the one that proclaims the Gospel. (Notice I said Gospel, not theories, or someone’s opinions.) The Word of Faith, creating out of things that are not seen, the things that are now seen.

When one speaks according to Spiritual Knowledge (God’s knowledge), the same power that was drawn upon when the world was created again goes into action. The very same Word with the same Eternal Power.

The never changing Word with His unchanging power to perform.

The ability of Love, fulfilling the needs of those who put a demand upon the Living Christ.

1958

God’s Oracle

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 17:18:38 GMT

I think a lot of people have a hard time being a friend, not that they do not want to be friendly. It’s just that they don’t know how.

To be a friend I think that we should learn to assess the needs of the other person and then be to them what they need. It seems that quite often we think the other fellow needs just the thing that we have to give, merely because we believe that it is right and it works for us. Maybe this is true and maybe it isn’t, but we should be sure before we talk.

Sometimes we are apt to talk at great length to someone, and have a sincere desire to be a friend within our heart, and the only impression we get across is that we are “preachy” and think we have all the answers. This isn’t true in a lot of cases, but if the one to whom we are talking thinks it is, then all of our effort is lost. Our good intentions somehow didn’t get through.

There are many people who are lonely, people who know the Lord and people who don’t know the Lord. There are many people with heartaches--people who know the Lord and people who don’t know the Lord. All of them need friends, but not all of them know how to be a friend.

Being a friend is everyday living, not just sometimes when you visit someone. Wives and husbands and children need friends, and being a friend is everyday living right in the home.

A man comes home from work. Whether he has worked hard or not doesn’t really matter. He’s been away a long time and the time is twice as long if he loves his family. He comes home and he likes to have his wife “talk to his heart.” Sometimes this isn’t done with just words--it’s done with, maybe a touch or a look, or it maybe the tone of voice that carries the message. The tone, the look, or the attitude communicates more effectively than words. It’s the same with a man. He can growl or kick the cat, or he can be understanding of his wife’s needs. She’s had a hard day too.

And it’s the same with others. We must learn to understand their needs. Sometimes there is more communication in silence than ten thousand words no matter how well intended they were. What people want and need is to know they have a friend, not a phonograph.

I think this kind of understanding should be the aim of every Christian. He can tell others of Christ more effectively if he learns when to be silent and just be around, and when to talk, and what to say. Too many people have been turned from the church and discounted Christianity because all people knew how to do was talk. They didn’t know how to listen or just say, “How are the kids” Or, “Boy, I’m tired, how about you?” Or maybe just be quiet and be available. Their heart was in it, but they talked without knowing the need that was to be supplied.

To be a friend is the greatest joy we can experience. To be a Christian is the basis of all life; but to share this gift of love with someone else brings a joy that knows no bounds. Being a Christian is not just going to church and singing songs, and listen¬ing to the preacher, and telling someone else what they should do, but being a Christian is washing the dishes, washing the car, going to work, cleaning the house, visiting the lonely, and just being a friend everyday.

About the Liar

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 03:39:11 GMT

There is a liar. His name is Satan. Of Course, he does not like us to know this. If we should find out that he is a liar, no one will believe him; and if no one will believe him, he becomes powerless and ineffective. He is powerless anyway; but to those who do not know this, he is very effective. However, this does not change the fact that he is a liar.

This Satan subtly hid his motive from the eyes of Adam and Eve one day causing them to fall into utter spiritual darkness. He told them they would learn good and evil if they would obey his words. They learned, but Satan never told them that when they did they would also die (spiritually) even as God had said. Adam and Eve became captives of the liar. Satan slew them through their minds. Adam's mind became blinded by the god of this world. By the way, Satan never told adam and Eve who he was. He didn't want them to know. That's why he was succesful at taking them captive.

Now there is one called Christ who exposed the liar. He equips you so that you are not ignorant of the devil's devices. There is an example in the Bible of how this Christ uncovered Satan and showed men where sin, sickness, infirmity, insanity, and the like came from. He said it this way, "Ought not this woman whom Satan has bound be loosed?" --Luke 13:16. And another time, He said, "If I with the finger of God cast out Satan..."--Luke 11:20. Again he exposed the liar. Man, blinded by Satan, thought his trouble was what his mind classified as sickness. Jesus had Spiritual knowledge and called it what it really was-- THE WORK OF SATAN. Jesus exposed the source again.

This Christ (Truth) stops the mouth of the liar. This is because Christ reveals the truth about God, the truth about man, and the truth about Satan. This truth cancels all lies. In fact, he cannot even exist!

Satan looks upon being known or recognized as the liar with much distaste. When one is brought to the realization that Satan is a liar and he recognizes (discerns) his lies, Satan's potency is swept from his hands. Actually, he doesn't have any, but he doesn't like us to know that.

You see, the instrument used by the liar is the carnal mind. That's something that man has never been told. He has never known that it even existed. Satan doesn't want him to know either (Rom 8:6-7, 2 Cor 4:4).

Satan does not like the truth to be told about himself, for he refuses to believe it. He doesn't want you to either.

Satan just won't face up to it. He realizes that it is so much his nature to lie, that if he were to make a promise to himself, he could not keep it. That, you see, is because he was made to do nothing but lie.

Satan has a complete lack of integrity. There is not truth in him! Satan doesn't like us to know this, but he does not really have anything true to back up what he says. For instance, he has been the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10). Because of our justification (righteousness) in Christ, he has nothing LEGAL against us--only his lies.

God's word reveals Satan's avenue of approach (the mind) when He says, "I fear lest any means as the serpent (Satan) beguiled Eve through his subtlety so too your mind might be corrupted from the freedom and simplicity that is given you in Christ." --2 Cor 11:3. He is the one that lies to our mind and when we allow our imagination to run rampant and wild, pushed and driven by those lies. He is the one who is responsible (the source) of all sin, worries, sicknesses, cares, and anxieties. He will never tell you this so don't bother to ask him. You can believe God's word though because it came from the mouth of the Christ-- "SATAN IS A LIAR..."--John 8:44.

Satan is the one that goes about LIKE a roaring lion seeking whose mind he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). The Bible uses the word like a roaring lion . He is not a roaring lion. this is just to show you the eagerness to devour your mind. But you can remember one thing--he is defeated and Christ holds the chain that harnesses him (1 John 3:8, Col 2:15).

You see, Satan's lies are the absolute sum total of nothing. When he suggests to you defeat, that's a lie. When he tells you that you are not righteous, that's a lie. Everything he suggests is a lie. Everything he gives birth to is a lie.

Satan is just a talker. He's the master salesman in a crooked department store. You must first buy his product. He sells cares and perplexities for you peace and joy. He thinks it's an even exchange. He needs you in order to be effective and to get rid of his merchandise. You have to watch him because you can't trust him and you always end up being shortchanged. A lot of times, this salesman brings something to your attention when he really has in mind selling you something else. Maybe he will offer you thoughts of pleasure and care when really he's dipping deeper into your pocket for your soul. Yes, Satan is a talker, but if you don't have a mind to listen, he speaks into the air. We have the mind of Christ. (See 1 Cor 2:16).

He knows that the success of his influence is dependent upon how well he can convince someone of the truth of what he says, while all the time he knows that he cannot tell the truth. He's like a confidence-man and he wants your confidence; he wants to seduce you into the realm of reason and encourage you to reason things out. He can put up a pretty good argument as long as he can keep you within the realm of materialistic thinking.

The success of Satan's efforts depends wholly upon deception, deceit, subtlety. He hides behind a clock of unrighteousness fearing to be exposed.

This is why Jesus came--to unveil God and the light of His presence shove Satan out in the open. Jesus came and pointed out with the finger of God the source of all man's trouble. Satan knew if he were to work effectively, he must not make himself obvious; he must remain incognito (hidden).

The Spirit of Truth came and is here to reveal good from evil--(God from Satan). Man for the first time can see the difference with the eyes of the Spirit and exercise proper judgement. Satan is exposed and the man in Christ can recover himself from the devil's snare, because he can now see the way out--he can see Christ. the man in faith, in Christ, has a spiritual eye to see the source of trouble he has the eye to see God. the man in Christ now knows what Satan promised him and hid from him (2 Cor 4:4). He is now equipped to shun the appearance of evil, resist the devil, and wait it the confidence of his God.

God + Jesus + You = One

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:53:32 GMT

There is not such a great gulf between those who believe the doctrine of the Trinity and those who believe that God is one. The doctrine of the Trinity opens the door to harmony by saying, “These three are one.” The Trinity tries hard to explain God but it runs into the same difficulty that has always been encountered when explaining the things of God--carnal understanding. Flesh just can’t know the things of God (1Cor. 2: 11). Trinity is inadequate and admits it! After fashioning minds to accept the “Personages” of God they turn around and in effect say, it wasn’t so because these three are one.

The doctrine of “oneness” stops short of things too. They feel that the one and only God is Jesus Christ and that is His name! It is true this is the only name by which we know God. You see, God never had a name, but God is not contained in a name either.

I would like to suggest that we look further into what the Bible says in regard to “Oneness.” I know of no other word to use; but by using the term “Oneness,” I do not refer to the doctrine of Oneness. I might as well define what I do mean. Oneness is not only Jesus being made one with God, but it is the believer being made one with God as well. The understanding of this is where the flesh falls short every time.

I feel the truth of this Oneness is quite evident throughout the Bible. Jesus prayed to the Father and said, “That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me and I in thee, that they also maybe one in us.”--John 17:21. There is no thought of merely being “in accord with” or of having a “singleness of purpose” as some would have us believe. One is just a number, not many, just one. So when I use the term “Oneness,” that is what I mean.

It is my desire that these words will help to establish harmony between those two groups of people who believe the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of Oneness. These words are meant to “put together” not “take apart.” I can put together only by talking about the Spirit of God, because it is only in the Spirit that we are made one. Here, again, I must define my words: Spirit is God--not part of God, but all of God. The Spirit is the Father God that Jesus represented.

“In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”-- John 1:1. There is no disputing the fact that Jesus was the Word because the Bible plainly states, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”--John 1: 14. In Jesus dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form (Col. 2:9). It is extremely difficult for me to consider how God, the Father (as a person) could dwell within God, the Son, another person, but I can understand a Spirit dwelling in a person.

“And the Word was God.” The Word,” (Logos in the Greek) does not suggest a person. God is not so easily defined. Logos is a dynamic thought, not man’s thought. It is the dynamic, or expression of Divine thought, that existed in the beginning that was made manifest to us in the form of the flesh so we could see it. “We beheld His Glory…”--John 1: 14. When I look to the flesh, the only thing I can see is Jesus. It is not the flesh that is God; it is that which is in the flesh--the motivating force (Spirit) that is God. God entered the flesh because through Jesus He could express Himself in such a manner that man could understand.

God dwelt in Jesus. Jesus’ flesh was made alive by God. Herein He was the Son of God. The believer’s flesh is also made alive because God dwells in the believer (Rom 8: 11). The same thing that made Jesus the Son of God makes us the Son of God.

There came a time when Jesus gave Himself up to the Father. He is no longer in the flesh; he gave that up so we might also become Sons. While He was in the flesh, God was in Him reconciling the world to Himself. Now He has committed unto us the words of reconciliation (2 Cor.5 19). As God worked in Christ, He now works in us, both planning and doing what He desires (Phil. 2:13. We can look to Jesus in the flesh and see Him as the Son; and because we are flesh we can see, and in a measure, comprehend the great compassion and love that He showed forth to those about Him. But because we believe Him, we have received a new dimension of Life by God’s Spirit dwelling within us. We have the privilege and favor of being with Him in the place of glory that was His when only God was, or as the Bible says, “Before the world was.”-- John 17:5. This is the place of our Spiritual abiding; it is the place in the Father’s house that Jesus prepared for us. It is the place in which He received us to Himself so we could be where He is. It is the fulfillment of this prayer that He expressed to the Father, “Father, I WILL that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.--John 17:24

All of this transpires in God. This Oneness is in the Spirit--it is not in the flesh. In the flesh I am a Son of God, with God’s Life in me. But when one sees his position in God, he will inevitability come to the conclusion that God is all in all and that in Him we have all been made one (Eph 1: 10).

Jesus spoke in recognition of two things. He spoke, recognizing His position as a Son in the flesh, and He spoke recognizing His Oneness with God in the Spirit. Consider these remarks: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30, or “Before Abraham was, I AM.”--John 8:58, or “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”--John 14:9. These are Spiritual facts because they recognize a position found only in God. Then speaking from His position in the flesh, as a Son of God, He said, “All that the Father hath told me, I have told you.”--John 15:15; and again, “The words I speak are not my own, but the Father who dwells in me.”--John 14: 10. There are many words which Jesus uttered that become understandable only when we consider this duality within Jesus, but to suggest the thought is, for the moment, enough.

Jesus reigned as the Son, until He put all enemies under His feet--even death (1 Cor.15:26). When God raised Jesus from the dead, He gave Him an incorruptible body so at this time there did exist two Gods—God, the Father, and God, the Son. Let’s consider these things for a moment: Jesus was resurrected from the dead. He had a material body. It was one having form and substance--it was not Spirit. He was emphatic about that. He said, “A Spirit does not have flesh and bone as ye see me have.”--Luke 24:39. Death no longer had any power over Him, He now could live forever. Jesus could have restored the Kingdom to Israel or do anything He wanted to because He had triumphed over all things. He was Lord of all (Acts2:36). Jesus had received the nature of God, the Life of God, the power of God. He literally was all of God in the flesh (Co1.2:9). But there was a God who was Spirit too!

What would have happened if this condition continued? To understand this you must understand somewhat of the nature of man. The Bible is quite plain when it comes to exposing at least one of the weaknesses of the flesh. Flesh CAN NOT SEE, nor will it BELIEVE, anything outside its own realm (Rom 8: 7). Therefore flesh can’t understand or believe God, who is Spirit. Jesus could have remained in the flesh and all men would have flocked to Him. They would have beheld His miracles, and argued His wisdom, but THEY WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THE FATHER GOD, who is Spirit. No man can truly know Jesus without knowing God! Yet there were those who claimed to know Him. “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” By their very words they showed forth their ignorance of who Jesus really was. Jesus said if they had known the Father they would have known Him; but because they knew Jesus only AFTER THE FLESH, they did not know the Father. Had Jesus continued to exist in the flesh, no man would have known God. Although the fullness of God dwelled within the body of Jesus, man did not see God; they only saw another man, one possessed of powers beyond their comprehension, but a man nevertheless. They did not perceive the Spirit.

The whole plan of God would have crumbled at this point if Jesus had not given Himself to the Father. Jesus was to reconcile man unto God and man was not reconciled. His place of abiding was not yet prepared. The Holy Spirit (God) did not dwell within man. Here is the paradox that would have happened if Jesus had stayed “in the flesh.” Men would have believed Him because of His works--things they could see. This is the thing that Nicodemus based his belief on (John 3:2). But because Jesus spoke not of Himself, but of God, men could not believe because God is Spirit and no man can understand the things of God--only the Spirit knows the things of God (1 Cor.2: 11). So Jesus had to go away if man was ever to know and abide in God. The fullness of God dwelled within Jesus, and only Jesus. Had Jesus remained in the flesh, no man could ever have had the Life of God within Him because God had already committed Himself. He had given Himself to this man Jesus in whom He was well pleased. He was satisfied. He had found the man worthy of His love.

God loved the world to such an extent that He gave Jesus over to Satan (death) and let Him go through the torments of hell, just so we would not have to taste the penalty of sin. What a tremendous thing this is! He was forsaken by God, which IS the penalty of sin, then God raised Him from the dead and rescued Him from hell. He gave Him authority over all things and in effect said, “It’s up to you.” Now the final test of love was up to Jesus. God had lifted Him up above all principalities and all power and made Him Lord of all. He could have established Himself in this world or He could have established us in God. He desired that we know God as He knew Him, so His prayer was, “Make them one, Father, EVEN AS we are one.”--John 17:21

He tried to explain this to the disciples. He said that He was in the father and the father was in Him (John 14:10). Jesus knew the futility of trying to make the disciples understand this amazing thing, but He told them about it anyway. “I have told you about these things before they come to pass so that when they come to pass, you might believe.”--John 14:29. He said that the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things (John 14:26). He would bring to mind the words that they were hearing now and they would understand. “At that day,” Jesus said, “Ye shall know that I am in the Father, and He is in me, and I am in you.”--

John 14:20. In order for this to happen He had to go to the father. This is what He had started to tell His Disciples. It was disturbing news to them. They sensed a termination of their relationship with Jesus in the flesh; but they had no inkling of the NEW, and more COMPLETE LIFE, that was in store for them in the Spirit, and they were troubled.

“Let not you heart be troubled,” Jesus said, “You believe in God, believe also in me. I go to prepare a place for you and when it is prepared I will come again and receive you unto myself so that where I am there you may be also.”--John 14:3. But Jesus knew that when He left, the world would see Him no more. He also knew why He was going to give Himself over to the Father, (no man can see God). But He also knew (as no one else had ever known, because He experienced it) that when God had given a man Spiritual Life He also gave him Spiritual eyes. So He told His disciples, “In a little while ye shall see me no more, and yet, in a little while ye shall see me because I go to My Father. Because I live you shall live also.”--John 16:16. He promised them, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.” Then He told them plainly, “It is necessary for your sake that I go away because if I don’t go away the comforter will not come”--John 16:7

If the Comforter did not come, we could never have the Life of God. There would be no such thing as a New Birth because that comes only because Jesus prepared our dwelling place in God. Had the Holy Spirit not come, we could never have known the things of God (1 Cor.2:12), but Jesus did go away! The world will see Him NO MORE, but we see Him because where He is, there we are also. We can behold His Glory because we are hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). Listen to the words of the Bible: “And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him that God may be All in All.”--1 Cor.15:28) This has already been done! All things were put under Jesus feet!

This is the ultimate--One God! Man has come into the knowledge of the One God by Jesus Christ. God extended Himself into the realm of flesh by Jesus Christ and man’s ears heard God’s Word from His lips. He came from God and we called Him the Son of God. Remember Jesus had said that the Father is greater than I. He returned to God so that we might know beyond all doubt that there is but One God. He came from God and He returned to God (Spirit) so that we might be one with God. He returned to God so that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (God Himself), could dwell within us and we would know no division!

Had Jesus not given Himself to the Father, there would have been two Gods--one Spirit and one flesh. Man cannot worship two Gods! One cannot worship the man Jesus and worship God at the same time. “God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”-- John 4:23. Jesus was the first born among many brethren; and because of His love for us, we are made accepted in the beloved. We live in the Father because Jesus lives in the Father. He has given us the Holy Spirit so we may know that all He has said is true. This is our guarantee!

I hope now that you have begun to see how Jesus has taken us beyond the limits of persons and places and things and placed us in Himself. The Bible says that we are not of this world even as Jesus was not of this world (John 17: 14). Our Life is no longer of the flesh--flesh divides, and we are not divided. Flesh cannot please God--that’s why we are new creatures (literally a new creation). We are made this way because God dwells in us. “Ye are not in the flesh if so be the Spirit of God dwells in you.”--Rom 8:9. It is through Jesus that we entered into oneness in God. Jesus said, “No man cometh to the Father but by me.”-- John 14:6. He gave Himself to the Father that God maybe the only God. Then because Jesus asked Him, God gave Himself to everyone who believes Jesus. Because we believe, we have entered into God!

There should be no contention between those who believe the doctrine of the Trinity and those who believe that God is One. Our understanding of God should go beyond the limits of the flesh and be enlightened by the only God, who is Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is a good place to start; but not to stop. We must go further! If Jesus had stopped and not given Himself to God, no man could have eternal life. On the other hand, had He not been a faithful Son, we would not have an abiding place in God. My desire is that we know the Son and His relation to the Father, that we will understand the love that caused the Son to give Himself to the Father; and above all, that we today, right now, KNOW AND ACCEPT OUR POSITION IN GOD!

There should be harmony with our brethren who believe that God is One. They too must go on to understand that as God is One so are they, in Christ.

To be one with God is the miracle of Salvation. We are made to be a NEW CREATION while we are yet in this mortal body. We must reckon ourselves to be dead to sin. We must consider our lives (our desires in this world) to be no more, because it is God who is now working in us. He plans what is to be done, and He is the only one who can do it. He is our place of rest. When we are willing to listen to God and let Him work, when we are willing to say, “Not my will, but thine be done,” we are in a position to learn more of God than we can ever imagine.

A Matter of Heart

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:43:06 GMT

It's very necessary that we keep our honesty and integrity before the Lord. This is our standing before the Spirit of God, not before man.

Wrong is never done first in the flesh; it has its origin in our spirit.

There are quite a few people who do not understand this fact. They take great pride in directing the activities of their bodies--“self discipline”--they call it. Yet their spirit goes its own free way.

The man who lives before God must live before Him in his spirit, because God is a Spirit. When a man is honest in himself and consciously lives in the presence of God, then he finds that the habits and actions of his body will begin to conform with the purpose of his heart. That’s when we begin to show to others that God can change a man. But this understanding that God is a Spirit and that our responsibility is to Him, must come first.

At one time it seemed to man that God was only concerned with what he did. He thought that it was perfectly all right to think whatever he wanted to as long as he controlled his actions. That’s the fallacy of man’s thinking.

The Psalmist began to see the truth when he said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart (or spirit) be acceptable in thy sight...” Jesus taught it very clearly in what we call “The Sermon on the Mount.” Read Matthew 5:27 and 28 and see what I mean. God expects us to pay attention to what He says. Then when we hear and understand Him, we are to become “doers” of His Word.

An illustration of what God expects is found in Joshua 7. It has to do with a man called Achan. He heard the instructions of God as given by Joshua, but he moved in his own will, doing what he wanted to do. He died because his sin found him out. The law is very demanding. A man can’t live without mercy. So Jesus Christ came and brought mercy. Now, if we believe in Him, we can have all that we need.

Jesus Christ brought a dedication to us too. The dedication of the Old Testament was to the Law, but the dedication that Jesus Christ brought is of the Spirit. He said, “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit.” He tells us that the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

Then again the scriptures tell us that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

So, you see, our first responsibility is before God. When our hearts are right before Him, our actions will follow, because “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

A Most Amazing Thing!

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:42:37 GMT

I'm thinking of people and people have problems. I do not necessarily like that but I guess it's the way we are made. We must come to the place of recognizing the Spiritual life of God within us as being the only source of life or we will always be overcome with problems. When we forget that we are children of God and pay attention to the things of the flesh, we are in real trouble. The worst part of it is that when we look only to the flesh, there is no way out. You see, we are in trouble when we obey the appetites of the body. Sometimes we think that we can exercise great control over our desires, and by sheer discipline we either do or do not do that which we feel we should. But in doing this we completely overlook the mind that is in us. There are desires generated within our bodies but they are hade more intense by the desires that Satan puts in our minds.

It seems that Christians have a particularly rough time of it. You see they have been born again. They have a new nature at work within them. Being a Christian does not automatically mean that you have the peace that Jesus meant for you to have. It is available, but you have to take hold of it. When a man does not know how to take hold of these things, he’s in trouble. A battle takes place within him and sometimes it’s too much for him to handle. Then it spills over to the outside and we see or hear a word or a deed that is evidence of these battles that rage within.

It’s these battles that I’m so concerned about. None of us are immune to them. Sometimes we are not too aware of the battle that goes on in others because we are so occupied with our own. We generally consider the battle that goes on within us to be the greatest and so we are apt to belittle the problems that others are having, or if we do not happen to have the same type of trouble that someone else is having, we are quite apt to condemn the other fellow by thinking, “what’s the matter with him; he should have better sense.” The person who thinks this way is wide open for trouble. Another thing that quite frequently happens is that we look at a problem with our mind and say, “boy, you sure do have a problem.” Man has a tendency to think that if he can’t solve the problem, there is no solution.

I wish we could forget that kind of thinking. Is anything too hard for God? In God there is no big problem nor is there any little problem. He has overcome. He is the answer. “we are complete in him.” All we have to do is turn to him. His word is, “he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” So, come, taste, and see that the Lord is good. We must major the fact that our father’s heart is never closed, and we must never forget it.

Another thing--sometimes we feel that our sin is too great, God can never forgive us. Watch out! You’re thinking like a man again! Man can’t really forgive. He can overlook, but he always remembers. When God forgives, he forgets. Your sin is no more.

We must know that all we have done, no matter how sinful we think it may or may not have been, no matter what we have done or ever will do, in God’s eyes it has already been done, even before Jesus died on the cross! In that act of dying on the cross Jesus cleansed us from all sin, for all time--forever! Jesus knew all about our sin. He became every sin that we ever sinned or will sin.

God laid our sin upon him. Remember, then Jesus died and our sin died with him. In him our sin is no more. God showed us how much he loved us by giving Jesus as payment for our sin before we ever knew him! I can’t comprehend such things, but the bible says it’s so, so I won’t argue it.

But sometimes the battle rages so vigorously within me that I can’t think straight. I guess every one of us remember sometime when the “I will” and the “I won’t” forces were at work within us. Sometimes we said, “I won’t” when we should have said, “I will” and sometimes it was the other way around. It’s hard sometimes to do the things that we should, especially in the Lord. A lot of times we know that we should act a certain way or say a certain thing, but there is a contrary spirit within us and we want to be contrary. That’s where we lose the battle--wanting to be contrary.

There is something that we have all learned but we don’t always keep it in mind--if you want to get along, abide by the rules. It seems to be quite popular nowadays to forget the rules. That’s why we have such a chaotic condition in our world today. Let’s forget the rules, let’s make up our own, and each group goes their separate way wondering why the whole world is out of step.

God gave us a pretty good set of rules--we call them “the ten commandments.” They are still valid today because all they do is define our relation and attitude toward God and our fellow man. Man, as usual, has a hard time interpreting them, so Jesus gave us a new rule that encompasses the other ten. He said, “love the Lord thy God with everything that’s in you, and to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.” That’s a pretty good rule and it’s one that many people seem to forget. You must mind the rule if you want to get along. You play a game of football or baseball or whatever. You play by the rules or you don’t play.

You drive a car. You obey the law or you are apt to end up dead--you and maybe others. The universe obeys God’s laws. The sun, the moon the stars, the planets are all where they are because they are in obedience to certain laws. Man has orbited the earth and walked on the moon because he obeyed certain laws. The Bible says the flesh brings forth death and the Spirit brings forth joy and peace. This is a statement of one of God’s laws that it would do us well to consider and obey.

Now, concerning our relation with each other, we will get along when we obey the laws of the society in which we live. Break them and you will have trouble. This is not anything to be surprised at. Our whole life is based upon this truth. We select our friends because we like them. We get along with them because they do the things that we think they should. In other words, the same set of ethics, or rules, by which you live, govern them as well. You see, we are governed by rules whether we think so or not. Jesus once suggested to a group of people that they were in bondage to certain laws and that made them quite upset. “We be Abraham’s seed,” They said, “And are in bondage to no man.” Jesus answered them in this fashion, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts (desires) of your father you will do.” That’s pretty plain talking. Let’s put it this way: you are Satan’s children and you will obey the laws of Satan. A whole lot of people breathe a sigh of relief and say, “I’m surely glad that isn’t me.” But it is you and it is me, at least until we are born again.

And then if we don’t walk in the newness of life, it’s still us! The latter end is worse than the first because we have been made new and yet we have not claimed that which we have professed we both need and want! Sometimes I think that maybe we are not too bright! The people to whom Jesus was talking--the bible says that they “believed” Jesus. A better translation would be they “followed” Jesus because Jesus very soon pointed out that they didn’t believe him. The fact is they were so violent in their unbelief that they picked up stones and would have killed him. Many people profess to believe Jesus yet quite often they say, “This is a hard saying, who can hear it?” This says that there is something in us that rebels against God’s word. “He that is of God heareth God’s word. Ye therefore hear them not because you are not of God.” That’s straight talking; but the question is, does he mean me? You bet he does! He is talking to every man and woman who is not born again so that they might know clearly their position before God. He is talking to every man and woman who is born again so they can get straightened out in their thinking and know what is causing them so much trouble.

Man is born in sin. He is of his father, the devil; and the desires of his father he will do. Man is born in iniquity and by unrighteousness is he formed.

Man is a creature of the flesh and for this reason he obeys the laws of the flesh. We can discipline ourselves and perhaps appear to be something that we really are not, but we can not, by any stretch of the imagination, make ourselves to be anything but what we are--creatures of flesh. Because we are creatures of flesh, we will do that which is natural to the flesh and in the doing we most likely will think that we are perfectly right. Listen to what the Bible says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” Also, “They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.” Again, “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Therefore, “They that are in the flesh can not please God.” So, you see, it is not at all unusual for a man who lives in the flesh to become angry, to hate, to murder, to kill and to perform all manner of evil, both in his thoughts and in his actions. There is only one end to this kind of life: “To be carnally minded is death.” There were some people that followed Jesus but they didn’t believe his words. Of them Jesus said, “Ye are of your father, the devil, and his desires will ye do.” Certain things come natural to the flesh. We do not have to think about them. We seem to have an inborn knack of doing the wrong thing. We don’t have to think how to be impatient; we are just naturally good at it. When someone says something about us that is not too complimentary, it is quite easy for us to retaliate in kind. Humans are good at that sort of thing. I wonder why? It is because that is the natural thing that the flesh produces. The flesh brings forth evil just like apple trees bring forth apples.

Again listen to what the bible says, “now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these: 1. Adultery 2. Fornication 3. Uncleanness 4. Lasciviousness 5. Idolatry 6. Witchcraft 7. Hatred 8. Variance 9. Emulation 10. Wrath 11. Strife 12. Sedition 13. Heresies 14. Envyings 15. Murders 16. Drunkenness 17. Reveling These are the things that are natural to the flesh. The fact that man, as a whole, is not completely overwhelmed by them is proof that God has poured out his spirit upon all men. Now, the thing to do is to allow this spirit--this life of God--to bring forth his life within you.

Again, let’s see what the Bible has to say: “That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” Also, “they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the spirit.” Then this, “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” When we believe the words of Jesus, we are made to become children of God. We are born of the Spirit according to the will of God. He becomes our father. His life, his Spirit, is within us. This releases us from the bondage of the flesh. We are no longer a child of Satan; we are a child of God. “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you.” There can be no argument about this. Listen: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And, if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” We have life in our mortal bodies now because God raised Jesus from the dead.

Now because we are new creatures, we have been given a new nature. We have a new life source-- the Spirit of God, himself.

There are things that are natural to our father and they are natural to this new life that we have. Listen to this: the fruit of the Spirit are things that make us pleasing to God. The fruit of the Spirit is: 1. Love 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Longsuffering 5. Gentleness 6. Goodness 7. Faith 8. Meekness 9. Temperance These things are in us and will be manifest through us as we allow God to live his life through us. The trouble is we try, by our own effort, to bring these things about. Go back and look at number nine of the works of the flesh.

We enter this life of God by believing the words of Jesus. You see, he is God’s expression to us. He is the word of God. The children of Israel that came up out of Egypt did not enter into that which was promised them because they did not believe that which God told them. We are cautioned not to let unbelief be in us thereby keeping us from inhabiting the promises of God.

There is a rest that comes to those who will believe the words that Jesus spoke. It is a rest that comes about by the complete cessation of our own efforts to produce Spiritual qualities within ourselves. God desires to be formed within us and he wants to plan and he wants to do. All he asks of me is that I will reckon myself to be dead to the old things of the flesh and alive by his life. If I will do that, if I will keep my mind fixed on this, then my father will transform my life.

This transforming of our lives--it’s a delicate process. It is slow. It takes time. I feel that sometimes we are too anxious for a change and try to bring it about ourselves. (go back and look at number nine of the works of the flesh.) The change that God brings about is going to be a transformation. God is not so concerned about what we do, but He is very much concerned about what we think about in our “inner man.” It is here that the soul is and He desires that our soul shall see Him.Then there is no problem of what we shall be because when we see Him, we shall be like Him because we will see the real thing. We shall see Him as He is.

There are many facets to our lives, more than we really know. One day we are subject to one mood and another day we are subject to an entirely different one. If we are honest with ourselves, we see a mixture of things within that somewhat surprise us.

It is just as good that no one else sees these things because we are not at all proud of them. Sometimes we might be kind and sometimes we might be a monster too. Maybe we like to consider ourselves honest, but when we think no one is looking, we discover there might be a bit of thievery within us after all. A lot of times we are patient, and then, for no apparent reason, we blow our tops. We are indeed quite complex. We have to make allowances for these things so we divide them. Under certain conditions we are supposed to act a certain way and under other conditions we follow a different set of rules.

Now, we come to the Lord. There is honesty in our heart in this regard and we are born again according to the will of God. It has not been our habit to think of all the virtues that we should reflect in times past. Now there is something within us that makes us very much aware of our shortcomings. We see our lack of wisdom and love and kindness and patience. We feel badly about this and try to do something about it. But it doesn’t work. Our mind feels as though it were worked beyond its capacity. We say that we want to be like Christ, but something happens; and before we think, we have done something for which we are sorry.

Sometimes there are struggles within us that do not come to the surface, but they are so severe that they tend to destroy our very life.

That’s the trouble with being your own general! We are continually finding out things about ourselves that we didn’t know existed, naturally we do not know how to handle it. But God does! He is our father and he desires that we cease from our own trying and leave things up to him.

When these two ways, the old and the new, struggle for supremacy within us, they are struggling for just one thing--control of your mind. Satan wants you to think about the problem and react according to his desire. Your father wants you to think about him and believe his word. This is the crux of the whole situation regarding mankind--what do you think about? Eve considered Satan’s word and dwelled upon it. The result was that she reached forth her hand and did take of the fruit and did eat.

We learn from our father a little at a time. It is hard to see him in all things, because we do not know all things, and so we learn a little here and a little there. That is why our spiritual growth seems so slow at times. Let’s look at another law of God. This one says that if we will renew our mind we shall be transformed. This transformation does not necessarily take place immediately, but our Father’s word is that it will take place as we keep our mind on Christ.

The carnal mind, the Bible says, is enmity against God. That word "enmity" has some potent synonyms: Hostility, antipathy, antagonism, animosity, rancor, and animus. Listen to what they suggest: enmity suggests a positive hatred that may be open or concealed. Hostility suggests all enmity showing itself in attacks or aggression. Antipathy and antagonism imply a natural or logical basis for one’s hatred or dislike, antipathy suggesting a repugnance, a desire to avoid or reject, and antagonism suggesting a clash of temperaments leading readily to hostility. Animosity and rancor suggest intense ill will leading readily to hostility.

Rancor is applied to bitterness. Animus adds to animosity, the implication of strong prejudice. So there you have a picture of what the carnal mind is up to.

Let’s look over in 2nd Corinthians and find out what we are supposed to do with the old mind. In the tenth chapter you will find the instruction is to cast down our imagination and every high thing (thought) that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of the Lord. When our minds are renewed in this fashion, our lives will be transformed by the power of God and that transformation will be real and it will endure.

This business of renewing our mind is not an easy thing. The question that we ask is: How do we renew our minds? If the answer lay in the realm of flesh, I would listen to your problem, categorize it, analyze it and then attempt to tell you what to think, say, and do in order to bring you out of your dilemma. If it worked, you would soon have another situation that would throw you. But the answer is not in the realm of flesh! It’s in the realm of the Spirit. So I can tell you how to renew your mind. Think of Jesus and what he has made you to become in him. It is in Jesus that the fullness of God dwells and the Bible says that you are complete in him. You are alive because you have been born anew by the power of God. You are alive in a new realm and you have been made one with God in Christ. Everything else in this world is of no importance.

All that you need to be, all that God wants you to be is in Christ. That is the foundation of your new mind. If you need wisdom to meet a certain situation, remember you do not have it yourself. What wisdom the old man had is gone, the old man is dead, Christ is your life. God made Jesus to be our wisdom. If I need salvation, I can not work it out myself, God made Jesus to be my salvation. If I feel condemned for some stumbling, for some shortcoming that overwhelmed me and I feel the need for righteousness, I may look up and thank my father because he made Jesus to become my righteousness. The fact of the matter is, everything that I need, or ever will need, is supplied to me by God through Jesus. This is the word of God, therefore it is established. It will never change. The renewed mind refuses to consider. Any other thought.

So now my thoughts go back to people and their problems and I think again of what the Bible says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you you fall into divers temptations." I think of what Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men shall persecute you and revile you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Then I think of Paul’s problems-- his thorn in the flesh. “Lord, take it away,” he cried. The Lord said, “No, my grace is sufficient,” and so Paul said, “Therefore I will glory in my tribulations.” It sounds like trouble is a good thing. Why? Because we are born in sin and shaped by iniquity. The carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to God nor indeed can be. My carnal mind is hostile to God, it is suspicious of him and if there was nothing to cause me to seek deliverance, I would not know God.

There is a law of the flesh, and my body obeys this law. The flesh continues to produce that which is natural to it. But there is also a law of the Spirit and I am born of the Spirit so this law is at work in me. It also produces that which is natural to it. The law of the Spirit is life in me as I obey its precepts. I have the privilege of a new life. I have the indescribable privilege of being made one with God. Of what good is the old life compared to that? What does all this mean? How can I be overcome when I am no more? It is Christ who lives in me. He is my life. Who is it that can prevail against him? By what circumstance can he be overcome? Some wondered how it was that Jesus could do the things he did. He answered them in this fashion. “You can enter into a strong man’s house and if you bind him, you can do whatever you wish.” And so Jesus has made us to become one with God. He has given us all things whatsoever we need and there is none who can stand in his way.

People have problems. Yes, but isn’t it wonderful what we can find because of them!

A Mystery Revealed

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:41:51 GMT

In Christ, I am a new creature, I have been born again. My Life is in God.

But I still have this physical body, even though I have reckoned it to be dead. Now, a puzzle comes before me; how can I be dead and still live? Jesus was dead. He was crucified, yet God brought Him back to life. That’s the way He lived again the second time, was it not? This is what the Bible says about us, now listen: “We believe that if we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him.” Does it not say that? After all, Jesus told Martha that He was the Resurrection. Again, the Bible says that God, who raised Jesus from the dead, if He dwells in you, He will also make your mortal body to be alive. That’s pretty plain.

The only thing man knew about up to this time was a physical resurrection, which was understandable, because all he knew was a physical life, which is also understandable, because all he knew was a physical God.

But Jesus brought about a change. He introduced us to a Spirit God, and He prepared a way for us to have a Spirit Life and live in God. Here are some of the things that happened.

First, Jesus died for me. This was of the utmost importance because only death could free me from sin! It was required, if I were to live in God, that I be free from sin. So, I had to die.

But, it was also God’s fore-ordained and predestined plan that I should be like Jesus. This meant that I must remain in this world. How else could I tell those who do not know God about His love for them and how they could become a new creation in God? That meant that even though I was crucified with Jesus, I had to have life in this body of flesh.

The Bible tells me that God gave this life to me. I do not understand how this can be, but I can only say what the Bible says. God sees me in Jesus; that’s the only way He accepts me. So, as far as God is concerned, I am in Jesus! When Jesus was resurrected, I was resurrected. That simply means that once my body was dead, now it’s alive.

I live in Jesus, and because He is the Resurrection, I live in the Resurrection.

A New Life

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:41:22 GMT

Have you ever considered the philosophy of a man who plants a lawn? He fascinates me. It is one time in his life that he has a clear cut objective. He has a goal--he wants to see some green stuff come up. I think the man who plants a lawn offers us a rather clear illustration of the responsibility that we should exhibit in living for the Lord.

Let’s consider it for a moment.

A man plants a lawn because he is not satisfied with the way things are. He wants to improve the place.

So here is what happens--first he prepares the soil and then he plants the seed. Here is where he exercises his responsibility. He begins to care for this patch of ground. He doesn’t let it get too dry nor does he let it get too wet. He takes steps not only to keep people from walking on it, but he attempts to keep it from becoming a picnic ground for the birds.

He acts like a man possessed. Why?--Because he has planted a new lawn. He knows that if he lets people tramp over the place and the birds feast to their hearts’ content, there won’t be enough seed left to grow.

In effect, his actions say, “I have a new lawn here and I’m going to treat it as such. The old lawn was a mess and I’m glad to get rid of it. I’m going to take care of this one. I’ll water it every day until it gets established. Then if any weeds show up, I’ll dig them out.” This man is going to have a nice lawn. And if he doesn’t do these things, the new one is going to end up as badly as the old one. It won’t be because he didn’t have a new lawn, but it will be because he just didn’t take care of it! When a man comes to the Lord and believes in Jesus Christ, the Scriptures say, “He is a new creature.” If a man believes this, he will recognize the existence of this New Life and treat it with proper respect. He will not continue old practices that he knows will not aid this Spiritual Life any more than he would allow folks to tramp over his new lawn.

He will not allow his mind to become saturated with the pride of material possessions, nor will he dwell on thoughts that do not glorify God. Such thoughts become the birds of prey that rob the seed.

This man will say, “I have a New Life; it was given to me by God. I will see to it that it has the proper environment to survive; I will seek God’s ways.” This man has found a New Life--he knows it, and he acts accordingly. How about you?

A Place of Fellowship

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:40:55 GMT

“They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth…” “And truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.” I want to think about our “fellowship” with our Father. It is a very quiet and restful experience.

Sometimes we think that we have to be vocal and active when we fellowship. We read in the Psalms that we should enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, and we make a formula out of it. I guess that’s the way they entered into the presence of the King in those days, but for the one who is born again, those things have changed.

We do not have to enter into the presence of God--we LIVE in Him. God does not sit in the Heavens and say, “If you praise me I’ll listen to you.” He loves me, He gave His life for me; and as I come to Him, He takes me to Himself and says that He will never leave me or forsake me.

My Spirit longs for you to know that you live in God, that you have become a new creation in Him. You no longer have to seek the favor of God for He has given you all that He is. He has held nothing back. He has made you to be One with Himself. That is the basis of our fellowship with our Father. We do not have to beg for His ear, we live in His heart.

I form words with my mind. I want these words to tell my Father how very much I love Him. But my mind is not knowledgeable about the things of God. How, then, can my mind find words to express that which it is incapable of understanding? We have the privilege of speaking to our Father in a Spirit given language, but there are some who have not yet learned to exercise this gift. However God does not withhold His fellowship from us because we have not yet learned to speak with other tongues.

There is yet another way. It is a way without words. It is a way of rest and peace, and it is a way of strength and confidence. It is the way of the Spirit. It should not be a strange way to the one who has been born of the Spirit. We have been made to be One with God. It is no longer God and me; He has taken me to Himself and made me to be alive in His heart. Now, while I am in this flesh form, there is an Inner Being that knows the Life of God and can say to my mind, “You will listen to God and learn from Him.” The Bible says that God’s Spirit witnesses with my Spirit that I am a child of God. My Inner Man says to my mind, “Learn that and rejoice” because that is what my Father made me to be.

God’s Spirit did not bring this knowledge to my mind; that is my responsibility. God has made me in such fashion that He can communicate with me, but for me to become aware of this communication, I must be Master over my mind. I must bring it to the place of obedience; that means that I must listen to God. That’s very much different than it was before I came to the Lord. Before I came to the Lord, my mind taught me. Now, that has changed, I have a new Teacher.

Now I am beginning to understand that My Father communes with my Spirit. I am not aware of what He says unless I bring my mind to the place of obedience to my Father. There is a scripture that I feel is trying to tell us this truth; it says, “Be still and know that I am God.” There is a place of fellowship with our Father wherein we can be perfectly still. There will be no need for words, and in this quietness we will know a perfect harmony with our Father. I believe that this is the kind of fellowship that our Father desires for us. It is in this quietness that I have the privilege of knowing the heart of my Father. There are no time restrictions to this kind of fellowship because there is no conscious effort of doing on our part. A moment can contain all that God is. His strength and compassion and care envelopes us. A moment can contain so much that we could never put it into words, or it could contain just a Word from His heart that we so desperately need to know to guide us through a particular way that we should go.

What I’m trying to say is that it is these moments of “Spirit witnessing” that we are in perfect harmony with our Father.

It is a fellowship known only to our Spirit. Sometimes, when we fellowship with the Father in this fashion, we enter again into our everyday routine and do not have any more conscious knowledge of God’s thoughts than we did before, but we feel a comfort and we have a knowledge that goes beyond our conscious knowledge that we are in God, and of God and that He is all of our life in every way. Things in this world do not seem to be as important as they were before. You see, we have been in fellowship with our Father. There are other times that we will be so full of what God is to us, that we will feel as though we are in an entirely new world. As we bring our mind into sub¬mission to the knowledge that God has imparted to us, we will be overcome with the wonderful provision that God has provided for us. We will enter into an understanding that goes beyond our ability to comprehend. God has revealed Himself to us. It’s all because we have been in fellowship with our Father.

It’s a sweet fellowship. It’s restful because I am in the place of knowing that it is not of works, but it is by His Spirit. It’s a time when I refuse to think. It’s a time when I am quiet in my Spirit, and in this quietness my Father talks to me.

We have wonderful fellowship.

About Resting in God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:40:19 GMT

This is how I feel--not the feeling in my flesh, but that feeling in my Spirit. That is the real part of me.

In this Spirit part of me there is no desolation, there are no fears; all is at rest. It is not a rest that is but for a moment; it is a rest always; it is a rest complete.

This Spirit portion of me absolutely knows the strength of God; and because God is strong, my soul rests. I have rest in my soul because it is God that does the work. There is peace and thanksgiving because my soul has found this rest.

I can not enjoy this rest when I become careful of many things. Whenever I begin to do something that I think is work for the Lord, whether it is physical activity or mental thought, I become fretful and disturbed. I become driven with my own lack of knowledge and understanding. There is no rest within me at times like this, and so I must say that these ways are not of God.

I learn from God without conscious thought, and I never learn from God when I consciously try to think and say I will learn this or that. This used to bother me, but now I have found that when I cease from my trying, then God impresses His thoughts upon my mind; then my mind has received something for which it did not work. I have been made conscious of God’s thought because I had no thought of my own.

This amazing turn of events used to bother me. I would say, “How do I know this is of God?” Then, as I saw the Word, I realized how foolish I was. I desired to learn of God, I was born of the Spirit, and God’s Spirit was within me.

The reason God’s Spirit was within me was to teach me. It was not just to make me feel good. It was to reveal God and to teach me about Him.

God’s Spirit is not bound to my senses; so what more natural way for God to teach me, then just to make what my mind would call an “impression.” I have learned that God teaches me in this fashion.

I never receive these impressions unless my mind is at rest. I have become weary from trying to learn, from studying, and just plain disciplining myself. I did not want to give up, and yet I couldn’t feel that this driving that I felt was quite right. I figured that if I did not keep at it, I would be a slacker and never receive anything from God. Yet, as it was, I was in desolation; there was no quickening of God’s Word within me.

At times like this my mind would become so tired that I would just “let go” for a bit, and not struggle and strive. It was at these times of rest that I received these impressions from God, and His Word became very real. It was vibrant with an aliveness that my mind could never conjure. Then it was that many things became plain, and the things of God seemed so much more enlarged.

These things came to me without any effort on my part. I could not see how they were connected with my thoughts or abilities in any way. The only thing I knew is that when God’s Word became alive to me in this fashion, I was very conscious of the closeness of God and of His care for me. There would be no doubt to plague me until I began to analyze it with my mind; and then all of the sanctity would break down, and it would become a dead thing. It was because of this that I came to realize that my mind was evil continually.

Then I saw the meaning of the words that I had read so often in the Bible. “Capture your mind, renew it, and bring it to the place of obedience to Christ.” I began to see in so many ways how God works through me. For instance, I learned that there was no struggle to follow the leading of the Spirit and speak in tongues; and yet, for many years I had thought that it required perseverance and sacrifice on my part. Then I found that there was no struggle at all. I found this rest in other things pertaining to God--in Interpretation and Prophecy, and many other things. But my mind still kept the “Moses Seat;” and wherever my mind ruled, Christ did not, and in that thing I had no rest.

So I found at my place of rest was a place where I ceased from my own efforts of trying to figure things out, of ceasing to worry about what people would say or think. I found that for me, it was a place where I worried about nothing. There was no need to worry because my God said that He would take care of me. I found that this was not only my place of rest, but it was my place of revelation. It was here that I learned from God.

I would offer my mind to God and He would breathe His thoughts upon it. I was not swept off my feet by the strength of my revelation; indeed many times I did not even know God was there. I had thought it was a trick of my subconscious mind and that I had just recalled something that I had previously known. But my knowledge never gave me the sense of peace and sureness that these times of revelation gave. Gradually I came to know the leading of God. I don’t call it “imagination” any more; I will not give the flesh credit for establishing my faith--only the hearing of God’s Word does this. So I say, “Thank You, Jesus,” and live in His peace.

My mind has developed an awful habit of wanting to figure things out, and I suppose one of the most pleasing compliments someone could give me is to say I have a sharp mind. But one thing I absolutely must face is that my mind is not Spirit; it knows not the things of the Spirit, and therefore it can not generate faith in God.

My soul has been created a Spiritual-living thing in Christ; and it is in my soul that I receive things from God. If I wish to know the peace of God and live in the place of rest that God has provided for me, then I will capture my mind and say, “Come, let us learn from the Lord.”

Acknowledging God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:39:43 GMT

The word acknowledge* is used in the following scripture: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.”--Prov.3:6 To me, this is a very wonderful thing--that my whole life can be directed by God. But I have a responsibility too. It’s found in this word acknowledge. What does it mean? I looked it up in the dictionary and it’s even better than I thought. It says: l. To admit as true Isn’t that wonderful! First of all, we are to admit that God is true--in all our ways. To acknowledge Him is to say, “He is true.” That gets us off to a good start. If we don’t acknowledge that He is true, we might as well not go any further. If we did, we would be entering an area of doubt, and doubt is not in the world in which I wish to live! So, in all thy ways admit that He is true, and He shall direct thy path.

2. To recognize the authority of The Bible uses such wonderful words, doesn’t it? Most people are satisfied to use a word in only a small part. But here is acknowledge, a word with several usages; but the Bible makes full use of the word. If God is true, then it naturally follows that He has authority. We would say, “Of course, God has authority.” But the real question is: Are we willing to recognize His authority in all ways of our life? Again, it breaks down to a simple truth: God can only direct us when we do recognize his authority. Too often we say we recognize His authority, but we don’t, because we modify things with our own reasoning. In all thy ways--recognize the authority of your God--and He shall direct your path.

3. To respond to Again the full usage of the word astounds me. Naturally no one can direct my path unless I followed their direction.

Yet, how often have I cried for God’s guidance when all the while I refused to respond to his Word. I wanted my own ideas to come about. But here again, I can see a wonderful progression. If I recognize that God is true, and I recognize God’s authority then, I must ask myself, “Should not I respond to Him?” So, in all my ways, I must respond to God and He will direct my path.

4. To state that one has received notice This does not state one will receive; rather, it says that one has received! That’s faith. I suppose that our greatest hindrance to our Spiritual rest is the fact that we feel we must see what we call “concrete evidence” before we are willing to say, “I have received.” We feel that we are only being honest when we adopt this attitude. I can not really say I have acknowledged God’s Word unless I say, “I have received it,” because God’s Word says that I have received. My flesh will say, “Not so!” But my God says, “It is so.” Therefore, it’s best that I say “Flesh, you are a liar, only God’s Word is true.” So, in all thy ways, say that you have received from the Lord, your God, and He shall direct thy path.

5. To express thanks for This rounds out the definition of the word acknowledge. Isn’t it beautiful? How full the Word is! To acknowledge God means: I know you are true.

I recognize your authority.

I respond to you.

I have received from you.

And now I thank you.

There’s not much more to say, so in all thy ways, give thanks to your God, and He shall direct thy path.

*Webster’s New Word Dictionary (1967), School and Office Edition

Acting on God's Word

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:39:01 GMT

Many times I have been asked to give an example of acting on God’s Word. I have found this a rather difficult thing to do. It has to do, as I see it, primarily with your attitude.

The Word of God makes a statement. It is not a wishful thing, but a clean cut positive statement of fact. This fact, however, is not clear to our natural mind; we can not reason out the logic back of this statement, therefore, in ourselves, it is hard to know how to act.

An example to me that is outstanding occurred when my Dad died. This question of acting on God’s Word came up in my Bible class on a Monday. God’s Word came to me and I told my class to notice it. We read, “Surely, He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows.”--Isa.53:4. I told my class that this was not a wishful statement, but that it was very plain, and that the way to put this in operation was to actively think about that when conditions of sorrow and grief would engulf them.

Sorrow and grief is something that we do not take upon ourselves. It is brought about by conditions over which we have no control. Therefore, it is as though a load were being placed upon us, and it seems such a personal thing that no one else can take it. It seems as though it is something that we must take. This is not true. The Word of God declares that Jesus took them for us. So I within myself say, “I am not going to carry this load of sorrow because Jesus has already carried it.” My mind will be plagued by this sorrow; it will persistently impose itself upon my con¬sciousness; but because I believe that Jesus bore this thing, I am not about to do something that Jesus did for me. I don’t want to be overcome by grief, and I don’t have to be because Jesus took my grief for me. He did this because He loved me and did not want to see me in sorrow.

So because of all of this I resist thinking about these thoughts of sorrow (resist the devil and he will flee from you-- James 4:7); and I think about the Love that removed me from the bondage of sorrow. Then I praise the Lord for His great Love; and I find that as long as my thoughts are turned in this direction, sorrow and grief have no hold over me.

These are the things that I taught my class. That was on a Monday. The next morning I received a call that my Dad had died.

Dad and I were very close. I was the only son, and Dad and I had a lot of respect for each other. Even though I was aware of the Word of God, I was not immune to the grief that pressed upon me like a flood. It is this particular kind of grief that comes only once in a life time; so I told myself that if I believed the Word of God, here was the time to put it into practice.

I did. I made confessions to my sisters of what God had done, that He had carried my grief and I was so thankful for it. I could see that they did not fully understand, and then the thought hit me that I was expected to show grief or people would think that I did not properly love my Father. I was perplexed. I loved my Dad and I didn’t want people to think otherwise, so I thought that it would be all right to show a little sorrow. But that was playing with fire. I found that I couldn’t open the door to sorrow just a little bit. I found that in accepting a little I was overwhelmed. Then again I thought of Jesus.

Jesus asked me what I thought His reasons were for bearing my sorrow. The only answer I could think of was that He didn’t want my heart to be broken. Then He reminded me that He came to heal the broken hearted. When I saw that, Jesus asked me again why He would want to heal my broken heart. The only answer that I could think of here was that He loved me.

Now I saw that in accepting even a little bit of sorrow, I was turn¬ing from the love that Jesus had for me. I couldn’t do that. I loved my Dad, but I loved my Jesus more. The love that I had for one and the other was a love in two different realms. I loved my Dad in this world, but the love I had for Jesus reached out of this world into the realm of God. I turned to the Love of God because I found that everything I needed was in Him.

I didn’t much care what people thought, whether they thought that I loved my Dad or not. I knew I did, my Dad knew I did, and Jesus knew I did; so once again I turned from the thoughts of sorrow and I held on to the truth of God. Jesus did bare my sorrows, and He did carry my grief; so I refused to let them get a lodging in my heart. I thanked God for doing this, maybe it was a blind thanks at first. My only foundation was the Word of God. Jesus said that He did this so I had to believe it. I didn’t feel it, but I believed it. By pure faith then, I thanked God for what He did. I felt as though I was being untrue to the memory of my Dad, but then I knew that Jesus would never cause you to be untrue or false to anything. When I saw this, I realized that it was nothing but Satan’s activities. If I allowed thoughts of grief to master me, they would cause me to be sick, and I knew that wasn’t from God. So I fought them with everything that was in me. I fought them because I saw that it was just another way that Satan would like to destroy me. I fought them by reaffirming over and over again that God’s Word was true and He did do this thing for me.

Once I had made up my mind that it was really God’s will that I should not have to bear my sorrows, when I saw clearly that it was Satan’s pleasure for me to have a broken heart, I just utterly put it out of my mind. I praised God and reveled in His Love. But one thing I found--I couldn’t for one instant fool around with Satan’s ways. I found that Satan is always just around the corner, but I also found that with my thoughts on Jesus that “corner” was a million miles away.

So, this is the truth of it in this particular thing, and in this particular way. I acted on God’s Word. The victory of His Word was something that I did not experience until I thoroughly believed it to be true. The reason for this was that my attitude did not change from the ways of the flesh until I changed them. That’s when I really began to praise the Lord, because that was when I saw He loved me.

All of Me

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:38:30 GMT

There are two scriptures that I want to contrast for you. They are found in 1 John 3. I’m just going to use the first part of the scripture. It may seem a little abrupt, but I think maybe that's good. You can read them and study everything in between and you will begin to see what a really wonderful thing Jesus did for us. All right, here it is: The eighth verse: “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” The ninth verse: “Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin.” I’m born of God. I live in Him and His Life is in me. He is Lord of all. I’m not going to tell Him that His Word is not true.

It’s obvious that if I think His Word is not true, it is because I do not understand it. What I need is understanding. God told me that I was not to lean on my own understanding but to trust Him with all my heart. So, because I know His word is true, I can be so bold as to say that I’m not worried about sin in my life. I’m not saying that sin isn’t something that someone should be concerned about, because we jolly well should be concerned about it if we don’t live in the Lord. Sin will kill you dead eternally. Just doing good deeds is not getting rid of sin. You can do all the good deeds you want; but if you are not living in Christ, you’re living in sin.

You see, sin is not in the doing or not doing of anything; sin just means that you are separated from God. You are not complete if you are not in God. You are only half there. You haven’t yet entered into that place of living that God prepared for you. You are still existing only in the flesh and that is only half of what God wants you to have. You have learned all the things that God is not; now He wants you to believe Jesus and learn all the things that He is. You could not enter into God by your own efforts, so God sent Jesus into the world to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Because Jesus did the will of His Father, we in Him have been made one with God. We are complete. We are no longer separated from our Father. We have received His Glory in that we have been made to be one with Him even as Jesus is one with Him.

The thing that I have to do now is to teach my mind that this is so. This is no easy task because the whole world is contrary to what my Father is. You see, Satan is the prince of this world, and it is from this world that I have learned all that I know. The Bible tells me that my mind is against God. It never has been subject to God’s will and it never will be. I can not depend on it to tell me of God. But again the scriptures tell me that I have received the Spirit that is of God and it is from Him that I will learn of God. My Father tells me that I am not to depend upon my own understanding, but I am to trust Him in everything. If I do this, it naturally follows that I will depend on Him for everything. I would like to expand on that because I feel that we do not depend on God for many things. That’s because of the way we are made physically. We are creatures of habit. When we habitually do things we don’t think about what we are doing. I find that in the things I do habitually I am not aware of God’s presence in my life. I don’t believe that my mind even wants to think about God. My mind wants me to think that I can take care of myself. We even teach one another to become self- sufficient. That’s sad because when we give our lives to Jesus we become His. The Bible says that you are not your own. You have been bought with a price, the blood of Jesus. That’s what happens when we give our life to Jesus. Our whole life is His.

There are many times that we think that we have actually given Jesus our all. Yet there is a questioning within us that is concerned about just what it is that Jesus wants. We feel that there are certain things that we should give to the Lord, but there are other things--those things that we think are virtues that we think are unnecessary to give to the Lord. Then there are certain desires within us wherein we are not too sure just what to do. So we end up by dedicating certain things to the Lord while other things are overlooked. They are overlooked many times because they are things that we do habitually and therefore we don't think about them. And there’s the problem! We have allowed our mind to do the sorting and the dedicating. In short, we have followed the dictates of our mind rather than the Word of God. There is really no problem as to what we are to give to God. We are to give Him everything. We are to give Him what we think is good and we are to give Him what we think is bad. Actually, it’s pretty nice, we don’t have to make the decisions anymore. We just give everything to Jesus, our body and our mind and all those desires that are in our soul. We no longer have to be concerned about what they are going to be used for. Jesus is our Lord, and He will sanctify us as He sees fit. He knows what He is going to do and He knows how to do it. He has set me apart for that particular thing that He will do through me. I don't have to worry about the outcome because my Father is Lord of all. There is no power that can overcome Him.

My only responsibility is to give Him everything that I am. Everyday, when I find something in me that I didn't know about before, I’m just to give it to Him. It’s dying out to what my mind says is the very essence of my life; and because I am habitually a slave to my mind, I find that this “giving” is a very painful thing to me. Yet, because I do it, I find a joy and contentment that transcends anything that I have ever before experienced. I feel complete. I feel solid. I savor a success that I could never achieve by my own efforts. I have a feeling that is comfortable, it is secure. I am living in my Father. This is what I want everyone to experience. It isn’t a goal that is nothing but a mirage on the horizon; it is a real, solid, substantial fact. It is not found in the reality of this world, but it is found in the reality that is God. It will last as long as God is.

All Things Are New

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:37:47 GMT

Not so long ago I took a trip. It was rather a hurried up affair—didn’t take the family. I was gone for about two weeks.

At my destination, I met people whom I had worked with here in California. They had transported their families, belongings, and interest to this new place; and as a result, were fairly contented.

No so with me! I discharged the responsibilities required, but in between I got mighty lonesome for home. People would ask me what I thought of their place; and for the life of me, I couldn’t find anything good about it. The weather wasn’t what it was at home, the stores were different, the scenery didn’t have the same beauty that I was accustomed to, the restaurants were either too expensive, or the food was poorly prepared. And the evenings—they were long.

I spoke to my friends with whom I had worked. I asked them about some of the things we had enjoyed in California, and didn’t they miss them? They told me it was not too bad; they had transferred their interest to their new surroundings and were becoming quite well adjusted.

I could see they had a point there. I certainly hadn’t transferred any interest. I was still bound by the ties in California.

My interests, my family, my friends--all the old familiar surroundings--were far away, and my only thought was to get back to them as soon as possible. Naturally I wasn’t content away from them; they were my treasures, and that’s where my heart was.

So out of this experience came a great new understanding of why many people have so much trouble living a Christian life. It’s just that they haven’t really recognized themselves a new creature. We say we are born again, but we are still applying the old standards of thought and procedure to this new Life. It on1y takes a little bit of serious thinking to know that if we are born again, it is because the old life was no good and would not allow us to attain that which we needed. This being true, why do we then cling to the old ways of thinking, the old habits of living? The new creature finds his life in new things. Let us not bind him into the old mold. Rather let us turn from the old ways and purpose to follow after the new.

Or, to say it the way the scriptures say, “Place your affection on things above, and not on things of this world,” or again, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, rather lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven.” Or again, a very sober warning: “To follow after the flesh is death, but to follow after the Spirit is Life and peace.” After all, what do you really want?

An Act of Lunacy

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:37:01 GMT

(EPH. 5:19)

I advocate that a man talk to himself. There are some who might consider this an act of lunacy, but so much the better. Talk to yourself and begin to travel the way of victory. There are reasons for what I am saying, sound scriptural reasons, so perhaps I’d better tell you what I mean. There are many different truths of God that all lead to the same thing. One doesn’t have to be a brain and assemble these in one, two, or three steps, just start in. Any truth of God leads irrevocably to God Himself, so have no fear of straying from God’s thoughts.

Whenever we are speaking the truth of God, we are not speaking it of ourselves. It did not have its origin within our carnal nature, it came from God. That is why it is God’s Word. Therefore, we can boldly declare it IF WE WANT TO! The only thing that will stop us from declaring God’s Word no matter what may seem to be the reason is the old devil himself. He will cause every thought to come to our mind that would keep us from opening our lips and forming the words that would express God’s truth. This is a pretty critical time, too. If we obey our carnal mind, then we become a slave to it; however, if we obey God, then we are obedient to Him. This makes me think of another one of God’s truths; it says that we become the servant of the one we obey.

It’s a tremendously hard thing to speak God's Word, especially when things are not going right, but this is the time that you need the medicine. It’s not hard to speak God’s Word when the sun shine, and the flowers grow, and the kids mind, and the bills are paid; but it becomes a different thing when the storm comes. It doesn’t make much sense to the carnal mind to say all is well, when any fool can plainly see that things are in quite a mess. It seems foolishness if not downright hypocritical. To open our mouth and say that we possess the peace of God when our heart seems smothered by doubts and turmoils and fears seems dishonest and a downright ungodly thing to do. But if we really believe God’s Word, we have every right to claim God’s peace, because Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you.” Now, here’s the crux of the whole situation: The peace that Jesus had was a Spiritual peace, it came from God. This is the peace that He gave to us. It is God’s own tranquility and it will permeate our whole life when we are aware of the fact that God dwells in us. The thing within us that says we do not have peace is that thing that is not aware of God. We become aware of other things, and it is those things that overcome us. The answer is to become aware of God, acknowledge Him--give Him His rightful place.

If someone comes along at this particular time and they talk of the wonderful things that God has done for us and we converse with them and magnify the Lord together, then we swing into the realm of God’s thinking and we leave the troubles of the world behind. The secret of victory and peace is to be aware of God. No matter what conditions prevail, BE AWARE OF GOD. Some people try to perpetuate this awareness by being constantly on the go to church, to prayer meetings, to committee meetings, etc. There is no victory in this. It just develops into a merry-go-round. You end up by being so physically tired that Satan has an easier access to you. To offset this you feel that you have to go more, and the merry-go-round goes faster and faster. You can easily see that this is not God’s way of victory. To think that we have to attend church to be aware of God is sheer fantasy. It is somewhat like the Jews--they believed that the only place on the face of the earth that God dwelt was between the Cherubims on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant, which was in the Holy of Holies in their Temple. At one time this was true; but a miracle took place.

God gave Himself to Jesus; then, because Jesus loved us, He gave Himself back to God so that God might give Himself to whoever believes.

Therefore, today, when we believe the witness of God by Jesus Christ, we are enveloped by the Presence of God and brought forth into a new realm. God brings this about just because we believe. It is by His power that we are made a Spiritual creature. We are made alive by the Life of God who dwells within us.

When God was in Jesus, Jesus talked; but He didn’t always say words that came from His own mind. He gave voice to the truth of God who was within Him. Sometimes these words seemed complete nonsense in the light of carnal knowledge and the circumstances that surrounded them. For instance, what man in his right mind, carnally speaking, would consider feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two small fishes? Yet Jesus told the people to sit down, He got the food, asked God to bless it, and God performed the miracle. Jesus learned that He could let His lips speak God’s Word even though it would put Him in a precarious position with His fellowman. Jesus told His disciples about these things. He said plainly, “The words I speak are not my own, but the Father’s who dwells in me.” Now, what I want to know is this: What kind of sense does it make to have the God of Life dwelling within us and still give voice to the feelings of the flesh? Is God subject to the feelings of our infirmities? Are His desires for us the ones we express by our words of doubt and indecision? We had these before we ever gave ourselves to God! Now that He is our Life are we going to live the same miserable kind of existence that we had when we were without God and doomed by the fetters of hopelessness? Is not God powerful enough to change our lives for His Glory? Of course He is! The thing of it is WE MUST KNOW WHO GOD IS! God is Spirit. He is the Creator of all that is. He created us and He created the world in which we live. He is Master over all His creation, whether we believe He is in us or not. He has promised the believer that He shall possess certain things. He has said that we have His peace, His Life, His joy, His power. And in fact, ALL that He is we are because He is in us.

Knowing all these things, I advocate that a man talk to himself. He will not really be talking to himself, but he will be giving his power of expression to the Almighty God who is alive in him. He will be saying God’s words of truth. Why is it so hard to do this? Simply because the carnal mind knows that these words are indeed God’s words and it will violently oppose them. You see, the carnal mind will never voluntarily lend itself to the things of God.

When we learn how to give our speech over to God, and in the midst of adverse circumstances, express God’s Word, we will know of a truth that God is in us. No less important, we are beginning to learn how to deny our carnal mind its so-called right of expression. We will begin to learn how to present our faculties to God. We have finally realized that the old carnal nature of flesh is no longer to rule us; we are to consider it dead. We are alive because God Lives in us. In speaking God’s Word in the midst of adverse circumstances we begin to learn how to turn to God. This act marks the beginning of the end of the dominance of the flesh over our spirit. That’s why the carnal mind puts up such a fight when it comes to allowing our lips to speak the truth of God.

We have been made NEW creatures IN Christ Jesus, but we will not begin to Live in this NEWNESS of Life until we believe that it is so. When this truth is established in our heart, then we will wrench control from the grasp of our carnal mind, and speak God’s truth from the abundance of our heart.

Yes, I advocate that a man talk to himself—that’s what the world calls it. They call it that because they do not know, even though the voice is the voice of a man, the Words are the Words of God.

Are You Looking to the Spirit?

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:36:19 GMT

You ask me, “Why do we say, “Look to Jesus,” when it is God who is good, why not say, “Look to God?” In the first place we will have to see what God is. In John 4:24, Jesus said that “God is a Spirit.” In Luke’s Gospel, the angel said to Mary that she would be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, and that this Holy Spirit would conceive within her. Because of this, the child should be called the “Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

There are other places in the scriptures that testify to the fact of God being a Spirit, but these two will establish the thought.

There is no way that physical man can “look to the Spirit,” because as the scriptures say in Romans 8:5, “They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.” It is necessary that there be a “touch point” between man and God. This touch point is Jesus Christ. In John 1:14, it says that “The Word,” (this Word is identified as God and is therefore according to Jesus a Spirit) “became flesh and dwelt among us.” We have “Christianity” because of this fact. This Spirit is what enables a man to be a new creature and Live like Christ. Christianity is not just that man can reform his life according to the principles of Jesus Christ, but that the very God of the Universe can Live in this body of flesh.

The Epistle of John says that the Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God, but if any Spirit confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, but the Spirit of anti-Christ (the devil) dwells in him (1 John 4:3). You see, this was the hope of all ages, that the Spirit of God should indwell man. But it never happened until Jesus came.

Righteousness is the only path to God. To be righteous one had to keep a righteous law. If righteousness could have come, it would have come by the law; but no man could keep this law even when they were as favored as the children of Israel. That’s why the Bible says, “There is none righteous, no not one.”--Rom. 3:10 Jesus came, “Not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it”--Matt. 5:17. That’s why He was righteous in the eyes of God and God indwelt Him and made Him the Christ (Acts 2:36).

Jesus spoke the truth because God was in Him. One of the things He said was, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh to the Father but by me.”-- John 14:6 Because this is true, the hope of all mankind began to be realized. Here is one man, Jesus, who has what all men have hoped for--the Spirit of God dwelling within Him. No wonder all men look to Him. Nothing like this ever happened before.

But the more important thing is this: That all judgment is now given to the Son. You can read about this in John 5:22. Jesus also said, “Even as the Father has power to give Life (Eternal Life) to whomsoever He pleases, so also the Son can give Life to whomsoever He pleases.”--John 5: 26. We have this Spirit of God because we believe in Jesus. We believe the Truth of what He said. We are not under the condemnation of judgment simply be¬cause we believe on the only begotten of the Father. That is Jesus who was made the Christ. Read about this in John 3:18.

A Christian today can have the Spirit of God because Jesus prayed the Father to give us of this Spirit (John 14:16).

The Bible tells us there is no other name given under heaven by which we might be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the one who intercedes with the Father on our behalf when we are overtaken by sin (1 John 2:1-2).

So you see, we have a hope because of this Jesus, and that hope is secure because He has said that He will raise us up in the last day--that’s His job (John 6:39).

He has authored our faith, and He has finished it. That’s why we can say with the Bible that we are looking to Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith (Heb. 12:2).

I hope this will give you a better understanding of why I say what I say. I cannot answer for anyone else. This is what the Bible says, and I believe it to be true; therefore, I say it.

Be Blameless

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:35:48 GMT

Genesis 17:1 makes a very important statement: “I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless.” This was God’s word to Abraham four thousand years ago, and it is no less significant to us today because God does not change.

It made sense to Abraham who “went out not knowing where he was going.” All he knew was that he had the promise of Divine guidance, which was enough! You have no natural knowledge of where you are going either! You think you do--but you are not really sure. No man can be. You don’t know what the next twenty-four hours will bring forth, let alone the next year. You are not even sure of what the next five minutes will unfold! “You have not passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). Mans mind is occupied with the present, he tries to analyze the past, and he hopes for the future.

Sure you have plans, dreams and aspirations--but there are a thousand and one things that can upset your plans, blast your dreams knock your aspirations into a cocked hat.

Humanly speaking, you might be a strong-willed, ambitious person--but you don’t control the future! What is your life? You are like a mist that appears for a little time, and then vanishes. (James 4:14).

But you can be absolutely sure of Almighty God! He is Eternal! You can be sure of His love, His faithfulness, His unfailing promises, and His personal interest in you.

(If you ever doubt God’s interest in you, remember that God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners--actively opposed to Him--Christ died for the ungodly. Don’t slander the Cross of Christ by doubting God or questioning His love. Don’t doubt His word--do it) You can be sure God has a plan for your life--a perfect plan--a plan that involves the microscopic details, for God takes as meticulous care of the infinitesimal as He does the infinite. Furthermore you can be sure God delights work¬ing His plan in you. God’s method is men. When he wants a job done, He seeks a man who is available. The only ability God requires is availability. There is no limit what God can do with a man if He has ALL if him. To be blameless is to be available. It means to be open and receptive to God’s will. It is the opposite of indifference or rebellion.

“. .. be blameless, not faultless.” Jesus Christ will present every Christian “faultless before the throne of the Father...” You’ll make mistakes, but be blameless. Have the right attitude towards God. Square your will with His.

This is your privilege--walk before Him and be blameless. Go God’s way. Trust in Him.

Briefing for Trouble

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:35:19 GMT

(THE DEVIL INSTRUCTING ONE OF HIS DEMONS)

JUST A LITTLE WORD OF ADVICE: REMEMBER THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BECOME OUR ENEMY. EVERY ONE OF THEM IS DIFFERENT SO YOU CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY APPROACH THEM ALL IN THE SAME WAY. OF COURSE, THERE ARE SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES AND YOU HAD BETTER NOT FORGET THEM.

THE FIRST THING, AND IF YOU FORGET IT, IT MIGHT VERY WELL BE THE LAST THING, DON’T LET THE ENEMY EVER SERIOUSLY CONSIDER HIS SPIRITUAL BEING. THEY TALK ABOUT “BEING BORN AGAIN,” BUT YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT THEY NEVER REALLY CONSIDERED WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM.

THEY ACTUALLY ARE A DIFFERENT KIND OF BEING FROM WHAT WE ONCE HAD. BUT THEY DON’T KNOW IT. YOU SEE THAT IT STAYS THAT WAY AND I’LL BACK YOU 100%. IT’S AN ENDURING COMPLIMENT TO US THAT THEY BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO. WE TRAINED THEM WELL, AND OUR BEST BET IS TO CONTINUE ALONG THE SAME LINES. YOU AND I KNOW WE ARE LICKED, BUT AS LONG AS THEY DON’T KNOW IT, WE’VE GOT A CHANCE. JUST LET THINGS CONTINUE AS THEY WERE AND WE’LL BE ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE TRAINED THEM IN THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD. AND REMEMBER THIS: THAT’S OUR ONLY STRENGTH.

YOU KNOW YOUR DUTY. WE HAVE ALL THE THIINGS OF THIS WORLD OF FLESH AND MATERI¬ALISM BACK OF US. EVERYONE OF THE ENEMY BELONGED TO US AT ONE TIME. REMEMBER THAT. WE TRAINED THEM WELL--DON’T FORGET IT. WE BUILT UP THEIR EGO TO THE POINT WHERE THEY THINK THEY CAN DO ANYTHING. WE HAVE EDUCATED THEM IN THE THIINGS OF THE WORLD. WE HAVE TAUGHT THEM TO VERIFY EVERYTHIING BY “LOGIC AND REASONIING.” WE HAVE TAUGHT THEM TO INTERPRET THE THINGS THEY SEE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY WILL BELIEVE THIS OTHER FELLOW TO BE A MYTH. THAT’S WHAT I LIKE. THAT’S GOOD, AND REMEMBER TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

YOU SEE, THESE ARE BASIC THINGS THAT WE MUST ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND IF WE ARE TO SPOIL THE ENEMY. OF COURSE, I REALIZE THAT THERE ISN’T MUCH WE CAN DO IN THE LONG RUN; BUT BY KEEPING SOME OF THESE BASICS IN MIND, WE CAN SURE MAKE THEM THINK THAT HELL HAS COME ALIVE.

DON’T BE A FOOL AND GET THE IDEA THAT THIS ENEMY DOESN’T REALLY EXIST. THIS IS THE IDEA THAT I WANT YOU TO PUT IN THEIR MIND. THE ONLY THIING WE HAVE TO BASE OUR ATTACK ON IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE. YOU BETTER KNOW IT’S A LIE OR YOU’RE LIABLE TO GET YOURSELF CAUGHT ONE OF THESE DAYS. I LOST A LEGION OF MY BEST WORKERS ONE DAY. THEY MET THE ENEMY FACE TO FACE. THEY HAD A NICE SPOT. THEY HAD WORKED ON THEIR VICTIM FOR SO LONG THAT THEY HAD DRIVEN HIM FROM HIS HOME AND FAMILY. THEY TORMENTED HIM DAY AND NIGHT. I WAS REAL PROUD OF THEM, BUT IT WAS ALL GONE IN A MOMENT WHEN THE ENEMY SHOWED UP. I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THESE THINGS. IT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF TROUBLE, BUT DON’T LET THESE THINGS GET OUT! YOUR JOB IS TO KEEP YOUR VICTIM FROM THINKING THESE THOUGHTS. BUT HE IS GOING TO THINK--DON'T FORGET THAT. YOU JUST MAKE SURE HE THINKS OUR KIND OF THOUGHTS.

CONTROL HIS THOUGHTS. IT’S OUR ONLY CHANCE. THAT’S WHAT THE ENEMY WANTS TOO. HE HAS SOME IDEA THAT HE CAN. WHAT DOES HE CALL IT--LOVE. HE HAS SOME IDEA THAT HE CAN WIN THEIR THOUGHTS OVER TO HIM BECAUSE HE LOVES THEM. WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD HOLD THERE. WE’VE TAUGHT THEM LOVE IS MANIFESTED BY GIVING; AND THAT IF THEY DON’T GET WHAT THEY WANT, THEY ARE NOT BEING LOVED. WE HAVE HAD OUR BEST SUCCESS IN THE REALM OF THEIR SENSES. AND THIS LOVE BUSINESS--MAN, KEEP THEIR THOUGHTS IN THIS WORLD AND WE CAN GIVE THEM ENOUGH TROUBLE SO THAT THEY NEVER WILL THINK ABOUT THIS OTHER KIND OF LOVE! WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN TO IT, THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS WAGE A WAR FOR A MAN’S MIND.

BUT A WORD OF CAUTION: DON’T LET THE VICTIM KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. HE IS PRETTY WELL BRIEFED ALONG THESE LINES, BUT THE SITUATION FAVORS US BECAUSE HE HASN’T PAID TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO WHAT HE’S BEEN TOLD.

WHEN YOU APPROACH THE VICTIM, REMEMBER, WE HAVE TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE. HE WAS ONCE OUR MAN. WE TRAINED HIM AND WE TRAINED HIM GOOD. SOMEHOW HE GOT WIND OF WHAT HAPPENED AND SWITCHED TO THE OTHER SIDE. WE WORK ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT HE’S DOING, AND WE AIM TO SHAKE HIM UP A BIT. YOUR JOB IS TO CHECK HIS FAITH. HE MIGHT PROFESS TO BELIEVE HIS CHIEF, BUT QUITE OFTEN HIS FAITH ISN’T NEARLY AS STRONG AS HE LETS ON. AND I’LL TELL YOU ANOTHER THIING--A LOT OF THEM DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT FAITH IS. YOU SEE, WE TAUGHT THEM TO BE DETERMINED, AND THAT SELF DISCIPLINE WAS A VIRTUE. I THINK THAT IS A RATHER CLEVER TOUCH FOR US TO DEFINE VIRTUE; BUT ANYWAY IT’S PAID OFF IN A LOT OF CASES.

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THE ENEMY CAMP THAT ARE JUST AS DISCIPLINED AND STUBBORN AS CAN BE. THEY THINK THEY ARE REALLY SOMEONE, BUT YOU KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO HANDLE THEM.

THEIR PRIDE MAKES THEM OUR MEAT. SOME¬TIMES THEIR FAITH REALLY TAKES FUNNY JUMPS. THEY SEEM TO GET THE IDEA THAT THEY ARE PLANNING A BATTLE IN WHICH THEY WILL ANILIATE ME. OH MAN, I WISH IT WERE THAT WAY! WE WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE POWER TODAY THAN WE HAVE. BUT IF THEY HAVEN'T LEARNED THAT I’M ALREADY BEATEN, WE CAN HAVE A BALL! IF YOU EVER MEET PEOPLE LIKE THIS, NEVER SUGGEST TO THEM THAT THEIR CHIEF HAS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF US; JUST LET THEM KEEP ON FIGHTING--CRAZY FOOLS! THEY’RE JUST FIGHTING THEMSELVES.

FAITH--THAT’S ALL. YOU JUST CHECK THEIR FAITH. THAT’S THE ONLY THING YOU ARE TESTING. WE’LL FIND OUT IF THEY REALLY BELIEVE THE ENEMY. IF THEY DON’T, WE HAVE GOT THEM. WE CAN MAKE THEIR LIFE A HELL ON EARTH; AND BELIEVE ME, THAT’S JUST WHAT WE ARE OUT TO DO! LET THEM THINK WHATEVER THEY WANT TO THINK. I DON’T MUCH CARE WHAT CHURCH THEY GO TO. IF THEY DON’T BELIEVE THEIR CHIEF, WE CAN REALLY LOWER THE BOOM! NOW LOOK, I WANT TO REVIEW SOME OF THIS WITH YOU. YOU’RE GOING OUT TO HIT YOUR MAN TOMORROW, AND I WANT YOU TO BE FOREWARNED. YOU KNOW THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THIS MAN, BUT HE IS NOT SURE OF THIS. DON’T BE A FOOL AND ANNOUNCE WHO YOU ARE; YOU WOULD’T GET TO FIRST BASE THAT WAY. JUST REMEM¬BER THIS FELLOW’S TRAINING WHILE HE WAS UNDER OUR JURISDICTION, AND WORK ALONG THOSE LINES. I’LL JUST JOG YOUR MEMORY ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS FOR A MINUTE.

THIS FELLOW HAS A CONSCIENCE, HONESTY MEANS A LOT TO HIM. BUT THIS IS WHERE WE’VE GOT HIM.

WE TAUGHT HIM ALL HE’S EVER KNOWN ABOUT HONESTY. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY INNOCULATED HIM WITH THE IDEA THAT HE HAS TO FEEL SOMETHING BEFORE HE CAN SAY THAT IT REALLY IS. I’LL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW A PERSON CAN SWALLOW THAT LINE. HE GETS THE IDEA THAT EVERYTHING CENTERS AROUND HIM. OF COURSE, THAT’S WHAT I WANT HIM TO THINK. IT MAKES OUR WORK SO MUCH EASIER. JUST DON'T SUGGEST ANYTHING ELSE TO HIM AND WE MIGHT MAKE THE GRADE.

ANOTHER THING, THIS FELLOW IS SENSITIVE TO HIS FEELINGS. SO, TAKING ALL THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION, THE BEST WAY TO HIT THIS MAN IS TO MAKE HIM FEEL BAD. ABOVE ALL, DON’T SURROUND THIS MAN WITH ANY OPEN TROUBLE. HE WOULD RUN TO HIS CHIEF RIGHT AWAY. DON’T GIVE HIM ANY TROUBLE THAT HE CAN PUT HIS FIINGER ON. REMEMBER, HE IS SENSITIVE TO HIS FEELINGS.

IF HE FEELS BAD, HE THINKS ALL IS LOST. THE BEST WAY TO GET AT HIM IS TO INTRO¬DUCE JUST A LITTLE FEELING OF APPREHENSION. YOU SEE, THIS IS REALLY STRIKING AT HIS SPIRITUAL MAKEUP, BUT DON’T THINK HE WILL KNOW ABOUT THAT. HE WILL FEEL BAD AND THIS WILL WORRY HIM. THEN WE GOT HIM. IF HE DOESN’T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO YOU IN THIS MATTER, AND UTTERLY DISREGARDS YOU, IT’S BEST TO RETREAT AND WE’LL PLAN ANOTHER ATTACK. IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, HE ACCEPTS YOUR THOUGHT AND STARTS TO WORRY, LOAD HIM UP. PUT EVERY DOUBT YOU CAN THINK OF IN HIS MIND.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL ACCEPT THEM. JUST REMEMBER, IF HE DIDN’T TURN AWAY FROM YOUR FIRST SUGGESTION, THE CHANCES ARE THAT HE WILL TAKE ALL THE REST.

YOU KNOW THIS METHOD OF GENERATING THOUGHTS.USE CIRCUMSTANCES, WORDS, OR FEELINGS.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE METHOD. JUST GET YOUR MAN TO THINKING OUR THOUGHTS. IT’S YOUR JOB TO STUDY YOUR MAN. CHECK IN ON WHAT WE TAUGHT HIM. THERE IS NO USE TO SUGGEST SOMETHING THAT HE CONSIDERS TO BE “WAY OUT.” THERE WOULD BE NOTHIING TEMPTING HERE. DON’T SUGGEST VIOLENCE; AND ABOVE ALL, DON’T SUGGEST THAT HE DOESN’T LOVE HIS CHIEF. THAT WOULD FINISH US QUICK. I REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO I STARTED THIS WHOLE BUSINESS WITH AN OUTRIGHT QUESTION. I ASKED THESE PEOPLE RIGHT OUT, “WERE YOU TOLD SO AND SO.” “YES,” THEY SAID. THAT MADE ME MAD! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT MYSELF SO WIDE OPEN. I QUICKLY COVERED UP AND CONTRADICTED WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE TOLD. AND IT WORKED THAT TIME, BUT TIMES HAVE CHANGED. EXPERIENCE HAS PROVED THAT THE SUBTLE APPROACH IS THE BEST.

HERE’S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. DESIGN YOUR ATTACK IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOUR VICTIM WILL FEEL THERE IS A LACK WITHIN HIM. HE IS ALREADY APPREHENSIVE, YOU KNOW, SO THIS FEELING OF INCOMPLETENESS IS A NATURAL. THEN OUR TRAINING WILL START TO HAVE EFFECT. HE FEELS THAT HE IS QUITE CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF THINGS AND YET HE HASN’T MADE THE GRADE. IF HE HAD ANY SENSE AND IF HE BELIEVED WHAT HIS CHIEF SAID, WE WOULD BE OUT OF LUCK RIGHT HERE. HE WOULD RUN TO HIS CHIEF AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF US. BUT MY GUESS IS THAT IF YOU’VE GOT HIM THIS FAR, WE CAN TAKE HIM THE REST OF THE WAY. HE WILL START TO WORRY. WHEN HE DOES THIS, HE IS ADMITTING TO US THAT HE DOESN’T HAVE ANY FAITH IN WHAT HIS CHIEF SAYS. THAT’S YOUR CUE TO GIVE HIM ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN TO WORRY ABOUT. GIVE HIM A LOT OF DECISIONS TO MAKE. LET HIM SWEAT THEM OUT, THEN LET HIM WORRY ABOUT WHETHER HE WAS RIGHT OR WRONG. IF YOU KEEP THIS UP FOR A WHILE, THE MAN WILL GET SO SICK THAT HE WON’T KNOW WHERE HE’S GOING. YOU CAN JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY THINGS. GIVE HIM A LITTLE POKE EVERY NOW AND THEN AND THAT WILL KEEP HIM GROVELLING.

THE MAN ISN’T GOING TO GET MUCH HELP FROM HIS CHIEF SIMPLY BECAUSE HE DOESN’T BELIEVE HIM.

HE DIDN’T LISTEN TO THE INSTRUCTION HE RECEIVED IN THE FIRST PLACE OR WE WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN TO FIRST BASE. IF YOU HAVE DONE YOUR JOB WELL, YOU WILL HAVE BUILT UP HIS EGO TO THE POINT WHERE HE WILL THINK HE HAS ADMITTED FAILURE IF HE EVEN ASKS HIS CHIEF FOR HELP. YOU SEE, THIS IS BECAUSE WE TRAINED HIM TO IMAGINE HIMSELF CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF THESE THINGS.

IF HE DOESN’T CHECK IN AT HIS HEADQUARTERS FOR HELP, HE WILL RUN AROUND TRYING TO FIND HELP HERE AND THERE. HE CAN’T FIND IT THOUGH BECAUSE THERE ISN’T ANY¬THING WRONG WITH HIM. IT’S JUST A MATTER OF FAITH AND HE HASN’T GOT IT. WE CAN REALLY WRECK A PERSON HERE. IF YOU GET YOUR MAN TO THIS POINT, KEEP HIM THERE. KEEP HIS MIND OCCUPIED WITH YOUR THOUGHTS. LET UP ON HIM ONCE IN AWHILE, BUT NOT TOO LONG AT A TIME. LET THE MAN GET FEELING A LITTLE BETTER. HE WILL BEGIN TO BE ENCOURAGED AND THEN, HIT HIM AGAIN! A COUPLE OF TIMES LIKE THAT AND HE WILL BE COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED.

THERE IS ONE BIG THIING THAT YOU WILL BE DOING BY THIS CONSTANT BATTERING AND THAT IS YOU WILL BE DEVELOPING A HABIT WITHIN THE MAN TO ACCEPT OUR KIND OF THOUHTS. THIS IS A BIG THING! WHEN HE HAS ACQUIRED THIS HABIT--WHY MAN WE CAN LEAD HIM WHEREVER WE WANT HIM! HE MIGHT STILL BE IN THE ENEMY CAMP, BUT HE WON’T KNOW A THING ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON. WE HAVE HIM “CONTAINED.” HE MIGHT BE IN THE ENEMY CAMP, BUT HE HAS NO JOY BECAUSE OF IT. YOU GET HIM IN THIS SPOT AND I’LL SHAKE YOUR HAND AND SAY, “BRAVO, WELL DONE.” LET ME TELL YOU SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE UP AGAINST. THESE ARE FACTS, BOY, AND THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO CHANGE THEM. IF YOU EVER GO AFTER SOMEONE, AND HE KNOWS THESE FACTS, AND APPLIES THEM, LET HIM ALONE. DON’T BOTHER HIM! THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO IN A CASE LIKE THAT.

THESE FACTS HAVE BEEN SETTLED FOR QUITE SOMETIME. YOU KNOW THE STORY AS WELL AS I DO. I THOUGHT I HAD THE SITUATION WELL IN HAND. BUT THE ENEMY SNATCHED THIS MAN RIGHT OUT OF MY GRAVEYARD AND DISPLAYED HIM TO THE WHOLE WORLD. HE MADE A LIAR OUT OF ME RIGHT IN FRONT OF ALL MY STUDENTS. I WAS PLENTY MAD. BUT I COULDN’T DO A THIING ABOUT IT. THERE WERE CERTAIN LAWS LAID DOWN THEN IN WHICH I WASN’T CONSULTED. THE JIST OF THE WHOLE THING IS THAT IF WE CAN GET A MAN TO THINK OUR THOUHTS. WE CAN MAKE HIS LIFE A LITERAL HELL ON EARTH. BUT IF HE WON’T LISTEN TO US AND IF HE GIVES HIS MIND OVER TO HIS CHIEF, WE CAN’T DO A THING. I DON'T LIKE THE SET UP. BUT THAT’S THE WAY IT IS.

OUR STRENGTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MATERIAL THINGS. THIS IS THE AREA IN WHICH WE HAVE TRAINED EVERYONE. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I THAT IF WE CAN OCCUPY THEIR MIND WITH MATERIAL THINGS, THEY WILL NEVER HAVE THE TIME OR THE INCLINATION TO THINK OF SPIRITUAL THINGS. WE HAVE TRAINED THEM TO THINK THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SPIRIT. THAT’S WHY THEY LAUGH AT ANY SUGGESTION OF SPIRITUAL THINGS. OF COURSE, THIS MEANS THAT THEY DON’T REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE EXIST. THIS IS A LITTLE HUMILIATING. BUT IT DOESN’T WORRY ME IN THE LEAST. AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THIS IDEA, I’VE GOT THEM WHERE I WANT THEM ANYWAY. THE MAIN REASON THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP THEIR MIND OFF OF SPIRITUAL THINGS IS THAT WE CAN’T AFFORD THE RISK OF THEIR RECOGNIZING THE ENEMY. SO LONG AS A PERSON CONSIDERS ONLY MATERIAL THINGS, WE CAN HAVE A BALL BECAUSE WE CAN MAKE HIM THINK WHATEVER WE WANT.

WHEN I LOST MY HOSTAGE, I KNEW I WAS LICKED. I DIDN’T KNOW FOR SURE WHAT WAS UP. BUT I DIDN’T HAVE LONG TO WAIT. IT WASN’T OVER FORTY DAYS FROM THE TIME I LOST HIM THAT HE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO BECOME A SPIRITUAL CREATURE LIKE HIMSELF. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS TO BELIEVE HIM. TO LOSE MY STUDENTS WAS BAD ENOUGH, BUT TO BE EXPOSED, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIGHT, AS HE PUTS IT--WELL, I’M NOT ABOUT TO TAKE IT SITTING DOWN! I’VE BEEN PRETTY THOROUGHLY PUT IN MY PLACE. I’VE SEEN THE DOCUMENT DRAWN UP BY THE ENEMY, AND IT CERTAINLY ISN’T A BIT COMPLIMENTARY. HE HAS INFORMED THESE PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE HIM THAT WE ARE THE ONES WHO GIVE THEM TROUBLE. HE EXPOSES OUR METHOD. HE HAS TOLD THEM THAT CARNAL THOUHTS PRODUCE DEATH, AND HE HAS WARNED THEM AGAINST IT. HE HAS TOLD THEM NOT TO PAY ANY ATTENTION TO US, BUT TO TURN THEIR MINDS TO SPIRITUAL THINGS BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE LIFE AND PEACE IS. HE HAS PAMPERED THEM BY GIVING THEM EVERYTHING THEY NEED. IT GALLS ME TO THINK OF THESE THINGS; I SIMPLY CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT. I’M AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT THE ENEMY DOES.

HE SAYS THAT HE WILL GIVE HIS PEOPLE PERFECT PEACE IF THEY THINK ABOUT HIM; AND IF THEY DO, I CAN’T GET TO THEM. BUT YOU JUST LET THEM TURN THEIR THOUGHTS AWAY FROM THE SPIRIT JUST FOR A MINUTE, AND I’LL GIVE THEM SUCH TURMOIL AS THEY NEVER KNEW.

THERE IS ONE CHARACTFRISTIC OF THE ENEMY THAT IS IN OUR FAVOR. AT LEAST IT SEEMS THAT WAY TO ME. I CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT. HE WON’T BIND HIS PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM CAPTIVE UNLESS THEY WANT IT. IF THEY WANT IT, THEY DEMONSTRATE IT BY BELIEVING WHAT HE TELLS THEM. IF THEY DO THAT, WE’RE BEATEN. IT’S HARD TO GET TO SOMEONE IF THEY WON’T LISTEN TO YOU. BUT IF I EVER GET MY HOOKS INTO SOMEONE, HE’S GOING TO SQUIRM. I’M NOT ABOUT TO LET HIM GO. I’LL SQUEEZE EVERY BIT OF JOY AND PEACE RIGHT OUT OF HIM IF I GET HALF A CHANCE.

WHEN YOU GO OUT TO HIT YOUR MAN, TRY SMOTHERING HIM IN TROUBLE, IF THE SUBTLE APPROACH DOESN’T WORK. THAT WILL SHAKE HIM UP. BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. IF THAT MAN DOESN’T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO YOUR TROUBLE, IF HE LOOKS ON IT AS JUST SOMETHING ELSE THAT HIS CHIEF HAS TAKEN CARE OF, THEN BUDDY YOU MIGHT AS WELL CLEAR OUT.

WE MIGHT AS WELL FACE FACTS: WHEN A PERSON CONSIDFRS OUR TROUBLE TO BE JUST ANOTHER THING THAT BRINGS HONOR TO HIS CHIEF, HE’S SAFE. I’VE NEVER SEEN IT TO FAIL. THE ENEMY TWISTS OUR TROUBLE ALL OUT OF SHAPE AND IT ENDS UP THAT THE VICTIM’S FAITH IS STRENGTHENED. LET’S FACE IT. IF THAT MAN, OR ANYONE, REFUSES TO CONSIDER OUR THOUGHTS AND PERSISTENTLY BELIEVES AND OBEYS HIS CHIEF, WE’VE HAD IT. BOY, WE’VE HAD IT!

By Virtue of the Wilderness

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:34:17 GMT

Jesus prayed. He prayed for strength in the garden when He said, “Not my will but thine be done,” and He prayed for virtue. This was the dynamic power of God. Remember, Jesus felt the virtue go out of Him when He was touched for healing.

Unless this “virtue” is within us, no one will Spiritually or physically receive from God through us. No matter what we say, no matter what we do, unless this “virtue” is within us, our lives will be fruitless. This virtue comes only by prayer- -not the prayer that we offer at meal time, nor the one we utter in the morning, nor at night before we go to bed. It is not gained during the time of family worship or is it gained at the weekly prayer meeting at church. These times of prayer are all good, but the virtue of God comes when you take time to remove yourself from those around you and seek God individually--just you and the Lord.

We read of Jesus leaving the multitude on several different occasions and praying. One time He arose early and went out from the people to pray. Another time He prayed all night. He was removed from His disciples when He prayed and was transfigured. In Gethsemane He removed Himself “a little further on” from His disciples, and then He prayed.

He began His ministry in the wilderness, and there He prayed for forty days. It was there He was tempted. It was there that He gained the victory and bound Satan.

If we are to have this virtue of God, we must share in the sufferings of Christ, we must experience His experience.

The first victory we must obtain, if we are to have anything else, is the victory of prayer. We must learn how to get hold of God ourselves. The "wilderness" into which the Spirit led Jesus was not only literal but symbolic as well, and it must be the way of entering into fellowship with God. The first thing that must be ours is the sure knowledge that, if we are forsaken by everything else, our God is still there. We are not to depend on places, on things, or on people, to get us in touch with God. We must know that in the wilderness, when there is nothing material around--no friends, no familiar places--that there we can meet God.

Satan will attack us in this place of prayer. He will bring to your desires all sorts of things. He will cause your mind to be removed from the single purpose of communing with God. It is in this wilderness that you must initially learn the secret of “the Word of God” so you too may answer Satan with an authoritative “it is written.” It is in the wilderness that Satan is defeated. We do not have to bind him and cast him out, that will come later. In the wilderness he has learned who his master is. Later on then, when you meet him, and oppose him, you can say, “In the name of Jesus be gone,” and he will go because he knows that you have the authority of the Word of God. He discovered this in your wilderness experience.

Jesus did not go in the “Power of the Spirit” until after this experience. No more will we move in the power of the Spirit until we have denied ourselves, prayed, and demonstrated our God-given authority of the Word of God.

There are many today who go through the form of prayer, they use certain phrases as though they were magic incantations and Satan is still there--not cast out, still active, not bound--all because he has not met this individual in the wilderness. That’s where the battle ground is, all else is just a mopping up operation.

Jesus said for us not to be like the man who prays on the street corner because he loves to be seen of man. There are folks who pray in church to be seen by the Pastor, or they regularly attend services so they may show their faithfulness. Jesus talked to those who would listen. “But you,” He said, When you pray, go into your closet and shut the door.” Get by yourself, pray in secret. What matters if people don’t see you pray? They will see the results, because your Father to whom you pray will reward you openly.

It is rather difficult to find time to pray in this fashion, so many things have to be done that we hardly know where to turn. Yet we do not find it difficult to take time out to eat, nor is it too hard to settle down and watch a favorite program on TV, or to take a minute out and read the paper, or look over the mail.

The time has come, to deny ourselves. Jesus arose very early in the morning to pray. Sometimes He prayed all night.

Quite often He removed Himself from the multitudes so that He might be alone and pray. It was because of this that He could say to the devil, “Loose him, and come out of him,” and it was so. They had previously met Him, and were unable to withstand the Word of God. He was Victor over them and it had been demonstrated in the wilderness.

Our dependence upon God must be established as a sure thing independently of people, places, or things. It must be as though there were nothing else in the world. In this understanding will come a personal knowledge of the power of the Spirit. This experience is the source of the “virtue” of God. This Virtue, this Power, this Spirit, will never be ours until we individually come alone before God, meet Satan, and demonstrate to him that we are Sons of God, and we know it and act accordingly.

Change or Transformation

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:33:41 GMT

When I was young in the Lord, I studied the Bible differently than I do now. I studied it with my mind. Now, I have to bring my mind to God who is in me, and see what He has to say.

I learned when I was young in the Lord, that if I wanted to talk about a certain thing, there were certain portions of scriptures that were accepted as being appropriate for that thing. The fact is I had a list of certain scriptures that were meant to be read on certain occasions. For comfort, read so and so; for hope, read so and so; for strength, read so and so. I thought this was wonderful. I didn't know what the Bible had to say at times like this, so let someone else tell me what I should read. I listened to what they said and it became fixed in my mind. The thing that bound me and kept me from understanding the Bible was the fact that I had accepted what man said was the right thing. I had to learn differently.

I used to look at the Bible as being a compilation of events. This happened to Paul, this happened to James, Jesus did this, or Jesus did that. When God began teaching me, He wasn't necessarily concerned with "events," rather He was concerned with the reason for these events.

There is a place in the New Testament that says if everything that Jesus did was recorded the World would probably not be able to contain it. I believe that God inspired men to write the things that we have. I wonder why did He record this "thing" and not that "thing." I began to understand these things when I listened to God who lives within me. He taught me. He didn't teach me so much about things, but He taught me the reason for things. I struggled sometimes when I would want to relate something from the Bible. I would say, "This happened to James, or was it John. Maybe it was Paul. Well, who cares whether it was James, John or Paul. The important thing was that it happened, and God had a purpose for it happening.

What was His purpose? That was the important thing to know. James or John or whoever, was just the one by whom God brought this "thing" about. What are His thoughts? - That's the difference in the way I learned. When I was very young in the Lord, - I learned "things." As I learned more of God, I learned the reason for "things." I have said a lot of times that the Lord was tempted in all points like we are, true or false? People would say they didn't know whether that was true or not. There was no T.V. then. Others would say, "No, He wasn't married." or, "He didn't have any kids." We laugh at this, but that's the kind of thinking we fall prey to when we look at things.

So I learned that "things" were not the problem. There was something within me that caused the problem. It was the way I interpreted the "things" that I encountered. There was something within me that went contrary to what God wanted of me that caused the problem. I used to think that if I wanted to get rid of the problem all I had to do was get rid of the things that were bugging me. I found that wasn't true. I might get rid of the things that were bugging me, but it wasn't long before they were replaced by other things that bugged me. So, the bugging was within me and that had to change. I had to learn that it wasn't things,” it was me! Change or Transformation christisyourlife.com 2 I have often read that portion of the Bible where Paul said, "I have learned that in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content." He said that he had learned how to abound and also to suffer want. This wasn't something that came natural for him, he had to learn it. The way I read this, Paul wasn't looking at whether he had much or not. His goal, the thing he had to learn, was to be content. God wants for us to be content. After all, I believe that this is part of our heritage in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is righteousness and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.

That spells “contentment!” So these are some of the things that I feel we have to learn. When we know God lives in us, and we listen to Him, these are the things that He will teach us. This knowledge must come from God.

It cannot come from our mind because our mind does not know the things of God. The Bible says that it is not subject to God's laws. The Bible says that no man knows the things of God; only God knows the things of God, so I must learn from God or I won't learn at all. When we decide to live by God's thoughts rather than our own, we will bring our thoughts to God, give them to Him and receive His. Then we will be transformed. We may change by the efforts of our own thinking but only God's Word. hid in our heart will transform us.

So the way of living a relaxed life in God is to let Him do our thinking for us. After all, He is our Life.

Check your Focus

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:33:04 GMT

Time is sort of a funny thing. Just what does it measure? Scientists say that time is a measure of the motion of the Universe. As man’s awareness of the Universe increases, his method of keeping time is refined.

SOME VARIOUS “I” DISEASES Near Sightedness: This individual is suffering from an inability to see anything else but himself.

He is one who depends upon his “feelings” for his victory—he is not able to look beyond the “present trial” and see Christ. He lives for himself; and because of that, he is useless to God’s plan. God’s plan for us is to live for others. Jesus came not to do His own will, remember?? Far Sightedness: This individual has a decided inability to see that he is the one for whom the scriptures were given. He has far reaching sight in knowing precisely what admonition or reproof was meant for, but he has difficulty in focusing clearly on his own lack. He finds it difficult to understand the reason for testing and trials when they come to him. When it is suggested that a changing of his way of thinking is in order, he becomes quite indignant. When a scripture is suggested that should be put into practice, he says, “Oh, I know that.” Astigmatism: Astigmatism prevents the individual from seeing all aspects of God’s program with the same clarity. Certain things are in sharp focus, while others are hazy and ill defined.

There is an aberration in his perspective that distorts everything that touches upon that particular spot. This is the individual that will surprise a person with his wisdom and understanding in some lines, and yet in other things, there is a complete lack of resolution. It is because the man suffers from astigmatism.

Bi-Ocular Diplopia: This is basically the inability to focus both eyes on a single object, due to lack of muscular co-ordination. This results in a double image and is therefore a severe handicap.

The remedy to all these problems is to look only to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Clergy and Laymen

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:32:32 GMT

I perhaps shouldn’t talk about certain things, but sometimes it is necessary if we are to learn. We have been brainwashed. We have heard particular phrases for so long that we actually have come under the dominion of their thoughts, “Clergy and Laymen,” for one thing! I could talk about that and give you scripture, but the thing that bothers me is the way Satan gets men to unwittingly help him out, even good, honest, God loving, born-again believers. Just by saying one little phrase helps Satan bring a sense of incompleteness upon eager Christians. This is a defeating thing. The pity of it is that some people think that they are closer to God when they are conforming to this one phrase I have in mind.

What is it?--“FULL TIME WORK FOR THE LORD.” Mark it well, for it is one of the most subtle plans of Satan to bring division to a Child of God. What does it mean? There is nothing mysterious about it. By its use we tend to indicate an individual who had departed from a secular means of making a living, and is living more or less like the Priests of Israel--off the people. There is nothing wrong with this way to live--if God wants you to live this way. But get this one thing straight--that is no more full-time work for the Lord than the individual that draws a pay check and has dedicated his life wholly and completely to God. God respects NO man’s person. People may, but not God (James 2:1-9; Romans 2:11).

I’m reminded of the time in the Bible where Jesus was telling about the things that God would give to those who did the work of the Father. The people said, “That’s good, we want to do that work, tell us what it is so that we might do this work,” Jesus said, “This is the work of the Father, that you believe on Him who God has sent.” And listen, my friend, search the Scriptures, search them good, and you will not find any other work that you can do that will add to your stature, or add one wit in your working for the Lord full-time, double-time, part-time, half-time, or any other kind of time.

Compassion

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:31:59 GMT

Compassion is a characteristic that reaches out from ones self, to feel and to take, as its own, the sufferings and shortcomings of another. It is a completely unselfish trait.

Man has the capacity for compassion, but in himself he does not have the ability to demonstrate true compassion.

Compassion is begotten by love. Man is not a creature of love. He does not, in himself, have the capacity to love.

Therefore, even though he has the capability of compassion, he can never express true compassion until Christ dwells within.

When a man receives his Life from God, he lives because Christ lives within him. Apart from Christ, there is no Life.

Now that Christ does live within a man, this man has all the necessary things to demonstrate true compassion. He has God, who is love, dwelling within him.

It would be useless to equip a man to do a certain job by giving all the necessary qualifications to him, and then not giving him the opportunity of doing the job. God does not do useless things.

God has recreated us so that we may show forth the likeness of Himself to those who are not Spiritual. That is why we are creatures of the flesh filled with the Spirit. This is the example of Jesus, and this is the foundation of our faith, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. The flesh has the capability of showing compassion; the Spirit gives us the reality of compassion.

Christ came to heal the brokenhearted. To do this, He had to come to the brokenhearted. He gave of Himself in such a way that the brokenhearted knew that here was help. Jesus came to them because, “Not they that are whole, but they that are sick need a Physician.” Those who do not believe in Jesus are not “born of the Spirit.” They do not know about the Spirit, nor do they understand the leading of the Spirit. Therefore they naturally will not seek the things of the Spirit.

We who are “born again” are in this body of flesh so that we may give physical action to the leading of God’s Spirit, and thereby demonstrate in a tangible way the love of God.

The man or woman who is not born again yet, who desires a better way of life, sometimes try to imitate the goodness of God; and yet he does not have the capacity to love, or the ability to help. Soon he is overcome with weariness and despair. He soon learns his limitations.

When Christ enters our lives, loves through us, when God dwells within us, He does the work of His pleasure. We have entered into our rest. But we have a responsibility. We must go to those who are in need of understanding. We must seek out those who need the healing balm of' Christ. They will not come to us because they do not understand.

We must go to them.

The compassion of' God will reach out through us, and we in Jesus will take their burdens and heartaches upon ourselves. Even as Christ came to us and bore our burdens, we will go to others and bear their burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Conform

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:31:27 GMT

CONFORM: “to be like, hue to the line.” Sounds like Webster’s Dictionary, and it is. It’s a most interesting word, one that plays a vital part in our Christian Life, so let’s investigate it just a little bit.

I talked to a friend the other day and he told me he went to a certain church because he found that it was quite easy to conform to their rules of conduct and to be accepted as one of the group.

I also know of many people who are unhappy attending such and such a place, because they feel it is too difficult to conform to the “acceptable pattern of behavior.” They feel left out--out of place; and rather than conform to that group, they move on, always seeking something that will give them a sense of well-being and belonging, but still not be too demanding on their life style.

This type of individual can never really be a Christian in the true sense of the word, but they can be accepted in certain groups as Christians because they “try” to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. The world is, and always has been, full of people who accept the teachings of the Man, but reject Him as the Christ. You see, the problem of change enters in, and men don’t want to change. Jesus said, “Whosoever would come after me, let him take up HIS cross and follow Me.”--Matt.16:24. This is too much of an identification for many people. They would rather leave the “cross” out of it. They would just as soon not conform to that requirement so they just become “religious.” A true Christian is more or less a “non-entity” as far as this world is concerned. The world does not hold him in such great esteem, because they are convicted of sin by something that is in his Life, and this is an unpleasant thought.

The thing that convicts the world of sin through a Christian’s Life is the Spirit of God. The thing that made Jesus the Christ was this same Spirit. The thing that makes us a Christian, or like Christ, is this same Spirit.

In John we read that God is a Spirit; and if we wish to worship Him, we must do so in the Spirit. Now, if it was the Spirit that dwelt in Jesus and made Him the Christ, it was unto this Spirit that Jesus yielded His life. He conformed to the desires of this Spirit. Remember, He said, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”-- ¬Luke 22:42. Now we read of this Jesus who is the Christ, that He is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. If we are to be like Him, we too, must conform to this same Spirit; then we will be like Christ,” as far as God is concerned.

Here’s what the scriptures say, “As many as He foreknew, He also predestined THAT they should conform to the image of His Dear Son.”--Rom. 8:29

Consider God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:30:57 GMT

I want to talk to those of you who wish to live for the Lord more than anything else. You see, some people think that if they go to church on Sundays, that’s all that is required. Then if they should go to church during the middle of the week, this of course is just so much better, nothing can top that.

The scriptures seem to teach something else. They teach of a life that is completely given over to the Lord. This includes your time of worship in the gathering of believers; it includes your time spent in the privacy of your own home; it includes the time you spend in making a livelihood; it includes your recreational life. There is NOT a breath of your life that God does not want.

Sometimes we find it difficult to comprehend just how we can give attention to our life and at the same time consider God. Yet we never find it difficult to take time to consider our home, our loved ones, our business, or ourselves.

These things have lodged in our consciousness and they remain stable. We work and we study so that we might be better prepared to care for our loved ones, or to prepare a better and more comfortable security for them. Many times a man leaves his home in the line of business. His wife and children are left behind, but the real man doesn’t forget them. He is anxious to return, his love is there, his thoughts are there; soon, he hopes, he will be there. He has left ties behind him, and they pull on him. He will return! These are facts. Now let’s learn something from them. The scriptures tell us not to be concerned about obtaining material, or earthly treasures, but rather be concerned about Spiritual, or heavenly treasures. Very simple reason-- because where your treasures are, there will your heart be also.

The children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, but their hearts were still tied to the leeks and garlic of Egypt. In every crisis their thoughts returned to the land of their familiarity. They died in the desert.

Peter was a fisherman when Jesus called him. Three years later he despondently said, “I'm going fishing.” He still remembered the former things. When Jesus was with those Disciples they said, “Where will we go, to whom shall we turn? Thou hast the words of Eternal Life.” This cannot help but be the results of one who sees Christ, and hears His words, and heeds them. But it must be in every phase of living that this takes place.

I’m concerned about whether you can survive when Satan shall try you. I’m concerned about the area of weakness that we have. To know that Christ is strong, is wonderful; but to know wherein we are weak is imperative because it is only in our weakness that we experience the strength of God.

Let’s investigate a scripture. “A man’s enemies shall be they of his own household.” The area of human love is perhaps the strongest thing in our physical make-up. I believe that it is even stronger than self-preservation. “Greater love hath no MAN, than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.”-- John 15:13. This being our strongest point, it becomes our weakest point in the eyes of the Lord because we must lay down our life if we are to partake of the Life that is Christ’s. He will not “share” His Life with us, He must reign supreme. The Life that we Live must be His if we are to be truly Living in His Spirit. This is so because Spirit and blood cannot mix.

The Lord will only occupy the areas of our lives that we give to Him. Now, listen to this: “If any man love the world or the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Isn’t this clear? If we are to have the love of the Father within us, we must give this area of love over to Him, or He will not occupy our lives in this respect.

Christian stability, therefore, is based upon the totalness of the area of our lives that Christ occupies. He occupies only the areas given to Him.

So what follows? Simply this! If there are areas in our lives that have not been given to the Lord, then they still exist in our physical mind, and they remain physical strongholds. They are the treasures in the world to which our heart is tied. They are our worldly strength, but they are our spiritual weakness, because they have not yet been brought into subjection to the Spirit.

Am I in danger of returning to the elements of the world? As long as they exist in my life, the danger is there. I must give all areas of my life to the Lord. Only then can I be assured that only God exists. Only then does He become everything to me.

Creation

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:30:24 GMT

I cannot question that there is a God. Everything within me, and the universe around me, says there is order and objectivity. This tells me that there is something or someone who is Supreme. As a starting point I shall call Him God.

Moses was introduced to Him as being the “I am”--the power or presence of one who does not change. I shall accept Him as such. This, of course, means that what I think is a change in relation to God, is really, not a change at all; rather it is an enlargement of my understanding of God. Obviously, my first aim is to know God.

There is no text about Him other than the Bible, so I will read the Bible.

Immediately I have trouble. I am aware of so many different beliefs regarding the Bible, and each one claims to be right. How can I be sure? Perhaps the best thing is to disregard them all. I do not just want to know about a church, I want to know about God.

The reading in the Bible is not like our language today; it’s rather difficult to understand, but if I read thoughtfully, I shall surely understand something of what it is saying.

More troubles! Where shall I start? The Bible is quite a big volume--New Testament or Old, Psalms or the Proverbs, the Gospels or the Epistles? Inasmuch as I want to learn the first things, why not start at the beginning and see what develops.

The very first thing I read is what I’m told is the story of creation. As I read it, I’m impressed with what I call the “naivete” of it. Such simple and preposterous statements: God said, “Let there be light; and there was light.” All these other things that God created and made--the earth, the sea, the skies, the animals, the vegetation, and man--why, science can’t even explain how to make a blade of grass! Am I supposed to just let it go with, the terse statement, “God made it?” Well, let’s consider: I'm reading the Bible to learn about God. If it’s to do me any good, I must believe it.

When I think of the wonders that science has told me is locked in the atom, I am amazed. And then when I look at the Bible and I learn that God made all these things, I stand in awe of His ability. I study science and I find that as far as man can probe, all matter is the same. I study the Bible and I learn that God made it all.

I think of man and what medical science has discovered about him. He is the most complex organism I know. When I think of the eyes that enable me to see, and all the various shades of the spectrum have distinction, I think how wonderful this body is. I think of the ears, of taste, of touch, of the precise mechanical engineering evidenced in weights and proportions, of leverages and structures, of temperature control--this body is truly amazing.

But this simple story about the beginning of things tells me that God made me. So I stop and think about that. If, God made me, then He knows all about me. There are no wonders or mysteries to Him--He made me. There is no mystery to Him in all the universe because He made it.

What a revelation of God! I wanted to learn about Him and I certainly have. Here is a power that staggers my imagination--someone who knows all about everything, who can do all things. Yes, I have learned something about God. One thing I must remember, I learned this because I listened to the Bible. When I listened to man with all his fancies and theories, I was impressed with the logic of his reasonings; but always I stumbled because somewhere I always found incompleteness. One thing for sure though, I always ended with the feeling that man was pretty sharp to figure all these things as well as he did. But, I might as well face this, I didn’t learn about God by listening to man.

So, I listen to the Bible. I like it! Just a simple statement--“God made all things.” It’s as though He were saying: “No need to tell the details of how I made them, you wouldn’t understand anyway.” The one thing I see by reading (and believing) the Bible is that God is the greatest --He is over all. I’m just one of the many things He has made.

When I think about this, I become over-awed and feel that I am far too insignificant to approach unto God, or how can He be mindful of me? But then I read on.

He made me as I am with passions, with emotions, with feeling. And He provided for them. He said it is not good for man to be alone--so He made woman.

I’ve learned another thing about God. Not only did He make me, but He is aware and mindful of my needs. He knew that I was of a different nature and would require companionship of like nature, and so He made woman for me. This shows me that He is a loving God; and even though I am just one of His creatures, He has considered my needs.

Then another thing I read: He doesn’t leave man alone. I read that He walks and talks with man in the cool of the evening.

I look again to my emotions, the way I have learned myself. How relaxing and satisfying to have friendship and fellowship in the cool of the evening--to be busy all day and taste of satisfying tiredness, and then to be refreshed by the companionship of an understanding true Friend! I think that this God I’m learning about by reading the Bible must be pretty wonderful and compassionate. I never learned Him as such by listening to people.

Certainly man does not seem to have this relationship with God today--how come? I’ll read some more in the Bible.

God required certain things of this man that He made, not much; but it seems to be significant. God gave man a good bit of authority. He said, “Here’s the earth, it’s yours. Subdue it.” There was just one thing in which he was cautioned.

There was a tree that they were told not to touch or to eat the fruit of. Everything else was all right. That didn’t seem like too un¬reasonable a thing to ask. God even told man what would happen if he did touch this tree. He said that man would die.

Well, I read on in the Bible, and I find that man did eat of the fruit of this tree. Now here’s a basic problem. All my life I've heard that man’s trouble in the Garden was disobedience. But somehow, as I read the Bible, I don’t feel that this is true. It seems to me that the basic problem is a little deeper than just disobedience. I see a complete disregard for what God said--a disregard for His Word. Here was a man and his woman, made by God; they had all things by God.

They talked with Him “in the cool of the evening,” the Bible says, and yet they had no regard for what He told them.

They were aware of what He said, because they reiterated His words to Satan. But they just disregarded it completely.

This is a real serious thing! I can understand the actions of someone who shows disregard for something or someone; I see it about me everyday. You disregard someone because you consider them unimportant. Maybe if you come right down to it, you might agree that maybe they are. O.K.; but always when you find disregard, you will find that there is something more important to the individual doing the disregarding, than the thing he is disregarding.

That’s what happened in the Bible. God wasn’t important enough to pay that much attention to; this created man found something he thought was more important.

It was just that man wanted something. Having his way in regard to what he wanted was more important than paying attention to what God had said. At least that’s the way it reads in the Bible. It says, “Now when Eve saw the fruit, that it was pleasant to the eye, and it was good for food, and that it was desired to make one wise, she did reach forth her hand and took of the fruit, and did eat thereof.” Boy, if that isn’t having your own way, I don’t know what is! Something seems pleasant, it’s good, and you desire it.

What more natural thing then to take it, especially when it’s offered to you. But in order to take it you have to disregard the one who made you and provides for you and who cares for you. Now that’s a pretty low thing to do, isn’t it? I’ve obeyed a lot of people that I don’t have respect for. I was in a position that I had to obey them or suffer the consequences. A lot of people are obeying God that way. That’s not the best thing. I’m glad I read the Bible, because I’ve seen that my desire enters into the picture--not just obedience. I’ve obeyed a lot of people because I’ve respected them; I know them; I know they have authority for their words. I think that’s the way God wants us to obey Him.

It seems to me that this is the only reason for obedience as far as God is concerned. But, there are so many people who think they are obeying God, and who think that their obedience is acceptable, yet they are obeying because they are scared stiff. There doesn’t seem to be any awareness of the kindness, and compassion of this God of the universe. .

The reason I read the Bible is because I want to KNOW God. How can I say I know Him if I don’t regard the things I read? This God is great. He has made all things. There is no mystery that He does not understand. He made me and provided for me. He has indicated that He has left me the choice of honoring Him. I can listen to what He says and respect it; or I can disregard Him completely. Of course, this doesn’t please Him. But even here I learn more about Him. I learn more about His care and greatness as I read on. And that’s what I want to do, learn about God. So I'm going to read on. Are you still with me? I believe that it is pretty easy to see how great God is; and if I look at the Bible for just what it says, I can see that God cares and will provide for me. I certainly have no doubt in my mind that the sin of mankind is simply summed up in the obeying of his own will rather than the will of God. I’m convinced that this happens solely because man chooses to disregard God and follow his own desires.

There is another thing that I must get straight. Is God truthful? I suppose some would be quite disturbed to entertain a thought like that, but let’s look at it this way: Either God is a liar or man is a liar, or man is once again disregarding what God has to say. Every fiber of my make-up says that God is not a liar. The very fact that He is God means that He cannot lie. Even heathens know that. But there is one basic thing I have to establish before I can really learn very much about God.

Here is the situation: I’ve been reading in the Bible that God told man if he ate of this particular tree he would die. It reads this way: “The day that you eat of it ye shall surely die.” The Serpent contradicted this and said, “Ye shall not surely die.” Now, I have the choice of believing one of two things; either the Serpent or God. One or the other of them is lying.

As far as I can see, there was no difference in man’s existence after he ate the fruit than there was before. He still was breathing, he could still talk, move, see, feel, etc. Now according to my knowledge of life, these people were still alive. That seems to make the devil true and God a liar. But this I cannot even conceive. If God is a liar, He is no God, and there has to be an authoritative order to things. This Authority is God.

So, let’s look a little bit further. We find something that is very important. It’s about these people, Adam and Eve.

Their attitude was changed, and they began to see new things. For one thing, they could see that they were naked.

They knew what they could do to take care of that. The work of their hands served to provide them a covering--not a very durable and lasting one, but a cover nevertheless.

The change of attitude is evidenced when God appeared and called them. They hid! Before they never had anything to hide as far as they knew. Now they were acutely aware of their flesh, and they sensed there was something wrong.

If God said that they would die the day they ate of this fruit, I must believe it. There seems to be evidence that the Serpent was right, but things don’t quite jibe. Let’s look at this carefully. One of the things the Serpent said was-- “Your eyes will be opened.” They were. That was a true statement. The Serpent also said, “You will know good from evil.”--Gen 3:5. That too was so. God concurred with this. When man was driven from the Garden of Eden, God said, “He has become as one of us to know good and evil.”--Gen 3:22. These statements of the Serpent have not contradicted God at all. But this other one is a clincher. God said, “Adam you will die;” Satan says, “You won’t die.” Until a fellow gets this straight in his mind, he will never go very far with the understanding of the Word.

I think that this must be resolved without the help of the rest of the Bible. Here is the basic thing that must be settled, “Am I going to believe God, when actually my physical senses tell me that there is more logic to the arguments of Satan, or am I going to believe Satan?” If I believe God--really believe Him (not just say with the mouth I believe Him, and then inside of me lean to my own understanding), I’m going to believe Him in the face of the opposition of all my senses. Another thing, if I’m going to believe Him, I’m going to seek out reasons to believe Him.

If Satan should present to me ten reasons for something, and nine of them agree with God’s Word, but one of them does not, I’m going to see him as a sly, deceitful, cunning liar; and I’m not going to listen to him at all. He can’t be trusted as to which point is a lie. He is completely unreliable.

God said that man was going to die “in the day” that he ate of the fruit. O.K., so he died. What evidence do I see of this? The only thing I see is that his attitude changed and he couldn’t face God.

An attitude is characteristic of the spirit within an individual. When a person’s attitude changes within him, it is basically because his spirit has changed. Therefore, I can see that something happened to Adam and Eve as far as their spirit was concerned. The change that they evidenced was not in the physical realm, it was in the Spiritual realm.

This teaches me a lesson. When God says something, He means it. His Word IS truth (John 17:17). It teaches me not to look to the physical things because those things are obviously the things Satan will point out to prove his point.

It teaches me to look to Spiritual things. I will see these things evidenced FIRST in my attitude and THEN my actions.

Another thing: a real big thing--when God said that man would die when he ate this fruit, He was evidently referring to the Life of His Spirit, not to his flesh. Now, if man was made in the “image” and “likeness” of God and God is Spirit, then this Spirit Life in man must be the Spirit of God. Without God’s Life in Adam’s spirit, Adam’s spirit would die.

So, as I read the Bible, and look at what it says, I’m beginning to get a pretty clear picture of what man should really be. I see what happened to separate him from that state of original creation (sin separates).

Now, the final question: DID GOD LIE? Of course He didn’t. It’s only when we look at physical things that we cannot see the truth of God. This means that the Life of God is a Spiritual Life; and if we do not have His Spirit, we do not have the Life of God, we are dead.

The realization suddenly dawns upon us that we were created to have the Life of God within us and that we are NOT complete without it (Col. 2:10). To go through this physical life (life?) with no more hope than that contained in the flesh is a most dis¬couraging outlook. We need the Spirit of God.

We can’t stop reading the Bible now. We must find what kind of provision has been made for us. After all, MAN, the REAL man, shall not LIVE by bread alone.

Dead Reckoning

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:29:44 GMT

How can we reckon ourselves dead to sin? How can we mortify the deeds of the flesh? Perhaps a story will illustrate.One of my friends was a Mormon before she gave her life to the Lord. Mormons are sticklers for member participation. Each member is assessed, and expected to pay.

She gave her life to the Lord and no longer attended the Mormon Church. However, the Mormon Church still kept after her. They did not consider her a non-Mormon. They came to collect her assessment. She gave them a small amount, not the assessment, but just a token gift.

Time passed and the collectors came back. She declined saying she went to another church now. She was informed that she was still considered a Mormon--her name was still on the book. Consequently, she was still treated as one.

After a period of a year or so, her husband told the people bluntly, “Look, my wife has given her heart to the Lord and she no longer comes under your jurisdiction.” He had to tell them plainly that what she had belonged to Jesus Christ and not the Mormon Church.

They have not been bothered since. Had they taken their stand earlier, they would have been free earlier.

Jesus Christ set the believer free. The devil tries to get us to consider our names still on his books. If we give heed to him when he comes around to collect--even just a little bit, he will be back. But if we say, “Look, Mr. Devil, I don’t belong to you anymore. Jesus Christ set me free and I don’t owe you a penny. Be gone and don’t bother me.” The results: The Scripture says, “Resist the devil and he shall flee from you.”--James 4:7

Direction

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:29:05 GMT

To know what to do is a big problem to many of us. To gain direction from God too often seems next to impossible. It should not be a problem to a Christian. The sad part of it is that the teachings of the church have in many cases obscured the very thing that God would have us know. The church has laid out various programs and said, “This is the way.” But not too often have we heard that rest, on the part of the believer, is God’s direction for each and everyone of us who have been made new creatures in Christ.

Our direction as a new creature in Christ cannot be defined as being a missionary, a preacher, a teacher, an evangelist or any such thing. These are all material things; and as such, they are the effect of God’s direction, not the direction itself.

God’s direction to us is that we reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive in God. Just what this means is revealed to us in Jesus. He told us that the things He did and the words He said originated with His Father who lived in Him.

What about us? The Bible declares that it is God who works in us, both willing and doing His good pleasure.

There are two things that we, as humans, can do. We can speak and we can act. These are the things that Jesus could do, and it is interesting to notice the emphasis He gave them. Jesus was talking to His disciples and He asked them to believe the words that He said. Then, in effect, He said, “If you cannot believe me because of the words I say, believe me because of the things I do.” In another place He said that the words He spoke were Spirit and Life.

The Word He placed first, because He knew that if you believed His words, you would do the things He desired. To believe the words of someone requires a harmonious spirit. To believe because of an act is to trust the senses of the flesh.

The Bible says that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Jesus spoke the words that God desired Him to speak. He expressed God’s thoughts to us in words that we could understand. What Jesus said was actually God’s Word. He was the translator of God’s thoughts. He made God’s thoughts understandable to us; He was the Word of God.

The Psalmist said, “Thy word have I had in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” There is power in God’s Word: it is a weapon of offense against Satan. It is a vital thing; it is alive and absolute, and it accomplishes that which God ordained that it should accomplish. It is a refuge from the storms of this troubled world. It is a comforter to the troubled soul.

Words express thoughts. Thoughts can be from God, or they can be from Satan. Thoughts that we receive and accept generate attitudes within us, and attitudes produce actions. Therefore, I can control my action by controlling my thoughts, and I can control my thoughts by watching the words I speak.

I am a peculiar creature--when I am most conscious of my surroundings, I am least conscious of God. It seems to be the nature of my flesh to forget God when material things are “going well.” Then when my surroundings are adverse, the nature of my flesh is to cry out, in rebellion or hopelessness, to God and say, “Why?” It is hard to find reason to praise God when one’s entire awareness is of material things.

Jesus said that material things become corrupt and are stolen away from us. Therefore, we are not to consider them of any value. We are told to “lay up treasure in heaven” where things are not corrupted or stolen.

And now I find the first substantial foundation for praising my God--He has made me a NEW CREATURE, born of the Spirit, so that I may know Him. What a wonderful privilege this is! It is beyond my capabilities to bring about. Yet, He loved me so much as to want to make me part of Him so that I may know Him. How wonderful! I will praise Him for that. And I shall watch myself with all diligence that I shall always hold the miracle of this wonder uppermost in my mind. I will pledge before for God that I will never let this truth become corrupted in my mind by becoming common.

I am thankful to God for making me part of Himself--for giving me His Life. I am thankful for His might and power. I am thankful that He has shown me mercy and established me where I could not establish myself. I am thankful that He has slain my shortcomings and established me in His righteousness. I am thankful that He has removed my iniquities from me. I am thankful for His strength. For all of these things I am thankful, and I praise Him for them.

But, if I should stop here I would be selfish. I would be blind to the real meaning of all that I had received. I would not know the meaning of Love. I would have received of Love; but I could not know the meaning of this Love until I give.

In giving, Love is made strong. There is no Life until one gives in Love.

I am thankful for Life because God loved me and gave His Son a sacrifice for me. I am made alive in God because Jesus loved me and prepared my place of my abiding. For this my heart is full of thanksgiving and praise. But without knowing God’s Love in my giving, all that I have received becomes somewhat empty and meaningless.

I cannot give material things. There is no lasting joy or peace in them. They become corrupt and circumstances steal away the good that we had intended. All material joys will end in sorrow, but the things of God bring peace, and hope, and Life to those who receive them. It is God’s gift to me that I can give to others.

Divorce

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:28:33 GMT

Some have asked me to give my ideas on divorce. Well, my ideas aren’t worth anything. Some people think they are, but that’s only because they agree with me. The Bible is the only sure thing. What it says is true, whether we like it or not. But the one necessary thing is that we understand what the Bible teaches.

But you asked for my ideas: “I’ll compare divorce to the eraser on a pencil. When you write, you don’t deliberately make mistakes just to use the eraser. However, it is nice that it is there if you make mistakes. To marry without the union being what God intended is, of course, out of God’s will, and even that becomes sin without such a thing as divorce entering into the matter. The provision of divorce is an honest effort to allow for the honest errors of man; it is not meant to be a release for an immature and flippant making of mistakes.

So much for my opinion! I suppose that technically I should stop now because that is all you asked for, but I am going to write more, and I hope you will continue reading.

Knowing a bit of teaching that has been your background, I do not feel that I have to spend much time in reiterating the statements of the Bible regarding the matter. You probably know them by heart. However, I think it would be advantageous to consider some things for a moment.

Man has made a law regarding divorce. “Thou shalt not divorce,” it says. Jesus never said anything like that. The fact of the matter is He said it was O.K. to divorce under certain conditions. These conditions say something about adultery. A person, if they are morally upright, does not like to be branded with anything like adultery. Jesus made the remark that if we were divorced and married someone that was divorced we were committing adultery. The Ten Commandments say plainly, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” so I guess this is where the church gets their supposed authority to say, “Thou shalt not divorce.” It’s been a sore spot ever since Adam and Eve sinned and turned to their own desires rather than the desires of God.

The fact is this is why they had to have the law in the first place. You see, a law tells you either to do or not to do something. It does not tell you the why and wherefore that caused this law to come into being. Wherever there is a law that we do not understand the reason for, we feel bound by that law, and irritated by it. Understanding the truth of a situation is a very helpful thing because by UNDERSTANDING we are released from the bondage of ignorance.

Jesus said, “You shall KNOW the truth and the truth will make you free.” There were some Pharisees that came to Jesus once. They were going to tempt Him with a question. Here was the question: “Is it right for a man to divorce his wife?” The repartee that follows goes like this. (You can read it if you want to, it is in the 10th chapter of Mark.) Jesus just asked them, “What does Moses say?” The Pharisees answered, “He said it is all right to give a Bill of Divorcement and then put her away.” Jesus answered and He struck pretty hard.

Here is what He said, “Moses gave you this precept because of the hardness of your heart.” That doesn’t make too much sense to us today. We just figure that these Pharisees had a mighty cold heart and we let it go at that. Here’s the truth of the matter and a much clearer translation for us today.

Phillips translation says it in these words: “Moses gave you this law BECAUSE you understand so little of the meaning of love.” If you read the next few verses, you will see that Jesus indicated something of the meaning of love.

“Because of love man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” Here is the very basic concept of love; to become one with your mate. This is God’s plan; anything short of this is of man and contains a selfish character.

A man and woman, understanding the basis of love, teach themselves to love each other. Unfortunately, we in America don’t do things that way. We have an idea that we fall in love with someone and that we must marry them.

We do not know what they are like. We only love, or think we love them because of the feeling we have within ourselves. We think that marriage is urgent because of the way we feel-- because of what we want. This is a marriage that is based on the desires of one’s self. It is not centered in heaven at all. The whole thing is a giving over of one’s self to one’s own desires. I’m not saying this is right or wrong, I’m only saying that this is our present way of thinking about marriage. If it is to be based only on that, then divorce becomes just and right. But here’s the thing to think about. The Bible idea of marriage is not our idea. Therefore we cannot justly take a law laid down for the Bible way and apply it to our way without understanding the principles of that law.

The Bible is an Eastern book, an Oriental book. It contains principles for all mankind, but these principles are illustrated by Eastern customs. What about marriage? In the East, a man doesn’t even see who he has married until ten days after he marries her. The marriage is arranged by the parents. The marriage takes place, and then man and wife learn to love each other. Their marriage is a solemn occasion. It is not brought about by any passion of man. It is entered into before God, and both parties concerned agree to the thought that it is God’s will, and who is man that he can withstand God? The man who would divorce his wife under these circumstances is a man rebellious against God and therefore a sinner. He cannot say, “Get away from me, you old woman, I'm tired of you,” because in saying this he would be saying, “God, you don’t know what you’re doing; you sure made a mistake here.” The Easterner knows that God doesn’t make mistakes. He knows that any change from God’s plan would be entered into solely because he wanted his way more than God’s way. So, to the religious man of the East, divorce is unthinkable. “Whom therefore, God has joined together, let not man put asunder,” means something to the man of the East.

Our thinking is different, but the principle remains the same. Only the individual concerned will know before God whether he is in the will of God or not. It is not for me to say. This one thing I will say: Until we have learned to live our life completely for God, we will not know the contentment, or the joy, or the peace that comes from serving Him.

What do I think about divorce; now you know. I pray that you will find God’s will in this thing and live in it. Not only in this matter, but in ALL matters pertaining to you, may you find God's will.

Doing the Word

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:27:59 GMT

There is an event recorded in the Bible about some lepers who were healed by Jesus. They came to Him for healing, and they were told to do a very odd thing.

They were told to take an offering for cleansing and show themselves to the Priest. This was standard practice. When a man had a disease such as leprosy, he was an outcast, not only from society, but from his religion as well. When and if he became well, his religious laws prescribed that he take an offering and present it to the Priest. The Priest would examine the man, and if he were really healed, accept the offering and reinstate the man into both religious and civil society.

Jesus told these lepers to take such an offering and go show themselves to the Priest. The odd thing is that they still had their leprosy. Even with their leprosy they went ahead and secured an offering that was to be presented for a cleansing for a disease which they still had, just because a man called Jesus told them to.

These lepers were not healed when they left the presence of Jesus. They came to Him for healing, and they left with the same symptoms with which they came.

The Bible says this: “They were healed as they went.” In other words, they were healed when they did what they were instructed to do. One of these fellows came back to Jesus and thanked Him for what he had received.

Then Jesus told him how the whole thing came about. “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” If faith can do that, I want to know more about it! There are many times that we ask certain things of this Spiritual God of ours. We feel we ask in perfect faith, and yet we feel we have not received an answer to our request. Actually our lack of faith is demonstrated by refusing to believe that our request is granted until we see the evidence. We are to walk by faith and not by sight.

These lepers left the presence of Jesus with their leprosy, yet they immediately made preparations as though they already had that for which they had asked. They came to Jesus for something. They believed He could and would grant their request. Jesus told them what to do. Because they acted upon His word, rather than what they could see, they were healed.

That’s faith demonstrated! Listen to what the Bible says faith is: “Faith IS the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT SEEN.”

Eternal Security

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:27:30 GMT

One of the many mysteries of life is the effect that faith has on a man. Take faith away from a man and he becomes full of doubts--uncertain in all that he does.

There are some things I can’t have faith in. First, I can’t have faith in people, they change; I can’t have faith in the organizations we call church, because they are run by people, and consequently they change. So I can see the first requirement for my faith. It must rest in something that is unchangeable.

As surely as man needs faith, he needs peace--a peace that is capable of filling his innermost being. He needs a strong, deep-settled peace that can withstand all of the conflicting elements of this world.

In the 14th chapter of John, Jesus indicated that He gave this kind of peace--a different peace than the world gave.

His peace goes right to the core of the situation. “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Here, then, are two requirements for faith: First, it must have an eternal source, and it must give peace to the heart. I believe that these two things constitute the true foundation of faith, and that only God supplies them.

In placing my faith in God, I have an Eternal and Spiritual foundation rather than a materialistic one that does not long endure. I place my faith in Christ because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Just what is faith, and how does it work? A certain man once said, “Faith is the bringing of my will into conformity with certain Spiritual laws so that I will not obstruct the power of God in my Life.” When I place my faith in God, He does things. It is not that He cannot work without my faith, God is never handicapped; but God will not work without my faith! This is the way God made things, when a man trusts God, He works.

The secret of a strong healthy faith is a constant cultivation of the presence of God in our life. Center your attention and affections on Him, then faith comes along without any difficulty. God gives it, and He sustains it. He is the author and finisher of our faith.

The scriptures teach that we are to ask in perfect faith and not entertain doubts. Of he who doubts, it says, “Let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord.”--James 1:7 Abraham was not weak in faith--being persuaded that God was able to do what he had promised! Do you believe it?

Everyday

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:27:02 GMT

A good man longs for God--a1ways has--and so, in his desire, he tries to find a way.

The devil loves this kind of a desire because he can envelop that man in all sorts of “dead ends.” The devil can have a good man running here and there, trying this and trying that.

All of these things almost satisfy, but not quite. There is an elusive little wisp of something that is not quite right. In all of them you are encouraged to work just a bit harder, learn to meditate just a bit more, or study just a bit more, then you will “come into it.” You don’t work for salvation--salvation is a gift. No man can boast and say that he is a class “A” Christian or even a class “B” Christian. God’s gift is without respect to people. In Christ there is no division, nationalities, social status, racial differences--none of that. God’s gift is given to anyone who believes Jesus.

You can study the great leaders and philosophers of this world and learn a lot. Some of it is good too, but believing them won’t get you an audience with God. Jesus is the only way. You can forget all the wisdom of this world if you are looking for a way to God. Jesus said that anyone trying to get in by any other way than the door was a thief or a robber. Then He said, “I am the Door.” So that settles His thoughts on the matter.

Strange thing about salvation--it satisfies completely. It satisfies so completely that the devil says to us, “It’s such a good thing; you must work hard to keep it.” Then you agree with him and say that you surely wouldn’t want to lose it.

The upshot of this kind of conversation is that you decide you had better watch your step so you won’t be found to be in sin. Your thinking is that sin is a bad thing and it would put you on the outside of God. Then, when you die you wouldn’t go to heaven. And that’s a terrible thought! Heaven is your whole aim--your only hope-- the goal of your life! If you should miss that you have missed everything.

And so now I worry about sin. Only problem--I don't really know what sin is. Just to be on the safe side, I try to cover everything--the good things, the bad things, and even things that I don’t know about.

Now I’m right back where I started, trying to work things out. Maybe it is a little worse because I have known God. But now I'm filled with fear. I’m afraid that I’ll never make it; I’ve got too many weak spots. Of course I want to make it. I’m not going to give up, but I’m afraid that I will slip just at a crucial time, and then it will be too late.

There are a lot of errors in this kind of thinking. They are the kind of errors that rob you of the peace and confidence that God means for you to have.

The first thing that we must know is that you don’t have to work hard for salvation, either to obtain it or maintain it. It’s a gift. The Bible says so.

You see, to believe is not a one time thing, it’s a continuing process. Too many times we look back and say, “I accepted Jesus as my Savior way back when.” That’s good, but most of us have been fighting Him ever since. Better, we should see what faith is all about. Then we can say, “I accepted Jesus way back when, and last year, and last month, and five times yesterday.” What I’m saying is that to have faith in Jesus, to believe Him, is an on-going thing.

It never stops.

Look, one more thing. Know something about your Heavenly Father. He is not limited by time. He knows our ending as well as our beginnings. He is pretty sure about this business of salvation. He worked it out, and it’s His opinion that the sin question is settled. You see, what happened is that Jesus vanquished Satan, broke his power completely. He did this by taking our death upon Himself. Then God raised Him back to life again. Now, Jesus, having overcome the world, gave Himself to the Father. Then God, in turn, took us to Himself so that we all could be One. You see, Satan can touch me as an individual, but he can’t touch my Father and I am hid with Christ, in God.

God knows this is true, Satan knows this it is true, so you might as well know it too. So, when you believe Jesus, you enter into God. Your sins are no more. We are accustomed to think in the realm of time, so we say, “Praise God, all my sins are gone,” but we are only thinking of the past. Tomorrow comes and with it we face what we think are new troubles and we get all shook up. Look, Jesus knew all about your “tomorrows” when you first came to Him. He didn’t say, “I'll save you today and when tomorrow comes we’ll see what happens.” So cheer up. Even though I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, my Father does, and He has already taken care of it. So, what must I do to do the work of God? Believe Jesus--everyday!

Facts

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:26:26 GMT

To believe God’s Word, I must realize there are two sources of information. There is the material source and there is the Spiritual source. Both are true according to the nature of their own realm. However, when found together, they often contradict one another.

We must respect facts in the physical realm for what they are. Facts just in the physical realm just for physicallyminded people pertain to physical things. We must not have too high an estimation for these physical facts, especially when they contradict the Word of God.

For Spiritual people, God has facts of a higher plane in mind for the basis of their belief. God tells them that if these physical things (laws and principles) seem to be more real and substantial than the Spiritual, they are to be termed as reasoning or rebel thoughts and cast down from the imagination. If they move over on Spiritual ground and begin to usurp and challenge what God declares as true facts in Spirit (reality), they are to be immediately disregarded as lies, because Spiritual people come from a different realm than physical people, and so they have a different basis and standard for truth. “That which is of the flesh is flesh and that which is of the Spirit is Spirit.”--John 3:6 Paul spoke of the, believer’s walk. “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” The Christian is not to have his Life directed by reason for his Life is Spiritual not natural. “That which is born of the Spirit (God) is Spirit.” God says through Paul that we are a Spiritual creature and that we are to walk as such. In other words, a definite change has taken place within. Our nature has been changed and physical fact (that which appears to be fact) is no more to be regarded in the same manner as it was before, before what?--before the new birth. Our whole world changes because we have changed worlds. God has delivered us from the power of darkness (reason) and has translated (conveyed) us into the Kingdom of his Son (Col. 1:13).

The believer is not to look at that which is seen and depend upon it more than the fact that is not seen with the eyes of flesh. That unseen fact is God. “Moses endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”--Heb.11:27. That’s faith.

God declares that one source of fact is temporal, the other Eternal. Only God’s Word is from Everlasting to Everlasting, the other is categorized as the weak and beggarly elements of this world that shall pass away (Gal. 4:9).

There is Eternal truth that changes not and there is material truth that shall fade away. “They shall perish, but you remain: They shall all wax old as a garment. And as a vesture shall you fold them up and they shall be changed. But you are the same and your years shall not fail.”-- Heb.1:11-12 God says now that we have changed within, we are to look towards a new source of fact. He is that source; He is that fact; and He is that truth. “I am the way, the truth and the Life”--John 14:6 God says that reason has lifted itself up as God in the very temple of God; (you are that temple) and it must be cast down (2 Thes.2:4). “…Casting down and dethroning imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”--2 Cor.10:5 The Word declares that He is and besides Him there is no other. He says that what He declares is absolute and changes not. His Word is forever settled in Heaven, and it must be settled in our hearts.

The Word of God says that as a new creation we must no longer acknowledge the existence of the old and have a new basis for Truth. He says to take no thought for our life for our life longer no longer is. Christ is our Life.We now have a new source of confidence. This source is the new Life that we possess in God.

His Word has become the Lord of our lives and we would rather believe it than what our own senses tell us. Because we choose to believe the unseen fact, we find that we are no longer double-minded. We find that physical or material fact bows its knee to Spiritual fact (Phil 2:10-11). We know where the emphasis belongs. We have learned what real fact is, making the other a lie.

Our confidence does not vary because God does not vary, neither does His Word change. We have entered into rest, the rest of faith, the rest of God that comes from hearing His Word (Rom. 10:17).

God is always the same, therefore, our confidence and rest is the same regardless of circumstances. Our confidence is God. Our Life is based upon fact.

Faith

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:25:57 GMT

Faith blanks the mind out.

Faith is NOT a logical process.

Faith cannot be understood by the mind (1Cor. 2:14).

Faith is a heart matter (Acts 8:37).

Faith does not require an explanation (Prov. 3:5).

Faith works by love and love TRUSTS (Gal. 5:6).

If we have to know “how,” we aren’t trusting, we are deducing.

If we say, “It can’t be true unless I know how it works,” we are really saying, “God cannot work unless my mind first approves.” If I am going to say God cannot work unless my mind first approves, I am really saying, “God does not exist,” because my mind does not even believe in God (Rom. 8:6-7).

“It is with the heart man believeth…”--Rom. 10:10

Faith and Doubt--Different Sources

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:24:12 GMT

“If there is doubt in your mind about doing a certain thing, then don’t do it.” I used to say this--I heard it again just today. It is in regards to living a Christian life. I’ve come to the place where I simple can’t buy that as a flat statement of fact.

I remember I heard this when I was just a young Christian. It sounded so good, so I just repeated it. The years have gone by and I have repeated this many times to many people, but not any more. I have reached the place in my understanding of the things of God where I am not about to repeat things just because they sound good. I want to KNOW! There is too much to Christian living just to coin a phrase and apply it to all circumstances. Faith enters into all of our living for God, and faith is something that the human mind cannot understand.

There is area in which we struggle that is difficult, and many times impossible to know the way that we should go until we actually start. These are the times that we must move in faith, faith in God and not the knowledge of our minds.

Our minds are the last stronghold that Satan has on us, and as long as we allow our minds to remain under the influence of Satan and claim the newness of God within us, then we will be the central point of the “Is this right, or is this wrong” battles. The reason for this is our minds are simply not capable of making Spiritual decisions. Our minds will not react to the Word of God and deliver God’s decision. This is because, “No man knows the things of God...” It is only God who knows God, and His ways are contrary to the ways of the flesh.

We exercise faith to the extent that we refuse to look at natural circumstances. We must know the will of God’s Spirit within us, and follow that at all cost--yes, even to the extent of going contrary to natural reasoning. To take a stand and become active in that direction, even in the face of “logical opposition” is to take a step in faith. The mind may be full of doubts as to the wisdom of the action, but if the indication of the Spirit is plain, then the man faithful to God is obligated to what the carnal mind says is the wrong direction.

In such a case, man moves with doubt in his mind, but faith in his heart. He has God’s confidence in his Spirit. As long as he stands at the crossroads and debates the decision as to which way to go, nothing will be done. Doubts will grow within him, and indecision will rob him of the peace and joy that are rightfully his in Christ.

Faith is exercised in the face of doubt. In the flesh, doubt will gain the upper hand and destroy the confidence that God would give to every believer. In Christ, faith will win because it is of God.

Faith Is

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:23:31 GMT

Faith is the Spiritual reality of things desired; the very existence of things not seen. Faith realities are not perceived by the senses. Faith is the now of things hoped for, the presence of things unseen. Faith is an invisible conviction that says, “I am now in possession of what I need.”

The eyes of the flesh can only long and hope for possession, while the voice of faith says it already is, even though it has not been brought into view of the senses. Faith endures as “seeing” Him who is invisible.”--Heb. 11:27. It calls the things that are not as though they were --Rom. 4:17

Faith is the completeness that already exists in the Spirit realm while the answer cannot be seen in the flesh realm. The senses reach out and long for completeness and possession never seeming to arrive, while faith brings right up to the present what seemed to be far off in the future. As long as one seeks his answer in the realm of the flesh (realm of doubt), he will make an endless journey. He never arrives. Faith is always in the now. Faith HAS arrived!

Faith takes or receives what the heart has longed for and embraces it as its own to enjoy. Faith is God’s sure way of providing. It is your escape from sin, sickness, the hold of circumstances, and the past that has been ingrained in your thinking. Faith cuts a forty-year journey into now! Faith turns sorrow into rejoicing and brings the longing heart into realization and completeness. Faith says,” We have arrived.”

David said, “I had fainted unless I had believed (not hoped) to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He saw it because of faith. The only way we can see it. We only hope for what we see not; but when we SEE by the eye of faith that we have (possess), we no longer struggle to believe; we enter into the rest of faith (Rom. 8:24-25, Heb.4:9-11).

Paul said that we are to look only to the Author and Finisher of our faith and to consider (fix the mind or attention upon) Him, so we won’t become weary and faint in our minds. We are exhorted to occupy our minds with the unseen things of faith, rather than the things seen of the senses. We are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor.5:7). If we could but realize the realm of the unseen is more real, valid, and dependable than the things that are seen.

Hebrews 11:27 says that Moses endured as “seeing” Him who is invisible. We have been trained by our senses for so long that our carnal mind, the mind of the flesh, always looks to the physical for confirmation and support. This is why Paul exhorted us to cast down or bring all imaginations and thoughts to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor.10:4-5).

God says in Ephesians 3:20 that He possesses the ability to do above and beyond all that we could ever ask or think. We must forcefully look toward the unseen and bring every thought into subjection.

Everything that is visible or invisible is the product of the Spirit. Even as your family is the product of love, which is an unseen spiritual force, so is this universe the product of God who is the unseen Spirit. Even as your love brings your children into view, so God brought this great universe into view by faith.

We know that Spiritual realities are more real than physical evidence because Heb.11:3 says that the things that are seen have not been made of the things which do appear. Romans 1:20 says, “For the invisible things of God (Spiritual) since the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.” Colossians1:16 says, “For by Him were all things created (brought into view) and by Him all things exist.” He upholds all things by the Word of His power (Heb.1:3).

God, who is Spirit, by faith created all things that the senses of man behold-- the earth, the heavens, the seas, and the things therein. These things testify of His existence. Even the unbeliever is without excuse. We must realize that the things that we see are the results of the purpose, will, and planning of a Spirit-being that He reached, so to speak, within Himself by faith and brought forth what we now see. God already saw it by faith. He knew His own ability and power BEFORE it was manifested physically. All that we now see was resident within Him before the foundation of the world, but according to time had not yet been manifested. He had not yet activated or willed Himself for this specific purpose. God had inherent within Himself the power to watch over His Word to perform it, but He had not yet released faith in this direction.

Just because the earth had not yet been brought into view did not change His supreme capability.

When we realize that God is Spirit and that He lives in us and in us lay all the inherent reserves of supply we could ever need, we will begin to believe His Word. He says, “I will supply all of your needs according to my riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”--Phil.4:19. We already know we have Christ within us (Eph.

3:17; Col.1:27). Hebrews 1:10-12 says, “Thou Lord in the beginning (time enters) has laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of Thy hands; they shall perish, but Thou remains; and they shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture, Thou shall fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same and Thy years shall not fail.” This should encourage us to look towards Him who is Eternal, instead of trusting in the weak and beggarly elements of this world, which are simply the works of His hands. Who is more deserving of honor and trust--the house or He that builds it? Because we are God’s Sons, we are like Him. We have His faith. We, even as He, consider the things that are not, as though they were, calling and naming the things that are not to the senses because we know that they are by faith. It is only those who know what they have in Christ who can talk and live as though they already were possessors.

“Seeing that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”--Heb.4:14. That is a confession of faith, not of sight.

Faith or Doubt?

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:21:54 GMT

Have you ever planned something in which you have taken great joy, and found the excitement and satisfaction derived from the planning to be almost as keen as the actual event? Then have you ever met someone, while in the midst of your planning, who would tell you a thousand reasons why you shouldn’t do what you were intending to do? Discouraging isn’t it? These people have earned the appropriate name of “Killjoy” because that’s exactly what they do.

There’s a real potent truth contained here: YOU CAN’T POSSESS JOY AND ENTERTAIN DOUBTS AT THE SAME TIME! I’m rather glad that most everyone has had this experience because it serves to illustrate something I want to talk about. I think it gives a very clear picture of the way faith works.

The first thing we should understand is that faith is not an intellectual belief; it is something given to us by God. The Bible teaches that we will receive our petitions from God when we ask in faith and do not doubt. Faith that is diluted with doubts can not receive anything from God. So here is the way to a strong healthy faith--DON’T ENTERTAIN DOUBTS! Doubts kill confidence, and without confidence there can be no joy.

Notice our illustration. We experienced joy in our planning as long as we did not entertain doubts. But the minute we listened to the misgivings of our friends, joy departed, and we no longer planned with confidence.

Even so, it is with the things of God. We read in the Scriptures that certain very definite things will happen if we believe God. Faith is anxious to demonstrate that this is so. Our mind says that this might be a rather illogical thing to believe anyway, and begins to point out various things that might be in error. We entertain these doubts, and as a result, faith becomes impotent and does not produce. So the joy of our heritage in the Lord becomes something we have to look for. This is not natural.

Again let’s look at our illustration. Joy was the natural outcome of our planning. One did not have to seek joy. Faith, when not mixed with doubts gave joy. That is the natural result of a healthy faith.

Faith, when allowed to operate as God intended, does not draw attention to itself. In fact, one is not even aware of faith, rather he is very much aware of what he has because of faith. It is only when doubts are harbored that one becomes aware of faith, and then it is because his faith is unhealthy and is not functioning as God intended it to.

The remedy is to remove doubt, and the best way to remove doubt is to hear the truth. That’s why Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the truth and that truth is the message of Jesus Christ.

Faithing

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:21:26 GMT

Ever notice how faith influences your actions? When it comes to the crucial test, one doesn’t have to tell the world he has faith, he shows it by what he does.

A Frenchman by the name of Charles Blondin proved to the assembled thousands that he could walk across Niagara Falls on a tight wire. Then he offered to carry a man across the falls on his back. Only one man demonstrated his faith in Blondin by volunteering.

Notice something: Volunteering did not produce faith; but faith caused the man to volunteer.

Most of us remember about Noah being the man who built a boat. He was a man that was DIFFERENT in his generation. HE BELIEVED GOD. His actions had meaning because of his faith. His actions had no meaning whatsoever to those of his generation. They mocked him. They had no faith in God.

There is a huge controversy about this thing called faith. There are many folks who think it is something that they can tuck away on the inside of them and only use it when needed. Not so! Faith is a dynamic power that molds our lives and drives us to positive action to attain our goal.

Faith is an active force-- Where are you going to place it in--in God or in man? Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. The Lord had re¬spect to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering, the Lord had not respect. Why? Abel brought a life that God had given. His offering said, “I can do nothing, you have prepared the life for me.” His action was based upon faith in God.

Cain brought of the fruit of the ground. God had told Adam that the ground was cursed and he must get his living by the “sweat of his brow.” Cain’s offering said, “I have overcome the curse. I can take care of myself. I don’t need the life that God gave.” His actions were not based on faith in God. They were based on faith in his own ability.

God had respect to one, but not to the other.

What is the proof of your faith in God? Is it words or actions? Listen to what the Bible says: “What doeth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and not works? Can that kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say to them ‘Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled,’ not withstanding he give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doeth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works (obedience) is dead, being alone.”-- James 2: 14-17 Then again, “Whatsoever you do, do ALL to the glory of God.”--1 Cor.10:31

First Aid for a Christian

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:21:02 GMT

The devil sure knows how to cover up when he comes against a Christian.

I’ve looked around and have seen different folk that are very sincere in their desire to serve the Lord. I’ve seen them struggle and almost be overcome by their struggles. I’m reminded of the saying, “Thy zeal hath eaten thee up.” Then again the commentary of the Spirit regarding Israel, “They have a zeal of God, but it is not according to knowledge.” Certainly zeal is a good thing, but like other things, it can be very bad.

I am anxious to see men and women become hungry for the things of God because I know that that person is blessed of God for the sure promise of God is that they SHALL be filled.

But Satan sometimes slips in and unless we know the Word and stand on it, we find ourselves at loose ends--ever learning, but never really knowing.

The Prophet tells us that we learn of God “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.” There is no sudden revelation of the whole of God’s plan because there is no finite mind that could retain the knowledge of the Infinite. We learn of the things with which we are directly associated. We learn of the things that will cause our life to bring the greatest Glory to God. Our mind is never exalted, it will always be abased.

This abasement is the area where Satan will fight the hardest because a dominant mind is his stronghold. It follows that if Satan fights the hardest in this area, he will also be the most subtle there. He will attempt to remain hidden at all cost. This is his victory--let’s expose him.

The scriptures tell us that we shall be taught by the Holy Spirit. They tell us that man, in all his wisdom, is as a fool before the wisdom of God. We are told that only God’s Spirit knows the things of God and that man, if he is to learn, must lay aside ALL of HIS tools of learning and be taught by the Spirit.

Still there is only one way that we are made conscious of anything, and that is by the faculties of our mind. It looks like a pretty hopeless thing. But God didn’t make us hopeless. He made us in such fashion that we CAN learn of Him.

But there is no way to learn of Him other than the way HE declares. Even though our mind is an enemy of God, it can be captured -- and THAT is the victory! The mind MUST be captured and made to be quiet before God.

Then and only then will the mind be made conscious of the things that God would have it to know.

We have lived our life with our mind in control. We have been taught to concentrate, but we have NOT been taught to accept the truth of the Spirit in opposition to the logic of the mind. Our periods of concentration have been periods when the mind is allowed to sit in the director’s seat and say, “Go this way, or believe this thing.” Now there must be a new approach to living. The hard thing for our mind to comprehend is that we now have a NEW Life. Now we must, if we are to have God’s Life within us, “mind the things of the Spirit.” The Spirit teaches us that the things of the flesh, the natural mind if you please, will bring nothing but death. This is a mighty hard thing for the mind to accept. After all, we can’t get along without our mind, so the mind reasons that it must be a pretty good thing.

That’s the kind of thinking that must be eliminated. It all sums up pretty simple.

Whether we are a Christian, or not, the mind must produce the orders that make us function. That’s the way our body is made; God made it that way. The one who isn’t a Christian has a mind that learns from external circumstances, while the one who is born again knows that it is ONLY by God’s Spirit within us that we are to learn. The physical senses observe, they store up knowledge, but it is God’s Spirit that directs. It is God that takes the things that we have learned and gives meaning to them, not our mind.

Satan uses a little characteristic of our mind; and, if we don’t watch out, drives us to our own destruction. The mind likes to be active; it likes to think of this thing and that thing. As long as it is allowed this activity, it never will learn of God. The mind is exalted in much learning, but it is understanding that makes the heart glad. We must exercise our authority over the mind and direct it to the things of God. Then we must not allow our mind to begin its reasoning process and say, “Thus and such you should do.” Our mind must be made to realize that it is nothing more than a collecting agency of facts for God to use. Then God will teach us. He will not throw many things at us at once; rather He will teach us gently, one thing at a time. He will not hurry us because He knows that the mind is not capable of learning many things at once and learning them well. He knows this because He made the mind. And so He teaches us line upon line, here a little, and there a little.

There is so much to learn of God that we would at times run before our ability. We would desire to be at the top of the ladder all at once. In our eagerness to see God’s plan and to be well versed in the things that God desires us to know, we quite often overlook a little thing here and a little thing there. In miss¬ing these “small” truths, we have missed the KEY to the understanding of the greater picture.

Two things we must know: God will teach us that which HE desires us to know and will be most useful to HIM in our lives. HE will direct our learning.

The mind will become zealous and reach out for much knowledge, and this pleases the heart of Satan because he knows that we have the capability of learning only one thing at a time. Men are said to “panic” when they encounter a series of circumstances that seem to be too great for them, and they allow them to enter the mind all at once. The human mind cannot handle a situation like this and it will either sort the problems out and attack them one by one, or it will panic and do nothing but destroy itself.

Satan has panicked many, many Christians by this method. They have become discouraged and have been overcome with defeat, thinking that the things of God are too deep for them. They shake their heads and complain that they just don’t understand. Satan laughs at them. He knows all along that if he can get a person that will not discipline his mind, that person will not learn much from God.

God knows the mind and its capabilities--He made it. So we never have to worry that we will not learn “fast enough.” The thing that God is concerned about is not the “fast enough,” but the thoroughness with which we learn from Him.

God is patient. He knows something that man sometimes fails to understand. God knows of His Love and Mercy, He is not worried about that, because ALL of His Love and energies are directed toward teaching us about Himself.

There are some things that God does and there are some things that man does. These areas of activity do not overlap. God provided the way of Salvation and man cannot make it one bit more complete. We have been provided “audience” as it were with God by the Mercies of Jesus Christ. We have been made a Christian by Christ LIVING within. We have been given the Holy Spirit so we might be taught the things of God. We have been made a new Creature. All of this is in God’s realm and He has done that which He has done perfectly. We cannot usurp His ability.

All of these things were done for us while we were yet sinners. Now the Way is complete, there is nothing lacking. But we must live in the Way.

We will be transformed AS we renew our mind. We will NOT be transformed until then, no matter how hard we try or how much we want to be changed. This renewing of the mind is our job. It is up to us.

There is no one else in all of God’s creation that can do this job for you. God Himself cannot renew your mind for you.

He made you a creature free to choose your own path and He will not make you any different. If He stepped in and made your mind up for you, He would be interfering with His own work. He made you just the way He wants you, and YOU will do the thing that God made you to do. You will make up your own mind. The way you decide is up to---you.

You will decide that the ways of this world are more important than the ways of God because they are more readily understood by your natural mind, or you will decide that God’s Word is the truth and you will follow that Word regardless of all things that would tell you otherwise. But you will decide.

When this job is settled within you, then you will GIVE HEED to the things of the Spirit and your mind will have new things to accept. Your heart will be full of God’s Word, and anything that would contradict His Word will be considered an enemy to be destroyed.

Then as the tree bears fruit in its season, and as naturally as the sun gives light, your life will be transformed. The change will not necessarily be abrupt, it may not even be something that is readily apparent, but AS the mind is uprooted from the traditions of this world, the transformation will be sure. God says so and His Word is established forever. He ever lives to back it up.

God says, “As a man thinks in his heart (spirit), so is he.”--Prov.23:7. There are two hearts man can think from--the old and the new. The old we are to consider as being dead. We are no longer to reason according to the standards of the old. The new is given to us by God. It is created by His Love and made in HIS perfection. We can follow the one we choose. But IF we follow the new, we cannot live by the standards of the old. If we claim the standards of the NEW and yet live according to the ways of the old, we are a liar and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we SAY that we have fellowship with Him, but continue to walk in the darkness, we lie, and DO NOT THE TRUTH (the Word).” We must not listen to the things that taught us in the old life because there we had no peace, we had no joy. Our mind made a mockery of the understanding that in Christ God has given us LIFE.

Our hunger for God shall not diminish, yet we will not allow the zeal of our mind to devour us. We shall bring our mind to the place of rest before God, and with a confident heart we will receive of HIS Understanding. We will not try to direct His thoughts to ours, but will direct our thoughts to His. We know that our hunger shall be satisfied for we know that our Heavenly Father WILL feed us. We know that what we learn will be the thing that He has desired for us, because HE gave it to us. We shall leash our mind and make it gather facts; then we will give them to the Lord. He will give us understanding AS He wishes. HE is shaping us into the very image His heart desires.

He is our Father, He is our LIFE, and He is our very heart. We cannot become disturbed, BECAUSE He is the answer to ALL things. He has made us to know what we need and when we need it. We can rest in Him because we are confident of Him. We are His Children, He is our Father--and we know He loves us. Why should we worry?

Forgiveness

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:20:28 GMT

Forgiveness--I don’t suppose there is anything more important than forgiveness! Jesus died on Calvary so that we might have eternal life. But without forgiveness, we cannot enter into that which Jesus prepared.

People enter into condemnation or they enter into forgiveness--one or the other, but not both.

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t know what forgiveness means. I suppose that is because everyone of us at sometime or other have done something for which we are sorry and wished it had never happened. What we’re saying is “Please, I’m sorry for the whole thing. Will you forget it as though it never happened?” That is asking for forgiveness.

No one can ever really ask for forgiveness unless his heart is first prepared by sorrow--and this is where the road forks! The Bible says that godly sorrow works repentance. Repentance is a changing of your mind and a continuing in the new way. I guess maybe a different way to say it is: Repentance brings about a changed attitude.

There are many times that we are sorry for something, but we have no intention of changing our mind or our attitude! This is not godly sorrow--it is carnal (selfish) sorrow. No desire for forgiveness will ever come forth from that kind of an attitude.

Selfish people seldom, if ever, ask for forgiveness. It’s true, if they find themselves in an awkward situation, they may ask for forgiveness, not because of sorrow, but because they want everyone to forget about the whole thing. Even a selfish person knows that true forgiveness is a forgetting.

No one forgives without forgetting. That’s why very few people are willing to forgive--they don’t want to forget! It’s the nature of the carnal mind to remember, and in remembering, condemn. The reason for this is the carnal mind has no righteousness of its own and it seizes every little thing that it can to justify itself.

The world says it’s all right to forgive once in a while--you gain status in doing so, but you become a fool if you forgive too much--you’re naive, stupid, and a pushover, if you forgive too much.

The disciples wondered about this, but Jesus told them to forgive and keep on forgiving.

You have to believe in something in order to forgive. That’s why the carnal mind finds it so hard to forgive--it cannot believe in anything but itself.

There is no forgiveness in the law--forgiveness makes the law of no effect. If there were no punishment for transgression, why have the law in the first place? Therefore, I cannot say, “I believe in the law.” But I must believe in something! Otherwise, there is no point in forgiving.

I will forgive someone when I believe there is something better--something greater than my eyes can see. When I have no hope, when I do not believe, when I lose faith, then I do not forgive--I condemn.

The Bible tells me that I have the mercies of God by Jesus because grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. It came to me because it came from the heart of God. Mercy came to me because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Because of this love and mercy, I have been forgiven my sins--all of them! Forever! I have entered into the place of righteousness because I believe Jesus. There is no other way that I can avail myself of God’s forgiveness of my sin-- not by anything but faith in Jesus. Faith wipes away all guilt, all wrongdoing, all condemnation; and a man stands justified before God.

There is nothing that can overshadow the righteousness of God in the man who believes Jesus.

Someone who has not learned forgiveness will mock the believer and say, “What gives you the authority to be free of condemnation--you’re just as bad as the rest of us.” You can answer him and say, “I have done nothing to merit God’s forgiveness, but I believe Him and therefore I am not condemned.” One enters into all that God is simply by believing Jesus. There is nothing else to be done--we have been forgiven of all that stands to condemn us. God has forgotten it! He has created us anew, not after the likeness of sinful flesh, but in His image after His likeness.

We have been born again because we have been forgiven our sins.

Now we are to forgive others, even as God, for Jesus’ sake, forgave us.

What if we can’t do it? In Jesus, we can. Our trouble, when it comes to forgiving, is that all of our senses are quivering with hurt or pride, and we are not considering God. We are considering ourselves. We are violating every principle of forgiveness; we are considering ourselves and not others; we have passed judgment and entered into condemnation.

Rather than mercy, we are not willing to forget, and that blocks forgiveness! We might consider ourselves as being tolerant and say that is forgiveness. But don’t be fooled. Tolerance remembers and says, “I’ll give you another chance, forgiveness forgets.

The scriptures say all of our actions are to be done “as unto the Lord.” If we are not willing to forgive, we are saying, “Lord, I hold that man guilty.” Jesus says, “I forgave him.” One day Jesus hung, dying on the cross. For those who crucified Him, He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Once He told a story about a man who owned his master a great sum, but was unable to pay. He pleaded for time and was granted it. But he himself was unforgiving when it came to collecting a much lesser debt that was owed to him.

How important is it to forgive? Forgiveness removes bitterness and malice from the heart. Forgiveness opens one’s eyes to love because forgiveness is the fruit of love. There is no anger within the one who forgives. To forgive opens doors that bitterness and hate had closed. To forgive is entering into the nature of God, and in this nature is righteousness and joy and peace.

To forgive is to open your heart of friendship to all people. To forgive is to banish loneliness. To forgive is to exercise faith. To forgive is to enter into the sure knowledge that your sins are forgiven.

Jesus taught His Disciples to pray. He placed the greatest emphasis of all upon forgiveness. It is the door by which we enter into God.

“After this manner, pray ye, “Our Father…forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…” Amen.

God Loves People

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:19:55 GMT

People are lucky things--they are the sole object of God’s Love.

The only reason for man’s existence is to receive God’s Love. The world was made for man--and man was made for God.

People should live a warm, happy, contented life because God cares for them.

Sometimes people become confused and forget that for which they were made. They try to find their purpose in other things, and they fail.

Our purpose is just to live in God’s Love and everyday give Him thanks in all things.

People are funny things! We say that God is good, He cares for us, He is almighty, He is eternal, and that all things work together for our own good.

We say that we love Him, and trust Him--yet we are fearful, frustrated, and foolish in that we don’t rest in God! We say He is almighty--and yet we try to do what only God can do.

We say He is with us always--and yet we confess to loneliness.

We say we love Him with all our heart--yet it is very seldom that our lips give Him praise.

We say we are born again--that all things are new--and yet we continue in the old ways and think old thoughts.

We say God lives in us--and yet we are anxious for some future time when we shall “be with the Lord.” We say we have Eternal Life--and yet we are fearful of death.

We say God talks to us--and yet we don’t know His will.

People are funny things! They say one thing and do another, but in spite of all this--God loves people!

God's Oracle

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:19:24 GMT

Speak convincingly! It can’t be done unless you really believe what you say. Of course, believing is not all there is to it either.

If you are not interested in getting the idea across—if you think, “What’s the use?” Or if you think that those to whom you speak will get along just as well without hearing what you say, all of these things will rob your words of power and strip authority from your voice.

If you speak, speak for God! If you are not convinced that God is worth talking about, don’t talk. But if He is a vital, dynamic force in your life, then speak.

Speak, knowing that others need this vital dynamic life of God in them, even as you do.

Speak, knowing that there is only one path to God and that is to actively believe in Jesus Christ. Wipe from your mind any thought that there are “other ways.” Speak, knowing that he who disagrees does not understand, and you are speaking words that will help him to understand.

Speak, knowing that the things of God cannot be obtained unless there is an intense hunger for them, and your words will reveal that hunger.

Speak, knowing always that God gives life to your words.

Do not look for interest to be kindled in the face of those who hear you, but speak, knowing that God kindles hunger in the needy heart.

Do not become discouraged, or faint of heart, but keep ever before you the knowledge of God’s tremendous power, and of His love which is the only balm that can heal the broken heart.

Speak confidently, because God is with you.

God's Nature

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:18:25 GMT

God’s Nature in me--what is it? The Word says that I have been made a partaker of the Divine Nature.

I am born in sin--bound by it. When I recognize this fact and accept its reality, I realize I need help. Jesus is my help, so I come to Him.

He tells me that He has taken ALL my sin and it has become His. That frees me of sin. He tells me that He has paid the supreme penalty--death. He taught that greater love hath no man than this that He lay down His life for a friend.

Then He shows how much greater the Love of God is because He commended His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.

Some Christians are not really sure about the death of Christ, but He died not just physically, but spiritually. This is the thing that caused Him to sweat as it were, great drops of blood. Physically He had power to lay down His life and to pick it up again. Spiritually, only God could give Life. God had turned His back on Jesus. Jesus was a sinner, made so by my sins, and He paid the complete cost of my sins. Satan can never bring an unpaid sin to the attention of Jesus. Jesus paid it ALL. He settled the debt COMPLETE.

Maybe man might overlook something, but not God or Satan--they know EXACTLY what sin is. Satan presented the bill for the whole works and Jesus paid it all.

Satan cannot touch Jesus with sin ever again.

The only sin that Jesus ever had was my sin, and that’s gone. It doesn’t belong to Him any more, He is free of it. I became free from sin WHEN Jesus took it from me and placed it upon Himself. And now it is gone. In Christ ALL my sin is removed. In Christ, sin IS NO MORE.

Jesus says the transaction is completed, there is no such thing as sin any more. God says that all sin was blotted out- -it is no more. The page is clean, the book is white; it is not even stained. God laid EVERY sin on Jesus and He PAID the price. He is no longer under its condemnation; and because He is free, I AM FREE. In fact, I am as free from sin as Jesus is free from sin.

I believe in Jesus. He IS my Life, He IS my Righteousness, He IS my forgetfulness of sin.

God does not remember sin--IN HIM I will not remember sin. “God is Light and IN HIM there is no darkness at all.”--1 John 1:5. Sin IS darkness.

It is not the manifestation of God’s nature in me when I remember sin. I am a NEW creature--PERFECT, Spiritual, made so by God. This new creature DOES NOT commit sin. The old creature has passed away; the new has no memory of the old because ALL things have become new. Faith does not remember sin because whatever is not of faith IS sin.

How then, if I am a NEW creature, can I say I am following in the path of the Spirit and yet be ever conscious of my sin which before God doesn’t even exist? “How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him, till seven times?” Jesus answered and said, “Not till seven times, but till seventy times seven.” The scriptures say, “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ.” How about it, are you letting?

God's Wonderful Mercy

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:17:53 GMT

WHERE DOES THE MERCY OF GOD END? ANSWER THAT ONE.

IF I AM TO BELIEVE WHAT I HEAR IN MANY CHURCHES, I WOULD ANSWER IN THIS FASHION: THE MERCY OF GOD CEASES TO BE EFFECTIVE WHEN ONE DOES NOT ABIDE BY THE RULES OF CONDUCT AS SPECIFIED BY YOUR CHURCH.

TO SOME PEOPLE THE MERCY OF GOD COMES TO AN END IF YOU DRINK OR SMOKE OR ARE WEAK TO THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE FLESH IN ANY WAY.

TO SOME, GOD’S MERCY COVERS EVERY FAULT EXCEPT DIVORCE. OTHERS FIND THE END TO GOD’S MERCY WHEN THEY WEAR THE WRONG KIND OF CLOTHES. WOMEN ARE OUTSIDE OF GOD’S MERCY WHEN THEIR HAIR IS TOO SHORT. MEN ARE OUT OF LUCK IF THEIRS IS TOO LONG. ALSO, SOME WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT WE STRAIN THIS MERCY WHEN WE DO NOT ATTEND CHURCH, OR WHEN WE FAIL TO PAY OUR TITHES.

GOD WILL FORGIVE US AND EXTEND TO US THE BENIFITS OF HIS MERCY IF WE WILL BUT CONFESS OUR FAULTS AND SHORTCOMINGS, OF COURSE, A TRULY “HUMBLE” SPIRIT WILL CONFESS THESE SHORTCOMINGS BEFORE THE CONGREGATION. THIS IS NECESSARY OR ELSE NO ONE WILL KNOW WHETHER GOD CAN FORGIVE YOU. NOT KNOWING WHETHER GOD HAS FORGIVEN YOU MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO KNOW HOW TO TREAT YOU. SHOULD THEY ACCEPT YOU AS A FRIEND OR SHOULD THEY GIVE YOU THE “COLD SHOULDER.” THEY MUST HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND HEAR HOW YOU SAY IT OR THEY WILL NOT KNOW WHETHER YOU ARE PROPERLY REPENTENT.

HOW ELSE CAN THEY KNOW IF GOD WILL BE MERCIFUL TO YOU? GOD’S MERCY IS RATHER UNCERTAIN AND WE ARE INDEED FORTUNATE THAT THERE ARE RIGHTEOUS MEN FULL OF WISDOM, WHO CAN DIRECT GOD’S MERCY IN THE PROPER WAY.

WHAT--YOU DON’T LIKE THIS ARTICLE? YOU DON’T BELIEVE WHAT I’M SAYING? OKAY--WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? HOW FAR DOES GOD’S MERCY GO?

How Mr. Will Learned from Mr. God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:17:16 GMT

What a stupid thing my mind is!! God, who is more real than anything, dwells within me, and He has given me all of Himself, yet I am prone to ignore him and listen to my mind. God says to me that He is Master of all things--He is God. There is nothing that rules or directs Him--and He has given Himself to me! My soul knows that this is true--even my mind knows that this is true, because when I make my mind be still and come into the presence of the Lord, it becomes mute. My mind, even though it is at odds with God, cannot dispute God. It cannot even move when it is in the Presence of God. There is just nothing it can say when God is around.

I wish I could picture with words what I can see with my Spirit in regard to this thing. For the sake of illustration, let’s put it this way. Say that your Mind is a person and that your Will is a person and that your God is a person.

Mr. Will and Mr. Mind have been real close buddies; they have grown up together. Mr. Will is really the independent one; he has the privilege of doing whatever he wants to do. He has no source of knowledge within himself, but he has the choice of learning from whomsoever he wants.

At the present time, Mr. Mind has told Mr. Will that he is the only one capable of teaching him, and Mr. Will has gone along with the idea.

One day Mr. Will heard about Mr. God and became quite interested. He mentioned this to Mr. Mind, and old Mind started in. Every time the subject came up, old man Mind put in his digs.

Mr. Will was somewhat confused; he had always trusted Mr. Mind and consulted him in everything. Mind had seemed like a pretty unbiased sort of fellow, but now he came face to face with the fact that Mr. Mind had quite a hold on him.

The fellow had a power over him--ruled him, in fact. He couldn’t shake the fellow; he was with him every place he went.

Mr. Will finally decided that he was going to see this Mr. God. Mind could come along if he wanted to, but he, Mr. Will, was going to have a talk with this God-fellow.

All the way over to God’s house, old man Mind kept his digs going. He started out questioning, then he got sarcastic, and then downright insulting about this Mr. God.

Finally, Mr. Will gained audience with Mr. God, and the things he heard really opened his eyes. This Mr. God seemed real concerned about Mr. Will, and told him about things that Mr. Will thought no one knew about. God told Will the very things that were in his heart; further, this Mr. God seemed to say just the things that Mr. Will needed.

Mr. Will asked Mr. God why he hadn’t heard about this before. God told him that he had been listening to the wrong person, and he pointed very significantly to Mr. Mind, who was just standing by not saying a word for once.

God went on to tell how Mr. Mind was an alien--an enemy--in the employ of one Mr. Satan. Mr. Will knew that Mr.

Satan was definitely no good, but this was news to him--His bosom buddy, Mind, an outright enemy, working for that Satan dog!! Well, Mr. God went on and told Mr. Will all about Mr. Mind, just laid him wide open. The amazing thing about it to Mr.

Will was that Mind just stood there and took it--didn’t have a thing to say.

Finally, the visit was over and Mr. Will went home. Mr. Mind came with him, and just as soon as they left God’s presence, Mind started in.

“What do you want to believe that stuff for? Here I’ve been with you all of your life; I’ve taught you all that you know, and now this God tells you I’m working for Satan. Ha! What a joke!! If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t know anything.

This God-fellow hasn’t proved a thing to you. I’ve taught you how to live and care for yourself and how to interpret your feelings. What has He done for you? Just says a bunch of words and wants you to believe it. How do you know whether or not what he says is true? Where is His proof?” And so Mr. Mind kept on.

It was quite a problem for Mr. Will to know exactly what to do. It sure seemed that Mind had a few points in his favor, but then so did this Mr. God. Mr. God had a knack of putting his finger right on the spot that counted. Mind talked a good logic, but he could never go right to the heart of the trouble. Truthfully, Mr. Will sometimes wasn’t too sure that Mind really knew the trouble, or whether he was just talking himself into believing he did. But this Mr. God was different. If a fellow believed this Mr. God, there was no doubt about it; He had the answer. Mind certainly had a different philosophy. You could not listen to both of them or you would be so mixed up that you never would know where you were. That’s exactly what Mr. God had said, too. Mind said that you could listen to both. That was contrary to what Mr. God had said, and Mind certainly had kept a quiet lip when Mr. God was around.

Mr. Will kept on seeing Mr. God and Mr. Mind always came along and always when they left God, Mind would start in.

Mr. Will noticed more and more that whenever they were in the presence of Mr. God, old man Mind never had a thing to say. God could take and expose him right and left, and Mind was absolutely mute before Him. This God-fellow knew old Mind; there was no doubt about that. These two had met before and it was apparent that Mind knew who was Boss. At any rate, as long as Mr. Will stayed in Mr. God’s presence, old man Mind didn’t give a bit of trouble. Mr.

Will was happy and peaceful for once in his life.

One day Mr. Will decided that he would like to learn from Mr. God, and so he just plain asked Him how about it-- would Mr. God be willing to teach him and come and live with him? Mr. God was agreeable. He said He had been wanting to do this for a long time. There was a condition, however.

God told Mr. Will he couldn’t serve two Masters; he would have to quit listening to the old man, Mr. Mind, and just listen to Him. Mr. Will was agreeable, but he wasn’t sure how to keep old man Mind shut up.

God told Mr. Will that if he would just stick close to Him, that He certainly wouldn’t leave Will; and that as long as Mr.

Mind was in the presence of Mr. God, Mind wouldn’t cause any trouble. Will had noticed that this had certainly been true in the past, and that if Mr. God promised to always be with him--well, the rest was up to him. Wasn’t his name Mr. Will--couldn’t he do what he wanted? He was going to live with Mr. God and Mr. Mind could just face it. Old Mind never could argue with God and so Mr. Will would get a chance to learn a new thing.

Mr. Will tried it, and he had peace. He and God were always together. Once in a while, if Mr. Will didn’t seek out God in some matter or another, old Mind started in again--just like old times. The fellow never did give up, but Mr. Will would seek Mr. God and Mind would have to come along, and as always, he couldn’t say a word when he was in God’s presence.

Finally, it came to the place that Mr. Will really enjoyed life with Mr. God.

How to Attain to Victory

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:16:38 GMT

What a presumptuous title! But I write the truth. To attain the victory and live in it, I will subscribe to the following: I will not confess my problems. I will not even talk about them. I will not admit they exist. Problems exist only in the flesh.

Christ is not a problem and if He is my life, then there are no problems in my life.

Then again I will remember this: If I am aware of anything that presents itself as a personal problem within me, then I am being made aware of the old nature that I used to have.

I have considered myself to be alive in Christ. In order to do this, I have considered the old nature to be dead.

Whether I understand it or not, God says, “Ye are dead…” I have now yielded the members of this body as instruments of righteousness unto God. The body will still function, but not as an instrument of unrighteousness like Satan has previously used it. I am dead to sin! My poor stupid mind is so confused. All of its normal existence it has received orders from the senses and the emotions of which our makeup consists. Now it is receiving Spiritual knowledge; this knowledge is at odds with what was before--so now in a certain situation it receives a “yes,” and a “no.” This is confusing.

I have a guide to what I shall let control my mind. If my thoughts are as before and I think I have the same problem, then I know clearly that this is not the New Life that I have in Christ. My mind is receiving its input from the senses and says, “All things are as before, there has been no change.” That’s a lie! Your mind does not know that it is a lie because all of its existence it has received this input as the truth.

But now things are changed, the old man is dead, Christ lives within. Satan would love to have me thinking that the old man is very much alive, because that would make God a liar. If my mind receives this thought, and harbors it, then to all practical purposes I am still being ruled by the old man. My mind does not consider him dead, so he still rules me. He rules me because of the past training he has given me.

But IN CHRIST I have been released from his hold. I am a new creature in Christ. I now have the privilege of learning from a new source. My mind will learn from God because the desire of my heart brings it to the place of Spiritual learning.

My mind is weighing the new things with the old. My mind is not like my heart. My heart follows after God, but my mind follows after the things of Satan. These are his old familiar ways. So now I must place my thoughts on the Lord.

I will not allow my mind to make the decisions and to rule and drive me as before. But my heart will tell my mind what to think about. I will say, “Mind, the only truth is God’s Word. All else is a lie.” The mind will be in rebellion. It has been taught the ways of the world without any opposition. It has lived in the realm of the world and has used the same standard. Now to force it into new channels, to accept and act upon things that are contrary to all previous experience, to deny the training of years--this is not an easy thing to do. The thing that we must realize before God is that our heart has been made new, not our mind. This heart, call it your soul, or the inner man, call it what you will--the fact remains that before we came to Christ, this soul was under complete domination by our mind. It was completely dead insofar as ruling our life was concerned. It could only receive life from God, and our mind will not accept a God that will not conform to the senses of our body. Therefore, as far as we are concerned, the soul was dead within us. It is dead within us because the mind will not allow God to rule.

There came a time when we, of our own volition, invited Christ into our life. The mind was forced into a back seat, as it were; and God, true to His Word, restored our soul. He gave life to that which was dead within us.

Now the mind has been made an unwilling recipient of Spiritual knowledge. The mind is belittling this Spiritual knowledge, and refuses to process it and allow it to control our actions. There is anguish within our soul when this happens because our soul has been made alive with the presence of God. God desires His life to be revealed in us to those who are in the world. This is the desire of our soul because God and our soul have become one.

All of this tells us what is happening to make the problem. What we must know is how to come into the victory that God has made possible.

First, we must know that we do have God’s Life within us. This is Spiritual knowledge; there is no material proof. Then we must know that the natural mind will not of its own volition discount the things of its natural realm. It will not accept thoughts or reasonings that are contrary to what it has already been taught. We must count all the “old things” as being no more, but we must remember that the mind is always active, and its natural trend is to be active in its natural realm.

Our soul, the Life of God within us, must now become the trainer of our mind. Our first act is to “cast down” all our reasonings and imaginations that are contrary to God’s desire that is in our heart. When we attempt to do this by Spiritually grappling with the old thought, and trying to expel it, we find that it is constantly there to be reckoned with.

Our mind is controlled by the Lord, not by the expulsion of the old thoughts, but by acceptance of the new. Our mind can be occupied by only one thing at a time. If we (our souls) see to it that the things of God are continually filling our mind, then there will be no room for the old.

Remember above all things, “Ye (the old man) ARE dead…” This means that the mind is not drawing strength from the satanic life, but it is just going on past knowledge. Its habit is its strength. You (your soul) will teach your mind the things of God, and the guardian of your mind, (your will) will see to it that your mind no longer stays in conformity with the old thoughts.

But the mind cannot be vacant and still function--fill it with God. If there is an old thought, it is not pleasing to God and must be nullified. The old thought will never be nullified if it stands alone. Place God’s Word along side the old thought. Now there is a comparison. Now there will be a struggle. The mind will want to do things the old way, but God’s Word opposes it. Your will now decide the outcome. As you elevate God’s Word above the old thought, it predominates in your mind and your mind will then be ruled by God’s Word in this particular thing. You elevate God’s Word by concentrating all your energies on it. This naturally excludes any thought of the old way. There will be uneasiness in your mind because the deep-seated habit was not allowed to function as it was in the habit of doing.

But remember: There is no further source of life to the old thought--the only strength it has is by reason of use. Don’t allow it any activity in your life.

It remains active as we dwell on that thought. If we dwell on the thought, soon we will be talking about it. This is the first step of habit for the mind. Thinking and talking about it fixes the habit a bit more securely. So the way to victory is don’t think about the problem, think about God; don’t talk about the problem, talk about God. This is the way to doing God’s will. We will do the things He shows us to do.

We must never fuss about the “old man.” He is dead, he deserves no sympathy. The habits of the old way of thinking will assert themselves at every opportunity; and because we always in the past have obeyed them, we will feel uneasy, and that all is not right if we don’t obey them. The minute we look to this “old thing,” we are considering it. We are reckoning it to be something. We are told to “mortify” the deeds of the flesh--I suggest that we mortify the thoughts of the carnal mind--ignore them.

When we pay attention to them, Satan steps up and takes hold of the situation and in his sneaky way brings thoughts to your mind. He lets us think of all the victory and freedom we have in Christ, and then he says, “What’s the matter, you don’t have this?” We listen to that thought and condemnation overwhelms us. That is the very thing from which I have been set free. So when Satan says, you don’t have it, put the Word of God next to it that says you do have it.

Believe God and there will be no condemnation.

Fill your mind with the things of God, fill every little nook and cranny with thoughts of God. When you find a thought contrary to His Word, put the truth of God alongside of it and then follow God’s thought by dwelling on it, live in it, think about it, and talk about it. Ignore the old thoughts, following the new.

Praise God continually, not for what you can be, but for what He says you ARE. And you are what HE IS. Anything contrary to that is A BIG FAT LIE.

People will say to you, “I wish I were like you, you don’t have any troubles.” The old mind will want to say, “Oh no! I’d like to tell you of my troubles.” But your soul knows God, and with your will you use your mind to look to God’s Word; and you say, “I have no fear, because God has not given me the Spirit of fear.” Fear comes from Satan, and we know he has no authority over us, and inasmuch as we don’t like his ways, we will ignore him. Then you say, “I have a sound mind because God has given me a sound mind. I am not weak because God has given me His power.” The mind says, “You can’t do this,” and the Word of God that makes that a lie is, “I can do all things through Christ, because He strengthens me.” Upon these things I base my life. I live in victory because I LIVE IN GOD.

How to Be Strong

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:15:56 GMT

Sure, it’s a good thing to gather together--we must never forget that. The Bible says not to forsake or neglect the assembling of ourselves together. Why? For one thing, we encourage each other by doing this. How?--by the individual contribution of each one. Need a scripture? How about this one: “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working by every part adding something to the body as it edifies itself in love.”--Eph. 4:16 Everyone should have something to contribute above and beyond his own bodily presence. No person should dominate, however, and no one should look to a person to dominate. The Bible says we should “look” to Christ.

Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst...” We believe this and yet continue to look to a person to set the pace for the group.

No person is going to dominate God, and no true believer is going to look for a man to dominate. A greater than Solomon is in our midst. Each and everyone of us should look to God for direction.

Another thing--when we assemble, each one should expect to receive from God, and each one must be provided with the opportunity to give that which he does receive when he receives it--not just when the leader of the group says that it’s O.K.

We might receive a revelation, a tongue, an interpretation. It might be a thought or a joy in our heart we wish to express. 1 Cor.14:26 says, “How is it brethren when you come together? Everyone of you has either a Psalm, a doctrine (teaching), a revelation, an interpretation. Hold back nothing that edifies.” Notice it says, “everyone”--not just one or two persons.

Hebrews 5:12-14 speaks of becoming strong by exercise, not just by listen¬ing to good sermons. James 1:22 says we ought to be doers of the word, not hearers only. 1 Peter 4:10 says that as every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the many-folded grace of God. (A steward is someone in charge of another’s wealth.) Peter also says, “If any man speak, let him do so as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability that God giveth that God in all things may be glorified…”--1 Pet 4:11 Every believer has an equal right given by the Father to speak His Word, and no one has the authority to hinder it.

After all, it’s God’s Word. Each one is an integral part of the Lord’s body, and we must recognize each other’s gifts or according to scripture many will be sick and weak among us. No one man can possibly present all the aspects of the gospel--that’s why God has a many-membered body.

This something we receive of the Lord, whether it be a revelation or a doctrine, is not for us alone. We are to encourage others with it. Col. 3:16 says to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another. You see, that way God is glorified, not man.

Jesus said that the Spirit of truth would guide us into all truth. John said that the anointing we have received abides in us and we have no need that a man teach us. He said this same anointing will teach us all things.

No one believer is more important than another. It’s the anointing of the Spirit that counts. “The flesh profits nothing; it is the Spirit that gives life.” So when we come together, we should each one look to the Lord--not to a person. “God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in the Spirit and in the truth.” If not, we cannot truly say that we have worshiped Him.

We will find a new awareness of God in our lives as we look to Him and then be able to give to others that which He has given to us. That’s God’s plan.

Above all, we dare not go to the assembly and just get lost in the crowd. We have a responsibility to our Father that goes way beyond mere church attendance. But remember, don’t go only to get--go to give. You have received from God of His freely-given love, so you give likewise. This is how you will find strength and encouragement. If anything stands in the way of our giving, it will most surely stand in the way of our receiving, and our Lord says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Speak the Word of God and watch your problems dissolve.

I feel that many churches of the land are set up in such fashion that very few can give to the whole. Unless you are a pastor, a teacher, an evangelist, a singer, or some such thing, your place seems to be just to sit. That’s really too bad, and we must rise above this. We must give as God has given to us. He told us to.

The Father’s plan is that as we assemble together looking only to Him. He will lead or quicken our thoughts. We are to give out of the Spiritual reser¬voir or abundance of the Word of Christ within us. Why else should we let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly? Doesn’t the Bible say that in the assembly He distributes to each person as He wills. Doesn’t it say that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each man so that all may profit? Is there only one gift or two? Are there not many manifestations of the Spirit? Is one manifestation of the same God more important than another? Shouldn’t we make room for all? We dare not allow the structure of things, as it were, to limit the Holy One of Israel. We must not, we dare not, endeavor to direct God. We must look for His direction. No form or plan, however well thought out by the carnal mind, will ever substitute for the leading of God and meet people’s needs.

Many times we say we would never do such things; yet many find it difficult, if not impossible, to break through the prerequisites put upon the Father by our own traditions. By the word “tradition,” I mean our usual method of operation. No one can direct God, for who has known the mind of the Lord that they may instruct Him? When we come together in Christ’s name, we should empty ourselves of all preconceived notions and look for fresh direction and guidance from our Father. Who among us is to say just what shall be said and done. Why don’t we leave everything completely up to our Father--who is going to speak, what is going to be said, how it will be done? Why can’t the Spirit tell us what songs are to be sung, when they will be sung, etc.? Can we do a better job than He? Does it matter who teaches the Word, who prophecies, who lays hands on the sick, who casts out devils, who raises the dead? Isn’t it God in us both willing and doing of His good pleasure? We should never compete--we should compliment. The hand cannot say to the foot, “I have no need of you.” Another thing, we must constantly encourage individual participation. God’s design of things is not just to make pew sitters. The devil isn’t afraid of those who just sit. Every believer should be encouraged to take an aggressive posture with the Word of God. Every believer is to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. But no one will become strong without exercising. It isn’t what others say about God--it’s what you say about God that will strengthen you.

Rev. 12:11 says, “And they (the believer) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” The Word says, “If you will confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart... you shall be saved.” It doesn’t say that they overcame by anyone’s confession of faith, but their own.

The Word of God should be the most wonderful and powerful thing in our lives. We should be so full of it and so excited because of it that we can hardly wait to get together and spill it out. Isn’t that God’s purpose? I remember when I first met my wife and fell in love with her. Nobody could tell others about how I felt about her, but me. I didn’t go to my pastor and ask if he would preach a sermon on how wonderful she was. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I was in love and that love demanded expression. No wonder Proverbs says, “A man can have joy by the answer of his mouth.” So, come on--how about it--start talking. I am anxious for people to grow!

How to Develop an Affinity with Your Father

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:15:10 GMT

It would be nice if we were as concerned about doing the things that our Father desires that we do as much as we are concerned about doing the things that our Pastor tells us to do.

What I really want to say is that we should develop a very close affinity with our Father. He has taken us, along with Jesus, and hid us within Himself, That’s a pretty wonderful thing! Just imagine, we have that close a relationship with our Father and yet we can’t carry on a conversation with Him. You know why? We don’t listen to Him. We listen to things that we hear with our physical ears and think that that is God’s Word. It might be and it might not be, but you will never know if you don’t learn to hear what God has to say.

We go to a meeting somewhere and we listen to what the Man has to say. He’s a Preacher or a Pastor of somewhere, or an Evangelist, and we listen intently. We say that it must be right because the Man says so; and because He holds the position that he does, we say that what he says is God’s Word. Boy--that’s faith! I think that a good way to develop this affinity for our Father is to sit down sometime, away from people, and look inside of ourselves. If we are born again, we say that God lives in us; so it seems to me to be a pretty good place to look for Him. Talk to Him; tell Him you want to learn to know His voice. Tell Him that you want to do those things that He wants you to do; but you jolly well can’t do them unless you hear from Him. Then listen to the inside of you. Listen with the same intensity and concentration and expectation that you did when you listened to that Man.

When you learn to do this, you are going to find that there will be some thoughts come to you that you didn’t put there. These thoughts will lift a load from your heart, and give direction to your life and a peace to your soul that you didn’t have before. You will also have other thoughts. They will advise caution, and they will introduce a little doubt.

You will think, “What if I’m not right?” Throw caution to the wind and hang on to those thoughts that lift your load and give you direction and peace and contentment. Then say, “Thank you Father for talking to me.” It’s always easier to know what God is talking about if you know what the Bible has to say. The Bible is a pretty big book; and if we don’t know where to look, we can waste an awful lot of time getting off on the wrong track. I guess that’s where teachers come in. Jesus says that when the Holy Spirit is come He will testify of me. So that gives me pretty good direction. If the things that I hear inside of me do not tell me more about Jesus and lift Him up, I can say, “Whoa,” to that thought because it’s not going in the right direction. So, what I’m trying to say is the more that I know about what the Bible has to say about Jesus and what He did for me and what I am in Him, the more I’m going to recognize my Father’s voice.

For now, I think basically that’s all I want to say.

How to Possess the Things of God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:14:41 GMT

We can’t do anything about being born again except realize we need to be and believe that Jesus is what He said He was. Then we can rest in God’s Word. When He said, “To as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become Sons of God.” He meant just that, we can rest.

I like it this way. It’s sure. I do not have the ability to make myself to be a Spiritual creation because apart from God I am a creature of flesh. No matter what I do, I do it in the flesh. I am born of the flesh, my abilities are of the flesh and the flesh is my boundary. When I BELIEVE Jesus, and RECEIVE Him as God’s provision for my soul, by the power of God I am MADE a Spiritual creature, fashioned after God’s will.

Like I say, I can’t make myself a Spiritual creature; but after God has given me Life, there is a whole lot I can do about being strong.

The Bible says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the Power of His Might,” but it’s not something that you can just sit and have it come upon you.

There is something NEW created when we receive Jesus. We are BORN of the Spirit, so according to God’s Word we become Spirit. This is as different from flesh as black is from white. It’s this difference that confuses people--they want to do the right thing, but they don’t know what the right thing is.

I can’t just sit--I have new things to learn. I’m in an entirely new realm, I am in the realm of the Spirit--this is the realm of God. It is a realm in which my flesh senses are completely useless. The carnal mind, no matter how well it is trained in the things of this world, is utterly incapable of grasping the things of God. The things of God are not carnally understood. The carnal mind never has been able to understand the things of the Spirit and it never will be. It’s not made that way. It is not subject to God, it is subject to the flesh.

One time I was teaching this truth and someone said, “Oh, come now, we can’t be that bad.” The point is not whether the carnal mind is good or bad--it’s just that the carnal mind is NOT a Spiritual mind. Carnal means “of this world” and Spiritual means “of God.” That’s the difference.

Paul said, “Flesh and blood SHALL NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.” Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born of the Spirit if he was to SEE the things of God. The Word of God declares that man can understand the things of man, but NO man can understand the things of God, only by the Spirit of God.

This points up to one paramount truth-- there must be communication between the Spirit of God and the 'spirit of man if man is ever to KNOW what God wants him to know.

But man is not Spiritually alive in his first estate--he is governed by the flesh. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” Therefore man, the real man, if he is to know God’s will, must be born of God. When he is born again, he becomes a Spiritual creature and alive to God. As such he has the capabilities of knowing the heart of God.

But he must EXERCISE these capabilities! The one who is newly born again is rightly termed, “A babe in Christ.” He is possessed of God’s Life but he is not AWARE of God’s potential in him. He is aware of his potential in the flesh because this is a realm in which he was developed. His senses are alive to his environment, and his understanding is influenced by the circumstances about him. He has learned pain and fear, joy and sorrow, contentment and frustration. He interprets everything about him in the light of his own experience and understanding. This is his whole mode of living. He has attained a high degree of sensitivity to his surrounding. He has found that whatever he puts his mind to will become prominent in his thoughts.

If he has disciplined his thoughts, he can control his desires; if not he becomes prey to every thought that presents itself to him. This does not mean that one is either strong or weak, it just means that man is made that way and that is the way he behaves.

Man has found that effective advertising is the kind that can make one THINK about a certain thing. If a man is repeatedly exposed to the THOUGHT that brand “X” is the best, when he is ready for that product he will buy brand X. Advertising is something that we are exposed to everyday. It is not the result of our doing, but it is part of our environment and we are conditioned by it.

If we wish to learn something we will apply the same principles. The successful actor will study his part--he will research the character he is to portray from every conceivable angle, he will saturate himself with these thoughts until they become part of him.

Henry Ford once said that if a man wished to become rich he must think money, talk money, and eat money. In other words, all of his activity, thoughts, and efforts must be along that line.

Charles Luckman was a highly successful business tycoon at the age of twenty five. Someone commented to him about how quickly he had attained success. Charles Luckman replied that he was always a success, and then he went on to explain that even before he was in his teens he made up his mind that he would have lots of money and direct many people. He observed how successful business men talked, acted, and thought, and he NEVER allowed any contrary thoughts to lodge in his mind.

Thomas Edison was a highly successful inventor, but he didn’t tinker part time. Every moment he could afford was spent in his lab. His mind was saturated with his desires. The doctor, the lawyer, the professional man--all, if they are to be successful, give themselves over to study.

The Bible says this to the one who desires to know God’s will, “In ALL thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.”--Prov.3:6 To acknowledge the Lord is not just to SAY that He is, but it also means to acknowledge that what HE SAYS is true.

Therefore, we are to accept and acknowledge God’s Word in EVERY phase of our Life.

We are to saturate ourselves with His Word morning, noon and night. In order to do this we must KNOW God’s Word.

Our churches today teach that we must be faithful in our attendance. They stress that if we are to be faithful we will attend every church activity possible. They teach that this will strengthen us as a Christian.

This is not necessarily so. Only if we saturate ourselves with the Word of God will we become strong: if we saturate ourselves with church thought, church activity, and church doctrine, we will become strong in our church, but not necessarily in God! The question naturally arises: “How am I to saturate myself with the Word of God? If I cannot depend on my church, what can I depend on?” There is only one way: “TO LIVE IN THE WORD OF GOD.” The Bible declares that IF you shall CONFESS with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and BELIEVE in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, YOU SHALL BE SAVED!” This is the secret of POSSESSING that which God has supplied: confessing with the mouth, and believing with the heart that the things God’s Word declares are true.

It makes no difference how often we attend church, nor how much we hear the Word of God taught. If we are not WILLING to confess it for ourselves, we are not WILLING to believe it for ourselves. If we are not willing to believe it, we are not willing to RECEIVE IT; and if we are not willing to receive it, we are not willing to POSSESS it.

How to Read the Bible

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:14:09 GMT

The main theme of the whole Bible is Jesus about Him and what He accomplished for us. Therefore it seems wise to learn accordingly.

I suggest that one reads about Him first. To do, this read in the New Testament. The Bible is a book composed of two sections, the Old Testament, which has to do with events before Jesus, and the New Testament, which has to do with Jesus and what happened because of Him.

First read Luke and then Acts. Both of these books were written by one man. The Gospel of Luke has to do with Jesus, and Acts has to do with what happened after Jesus was raised from the dead.

Then, I suggest that you read Romans. This letter was written by Paul whom you read about in Acts. Some parts of Romans may be hard to understand unless you are familiar with the Old Testament. Do not worry about this now. As you read the Old Testament things will clear up. Right now concentrate on Romans chapters 3 through 8. Learn them well. You will have no trouble fitting in the rest of the New Testament; it consists of letters, mostly written by Paul. Peter, James, and John also wrote letters, these letters bear their names.

Now for the Old Testament: The Old Testament is basically the story of the Nation Israel. This is a nation that is unique in all of the world because it came into being at the direction of God. Other Nations are mentioned in the Bible, but only as they relate to Israel. Therefore, the thing to learn from the Old Testament is about Israel. This must always be remembered: The Bible is not a book of secular history, it is a book that tells of man’s separation from God and of his restoration back to God by Jesus Christ. In directing your attention to a reading sequence in the Old Testament, I am primarily concerned that you will gain the maximum amount of information concerning Israel in the minimum amount of time. It is for this reason that I will specify only certain books to be read. After finishing these books you will better understand how the other books fit into their proper places. So, let’s begin. Read the following books in the order specified: GENESIS, (Begin at the 12th Chapter) EXODUS JOSHUA JUDGES 1st & 2nd SAMUEL 1st & 2nd KINGS There, you have it! That’s the story of Israel.

There are other books that will give us additional insight as to what was happening at a certain time. These are generally those books written by the Prophets. These books are classified as “Major” and “Minor” prophets. These break down as follows: MAJOR PROPHETS ISAIAH JEREMIAH LAMENTATIONS (Author, Jeremiah) EZEKIEL MINOR PROPHETS HOSEA JOEL AMOS OBADIAH JONAH MICAH NAHUM HABAKKUK ZEPHANIAH HAGGAI ZECHARIAH MALACHI All of these Prophets were contemporary with various Kings. This is generally identified someplace in their writing. Identify their time in history and you will have an insight into the condition of Israel.

By this time you will have discovered that after King Solomon, Israel suffered a Civil War and became divided. The northern Kingdom retained the name of Israel, and the southern Kingdom adopted the name of the largest tribe, Judah. When you read the books of the Kings you read about the Kings of both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The two books, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, tell only about the Kings of the south, the Kings of Judah.

The book of Ruth took place during the time of the Judges, so you can read this when you read the book of Judges.

Ezra and Nehemiah took place some time after Judah had been taken captive. It has to do with the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the restoration of their religious practices. The book of Esther tells of happenings while the Jews were in captivity. It is a unique story and can be read and understood without knowing anything about Israel other than they were a captive People.

Psalms is the collection of poetry that David collected and compiled when he was King of Israel, while Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Songs of Solomon reflected the thoughts of David’s son, King Solomon.

Daniel, one of the remaining books in the Old Testament, is a prophetic book. It was written during the time of the Captivity.

Another book that I will mention is the Book of Job. It is an ancient book whose origin is not known. It is a book that tells of the patience and faith of its principle character, Job. It has nothing to do with the Nation Israel, but it does present a picture of the One-All- Prevailing God. It is monotheistic and the world learned of one God through the Nation Israel.

There is another group of books that will complete the Old Testament, and that is the group found at the beginning of the Bible.

They are: EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY These books detail the laws and ordinances that controlled and directed the lives of the Children of Israel.

Finally, Genesis, chapters 1 through 11, tells us of Creation and the beginning of sin and how man began his life apart from God.

Begin your reading with Luke, then Acts, and on to Romans. Become acquainted with Jesus. Learn to know Him personally.

Then read the Old Testament and it will come alive.

Go to it and God bless you.

I Am Going to Live

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:13:32 GMT

If you are going to do something, don’t do it with doubt in your heart. Doubt robs you of your capability to do your best.

If you have considered the matter and decide that it is worthwhile, or that it is the right thing for you to do, then enter into it with all your heart. Expend your strength and your zeal in accomplishing your purpose.

Do not enter into a task saying maybe this or maybe that, but turn your back on all doubt.

When you consider a thing, consider it to its conclusion. It must be resolved for you so that to you it is either yes or no--there can be no “maybes.” It must be either white or black. If there are in-between thoughts on any matter, you will always be plagued with questions. There will be two opposite things within you, and you will be robbed of surety and will never know for sure if things are right or wrong.

There is nothing in this world wherein we know the end from the beginning. Everything that we plan or do requires faith. Our very lives are faith supported.

If we embark upon a path where the uncertainties seem so great to us that we cannot possibly face the risk of the unknown, then we must turn from it with a clear will not to doubt our decision. If, on the other hand, there seems to be some “yes” and some “no” so that we cannot for sure know the way, then we must, by our own choice, turn our thoughts from the “maybe” area and say either I will or I won’t. Having made that decision, we must abide by it and turn from all doubts.

If doubts are carried into anything that we do, we will not do that thing to the best of our ability. We will be embarking upon a project in which we do not really believe. We will be a man of false pretenses because we will be saying and acting one thing and all the while there will be within us that which says another.

Doubt robs one of his ability to think clearly. While he would desire to do one thing, he is driven contrariwise because doubt always questions. It is never certain.

The man with doubts is bound and is not free to effectively do that which is right and just.

No man has the right to subject his loved ones to the poverty of doubt. Everyone has responsibilities that we must meet. There are those who depend on us for all that they have. When we entertain doubts, we are depriving our loved ones of the security and stability that is their right to expect from us.

The Bible declares that a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways. He is like the waves of the sea, driven by the winds and tossed about. The solemn denouncement is “Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord”--James 1:5-8 Homes are split asunder simply because doubt was not put aside. Children have grown into maturity lacking direction to their lives simply because the parents lived with doubt.

Doubt will never let you possess peace and joy and contentment because no matter which way things go, doubt will say “maybe this isn’t right after all--perhaps I should have done differently.” Many a life has started out in happiness, joy, and purpose only to be ruined because someone entertained a doubt.

If something is worth doing, if there is a principle you deem worth living for, then give that thing the vigor of faith or turn from it entirely.

Too many of us are afraid to cast our lot with those things we feel to be right; and consequently we are a nameless nothing, lost in a sea of pretense. We long for recognition and yet we ourselves have lost the power to recognize the things in which we say we believe.

Is it a house you want? Then exercise a clear cut decision and turn from every thought that says you can’t have it.

Is it happiness you want? Then turn to that which you have decided will give you happiness. Do not entertain any thought that says you can’t have it.

Remember every decision we make must be a clean cut, definite conscious decision, or else it will not give direction to our life. It will in effect be the same as no decision at all.

If the goal is worth attaining, it is worth all that we are. We dare not jeopardize the prize by doubting.

Doubt is the anti-spirit of faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Is there a real need in your life? Then faith is the substance of that thing you hope for. Faith is the evidence of that thing which you cannot see.

Faith erases the “maybe” that doubt writes. No one else can establish faith within us--we must do it ourselves. We are the only ones to whom doubt comes. If we refuse to entertain doubt and turn from it, then only faith is left; and by it we will enter into a new, vigorous, and sure way of living.

Faith is the essence of these words: “Whatsoever things you desire (need) when you pray, believe you receive them, and you shall have them.”--Mark 11:24

I Am Perfect as He Is Perfect

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:13:01 GMT

Don’t ever give the devil credit for anything. He is a liar and there is no truth in him. Just because he puts something in our minds that is found in the Bible, is no sign that it is God’s truth. The Word of God builds faith, never forget it.

Any manipulation of the Word of God that creates despair and destroys faith is straight from the mouth of Satan. Cast it out of your mind, don’t give it lodging. If our hearts are turned after God, and hunger after Him, there is no power on Earth or in Heaven that can separate us from God.

If you have come to Him, He has taken you. All of your iniquities are gone, they are no more, we are perfect in Him; we are complete in Him. There is nothing that can condemn you because you are in Christ. I do not care who says anything different. If Satan can get you to think that you are anything less than perfect, he’s won a victory. Here’s why--he has succeeded in getting us to think we are separate from God. That’s when we are imperfect--that’s when we are condemned--because that is when we are in ourselves.

But we are NOT OF THIS WORLD! I do not believe that Jesus would tell us anything that is not true, and he said, “Ye are not of this world if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.” When we have the Spirit of God in us, we speak His tongue. The mystery of the ages is revealed in us--Christ in us. We should confess it, be thrilled with it. We should lift up our voices and sing because of it. We are His Beloved. He has made us to become as perfect as He is because as He is in this world so are we. He paid the price for us, in full, there is nothing more to do--just believe.

And as we believe, we will expand in the Lord. We will find that we are being transformed. We will not have to worry what we should do. We will be led by God. Man has set up so many things that he thinks he should do for God, but God says, “Just believe.” Believe His Word, cast out the things that will cause doubt. God will never speak to you and cause confusion. When He speaks, the waters that were troubled become tranquil.

The Law said that a certain woman was guilty, and worthy of death; and so she was according to the Law. The words of our Jesus brought peace to that woman, “Neither do I condemn you.” Jesus only condemned the proud and haughty in Spirit. They who said, “I am rich and have need of nothing.” They are the ones who had nothing.

We who have been “born again” have everything. We have Christ. We have His Holiness, we have His perfection.

We have it because He GAVE it to us. He is ours. He says that WE ARE PERFECT with His perfection. Don’t ever let Satan deceive you!

I Came in Jesus' Name

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:12:06 GMT

There is no sin in righteousness. Christ is Righteous.

Christ does not sin.

He has been made to be my Righteousness.

He is in me.

He is my Life.

Therefore I cannot say that I am a sinner.

Faith appropriates this truth.

Doubt makes excuses.

God cannot look on sin, yet He has looked on me.

When I came to Him I hid myself.

I hid myself in the name of Jesus.

I could not come in my own name because I was a sinner. I came in the name of Jesus because He had no sin.

He approached God for me.

I was accepted because of God’s Love for His Son.

I was made One with God because Jesus desired it.

God could not deny His own Son, and so He did not deny me. But God cannot look upon sin so He removed my sin from me.

Now, because of God’s Love, I am accepted in the Beloved. This is my heritage because I came in Jesus’ name.

I Found My Life

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:10:55 GMT

I don’t see it in you--that’s what some say. Thank God, you don’t, but there is one thing I know above all else--if you look to Jesus you will see all that you need. It is God’s Word; it is established and it will not change.

Jesus said it was necessary for Him to go away so that we could receive the Comforter. What’s the matter--couldn’t Jesus comfort? Listen--Jesus knew that comfort would only be on the inside, and He wasn’t on the inside! That’s why he had to go away--so the Comforter could come and He could be on the inside.

So in Jesus’ Name know this: Comfort doesn’t come from people or places or things. Comfort comes from inside of you because that’s where God is.

Jesus gave us His life and He said, “No man can pluck you from the Father’s hand.” This means that no man can reject you or put you outside the camp as they did in the days of Israel. God is the one that has given you Himself--it is not dependent upon people, or the choice of people. God has established it! People can say you can’t come here or go there, but they can not remove you from the heart of God.

Sin is not against people. It is against God, and God has forgiven us our sins and placed us in Himself. Man’s laws say you have to do this and that, but God says you just believe me and I’ll do the rest. People can judge me of their law, but law only brings death and transgressions. People cannot give life-only God in Jesus has reconciled us to Himself. Therefore, I cannot be afraid of people--they have no power over God, and God is Life.

Man can say you better not say this--I forbid it. The church people told Peter, “You dare not speak in this name any more; we forbid it!” And yet Peter talked and men believed, and God worked.

Nothing is going to stop God! His Word has a purpose and that purpose is to feed the hungry, and that purpose can’t be withheld. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” God first had a mouth in Jesus, and Jesus spoke God’s word. He said the Words He spoke were not His own, but the Father’s who lived in Him. That’s why Jesus said the Words that He spoke were Spirit and they were Life. God has given to us these same Words if we will speak them. And many people will stop their ears even as they did to Jesus, but there are those who are hungry and their souls will cry out to God in thanksgiving for having heard the Word from your lips. You may not even know it, but because you opened your mouth and spoke God’s Word, that soul ate from God’s larder and grew strong.

When we do not go and tell the words of Jesus, we feel a conflict within us. We wonder what can we do. Jesus says, “Go into the highways and byways and tell them of me.” Then Satan says, “You can’t do that--they won’t listen!” Then you say, “They will.” Then Satan says, “Where will you go? And so you’re listening to Satan! Jesus says, “Go tell them of me” Then you say, “Jesus, they will persecute me. They won’t listen. They hate me.” And Jesus said, “They hated me too. Don’t think they won’t hate you. Remember the servant is not greater than the Master. But know this: if they love me, they will love you--and if they hate me, they will hate you. If they will hear My Words, they will hear yours too.” So we can’t ever say, “I can’t talk because no one will listen.” The hungry will hear and listen. The hungry will hear and be fed.

Listen, Jesus said this. “If they don’t listen to you, remember this: they wouldn’t listen to me either!” So I’m going to talk! Call it brazen, call me a fool, cal1 me whatever you want; but this one thing I know, if I speak God’s Word, that Word will accomplish the purpose for which God ordained it! It can’t fail! It’s God’s Word and to someone somewhere it will accomplish what God desires! I may not see it, but that doesn’t change it. God has ordained it--not me. It is His Word, not mine.

I’ll babble on--some will hate me, some will laugh, some will say, “What a fool,” but some will live--some will see Jesus! No one can silence me. They can stop their ears, but they can’t silence me. In God I will speak and in God I will live. Flesh--it is death! God--He is Life! Wherever God is, there is Life. Anything that brings death is not of God--it is of this world. My life is of God--not this world and as God lives, I live. I cannot say, “There is no life,” because God is Life and God always is! Death is a lie, and I will not speak lies. God is Truth and Life, and my soul shall revel in Him.

Nothing can touch me for harm. “He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord--He is my refuge, He is my God, in Him will I trust.” God has made us according to His own will. He has made us of Spiritual substance. He has endowed us with Himself. God is our Life.

When a man comes to the Lord and calls upon the name of God and believes in Jesus Christ, God destroys the network of lies that is this “body of death” and recreates us in His image after His likeness. Then as we look to the things which the eyes of this world can not see, we see the things that are eternal. The fabrication of flesh is exposed for what it is--an enemy of God, steeped in lies, knowing no Truth, having no substance, being only something that today is and tomorrow is withered away.

And with the eyes of God, we see the things that flesh cannot see because we see that which is eternal--we see God.

He is revealed for what He is--the fullness that fills all things, the everlasting Father, the source of all love and understanding, and we see that He is our life and that we live only in Him.

The eyes of flesh can only see flesh. They see destruction and hopelessness, and destitution and discouragement, and despair and imprisonment. This is because flesh can’t see beyond flesh, and it becomes a captive to itself. But Jesus came and set the captive free! He made us a new creature in His own realm. And now He says, “Reckon yourself dead to the flesh, but alive unto God.” And so in Jesus name I reckon it so. How it can be, I do not know.

That’s why I was without hope--because I couldn’t see how. But Jesus says that it is so and I shall make every effort to believe that it is so.

I cannot live in God and say, “I’m filled with despair.” Despair is in the flesh; fulfillment is in God! Fulfillment--not the fulfillment of the flesh but the fulfillment of God--that is what is in me. I have received of His fullness so there is no lack in Him.

When is the time that all these things will belong to us?--In the day that we are converted and brought into His fullness. All things have been brought into fruition right now because Jesus died on the cross and said, “It is finished.” That was all He could do. He laid down His life, and there was nothing left. He entered the grave, but God raised Him from the dead so our victory would be complete. If we die with Him, we shall also be raised with Him. Therefore, when I say, “Here is my life, and I give it up,” then Jesus gives me His Life--and it is mine now! Now I know when I can come into my inheritance. I know how long I have to wait. I have to wait until I give up my life.

I have to wait until I reckon myself, the old man, to be dead. Then I don’t have to wait any longer. I receive God’s Life and enter into Him now! This is God’s provision! God meant for it to be mine. He gave it to me. All that He is, He gave to me. You see, now is the time I need it. I don’t need it when I reach that realm after this physical life, but I need peace, and joy, and rest now. I do not need righteousness when I get to that place where all is righteousness. The Word of God says that without righteousness no man shall see God. If I shall believe what many people would have me believe, I would believe that not until the time this life is over will I have righteousness. This is not so! Jesus Christ is my righteousness--not then, but now. If I couldn’t see God until I attained unto righteousness and I could not have righteousness until I see God, I could never have anything--I would be forever lost! Therefore I know that God has given me Himself now. Oh Hallelujah! Now! All of heaven rejoices because of the love of God that is revealed to us now! Without the knowledge of these things, we cannot possess that which God has provided. The only result of this is loneliness. It is hopelessness. We hope that more can be done, but Jesus said, “I have done all--it is finished.” Jesus died for us so we don’t have to die. God raised Him from the dead so that we could have His Life. He brought us into Himself because we could not find Him ourselves. He has done all these things because we could do nothing.

He has given Himself to us now so we no longer need to be a captive of despair and hopelessness. He gave Himself to us now so we would never be lonely. He dwells within us now so He can give us comfort now. That’s when we need it--not some future time. But I cannot have God and my old life too! Only in those things where I am willing to be no more in myself will I be in God. If I say, “I am lonely, “and will not say, “Lo, you are with me now,” then I will be lonely still. If I say, “I am shut up,” and will not say, “I am alive in Christ now,” then I will be shut up and know not the presence of God.

When will I have these things that God has provided? When I turn from myself, and say, “I have them now.” The possession is up to me. God has completed the provisions.

I No Longer Am

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:10:10 GMT

Satan sows his seed in the dirt of the carnal mind. For instance: I might fancy I have been done an injustice, maybe it is a very real indignity, but as a Christian I am not to consider it as such.

If I consider it as such, and try to apply the Christian virtue of forgiveness, then Satan will cause my mind to get “puffed up” because I have such a forgiving Spirit. I stand in real danger of becoming self-righteous.

On the other hand, I might just refuse to have anything to do with those who I fancy may have done me wrong. In following this thought, I am not walking in the love of God.

To associate with those who have aught against me, and try to act as though there is nothing between, is to play the part of the hypocrite. This attitude is the “leaven of the Pharisees,” and I am told to beware of that.

I cannot say there is love in my heart and yet direct my life so purposefully that I will not come in contact with those I fancy have done me wrong.

The truth of the matter is this: I am not to consider anything done to me as being done to me personally. Jesus said that He would dwell in me and that He would bear my reproaches. Therefore, anything done to me is not done to me, but to Christ. Those who would vilify me by their words and actions do not see Christ because they are blinded by their own passions. Jesus, in love for me, bears my reproaches and tells me not to worry. This causes me to love Him more. Another thing it does is to cause me to love with God’s love. The reason for this is that I see God’s love for me, and one of the Spiritual laws of God is that “when I SEE Him, I SHALL be like Him...” Now, it is easier to understand the secret of Stephen’s miraculous attitude; even though people lied about him, and took his life, he smiled and loved them with God’s love. “Father, lay not this sin to their charge.” Man fails, and lays himself open to Satan’s power, when he considers himself to be the center of all things. The earth was made for man, and all material things are in his domain, but man himself is a reason, he was made for God.

Only in God can man lose himself and find completeness. The annoyances of this world have lost their sting because we have been given a new world and a new Life. We have found God; therefore, we have found the reason for our existence in the flesh.

Satan no longer has power over me because I have a new Life. I no longer belong to myself. I am God’s. Satan cannot touch my Life because I am no longer living my life...it is CHRIST who is Living in me.

Identification

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:09:43 GMT

Man calls it a fundamental doctrine of the Church; and because has been taught to accept it as just that, he has not learned too much from God in regard to it. Sometimes we accept things without too much investigation and prayer; and, therefore, we do not know God’s will in the matter. Our hearts are honest, and this is what God sees. His mercy covers all else.

There is a knowledge in God’s Word that brings Life and faith and joy. This place of knowledge is of the Spirit, and it is by the Spirit that I am going to enter into it. When I allow myself to be led by tradition, and spend much of my time trusting in rituals and ceremonies, then I am apt to be dull in my soul concerning the things that God would have me learn.

Such was my position in regard to water baptism.

You see, I do not believe that water baptism is required, nor is it necessary before God. If someone wants to be baptized, I would not forbid him, but I would desire to teach him the things that God has taught me.

There are not too many instances in the Bible, nor in my mind is much emphasis placed upon it. Yet I see many churches about me that would make the ritual necessary for salvation. This was my early teaching.

I could not understand why the Church considered it to be of such importance when it is not so emphasized in the Bible.

In Mark there is what we call the “Great Commission.” This says to go and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father…” I can not deny that this is a powerful statement in favor of baptism--if it fits the rest of God’s Word. In effect, this passage really says, “Go and teach all nations, and let them be identified with the Name of the Father…” because this is the true meaning of baptism.

Paul mentioned baptism in rather an off-hand manner; he said, “I baptize none of you except…” and then he named a few names and concluded his statement with “and maybe a few others.” The Philippian jailer was baptized, the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized, the Household of Cornelius was baptized, the twelve young men at Ephesus were baptized, and Jesus was baptized. John, the Baptist, came baptizing. Jesus baptized no one.

There are a few other places where baptism is mentioned. Paul, for instance, mentions it in this manner: “Being baptized into His death.” Again, he asked the young men of Ephesus, “Unto what baptism were ye baptized?” Baptism is a physical means of identifying yourself with a certain thing. Baptism is not a Christian rite, or is it of Christian origin. People were baptizing and being baptized long before Christ was ever made manifest.

History, neither religious nor secular, can say with any degree of sureness, just how or when the practice of baptizing became established. That it antedates Christianity by many centuries is certain. That baptism was by immersion is equally as sure. It was not until the time that Rome was in decline, and the power of the Church in the ascendancy that any form of baptizing, other than immersion, came into vogue.

The act of baptism, at this time, gave a sense of participation of untold thousands of the hordes from the north which played their part in the downfall of Rome. This made them Christians, according to the rules of the church, and brought them under the authority of that organization. Thus did the power of the Church grow, while Rome declined.

Baptism was still a means of identification. Just what place does baptism have in our religious thinking today? For centuries, the thought of its necessity has been implanted within our consciousness, so that we dare not think any other thought without hearing the cries of “heretic.” This bondage is not of Christ, it is of Satan. I am not a captive to Satan, Jesus set me free.

I can break the laws of tradition if Christ is in me because He is Lord of all; and I, in Him, am in bondage to no man.

So, when I am told it is necessary for me to be baptized in order to be saved, I dare to question it. When I am told that I must be baptized because Jesus was baptized, I ask “Why?” When I am told that I must be baptized in order to show forth obedience, I say, “Obedience to whom?” If an organization says that I must be be baptized in order to satisfy their requirements for membership; I will baptized for that purpose, but I will not say that I am being baptized before God.

When I am told that baptism is a means of preserving my soul and bringing me to the place before God where I may present myself to Him, I ask, “By what authority am I taught this?” I ask these things because I see a big God. I see a God who is Spirit, One who is over and above His creation. I see a God that is Lord and Master of all that is.

Baptism, in Bible light, what is it? Foremost, it was a means of identification. One was baptized to show his acceptance of a certain belief, to identify himself with a way of living.

John, the Baptist, came proclaiming a message. He baptized all who believed him. His message had to do with the Kingdom of Heaven--“Prepare, make straight the paths of the Lord. Repent-- the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” These were the words he taught, and this was what Judea gladly listened to and were baptized for. They were willing to identify themselves openly with this message. It was a means of expressing their contempt for Rome. It was a means of saying, “We shall be free of Rome. We will have our own Kingdom. God will reign, and we are His chosen.” John’s message was not a militant one. There had been others too, who would have ushered in the Kingdom of God, but they used a sword. This man said, “If you have two shirts, give one to your brother who has none.” He spoke out against immorality. He laid the axe to the tree, and the chips flew. His message called for a new kind of courage, a courage that was of the Spirit and not the body. This was the message John brought, and he baptized those who would be identified with it.

To say, “I was baptized according to John’s baptism,” was enough to tell the inquirer your belief. Paul had perfect understanding of the young men of Ephesus when they said they were baptized unto John’s baptism.

A question was asked Peter, just as it was asked John, “What shall we do?” The answer was very much as John’s answer, “Repent, and be baptized…”Peter said that they should then receive the Holy Ghost. This gift was contingent upon their repentance, not their being baptized.

Man has formed a doctrine around Peter’s statement: First, repent, then be baptized, and then receive the Holy Spirit.

The Bible gives us understanding regarding this by giving us the account of Cornelius of the Italian Band. There was a hunger in their hearts and an acceptance of the things of God, so that when they heard the Good News, they received it. God baptized them in the Holy Spirit.

This was a surprising thing to Peter. It is true they were not Israelites. God had already dealt with Peter on this score- -but that they should speak in tongues without ever having been baptized!! To have received this gift without ever having made a prior commitment of belief was definitely contrary to the legalistic attitude of the Jew.

Things were a little different in Samaria. Samaria was aware of the Law. Phillip preached in Samaria and there followed the custom of baptizing the Believers. Then when Peter and John came and told them more of God, they received the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Tradition has blinded many of us to the meaning of something that John, the Baptist, said. “I indeed baptize you with water, but there cometh one after me who is mightier than I, whose shoe latchets I am not worthy to untie. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and Fire.” John is plainly saying that water baptism is but a weak excuse for what will be. There is one coming Who is mightier than I. He will not baptize you with water. He will not use a mere ritual, He will baptize you with God Himself.

This seems to me to be the focal point of the whole business. Man had developed a ritual, a certain rite that he performed, and it meant a certain thing. God talks to man in his own language to compare what is with what will be.

Water baptism identified you with something--a belief, a way of life. This is what man understood it to mean, and so God worked in the realm of man’s understanding. Jesus Christ baptizes, or identifies me with the one and only God. I can not be so baptized by man; I receive this baptism from Jesus. I am not baptized with water, I. am baptized with God. It is not an immersion in water; it is an immersion in God.

What a tremendous thing this is! It took man awhile to understand what it was that John, the Baptist, proclaimed. The traditions of man die hard, but when we see, with the eyes of God in us, then we will see them for what they are--dead acts of imperfection.

Notice the Word of God as recorded in the first few verses of the Sixth Chapter of Hebrews, “Lay aside the first principles of the doctrines of Christ…of baptism...and go on to perfection.” Just how are we to interpret these things? Shall we say it is wrong to baptize in water? No, it is neither right nor wrong; before God it is as nothing. We are made one with God as we believe the words of Jesus, and this is not dependant upon any other thing than faith in Jesus.

Paul spoke sharply to the Galatians and asked them who it was that had bewitched them that they should not obey the truth--who was it that took away their senses? They had received Jesus Christ because they heard the Word and believed. They received their perfection before God, not because of some physical act, but solely because they believed. Yet there are those among us who would insist that the physical act of water baptism is as necessary to salvation as God’s provision of His Son.

I see an evolution of baptism. I see three phases: First, John came baptizing; he said, “'Will you identify yourself with the words I say?” He told of One to come who would be the Lamb of God, of one who must increase while he would decrease. He invited people to change their way of thinking, and prepare their hearts for the Messiah of God. Those who were hungry for this event said, “Yes, I want to be one of your numbers. I will become one of you,” and John baptized them so they might show forth their faith in him.

Jesus came. He was the Light of the world. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He took my sin from me. John pointed to Him and said, “There He is. This is the One I said would come after me; he must increase and I must decrease.” Those who were baptized, and said they believed John’s words, must now believe that this is the Christ. They must believe that no longer will John be their leader; he must decrease, but they must now follow this Christ; He must increase. Out of all the multitudes that followed John in baptism, we read of only two that believed his words. Of them we read, “...and they straightway followed Jesus.” It would be difficult to say that one believed John and still not follow Jesus, especially when John pointed Him out and said, “He is the One.” Even so today, it is difficult to say that we believe Jesus and not do the things He says.

There is a similarity between John, the Baptist, and Jesus. They both pointed to a new thing.

John pointed to Jesus and said that He must increase while he, John, would decrease. Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I.” John pointed to a new Person; Jesus pointed to a new Creation.

John’s ministry decreased while the ministry of Jesus grew. There came a time when Jesus said, “It is necessary that I go away, because if I do not go away, the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, will not come.” Even as John came and occupied a place in time, so did the Man, Jesus, who was made the Christ, occupy a. place in time.

When Jesus came, the baptism of John became a useless thing. John taught of One to come, and He had already come. A baptism to the expectancy of His coming was a dead thing--He was already here. The words of John were no longer important, the One of whom he spoke was here; and it was the words of the New Man that brought Life and Peace. The young men of Ephesus were baptized into a dead thing, and that is why they had no Life. When they heard of Jesus Christ, they followed the second step--they were baptized in Jesus Name.

In this act they showed the same faith as did John’s Disciples. Their hearts were hungry and their obedience was such as when they heard of Jesus, they straightway forsook the old and followed him.

This seems to be a pattern that men follow today. First there must be hunger for God, and expectancy for the things of God. Then we see Jesus; and in seeing him, we know that truly He is of God. Then we can believe His words. Like the young men at Ephesus, we can be identified with the words that Jesus spoke--we will, follow them.

He is the One who is greater than John; He is the One altogether perfect. He is the One who shall baptize us with God. This baptism is not by man, neither is it by the will of man; it is the act of God.

“To as many as believe Him, to them He gave power to become the Sons of God to those who are born by the will of God.” The baptism that is of God is not of water, it is of his Spirit. It is a making of one, out of two, so that the old is no more, and the new is supreme. He is Lord of all and we have been identified with Him. We have been given His Nature, made to sit with Him in the Heavenlies. It is the completion of our movement toward God. It is the satisfying of the hunger that caused us to turn from our ways and seek a new way. It is an identifying with God.

He has baptized us with His Spirit so the world may know His love, and that He lives, and is alive for evermore.

In Jesus' Name

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:09:07 GMT

To use the Name of Jesus is to draw upon and put into action all the Name represents. This Name holds a position that is over and above all things. To use the Name of Jesus is to draw upon all of the authority it holds and all of the position it has earned.

The Name of Jesus has earned a reputation that all must honor because God has conferred or placed upon this Name His own favor and respect.

The Name or authority of Jesus has always been Satan’s downfall and always will be. That Name has won the favor, respect, and individual recognition of God Himself. Satan recognizes that Name, and he also knows that whenever it is used he is defeated by it. Demons fear that Name when spoken from lips of faith. That Name bares the banner of continual victory, and every demon must honor and obey Him. Worlds, principalities, and powers are subject to Him.

Jesus said that He always did the things that pleased the Father (John 8:29). God said to Jesus, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”--Luke 3:22. Because Jesus pleased the Father, God gave Him the right to ask of Him what He would and also the right to be answered. I know this because Jesus said as He was standing over the grave of Lazarus, “I know Father that You hear me always.”--John 11:42. He knew that when He prayed God heard Him; and if He heard Jesus, He would answer Him because He had the right to be answered by God. God Himself gave Him this right.

God had to give recognition to Jesus because He Himself had given Jesus the position of a Son. God could not deny His own Word.

Jesus believed God when He was told that He was a Son; and because He believed, He exercised His rights and privileges.

Jesus knew that if God would go so far as to reveal to Him that He was a Son, God would have to go even farther by playing the part of a Father who would honor all the Son’s petitions and supply all of His needs. God could not tell Jesus that He had made Him His Son, and then repudiate that statement by withdrawing from Him the privileges that a Son held.

Jesus walked consciously in the knowledge of His privileges. He enjoyed the benefits of a Son all at the Father’s expense. After all, hadn’t God Himself said, “You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased?” He could not very well say that and then withhold anything that was His own from Christ. Jesus knew this because He said, “All things that the Father hath are Mine.”--John l6:l5. (He also gave these things unto us.) All through Christ’s earth walk, God’s Love and favor towards Jesus was demonstrated as Jesus put demand after demand upon His Father’s vast resources. He knew where God had placed Him and He believed in His position.

God never failed to give recognition to any of the petitions that Jesus, His Son, made. He could not deny His own Word. Jesus was His Word. Every time that Christ exercised His Sonship, God was reminded of His obligation to His Word and towards Jesus. After all wasn’t Jesus acting upon His Father’s Word? Didn’t God have to make that Word good? The Words that Jesus acted upon had come directly from the mouth of God. They could not be annulled and Jesus knew that.

Every time that Jesus exercised His Sonship, God was reminded that Jesus, His Son, was well pleasing to Him and He showed it by granting Him petitions or demands. God honored at all times the obedience of Christ.

Jesus kept the law and earned His righteousness which gave Him right standing with God. He earned it, even to the extent that that God made Him His Son (Luke 3:22). Jesus actually earned His position. (We receive ours by gift and by grace (Rom. 5:17.) God was so well pleased with Jesus that He gave Him Sonship. It was as though God said, “You have kept the law now. You have proved Yourself, You are now My Son; I am well pleased with You and to show You how pleased that I am, I am going to let You move in My place and execute My authority and obey My Word on earth. Anything that you ask, I will give You for You now represent all that I am. I will walk among men now and fulfill My desire in You. I have placed My individual favor and attention upon You, and no one, nor anything shall remove it.” In short, the Father gave Jesus, His first Son, the power of attorney. He cast out devils in His Father’s Name (John 5:43, l0:25).

God demonstrated that He meant what He said when Jesus dared to believe His Word. Jesus dared in the face of circumstance, logic, and tradition to believe His Father’s Word. God never let Him down. The religious people of that time mocked and jeered Him, but He still dared to believe the Words of His Father.

Yes, the Name of Jesus is well pleasing to God, the Father. It is an honorable Name to Him, a sweet smelling savor, because it represents perfect obedience. The Name of Jesus has the total Love and affection of God Himself lavished upon it. The Name of Jesus is the key to the heart of God. There is no higher Name in Heaven or on earth (Acts 4:12).

God loves and respects that Name so much that He has highly exalted Him and given Him a Name which is above every name that at the Name of Jesus every power, whether in Heaven or in earth or beneath the earth, should acknowledge and confess His Lordship and dominion (Phil. 2:9-11)! He won something so great that it made Him equal with God and changed His position from a servant under the Law to a Son of God with vast favor and privileges (Gal.4:1-7). He won the kind of favor that only God could give, favor that made Him rich with Spiritual blessings.

I know it staggers our imagination to consider such a thing, but did you know that Jesus gave us His position. And in that place or position is included all of the love, honor, respect, and privileges that He Himself earned of God. This is what it means to go in His Name. It means to take His place here on earth. God loves us as much as He loves Jesus because He made us one with Jesus and we are in Him. He sees us as He sees Jesus. We bear His Name; we have been born into it, baptized and identified completely with it. We represent Him and all that He is, for as He is so are we (1 John 4:17). The Name that is above every Name, the position that is above every position, and the righteousness that is greater than all righteousness are ours and have been graciously conferred upon us just because we believe in Him whom the Father has sent.

Yes, we are in the One who is well pleasing to the Father, the One who is nearest to the heart of God. We are well pleasing to the Father as Jesus, for the righteousness that was in Christ that pleased God is now in us.

If we are pleasing to the Father, then whatever we ask in Jesus’ Name, will be granted to us. It is as though we held our position (which is Christ's) up to God, and said, “Remember, we are Your Sons too, even as Jesus for we are in Him who is all righteousness.” It is as though Jesus Himself prayed.

We have a legal right to be heard by God. Jesus gave us this right--the right or privilege that was granted unto Him by God because of His righteous position before God (John l:12-13).

When we use His Name, it is as though we present all that Jesus is in order to get an answer. It is the reputation of Christ Himself being used to our advantage and for our benefit. His unlimited Name is ours to use. His Name takes the place of Jesus, the man, here on earth.

How gracious of God to identify us with that Name and all that it is and shall always be! No wonder Jesus said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name (place), with the Spiritual consciousness and confidence of what that Name represents, it will be done unto you. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My Name, ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full. At the day you are consciously aware of what My Name represents and that you bear that Name, I will not say unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father loveth you and will Him self personally answer your prayers.”--John 16:23-27 Jesus says that God loves us, and because of His Love for us we have a legal right to ask of Him and receive when we ask in faith.

Because we are in Christ, we are well pleasing to the Father. He must grant our petitions. Jesus was pleasing to God and look what He did for Him. Will He do less for us when He says the Father loves us even as He loves Jesus? All He asks of us is to believe His Word.

We are not asking in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ before God (1 Cor.1:30).

Righteousness gave Jesus great favor and standing before God. We are in the One who is well pleasing to God. We are lost in His sameness and surrounded by God’s favor. “If God be for us who and what can effectively be against us?”--Rom. 8:31 No wonder I can ask and receive. “We now have confidence towards God, and whatsoever we ask we receive of Him because we keep (obey) His Commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight.”--John 3:22. We cannot be denied, for Christ cannot be denied. Christ is in us. “And this is His Commandment that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ.”--John 3:23

In the Twinkling of an Eye

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:08:30 GMT

In the twinkling of an eye, the Lord will come. It’s a wonderful experience, there’s nothing like it. His coming is not of our own doing, all we can do is be ready and recognize Him when He comes. I’m not speaking of a “physical return,” I’m speaking of a Spiritual experience. I’m speaking of an experience that can be experienced many times, not just once.

Have you ever been in a spot where you felt you could no longer bear it? Then, suddenly, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the fact of God’s deliverance was made known to you! You were enveloped in a great peace.

Even though the externals seemed not to have changed, and there was no more knowledge within you than before as to what you should do, yet you were possessed with a profound and sure knowledge that “all was well.” There was no reason to believe this as far as you could see, but the knowledge was absolute. It was beyond all questioning.

You did not exercise faith you could not claim this peace because of any merit of your own, and yet, there it was! You were aware of your need of your poverty in this area; then you sought God. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, He came to you and you were amazed at the simplicity of His revelation. You could never have arrived at this knowledge, even if you had worked and studied for a million years and yet, in a moment, it was all crystal clear.

God is anxious to reveal His will to us, He is anxious for us to cease from our worries, our frets, and our fears. He wants us to rest in Him. It is only when we cease from our own struggles and rest that we are conscious of Him.

God knows just when to bring this awareness to us. It will not be in the midst of our efforts, lest we be lifted up in our own eyes. It will not come when we entertain thoughts of hopelessness, because those thoughts are not found in God’s realm. God comes to us when we look to Him and acknowledge Him as Lord, not in words, but in spirit.

We can not ask for deliverance because He has promised us that all things work together for our own good if we love Him. We can not ask for deliverance because He has already delivered us! We must look to Him and know that He is our Lord, He is our Life, and as we see Him we see our deliverance.

There is no terror in His Presence. He is Lord of all and He comes in love. We can rest in Him because He has overcome the world.

All of this is crystal clear, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when we know He has come to us.

It Started in Eden

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:07:58 GMT

The realm of the senses, feelings, desires, emotions--these are the things I wish to talk about. These are basic things in our physical make up. Without them we would indeed be a most peculiar kind of a person.

Adam and Eve became dominated by their senses when they partook of the forbidden fruit. “Their eyes were opened and they saw they were naked,” is the way the Scriptures put it. I guess this is the first thing we really know when we see God--we see then that we are naked. We stand before God as we really are. And believe me, it is a sorry picture! Adam and Eve made a covering for themselves, but it was not adequate in God’s eyes. He provided the covering.

That’s the way it is today; man tries many things, but God provided Jesus Christ. Some men fight it and others laugh at it, but it still remains that Jesus is the “covering” that God provides.

Adam and Eve entered into a world where these new found senses were predominant. Man has been guided and ruled by them ever since. Civilization is built upon man’s comfort, and his standard of comfort is the degree to which his senses are comforted. If man was cold, he sought ways to warm himself; when he became tired by his labors, he devised means of easing his burdens, and so our civilization developed.

There is a strange thing to which we are subject. It is tied closely to our physical being, and yet man cannot isolate it.

It remains an enigma, and yet it is the most tremendous force by which man can be motivated. It is our emotions! Some feel that it is a sign of intellectual achievement to deny emotions and believe in a logical way. They become quite upset if it is suggested that they too are creatures of emotions. We might as well face it--we are all creatures of emotions just as we are all creatures of flesh. We display these emotions in different ways. Sometimes we are quite demonstrative and other times not, but we are emotional creatures nevertheless.

If it were not so, we could never know contentment or happiness. There can be no courage without fear, and no love without loneliness.

Adam and Eve lived in a different world. The feelings and emotions that are the basis of our life didn’t affect them.

This is the peculiar thing; this is the thing that is overlooked by a great majority of the people today. Because it is overlooked, man has lost sight of the thing that God means for him to know. Unless he regains his “sight,” he cannot exercise faith and without faith it is impossible to please God. The Bible gives us a hint of these things when it says, “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” What about this different world that Adam and Eve lived in? For one thing they did not know sorrow or pain or desire or disappointments or frustrations, or such ills and woes as we experience because of our emotions and feelings. We know this, not so much because of what is said before the “fall,” but because of what was said happened after the fall. It says that men began to live in tents, and became artificers in brass, and made musical instruments. These are all things that were dictated by feelings. There was an urge within man and he expressed it in these various ways.

Adam and Eve entered into a world wherein they became obedient or subservient to the desires that were within them. They became creatures of feeling; they became servant to their feelings.

This was not so in their world that was. If they had feelings, they were not aware of them because there was no contrast. They did not know good from evil, therefore, they could make no choice.

The Scriptures say that by one man’s disobedience sin entered the world. The man this refers to was Adam. His act of disobedience was in doing something that was told to him not to do. It was not a willful act of disobedience on Adam’s part because he knew not good from evil, but it was called disobedience that we who know right and wrong can learn.

The choice, as we see it, is to obey one of two things: First, let’s see what the Scripture has to say. A suggestion was given to Eve and she followed this suggestion. She looked upon the fruit and saw that it was pleasing to the eye, it was good for food, and it would make one wise. A suggestion brought forth desire! Do you see this point? Here was desire but it was not yet dominant. Eve yielded to this desire. She reached forth her hand and picked the fruit and did eat thereof. She gave to her husband and he did eat. And the eyes of both of them were opened and they saw that they were naked.

So here we are, the choice is to obey one of two things--the Word of God or our own desires! By one man’s disobedience, the Scriptures say, sin entered the world. The thing that entered the world, insofar as the Biblical narrative reveals, is man’s servitude to his own desires rather than the Word of God. This is an important point for us to know today because it embodies all that is not faith. It is the bulwark of the flesh; without the feelings that come by the stimulation of our senses and emotions we could not live in this material realm. But as long as we recognize them in dominance over the Word of God, we can never know the peace and confidence of abiding in that Spiritual Life that is God.

God placed Adam and Eve outside the boundaries of the Garden, which He had planted for them so that they could not in their state of slavery eat of the tree of Life and live forever.

God told Adam and Eve the kind of life they would have. It. was to be a life touched in every way with feeling and emotions. For every pleasure there would be a sorrow. The earth would be stubborn, yet it was from the earth that Adam would wrest a livelihood. Eve would be compassed about by pain, and sorrow and travail, and her desire would be toward her husband. This desire would shape her whole life.

Centuries later, when Jesus had come, Pau1 saw the truth or these things. He gave voice to the God who lived in him and said, “Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves to obey, his servants ye are.” We can look to the account of Adam and Eve and see clearly the choice they had; they heard the Word of God and they felt the surging of their own desires. To us it seems inexcusable that they should have chosen the path they did.

We say, “How stupid!” Yet we, knowing the consequence and having the knowledge of good and evil, which Adam and Eve never had, go down the same route of obeying our senses rather than the Word of God. We are bound by our senses. In short, we are bound by sin.

Let us see clearly the thing that God means for us to see, and in seeing, let us move in the paths of God.

God spoke to Cain plainly of this thing. He told Cain how sin would behave, what it would do, and how to overcome it.

This is the high point of Cain, insofar as we are concerned. These are the words of God to Cain that become direction to us. Listen--“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if not, then, sin lieth at the door, and unto thee shall be his desire. But thou shalt RULE OVER IT!” Let us forget for a moment all that we have heard of Cain and Abel and their sacrifices. This is not the main point of God’s narrative: it is only an occasion that sets the stage. The main thing is the attitude that is at work within Cain. It is the attitude of pride and achievement that motivated Cain. He brought of the fruit of the land, he labored, he overcame the curse, he was master.

“If thou doest well, will thou not be accepted? And if not then sin lieth at the door and unto thee shalt be his desire.” But there is no sin yet--the stage is set. Feelings and emotions are running high, but “Thou shalt rule over it.” Now what happened? Cain came across Abel in the fields and rose up and slew his brother Abel.

By one man’s disobedience sin entered the world and death by sin. Here we see the picture: By Adam came slavery to feelings and emotions; now by Cain because he obeyed these feelings and emotions rather than ruling over them, death entered this world in a physical reality.

And now, a synopsis of what we have said as it pertains to us: Sin is not an act that can be catalogued; it is the obedience to the dictates of our desires rather than the Word of God.

This realm of sin in which we live is the realm of flesh wherein we are subject to these desires and emotions. We depend upon the proper interpretation of them for all the knowledge and wisdom that we possess.

It is the obedience to these feelings, whether we call it logic, reasoning, or emotion that prevents us from knowing the fullness of God.

We can only experience the truth of God when we are willing to say that God’s Word is true even though this path is contrary to all the senses of logic, reason, and emotions that we feel.

This introduces a very sobering thought. What about a religious experience that so overpowers the senses that we do not even know whether we are in the flesh or out of the flesh? This is certainly an emotional experience! Is it wrong? The sin is when this emotional ecstasy is the motivating criteria in our life. A religious experience that has as its goal the prime goal of emotional ecstasy is not of God. Its criteria of success is the experiencing of emotional feeling rather than the solidity of God’s word and as such is only as real as the feelings that herald its success, The individual who knows God only because of his emotions knows nothing of the permanency of God’s Word. He cannot find the place of refuge from the trials of this world because the trials themselves stimulate his emotions.

Consequently such an individual is an unstable man because he has no sure foundation. It is difficult for this individual to effectually pray and believe God because he is constantly being dictated to by his feeling. Such a man, when he feels good, has boundless enthusiasm, but he is easily defeated because his feelings are the ruling factor in his life.

One who has followed these thoughts this far has without doubt seen the absolute necessity of knowing God’s Word. A knowledge of the Bible alone does not seem to be sufficient to answer the major questions that arise in the Christian’s mind today. There is a tremendously urgent need for one to know God’s Word for every facet of life that presents itself to us. We are born in sin; we are born in this realm of feeling. We are continually subject to it. In light of all that has been said about this, it becomes immediately obvious we must have an equal and immediate knowledge of God in every phase of our existence. This means that we must know God! He cannot be a remote entity hid by a veil of mystery but He must be every heartbeat of our life. There can be nothing hid.

Nicodemus thought he could see and understand the things of God with only the knowledge of this material, sensorial world. Not so! Jesus said you must be born of the Spirit if you are to know God. Paul, speaking God’s Word, says that we have been given the Spirit of God so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. Make no mistake! God desires that we know His Word in every phase of our life. We have the Holy Spirit that He may abide with us forever. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit when He is come will teach us all things.

God speaks to us from the confines of the printed page, and by His Spirit we see Him revealed. We see His purpose, His desires and His thoughts; and because we know Him, we know the path He desires in every phase of our life.

Now we need no longer be bound by sin. We need no longer follow the dictates of the flesh because we know God’s Word.

But what of feelings?--Are they in themselves sin? Indeed not. If we were a creature without feeling, without emotion, we could never know God. We would not know His goodness, His love, and compassion. We would know nothing of His mercy. The joy of sins forgiven would be nothing but empty words. Remember we would know nothing if it were not for our feelings and emotions.

God has made us in such a way that we become conscious of things because of feelings. Our emotions give us a feeling of awareness and anticipation long before our senses are stimulated. These things working together bring us into knowledge. Our responsibility is to control these emotions. “Thou shalt rule over them.” The Scriptures say that our carnal mind is an enemy of God and that we are to capture it and bring every thought to the place of obedience to Christ. This then is the direction for everything else about us. If we turn from the things of this world and present our bodies unto the Lord, we will present our feelings, our emotions, and all that we are to God. Then He excites them.

Because He then controls our feelings and emotions, He guides them in the paths that He desires. It is in this method that we learn from God. Understand now, we have learned after the same fashion as always. We will never learn otherwise.

The difference between sin and what God desires is that in the former state we obey our senses, while in the latter we obey God and we have given them to Him. It is then that He teaches us.

You see, we have been set free from the bondage of sin. We have the privilege of presenting that which bound us to Christ and learning from Him. The very thing that was Satan’s stronghold now is revealed for what he is. We have learned of God--we feel His Life--we know His Love. The shackles have been loosed!!

It's a Miracle

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:07:23 GMT

Quite frequently I have been asked, “What does it mean to be born again?” This is a real sound question and one that is perfectly logical for the natural man to ask. When a man gets to the point of asking this question, he is thinking about Spiritual things. Spiritual things puzzle him; they are foreign to his thinking, and that’s the reason for being born again.

Man’s philosophy changes, but God’s thinking does not change. The reason for this is that man’s philosophy is formulated by his own thinking. It covers just what he understands. Man, because of his nature, cannot look past today, so his philosophy for the future is but a projection of the past. You see, man’s training is quite physical. He is educated only by his physical senses.

God, on the other hand, is Spiritual, and to be educated by God means to be taught by His Spirit. God’s thinking encompasses all things, and it does not change. God is concerned with the cause of our behavior rather than the symptoms.

Man attempts to find the answer to his difficulties by studying the pattern of the events that surround him. God, in His wisdom, sees past the events right to the core of the problem. Even though the symptoms vary from time to time, God knows the trouble and diagnoses it as sin. It is difficult for man to understand this because sin is a spiritual fact, and the natural man does not deal in spiritual facts. He knows only the gnawing unrest that is a physical symptom of this spiritual sin. He cannot understand this mystery, he is baffled by it. He will do one of three things; he will accept a philosophy that rationalizes his idea of God with what he wants; he will disregard it entirely and try to convince himself that there is no God; or he will believe in Jesus Christ and come to Him for help.

When he comes to Jesus for help, there is a miracle that takes place. It is a miracle because it is not accomplished by man--God does it! The man is “born again” by the power of God. This is a Spiritual birth. It offers freedom from the natural man’s misunderstanding of Spiritual things.

Now that you know you are a Spiritual being, the problems that are of spiritual nature can be met on spiritual grounds and dealt with in their true light. For the first time you see clearly that man was meant to live for God and that man has no true Life in himself. Having found the reason for life, he has a confidence and peace that is impossible for the natural man to have, be¬cause the natural man does not know the will of God (1 Cor.2:14).

“The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, (natural things) but it is righteousness and joy and peace in the Holy Ghost.”--Rom.14:17 Jesus said, “Unless a man is born again, he shall not enter the Kingdom of God.”--John 3:3 So being born again means to be a re-created Spiritual being, one that is in harmony with God. The natural man cannot understand the things of God and so there is no peace. But the new man, made by God, understands the things of God and therefore has the peace of God.

It's All for the Birds

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:06:10 GMT

Once there were some healthy, happy, and active birds. These birds were domesticated; they were hatched in a cage and they lived in a cage. They still retained the spirit of all birds--they loved to fly and perform feats that only birds can do. They lived in a large cage. The cage was in a field with a lot of other cages in which other birds lived. All the birds were dependent upon humans to feed them and give them drink. One thing they could do themselves--they could fly.

No human could do that. That was strictly for the birds.

They would fly up to the top of the cage and then sweep down to the bottom. They would play tag with each other, come back to their perch to rest, and then, off again. This was wonderful bird life.

Some of the cages were different sizes. There were some very large ones, and there were some smaller ones.

Sometimes it didn’t seem quite fair that there should be these differences. Most of the birds accepted their cage as being their lot in life. They never really considered anything other than their own immediate surrounding. Generally speaking, they were a fairly contented bunch of birds.

Occasionally some bird would start thinking and disrupt the place. One day there was a bird that started to think. He was just thinking about being a bird and doing things that only birds can do. He would stretch his wings, shake them up and down a few times, and take off. The excitement of flying filled him through and through. He would mount up to the limits of his cage and zoom down--oh, it was wonderful! One day this bird who loved to fly lit on a perch away up toward the top of his cage. This was about as high as he could go. Before, he would always look down, pick a spot on the ground, dive down, and see how close he could set down. But this day, he looked up. He spotted a little speck, way high in the sky, much higher than he had ever been before. He looked very intently and saw that it was another bird like himself--but, great jumping pinfeathers, this one was flying high! Furthermore, this looked like a new kind of flying. This bird in the sky was drifting around in big lazy eights, just twitching his wings occasionally for balance. The power that moved him was obviously coming from some other place. How was that bird flying? This called for some investigation! The bird in the cage watched and watched. That bird in the sky was really flying. By studying his action closely, the caged bird figured he could do it too, and so he tried. He launched himself into the air, stretched his wings, and glided. There was something lacking; he wasn’t being sustained. He reached the ground just as quickly as always.

He had glided in this fashion many times before; this was nothing new. He flapped his wings, gained altitude, and returned to his perch.

Once there he looked up and saw the bird that was still soaring around. As he watched, the bird in the sky folded his wings and plummeted toward the earth. Soon he opened his wings and started soaring. The puzzling thing was that not only did he maintain his altitude--he actually gained! This was indeed something new.

For the rest of the day, the bird in the cage puzzled over what he had seen. He tried and tried to duplicate the feat, but no matter how he tried, he could never maintain altitude, let alone gain it. If he wanted to fly high, he had to use his wings. He went to his perch that night and for the first time in his life felt that something was lacking.

The next day he talked the matter over with some of the other birds around there. Some of them laughed and said he was imagining things. Others said that wishing for things like that would just kill the joy for what he had--better forget it. There were some that had noticed this same thing but hadn’t given it much thought. The end result of all this was that a small group decided to stay together and do some bird watching. It was true: There were birds out there that could fly in a different fashion than any of the birds in the cage. They all tried to emulate the birds in the sky, but it was no go--something wasn’t right.

There were some in this small group of birds who gave up after a few unsuccessful attempts, but there were others that would not be denied. Here was a kind of flying that they didn’t know about, and they were determined to find out all they could. They talked with some of the old birds that had been around the cage all their lives but found that they couldn’t learn much from them. The only thing to do was to attract the attention of some bird from the outside and see what he had to say.

One afternoon they did just that. The information they received was somewhat hard to believe. The outside bird said that all he did was to face the wind, stretch his wings, and that was it. There was a force that caught him and bore him up. Sometimes he could stay for hours over a certain spot, just soaring around. Then there were other times that he would have to move because this condition that held him up would move. In other words, if he wanted to be held up by this force, he had to be willing to move with the wind. This was sheer fantasy to the birds in the cage--an unseen force holding them up? A bird stayed up because he flapped his wings--that’s why! They had been flying all their life, and they had not experienced anything like this.

Wind--certainly they knew what wind was. The wind would blow through their cage every once in awhile. It didn’t help flying, it made it more difficult. It was gusty, one couldn’t depend on it. These birds in the cage would much rather have a good calm day; then they could fly the way they were accustomed and not have any difficulties.

The bird from the sky felt quite sorry for his caged friends. “Look,” he said, “You can’t find the right conditions as long as you are in a cage. Come with me and I’ll show you what I mean.” Some of the older birds just gave up at that.

Leave the cage? That was unheard of! The cage was your home; it surrounded you on all sides.

Some of the more venturesome birds decided to give it a try and began searching for a way out. They finally found a spot where, if they were willing to get their feathers ruffled a bit, they could get through. “Wait a minute, fellows,” one of the birds said. “What about food and water if we go out there?” This was a new thought. They turned to their new friend, the bird from the outside, and asked him. “There are provisions for birds wherever you look,” he said. “Food and water are not SERVED to you--you have to go find it, but it’s PROVIDED for you.” There were some of the birds that didn’t want to take this risk. They would just as soon be sure of what they had.

What if you were hungry and couldn’t find any food? Suppose you were thirsty and couldn’t find water? After all, that’s a pretty big risk to take just to be able to fly in a new way. Suppose this wind on the outside made things as rough as it did on the inside? Suppose this bird from the outside isn’t telling the truth? These were sobering questions. There was no answer to these supposes. The bird that started all this fuss made his stand: “Look fellows,” he said, “Other birds just like ourselves live on the outside; they’re healthy and you have to admit that none of us can fly like some of these birds from outside. I think that if I get out there, I can fly like that too, and I aim to find out. As far as food is concerned--well, they’re alive and they don’t look underfed. I’m going to leave this cage, and I think I’ll learn something new. How about it--will you come with me?” He waited a minute, but no one stepped forward. One of them said, “Let me know how you make out.” A few wished him luck, but that was all.

The decision was made; the time for action had arrived. The bird that started all this business began squirming his way out. The opening wasn’t very large; several times he almost got stuck, but he made it. Once on the outside, he ruffled his feathers, shook himself, and said to his new friend, “Let’s go.” So, off they flew.

They found the wind and it bore them up. This was new freedom! The exhilaration of flying in the cage was nothing compared to this; there was no limit here! Up and up he went. The cage that had been his home became smaller and smaller. What an amazing view he had from up here. The cage that he thought had been his whole world was revealed to him for just what it was--a cage that limited him and took away his freedom. It was such a small thing when viewed from up here. Those poor birds, what a small world they lived in! On and on he flew. He learned to be sensitive to the wind. His outstretched wings soon learned to feel every little change of the wind. He learned not to fight against it, but to yield to it, and it carried him along. He lived with the wind.

Soon he was very far away from the cage that had been his home, but he didn’t care. He could see new things from up here. It was true, birds had been provided for. There was a pond of water off to the right, and beyond that a green field, then a little to the left of that there were some fine trees where a bird could nest. No doubt about it--this was a full life.

He soon found that when he got too close to the earth he couldn’t see very far; his sight was limited and he couldn’t find his provisions. Then he would think of the humans who fed him. He soon learned that this was silly thinking. All he had to do was stretch his wings, fly up, and find the wind. Then he would be carried higher and higher. It wasn’t much of a problem to find food when you were riding high with the wind. A bird had time to look around then. It was a comfortable feeling to be carried up by the wind. It seemed to him that he was made for the wind. There was a completeness now that was impossible to find in the cage. He was free! So you see, once a bird starts thinking for himself and exercises a little faith; he can break out of his cage and fly pretty high. It’s only then that he gets a true perspective of things as they REALLY ARE. When a bird “rides the wind,” he’s found the place of rest that his Creator has provided for him. He is living the way he was intended to live. A bird wasn’t meant to live in a cage; he was made to fly high, and “ride the wind.” Man wasn’t meant to be caged with material thinking; he was made for the “rushing mighty Wind” of God’s Spirit. He was meant to ride the wind and be lifted up by it. It is the “rest” that God has provided for him. So, when a man starts thinking, and DARES to believe the Words of Jesus and shakes himself loose from the “CAGE” of tradition that limits him, he can fly, too. He can fly high and see that he too has been provided for. He has found his element, so he has entered into his rest. He has found his completeness; he is “riding the Wind of God,” and he is free!

Jesus Will Come Today

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:05:05 GMT

Jesus will come today if you look for Him. He will be found in many places--if you look for Him.

It is easy to find Him in a smile or a song, but He is also there when everything goes wrong! You will find Him--if you look for Him.

No heartache can steal away the joy that Jesus gives, or can it hide us from His wonderful love. There is no wound that His touch cannot mend. He is there to heal--if you look for Him.

There are times that the day seems long. Our strength has failed and we are almost overcome with despair. But His Word is established, it is true--I will not forsake you! Jesus is there--if you look for Him.

There is no problem too great, there is no hour too long, there is no barrier too high, there is no power so strong that it can remove Jesus from our heart. His promise is that He will abide with us forever, and we can find Him--if we look for Him.

Sometimes we become so involved with the tangle of everyday living that we are not aware of Jesus. But be of good cheer, he has not gone. He is still there--just look for Him.

Sometimes we look at the waves and listen to the wind.

Trouble grows within us and we wonder if the storm will ever cease. But our God has not changed. He is master still of the wind and the waves. He speaks peace to our heart--if we look for Him.

Judgement

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:04:27 GMT

A man can’t have faith when he feels condemned so this is the way Satan destroys us. I have seen countless numbers of Christians fall into this trap and lose the victory that God means for them to have. It is all such a useless thing because there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The one who sees God’s revelation in regard to this matter and is willing to confess it and live in it, will never be touched by Satan’s condemnation.

We, everyone of us, have been sinners, we were without God and altogether helpless. We knew about God but we didn’t really know Him, He was “way up there,” and we were “way down here.” He was “Perfection,” and we were much less than perfect. There was no way, it seemed, that these two extremes could ever be reconciled.

Finally, there came a time in our life that we gave ourselves to God. We said that we believed in Jesus so we called ourselves Christian. In some ways this only intensified our troubles, the more we learned about Jesus the more we realized our own shortcomings. We, as honestly as we knew how, tried to do that which we deemed to be right, but we always fell short of the demand that we placed upon ourselves. Because it seemed that we could never attain to that which we know to be perfect, we entered into condemnation and became the prisoner of discouragement.

God still remained a “long ways off.” There was no close fellowship, there seemed to be no attaining to that place of victory and power that God meant for us to have. Because of this feeling, our attention became fixed on what we felt we lacked rather than what Christ says we have. We unconsciously magnified thoughts of the devil and we were bound by them. Because we understood only the ways of the flesh, we walked in the ways of the flesh, and knew not that it was the way of the flesh. Our understanding was based only on what we believed God to be, and what we knew ourselves to be and between these two extremes there was a great gulf.

We could understand the Old Testament because it dealt with material things. It said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It said, “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” and “Thou shalt not steal.” These things a man can understand. But he also understands that there is larceny and deceit within the heart of man, and that he is a violent creature. He knows that God is infinitely good so that means that God is still “way up there,” and man is still “way down here.” Man has learned to fear God because man understands the nature of fear. It is more difficult for him to understand love because he knows so little about love. It is true that man understands a kind of love, but it is a material thing; it is based upon himself. He “falls in love,” marries, rears a family, and perpetuates himself. This, he feels, is the reason for his existence.

He fits into his society; and according to its standards, he is either a success or a failure. He is a man of flesh and he understands the things of flesh. He reads the Bible, and the things that are plain to him are the things that fit in with his material philosophy and understanding.

Therefore, even though a man honestly comes to Jesus and is before God, free of his sins, he enters into condemnation in his own eyes and faith is not established in him. He feels the sting of Satan’s lash and knows not that it is Satan who wields the whip. He says that it is God’s judgment upon him. But he does not know for what he is being judged so he is plunged deeper into condemnation.

He turns to the Old Testament for proof that these things are so and he reads of Nadab and Abihu, how they offered a “strange fire” to the Lord, and the Lord slew them. The earth opened and destroyed Korah and all those who followed him. Achan disobeyed God and he and his House were slain by God. God’s Word to Israel was that in obeying the law, they would be blessed and in disobedience they would be cursed. Israel did forget the ways of the Lord and they were led away captive.

Man reads of these things and he understands them because they are of this world. The horizons of this world are clouded with greed and avarice and man lives in darkness because of them. But Jesus came! Today, if any man be “in Christ” he is a new, creature, a different kind of being. He is no longer a creature of this world; he is a Creature of the Spirit. He is alive because God lives in him. His life is the Life of God.

What does all this mean? Jesus said that the Father lived in Him, why was this so? What was the purpose of it all? God had a definite purpose in sending His Son into the world. It was to free us from condemnation. Listen to what the Bible says. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved. Whosoever believes on Him is not condemned, but He that believes not is condemned already because he has not believed on the name of the Only Begotten of the Father.” This is a word that we make much of today, but the majority of the churches who teach it do not believe it. According to our sociological theology of today, we must profess Christ, and go to church, and conform to certain standards of behavior, and partake of certain sacraments and do this and do that or we are looked at askance. We are either ostracized from the society of the church or placed in peripheral fellowship. The Bible says that by faith are you saved, but in practice one is taught that only by doing does one enter into salvation.

The question is not a new one. Jesus faced it, and He answered it. Jesus mentioned to some people one day that they should not labor for the meat that perishes, but they should labor for that meat which would bring forth everlasting life; this struck the people as being a good thing, so they asked Him what it was that they might do to attain this. These people had just been partakers of a miracle and Jesus said to them, “This is the work of God”; and then He told them the purpose of what had happened and what God wanted them to do “That you might believe on Him whom He hath sent.” It doesn’t make much difference who the people are, where or when they lived, if they honestly want to serve and live for God. Satan always brings up the same question, “What are you doing to earn your salvation?” Satan will never say that all we need to do is to believe on Him whom the Father hath sent, but he will always say “do this” or “do that.” The people of Galatia were tripped up in this matter. There were those who came into their midst and would bring them into the bondage of the Law. This was to be the surety of their salvation. Paul wrote rather sharply to them. “Oh, foolish Galatians,” he said, “who hath bewitched you? This only would I learn of you; did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith?” Then Paul went on to say that perfection did not come by the works of the Law but it came to them because they believed in Jesus Christ.

Yet today we do not seem to believe this; we feel that we must do certain things if we are to have that which God means for us to have. Too many people today have made “faith” a noun and substituted other things for the “activity” of faith. All the work that God has done He has done expressly for us to the end that we might believe in Jesus. He has made this same Jesus to be our entrance into Eternal Life. He is our “Port of Entrance” into God; there is no other way whereby man can find salvation.

Jesus came, and with Him came a new thing. Let me show you the thing that Jesus did. Let me show you the words that Jesus used to describe it. These words did not set too well with those who heard them, and they are not well received today. Even as it is with many other words that Jesus said, we say we believe them, but our planning, our thoughts and our life, indicate that we are governed by other things.

Jesus said that we were to believe Him if we were to have Eternal Life, and then He went on to tell of some of the things we were to believe. One of them had to do with judgment. To the Jew this was strictly Gods business. There was one time when a man sick with the palsy was brought to Jesus, and Jesus straightway forgave the man of his sins. This created no little stir among the people that heard, and they said wonderingly, “Who can forgive sins but God?” Jesus hid nothing from them and so He said, “I want you to know that the Son of man also has power to forgive sins,” and so saying He said to the sick man, “Arise, take up your bed and walk,” and it was so.

Jesus said that we were to believe Him and this is very definitely one of the things we learn from the lips of Jesus. It doesn’t require a revelation, it is just a matter of believing what Jesus says. Listen to these words. “The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son.” What a tremendous thing! But think what it meant to the Jew. Their God, the Only God and the One who had delivered them out of Egypt, the One who had judged their sins, the One who struck fear to the heart of the disobedient, the One who was their only hope in all things, He was the Judge of all things. There was none like Him. He was the only one who could judge justly because He alone was God. Now here was a man who said that the Father was no longer the Judge, that He had given all power to judge to Him. To the Jew this was utterly unthinkable! But it is true! A new thing had happened. Judgment was no longer to be administered as it was before because Jesus was now the Judge, and mercy and grace came by Jesus Christ. God, as the Father--the God of the Old Testament-- gave Israel the Law, and there could be no mercy in judging by the Law. The Law was the law, and a transgression was a transgression. There could be no mercy or the Law would have been made of no effect. As many as lived by the Law were judged by the Law. Jesus lived by the Law and He pleased God because He fulfilled the Law. God said, “I am well pleased with You,” and He gave Jesus all authority and power.

Because of this I have come into a new relationship with God. I do not stand in the presence of God as did Israel, or the Men of Old. They stood in the presence of the Law and they were judged by the Law. They could not enter into God because the Law did not make that provision. But God entered Jesus, and Jesus became One with the Father.

He received from the Father the power of Life and Death, and all things. God made Him to become Lord of all and gave all judgment into His Hand. Because of Jesus, whom God made to be the Christ, I have come into a new relationship with God. I, who was afar, off, have been given entrance into God. He has made me One with Himself. I have passed from death into Life. I have passed through the Judgment. Jesus took my sins and was judged for me.

I am free from condemnation because I believe Jesus. I will not be bruised for my iniquities because He was bruised for my iniquities. The chastisement of my peace was upon Him, no longer will I be held hostage because of my sin. They can never be held against me because Jesus paid the price in full. The wages of sin is death, and Jesus, because He took my sin, died for me (Isa.53).

He has done all of this so that I might live today. In times past I have been taught, and I echoed the thought, that if I didn’t behave properly before God, He would punish me. In this thinking, I came not to know the love of God but rather His terrible wrath and judgment to the disobedient. If my loved one were ill, I believed that it very easily could be because somewhere I had failed God. In anguish I would search my heart. I would see shortcomings and enter into condemnation because of them. In anguish I would cry out to God to forgive me my sins and heal my loved ones.

But I could not see a God of love. All my mind could see was an image of a stern God who punished me by inflicting pain upon those I loved. I did not feel love for this kind of a God. I did not even respect people who behaved in this manner. But this was the kind of God about whom I had been taught. If this was His way, I could not change it.

Then one day I saw what Jesus did! He freed me from the yoke of the Law. He loosed me from the fetters of condemnation. The Bible says that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ; and so, because of Jesus, I have seen love. Even though my heart would condemn me, I know that God is greater than my heart. He remains faithful and can not deny Himself. He has given His Word and there is no one who can change it. I can have confidence in His Word regardless of my feelings.

Jesus came and fulfilled the Law. Jesus came and took my sins upon Himself, Jesus came and received the chastisement of my Peace, Jesus came and was bruised for my iniquities, Jesus came and became my salvation, Jesus came so that I might see and believe that He is the Son of God, Jesus fulfilled the Law, so in Him I have fulfilled the Law. I am no longer under the condemnation that the Law revealed because I believe in Jesus. In Christ I am free of sin; therefore, in Christ sin has no power or dominion over me. I am free of sin because Jesus took my sin.

I am not whipped and punished and chastised so that I might find the way of peace--“the chastisement of my peace was upon Him.” Now He leads me in the ways of righteousness. I am no longer struck down because of sin. God does not afflict my loved ones because of my shortcomings. Jesus was bruised for my iniquities. In everything Jesus became my salvation. There is nothing that He did not do--He took all my sins--He saved me completely.

I have passed from the judgment of God and entered into the mercy of Jesus Christ because I believe the testimony of the only begotten of the Father. Jesus came and I passed from condemnation into Life because I believe His Word.

The Law pointed out to me that which was impossible; therefore, I was condemned by it. Then God sent His Son into the world to free those who were bound. The love and mercy of Jesus Christ lifted me out of myself and placed me in the favored place of love so that I might be free of condemnation and alive in God.

Know Your Enemy

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:03:52 GMT

Here’s a little bit about Satan: He is the enemy of your soul.

Real honest-to-goodness-born-again Christians should know about him. This one thing in particular: how to get around him. In order to understand this, you have to know who he is, how he got started, and what he is.

The way to get around him is to use the Word of God. First off, you have to have authority from God to do that, so that means you must be born into the family of God. This birth is offered, but you must receive it (John l:12).

Jesus met Satan in the wilderness and He emerged victorious. His weapon too was the Word of God. Notice Jesus didn’t utter any new statements, but always “It is written...” Jesus was not the victor because He was God in the flesh. He was the victor only BECAUSE of the Word of God.

Notice something: In the garden of Eden, Satan started the process by saying, “Hath God said?” Our human parents knew that God’s Word had said, “You will die if you eat of the tree.” Satan said, “You won't die.” What is at stake here?--The Word of God! Satan KNEW at this time that IF Adam and Eve stood on the Word of God, he was licked.

Remove man from the Word of God, and he has NO protection from Satan whatsoever.

Jesus knew this, therefore He said to Satan, in everything in which He was tempted, “It is written...” How come Satan knew so early the authority of God’s Word? He is an angel--that’s why! It seems like everyone has the idea that if anything is an angel, it’s bound to be good. Not so! There are good angels and bad angels. “God shall give His angels charge over thee...” God prepares a lake of fire for the devil and his angels.

There are angels that sin, because we are told that God spared not the angels that sin.

Let’s examine the word angel. It simply means messenger. The Hebrew word is “malak.” All angels are created by God. The purpose of an angel is to DO WHAT GOD TELLS THEM TO DO. That’s the way God made them.

The Bible indicates that people had great faith in an angel. Gideon thought that he would die because he had seen an angel face to face. An angel has integrity in doing the will of God. Daniel prayed and the angel to his answer was delayed by opposition, but he made it. An angel is a servant to God. This is true because God made them that way.

Satan, too, is an angel. God created him, and he obeys God. God has established his boundaries. Satan could not do one little thing to Job except what God permitted him to do. He CANNOT overstep his God-given limits. He doesn’t know how. He is incapable of it--he is not made that way.

That’s why Jesus said, “It is written...” and Satan was completely bound. Jesus knew that God made Satan that he was an angel, and therefore he HAD TO OBEY GOD.

Now, do you know that today? You can command God; and God will obey the prayer of faith, because that is His promise. But you can’t command angels to do your bidding. They are God’s servants and they obey God.

Satan is an angel and he is controlled only by the Word of God.

Jesus gave us permission to use His name, His Word, His victory, His Life; and so we can say, “In the name of Jesus, it is written...” and Satan MUST obey.

Learning from the Spirit

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:03:23 GMT

A lot of people would like to know about the things of God, but they just can’t seem to learn. This paradox of wanting to learn and not being able to learn is a very discouraging thing. Let’s consider some things.

In the first place, the Word of God is like a seed. It is a very small thing when planted, yet when it matures, it is a mighty thing. A seed, when it is planted, must be planted in prepared soil. The soil must have a certain balance of minerals if certain seeds are to survive. The soil must be cultivated if the yield is to be a bounteous one.

The first thing we must know is that the human heart cannot harbor the Word of God. The nature of the human heart represents the soil; and as such, the soil, or nature of the human heart, is not compatible to the seed, the Word of God. The heart is a heart of flesh, and its nature is contrary to the things of God because it is “born in sin and shapened in iniquity.” The Holy Spirit, in Romans 7 tells us that in the flesh dwells no good thing. Again, in Romans 8, “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” These things are perhaps difficult to understand, but they are the absolute facts. To suppose that the carnal heart can contain the truths of God is utter foolishness. It is impossible for the carnal nature to receive the things of God; certainly it will not nourish the Spiritual Word that is Life Eternal. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

That is why God gave us a new heart.

If you will carefully read John 1, you will see that this new heart is not the result of our own effort. We, in no way, had a part in forming this new heart. Its nature is fixed by God. God made it according to His own Will, and He gave it to us because it is His desire to do so. The only requirement is that we should come to Him and receive this new heart.

This new Life is made by God, and therefore, it has all that God wants it to have. It has the right soil to nourish the Word of God. It is in this God-given heart that faith the size of a mustard seed will grow into a great tree for God.

So we see that God has given us a heart in which the things of God will grow. God has made it possible for us to learn from Him. God has made it possible for us to have a Spiritual nature.

If this is true, why is it so hard to learn the things of God? If we have a Spiritual nature, why is it so hard to live in the Spirit? The man who plants the seed knows that not only must he have the right kind of soil, but that he must prepare the ground, and tend it after the seed has been sown.

This is true of the things of God. If we do not diligently tend to the things of the Spirit, the Word of God will not flourish in our lives.

Jesus told a Parable of the Seed and the Sower. In this Parable He mentioned that thorns and thistles can choke out the life of the seed. He told His Disciples that these thorns and thistles represent the toils and cares of this life.

Here are some plain instructions regarding the “tending” to the things of the Spirit. We cannot allow the things of this world to occupy our thoughts. Just as sure as we do this, we will find that the things of God become dull and distant.

The carnal appetites of sin and iniquity that are within this flesh will not take to the things of the Spirit. They flourish because they are within their natural element, which is the world. They very soon bring the mind into captivity so that you will find yourself overwhelmed by the toils and cares of this world.

When the mind is brought into captivity to this world, we find that we are spending our thoughts on our job, on our wife, on our children, on our vacation, on some new possession, but not on things of the Lord. The individual who is a captive in this sense is one who says, “I can’t find time to pray, read the Bible, and meditate on God’s Word.” This individual is the one who is constantly in need of encouragement. This individual is the one who is in constant danger of “slipping away” from the things of God. He is born again, he has Life from God, but he is not “tending the seed.” Rather than receiving from the Bible, he receives sympathy from men. This very sympathy is food for the carnal nature that will destroy the seed of God within him. This individual is a “captive Christian.” He has received a new heart, but his mind is still captive to the thinking and reasoning and luxuries of this world.

Jesus Christ came to set the captive free! If we claim the freedom that Jesus Christ gives, we will no longer be bound in our minds. The things of this world will no longer have the power to overwhelm our thoughts. Sufferings, tribulations and the joys and pleasures of this life will take their proper perspective, and they will not overwhelm our minds. Our minds will be free to think of the things of God. This is true because Jesus Christ sets us free. But, you have to take your freedom. Renew your mind--set your affection on things above!! Paul said, “I beseech you brethren, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”--Rom.12:1-2 The only way you can prove the things of God is to Live in them. You prove salvation because by faith you accept it and Live in it. You have healing from God because you accept it and Live in it. You have the peace of God because you accept it and Live in it. Even so, you will be transformed; you will not conform to the things of this world when your mind is renewed.

The Lord Jesus gave us a new heart--a Spiritual heart, one that contains the Life and nature of God. He gave this to us while we are yet in the flesh. By this gift He showed His love to us. He set Light next to Darkness so that we might see His Love. Now it’s our move. We can give our minds to the things of this world and never be transformed, always living in darkness, never understanding the things of the Spirit, always saying, “I wish I knew,” or we can present our mind to the Lord, turn it away from the things of this world, place it on things of God, and we will be transformed.

We will have time to meditate on God’s Word, but we will not have time to think about remodeling the house, or buying a new one, or taking a vacation, or this thing or that thing. We will not only have a new heart that is fertile to the “seed” of God’s Word, but we will have the proper attitude to dress and keep this Garden of God.

The mind that gives itself to the things of this world is producing death, but the mind that gives itself to the things of God is bringing forth the Life of God.

Will you give your mind to the things of God and Live, or will you allow it to be taken captive by the cares and pleasures of this world? In Philippians 4:8 we find some good advice--“Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:02:48 GMT

“Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus spoke these words. He spoke them to hearts that were troubled. He spoke them so the heart could be comforted. He spoke them so that man might have peace.

The words that followed told of the things He wanted man to know. The words that followed became the balm that healed the troubled heart.

It is hard to understand the words that Jesus spoke. He talked of things that had never been talked about before. He talked to the ears of those that would hear, but the message was to the soul.

The soul was without God. It had no abiding place and it lived in darkness. This darkness was the thing that caused man to be fearful. It caused his heart to be troubled. The yearnings of the soul were a mystery to man; and because of this, he lived in fear of the unknown. His joy, his peace, his security, and his comfort were only in the things he could see and feel and hear and touch.

But there was trouble in his heart. The things he could see and hear and feel and touch were not always the same.

Things changed. And when things changed, fears arose. Man did not know his purpose, or his destiny, or his place, because he did not know the purpose of his soul. His soul was apart from God and had no abiding place. There was no light and there was no life in his soul, therefore, man was troubled in his heart. Yet, he did not know why.

Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus lived a unique life. He lived the life of a man, a religious man, one who longed and looked for the coming of the Messiah. He was apart from God, as were all other men, because He was made a man and lived as a man. The unique thing about His life was that a new consciousness came to Him, a new knowledge that no man ever had before. He saw the truth of this knowledge and He lived in it. To say that He was God is to perfectly express what this consciousness was, but to see a progressive revelation of what this meant is to understand God’s purpose for us and our destiny in Him.

Something happened to the man Jesus when He came into this new consciousness. When He was twelve and made His trip to the Temple, He told Mary and Joseph, “Know ye not that I must be about my Fathers business?” When He saw His place in God, it was no longer, “I must be about my Fathers business;” now it was, “I can of my own self do nothing, it is the Father that worketh in me.” This meant that Jesus entered into a new perspective, He saw a new thing. He had not been taught this by man. Man knew nothing of this amazing thing. Jesus saw and understood that He was one with God! What a tremendous revelation! This was His confidence. He spoke in this confidence knowing that the words were not His own. He spoke with authority because He knew that it was the Almighty God expressing Himself. He lived in this confidence because He knew that God was Master of all things.

He saw clearly that physical life and material things were nothing. He saw and understood that the only real Life was in God, all else was false and like the grass of the field, would wither away. So He spoke with confidence, He spoke with authority, “The words that I speak, they are truth, and they are life.” He spoke with authority and He spoke with knowledge, yet He said such strange things as, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Then again, “I and my Father are one.” One time Phillip was confused and he asked, “Lord, show us the Father.” Jesus answered, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Yet there was a strangeness in His words when He said, “I go to my Father.” “Jesus never made a confusing statement, nor did He ever speak an untruth. The words He spoke become perfectly plain when we receive them with the understanding of God. God had not yet given Himself to anyone but Jesus, so naturally Phillip was confused. It is just as natural that you and I today, unless we have God’s understanding, will be equally confused.

Jesus found a new Life. He found that the Life of God was within Him, and He received it as His own. He became a stranger in the Land of Men. He called no place home. All things of this world have an abiding place--“The birds have their nests, the foxes have their holes, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.” Yet, when the Disciples asked Him where He lived, He said, “Come and see.” For three and a half years they could not find His dwelling place--now He was about to tell them; and so, He began, “In my Father’s House are many Mansions.” This was the best way to begin because a man knows that a house is a place of abiding. The Disciples knew that the King’s Palace contained many dwelling places for those whom the King favored, and so they understood that in the Father’s House were many wonderful dwellings.

“I am going to prepare a place for you so that where I am, there you may be also.” These words were exciting because they, too, were easily understood.

A strangeness crept into His next words because they began to intimate a “taking away” of something. “I will not leave you comfortless…” Jesus knew full well that He had been a Comforter to them in the time that was past. He remembered the time on the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose. He remembered their fears and how they needed peace. He remembered how they came to Him and awoke Him, so now, He reassured them.

“I will ask the Father to send you another Comforter that He will abide with you forever.” The Disciples found these words hard to understand. They were face to face with the fact that the One they trusted and loved, the One who comforted them, the One they could see and feel and hear would no longer be around them.

Their hopes of a lifetime were being taken away by the very One who had given them hope. Jesus said, when He had begun talking, “Let not your heart be troubled,” so they listened to His Words, “…Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can not receive because they see Him not, neither do they know Him.” Then Jesus added words that encouraged the lonesome hearts--“But you know Him because He dwelleth with you and He shall be in you!” Then, He said it plainly, “I will not leave you Comfortless, I will come to you.” The most difficult thing that Jesus had to do was to convey to the hearts of the Disciples that a change was going to take place. He, the Visible, the One they could see, would be taken from their sight. He was going to the Father whom they could not see.

Yet, He plainly said to Phillip, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” This would be only natural because He also said, “I and my Father are One.” Most certainly there is something here that is difficult for the mind of man to comprehend.

But let us get a key to the thoughts of Jesus by hearing His Word. He said, “God is Spirit.” This immediately tears down the concepts of the material world.

God no longer has a form. He no longer will be worshipped in houses made with man’s hands. Nor will He be worshiped in the mountains or in the realm of nature. He will be worshiped in the Spirit or He will not be worshipped at all! Jesus could speak plainly because He received the Holy Spirit when He was baptized. He had the understanding of God. The Spirit began to lead Him and He found Himself in the wilderness, learning of God. He returned from there in the power of the Spirit. He became aware of a new Life, the Life of God. This was His place of abiding. This world was no longer His home. He placed no claim upon it, so He said to His Disciples, “…The Son of man hath no place to lay His head.” He told those who would learn of Him, that they should deny themselves. They would become a new creation; the old things were no longer to be considered. Once, when He prayed to His Father, He thought of those who would believe in Him; and He said, “They are not of this world even as I am not of this world.” Nicodemus was a sincere, religious man. He said to Jesus, “I know you are from God because I can see the things you do.” Jesus answered, “No man can see the things of God unless he is born of the Spirit.” Man becomes Spirit when he is born of the Spirit, just like he is flesh when he is born of the flesh. So He told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” But Nicodemus didn’t know how to be born again. Neither did Peter or James or John or Phillip or Thomas, so they could only go on believing what they could see and feel and hear and touch.

But now, they were hearing new words. “I am going to prepare a place for you and come again and receive you to myself so that where I am there you may be, also.” And they were hearing about the Spirit--the world wouldn’t know of this Spirit because they could not see it; but the Disciples would know this Spirit because He was dwelling with them right now, and He was going to be in them! Jesus was dwelling with them so He must be the Spirit of Truth, but only the Father was Truth! Could it be? He had said to Phillip, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Quite obviously Jesus was speaking of something more than mere flesh! Now, listen--Jesus is saying something more. “Yet a little while and you shall see me no more and yet, a little while and you shall see me.” There were other words too. “I am going to prepare a place for you, then, when it is done, I will come to you and receive you to myself so that where I am there you may be also.” It all pointed to some new, strange thing that was going to happen. Some big change was going to take place.

Whatever it was, there were certain truths beginning to be revealed: Something was going to happen to Jesus. He said that He was going to His Father.

He was going to prepare a place for those who believed Him so they could dwell where He dwelt. He said there were many mansions in His Fathers House.

He was going to “come again” and receive them to Himself. He said they would have “another Comforter,” one that would abide with them forever. He called it “the Spirit of Truth,” and said it would be in them. They heard Him say that it would be “another Comforter” so they knew that something would be different.

A new thing was going to take place. This was the fulfillment of the promise of the Father. This would be the place that Jesus prepared. Its readiness was imminent. Man was about to be “born again.” He was about to enter a new realm, the realm of God.

He was about to find a surging life within his innermost being because he was about to be received into that place of abiding that Jesus prepared. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me.” When this happens, at that day you shall know that I am in my Father and He is in me and I am in you.” Jesus was crucified. He was buried. But He arose from the dead and ministered to those who would hear. Then, one day, He was received out of the sight of men to be seen no more.

Then it happened!! Suddenly--to those who believed--a rushing sound, like a mighty wind, and the Holy Ghost, the new Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, descended upon them and filled their life. They were received into the Father’s House--into the place of abiding that Jesus had prepared for them.

That place is prepared, and it is available to all those who will heed these Words of Jesus, “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me.”

Let Your Light Shine

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:02:03 GMT

What fellowship has light with darkness? How can they co-exist? What fellowship has Christ with Satan? What fellowship has one who is born again with those who are not born again? When a person comes to the Lord, he is made NEW in ALL aspects of his living. It remains for him to become aware of this.

Satan’s power is evident when we do not give thought to what we say or do, or the company we seek. When the importance of these things are brought to our attention, Satan is quite likely to react through us by causing us to feel that these things are our own business, that we can choose our own friends and say what we want to say. This is nothing more or less then rebellion against the principles of God. This rebellion is present because Spiritual sight and understanding is lacking. Rebellion is of the flesh and has not the Love of God in it.

When our Spiritual eyes are exercised, and we see that being a new creature includes ALL things, we begin to come into the place that God desires.

The scriptures declare that “a good man’s steps are ordered of the Lord.”--Ps. 37:23. I don’t have to stretch my imagination very far to know this means that God wants to control my whereabouts.

The scriptures declare that we have the mind of Christ, we have His nature, we have His Power. The Bible also indicates that every idle word will be accounted for.

Of course, it is rather difficult to know what an idle word is unless we have a very definite idea in mind of what we are to do. This makes it necessary to know the purpose of our existence.

We exist for one purpose: that the world might see Christ in us. If this is true, it means that we must have this goal constantly in mind. If Christ is the Light of the world, and I in my flesh have no good thing, then I must let the Light be manifest, and myself be subjected. Otherwise, they (the world) will see me rather than Christ. I must speak the Words of the Lord, or the world will hear my words.

There are some who advocate that a Christian shouldn’t associate with the world. Preposterous! The Lord was known as a “friend of sinners,” but note this one thing well: He dominated their presence. He was not overcome with their jests or their ways or their problems. He dominated the situation. He did not “ride along” with them. He had a job to do. He was to show forth the plan and Love and power of God.

Quite often, we, in the loneliness of our flesh, seek companionship. We are not too cautious of what our friends believe, or do. Likewise, we are not too cautious of what we say and of what we do. All too often we seek companions and then spend our time in talking about anything but the Lord. Or we hear them talk about their problems; and instead of telling them how the Lord can help, we attempt to help them by telling them about our problems.

Actually, the only time we can go “off duty,” as it were, in regard to representing the Lord, is when we go into our secret place of prayer and receive strength from the Lord. As long as we are in the presence of people we have a job to do.

The term “job” is not quite what I want. I want the word to convey responsibility, but it also should convey joy, pleasure, and privilege. If the Lord does not bring joy and pleasure to you, if you do not count it a privilege to tell about Him and Live for Him, then it is time to learn more about Him.

To know Christ is to know that He is the Light of the World. If He is in you, then the Light of the world is in you, and everywhere you go this Light will be with you.

Let’s discuss the nature of this Light for a minute. Above all things it is not a physical light, it is a Spiritual Light.

There¬fore, it does not illuminate physical things, but it illuminates Spiritual things.

One might as well realize that if this Light is allowed to shine, it will reveal spiritual wickedness wherever it exists. So, if you, who are a possessor of this Light, associate with those who do not have the rightness of God in them, they may feel uncomfortable in your presence. You will not be popular with them. The only way to be accepted by such people is to put your Light “under a bushel” so no one will see it.

But don’t try to say you Love the Lord, and that it is a joy to live for Him, when you hide Him from those who need Him, just because it’s a little easier on you! What fellowship has Light with darkness? Does Christ have fellowship with Satan? Of course not!! Nor can we if we are going to take Christ as our Life. We are going to separate ourselves from the darkness of sin. We are going to fellowship with the children of Light. When we see those who are our friends who are not of the Light, we are going to do everything we can to let our Light shine. If we hide it by fellowshipping with the children of darkness on their own terms, we are saying to them, “This Light that I have is not so much, I’m not too interested in it either.” And those who are in the darkness of sin will say, “There is not much to this business of Christ. Even those who claim to know Him are not much different from us.” Jesus told us something, “Let your Light so shine before men that they will see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” That means every one of us.

Let's Consider the Attitude of the Jews

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:01:31 GMT

INDIVIDUALLY: The Jew was a proud person overriding the feelings of those he considered inferior. In doing his alms, he would seek publicity. The observance of the law elevated him to a position of regal importance. If he chose, he could cast crumbs to the beggar or withhold them. He alone possessed the knowledge of what was right, he alone could interpret the law, he alone knew what it meant. After all, he was a Jew! NATIONALLY: The nation was arrogant and demanding. If any nation wanted the benefits of God, let them come to Israel. This was the only way that they could gain recognition of an existence. The individual characteristics, multiplied many times over, did not change. The national dream was of a rich nation--a proud nation, one that had no equal. Gentiles were little more than dogs and beggars. A national statute made it unlawful to have anything to do with a Gentile. The Jew was the only one who would go to Heaven; all others were to be deprived of this privilege and would suffer torment because they were not of the elect. “We have Abraham for our Father, Moses delivered us from Egypt; you were the ones who oppressed us. We have been delivered from you, and now we are Kings. If you would live, come to us, and perhaps gain a few crumbs.” What does the Lord think of this attitude? He tells a story, listen: He tells of a rich man clothed in purple who fared sumptuously every day, and he tells of a beggar. The beggar had nothing. He came to the rich man’s gate and got nothing. The dogs pitied him and licked his sores. So they both died. The beggar went to the place that the rich man thought he should go, and he went to the place where he thought the beggar should go.

So here’s what Jesus thinks of the situation: “Your reward after death is irrevocably determined by your life. There is no switching; this gulf is fixed, so that you cannot go from one place to another. There is no opportunity for one to rise from the dead and tell those still living of the Spiritual conditions that exist.

“You, Mr. Jew, who boast of your origin, you who behave arrogantly and consider not the outsider, you who say, ‘We have Abraham for our Father,’ behold your estate! Abraham now holds close to his bosom those whom you reject. Do you not know that they who are of faith are the children of Abraham? Do you not know that Abraham was great because of his faith? Why do you then boast of sumptuous fare and purple robes? You, in your life, lived for the ease and comfort of the flesh; you had all and gave nothing, Lazarus had nothing to give. In your life you reap the rewards of the flesh, but the flesh brings destruction to the spirit. Now you are in spiritual surroundings, and I cannot help you- -the seed has been sown and now it bears fruit.”

Life

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:00:51 GMT

The important thing in this life is not what we know so much, as it is who we know. It’s always wise to make friends with those above you. However, of all the people we can know, there is One that it is imperative to know if we are to have real enjoyment in this life--that is the man called “Jesus Christ.” We recognize that He exists when we divide history into B.C. and A.D. But what about His existence--what does it mean? For one thing, it means that all who will believe in Jesus shall have a new Life--one that turns from serving the desires of man and thinks only of how he can please God.

It means that death holds no fears in this new Life, not because we think we are brave, but because this new Life’s very existence comes from the heart of God, and with God endures forever.

But it means something for right here and now too! It means that we may have the conscious possession of this knowledge; and along with it, we will have the peace that this knowledge gives. This man Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you…” He teaches us that this peace is of a different quality than the peace the world has provided. It is not dependent upon some passing transient of time--it is a peace that is deep-rooted, stable, and proven.

To know this Jesus as the Christ is to establish again our rightful place in God’s creation. It means that we have turned from the belief that man is sufficient in himself and have come to know and depend upon the mercies and riches of God.

To believe in Jesus Christ is to know that we are of a different root than the animals. We know that God has given us His Spirit. Self-preservation is no longer paramount in our lives. We have a God-given purpose and God-given direction to guide us. To believe in Jesus Christ is to know that man is made to reflect the glory of God to those about him, and this is a faith that surpasses all personal ambitions.

To know Jesus is to know that in Him is Light, and this Light is the Life of men. Do you believe this? Listen to what the Bible says in John 3:8-21. “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth (the Word of God) cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Life in the Spirit

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:00:16 GMT

When a person tries to memorize the things of God, they are only putting it in their mind. But God will bring to our remembrance everything we need to know.

We don’t learn from God or about the things of God the way we learn with our mind. That’s simply because God is Spirit and the mind is carnal and of this world.

The realm of God is a foreign realm to the mind. The mind can’t even imagine the things of God. It is beyond its capability. All things necessary to know must be revealed. For instance, why must I be born again? Simply because the Bible tells me I cannot enter the kingdom of God unless I am. Also I cannot perceive the things of the Spirit in my first estate because in it I am flesh. The Bible tells me flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God. God’s realm is the realm of the Spirit. Jesus plainly stated to Nicodemus and in his conversation with the woman of Samaria that God is Spirit. He is like the wind--He is invisible. That’s why I must become born again so that I might become Spirit and enter God’s realm--the realm of Spiritual things.

Flesh and blood is not capable of knowing God, but I am capable because Christ in me is my capability. But Christ is no longer flesh--He is the “Spirit of Truth” and a Spirit has not flesh and bone according to Jesus.

Flesh, which appears to me as everything, becomes as nothing when compared to the reality of the Spirit. My flesh cries out and says, “Recognize me, I am reality, the life is in me.” But Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing.” I do not wish to be nothing, so I will identify with Christ as my new life and I find my significance in Him. I am only complete in Him! The Bible says that the flesh is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. I do want to live so I will abide where true life is found--in God. If there is life only in the Spirit, then I cannot live in the flesh, because that’s not God’s realm. In fact, Paul says in Romans 8:8-9, “Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God lives in you,” and “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” To live in the identity of the flesh is to live in lies, and I do not wish to live a lie. But I must claim this new life for my own. That’s what being born again does for me; it makes me a new creature in the Father and in the Son because they are one. If I am new, then I am no longer the old. All of the old things have passed away--they are gone. They died when Jesus died.

I need not worry about dying now because the old man has already died with Christ and Christ has given me eternal life. My flesh doesn’t have eternal life, but the real me--the one Peter calls the hidden man of the heart does. Where is this hidden man? Paul says in Colossians that he is hid with Christ in God. So I have already passed from death into life and that’s what the Bible calls Life in the Spirit.

Life Source

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:58:13 GMT

In order to have a victorious awareness of God, we must know that Jesus is The Life Giver, not just a Problem Solver.

Our problem is that, generally, we only look to Jesus for direction when we want to be delivered from a difficulty.

When things go smoothly we are apt to be more aware of the everyday happenings that we encounter than we are of the Life of God that is within us.

We expect to go along our own way, living our own life, being an individual within our own selves; then when we meet difficulties, we ask Jesus to help us. Sometimes it seems that He does, and sometimes it seems that He doesn’t. The result of this is that most of our requests are made in desperation. We have no confidence, no faith, only hope. We pray and ask Jesus to help us and hope that He will. This is generally what happens when we consider Jesus to be a problem solver.

Jesus has brought us to a new source of life. This new life must be our prime consideration. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to us that the fact that we have a new life, the Bible tells us over and over again that this is so. We would do well to consider it.

This new life is completely independent of the laws of the material, physical existence that man considers his life to be. This new life is God’s Life and it has been given to us by Jesus Christ. This life is the gift of God! Yet, instead of accepting it, we continue to struggle in the old. We are continually finding ourselves in all kinds of difficulties. This seems so unnecessary in view of what we read in the Bible. We are endowed with NEW LIFE when we are born again.

A man must first see that he is dead. This is why Jesus died. He died so that we might reckon ourselves dead.

Without the death of the old life, there can be no new life. Jesus said that you don’t put new wine in old wineskins. A lot of us are unwilling to give up the old life. We have no desire to reckon ourselves dead. We are willing to reform, we are willing to suffer persecution; we are willing to have most anything happen to us just as long as we can keep our identity. We want to say, “The life is mine, I am a1ive, I am me.” But it just isn’t so. If one believes the words of Jesus, if they accept Him as being their Savior from sin, it just isn’t so.

Salvation means a new life. It is God’s life given to man. Jesus did not give man the power to live the old life, free from sin, but He gave man the power to live a new life, a life completely different from the old. The Bible says, “Old things pass away all things become new.” Naturally it’s hard to understand this because it means the cessation of life as the flesh knows it or so the carnal mind imagines.

But we are not left lifeless. Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live. Yet, it is not I, but Christ liveth in me.” This is a very clear statement of our Life Source. This must be the fundumenta1 basis of our life in this world if we are to be continually aware of God. It seems unnecessary to say that we are only aware of that which we think about, but it’s true. Our thoughts seem to focus only on those things that seem to be most pressing. To know that these “most pressing” things are in the hands of our Heavenly Father, and that He is shaping them for our good and His glory, is not a natural thing to think about. But it must be the foundation of every thought, every word, and every action of our life here in this world, if we are to be aware of God as He really is.

In the 17th Chapter of John, Jesus prayed to the Father and said, “Glorify me with Thine own self, with the glory I had with Thee before the world was.” Then, speaking of us, He said, “The glory Thou hast given me, I have given them.” In order to understand what Jesus is saying, it is necessary to know that “glory,” as Jesus used it, means “all that God is.” Notice how Jesus phrased it, “Glorify me with Thine own Self.” So Jesus received all that God is, and He gave Him to us who by faith receive His Words. That is salvation. In Jesus we have received a life that is free from sin.

It is a life that is eternal because it is the Life of God. We have been set free from the law of sin and death, which is in our members when we abide in the Father. In fact, Jesus told us that we could be of good cheer because He has overcome the world.

Whether one believes this, or not, doesn’t change the fact that Jesus has prepared our place of abiding in the Father, but it makes a world of difference to us! If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, if we believe Him, then we have been given a life that is free from sin! If this were not true, we would still be in our sin and there would be no salvation.

To abide in the Father is the only way that we may obtain salvation, there is no other way. Jesus gave His life so that we might have God’s life. He did this because He loves us, so naturally it is His desire that we believe Him.

It is my desire that you will be encouraged to consider Jesus as the total Life Source of your existence, because only in this way will you have the peace and contentment that God meant for you to have.

We will see conditions forming around us that seem insurmountable, and because we in our old selves do not know how to cope with the situation, we proceed to do what we can, not knowing for sure just what will happen. Problems have a way of growing when faced in this manner. Then, when we find out our efforts are not getting the desired results, we become desperate. We cry out to God for deliverance, hoping, but not knowing for sure whether we will be delivered.

If we are conscious of God’s Life within us, we will not fear no matter what the circumstance may be. God knows how to handle them. Trouble will always be present; those things which we have considered to be problems will continue to surround us. But now it is no longer a matter to worry about; they are in God’s keeping and He is working them out for our own good. Paul made a statement that reveals this attitude. He said, “I have learned that whatsoever state I am in therewith to be content.” Today Paul might say it this way, “No matter what happens to me, no matter what conditions come against me, I have learned that I do not have to be disturbed by them.” You see, this is the man that said, “Christ lives in me.” To know this independence is to know a victorious life. I know of no one who has lived a victorious live except Jesus.

I can not imagine the magnitude of my new Life. I only know that it is beyond the capacity of my mind to understand the things that God has prepared for me. I read things in the Bible that alert me to certain facts so that I might believe.

Jesus brought salvation to me. He was the Son of God and He gave me favor in God’s eyes. I am not bound by sin because the Bible tells me that He whom the Son sets free is free indeed. This is the beginning of my heritage in Christ.

Jesus, as the obtainer of my salvation, did battle with Satan, who is the one that desires my bondage. He is the Prince of this world. Jesus invaded this world. He encountered every force that Satan could bring against Him. He emerged triumphant in all things. Jesus displayed His victories for all to see. One way that He displayed His victory over Satan was by “casting out demons,” and healing those who were sick and lame and blind. Most everyone agreed that these “sicknesses” were from Satan, or Beelzebub, as they called him. What they couldn’t understand was by what power Jesus could do these things. Some said that naturally He could cast out devils because He was the Prince of devils. Other weren’t so sure. “Can the devil open blind eyes?” they asked. And so there was a division among the people because of Jesus. Jesus set them straight on this matter. He said that if you enter a strong man’s house and bind that strong man, then you can do whatever you want.

This word, “whatever,” covers a good bit. All things became subject unto Jesus. It was not originally that way. He ruled, exercised authority, if you please, until all things were subject unto Him. The scriptures say that the last enemy He conquered was death. So if death has no power over Him, and He is my life, then death has no power over me.

Here is what the scriptures say, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” I can not look at this as being the old life that was the flesh, because that life God declared came from dust and would return to dust. The new life that I have is of God, and He is Spirit. So my new life is in Christ, not myself. Now, if He is victorious over all things, and He is, and He is my life, then I have victory over all things. You see, it really isn’t me--the old me, that has the victory--it is Christ who is in me that has the victory. So, here’s the essence of what I’m saying: If I consider my life to be my own, I will exist from one problem to the next, and never really be aware of the constant abiding presence of Jesus. But if I consider myself to be alive in Christ, then I will live every moment of every day, knowing that my life is hid with Christ, in God. I can live in the peace that He gave me because He has overcome the world.

Isn’t that wonderful? But how am I to know that this is true? How am I to know that this is for here and that it is for right now? Earlier in these words, I said that to know the magnitude of this new Life is beyond the understanding of our carnal mind. I do not want to stop on that hopeless note. The Bible says, “God hath revealed it to us by His Spirit.” So that’s how you know these things; there is no other way.

It seems that in order to stay pointed in the right direction, I must always come back to certain things that Jesus said.

They seem to be such strange things. Sometimes we think, because they are so strange, that they are mystical words, uttered by Jesus, and not meant for us to understand. Not so. They are Words that tell of Spiritual truths; that’s why they sound mystical to the carnal mind, and these truths are revealed to us, not by the carnal mind but by God’s mind. Paul wrote these words of revealed knowledge, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” Jesus knew that this was true. He told His Disciples that the Words He spoke were not His own, rather they were the words of the Father who lived in Him. He said the same thing regarding the works that He did; it was the Father who was responsible for them. You see, Jesus had God’s mind. So, let’s keep this in mind, Jesus knew and understood something that man didn’t understand. He told His Disciples and us what these things were, because soon they would have that which would enable them also to understand.

We can know that the privilege of having God’s life is a “now” thing because certain things that Jesus said would happen have happened. When Paul wrote the words that said Jesus would rule until all things were subject to Him, He also said that the Son would give Himself over to the Father so that God would be “all in all.” That happened. It was necessary for this to happen. Jesus put it this way, “If I go not away, the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, will not come.” The Holy Ghost did come. The scriptures are exceedingly plain on this point. It happened on the day of Pentecost. If it didn’t happen, you might as well wipe out the whole New Testament. You could no longer believe Jesus because He said it would happen. If I can’t believe Jesus, I can never know God because Jesus is the only one who has revealed the Father. But it DID happen. The Bible says that it happened, history says that it happened, and the events of man since then has lent credence to the truth of God’s Life, or Spirit, within man.

Jesus asked God to “glorify” Him with God’s own self, not His own self, but God’s own self. This was something that was entirely independent of material things because it was a “glory” that existed “before the world was.” Jesus, while on earth, lived in this “glory” by faith. He entered into it in actuality when He gave Himself over to the Father. You see, this made God all in all, and that’s the way it was before the world was.

Jesus desire to have this “glory” has been fulfilled. He laid down His life to receive it. I’m referring to the day that Jesus gave Himself to the Father. He desired that we also should receive this “glory.” How did this come about? To me this is such a wonderful thing that words seem inadequate; God gave Himself to me! Call it the Holy Spirit, or whatever you like, but that’s God! I don’t deserve this, I have done nothing to merit it, but it is the free gift of God. This is because of Jesus’ desire that we share His Glory and be with Him where He is.

Jesus honored the Father and the Father honored the Son. God said to Jesus, “Thou art my Beloved Son,” and He gave Jesus all power and all authority, to work, to judge and to give Life. Jesus said to the Father, “I love these people. I want them to be one with us, just as we are one.” Then Jesus gave up His life and proceeded to the Father.

Then this magnificent Oneness of the Father and the Son came to man and made him one, even as Jesus and the Father were made one. As Jesus was made alive with God’s Life, even so, are we privileged to be made alive with God’s Life. This is our heritage, this is our perfection, this is our righteousness, and this is our salvation.

I once knew a man who wanted to become a Christian, but he felt that he would have to give up too many things. Not knowing the sweetness of God’s Life, he did not know whether it was worth it. Chief among his interests were flowers, especially orchids. The man had gained statewide recognition for his successes in cultivating orchids. He asked me, “If I become a Christian, will I have to give up my flowers?” I answered, “No, just love Jesus.” The man gave his life to the Lord and became a Christian. Years later he asked me if I remembered his question. I said, “Yes.” Then he told me that if I had said he would have to give up the flowers, he was prepared to forget the whole thing. I asked him what became of the flowers and he told me that Jesus filled his life with better things. He still likes flowers but he had found a new life.

I tell you this to illustrate the truth that we can give our life to Jesus without any reservations. We will not know the future because these things are withheld from our carnal mind. We can receive God’s life confidently, knowing that herein is our salvation. To know Jesus as our Source of Life is all that we need. Jesus does all the rest.

Look on the Heart

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:57:34 GMT

“Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.”--1 Sam. 16:7 This is a bit of truth that so many Christians seem to overlook. Of course, maybe the reason is that not just anyone can see the heart.

It is much easier to see with the eyes of the flesh then the eyes of the Spirit. With eyes of the flesh we can see what we want to, and when we want to. With eyes of the Spirit, we see only what God wants us to see, and we see it when God wants us to see it.

Some folk think that they should be able to see Spiritually just because someone else sees Spiritual things, and that it is a measure of their Spirituality. This is not so. Once Peter asked the Lord about John and said, “What shall this man do?” Jesus answered him, “If I want him to wait until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”--John 2l:22 This same principle applies to our Spiritual sight, our knowledge of God, and our whole life before Him. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

Do not entertain the idea that you are any better, or any worse than someone, just because you see and understand something that someone else does not see and understand. Remember, God gave you this knowledge, it is not of yourself.

When God, by His Wisdom, opens our eyes so that we can see, or quickens our understanding so we can know, He does so for a purpose. It is our responsibility to be willing to do what God desires us to do.

Jesus moved by the leading of His Father. He did not, of Himself, do or say anything that displayed the Glory of God.

His own testimony was this: the words He spoke were God’s words given to Him, and the deeds He did were directed by the Father. Our position then should be to be receptive to the will of God, and speak and do only as we are told by God to speak and do.

Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. If my physical eyes see something in my brother I do not like, but my Spiritual eyes do not see his heart, so that the reasons for his action are hid from me, I do greatly err if I pass judgment upon my brother.

For this reason I dare not erect a standard of living and say, “All who conform to it are of God, and those who do not conform to it are not of God.” I dare not pass judgment in this fashion.

Living in the Spirit does not mean that we know all things or that we have learned to do all things. It does mean that the power to do and to know all things is ours, because Christ is ours. If the testimony of Jesus was that He only spoke and did the things that He was directed to speak and do, then this must also be our position today. God has not changed! Israel received some basic precepts from God. They called it the Law. Even though it came from God, it did not bring perfection to man. There were sacrifices provided to atone for the transgression of the Law. The Law dealt with external things, and because of this could not give perfection in the eyes of God.

Jesus fulfilled the Law. “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it.” Then He would, according to the interpretation of man, proceed to break the Law and eat with those who were unclean.

Jesus quoted the Law, “Thou shalt not kill,” then He proceeded to show them the meaning of the Law. "But I say unto you, whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment." But Jesus didn’t stop there. He knew that hatred and anger directed toward a person can kill that person just as surely as a knife in the heart. He went on and told the people that to ridicule a person, and say that they are vain and empty, can also destroy life. And yet another thing, to judge our brother and say, “Thou fool” is to be in danger of complete separation from God. These are things that can kill. They kill the Spirit within man so that his body is an empty shell.

But the eyes of the flesh can not see the Spirit, and so man goes on in his blind way judging, condemning, pointing the finger and saying, “I am thankful that I am not like that person.” Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

The mercies of God are not dependent upon the judgments of man. The mercies of God are within Himself. He will cover what He wants to cover and expose all that is contrary to Him. All His doings are in love.

Made Clean

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:57:03 GMT

The Bible tells us that we are made clean by the Word that Jesus spoke. We are washed by the Word! How precious is this thought. To be washed by the Word is to let the Word flow over you. It will completely cleanse us. We will be refreshed in every part of our being if we let the Word flow over us.

To be clean means to be without spot. The Word washes and removes every trace of sin so that not one blemish can be found, and this cleanliness is in God’s eyes! When we are washed by the Word, God says, “We are clean.” We appear to Him without “spot or wrinkle.” now.

The flesh tries to condemn us and to cause us to think that it isn’t so. The flesh says that we are guilty of sin and that we are not righteous. But the Word washes us and makes us clean! Even though our heart condemns us, God is faithful. His Word does not change. “He that believes on the Son is not condemned.” “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” God has made Jesus to become our righteousness. He loves us as much as He loves the Son. He has made us to become one with Himself even as He made Jesus to become one with Himself. He has made us to be in His own image. He has given us His own Life. He has entered our body and disposed of Satan so that sin no longer has dominion over us.

He has made us clean--He has freed us from the power of Satan. This is not just wishful thinking, God has declared it. “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” We have new Life, both in our soul and in our body. When Jesus came into our soul, he also came into our body and gave it a new source of Life. Now there can be perfect harmony between our soul and the expression that comes from our Life because they both have the same Life source.

Listen to the miracle of this new Life: “He that is born of God does not commit sin because God’s Life is in Him and He can not sin because he is born of God.” This is not an obscure truth; it is not hidden in mystery. It is a clear cut, strong, positive statement of fact. It is God’s Word! Man has tried to contest this Word in many ways. In no way has he strengthened it, rather He has tried to weaken it and read into it that which would allow him to say that there is still sin within him. Make no mistake, God’s Word washes clean! This truth is preceded by another truth equally as plain. “He that committeth sin is of the devil. The devil sinneth from the beginning.” I have never heard this truth contested! The one who commits sin is of the devil because sin comes from the devil. If one is to be washed and made clean, he will be free from the devil.

These two basic truths are tied together by another basic truth. “For this purpose the Son of man was manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus did not fail His purpose! The old has been replaced by the new. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away and all things have come new.” The old man was a sinner because he was of Satan. There was no righteousness in him. The new man is not a sinner because God is in him.

Jesus fulfilled His purpose. He destroyed the works of the devil. He died and by His death paid our sin.

God raised Him from the dead! Jesus gave Himself to the Father so the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, could abide in us forever! “If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Now you have been redeemed--soul and body! There is nothing to hinder God’s expression in us if we will it so.

Sin no longer has dominion over us--we have entered into God and have become a partaker of His Divine nature. We no longer are bound by a sin nature. “He that sinneth is of the devil.” We have been created again in God, and we are of God because His Spirit dwells in us.

We are made clean by His Word. We are to let no contrary thought occupy our mind. God’s Word declares our position in Him, but Satan would deny it. We are not to think his thought. Neither are we to give any place to the devil. To think the devil’s thoughts will bring death, but to receive and think God’s thoughts will bring Life and peace.

We are washed and made clean by His Word, therefore there is no sin or condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus and Live by the washing of His Word.

Miracle Working Faith

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:56:19 GMT

I need faith, not the faith that God has dealt a measure to every man. I need a supercharged faith, one that can literally move mountains. I need a faith that is not dependent upon my physical well being. I need a faith that is not dependent upon those around me. I need a faith that is completely isolated from this world. I need a faith upon which I can rely, and one that will be as dependable as God.

But, I am not the possessor of such faith. I will never be the custodian of this kind of faith, yet, I need it. God supplies my needs, so it must come from Him. What provisions has He made? How does it come to me? This faith is a reality. It comes from God, and He gives it only for His glory. It is a GIFT of the Spirit, and comes under the same laws of dispersion as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and so forth.

Here are two faiths represented: The one that is the “gift” of God, and the “measure” of faith that is in man. Mountains are moved when the one is placed in the other. Let me illustrate: Suppose you are in a place where you hear the Word of God. You know this to be true, it’s the thing you need. There is no doubt in your mind but that these words have the authority of the Spirit of God back of them. You see, that this is a true example of the faith of God offered.

You have a bit of faith--that which God has given to you. You have a need--you believe in the Supplier of this need.

To make the greater faith which is God’s operative, one needs to take the lesser faith, which is ours, and place it in the greater. When these two meet, there is a witness of the Spirit. A conscious knowledge is born within the heart of the believer, and we have the experience of “knowing” that God has heard our prayer and has done something about it.

This is true of anything we receive from God in direct answer to our prayer. It is not true of the air we breathe or the rain that falls, or the sun that shines. These are the benefits that we receive freely from God. It is true of salvation. We Live by the faith of the Son of God. As we Live in Him, His faithfulness is active in sustaining our Spiritual existence.

However, our faith must be active to bring us to Him.

Let’s look at another case, that of healing. Suppose I need help from God. I pray, and nothing happens. Is my faith dead? Not so, rather, my faith is not meant to do this type of work. My faith is meant to rest solely in God. I cannot rely on the faith that is measured to me for healing of the body, or for that matter salvation of the soul. The measure of faith that God has given me is good for only one thing--to believe in God.

God can be working in a mighty way. I can know that God works and is working, but unless “my faith” is placed in “God’s Faith¬fulness,” I am availed of nothing. Remember, it is God that works in me. It is faith that allows Him to work. I cannot use my faith to do anything, but tie me to God. His is the miracle working faith--not mine.

My Meditation

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:55:49 GMT

Sometimes God’s Spirit speaks to me. I’m impressed by something I cannot put into words. I must give myself to this Spirit if I am to benefit by it. Even though my spirit profits from this experience, the Spirit of God within me is mute until I bring my mind into subjection to this Spirit that is within me. My mind must learn from the Spirit. When my mind has learned, then my lips can speak the thing God has taught my Spirit.

These words that my lips now speak are not my own words, but the words of the Spirit of God. As such they carry the power and authority of the Spirit of God.

Paul said, “When I came to you my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power of God.”-- 1 Cor.2:4 You see, he did not plan his speech. He did not attempt to “turn a phrase.” He had brought his mind into subjection to the Spirit that was within him, and his mind learned of God. His mind spoke the things it had learned from God, so that Paul could say as Christ had said, “The words that I speak are not my own but the Father gave me them to say.”- -John 14:10. “The words that I speak ARE Spirit and they are Life.”--John 6:63 This is true in our life also, but only as we bring our mind into subjection to the Spirit so that it can learn of God.

The mind not only controls our speech, but it gives direction and order to the motions and habits of our body. That is why the scriptures say we are transformed by the renewing of our mind.

The Psalmist says, “Let the Words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight...”Psalm 19:14 This can be true only as our mind learns from God, and our mind will only learn from God as we bring it into subjection to God’s Spirit.

This is meditation

My One Responsibility

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:55:21 GMT

All of my faculties are still in this world; they are not Spiritual, they are mortal. God wants me to yield these faculties to Him. Whether or not God will use them is up to me. He will use whatever I give to Him. And, whatever I give to Him, I can have a confidence that He will take care of it.

One of the faculties that I must give to Him, if I want to know His desire for me, is my mind. I am told to do that. I am told to bring every thought to the Lord. It is only when I do this that I can be sure every thought is o.k.’d by the Lord. I need to do this! I am learning new things. God leads me in ways that are new to me, ways about which I know nothing. He gave me a peace such as I never knew existed. He gave me a joy to which I could never attain.

And to top it all, He made me to be a new creature! How? I do not know.

All of these things came to me from God. All that I am is because of Him.

If I want to know about these things, I must bring my mind to Him and accept His Word. Then I will know. But, if I do not get God’s o.k. on every thought, I will never know for sure, whether they are God’s thoughts or mine.

My Place of Abiding

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:54:47 GMT

Here are some thoughts that I have: My thought has nothing to do with the day of the year. It has to do with God, and He’s not governed by a day. A calendar is one thing you will never have to check as far as God is concerned, because He is Eternal. He gave His Life to me, so I have Eternal Life. He took me into Himself.

So I live in Eternity. That’s a nice thing to know. Some people look forward to things; they have a hope that some day it, whatever it is, will happen. I have a hope of Glory and I believe that my hope has been fulfilled. The Bible tells me that Christ in me is my hope of Glory, and I know that He is in me now.

I live in the Lord and in Him all things happen and all things are complete. He knows the beginning from the end.

Therefore I do not have to worry about, “How will things turn out or will I make it?” I will never be overcome if I trust in the Lord. The Bible is certainly plain about that! It says that no weapon that is formed against you will prosper. Again, it says that no man can pluck you from my Father’s hand. Even the devil would like to destroy me, but Jesus said that was not possible. In Jesus is a pretty safe place to Live.

My Place of Knowing

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:54:19 GMT

The only thing that tears me up is my own emotions. That is not God’s pleasure for me. He doesn’t like for me to be upset. He said that if I would keep my mind on Him, He would give me perfect peace. So there is a place of peace for me in the Lord because Jesus made it so. Those who depend on themselves can’t find this place of peace because it isn’t in their realm. They can not even imagine what this rest is like. They have no possibility of knowing.

The Bible says they have never seen anything like it, nor have they ever heard any description of it; and it has never even entered their mind, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. That means that we don’t even have a chance of figuring it out. There is only one way, in all of God’s creation that we are going to come into the know1ege of these things. God Himself will reveal them to us! That means that I had better be able to know when God is talking to me, and I had better be able to understand what He says.

I think that it is a good thing that man started his existence in sin, not knowing God. You have to first know what God is not in order to know what He is. I also think it is a good thing that God never allowed anything of this world to seep over into His Kingdom of Spirit. I think that this is something that we all had better know. When we come to the Lord, He makes us to become a new kind of Being. The flesh is going to return to dust, and I’m sure heaven is not a dusty place. The only thing I will say about this new Being is what Jesus said. If I am born of the Spirit, I am Spirit. The only thing I know about Spirit, is that a Spirit does not have flesh and bone. To me, that means that Spirit does not have form and substance in this material world.

Another thing: The Bible says that the Kingdom of Heaven, is righteousness and peace and joy in God who is Spirit. Again, the Bible says that the weapons of our warfare are not of this world. They are not material weapons. They are not carnal, but mighty, through God, who is Spirit. This is a new kind of a realm to me, one with which my flesh is not in the least familiar. One thing for sure, I can’t fight a spiritual war with carnal weapons.

So I will let God do the fighting for me, and I will rest. If I am going to benefit myself of that, or even know the benefits of it, I have to accept the fact that that’s the way it is.

My Place of Rest

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:53:47 GMT

The Psalmist tells me that God was their high tower, their refuge, and their strength. He was their Shepherd, and because of that, they had no wants. God has never changed. He is my refuge and my high tower. I live in Him. I do not have to flee to Him, He is my dwelling place. That’s the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The difference is not in God, the difference is in my place in God. I do not have to run to my refuge, I live there. That’s why we read in Hebrews that there is rest for the Children of God. We enter into it by faith. In this rest we cease from our own labors just as completely as God did on the Seventh Day. I can rest from all my labors when I give them to the Lord. He works through me. What He tells me to do, I do, but He empowers me to do it. That means that if I have to sweat and try to figure things out, I’m not listening to my Father. The Bible tells me that if I will acknowledge Him, in all my ways, He will direct my path. It’s a little hard to be directed by someone when you don’t acknowledge him.

God wants to direct our path. You can get the idea of that way back before sin entered the world by seeing how God directed Adam. When it came time to name the animals, it was God who caused them to show up. Also, it was God who planted the Garden for Adam and Eve.

God works through us today. I live in Him and I have given myself to Him. He knows what He wants me to do, He knows why I’m here and He knows my purpose for being here. That’s a lot more than I know. But I do know enough to say, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.” I’m going to rest in the Lord. If I am in trouble in any particular thing in my life, it is because I haven’t given that particular area to the Lord and trusted Him to take care of it.

Neither Give Place to the Devil

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:53:14 GMT

Satan would like to saturate our mind with his thoughts. I know of no one who would knowingly give themselves over to Satan to be destroyed, but I know of many people who are doing this unawares.

There is a real struggle when one becomes aware of Satan’s tactics to turn from the thoughts that would poison our heart and rob us of God’s peace.

Satan’s thoughts are not vicious thoughts; at least they do not present themselves to us in that light. One must remember that our mind has been trained by Satan, and therefore we are not always aware of his purpose. We know only what he desires that we should know. If it were not for Jesus, we would be in gross darkness. We must examine all of our thoughts in the Light of God’s Word. Jesus said that those thoughts that would rob us of the perfection that is in God are thoughts of pleasure and riches, as well as thoughts of care. In fact, whenever our thoughts are overwhelmed by anything of this world, we are entertaining the devil.

I find myself enmeshed with circumstances that would seem to demand my entire attention; and yet, as I look at the problem I find no answer. The more I look, the more inaccessible victory becomes. So in looking I am overwhelmed.

Joy is removed from me and I am cast into the pit.

But what does the Word of God say? He has promised that the waters shall not overflow me. He has said that He will not allow me to be tested above that which I am able to bear. He has instructed me to seek first the Kingdom of God, and the righteousness that is of Him, and He would take care of all else. He has promised to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. He has promised that He would never leave me.

What can I say in the light of all this? I must first examine my own heart. If, according to all that I know, I have diligently sought the Lord and rested my faith in Him, then I say before God, I can do no more. I must trust God as did Abraham of old. I must believe as the Psalmist said, “The soul that trusts in the Lord shall not be put to shame.” I have no other defense against the things of Satan. I must be delivered by God, or I will not be delivered at all.

So my mind is a battleground. The things I allow lodging there will determine my victory or defeat.

My Father sent Jesus into the world that He might win the victory over Satan for all who believe in Him. He has won that victory and He has given it to me. He has given me the privilege of His joy and He has given me His strength. He has revealed the way by which I may come into these things. He has pointed out the last place that Satan will come against me--my mind--and He has shown me the way to defeat him there. .

Jesus could not win that victory for me because God will not take away my will. I have been made a creature of my own free will, and it is of my own free will that I serve and love my Father. The angels were made to do the bidding of God: they have no choice; but I was made to show forth the glory of God, and I do this of my own free will. God told Abraham to leave the land of His nativity and go to a place that God would show him; then God would bless him and make his name great. God didn’t force Abraham to go. Abraham went of his own free will. God told Noah to build an ark. He didn’t force him to; Noah built it of his own free will. Even so, God told us that we would have PERFECT PEACE if we kept our mind stayed on Him. He doesn’t force us to keep our mind stayed on Him; we do it of our own free will or we don’t do it at all. We are told to renew our mind and then we will be transformed. He does not force us to renew our minds, we will do it of our own free will, or we will not do it at all.

When we, of our own free will, purpose to serve God, we will enter into the victory that Jesus wrested from Satan, and we will possess that victory according to the strength of our purpose.

As we allow our mind to dwell on anything other than the fact of His love, and grace, and mercy, we will be giving place to the devil, and he will quickly occupy any place we give him.

I must know that the essence of God is love and truth; and if I do anything, or think anything that does not have love and truth for its foundation, I’m thinking and doing that which is contrary to God. There is no neutral ground. We are either serving God or we are giving place to the devil. God’s Word says, “Neither give place to the devil.” The Scriptures declare, even though a man do many wonderful things; and yet if he does not have love, his doing will profit him nothing.

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. I must live my life in the truth of God, or I shall never have the Life and freedom of God. I must reflect His truth, and I must base my life upon His truth, or my house will be built upon the sand. .

Grace is the mercy of Jesus Christ, and because He has enveloped me in His mercy, I stand before Him as a son. I have, with Jesus, been made One with God. This is an act of mercy, because in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing. I have what I have because of the mercy of Jesus Christ. But, as He is merciful, so must I be merciful in word, in thought, and in deed. If mercy is the nature of Jesus Christ and I believe Him to be living in me, then I can not entertain a single thought that is not based on mercy. My actions will be motivated by mercy or they will not be motivated by Jesus Christ. I cannot say, “He is my Life,” and live in hate and revenge.

Knowing theses things, I can see more clearly how Satan behaves. I can see his thoughts; I can recognize his ways because I see more clearly the foundation of Christ. I see the thoughts of God, I see His nature. I know that the things that are contrary to Him are in harmony with Satan because Jesus has said, “He that is not for me is against me.” Therefore in knowing this, Satan is unmasked and cannot come against me unknowingly. When I know him and recognize His ways, I am not afraid because I have Christ within me. I know that Christ has revealed these things to me because Satan would not expose himself. I know that this is so because that is the way that Satan has taught my flesh.

If I know that Christ is in me, then I need have no fear, because “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.”

No More Waiting

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:52:35 GMT

I have known people who have become discouraged because of the long wait regarding Jesus return. They scan the news seeking any “signs of the times” that can be found; and if they should be living in an active period of history, they perhaps, will be quickened again to a lively hope.

I do not like to see what we might term, “Spiritual fervor,” based on material things. Of course, if there is no awareness of Spirit within the individual and he is stirred only by his senses, then by all means, let us use his zealousness to lead him to the place of abiding that is not dependent upon material happenings.

The desire of a Christian is to see Jesus: he is waiting for His return. Let us see what the Bible says: Jesus made a statement, “A little while and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.” I encourage the Christian today to consider these words of Jesus. He was very aware of the discouragement that grips our hearts, and He did something about it. He knew that man had to have a personal, intimate relationship with God, and He supplied this. The Bible says that God was in Christ reconciling the world (you and me) to Himself.

Jesus said that no man could come to the Father except by Him. Jesus knew all things, He knew that there was only one way to see God and that was to be “in the Spirit.” In order for man to see God, He must be in God and God must be in Him.

When God gave Himself to Jesus, a tremendous thing happened. Jesus was ushered into a new kind of Life. Jesus entered into a relationship with the Father that no man had ever before experienced.

There is a Spiritual truth that I want to suggest to you that should be very carefully considered. Jesus knew God by faith. He had never seen the Father. God’s Life in Him became so real that nothing else mattered. God led Jesus to the wilderness where He learned this truth. Jesus came out of the wilderness knowing His position in the Father. He no longer considered tradition, but He embarked upon a completely new way of Life. The Scriptures said that He returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.

Jesus desired to exist only in God. He expressed this desire by praying, “Glorify me with thine ownself...,” and this is what happened when Jesus went to the Father. He told them that soon they would not see Him (because He was going to the Father) then in a little while they would see Him again.

This “seeing again” to which Jesus referred was not a result of the sight to which our flesh is accustomed. He referred to the Spirit of Truth, “Whom the world can not receive because it seeth Him not.” Then He said, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.” He very plainly identified the Comforter with the Holy Spirit. The Comforter would be in us--we are to be full of the Holy Ghost. This equates the Holy Ghost and this Spirit of Truth as one and the same.

The world can not see a Spirit. That is why Jesus said to His disciples, “In a little while you will see me no more.” A change was going to take place! Jesus prepared the way. He prayed to the Father, “The glory Thou hast given me, I have given them,” (those who believe His Word). This of course, makes us one with the Father, even as it made Jesus one with the Father. Now we have God’s Life in us. Even as Jesus became a creature of God, we have become a creature of God. Now, because we have Spirit Life, we have Spirit sight. We can see God because He is Spirit. We look to the Spirit and not to material things. When we see God, we see Jesus because He and the Father are One. This transformation first took place for us on the day of Pentecost when God gave Himself to those who were obedient to the words of Jesus--to those who were in One accord.” This is why Jesus said, “In a little while you will see me no more.” He knew what would happen, therefore He also said, “Again, a LITTLE WHILE and ye shall see me,” not 2000 years later.

We who believe the words of Jesus have the joy of “seeing” Jesus. We can not believe His Word and not see Him because He said, “in a little while,” not an age. I grant you that not everyone has recognized Him! Failure to recognize Him comes from looking to material things rather then to Spiritual things. Too often we confuse the handiwork of God with God Himself, thereby deceiving ourselves into thinking we know God when in reality we have never seen Him.

We will not find God except we “see” Jesus because no man can come to the Father except by Him. If I truly have been made a new creature by the Life of God then if I exercise my Spiritual senses, I can see God, I can know Him. If I know the Father, I will know Jesus because they have become One. The proof that they have become One is that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is living in me. This would have never happened if Jesus had not gone to the Father.

The Holy Spirit IS in me so I know that Jesus spoke truth and kept His word.

Now, let’s look at another thing that Jesus desired. Consider this carefully. “Father, I will (desire) that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.” The glory of which Jesus speaks is the glory that is God Himself. In Greek, the word is “Doxah,” and it has a unique meaning; it refers only to God. Doxah does not mean God and something else. It means that which is just God and nothing else. Jesus knew this when He asked that God glorify Him “with thine own self.” This is the glory that Jesus, the Christ, had with God “before the world was” (before there was anything physical when there was only Spirit).

Jesus told us that when the Holy Spirit was come, we would know that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him and He was in us. In other words, we would KNOW that we are One with God. This is the only way that we can be One with God. This is the only way that we can have the same “glory” that God gave Jesus. It is the only way that we can be where Jesus is and see the glory that God gave Him.

Jesus told the Disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them; and that when it was complete, He would come again and receive them to Himself so that “where I am, there you may be also.” He came on the day of Pentecost. He came with the sound of a rushing, mighty wind and filled all those who believed and were in “one accord.” He came that He might abide with us forever and so shall we ever be with Him in God.

Do you long to see Jesus? He is to be found in God. Do you long for His return? There is no more waiting, He has returned! We know He has returned because He is the Life of the believer right now! We could not be born of the Spirit if He had not returned because God does not look on sinful flesh. Christ is our righteousness, He HAS APPEARED, and we are in Him. “If any man be IN Christ he is a NEW CREATURE.” I could not be “in Christ” if He had not returned! Jesus has returned and there need be no more waiting--no more longing. Look for Him in God and He can be found.

The promise is “unto to them who look for Him, shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”--Heb 9:28, Col.3:4 ARE YOU SAVED? IF YOU ARE, HE HAS APPEARED!

Not My Faith

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:51:55 GMT

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FAITH! I AM FULL OF FEARS AND DESIRES. WHEN I PRAY, I PRAY BECAUSE MY NEEDS ARE SO GREAT THAT I CAN THINK OF NOTHING ELSE. I PRAY IN DESPERATION. AND YET GOD IS NOT ABOVE ANSWERING MY PRAYERS! HE ANSWERS BECAUSE OF FAITH--BUT IT CERTAINLY ISN'T MY FAITH. PAUL MADE IT CLEAR WHEN HE SAID, "I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD. I'M SURELY GLAD THAT IT'S THAT WAY. YOU SEE, FAITH IS A VERY CONFIDENT THING, AND I CAN'T SAY MY PRAYERS ARE VERY CONFIDENT. WHAT MY PRAYERS DO THOUGH, IS TO POINT OUT TO THE DEVIL THAT I KNOW WHERE TO GO. GOD KNOWS MY HEART BECAUSE HE IS MY LIFE, BUT THIS MIND OF MINE--WHAT A PROBLEM! ANYWAY, THERE IS SOMETHING WITHIN ME THAT SUSTAINS ME, AND THAT SOMETHING IS JESUS. HE SURELY HAS GOT FAITH! HE SAID, "I KNOW THAT MY FATHER HEARETH ME BECAUSE I ALWAYS DO THE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM." I'M GLAD FOR THAT. I WANT TO PLEASE MY FATHER TOO, BUT THERE CERTAINLY ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I DO THAT DON'T PLEASE HIM. THAT SORT OF CUTS ME OFF AND MY PRAYERS ARE BEGGING PRAYERS. WITH THAT THINKING, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER HE IS GOING TO HEAR ME OR NOT.

BUT I DON'T COME TO GOD ON MY OWN MERITS---I COME TO JESUS BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN'T MAKE IT.

HE SAYS, "YOU BELIEVE ME AND I'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE." THEN HE SAYS, "FATHER, WILL YOU MAKE THIS FELLOW ONE WITH YOU JUST LIKE I AM? I DESIRE IT FATHER BECAUSE I WANT HIM TO BE WITH ME.

I WANT YOU AND HIM AND ME ALL TO BE ONE." AND SO THAT IS HOW I COME TO GOD---BY WAY OF JESUS LOVE.

THIS IS SO GREAT A THING THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, SO JESUS TELLS ME. HE SAYS, “FIRST, YOU BELIEVE IN ME AND YOU WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, SO DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT ANYMORE." THEN I HAVE TO REPENT AND CHANGE MY WAY OF THINKING. YOU SEE, I USED TO THINK THAT THIS PHYSICAL EXISTENCE WAS LIFE--IMAGINE THAT--THIS LIFE WITH ALL ITS SICKNESS AND PAIN AND VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION--THAT'S LIFE! NOW I KNOW THAT GOD IS LIFE, AND I WOULD BE EXISTING IN DEATH IF IT WEREN'T FOR JESUS MAKING ME ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.

ANOTHER THING THAT JESUS SAID IS THAT NOW I CAN STOP TRYING TO MAKE MYSELF PERFECT AND THEN FEELING GUILTY BECAUSE I COULDN'T. YOU SEE, HE GAVE ME HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. THAT'S WAY OVER MY HEAD, I CAN'T IMAGINE IT, BUT THAT'S WHAT HE SAID, AND HE WANTS ME TO BELIEVE HIM.

BEFORE ALL THIS CAME ABOUT I WAS HANDICAPPED WHEN IT CAME TO ASKING GOD FOR ANYTHING.

BUT NOW JESUS SAYS I CAN ASK IN HIS NAME. THAT’S MY PRIVELEGE BECAUSE JESUS MADE ME ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.

SO NOW ABOUT FAITH, I DON'T HAVE ANY, BUT I HAVE JESUS WITHIN; AND HE SAID I COULD USE HIS FAITH. IT'S SORT OF LIKE A CREDIT CARD ARRANGEMENT. IF I NEED SOMETHING, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS USE HIS FAITH.

HE TOLD ME THAT FROM NOW ON I COULD USE HIS FAITH, SO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME ASKING HIM TO DO THINGS--HE TOLD ME TO ASK.

I SURELY DON’T UNDERSTAND IT. ONCE IN AWHILE I FEEL THAT I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO ASK HIM FOR THINGS. I GET TO FEELING AWFULLY GUILTY ABOUT MY INABILITY TO DO WHAT I THINK I SHOULD, BUT JESUS SAYS ALL I HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE HIM AND HE WILL DO THE REST. THAT'S PRETTY SWEET.

SO NOW I CAN PRAY AND, EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES MY MIND IS IN A TURMOIL, MY SOUL IS QUIET. MY DESIRES AND EMOTIONS SOMETIMES FLARE UP AND MAKE QUITE A DISTURBANCE, BUT IN MY SOUL I KNOW THAT GOD HEARS, CARES, UNDERSTANDS, AND ANSWERS. NOT ALWAYS ARE THE ANSWERS JUST WHAT I THOUGHT THEY SHOULD BE, BUT THEY ARE WHAT GOD SAYS IS RIGHT. WHEN I THINK OF ALL THE MISTAKES I HAVE MADE IN TIMES PAST, I'M MIGHTY GLAD GOD DOESN'T ALWAYS ANSWER MY PRAYERS IN JUST THE WAY I THINK HE SHOULD.

I GUESS THE HARDEST THING FOR ME TO DO IS TO REALIZE THAT GOD’S LOVE IS SURE AND HIS WISDOM IS PERFECT. I KEEP THINKING WITH MY MIND AND IT TRIES TO USURP GOD’S POSITION. MY MIND TRIES TO REASON AND I LISTEN WHEN I SHOULDN'T. I SHOULD LISTEN TO MY HEAVENLY FATHER WHO SAYS, “COME, LET US REASON TOGETHER." HE TELLS ME WHAT SEEMS TO BE A MOST UNREASONABLE THING, "THOUGH MY SINS BE AS SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE WHITE AS SNOW.” IT MIGHT SEEM UNREASONABLE, BUT IT'S TRUE, MY FATHER SAYS SO.

FAITH IS UNREASONABLE TO ME, BUT IT IS VERY NATURAL TO JESUS--HE KNOWS; AND HE IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF MY FAITH. HE IS MY COMPLETE FAITH, HE IS ALL OF IT. I HAVE A LITTLE TROUBLE GETTING HOLD OF THAT FACT. BUT IT'S TRUE. SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THINGS AND THEY SAY IT IS NOT FOR TODAY. BOY, IF WE ONLY HAD "FOR TODAY" THE THINGS WE UNDERSTAND, WE WOULD HAVE A PRETTY LITTLE "TODAY!" I DON'T UNDERSTAND SALVATION, BUT I HAVE IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND SPEAKING IN TONGUES EITHER, BUT I HAVE IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THESE THINGS HAPPEN, BUT THEY DO BECAUSE IT IS GOD IN YOU THAT IS DOING THE WORK.

JESUS SAID THE WORDS HE SPOKE WERE NOT HIS OWN, NEITHER WERE THE WORKS THAT HE DID, IT WAS THE FATHER IN HIM. PAUL SAYS ALL THESE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT--TONGUES, PROPHECY, INTERPRETATION, AND GET THIS--FAITH ARE THE WORKS OF GOD IN YOU.

MY MIND NEVER COULD UNDERSTAND GOD, SO QUITE NATURALLY IT IS PUZZLED BY THE THINGS THAT GOD DOES, BUT I HAVE LEARNED, LITTLE BY LITTLE, TO LET HIM WORK THROUGH ME. MIND YOU, I DON'T DO SO GOOD MOST OF THE TIME; BUT THE LORD LOVES ME WITH A GREAT LOVE, AND HIS PATIENCE IS MORE THAN I CAN FATHOM. I AM LEARNING THAT I CAN OPEN THE DOOR TO GOD’S ACTIVITY THROUGH ME BY BELIEVING JESUS. I HAVE LEARNED TO OPEN MY MOUTH, SPEAK IN TONGUES, OR PROPHECY, OR INTERPRET SOMETHING THAT GOD DESIRES. IT DOESN’T MAKE MUCH SENSE TO MY MIND, BUT I’VE LEARNED.

WELL, FAITH IS THE SAME WAY. I CAN'T PUT IT INTO WORDS BECAUSE IT IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN, IT IS CHRIST IN YOU.MY MIND SAYS, I DON’T SEE HOW IT CAN BE, BUT MY FATHER SAYS THAT IT IS SO. SO THAT MEANS I HAVE FAITH WITHIN ME BECAUSE JESUS IS THERE.

One

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:51:21 GMT

So many people ask me questions when I indicate by my speech that God is One. They ask me to explain. That is very difficult to do. Personally, I do not feel that it is possible for man ever to explain God. Words are material, and God is Spiritual. Paul tells us in the Second Chapter of First Corinthians that only a Spiritual mind can understand the things of God. Yet, in spite of this, men who know God are anxious to tell of Him. It is my hope that something I say will be used by God to reveal Himself to some hungry heart. I am encouraged in my efforts because I know God is SEEKING those who will worship Him in Spirit.

I find that the understanding of “Spirit” is the prime obstacle most people encounter when it comes to understanding God. Some are too literal minded to even consider such a thing as Spirit -- therefore they are excluded from knowing God as He REALLY is. God still extends His mercies to them if they will believe in Him with an honest heart.

First, let us consider how the Gospel of John opens. I will not guarantee this to be the best place to begin, nor will I promise to proceed in what some might term a “logical fashion.” I will just say what I feel I should say and I will try to say it as plainly as I know how.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”-- John 1:l This seems to me to be an introduction to what God is. It doesn’t say that God is a person; it says that the “Word” was God. “Word” here means thought and expression; there is no gender denoting a “person” whatsoever.

Something happened that never happened before. This “Word” (God) came to man in the flesh and lived among men so that they who had no Spiritual eyes could see the material manifestation of this “Word.” But man could not understand what he saw! Jesus became a “good man” to some, to others a prophet, to some a devil. To a few He was the Anointed of God--the Christ, but none saw Him as the Son of God unless it was revealed to them by the Spirit (God).

We have heard about Nicodemus, we know he came to Jesus by night, and we know that Jesus said to him, “You must be born again”, but Jesus said more than that! Seemingly, we have overlooked what I feel to be basic in this exchange between Nicodemus and Jesus.

Nicodemus made a statement; he claimed certain knowledge. He said, “We know...” Nicodemus was a Pharisee; he was a religious man; he was sincere in his faith. “We know you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles you do except God be with Him.” Nicodemus felt secure in this knowledge BECAUSE IT WAS BASED ON WHAT HE SAW! He was the judge; the ability was His; he made the decision! Now that we understand the question, we are in a position to understand the meaning of Jesus' reply. It’s true that being born again is the basic thing, but Jesus answered Nicodemus in such a fashion as to give emphasis to a different thing. Nicodemus said, “We know…because of what we see.” Jesus said, “EXCEPT a man be born again he CANNOT SEE the kingdom of God.” Miracles are not proof of godly things--they are not part of the kingdom of God. My physical senses can discern a miracle because miracles take place in a material world, but if one is to know that which is of God--that which is of the kingdom of heaven--HE MUST BE BORN OF THE SPIRIT. The reason is very simple: “NO MAN KNOWS the things of God, only the Spirit, which is of God, knows the things of God.”--1 Cor.2:11. Jesus explained the difference to Nicodemus in these words, “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.” Now in order to know God, I must ascertain whether God is material (of the flesh) or Spiritual. There’s no problem here. Jesus says, “GOD IS SPIRIT”, then to make our position more plain He says, “They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth (they must be honest about it). Therefore, if I am to know God, I must be BORN of God. I must have SPIRITUAL FACULTIES to understand Spiritual things.

By these few words, I have hoped to indicate something of the nature of God. I feel that these words are clear enough to convey to you the understanding that God is not a person, having material form and substance. Rather, He is Spirit, having neither form nor substance, as defined by the material reasoning and logic of this world.

Sometimes man has difficulty knowing just what Spirit is. Consider something that occurred after the Resurrection.

The Disciples were gathered in a room. All the doors were shut, yet, suddenly Jesus appeared in the midst of them.

They considered Him to be a Spirit, but Jesus corrected them. He told them, “A Spirit DOES NOT have flesh and bone (form and substance) as ye see that I have.” Here is emphasis to the same truth He had presented to Nicodemus--flesh CANNOT see Spiritual things! Paul put it in these words: “We look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things that are seen are temporal, while the things that are not seen are eternal.”--2 Cor.4:18 Now we have been exposed to two concepts about God--one, “God is thought” (Logos, Word, expression of thought).

Understand most emphatically: I do not mean man’s thought; this Logos is before the world was. All of creation is the result of this Logos, for without Him was nothing made that was made. The other concept is a direct result of the words of Jesus. He said, “God is Spirit.” These are not divergent thoughts, they are tangential to each other--they join.

This Spiritual concept of God is borne out in the opening pages of the Bible, “...and the SPIRIT of God moved upon the face of the deep.” Again, we read that God walked and talked with Adam in the cool of the day. The word, “cool” is literally translated “wind.” This takes on added interest when we listen to the words that Jesus used when He spoke to Nicodemus. He told Nicodemus of the wind and then He said, “...so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Again, we have reference to “...a rushing mighty wind...” on the day of Pentecost. This was the time that God gave Himself to “whosoever believeth” according to the words of Jesus.

I hope you are beginning to understand what I mean when I say it is difficult to find words that explain God. The words we use conjure up to our mind the picture of physical, material things, not Spiritual things. One must say, “Yes, God is Spirit,” and then understanding WILL come. To recognize that God is Spirit is to also recognize that in Jesus we are Spiritual creatures. Having taken this step of faith, we begin to understand that we can neither know nor be like God unless we yield to and listen to the Spirit. As we become more aware of this Spirit (God) that dwells within us, we will become more aware of the diametric difference between the concepts, or thoughts of the flesh (things of this world) and that which pertains to the Spirit (that which is of the kingdom of heaven).

When we begin to understand something of the nature of God, we begin to see how He CANNOT BE ANYTHING BUT SPIRIT! To begin, God is all, and He is in all. I do not mean He is in all people. He is only in those who “invite” Him in. It is His Presence that is everywhere. Listen to the words of the Psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day it uttereth speech--there is no land where its cry is not heard.” Again, the words of the Psalmist, listen: “Whither shall I go from thy SPIRIT, or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, even there shall thine hand lead me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me...”-- Psa.139:7-11 You see, God is everywhere! Of course, you say--you know that! But, NO PERSON with form or substance, according to our knowledge of form and substance, CAN EVER BE ALL PLACES AT ALL TIMES BUT GOD CAN BE. God is Spirit; He is the Holy Spirit; He is the Comforter. He is the Spirit of Truth that Jesus said shall be in you forever.

Knowing this, we come into a more complete understanding of Jesus. We see a very real meaning to the term “Messiah” or “Christ.” These words mean simply this, “The Anointed One of God.” The miracle of God’s anointing is that the Anointed One enters into a new Life source! Jesus did just this and He became the “First-BORN among many brethren.” Paul speaks of this miracle as it takes place within us in these words: “If the Spirit (God) who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, this same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also make alive YOUR mortal bodies BY HIS SPIRIT that dwells in you.” Again Paul, writes, “If any man be in Christ he IS a new creature...” Jesus, speaking of those who believe His Word said, “They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.” Paul echoes this thought in his letter to the Romans; he says, “You are not in the flesh if so be the Spirit of God dwells in you.” What a tremendous thing the anointing of God is! We are made NEW by the presence of God in our lives (Christ in you). John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost (God) and with fire.” This baptism is not a symbol as was John’s; here we must understand the true meaning of “baptism.” It means to be immersed--to be changed by immersion. We are baptized, immersed, and changed in God by Jesus Christ. That’s what Jesus did for us! That’s what He said would happen: “At that day ye shall KNOW that I am IN the Father and He is IN me and I am IN you.” It happened on the day of Pentecost for “whosoever” will believe the words of Jesus. Spirit baptism then means total and complete IDENTIFICATION with the Father in the Son. It means ONENESS.

God anointed Jesus, and so it was that the Word (God) became flesh and dwelt among us. We saw the man, we beheld His glory--He was full of grace and truth. We received the fullness of God’s Life, even as Jesus received the fullness of God. We have received it because Jesus gave it to us. Jesus prepared a place for us to abide and He promised that when it was prepared He would “Come again and receive us to Himself, so that where I am there ye may be also.” This place has been prepared; we may dwell in the Father’s house NOW! But no one will dwell there unless He dwells in Christ--we are HID with Christ in God. We will not dwell in Christ if we do not recognize the Spirit because “Flesh and blood cannot inherit (have any part of) the kingdom of God.” Satan would love to keep us from doing this and so he has caused us to turn again to the “weak and beggarly elements of the world.” He has caused us to turn from Spirit thought and to consider things as a man (according to this world). He has focused our attention on form and substance, and he says, “There is your God. To learn Him you must divide Him--He is three. Only then will you understand Him. He is too great, too vast for you to ever know Him in His entirety. Learn Him in parts--learn Him as God, the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost...” Then, because we are men and have learned the ways of the world better than the ways of God--we divide God in our thoughts. It’s true, we say, “These three are one,” but the damage has been done. We have brought God down to the plane of form and substance; we have made Him like ourselves. We have a form of worship, but we have lost the power of the Spirit.

Israel knew that there was only one God; their cry was, “Hear, oh Israel, the Lord our God is one.” They were confused and rebellious when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Israel’s ignorance was that they did not know the miracle of the new birth. They did not know their God was Spirit, and so they crucified Jesus. Israel said He blasphemed, but what the flesh says is blasphemy is truth in the Spirit of God. God did make Jesus equal with Himself. He also gave ALL His Sons His Life. This Life is a Divine Life--an eternal Life.

Today we accept the man Jesus, but we have neither understood nor accepted the miracle of being made One with God. We have divided God, so naturally we will divide ourselves from God.

We cannot feel righteous because we live in ourselves. Our only righteousness is in Christ; we must dwell in Him or we can have no part in Him. God MADE Him to be my righteousness, my wisdom, my salvation, my redemption--in fact, He is all things to me. Without Him I am nothing. It is only as I am IN Christ that I am a new creature, and Christ is in God.

One final thing Jesus prayed. He prayed that we would be made one with the Father even as He was one with the Father. In this way, He said, we would be perfect.

If we believe that Jesus was made one with the Father (there was no doubt in Jesus mind).

He said, “I and the Father are one,” then we know that He has prepared our place of abiding in the Father. He HAS received us to Himself because only in Him do we have this new Life. “God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

One Foundation

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:50:30 GMT

Whenever I write, or when I talk, or whenever I give counseling to anyone, I always have the same basic foundation.

That is, that in Christ, we have become a new kind of being. We are born of the Spirit; and because of this, we live in God. He is our life.

I believe that everything stems from this Truth. The Bible tells me that I am not my own, I am bought with a price.

That means that I belong to God. The Bible also says that it is God who works in me, both willing and doing His good pleasure. It seems that all along, I was trying to do things myself. Then I discovered that it wasn’t me; it was God doing things through me! There is something that I can do and no one else can do it for me, not even God. When some people asked Jesus what they could do to do the work of the Father, Jesus answered them quite simply. He said, “This is the work of the Father that you believe on Him whom He has sent.” The Bible tells me that there is no other Name, given under Heaven, whereby man might be saved.

Jesus told me this: “In my Father’s House are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. And, if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” So many people today think that this will happen sometime in the future, when we die and go to Heaven. But if I listen to what Jesus has to say, He intimates that it will happen while I am yet in this World! He told the Disciples that it was necessary: “For your sake that I go away, be¬cause if I don’t go away, the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, will not come.” One of the Disciples asked Jesus how it was that He would reveal Himself to them and not to the World. This sounds to me that whatever was going to happen would happen in this World. Jesus answered this way, “If a man love me, he will keep my commandments. My Father will love him and we will make our abode with him.” This happens while we are in this World.

Again, He said this as He talked to His Father concerning the matter. “Father, I do not pray that You should take them out of the World, but I do pray that You will keep them from the evil that is in the World.” Regarding the reason for our being in this World--here is what Jesus said, “So that the World may know that You have loved them as much as You love me.” How can these things be? It is so, because while I am yet in this World, He has made me One with Himself.

The Bible tells me that God has “accepted me in the beloved.” It is as I reflect this “Oneness,” that the World sees a difference between the way I think and the way they think. If I don’t accept my position in God, which is the result of being born again, the World sees me as following nothing more than another religion.

I submit to you, that the most important thing, in your life and my life is to know that we have been made to be a new Creature, and that we live in God! God is in us, and working through us.

We do not belong to ourselves because we have given ourselves to God. He is our Life! The more I realize that He is my Life, the more I will love Him. When I accept Him as my Life, I accept Him in all my ways.

I am very repetitious when it comes to talking about this Truth. I dare not forget it. Unless I know this, within my heart, not my mind, I get caught up with the things I normally and habitually do in this World. When this happens, I do not think about being a new creature. I forget that this flesh is being made alive by God. When I forget that I also forget that I died with Jesus on Calvary. I dare not forget that death because that is the only death that freed me from sin.

If I died on Calvary there must be a way for me to be alive today. To believe Jesus is the only work that I can do for my Father. I have said that He is my Life. The Bible tells me that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead will make alive my mortal body. Again, the Bible says, “We believe that if we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him.” Put all of these things together and I keep coming back, time and time and time again, to the fact that I live in God! With my whole life I can acknowledge these things to be true, in everything that I do. If I do not believe that He is my Life, how can I acknowledge Him as such? The Bible says that if you are going to come to God, you must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. If you are going to acknowledge Him as Lord of your life, or any part of it, for that matter, you must know that He loves you, He leads you, and that He is living in you--right this instant!! You belong to Him, and, you can trust Him because you know you belong to Him.

This really isn’t very hard to understand. When I was a child I had no ability to care for myself. I trusted my parents. I never questioned, “Can you take care of me?” It was their job, their responsibility. To question never entered my mind. I belonged to them. It is not an unusual thing to expect; if you belong to Jesus, He will take care of you. I look to Jesus for all of my life. I have to keep this Truth always before me, If I don’t, my mind lets it slip because my mind is not tuned to the things of God. My mind does not know a thing about Spirit. If I am to know the things of God with my mind, I must bring every thought to the Lord and say, “Listen to what God has to say. Only that is the Truth.” I have to live that way. If I don’t bring every thought to the Lord, pretty soon the habits of the World take over. Then, those thoughts rule me and direct me. Soon I am wrapped up in the bondage of the World. The World doesn’t think God’s thoughts. I will never know the joy of the Lord unless I let His thoughts direct my life.

If I want to enjoy my new Life, I must bring my thoughts to Him. When I think like God thinks--when I let His thoughts prevail in me--my attitude will be effervescing with the love and joy and assurance of God’s own nature. My whole life will be changed because of the power of God’s Word in me. It affects every phase of my existence on earth. So that is why it is characteristic of me to come back to that point over and over again. I think that it is the only foundation on which I can live eternally. In Christ, we are secure always.

Only Two Sources

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:49:50 GMT

To know that Satan is bound and that, as a child of God, we are free of him is a wonderful thing. But, as in everything else we receive from the Lord, we do not have it unless we take it. The sad part of it is that many Christians do not recognize Satan when they see him.

Quite often man is sold upon the idea that there are three forces--God, Satan, and himself. As a result of this philosophy, he blames himself for many of his shortcomings. There is no way out of the dilemma.

The truth of the situation is that there are only two forces--God and Satan. Satan is hid from us until we see Christ. Therefore no man can see Satan unless he first sees Christ. Those areas where I do not recognize Satan are areas where I do not recognize Christ. Only the Light of God exposes Satan. So the first thing I want to be sure of is, “Do I know Christ?” One of ways Satan comes against many Christians is he gets them to studying the Bible in the same way they would study any other text. This is an odd thing to say, but it is true: It is fine to study the Bible and to become familiar with it, but that is not the way to an overcoming life. You may read the Bible from cover to cover, not once but many times. You may be able to quote it at great length and still be in darkness and death.

Unless the Spirit of God gives understanding to the Bible, it is not understood. Men have gone to great lengths to understand.

They study the original Greek manuscripts and they arrive at an academic understanding of the scriptures, but there is not the power of God that gives life to the soul in their speech. They are bound, bound in the spirit just as surely as they would be bound in the flesh if fetters were placed upon them--God does not bind! Paul said to the Corinthians that he did not come to them with excellency of speech, nor enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. This is the pattern of God, and any deviation from this precept is of Satan.

Man cannot of his own ability draw men to Christ, only God’s Spirit can perform this job. Man studies and learns a pattern and tries to follow it. No plan, however well thought out, can replace the leading of God. God knows the hearts of men. He is anxious that men should come to Him. He has the words of reconciliation and man will be reconciled to God only as he speaks God’s word--note the mere repetition of it, but a speaking from a heart that is full of it--all else is of Satan.

Perfection is Only in the Spirit

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:49:14 GMT

Let this truth be known to all those who would walk with God and do His will. Perfection is not in the flesh. No organization is perfect and no individual is perfect. When we learn this truth, we will look to the proper place for perfection. Perfection is only found in Jesus Christ, and it is not the perfection of the flesh. Our eyes will be turned from people to Christ. We will neither seek God in people nor the church organizations, but we will seek Him within the confines of our own heart. There, and only there, will we find Him.

As he fills our heart, He will fill our world, so that we can see His purpose and His way in all that is done. We will see the meaning of His Word, because we see Him. Our understanding will be enlightened with the knowledge of God, so that we will neither be discouraged nor afraid; but we will know clearly the paths of righteousness in which we must walk.

The division of principalities and powers will be clearly defined so that we can accept and use that which God means for us to accept and use. And we will turn from all that is not of God, whether it be in people or in church; but we will not remove ourselves from the people of the world. Rather we will give ourselves to them, knowing that Christ is in us and that He is the only One to provide us a place that is reconciled to God.

Church and people will not be strangers to us, but the man who has Christ established in his heart, will be among those who have need of Christ, because he can see the need, and he knows that it is in his power to give that which is needed.

The man who has Christ established in his heart, has no need for the material organizations of man--they have need of him. He will not become entangled with the tentacles of organization because they would bind him, and he dare not allow himself to be bound. He will be like Paul, who persistently went to the Synagogue; and like Paul, as long as he stays within the confines of what is already accepted and believed, he himself will be accepted and believed. But let him go beyond the limits of tradition, and reveal Christ, and there will be an erupting of forces, a clashing of ideas, and a division will take place. God will reveal Himself to the hungry heart, and they will never again be the same.

Even as Paul rapidly fell into disfavor with many of the Church Authorities of his day, so will the man fall into disfavor with many of the people of the churches today.

So the man will not stay away from the church just because he may not be accepted. He will not become discouraged when they reject his Words because he knows that it is not his Word, but God’s. He knows that God’s Word is a Seed, that when once planted in a hungry heart will grow and bring forth fruit. So even though there are many who are not hungry, there are some that are, and Jesus came to satisfy the hungry. The man, who knows that Christ is thoroughly established in his heart, will not withhold Him from those who are hungry just because there are those who will oppose Him.

Jesus came to His own, and His own received Him not. Yet He remained faithful in Love; and, therefore, the Seed was planted in my heart. Jesus came to seek out those who were lost, and to bring salvation to them. How can I do less?

Pioneers

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:48:44 GMT

Pioneers settled this country. They left their familiar surroundings and set their face toward that which they did not know. They faced difficulties, deprivations and death, yet they did not turn back; there was always a promise of something better that called them.

They were not necessarily courageous; they were just looking for something better than that which they had, and they carried an unshakable conviction that it lay in the direction they were going.

They reached the land of their dreams, and then their labors began. They fought and worked to establish themselves; and because they proved the land, others came.

The Pioneers settled this country in humility. They were not conscious of the greatness of their exploits. There was within them a promise of something better, and they believed in their dreams enough to live by them.

There have always been Pioneers.

Abraham was a Pioneer. He was a Pioneer in believing God, not a god of this world, not a fabricated image of some man’s fancy, but he believed in an invisible God, One who was somehow above all else. He believed that this God was Supreme in all things and was possessed of far greater love and authority than anything that had ever touched his life.

This God called Abraham to live in a new land.

Abraham left the familiar places of his dwelling and journeyed to that which was unknown to him simply because he believed God. His life was changed. He was surrounded by a new environment. He was a stranger in the land of his living. He lived a confident life because he believed in a great God.

He encountered difficulties and found that there were decisions to make. They were inconsequential to him because he believed in a God who was Supreme.

Abraham was a Pioneer. He lived in a land that did not share his belief in an Almighty God. He was in the midst of strange people, but he lived with a peace and confidence that made him a man apart from those about him. He lived this way because he believed God.

Others came after him. They lived in this same land. They lived here because Abraham had lived here. They did not share the peace and joy that was Abraham’s because they did not live in faith.

It was Abraham who believed God; therefore God said, “I will count Abraham a righteous man.” There are Pioneers today. They are Spiritual Pioneers. They are the ones who dare to leave the familiar surroundings of religious conventions and strike out to that which is unknown, unexplored, and unexplained because they believed God.

It is a new land; there is no familiar ground. We will possess this land only AS we believe God.

The Pioneer will confess God’s Word as true; he will believe God’s Word is true, and he will ACT accordingly. He will be buffeted about by circumstances; he will be mocked by people and criticized by friends, but he will remain firm in his faith in God.

Because he believes in God, he will have peace in the midst of turmoil, and he will be righteous in the sight of God.

Because he believes God, he has been removed from all condemnation. He will not allow condemnation to enter his thoughts even though there are those who say he erred in his ways. He knows his love is fixed on God.

He is not in himself perfect, but the Pioneer in God dares to believe God and claims the perfection that has been given him.

He lives with his faith in God in the midst of a world that does not believe God.

He lives in an environment of doubt; therefore it is an environment of unrighteousness. He lives safely and securely because he believes God. He is in the world, but not of it. He is not of the world, so therefore he is free from the bondage of the worldly circumstances that surround him.

Despair is not of God; it is of the world; therefore, despair is not part of the Pioneer’s life--he lives in faith.

Unrighteousness is of the household of doubt; the Pioneer is a child of faith; and because of his faith, he is righteous in the eyes of God.

The Pioneer lives in a land of doubt, yet he is not a part of it. He lives his life possessed of a peace and endowed with a joy that is unknown, unexplored, and unexplained to those who inhabit the materialistic world of the “show me’s.” Because the Pioneer moves in faith, and does not doubt, others will follow. And as they step out into that which they cannot see, they too will find themselves transported into a new realm wherein dwells peace, and joy and righteousness. They Live in a Spiritual Kingdom because they have met the King.

They have found God.

Plot a Sure Course

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:48:07 GMT

Things have a way of being shaken up and then settling down. This happens over and over again. I guess this is just the way life is. The important thing seems to be what emerges clearly when things settle down. What are our values at times like this? For many people who do not have Christ, there seems to be no well-defined standard. This makes it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to locate yourself and plot a course. You’ve got to be able to get a solid fix on something, if you are to have any direction to your life. So it’s important to see clearly after the storm.

Quite frequently man emerges, in his own eyes, supreme. The situation has been met, the standard is the individual, so quite naturally he has done that which is right as far as he can see. This type of a man will never be able to lay a straight course to any objective, because he is the goal of all objectives. He is his own perfection, there is none like unto him.

Another man sees values a bit differently, his family becomes his standard. Nothing shall be attempted unless it is for the good of his clan, those who are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. The ones he loves, these are his standard. They are the fix-points of his navigation. This is commendable, but here too is the great blindness of man made evident. He is interested in only that with which he is intimately associated. This man has broadened his horizons over that of the purely ego-centric individual, but he is still limited to a very small field of operations. He is transient in time and his boundaries are limited by the emotions he feels, so that in a sense, although on a higher ethical plane, he too becomes a victim of his ego-centricism.

To plot a sure course through eternity, we must have some pretty stable fix-points. They must, of course, be outside of ourselves, and they must be free of and above all that we influence. This standard, if it changes, will be of an infinitely greater degree of stability than the individual, as to seem in comparison, unchangeable. Such a standard is Christ.

One cannot of his own free will say, “I shall think of Christ, and thereby gain that which I need. The basic thought represented in this is still the basic ego of man. “I will do this, therefore, I will gain.” Yet it is imperative, if direction is to be given our lives, that Christ shall emerge clear and distinct in all of the crises of our life. How can this be accomplished? It isn’t a mental process. This would emphasize the “I” again. This ego must be destroyed, because he cannot see outside himself. You have to see the ego for what it is--a blinding thing that makes us unable to see the presence of anything else. This removes direction from our navigating and we become doomed for destruction. This is the path upon which man was placed by his first parents, and he cannot remove himself from it.

The desire to escape destruction will not be our salvation, because here again is the ego being predominate. There is a peculiar thing about Christ, that is, the way He works. It’s true that in Him we do escape the destruction that comes from death, but the desire to escape destruction will never place us within the fold. God has set up certain rules, and He doesn’t deviate from them. He allows Himself to be regulated only by the laws of justice that He has established.

The transgression of His law, He terms a sin, and sin shall be punished. He is not moved by pity, as men know pity, but is, in the eyes of His created creatures, inflexible. But, this is as it should be. You see, He rules eternity and He has complete jurisdiction over it.

Even though it is His desire that we share eternity with Him, He decrees that we shall be of like mind and nature as Himself or we shall never enter in. From reading the scriptures we gather that it is unthinkable for man to suppose that he could enter this realm for purely selfish reasons. If man should be allowed to bring his own will into the realm of eternity, then there would be conflict, then there would be the will of God and the will of man. These two are in opposition to each other, and the one can never be subject to the other.

God decrees that this is the way it should be, but how is man to enter? It could only be by a perfect man, one after His own heart. So He conceived, by His Spirit in a woman, and a man was brought forth, one who in every way, even unto death, said, “Not my will but Thine be done.” This attitude was a pleasing one to God, because it was given by love. This is the only thing that can cause one to offer everything he has to another. There is no reservation in love’s giving; always love’s surrender is complete.

Here, then, is indicated the only approach to God: Love, not love for your fellow man, not the do-good attitude that characterizes the philanthropist, but a love for God.

This is a secure key to the things of God. The very nature of love is such, that it can’t be generated by our own desires. Man can see certain traits in his fellow man; and because of these, he can respect certain people, but it is not in his power to generate love within himself. Love is a mysterious thing, it defies definition. Poets have told of its bliss ever since men first learned to communicate with each other. Still no one knows what it is.

It is old, yet eternally new. Why?--because it is a gift of God.

Now, without this love no one can come to God. Any other approach is an approach clothed in man's desire, man's will. We are "born again" not because of our will power, not by any blood rituals, or ceremonies, not because of any fleshly sacrifices, but solely and entirely by the power that is God's. God loves us much, with a perfect love, and an enduring love, a love that knows no boundaries, and it was this love that provided the Christ, our entrance into the realm of things eternal.

So here it is: God holds the keys to the Kingdom. No one can enter without a certain requirement, and this is given only by God. It is His selective choice. “Who then, can be saved?” you say. You feel that God has decided you are not the one and there’s no use trying.

Here is the most ingenious test in God's whole plan. The outcome of this test lies solely with you. It is a subtle one, but one that reveals the true path that man wants to take. It gives no heed to what man says, it takes no thought of a man’s creed, it is not influenced by his stated philosophy. It has to do solely with the will of man.

The picture is something like this: man’s flesh is made a physical creature, while God is Spiritual. So immediately, here are two orders of being. The nature of the physical is that of tangibility; for proof of things, this nature demands like tangibility: I must see, I must feel, I must taste, and so on.

Not so is the nature of the Spirit. The Spirit demands faith above all things, an abstract quality--the very opposite of man’s nature. Tangible things die, only the Spirit is eternal, so man needs the Spirit, but his nature cannot understand or accept an intangible. Man’s struggle to survive has impressed him with the thought that he is supreme, and the highest order of being. Anything that infringes upon this assumption is contrary to man’s will. Inasmuch as the infringement is brought about by an intangible; it is only logical to natural man to shun such feeling.

And “feeling” it is. God allows His Spirit to move into the heart. This Spirit can bring an uneasy state, cause a sense of inequality, a feeling that all is not well. In short, this Spirit brings conviction, not of anyone thing, but just conviction because you don’t yield to it. Man feels the condemnation of this conviction and he doesn’t like it. He becomes uncomfortable and is seized with a desire to defend himself. Being a physical creature, he analyzes what he has done. He comes up with the conclusion that he isn’t so bad, and therefore this uneasiness, this conviction, does not have substance to his logic, it must not be considered.

What happens when a man pays attention to this convicting Spirit? Two things mainly: he can recognize that this Spirit is from God; and in a sense he should do something of a religious nature. So perhaps he goes to church, or he becomes a bit more severe in his self-discipline; perhaps he feels he should soften his attitude to those about him. In short, he feels that there is room for improvement in his life; and here’s the rub, he sets about doing it.

The other thing that can happen when a man recognizes that this conviction is brought about by the Spirit of God is to say like Paul, “Lord, what will you have me do?” There are several things to understand here: first and probably foremost is the fact that this question came from a willing heart. People can be forced to the point of voicing this question, but unless it comes willingly, the obedience that follows will be grudgingly given. The nature of the Spirit of God is one of gentleness, and the cognizance taken of the Spirit and the yielding of this Spirit must come of our own free will. There is no coercion by the Spirit.

The next thing that is of importance here is the title “Lord.” This indicates a complete realization of the comparative relation between the two parties: One supreme, the other subjected. Here again force is not used to subjugate.

Nothing but the Spirit of God has been used to bring about this attitude of humble inquiry as to God’s will for this life.

When a man heeds the gentle insistence of the Spirit, and reacts in this fashion, then he is ready to be dealt with by God, because he has come of his own free will.

This is God’s “elective service” program.

Having come of his own free will, he realizes something should be done, but by his questions he is saying, “I don’t know what to do.” There is recognition of the fact that his intelligence and ability are not the infallible things he thought them to be. And recognizing the Spirit he says, “Lord what will you have me do?” This has not yet brought a man to the place of rebirth in the Spirit; this has just brought him to the realization of his needs and recognition of the Supplier of these needs. It is then God reveals Himself to man; and in the light of this knowledge is born a love for God. Man sees himself a sinner of the vilest nature. This is not based upon his deeds, as in any way connected with what he has done. He sees himself a sinner simply and solely BECAUSE he sees Christ. This is the only way any man can ever see himself a sinner.

The foreordained reaction when man sees Christ is that he is mightily humbled in his own eyes. Pride dwells within himself, and seeing Christ deals self a crushing blow. Man’s decision is now up to him--accept his position before the Lord, and accept the Christ (He came to remove sin), or do as the rich young man did, turn from the Lord and walk sorrowfully away.

You see, God tests your spirit, do you recognize His Spirit? There He reveals to you your pride, and in these two things He has a sure key to your innermost desire.

The nature of this action determines first your acceptance and recognition of the Spirit of God, then your spiritual attitude is determined by your reaction to this Spirit. Finally your conscious acknowledgement of the Spirit is indicated by your willingness to comply with the Spirit. When God finds these things satisfactory, He causes the miracle of rebirth to take place in your heart.

The original problem we are dealing with is: How can our lives be so lived that Christ will emerge as the dominant figure in all the storms of life? The main truth is that He will not fill this position unless we are born again. I hesitate to use the phrase “really born again.” because you either are or you are not.

One can become rather frustrated if he tries to become born again--only the Power of God brings this about. Many people today try to bring this about by the things they think or do. But philosophy and action are not the ways to Eternal Life. Often we become confused by the lack of power displayed by one who is seemingly above reproach.

The truth of the whole situation is that God does not look on the outward appearance, nor is He influenced by our words. HIS LOOK IS ON THE HEART.

When this heart desires the things of God, not for any individual reason of self-preservation, but solely because it is the things of God, then God creates the heart anew, one after His own desires, not ours. He makes our heart Spiritual; and because He is Spirit, He Lives and rules within this new heart.

Then, and only then, is He dominant in all things, because there is nothing left but the Spirit.

Prologue for Today

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:47:16 GMT

have seen so many people who are weary and downhearted and discouraged, waiting and longing for the deliverance that they feel should come from God; and yet somehow, it never seems to arrive. I have seen people be overcome because they waited so long and yet did not receive.

I have heard words that were meant for comfort become words of damnation because they were not God’s words. They were based on the physical things of this world. Words that are put off until tomorrow what God intends for today are words of defeat. They should never be heard from the lips of the believer.

But it is because the believer does not know what to believe. He has lived in a world of flesh and has forgotten that he is a new Creature, one that is freed from the bondage of this world. He has forgotten, or perhaps was never aware of the fact that in order to live in the new he must consider the old as being no more. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life, for my sake, the same shall find it.” So I can be no more me. The spirit of the evil one that blinded my eyes and then led me as he would is no more the one who tells me what Life and joy is. God is now in me, I am living because of His Life, and I am living today. Many times Satan would desire to overcome me, and he does this by the circumstances around me. He does not tell me that the Life of God is in me now, but he would encourage me to believe that tomorrow my deliverance will be complete. He would say that tomorrow things will be better.

But to me, this is not so; my God is in me today. He has said to me that now I am His Son. He tells me that of His fullness I have already received. Yesterday is past, and tomorrow is not yet come, but my God is with me now. I rejoice in this fact. After all, today is what really matters.

Recognizing the Voice of the Lord

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:46:34 GMT

I have a feeling that most people would be glad to obey the voice of the Lord, if they knew for sure that it was the voice of the Lord. The big problem that confronts the individual is how he can be sure of the Lord’s voice when he does hear it. This business of identifying the many impulses experienced by our human natures is a problem well worth our consideration. It is a little difficult to lay down any hard and fast rules to cover all situations, so the next best thing is to observe what has already happened, and to study and observe the surrounding circumstances.

Samuel, as a child, in the house of Eli, heard the voice of God. Even though he could understand this voice, he was not aware of its origin. This happened several times, and each time Samuel went to Eli and asked, “Did you call?” Finally, Eli became aware of the fact that something was happening. Therefore he instructed the child that if he heard the voice again, it would be the Lord, and he should act accordingly. Here was a case where the identity was made by an elder person. On the surface it would seem that all that is necessary is, when in doubt, go to your Pastor and receive instruction. Let us investigate the surrounding facts of the case, and discover for ourselves the wisdom of such action.

It turns out that Eli was not too sharp an instructor. The incident had to be repeated two or three times before it dawned upon him how to tell the child. There is lost time here. If we want an immediate identification, and many times the situation demands immediate attention, if this is the case, then we are placing ourselves in a place of Spiritual jeopardy when we rely upon the wisdom of another. It was imperative that Abraham hear and know God’s voice when he raised the knife to slay his son Isaac. God said, “Stop, I will provide!” The urgency of this situation is apparent.

Furthermore, Eli failed God, both in rearing his children and in the administration of the things of God. His service to God was not of the caliber demanded, and soon his life was ended. He no longer was a source of Spiritual instruction. Samuel now had to rely on Spiritual knowledge obtained “FIRST HAND.” This is, after all, the ONLY SURE WAY to deal with Spiritual things.

The preparatory groundwork for Gideon’s exploits with the Lord provides some rather interesting discoveries along this line. There was a dividing line in his experience that was clear cut and Spiritual. His effort in the Lord was successful from that moment on. This was because every step he made, he made at the direction of God.

Furthermore he knew it was God. There was no doubt in his mind, and no hesitation in his actions. This is what we need today! How can we attain this state? I believe that if we follow the same spiritual direction that Gideon followed, we can not help but arrive at the same destination. What is the story? What is this direction? You will find it contained within the first twenty four verses of the Sixth Chapter of Judges. The key verses to be considered are the Seventeenth through the Twenty-fourth.

Let us consider the development in this manner. Gideon was not so much of a fellow as far as being a National hero was concerned. His family was very poor, and he rated the least in his family. Not a very impressive figure to be sure.

The story introduces him while he is hiding his actions from possible enemy observation. He was threshing, so it must have been harvest time, and we have read how the enemies of Israel swarmed the land at this time to ransack it.

Gideon was trying to salvage a bit of wheat. Such is the scene to which we are introduced.

His Spiritual environment gives us some grounds for speculation. He was raised in a home that was at least sympathetic to the gods of Canaan, because his father had erected an altar to Baal, a heathen God, and had allowed a grove to be dedicated to these heathen gods, and used as a place of worship. On the other hand, he was aware of the laws of God, and of the fact that the presence of God meant the blessing of God. We hear him conversing with a heavenly visitor, and asking why it was that if God was really with Israel, all this trouble was theirs. So all in all, we find Gideon to be a pretty average fellow. It was with this “average fellow” that God worked, and it was through him that God delivered Israel. There was some preparation, however.

This preparation came about by the manifestation of a Heavenly visitor. Instructions were given Gideon that he was to be the one to save Israel, and the promise was given that the Lord would be with him. The significant thing here is that Gideon did not know that this WAS an Angel of the Lord. Without question he realized the authority with which the stranger spoke, and was willing to comply with the request made. He wanted, asked for and received authority for himself. He asked the stranger for a sign corroborating their conversation.

And right here is where we learn something.

Gideon possessed a characteristic of facing the facts squarely. This is indicated by the expressed thought that if the Lord was with Israel, “Why then all the oppression?” Gideon knew definitely the things that would be evident if God was with them. These things were not evident, therefore, the logical conclusion--God is not with us. There was no pride evident, no living in past glory, just a knowledge of the facts as they existed. Actually, if we would face facts the same way regarding our Spiritual status, we would experience things that would move, not only us closer to God, but those around us as well. Many people embellish the truth of their existence, and attempt to accept as truth, something that does not exist. This individual, of course, has no strength with the Lord, because he is not willing to recognize his need. This man never knows whether or not he is in God’s will. He is never sure of the identity of God’s voice, nor does he know God’s plan, therefore, his confidence does not constitute a very solid platform. Inasmuch as faith is built upon this platform of confidence, we find this lacking in his life as well.

Gideon’s strength was made evident because he faced the facts, and so also will our strength bring us to God as we face the Spiritual facts that position our life.

Gideon heard the instructions of the Angel of the Lord. Even though he did not perceive the Divine origin of his visitor, he was ready to acknowledge his authority. This in itself was not enough, Gideon wanted some sign that this conversation took place, and so he asked for it.

Many folk today claim to have talked with God, yet there is no corroboration of this conversation as far as their lives are concerned. They continue as they were before, partaking of the things of the world, irresponsible in their conversation, negligent in their daily living.

Abraham had his visit with the Lord manifested by the fact of his leaving Chaldea. Jacob forcibly detained an Angel of the Lord, and carried the evidence of his determination the rest of his life. Gideon asked for a sign, and this is what happened.

Gideon performed an act of courtesy to this visitor, and prepared him an offering of meat, bread and broth. The offering was accepted, but it was accepted on the visitor’s terms. Furthermore, Gideon served it, not the way he thought it should be served, but the way the Angel told him to serve it. When Gideon complied with the instruction, the visitor reached forth his staff, touched the offering; and Gideon, in amazement, beheld fire consume his offering.

Here, surely, was a sign.

Many times when we ask God to give us a sign, we do not bring an offering; and God has nothing to work with. It is true, God might work in the lives of others, but that is not personal as far as we are concerned, and therefore lacks authority. The only time we really know the power of God, or the Presence of God, is when we personally experience it. We will never personally experience the power of God unless we bring a personal offering to the Lord. Many folk will say, “How do I know there is a God?” In order to know this, it is necessary to present yourself personally to the Lord. His dealings will then be with you personally. It is rather difficult to doubt that which you have personally experienced. Someone else might not understand, but it is certainly hard to doubt something that you have personally experienced.

Gideon asked this stranger for a sign. With his own eyes he saw fire come from the rock and consume his offering.

Not only that, he also saw the visitor disappear from his sight. Gideon was left alone. He had talked to this visitor, received instructions from him, given him an offering, he had seen the offering consumed. Now he was standing alone, no offering, no visitor, just the KNOWLEDGE of what he was to do. How was he going to tell people? There was nothing to show, he was standing alone. Believe me, he was afraid. It dawns upon him now that he had seen an Angel of the Lord. The Angel’s admonition to “go in this thy might,” was completely forgotten. His thoughts were far from delivering Israel, his life was to be forfeited; he had talked with an Angel of the Lord. No man could do this and live. He was afraid. Now he was the one that needed delivering.

Listen to what happened. The Lord, not an Angel, but the very Lord Himself, spoke to Gideon, not face to face, but in his heart. This Voice was made known to, not only his ears, but to his whole being. God spoke! Gideon knew it was God. God spoke directly to Gideon, “Peace be to you, be not afraid, thou shalt not die.” What wonderful words to hear from God, especially when you are afraid. What happened to Gideon? He knew what the score was now. He knew God’s plan, he knew the Voice of God. There was no doubt in his life from that day on. Why? This all happened because he brought an offering to the Lord.

Regarding Pain, Grief, Heartache, Sorrow

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:44:45 GMT

Jesus is Lord over that too! I don’t care how much it hurts, Jesus is greater. The problem is to hear Him--that requires listening.

The believer does not have to bear trouble. Jesus said, “Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” If you don’t come to Him in that thing that gives you trouble, you keep yourself outside the “rest” of God.

There is no mysterious force that keeps us from the knowledge of God--just ignorance. We haven’t yet heard His voice. We don’t really know God in that thing and so we naturally assume we have to handle it ourselves.

We want deliverance and we also want to be truthful. If it hurts, it wouldn’t be truthful to say it doesn’t hurt. Our senses say, “How can I possibly say I’m delivered when all about me I can see my problem?” Only one way--stop identifying yourself with circumstances.

The believer is born again, he is a new creature. He no longer needs to identify himself with the flesh. The body might be bound by the law of sin and death; but you, if you are born again, have been freed from the law of sin and death which is in your body. You are alive in God, and so after the inward man, you identify with the law of Life which is in Christ.

The only way this is going to be a reality to your physical senses is that you, the inner man, believe it to be so. When you believe in your heart that this is so, confess it with your mouth; and then whether you can see things happen or not, who cares; you have heard God’s voice and that’s enough.

Hearing God’s voice is the thing that generates faith within us, not the memory of something God said yesterday or to someone else, but hearing God’s voice to you today, right now, about the subject in question. That’s the thing that stops the mind cold! When God speaks, He speaks as Lord and everything, and I mean everything, bows down before His Word. So, when you hear God’s voice, you speak, but not before--that’s faking it.

When you hear God’s voice regarding any certain thing, you are no longer in ignorance about that thing. You now have God’s mind concerning the matter. So the responsibility is up to you. You can confess His Word or you can remain silent, but your confession will determine just where you live.

Rules One and Two

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:44:02 GMT

(DOES GOD MAKE MISTAKES?)

Here’s a thought that I scribbled down on the back of an envelope: “God suffers no setbacks.” I used to think that He had already experienced two--one, was when He had Lucifer turn on Him and He had to throw him and a third of the angels out of heaven. The second time was when He made Adam and Eve and had them turn from Him.

Then I began to know my God. I discovered that I had made a mistake. My error was to think that God made mistakes. He doesn’t. And that’s all that I put on the envelope. There’s more. To me this leads to some very important things: I don’t remember anyone teaching, or at least I have never heard anyone come right out and say God had made a mistake, either in regard to Lucifer’s origin or the disobedience of Adam and Eve, but it certainly is an easy thing to imply. Take the case, for instance, with Lucifer. If I am to believe what theology teaches me, I’m going to believe that Lucifer was God’s very best angel. Lucifer, I guess the only way to describe it, was God’s “right hand man.” Now, consider this, nothing was made that was made, that wasn’t made by God. “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.”--Isaiah 45:7. So the angels were God’s handiwork just as much as the earth is God’s handiwork; and man, and all that is, because God created all things.

Only one existed from the beginning and that was God. Everything came from Him. So, He made Lucifer.

Now for the mystery: From somewhere thoughts of rebellion came to Lucifer. Now, when thoughts of rebellion come to man, we say that, he is tempted, so, I guess one could say that Lucifer was tempted. At any rate, we are taught that he said in his heart, “I will be like the Most High.” Apparently the situation was pretty wide spread because we are told that a third of the host of heaven were finally cast out of heaven along with Lucifer, in order to bring the rebellion to an end. That’s a man-made tale! When you stop to think about it, it just doesn’t make sense. Angels are made to do God’s bidding. Whether or not they do God’s bidding is not dependent upon whether or not they want to. Angels are not made like man. Man has a will, he can say, “Yes, I will do what God wants me to do,” or he can say, “No, I won’t do what God wants to do.”--not so with the angels. When God sends an angel to minister to man, that angel does what God sent him to do. Angels do not have the ability to question their obedience to God; they are made to do as God directs them. Even as it is impossible for God to sin, it is impossible for His angels to disobey Him. If they had the power to disobey, you would never know for sure that the angel would do as he was told. Disobedience is a very human characteristic that man has ascribed to the angels. But, angelic disobedience is not the picture we get when we read the Bible. The Bible indicates that angels are ministering spirits sent to do the will of God.

Now, the next thing that seems inconsistent with this is that I’ve been taught that all rebellion comes from Satan, all sin comes from Satan, and I see this in the Bible. There is a clear cut line between good and evil--flesh and spirit, God and the devil. I see no place in the scriptures that indicates or even hints that Satan could ever do anything but what God allowed him to do.

The final, cumulative thing for me is what Jesus said. He said that the devil was a liar from when?--the BEGINNING.

And Jesus means “the beginning.” He wasn’t beautiful-- the highest archangel, or what, and then became the devil.

He was a liar from the beginning. He was made to be the devil, and God made him just exactly the way he is, just like He made the other angels to be the way they are.

If it is possible for the good angels to turn bad, then it is possible for the bad angels to turn good. So, let’s get on with it and pray for salvation for the devil!! It seems to me that this would be a good way to get rid of temptation, if, indeed, Lucifer was the source. But this belief doesn’t define the real source. Just how did it come about that Satan and a third of the host of heaven get infected with this urge for rebellion?? Just how does Lucifer’s rebellion bring glory to God?--that is supposing it was a rebellion? The next thing that I used to think was that God made man, specifically Adam and Eve, in His image and after His likeness, and, so help me, Adam went bad. He rebelled against God! His rebellion was disobedience. You see, disobedience is a form of rebellion. I look at what man’s doctrine has set up with both the devil and with Adam and Eve,and I find the same sin, the same problem in both cases--rebellion.

I think that the more I became aware of what God has done for me in taking me to Himself, the more I became aware of the fact that man’s theology, as taught in the religious organization with which I was familiar, just wasn’t right. The Bible indicates to me, that God doesn’t make mistakes. I think that the reason it tells me this is because it tells me that He is eternal. I can read the Bible and say that as He was yesterday, so is He today, and as He is today, so will He be tomorrow. That’s not original--the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

That’s good. That is something that you can depend on. That’s stability. Jesus said that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Word shall not pass away. The Bible teaches me that God is all wise, that He knows all things. This means that He knows the end of things and also their very beginning. I don’t. If I was the Creator of all things and all things came from me, then I would know all things. But, I am not, they don’t and I can’t even control today. But God is, can, and does.

In knowing all things, all things to Him are present; there is no such thing as time such as yesterday or tomorrow, so, therefore, there is no such thing as experience with God in that He has to learn how to be God. I have actually read about a school of thought that teaches that God is still learning how to be God, that He is actually a much better God today than He was two thousand years ago because He has had a lot more experience. Can you imagine? I am continually amazed at how far astray the mind of man can go. But it is only because he doesn’t know God.

Sometimes man makes a little mistake and sometimes he makes a really big one, but if he doesn’t know Jesus, he will never arrive at the Truth.

So, in knowing God, I came face to face with the fact that He doesn’t make mistakes. The fact that He is eternal means that if He was true one time, he is true all the time because He never changes. If He made a mistake one time, he would make a mistake all the time because He never changes. And so, I can not see this “mistake” business.

So that brought me face to face with the fact. Well, I had to find out why these things were.

It’s true that Adam did do that which God asked him not to do. I wonder why. And I have no doubt that there came a time of division when Satan and a third of the angels, that God had made for him to be separated from the rest and find their place upon the earth wherein God was going to place man. But the truth to me is paramount is that Satan was made for a purpose and he fulfilled that purpose. He never changed. He wasn’t one thing and became another.

He was what God made him to be from the very beginning. Likewise, Adam was what God intended that he should be from the very beginning.

So, now I find a different set of circumstances that I have to consider if I am to understand why Satan was the way he was and why Adam was the way he was. Now I have come to a place of learning that I have never been before. This place of learning, to me is based upon fact, a truth, that God doesn’t make mistakes. He is Eternal. He is always right.

It’s sort of like those two rules of industry: One: The Boss is always right.

Two: When you think the Boss is wrong, refer to Rule One. God is always right. If I think that He is wrong, I have to refer back to Rule One.

The next thing: Now I can talk about what I have learned because of Rules One and Two.

Securely Reconciled

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:42:50 GMT

I am confident of my position in Christ. I am at rest regarding the matter. There is nothing more to do.

I am confident because my place of abiding was prepared for me by Jesus and given to me by my Heavenly Father.

I do not frustrate my Father and say, “I am not accepted in the Beloved,” because His Word is that He made me accepted in the Beloved. I can not change my Father’s Word—nor do I want to.

My Father desires that I should speak words of reconciliation to those who are without the life of my God. He desires me to continue the effort of reconciliation that He began in Jesus.

I cannot tell of reconciliation unless I am reconciled. I cannot say to others, “Come, be reconciled to God,” when I say of myself—sometimes I am there and sometimes I am not.

I cannot reconcile others to God. Jesus could not reconcile others to God—it was God, who was in Christ, who was reconciling the world to Himself. Now He is in me, He is reconciling the world through me. It is now my privilege to speak the Words of reconciliation.

But I am reluctant to speak words of reconciliation unless I know I am reconciled. That which is external to my soul says, “You are not reconciled. You are weak—you stumble, you sin, you are not reconciled.

But I am born again. I have been brought to life by the Power of God. I am hid with Christ in God. I am of His Spirit. I am reconciled.

I am confident in my position in Christ because I had nothing to do with its preparation. It was provided for me by Jesus. I cannot maintain it because its structure is beyond my means.

Because of my need, I came to Jesus. God supplied and continues to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

My position in God is constant because it depends on Him and He is constant. My flesh is a creature of time. My today is not as yesterday, and tomorrow is hid from my eyes. I am fearful of tomorrow because I do not know what it will bring. But my Father is eternal. His knowledge is from my beginning to my ending. He changes not, and I have been reconciled to Him. His life is mine and so in Him I change not.

Because He is eternal, because he loves me, because He has reconciled me to Himself, because He changes not, I have rest, I have confidence, I am not afraid.

Seeing Is Believing

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:42:19 GMT

Can a man see what is invisible? The Bible says that faith is the evidence of things not seen (Heb.11:1). Then again it, says, “We walk by faith not by sight.”--2 Cor.5:7. This means that our walk is to be governed by the evidence of things not seen.

This is not a unique ability seeing the invisible; it is an ability that every man has.

The artist sees the picture and then puts it on canvas. The architect is the one who can see the building before the blue prints are drafted or the elevation drawn.

Behind every great movement, every great plan, are people who could see the invisible before it became a reality.

There is more to this, however, than just seeing. A man’s dream never takes shape, never becomes real unless he puts his mind to it.

The Scriptures say that we are to “look to Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.” It is necessary that we have faith because it is by faith that we see the future.

Sometimes the visible future does not hold much hope. We must look beyond the apparent and see the purpose of God. This was true of the Son of God who “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross--despising the shame.” He looks into your life right now as you are reading this article; and He sees you, not with your sorrows and weaknesses, your sickness and your failures, but He sees you powerful and triumphant over every difficulty. He sees you that way because He can make you that way if you will let Him rule your life.

You might think that is a pretty invisible thing--but Jesus didn’t think so; and if you will look to Jesus, you will find this invisible thing becoming a reality.

Of course, if you look at just the visible things, you’ve had it. There is not much help there. A man can look at circumstances with all their implications and complications and be overwhelmed by them. Or he can look to Christ and see the power of God.

He can look beyond the circumstances to the absolute integrity of God, and be more than a conqueror.

We can look to ourse1ves--or to Christ. The choice is ours. Each one of us must decide where we will look, what we will see. We can trust circumstances, or we can trust God!

Sign Posts

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:41:48 GMT

Have you ever been lost? I remember the first time I was in Boston was on a Sunday night about 11:30. I didn’t know exactly where I was, nor did I know for sure where I wanted to go. The streets seemed deserted. I was low on gas and couldn’t even find a gas station open. I was lost! There was just one thing to do--get a clearly defined goal, then find out where I was and how to get where I wanted to go. I finally found a “blue-coated” gentleman with a billy stick in his hand, who was willing to help me; but he had such a brogue, I could hardly understand him. I didn’t mind having him repeat his direction several times, because I wanted to be sure to reach my destination.

That man gave me directions; and once I understood him, it was relatively easy to keep myself located because he gave me “sign posts” along the way. I would drive so far; and just when I thought I was lost again, I would see a sign post, or a landmark, that the officer told me about, and I would be reassured.

Sometimes we feel a little lost going through life. There is really no need for this because we have the Bible to help us. It will tell us of certain sign posts to look for. If we listen to these truths, and understand them, we can pretty accurately plot our course. One of these sign posts is a truth that Jesus taught. It enables us to tell the direction we are going. Jesus said that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Sometimes we figure it to be pretty hard to be a Christian, and to have a clearly defined objective to our life. The reason for this is our “treasure” is scattered here and there. This treasure may be the family, your job, an education, being a good church member, or a thousand and one things, except Christ.

Only Christ gives Life, and only Life brings peace and contentment. This Life that Christ gives is a solid thing because it endures forever; and because of this, the peace is real and the contentment is long enduring. All this is ours if our treasure is placed in heaven. There it will last because there are no material things that will change and destroy it.

So the sign says, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” Which direction are your traveling? The road is plainly marked. Listen to this scripture: “They that are after the flesh do mind (think about) the things of the flesh: but they that are after the Spirit (mind, or think about) the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace.”--Romans 8:5-6

Stop Searching--Listen!

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:41:13 GMT

This world is a world based on time; all things have a beginning and an end.

In Colossians, we are told that the precepts of this world are based upon the rule of "touch not, taste not, and handle not." All of these things, it says, perish with the using. But God is not like that, He is Eternal.

When we receive Jesus, and accept Him as our Life, we receive the gift of God, which is Eternal Life. When we believe Jesus, we are accepted by God, and hid with Christ, in God. Our future, now, in Christ, is secure. The beauty of this is that I no longer have to look to the past to satisfy the longing and need that is in my heart. In Christ, the "old things have passed away," they are zilch---gone! God remembers them no more--why should I? Sometimes I forget this Truth, and try to find, in this world, that which is found only in God-- things like righteousness, and peace, and joy. These things are found only in God's Kingdom. They do not perish with the using! The 1st Psalm gives some straight talk about the qualifications of a Counselor. It says the Godly man is solid, stable and always ready with the "right stuff," because he meditates in the word of the Lord "day and night." He is dependable because he is like a tree that is planted by the waters. He will do the right thing because he brings forth fruit in its season. In fact, whatsoever he does shall prosper.

But the ungodly are not so. They are like the chaff that the wind blows away. They shall not stand in the judgment. Whatever they do shall perish. There is a place in the Bible that says, "There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof is the way of death." Actually, I can't see where this world can offer any lasting help for the aches and sorrows that plague us. Jesus, the one who knows, doesn’t see any help either. He said; "God has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, He hath sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to set at liberty them that are bruised." But still, the people, that think as this world thinks, struggle and labor to find this "rest and peace" by their own searching. STOP SEARCHING--LISTEN! Jesus said; "Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” How do you "come" to someone that you can't see? You believe God, you can’t see Him. so believe Jesus too. Listen to what the Bible says; "We reckon that our light affliction, (which is but for a moment) is not worthy to be compared to the eternal weight of Glory that shall be revealed in us, while we look, not at the things that are seen, but at the things that ARE NOT SEEN. For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are Eternal." That's the kind of Life that God gave us. It all fits. The Kingdom of heaven is righteousness and joy and peace in God. Then, just to make sure that we can enjoy these things, He receives us in His beloved and hides us with Christ in Himself. Now that's pretty wonderful!

Success

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:40:39 GMT

Moses was a man that knew what he wanted to do, but he started wrong. He started wrong because he started in the belief that he had the ability to accomplish his mission.

He failed! He fled to the desert, and it was there that he began to learn. He was stripped of all his former power and authority.

He had been raised to rule Egypt, but now he was just a shepherd. The only thing he had left was the desire to free his people, but hope for that had gone.

One day it came about that God spoke to him. He found that this desire of his that his people should be free was also God’s desire for him. Moses found that God expected him to do the job.

Moses probably remembered his previous failure. At any rate he began excusing himself. But God provided an answer to every excuse.

Moses believed God and went in the knowledge of God. This time he did the job according to the ability that God gave.

Sometimes you get to thinking whether or not you really amount to anything. The more you think about it, the bigger the question becomes. Sometimes we get to feeling pretty low.

The whole difficulty is that we have tried to live our life according to the standard of the world. You might as well face it--man was not made just to consider this life alone. Man was made for the purpose of fellowshipping with God. This gives rise to a nameless urge within man, nameless because man has judged it by the standards of the world.

The mind has no understanding of this urge, and so it was labeled “superstition.” This catalogued it for the mind, but it did not remove it from the heart.

The mind is afraid to seriously consider this urge because it knows that real success is not built upon materialism, but upon the Spirit of God.

When a man begins to listen to the things of God, he will begin to do the things God tells him to do. His mission will be accomplished because he has a Director that knows the business.

Try Him!

Suffering

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:40:05 GMT

You will reign with me if you also suffer with me. This does not refer to a physical suffering. In comparison physical suffering is of no consequence.

This suffering of which I speak is a suffering that is peculiar to man. It takes place deep within us. I shall call it a “psychic suffering” because the soul is involved. This is perhaps the most intense kind of suffering that one can endure. It is the basic conflict between God and Satan, and it takes place in that area within us where eternal life and death fight it out. Medication has no effect on this suffering. We can dull our senses. but the pain is still there. It is always will be there until we face it and say to God, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” There is a core somewhere deep within us--perhaps we can call it our soul, but whatever name we give it, it is that part of us that God was meant to inhabit. It is that part of us that is made for God. It is wrapped about with layer upon layer of what I shall call self. These layers of self have none of the sensitivity of God in them--they are fleshly things. Paul says, “I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” These layers are things of this world. Actually they are layers of sin because they are that part of us that is rebellious to God. It is in this area that we will suffer real pain.

Before God can dwell within our soul in the manner He desires, all of these layers of self will be cut away. God, and only God, will do the cutting; but he will not proceed with the operation unless we are willing. If we are, then God will proceed and we will find out what kind of a person we really are. Do we want God’s Life in us? Will we pay the price or will we say, “No?” Do we want God or do we want self? I wish I could name all of these layers of self that hide the soul, but I can’t. I don’t know that much. I’m in the process of learning. I know that pride is pretty hard to cut away. This one thing can affect us in so many ways--the work we do, the people we associate with, the food we eat, the places to which we go, the things we wear. It seems that every phase of our life can be affected by pride. This is because pride is an attitude and attitudes shape our thoughts and actions.

God does not want pride to stand between Him and our soul. He can remove it, but it will hurt. Are we willing to suffer so that Christ may be revealed more clearly within us? There is another layer of self that perhaps is even harder to cut away than pride--that’s one I call disobedience. It too manifests itself as an attitude, and as such it affects our thoughts and actions. Our flesh is not naturally obedient to God It is not subject to the laws of God. Flesh has lived in the environment of this world. Satan has molded it after his standards. That is why it is disobedient to God.

There are many ways this disobedience will manifest itself. I suppose one of the most basic things is to refuse to consider God a Spirit. Jesus said that “God is Spirit” so that’s a settled fact, but the flesh insists on giving physical substance and dimension to God. This attitude nullifies the new creation that we are in Christ. Jesus told Nicodemus that he that is born of the flesh is flesh and he that is born of the Spirit is Spirit. The disobedient rebellious layer of self that is wrapped around our soul refuses to even consider any existence other than its own. All things come from God. The Word declares that “In the beginning was God.” But the mind of the flesh chooses to label such statements as fantasy, fiction, and superstition. Many times the scriptures tell us to trust God, to believe His Word, to cease from our struggling--to cast ourselves upon God and let Him still the tempest within us; yet the rebellious disobedient self goes right on in its own way trying to accomplish its own plans and establishing its own purpose.

God recognizes this within us but He can do nothing against our will. When we face up to it and say, “No my will, but Thine be done,” then God begins to work. That’s when we begin to feel the pain because God is stripping away another layer of self. Face up to it! Let Him work--endure the suffering because out of it will emerge a new creature with a new God-given attitude that loves to dwell in the presence of God.

You will enter into an era of fellowship with God that had never before been possible. You will not be faced with the need of defending your position or justifying it. There will be a contentment and peace within you that defies description. It is because Jesus is there, and there is no disobedient spirit to rebel. Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you…” and you will now begin to experience the uniqueness and depth of God’s Life within you. The operation is major and the suffering is great, but it reveals Christ in you to the end that the world may know the joys of being reconciled to God. You will reign with Him if you are willing to suffer the pain of reckoning the old man of disobedience to be dead.

Truly there is a suffering that accompanies this “cutting away” or “purging” that God does, but it is a necessary thing if we are to have God’s Life within us. Jesus told us, “Every branch that brings forth fruit will be purged that it might bring forth much fruit.” Sometimes we look at various individuals and hold them in high esteem because we feel they have “progressed so much further” then ourselves in being what we might call “Spiritual.” God is no respecter of persons. He does not “portion Himself to any man.” Anyone who is willing to face the purging and accept the suffering it entails will emerge a fuller, more complete Christian, because Christ will be in control.

When we become willing to share this suffering with Christ, we will find that although the pain is very real, and anyone would be in gross error to say it doesn’t exist; the ultimate glory or victory, or whatever you want to call it, far surpasses the suffering of the moment. Pain is temporal, even though it seems impossible to contemplate; it will pass away. But the glory that is revealed in, to, and through us is eternal. It will abide forever.

When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, He suffered. He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood. He was face to face with a decision. He had to face it--and don’t think it was easy! He cried, “Oh Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” He knew there was intense suffering ahead for him. It was not the suffering of the cross--it was the suffering of facing “outer darkness.” It was the suffering of being “cut off,” not only from people, but from God! Yet Jesus said, “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.” We became free men because Jesus willingly went to the darkest hour of all eternity. When God turned away from Jesus, our sin debt was paid in full. But there was pain in the heart of Jesus. The most agonizing words ever wrenched from a man’s lips came from Jesus when He cried, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me!” If Jesus had not paid the price of sin (and being forsaken by God is the price of sin), we could never walk in the newness of Life. Jesus prepared a place for our abiding in the Father, and the first step was to nullify the spiritual death that sin brought about.

Jesus suffered the ultimate pain. It was not only the suffering of the cross. Other men were crucified too. He suffered the pain of complete rejection, not only by people--what a small thing this is! But He was forsaken by God! He endured this so that we will not ever have to experience it. He provided us a Comforter who abides within us forever. But in order to do it, He had to suffer.

We will reign with Him if we also suffer with Him. But the only suffering He is asking us to face is the reckoning of ourselves to be dead. He asks us to turn from the stubbornness, the disobedience, and the pride that is in the flesh and consider it to be dead. And His promise is that the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, shall abide with us forever.

So let’s face up to it. Paul said, “I reckon that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.” Therefore, let us present ourselves to the Lord, knowing that the flesh will suffer, but the soul shall be enriched with God’s Life. And out of our suffering will come a vessel fit for God’s fellowship and service. Let’s believe His Word when He says, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.” Come to Him confidently knowing that He will receive us because He has promised. “He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

Talking Faith

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:39:22 GMT

There is a scripture in the New Testament that on the surface of things looks most peculiar. It’s Romans 10:9.

Actually there is a wee bit in the eighth verse that tells you what the whole thing is about. It goes this way: “This is the

Word of Faith that we preach that if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that

God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

That’s just plain talk! It’s somewhat reverse order from the way most people do things today. Today we figure that we

better have something in our hand before we start talking about it. That’s true too. But this other is “talking faith.” The

person who is not born again doesn’t do much faith talking. That’s one of the big differences between people today.

Some talk faith, and some don’t, even among those who are born again.

The person who believes God tries to do what God tells him to do. One of these things is to talk and act faith. The

Bible says that FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”--Heb.11:1

Putting this together with Romans 10:9, I come up with this way of receiving from the Lord. If the Lord has provided

something for me that I want and need, I confess that I have it, believe in my heart that this is so, and it becomes

mine.

This is like the Lord told us about prayer. He said, “Whatsoever things ye ask when you pray, believe that you have

received them, and ye shall have them..”--Mark 11:24

Super psychology, you say. Well, maybe, but it’s God that’s backing it up. When you believe God, and put this thing

to work because you believe God, you’ll see things happen!

When the children of Israel finally came to the point of believing God, they began to act. They acted strangely

perhaps, but they acted.

God said, “There’s Jericho, it’s yours. Here’s what you do...” Then He laid out one of the strangest battle plans I’ve

ever seen. Just go out and march around the wall of the city. Do it once everyday for six days, then on the seventh

day march around seven times, but don’t say a word, just be quiet. Then on the seventh day when you finish your

marching, just give a big shout.

It looked somewhat strange to do all this marching and shouting before the victory, but Jericho wasn’t delivered into

their hands until they did open their mouths and shout.

O.K., look at Romans 10:9 again. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart…”

then you’ll possess. That’s God’s way of doing things.

Why don’t you do it?

Taking Faith

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:37:16 GMT

Certain things in the Bible never fail to amaze me. The manner in which God heals the sick is one of them. It seems like He always gave the person something to do. Makes no difference whether it’s in the Old or the New Testament, it works the same way.

There was a time when the Children of Israel came across an area infested with poisonous reptiles. A lot of people were in trouble. Their cure was to look upon an image of the very thing that was causing their trouble. When they obeyed, they were healed. I suppose looking at the brazen serpent was the last thing they wanted to do, but an obedient look was their salvation.

Naaman, a Syrian that had leprosy, traveled several hundred miles because he heard there was a man of God who would cure him of his disease. When he arrived at his destination, he was told to dip in the river Jordan seven times and his trouble would clear up. It seemed a silly thing to do, and according to what we read, Naaman didn’t want to do it. Finally he did, and he was healed.

Jesus would take one look at a man who couldn’t walk, and then tell him to get up and walk. And the man would get up and walk.

A lot of people today say they don’t believe in Divine Healing, yet they say that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. I wonder sometimes if perhaps we don’t just say things without believing them.

The Israelite wasn’t healed if he didn’t look at the brazen serpent, not because there wasn’t healing provided, but simply because he didn’t take it. Naaman, even though he made a great journey, if he hadn’t obeyed, would not have been healed.

The lame man would have never been healed if he hadn’t acted upon the Word of God. You see, he had to take this healing if it was to be his.

Everyone who has been born again by the power of God knows this to be true because they have experienced it-- they have Salvation. The only reason they have salvation is because they took it. Salvation is provided for everyone, but only those who take it have it.

The ONLY way to possess something that God has provided IS to take it. This is an exercise of faith. You can’t actually see this thing because it is Spiritual. So is faith. Therefore, you go ahead and act as though you have this thing you need. It is then that God, through Jesus Christ, gives you the evidence after you act! That’s what happened to the Israelites, that’s what happened to Naaman, that’s what happened to the lame man, and that’s what will happen to you. I know this is true because God’s Word says that He is no respecter of persons, and that He is “the same yesterday and today and forever.” - Heb.13:8 Won’t you believe it?

That's Prayer

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:36:41 GMT

I have some feelings about prayer--maybe not the usual feelings, but feelings nevertheless.

When someone thinks about prayer, they generally think of asking God for things. I can’t really go along with that.

The Bible tells me that He knows what I have need of even before I ask! Then, I have sure word that says God will supply all my needs, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Then again the Bible tells me that oftentimes I ask and don’t receive because I ask in selfishness that I might satisfy my desires. I don’t see in the light of all this where asking should have much place in my prayers.

Man has traditionally asked God for what he needs. To pray means to ask or implore, and I guess because man has always asked God for things, to pray means to ask God.

Well, we have the privilege of asking God. Did you ever think of how Jesus asked God for Himself and for us, in the Seventeenth Chapter of John? He asked “Glorify Me with Thine own Self.” That’s really asking to be no more so that God would be All in All. Then, He asked the same for us because He wanted us to be with Him and see the FATHER’S GLORY. He asked that we be made One with The Father so the world may know that you love them as much as you love me.

That’s asking for God’s glory--I’m afraid that my asking is on a more selfish level.

It seems to me that I have all that I need because of Jesus asking. Now because He did ask, I’m living in thankfulness. I talk to the Lord. To me, that’s prayer. I guess we talk about all manner of things.

Sometimes when I’m not feeling too good, because of whatever, I’m sort of a baby and get demanding of the Lord. I ask Him to do this and do that. Not very often, when I ask like that, do I get my requests. Then, there are times I start in to lay the problem out before the Lord; and as I get started, He says, “I know,” and this is pretty sweet knowledge! At times like this, I can’t do much asking. I just think how wonderful it is to have a Father who knows all about--even a lot better than I could tell Him myself. I’m tender with love to my Father at times like this, and it is so easy to know that the right thing will come about.

Sometimes, when I’m talking to the Lord, I talk about things that I feel very strongly about. At times like this, I'm more apt to give God instructions, instead of just talking things over and listening to what He has to say.

Well, when I’m full of my own knowledge, I don’t have much peace and very little faith. I feel pretty sure that the only right thing to do is the thing I outlined. The trouble is that I don’t see these things happening. That makes me all the more sure that things never will get straightened out.

The Lord has a hard time talking to me at times like this. The whole thing is that I’m not listening. It’s pretty hard to listen to someone else when you are so sure you are right. Finally, after I’ve exhausted myself, I see Jesus. He has been there all the time, just waiting for me to stop and listen.

So I listen and the things I hear is not what I thought the answer should be at all; but I listen and I become filled with awe because Jesus tells me He loves me. I’m lost in wonder and my heart is full of thankfulness. Then Jesus says, “About your need, I know and I will provide.

So, my soul just sings praises to God.

That is some of my feelings about praying. My Father and I just talk and I’ve never had it so good!

The Basis of Giving

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:36:01 GMT

Giving is a many faceted thing. I sometimes wonder whether we really know how to give. I wonder what our giving is based on. The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave….” I look at people about me and I find that many of them are very generous in their giving, but they don’t know how to give of themselves.

There is a word that keeps coming to my mind and I think I will use it; the word is commitment. I am not really sure that I know what the word means. I sense that if I make a commitment to something, to me it almost means that I will dedicate and give my life for that particular thing.

It seems to me that this kind of commitment is lacking in a lot of things that I see today. I remember people being more committed to things than they are today--to their jobs, to their marriage, to their families and, to their neighbors.

I am aware that times have changed, but I don’t believe that human needs and values have changed so much that we can disregard them the way that seems to be in vogue today.

When I use the word commitment, I want it to mean, “A giving of self, all the way down to the very core of one’s being.” I don’t think the level of this kind of commitment is easily achieved, but I do think it is something that one can learn, if they have a will to learn. Being committed is not something that takes hold of you. I think that being committed is something that you take hold of. This is the secret that I see in giving.

I guess my thoughts could go two different ways now. I could talk about a secular life, one without God. I could talk about the way many commit to a marriage, a cause or whatever. But I’m really not concerned about that. I have to look, not to the secular, but to the Spiritual life, the life that we are to live when we give ourselves to God.

It is my belief that you have to find this level of commitment when you give yourself to God. It is a commitment that reaches down into the very deepest place--the foundation, the very inner-most part of your being. I think the Bible teaches nothing less.

The Bible teaches me that I am to reckon myself to be dead to sin. There is no need for me to go into what sin is, other than to say, it is, basically selfishness. It is a self-serving thing. It is not a God-serving thing at all. You are to reckon yourself to be dead to sin and you are to reckon your whole life to be given to God totally.

This is the level of commitment that I feel is acceptable to God. I find, in my life, that I must strive to commit myself to God with that depth of commitment. Otherwise, I find myself troubled by many little “niggling” things that distract me and rob me of the joy of the Lord.

All too often I find myself talking to my Father, asking for things in hope, not in confidence. I hope He will take care of me. I say, “Lord, protect me while I’m doing so and so.” And I say, “Lord, don’t leave me.” He has already told me, if I would but believe Him, that He will take care of me; but first, I must give myself to Him so He can take care of me. He has told me that He would never leave me, and, no matter what happens to me, He will not forsake me! Sometimes, I think that in my speech to God I show a very low level of commitment.

No one ever had to tell my parents to take care of me. No one ever had to tell them that I was their child and they were responsible for me. They were committed to the task of taking care of me. They loved me. And, it seems reasonable to me that if I have given myself to God and believe His Word, I will live in His Love. He is committed to take care of me because I have given myself to Him and, He loves me.

I wrote these words with the hope that I would be able to tell people how to give their problems to the Lord. The words that I am going to say, right now, are crucial: If I have given myself, if I have committed all of myself to God, I will really have no trouble in giving Him anything that affects me or touches my life. Anything that affects my life is part of me, and I have given all that I am to God. That includes my problems.

It looks like that when I run into problems, the thing I had better check, is my commitment to God. When I become concerned about certain situations, I say, “Lord, you will have to take care of this.” If the “this” is part of me, God will take care of it because I am part of God. He has taken me to Himself. He has given me a new Life. He knows that the life of this world is not His kind of life, Then, He reminds me that He died for me so that I would no longer be bound by the old way. He told me that I am to consider myself to be dead to the old way, and to consider myself to be alive in Him. He will take care of these things.

Even as I feel that certain situations, or certain things, are part of my life, and there is a longing in my heart for these things, even so, God’s heart longs for me. He has asked me to give Him myself, my feelings, my emotions, my problems, my joys. He asks me to give Him that which I consider to be good and that which I consider to be bad. He asks me to commit myself to Him. He says to me, “Give me everything!” When I have committed myself to God in this fashion, then, everything that is a part of me is God’s responsibility because He has committed Himself to take care of me. God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that if I believe in Him I do not have to perish with troubles because God is in charge of my life now. He will show me how He handles the situation and He will tell me what to do. I guess my prayer should be, “Lord, never let me think that I am in charge.” I think that should be part of my commitment to God.

I used to ask God to make Himself more real to me. He answered my prayer. He said for me to give Him more of myself. When I gave all of myself to Him, then I would know that He was everything to me.

I feel that I have said enough to let you know what God has put on my heart. I know that as you are open to God, you will see this truth of giving Him yourself, of committing all your ways to the Lord. Maybe God will use different words to you, but the meaning will be the same. Jesus died, not to make us many, but to make us one. If He can lead me, He can lead you because His Love sees no difference between us. God has accepted both you and me, in Christ. We are both hid with Christ in God. We do not belong to Him in part, but we belong to Him totally! He is in charge and He will take care of everything that we give Him.

The Bond of Christ

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:35:05 GMT

I don't know how to define this bond, because it is a bond designed by God.

I can feel its effect in my life. I sense a unity of Spirit with those who are born of God. It is somewhat like the bond between friends, only this bond of Christ has no limits. It is not based on the commonality of things, it is based in God.

It is a Spiritual thing. It is not bound by time, it is Eternal.

One of the effects that I feel because of this bond is that I am touched by the suffering of others. I hurt with their hurt.

But we who are bound with this “Bond of Christ” do not hurt without hope. God has bound us to those who can minister His strength to our hurt and establish us again in the joy of our Lord.

The Bond of Christ binds us all together so that we are One, not only with our Father, but with each other. We are One with Christ, in God. This is the strength of our Life in God. We are secured by the Bond of Christ.

The Three I's

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:25:42 GMT

There is a warmth of love in my heart for my Jesus. There is a constant struggle in my mind because always my mind can not accept this wonderful fact of God’s Spirit. Yet within me, I am determined that I shall not only believe in this God of mine, but live in His truths. This divides me. The “I” that I speak of in some ways seems to need defining.

There are two “I’s” within me. One of them is identified with the old nature of sin and all that is opposed to God, while the other “I” is identified with all that is in harmony with God. There seems to be yet a third “I” within me, and this is my will. This will is strictly me. It never becomes a part of Satan or part of God. As long as I am in this flesh, this willpart of me is strictly me. It is the thing or power that I exercise to obey the things of my God, or the things of Satan, who is God’s enemy. In this “I” I can stand apart from my other “I’s” and determine which “I” shall control my action.

The “I” that is my will has been very much under the dominion of the “I” that is the nature of sin. Under this sin “I”, all of my senses exist, and all of the logic of my mind lives. This sin “I” has brought the “I” that is my will under its dominion so that my will has been trained to automatically go along with the sin “I”.

When I came to the place of accepting Christ as my Life, God created within me a new heart. This is the new “I”--the one that is completely identified with God. Now there is a sorting process that must begin. The “I” that is my will never had to do this job before, and so it had no separate identity. It was so completely absorbed by the sin “I” that it considered it a part of the other. Now it is called upon to make decisions that must be completely divorced from the sin “I”. This is hard to do because it had always received its information from the mind that is dominated by sin. Now there is a new “I” to consider. There is new information to follow. This new information is not of the same type that the old mind uses. It is not based upon the reasonsing of the old mind, nor does it consider the material senses. This new information is Spiritual. It encompasses an entirely different realm of thought. There is no comparing this new information with the old type of information because there is no common checkpoint.

The old information was accepted without question. The mind lived in a material world and the will was taught to accept material things. Now there is to be a new Life. This is a Spiritual Life. It is a Life that is completely contrary to the old one of sin.

The logic of the new Life says this: The old life is represented by darkness, while the new Life is represented by light.

Then it teaches this: “The light shines into the darkness and the darkness comprehends it not.” Therefore, if my will is to make the proper decisions, it must take into consideration this new Spiritual fact. The will has been educated by the mind and was deceived into thinking it was a part of the mind. Now it has been liberated by the mind of Jesus Christ. Even as the will was trained by the things of this world, it must now be trained by the things of the Spirit.

The first thing that the Spirit teaches it is that the old way will not understand the new way, so there can not be any confirmation from that source. The new way will be taught by the Spirit. It is a difficult thing for the will to learn of the things of God because it must come to the place of a complete change of thinking. The will did not always make the right decision when it was taught by the ways of the world; but as the will picked up more experience, better decisions were made in the light of the experience received. The will will not always make the right decisions when it comes to the new way of thinking. It must receive instructions from the Spirit. The way the will receives these instructions is to issue instructions to the old mind to be quiet. Then it can receive the teaching of the Spirit.

The confidence that the will has in this new way of thinking is because of the knowledge of the grace of God, and so there is no fear of punishment if mistakes are unconsciously made.

The Thing I Can't Talk About

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:25:11 GMT

When I sat down to write, I was going to write about how badly I felt, but that’s very hard for me to do. I believe that I am talking a lie when I say how badly I feel. I’m talking about things that are of Satan, not God, when I talk about how badly I feel. I like to talk about what God has done for me, rather than what I am without God. The truth of it is I am not without God. I have a choice of saying something, or dwelling on, or thinking about, what I am without God, or what I am in God.

In Christ I feel warm and contented, complete. If I’m not in Christ, I have to depend upon things to make me feel warm and contented and complete. If I do not have those things, I feel a lack. But, because I believe Jesus, it is by Him that I have entered into God; and this is eternal. It is not a sometimes-thing. The only thing that makes me feel that it is a sometimes-thing is when my thoughts are not on the things of God, on the truths of God. I’m not thinking about what God says is true, I am thinking about what I can see and taste and touch and feel--material things. When I think about that, I think of all the lack that I have. But when I think about what I have in the Lord--well, the Bible says that I am complete in Him, in Christ. It says that I am accepted by God. He has put me in the same place as His Son.

Because I believe His Son, I am hid with Him in God.

And so, it is for these reasons that I can’t really feel comfortable if I talk about all the things that I am outside of Christ.

I am only one thing outside of God. I am lost! I have nothing! If I am on the outside of Christ, I have to depend on external things because there is nothing else for me.

I hear a term that I never want to use. I hear people say, “What a rat race life is.” I never have to be concerned about rat races, because only rats run in rat races, and I am not a rat. By the same type of reasoning, I never have to worry about being complete, or striving to perfect myself, because I am in Christ, and in Him, I am complete. If I testify to anything that isn’t complete, I am not testifying to the truth of God.

So, even though I sometimes feel that I want to complain, I find there is something in me that makes it hard. I’m not saying that I don’t ever complain, because every once in awhile I find myself in that trap. But I’m complaining about empty things when I complain. I can’t complain about empty things when I know that I am in Christ.

And so it is that I have to; well, I don’t have to, but I have the privilege of thinking about the Lord. I have the privilege of accepting His thoughts. It is in and by His thoughts that I live. Jesus came to earth so He could express God’s thoughts, not His own. And that’s my privilege too! I live in God and He lives in me and I have the joy of expressing His thoughts. That’s what it means to be Spiritually-minded; because God is Spirit, I can express God’s thoughts. I tell you, that is a lot better than expressing my own thoughts! So, when I started this article, I was going to say, “I feel this way,” or “I feel that way.” I was going to say, “I almost wish that some big problem would happen to me; then that would take my mind off all these little things that keep niggling me.” Well, a big thing has happened to me, but it hasn’t been a problem, I’ve been made to be a new creature in Christ! When I put my mind on that, and thank God for that, then all these little things that niggled me seem so insignificant that they are not worth talking about.

I talk to different people at different times and they tell me their troubles and problems. I listen to them and it is a joy to try to encourage them. Sometimes, we will pray together. Sometimes I find myself taking my thoughts away from the privilege I have of telling about God and wishing that I could tell them about my problems, instead of listening to their problems; but God won’t let me do that. And I’m glad, because talking about what I think are my problems does me no good at all! All of my problems exist in the flesh; and like the Bible says, I am not in the flesh if God dwells in me. I had to be made a new kind of being in order to dwell in God and have Him dwell in me. I had to be made a creature of the Spirit. I had to be born of God in order to have God dwell in me. Therefore, I am not in the flesh because the Spirit God dwells in me. If God did not dwell in me, the Bible says that I would not belong to Him. But I know God dwells in me and I know that I do belong to Him.

Therefore, I can not really talk about things that are not true anymore. I can not talk about what I call little niggling things. Even if I should have some difficulty that is with me for the rest of my life, or my existence here on earth, it is not enough, it is not big enough; and it can not last long enough to remove me from the love of God. God doesn’t look at that thing and say, “Hey, this guy is thinking the wrong kind of thoughts. I’m going to leave him.” “When I think the wrong thoughts, I immediately move into an area of trouble. Truthfully, I don’t like trouble. I find no joy in it whatsoever. If I listen to the things of God--well, He says, very plainly to me, the reason I have trouble is because I haven’t brought those thoughts to Him and given them over to Him. The things that I have reserved for myself and not given to God are the things that give me trouble. When I realize that God has spoken truth concerning that thing, I’m not going to hang on to it anymore. By the grace of God, I give it to Him.

I consider it a privilege to talk about the things of God, and I consider it a privilege to let God think for me. Listen to what the Bible has to say; “To be carnally minded is death, but to be Spiritually-minded (to receive God’s mind, to accept His thoughts as the standard for my life,) to be spiritually-minded, is Life and peace.” That puts it pretty blunt.

Go ahead, make your choice. What do you want--death or Life and Peace? As for me, I want Life and Peace. The way to have it is to let God do my thinking for me. Let God do your living for you. The Bible says that He plans what He wants done and then He does it through you. It is His pleasure to do it that way. It is my comfort and my pleasure to give my faculties to Him so He can use them and work His will through me.

What a privilege! I can’t very well talk about my troubles in a negative way. If I want to talk about my troubles I can say, “Isn’t it wonderful how God shows me the way to proceed through these things so He receives the Glory? He delivers me from all my troubles. He takes care of me and shows His Love for me. He won’t allow anything to overcome me!” If I believe that, I can’t really say that I have any troubles. Everything that I might interpret as a problem, if I do as God tells me to do and rejoice and praise Him in it, I will come out of that situation knowing more of God.

Paul said some things that I think are pretty good; He had some problems; he called them “a thorn in the flesh.” He didn’t like it. He asked God to remove it from him, but God didn’t do it. God said to him, just like He says to us, “My grace is sufficient for you; my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Paul heard God and believed Him.

Therefore he said, “I will glory in my tribulations and in my trials and in my persecutions.” I want to glory in them. I will thank God for them because I want to see the wonderful grace of Jesus.

What is greater than that? There is a song that I used to sing when I was young and in the singing stage of my life.

As I remember it, it went something like this: “I will sing of my Redeemer and His wondrous Love to me; On the cruel cross He suffered, when He paid my debt and set me free.

Sing, oh sing, of my Redeemer and His wondrous love to me.

On the cruel cross He suffered, paid my debt and set me free.” I think we should sing that song more often.

I can’t talk of my troubles. I find it better to talk of my God. I live in Him and He lives in me. He guides me; He works through me, and He tells me of His Love. And in Him, I am content.

The Ten Commandments

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:24:33 GMT

Some people call it “The Law,” but I don’t like to call it that anymore. To me, the law is the opposite of freedom, at least I used to look at it that way. But I don’t any more. I believe that now I see the Law as God meant for it to be.

During my early Christian life, I suppose that the Law was one of the things that caused me a lot of trouble.

The New Testament says that you are not under Law, but under grace. What then, is the Law done away with? Is it not relevant for us today? Should we forget the Law when we are born again? Does it have a place in the life of a Christian today? If I should fail in a part of the Law am I to be judged guilty of the whole thing? If not, what part shall I observe and what part shall I wink at? If I transgress the Law do I become a sinner? If I do sin, will God still look at me? If I am forgiven my sins by the mercies of Jesus Christ, then, shall I just forget the whole thing? You see, there are a few questions that come up because of this matter. There are groups of people who make quite an issue of certain aspects of the Law. For instance, many people are concerned about the day in which they are to worship the Lord. Some say one day and some say another day and they are quite serious about it. I remember the time when I would have entered into the discussion, completely sold on the fact that my stand was the correct one.

Those whom I opposed were just as sure that they were correct.

I was not aware of what God desired at all! I argued my point, but I failed to convince anyone that I was right and they were wrong. Finally, I have learned that arguing results in nothing but divisions. More and more, I am learning that when you do see something as God meant for it to be, there is no room for arguing. One can either believe it or reject it, but there is no room for further discussion. Witness how Jesus answered some people, “Render unto Caesar the thing that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” That is definite and clear cut. The only choice left is between Caesar and God, but there is no room for further discussion. Whenever God makes something plain to you, there is finality to it. All that’s left to say is, “Yes, Lord.” That’s the way it is with me now concerning the Law. To me it is a very wonderful revelation of God’s loving and compassionate direction to the Children of Israel.

I think, perhaps, the first thing God brought to my attention were some thoughts concerning the matter of attitudes. I have a problem. When I tell others about Jesus, I’m rather definite. I do not say, “I think it is this way” or, “As I understand it.” I speak the way I see it. I do not apologize for what I say. It is my desire to speak in love, but sometimes I don’t come across that way. Some people say to me, “You’re too conceited,” or, “Don’t you think that other people have ideas too?” This makes me feel badly because it is not my desire to appear conceited. It is my desire to encourage others to have ideas and express them. I have been told that if this is true, my speech doesn’t always express my desires. I tried to find out why, and I found people who were willing to tell me. They wanted me to modify my words. It was all right to teach that God made Jesus to be our perfection; but, somehow, it was wrong to say that in Christ we have perfection. It is much more acceptable to place these things that we have in Christ, at some future point, and look forward to attaining them. You see, the flesh feels guilty when we claim these things that were given to us by God. I was told that it doesn’t demonstrate a spirit of humility to claim that God lives in us and we live in Him now. All of this has to do with our attitude.

When we see someone that “talks big,” we say, “They boast.” He is autocratic, and we don’t like it. There is something within us that dislikes to be ordered about. Man can never be a true autocrat no matter how powerful he is, or thinks he is, because man by his very nature is limited. Everything he says or thinks, and everything he does, is bounded by his limitations. Man exists within these boundaries; and, as a man, he can not break out of them.

Not so with God. He has no limits. I can not think of any other words to describe Him. How can words that have limits, describe a God who doesn’t have limits? When God makes a statement, it has the sound of the Law to us. The reason for this is that when God says something it is absolute. It contains no error; it is not subject to change; it has no limits; it is complete. It is God’s word. If God were a man with us today, and we knew not that He was God, I doubt whether he would be very well liked.

You see, He never makes a mistake, He never says the wrong thing, His judgments are always just and His decisions are always right. To the flesh that would be a pretty devastating thing to live with. It would certainly shatter our ego.

What is the result of all this? We hear God speak and we say, “It’s the Law.” You may call it that if you like; but to me, I hear an incredibly patient and loving God. I used to tremble before the Law, but now, I’m thrilled, because, in it, I see the heart of my God.

At one point, in my desire to understand the Law, I reasoned after this fashion: Why have a Law in the first place? I found the answer to that to be rather simple: Because there was a need.

If a man was a thief, and you wanted to stop him from being a thief, you would make a law, “Thou shalt not steal.” Then you would enforce it. Perfectly logical, isn’t it? How many times have we seen things that shouldn’t be; and we say, “There ought to be a law.” This seemed to me to be a very logical explanation for the Ten Commandments. If you look at the Law in this light, you have to come to the conclusion that there wasn’t much right with the Children of Israel. The Law touched on every aspect of living; and if my thoughts were right, God had a lot of correcting to do insofar as the Children of Israel were concerned.

That sounds like the way man would do things; so, therefore, it must be wrong. Maybe man makes laws for this reason, but it seems rather far fetched that God would have to do the same thing. So I had to back off and wait for God to show me His reasons. I didn’t say, “All right, God, teach me about the Law.” He teaches you when He feels you are ready to learn. If I could sit down, and in some manner arrive at God’s truth by my own effort, that would mean that I could understand God by the efforts of my own mind. That’s impossible! My mind operates in the realm of flesh and God lives in the Spirit. God, by His Spirit, has made me to be a new creature so that if and when I put my mind out of the way, I have the privilege of learning God’s thoughts. This means that I can’t do much when it comes to directing God, but I can be directed by Him. When this happens, you will know that God is willing to show you His way, and you will rest in His knowledge.

I began thinking about the Children of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt, and I discovered that I didn’t really know much about them. They were in Egypt 400 years; and believe me, that’s a long time. Most everyone knows how it came about that Joseph was in Egypt. Most everyone knows how he found favor with the Pharaoh, and how it was that his family came to Egypt at a later date. There came a time, however, that Joseph and his family were no longer favored. There arose a Pharaoh in the land that knew not Joseph, that’s the way the Bible puts it. It’s not too clear just when this happened; but when it did, all these “Hebrews” were made slaves. By the time Moses came around, there were a good many slaves; and they were quite troublesome to the Egyptians. Their taskmasters were told to “make their burden heavy,” and that’s what happened.

What kind of a life does a slave in Egypt have? In order to know that, one has to know something about the culture of Egypt. They were a very religious people. All the Pagan Nations were religious. There were gods of the harvest, gods of the waters, gods of the sky, gods of darkness, gods of war and just about anything else you care to name. No nation would think about going to war with another nation without first consulting the oracles of their gods. If your gods were strong, you were victorious in battle, or whatever it was you tried to do. Egypt was the Nation that ruled the world at this time; therefore, her gods were the strongest. All nations feared her.

There was a well ordered religious discipline in Egypt, from the lowly court magician to the Pharaoh himself. Their whole life was based upon their religion. Not so with the slave. He was not allowed the dignity of having a god. He had no god to whom he could make an offering and seek favor. He had no god to call to for protection because he was a slave. His life was directed by a Taskmaster, not a god. The whip was his reward. There was no solace of religion for him. Even worse, he could never be anything; he was a slave and had no god to lead him. No wonder Pharoah laughed when Moses said, “Let my People go that they may worship the Lord, their God.” Pharaoh was a hard man to talk to. He was the mightiest on all the earth. He was “Ra,” Son of the sun, and there was none greater. In the Bible we read that God caused Pharoah to regard Moses as being a god. This disturbed the Pharoah. It made him listen to Moses, but it was beyond reason to think that slaves had a god.

It is interesting to see how the plagues that God visited upon Egypt tore down their structure of religion. From Aaron’s rod to the Angel of death, every plague showed God’s supremacy over the gods of Egypt. Here was the mightiest Nation on the face of the earth wasted, because of the God of these slaves! The only reason that I am mentioning all of this is because I want you to think about what kind of people these Egyptians were. The slaves who lived among them were very sensitive to the Egyptian culture, all the more so because it was denied them. When the time came to leave Egypt, it was a sweet thing to take all the gold and silver and jewels they could. This meant status. It was the symbol of a good life. The Egyptians were very glad to give these people anything they asked because they wanted them out. Their gods were stronger than the gods of the Egyptians; therefore, it was not good that they should be around any longer.

And so God delivered the Hebrews out of Egypt. He freed them from their bondage. But the Hebrews did not know how to live; they had been slaves too long. Stories about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were 400 years old! And besides--What was this God like? Who had ever seen Him? How could you worship a god you could not see? Moses was a great man; all Egypt had realized this. He had bested the Egyptians and won their freedom. The Pharoah had considered him to be a god--maybe he was. And so, they considered him as such.

Just to show you how deep rooted these thoughts were within the Children of Israel, consider how they behaved when Moses went up into the mountain. They were told that God was in that mountain. There had been a line drawn at the foot of the mountain and they were told not to cross it. Moses was gone for quite awhile. He was their Deliverer, and now he was gone. Maybe he would never come back. What would happen to them? They needed a god desperately. So they took the silver and the gold and made themselves a Golden Calf. Now, they had a god! This was the result of what they had seen in Egypt. They were only doing that which they had seen all their lives.

They knew no other way.

Now, let’s talk about the Ten Commandments. I believe you will have a new understanding concerning them.

The first thing to be settled was this business about the Golden Calf. If these People were to survive as a Nation led by God, they first had to know who God was. So the very first thing that God told His People was “I am the Lord, your God. I brought you up out of Egypt. I freed you from the house of bondage.

You see, God is saying, “It wasn’t Moses that delivered you. It was not the Golden Calf, I am the One.” The Children of Israel had heard a lot about other gods, but they did not know what their God was like. They had seen gods represented as men, animals, birds, and many other things; but they didn’t know what their God was like.

So God tells His Chosen People about this. He begins by establishing His position: “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” You see how understanding God is? He does not tell them that all other gods are false. That would be too much for them to understand just now, so He says, “Put me first.” The Egyptians had many images of their gods. What about it, Lord? What are you like? And God tells them, not that He is invisible. Again that would be too much for them to understand just now, but He gets the idea across in this way: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image of any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth.” God knows that His People will see such things, as they did in Egypt, so He continues: “Thou shalt not bow down to them or serve them.” As far as these Hebrews were concerned, that put an end to religions as they knew them. But God is kind. He wanted His Children to know why, so He said, “For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God.” Then, because God wanted His Children to know that He was a just God, He said, “I will visit the iniquity of the fathers unto the children of the third and fourth generations of them that hate me. But I will show mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.” You see, God is telling these People what He is like: I will remember those who do wrong and I will be merciful to those who do right. Another thing that God talks about is His Name. He wants His People to remember it and revere it. In Egypt it was quite common to use the name of their gods in a common way. It was not God’s desire that His People should use His Name in this fashion. So, “Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.” Again, God gives His Chosen insight into His Nature. He tells them how He feels about it so they will know. “I will not hold him guiltless who taketh my Name in vain.” Now, in essence, God says, “That’s enough about me. Let me tell you what I desire for you. You have been slaves, you have had to work; you have had no life of your own. I have seen your affliction. I have heard your cries. I have delivered you and given you a Sabbath, a day of rest. “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” Here is what I want you to do: “Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.” I suppose that this was about the nicest thing a former slave could hear; his God wanted him to share in God’s day of rest! Imagine that, no work, a day of rest. And He hinted that they would even have servants! Now there was another thing that had to be taken care of. These slaves did not really know how to get along one with the other. In Egypt, it was “take what you could.” Life meant very little. God desired a different kind of life for His People. So this is what He told them: “Honor thy Father and Mother that thy days may be long in the land.” To honor one’s parents makes for a very strong people. When a child does not honor his parents, he very seldom honors anything else. When this happens to a Nation that Nation begins to fall apart. God desired that not only would you honor your parents, but others as well. So He said: “Thou shalt not kill.

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.

“Thou shalt not steal.

“Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

“Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbors.” And so God put an end to His sayings.

What was the result of all this? These former slaves who had no God now had a God. They knew what He was like and they knew what He expected of them. These People who had no structure of society in which to live now had a way of life. They knew God’s desire for them regarding their relationship to Him and to those about them. They now had a life pattern that would set them apart from all other people and teach the world of the only true God.

So you see, I can no longer look at the Law as being autocratic. I see no fire and thunder in it. It is full of love and mercy. It is the revelation of God’s desire for our lives today.

Jesus came and fulfilled the Law that is to say, He fulfilled God’s desires and showed us how, we in Him can live as God meant for us to live.

In some things I see how my life is fulfilled in Jesus; and because of this, I have a deep and abiding peace. But there are other areas in which I have not yet entered into the Sabbath with my Lord. But because of His mercy and the love of Jesus, I know that God will teach me as He taught the Children of Israel.

My desire is to learn.

The Temptations of Jesus

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:23:45 GMT

THE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS

Brewer: Hello, Mr. Stahl, we’re glad to have you as our guest today. I suppose you know about

us and why we have these interviews.

Stahl: Yes, I’ve not only heard about you, but I’ve enjoyed many of the interviews that I have

heard you conduct. Tell me one thing, Mr. Brewer, if you will; all of the interviews that I

have heard have been of a religious nature…Do you discuss other topics as well?

Brewer: No, Mr. Stahl, we don’t. We are concerned only with the various aspects of religion,

particularly those that claim to be based on the Bible. We feel that by a better

understanding of these various concepts of religious thought, there will be a better

understanding between people and therefore less difficulty.

We have invited you to be with us because, well, frankly we have heard quite a few

comments about some of the things you teach. Some of the folks who call themselves

Fundamentalists differ with you on some of the very basic concepts of the Bible. We did

not tell you about this when we asked you to be our guest because we want what you

say to be spontaneous. So, how about it…are you prepared to defend yourself?

Stahl: This indicates to me that you are going to fight…and I don’t aim to battle. I am very

willing to answer any questions that I can, and I will be glad to explain what I believe as

clearly as I can, but, defend? No! If there is any defense necessary, I’ll let the Lord do

that. There would be very little harmony between people indeed if everyone defended

his position. I honestly feel that what I have to say is the Word of God so I don’t have to

defend it. He performs it…and I consider that defense enough.

Brewer: Fair enough! Mr. Stahl, where did you receive your Theological training?

Stahl: I did not receive any formal Theological training. The knowledge I have I received is from

God.

Brewer: Have you followed any prescribed course of instruction?

Stahl: No Sir, I have not.

Brewer: What authority do you give for your teaching?

Stahl: Only the authority that a person wishes to give me. I speak in Jesus’ Name and have no

other authority.

Brewer: Does not everyone have the privilege of the same authority? In other words, Mr. Stahl,

how can you expect to have people accept what you say if you have no credentials to

present?

Stahl: I don’t expect it, Mr. Brewer. I never expect to see anyone convinced of what I have to

say unless they want to be convinced. The only thing I ask is that they listen to what I

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have to say. I have two great desires: I desire to say only the things that God would have

me say, and, I want to be able to say them in such manner that people will understand.

Brewer: Suppose that someone who does not share your thoughts feels that he too speaks the

truth…who then is right?

Stahl: I cannot arbitrate that, Mr. Brewer. Only God is right. What I say or what someone else

says are not the criteria. Every individual must hear God’s Voice, as it were, and be

convinced within himself. I firmly believe that there are certain basic principles of truth

that are outlined in the Bible, and these truths must be the basic structure of all Godgiven knowledge. If it is not, we must be willing to change.

Brewer: What if a man does not understand this basic structure of which you speak?

Stahl: I feel that all men can understand it. We are told that the way is so simple that even a

fool need not err therein. The reason there are so many approaches to certain

theological truths is that man desires to have his nature as well as the things of God.

This is an impossibility! When man becomes willing to accept the basic premise that God

is Spirit, and that God makes man to be one Spirit with Him, he has come to the place

where he can begin to understand the things of God.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl, we have had a number of inquiries about what you teach regarding Jesus.

Many folk have the idea that you attempt to take away the deity of Jesus and present

Him as only a man. Is this the idea that you mean to convey?

Stahl: Take away the divinity of Jesus…goodness no! However, I do claim that he was not born

divine.

Brewer: If you say He was not born divine, yet you say you are not taking away His divinity, well

then, the next question. Do you believe Jesus was divine?

Stahl: Mr. Brewer, He became divine. The Bible mentions it this way. ”This same Jesus, God

hath made him to be both Lord and Christ.”

Brewer: Then, up to this time Jesus was just a man?

Stahl: That’s right.

Brewer: Do you find this in the Bible?

Stahl: Yes, I believe I do. I know of no chapter and verse that makes such a statement, but I

feel the truth is quite evident.

Brewer: I guess there are quite a few people who do not see it that way. That’s why you are

here. How about telling us how you see it?

Stahl: Well, Mr. Brewer, to understand it you have to accept one of these basic principles of

which we spoke earlier. Most every Christian will agree that one must be born again in

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order to enter this realm of salvation prepared for us by Jesus Christ. They will accept

the words of Jesus when He said, “You must be born again.” Now, anyone who is

familiar with the Bible knows that this new birth is of the Spirit, Jesus said so. But not

too many folk know what the Spirit is in relation to their lives. There is another

statement that Jesus made at the same time, one that is not too generally emphasized.

He said that when you are born of the Spirit, you become Spirit, just like when you are

born of the flesh you become flesh – John 3:6.

Brewer: I believe that most Christians believe this, Mr. Stahl. How does this have a bearing on

whether Jesus was divine or not?

Stahl: It has a bearing on what Jesus considered to be real; and, Mr. Brewer, I agree with you.

Most Christians believe this, but I am firmly convinced that very few Christians know

what it means to be born of the Spirit. The thing that bothers me is that there does not

even seem to be any challenge in them to find out. I suppose this is the basis of my

desire to bring people to the place of knowing the difference between flesh and Spirit.

Brewer: And you believe you can show this by making Jesus to be a man?

Stahl: Mr. Brewer, I didn’t make Jesus to be a man, God made Him that way. It was Jesus,

however, that God showed an example of what happens to a man when he is willing to

embrace this truth.

Brewer: How did this come about?

Stahl: Who knows how God’s knowledge comes to man? As I look back upon it now, I believe I

was doing some thinking about the temptations of Jesus. I began to wonder about it

rather seriously. I found that actually I had never seriously considered them before. I

tried to find the reason for this, and I finally faced the fact that Jesus had always

occupied a place wherein I could not really consider Him to have been tempted in the

same fashion that I know temptation.

Brewer: But, Mr. Stahl, there are many things to learn! There are lessons about the Bread of Life,

worshiping the only true God, of faith and confidence.

Stahl: That’s right, Mr. Brewer, I taught those things for years. But it is still not putting the

emphasis on the thing that is the most revealing. I cannot emphasize that statement

enough. Look, let me show you what I mean.

Brewer: Go right ahead, that’s why you are here.

Stahl: As far as I am concerned, the Bible is the final authority, and the Bible says this: “God

cannot be tempted with evil.” That is not hard to understand. It is a simple, positive

statement…”God cannot be tempted with evil.”

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Now, the next part is just as plain and just as simple. Listen now, “Every man is tempted

when he is drawn away and enticed of his own lusts.” This defines where man’s

temptation lies,” in his own desires, the Bible says.

So, here are two irrefutable facts, God cannot be tempted with evil, and, a man is

tempted when he is enticed by his own desires. It is pretty conclusive that Jesus was

tempted and it is also pretty conclusive that God cannot be tempted. Therefore, I must

face the fact that Jesus was tempted as a man.

Brewer: I’m confused now…Does not the Bible say,” In the beginning was the Word and the

Word was with God and the Word was God?” Then it says the Word became flesh and

dwelt among us. What about all this?

Stahl: That’s what I want to help you understand. You will be surprised how many questions

are answered when you see God’s truth regarding this thing. The answers I give to your

questions are the ones God gave me. Sometimes I try to find an answer by myself, and

always I find that I make many errors. But God never errs. If we listen to what His Word

declares, we’ll learn the truth. If I settle for the fact that Jesus was a man when He was

tempted, then I look at things in a different light. In the first place, I must understand

that temptation has a rather definite meaning. I cannot say that to one person it means

one thing and to someone else it means something different. It is true that different

people are tempted by different things; that is because people are different, but the

basic strength of temptation is the same to all flesh. For a temptation to be a

temptation at least three things must be satisfied; a man must have the opportunity to

do that thing in which he is tempted, he must have the capability of doing it and he

must want to do it. Above all he must want to do it. He can have opportunity and

capability, but if there is no desire there is no temptation.

If a person considers this he will begin to see something of the kind of man that Jesus

was. Remember, Jesus was tempted…He wanted to do these things!

Brewer: Do you mean to say that Jesus wanted to cast Himself off form the pinnacle of the

Temple?

Stahl: That’s right, Mr. Brewer. There were certain things that led up to it that doesn’t make it

at all surprising. Let’s look at the beginning of His temptations…about turning the stones

into bread. Do you believe He wanted to do that?

Brewer: Certainly! He was hungry. After forty days of fasting you would be hungry too!

Stahl: I’d be hungry a long time before forty days. But tell me, Mr. Brewer, if Jesus had desire

in this case, why wouldn’t He have desire in the other two cases as well?

Brewer: I see what you mean.

Stahl: When we know what a man wants, we begin to know a little bit about what he is like.

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Brewer: Sounds reasonable.

Stahl: Now we are in a position to know a little bit about what he thinks because we know

what he desires. When a man wants something, and he is face-to-face with it, he either

embraces it, compromises, or turns from it. His thoughts are pretty well defined by what

he does. In the case of Jesus, we not only know that He turned from a certain thing, but

in each case He spoke words that expressed His thoughts.

Brewer: This sounds interesting. Tell me more. It’s rather a startling thing, isn’t it, to be able to

know the thoughts of Jesus? It makes you feel like you are trespassing a little bit,

doesn’t it?

Stahl: When you consider that Jesus was our example of faith and obedience, it becomes more

acceptable. We have considered Jesus to be untouchable and unobtainable for so long

that we have not dared to be so bold as to analyze Him. But look, He was a man of like

passions as we are now. We know this because He was tempted in all points even as we

are. He was anxious to tell us all the Father told Him. He exposed His thoughts and His

life to all who would learn. So…no more do I feel like I’m trespassing. I’m anxious to

learn.

In Jesus, I see a man who is somewhat extroverted; He liked people and wanted to be

among them. He was a man who was frequently seen at social gatherings. He liked to

eat. He liked to be happy and have a good time.

This is perhaps a little hard to accept, but if we accept it, we will be able to better

understand the man.

Brewer: You mean to say you see all this in the account of His temptations?

Stahl: I believe so, Mr. Brewer, maybe not directly but certainly by implication. Sometimes we

learn more about the man who was, by what His enemies said later on. Of Jesus they

said He was a partying man, a winebibber, and, a glutton. Because they were His

enemies, we know that Jesus wasn’t the man they pictured Him to be. But knowing

human nature, we know that there were things in Jesus’ life that gave excuse to these

distorted accusations. The very first miracle that Jesus performed at Cana at the

wedding could very easily have been an indication of His thoughts along this line. He

could have just as easily purified the water, or produced any other thing. He chose to

make wine. It was a marriage feast and this was the custom. It helped everyone to have

a good time.

Brewer: All right, grant what you say is true, but how does this have anything to do with His

temptations?

Stahl: I feel that it helps to know a little bit about the man so you can better understand His

temptations. Believe me; Satan did! Satan doesn’t just tempt in a random fashion…he is

diabolical. His temptations are tailored to fit the individual, and don’t you forget it.

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Every man is tempted right up to the point where he thinks he can no longer bear it –

but God is faithful. He will not let His loved ones down.

Jesus had been shaken during the last few months before his temptations, so much so

that He even wondered about His anointing, and this is where Satan hit Him. “If thou be

the Son of God…,” Satan said. Prove it! “Command these stones to become bread.”

That’s real rough on a man that is hungry and all tore up on the inside, but that’s the

way Satan operates.

Brewer: What do you mean Jesus was “all tore up inside?’

Stahl: He had just finished a forty day fast, Mr. Brewer, and to a Jew this meant something.

The Bible only records two other men who fasted forty days and there was great

emotional desire in each case. Both men were satisfied before God at the end of their

fast. Moses had received direction from God and Elijah went to his victory at Mount

Carmel. At the end of forty days, the only thing that we read about Jesus is He was

hungry and He was tempted. Jesus had not received one bit more direction from God at

the end of His fast than He had at the beginning. That’s why I say He was all tore up

inside. Do you see what I mean?

Brewer: Yes, I believe I do. I had never considered it before, but you may be right.

Stahl: You see, Mr. Brewer, the thing we want to find out about more than anything else is

Jesus, the man. If you wish to follow this line of thinking, I’m sure you will see some very

startling things. If we can accept what we see and believe it, our whole life will be

changed just as surely as was the life of Jesus.

Brewer: This change you mention is not this quite contrary to the accepted belief? You say there

is a change in the life of Jesus; what do you mean? The Bible says Jesus Christ, the same,

yesterday, today, and forever…so what do you mean change?

Stahl: The particular change I’m talking about is the change that came about in the attitude of

Jesus, His understanding of God, if you please, and what it meant to be God’s anointed.

I think this change is quite clearly indicated in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Four. He tells

of Jesus temptations and the change of attitude is quite evident. Jesus’ answer to Satan

on the first two occasions indicates quite clearly that Jesus considered Himself a man.

“Man shall not live by bread alone,” He said. Then again the instruction was for man to

worship God only. But the last time around indicates a drastic change. Even though

Satan still hammered at Jesus from the standpoint of a man, “If you are the Son of God,”

Jesus no longer answered Satan as a man. He saw and understood that a miracle had

taken place. His answer said I am no longer in the flesh because God is in Me. To Satan,

He said simply, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God.” Satan couldn’t argue the

point. In other words, “I am Your Lord. You cannot tempt Me.

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Do you know what the Bible says Satan did then, Mr. Brewer?

Brewer: If I remember right, I believe it says Satan left Him for a season.

Stahl: That’s right! Why didn’t Satan leave Him before?

Brewer: Satan wasn’t through with his tempting.

Stahl: Well, that’s right; but, how did Satan know when he was through?

Brewer: You said something about a miracle taking place – about Jesus being no more in the

flesh, but I don’t know exactly how to answer your question.

Stahl: We have already said that God can’t be tempted with evil – right?

Brewer: Yes.

Stahl: Therefore, when Jesus abdicated His position as a man and accepted His Oneness with

God, He no longer had to argue with Satan. He simply said,” Thou shalt not tempt the

Lord.” Satan knew this was true so there was nothing more he could do. He had come to

the end of his tempting, so the only thing left for him was to withdraw.

As long as Jesus did not take this position – as long as He considered things from the

standpoint of a man – He was tempted. But when He saw what His anointing meant and

was willing to accept it, Satan could no longer reach Him, he had to leave.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl, I have a gentleman here that would like to ask you a question. Do you mind?

Stahl: Not at all.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl, this is Mr. Carlten. Mr. Carlten, you indicated you had a question for Mr.

Stahl?

Carlten: Yes, Mr. Stahl, what you say is very interesting, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be

true. There are other Gospels aside from Luke. Matthew tells of the temptation in as

great detail as Luke, but he transposes the last two temptations so that the affair on the

pinnacle of the Temple was not the last one. That would nullify your whole approach,

wouldn’t it?

Stahl: I don’t believe it would nullify the whole thing, Mr. Carlten. Things would certainly be

obscured. The fact that God cannot be tempted does not change. The fact that Jesus

said I and my Father are One would not change. But, certainly, this is not shown by

Matthew’s account. I personally feel that Matthew is in error in the sequence of

presentation. This is not an unusual thing; many things are not sequentially recorded.

Your approach, Mr. Carlten, is well taken. If Matthew was the only account of the

temptations, I would not be saying the words that I am saying now. Mr. Carlten, I have a

question for you. Have you ever considered the temptations in detail?

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Carlten: Probably not as much as you have.

Stahl: I feel that each temptation tells us a specific thing. It reveals a progressive attitude that

was taking place within Jesus. Its starting point and its finish are extremely important.

Perhaps we can investigate it more closely sometime.

Brewer: There is no time like the present. We can take all the time that is necessary. These

people here may want to ask for clarification on certain points, so if you are willing - you

have all the time you need.

Stahl: Thank you, Mr. Brewer. I appreciate your spirit; and as for the rest of you people, I will

be glad to answer any questions I can. However, please understand me right now. I

don’t know all the answers. I am glad for the opportunity to present to you what God

has shown me regarding the temptations of Jesus.

There are some things that we should understand before we go much further in

discussion. Scholars have bandied many words about in trying to establish whether

these events really happened to Jesus or were they merely a figment of His imagination.

You see, most scholars have a difficult time accepting Spiritual facts.

Because of this, I feel it is important for us to establish certain things. Right for the

moment it does not matter whether you agree with these things or not. However, it is

important that you understand what I mean or you will not be able to understand what I

am trying to say.

Regarding Satan…just for the record; let me say that he is just as real as God. In so much

as both Satan and God are contending for the human soul, they both will use the same

method. This is because we are made a certain way and we respond to certain things. If

Satan approaches us in such a manner as to put us on guard, or if he should present

something to us that is completely irrelevant to our nature, he has no common ground

with us and we would not even consider him. Therefore, he chooses his temptations

carefully. He studies the man and formulates the temptation so it will hit the man where

he is weakest. It’s the same way with God…He will be the thing to a man that he needs

the most. It would be well if we today would do the same. Too often we have a set

approach and expect everyone to respond to it. This is not so, every one of us is an

individual with specific needs and desires. Very few of us respond the same way to any

given situation.

Find out a man’s desires, what he wants and what he thinks, and you have found out

what manner of man he is. Find out how he meets his problems and temptations, and

you will see the character of the man.

The temptations of Jesus were very real. Some of these temptations were implemented

by external conditions; the stones and the Temple pinnacle were real things. The turmoil

was within Jesus.

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Many people want to know how Satan appeared to Jesus. He appeared to Jesus the

same way he appears to us. In other words, he is anonymous. He is a voice within us –

he is a thought generated by words or circumstances. He is despair or desire, he is

eagerness or hopelessness, but, he never reveals himself for what he is. When Satan is

revealed to us as Satan, he no longer has the power to tempt.

There is one thing we may as well know: Satan’s power is in making us think that the

thoughts we have are our own.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl, I believe there is a question in the audience.

Stahl: Very well – You sir, what is it you wish to ask?

Evans: My name is Evans. Something you said just a moment ago bothers me. You said that

God and Satan both work the same way or something like that. Maybe I don’t

understand what you mean, but, it seems to me that God and Satan are very different.

One loves, the other doesn’t. One is a liar, the other is truth. How do you mean they

work in the same way?

Stahl: What I mean, Mr. Evans, is that both God and Satan desire the soul of man. Satan would

destroy it and God would give it life.

We are subject to certain likes or desires. Both Satan and God would like us to believe

that what we have need of is met in them. It is up to us to recognize that one is a liar

and the other is true.

Let me further illustrate: Suppose there is within me an intense desire for fulfillment –

to know that I am accepted by someone. Satan would be foolish to tempt me to go off

by myself somewhere. I wouldn’t even listen to that! What I want is to be with people.

On the other hand, if Satan approached me with the thought of let’s go to the party and

have a ball, I’d begin to listen to him because here they might begin to accept me.

God works the same way. If in my need to be accepted, He would come to me and say,

“The time will come when they shall put you out of the church thinking they do God’s

service,” I would turn from this thing called God…my thoughts say “I’m already out of

things – I want to be in.”

If, on the other hand, He comes to me and shows me how great a love He has for me,

and whispers to me, “I have made you accepted in the Beloved,” He has touched the

responsive chord of my need.

So it is in this manner that I say Satan and God both work in the same way insofar as the

soul is concerned. Does that clear up the situation any, Mr. Evans?

Evans: Well – I guess so. I still don’t like equating God and Satan on the same level.

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Stahl: Mr. Evans, we are not doing that: God is still God, and, Satan is still Satan, but the

common ground is your heart, Sir, and mine.

Look, let’s go around again. What I’m saying is that when our need is greatest, our

temptation is the greatest and our deliverance is the greatest. Let me use another

illustration.

Mr. Evans, I don’t drink. I have never touched a drop of alcohol. I don’t want it. But, I do

get discouraged. Now in my discouragement, Satan will not tempt me to go out and get

drunk as that is no temptation. I don’t want the stuff. He would tempt me along some

line wherein I would be more susceptible.

Similarly, God will not draw me to Himself by revealing Himself to be something of

which I don’t need. My attitude then is “So what!” But, when He reveals Himself to be

something I need, then I am enticed of God and drawn to Him.

Does this clear up your understanding of what I mean? Understand, Mr. Evans, you do

not have to agree with what I say. Of course, I hope that you will, but I am very

concerned that you understand what I say. How about it?

Evans: Yes. I think I understand what you mean. Thank you for answering me.

Stahl: The privilege is mine, Mr. Evans. I want you to ask questions. Above all, I want you to

understand the meaning of what I have to say. Does anyone else have a question?

Brewer: Looks like they are all quiet right now.

Stahl: Where were we, Mr. Brewer? What does the transcript say?

Brewer: You were talking about how Satan appears to us. You said, “He is a voice within us. He is

a thought generated by words or circumstances. He is despair or desire, he is eagerness

or hopelessness, but, he never reveals himself for what he is. When Satan is revealed to

us as Satan, he no longer has the power to tempt.”

Stahl: Thank you, Mr. Brewer. I’m with it now. Satan has to remain anonymous. No sane

person who loves the Lord would be the least bit bothered with temptations if Satan

would appear to them, announce his identity, and then present his plan. We would be

forewarned and that would certainly be forearmed. Even those with the weakest

resolve would stiffen up and become firm if Satan would present his calling card. The

Bible says that he appears as an “angel of light.” He uses subtlety and is cunning. He has

blinded our eyes.

This is the way it was when Jesus was tempted. The Bible says Satan “came” to Jesus. It

says that Jesus answered Satan. If we are not careful, we receive the impression that

Satan appeared to Jesus in a physical way, and that Jesus recognized him as Satan. This

is preposterous – nothing could be further from the truth! The things that Satan said to

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Jesus seemed to be Jesus’ own thoughts. They were perfectly logical and reasonable to

Him; otherwise - there could be no temptation.

That’s the way Satan presents things to people. We must be aware of his tactics. The

Bible says that we are not ignorant of his devices, yet, I am very much afraid that many,

many Christians do not have the slightest idea of how it is that Satan approaches them.

They feel snug and secure and then, all of a sudden, they are overcome. They are

stunned, shocked, and, bewildered.

Brewer: Pardon me, Mr. Stahl, but, I believe we have another question.

Stahl: Yes, I see. You, Sir. What is your question?

Landis: My name is Landis, and, well, I don’t know how to say what I want to say. Do you mean

to say that all these things in which Satan tempted Jesus were in His own mind? I feel

that this is unthinkable. You’re making the Son of God to be on the same level with

Satan. At least it seems that way to me.

Stahl: Let’s go over this again, Mr. Landis. We are talking about temptation. Satan is the

tempter; Jesus is His intended victim. Satan’s purpose is to destroy God’s plan. This is

warfare. Do you understand that, Mr. Landis? It is not warfare on a merely human basis.

It is Satan’s desire to destroy God’s effectiveness once and for all. He is striking at God’s

anointed. Satan will use every vile trick at his command. The cold hard fact of the matter

is that if Satan is known as Satan, he has no power whatsoever. Satan appears in the

guise of our own thoughts, and unless we recognize what God is, we never will know the

demarcation between good and evil. Satan’s thoughts will seem to be our thoughts

because we are made from the dust of the earth. Our nature is carnal; it is of this world,

and Satan is the prince of this world.

I am not making the Son of God to be on the same level as Satan. What I am trying to do

is to show you what things Jesus endured for you and I so that we might once and for all

be free of the curse of Satan.

It is time we understand that we are in warfare – it is high time we understand how it is

that Satan works. Jesus not only is my sacrifice, but He overcame Satan for me so that I,

in Him, need not be overcome. He is my example in all things. When I see how it was

that He was tempted, and how He overcame temptations, then, I will know how Satan

comes against me, and, I will know how to come into my victory.

Do you see what I mean, Mr. Landis? I am not down grading Jesus in the least. I am

merely showing you what Jesus went through for you and for me.

Landis: All right – I’ll listen some more.

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Stahl: Does anyone else have questions along this line? Speak up – because this is probably

one of the most important things for a Christian to know. We must face the truth of how

it is that Satan works, or, we will fall flat on our face.

Brewer: I guess all is quiet, Mr. Stahl. Looks like you quieted them down with that one.

Stahl: I feel pretty strongly about the matter. When I see people being robbed of the blessings

of God simply because they do not understand how it is that Satan comes against them,

well, I get pretty concerned.

You see our whole objective here is to learn about Jesus as a man. He was tempted, and

because the Bible is true, we know that a man is tempted when he is enticed by his own

desires.

We have already talked some about turning stones into bread. Let’s look a little bit more

at that. We understand the action; Jesus was capable of doing that. We understand His

need; He was hungry. The thing we haven’t looked at yet is the spot in which He was

being tempted…”If thou be the Son of God” - that’s the whole point! There was doubt in

Jesus mind as to whether or not He was the Son of God. This is an incredible thing to

consider. Did not Jesus know from childhood that he was the Son of God? Apparently

not; because here it is – do something to prove it – turn these stones to bread.

If there was a confidence within Jesus regarding this thing there would have been no

need of proof. Remember; He was in the wilderness; no one else was around, so the

temptation was not to prove His Son ship to someone else – the doubt was not in some

other mind, it was in His own. It was His temptation – He had to meet it within Himself.

Now we know the thought of the man. Now we know why He came to the wilderness

and fasted. Here was a matter that had to be cleared up. Either He was the Son of God

or He wasn’t.

Now we are in possession of two facts concerning this time of Jesus life. We know why

He came to the wilderness to fast. The other point is the fact that the Spirit led Him into

the wilderness. If God led Him into the wilderness; it must have been for a very definite

and important reason.

We read the scriptures and they say “and immediately the Spirit led Jesus into the

wilderness.” God’s leading is not necessarily an “all at once” affair, or perhaps I should

say that man doesn’t follow “all at once.” There is a process man goes through by which

he learns to be led by God. This is the way it was in the case of Jesus. There was an

“urging” on the part of God, a gentle “insistence” that would bring Jesus to the

wilderness. God wanted Him there and so He gently brought it about. God immediately

began this urging.

Now Jesus is in the wilderness. The urgings of God have brought forth fruit and Jesus is

at the place God desires Him to be. It is here that Jesus is about to learn the most

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important thing that man can ever learn. He is to be the first man to see God as He

really is. It is not a partial vision; it is a complete revelation.

Brewer: I see some hands, Mr. Stahl!

Stahl: Yes, I see.

Brewer: We have had a couple of gentlemen before. Suppose we let a lady speak up?

Stahl: All right, Mr. Brewer, that sounds fair enough. This lady on my left; what caused you to

raise your hand?

Lady: I’m Mrs. Cartwright and you said something I can’t agree with at all…or rather you seem

to indicate it. The Bible says very definitely that Jesus was baptized and immediately the

Spirit led Him into the wilderness. It’s in the Bible, Mr. Stahl. It’s in Matthew, Mark, and

Luke; yet, if I understand you right, you are implying that a period of time elapsed in

between his baptism and the wilderness.

Stahl: That’s right Mrs. Cartwright; I am implying just exactly that.

Lady: I don’t see how you can say that. When his temptations were over, the Bible says “He

returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.” Do you mean to say Jesus began His

public ministry without the power of the Spirit?

Stahl: Well, Mrs. Cartwright, you have good questions. Truthfully, I don’t know whether you

want an answer. I have a feeling that your mind is already made up. May I ask you a

question? Would you be willing to accept something different if it caused you to change

some of the things you already believe?

Lady: I believe so Mr. Stahl. Some things are plain through and I see no reason to change

them.

Stahl: If you did see a reason, would you change?

Lady: I’d have to be convinced.

Stahl: Well, I can’t convince you and furthermore, I don’t want to. If a person should be

convinced by me, then they would say “Mr. Stahl says,” and there is no life or authority

to that. When a person is convinced by God, then he has a solid foundation and he can

depend on that.

Lady: That’s the way I feel.

Stahl: Insofar as the time of Jesus temptation is concerned, I feel that as our discussion

progresses, you will see more clearly just why it is that I say Jesus did not immediately

go to the wilderness. Remember, I said the scriptures say that God began to lead Jesus

into the wilderness. He led Him by allowing certain things to come about. It is in the

culmination of these things that brought Jesus into the understanding of what really

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happened to Him. They are the things that brought Him to temptation and they are the

things that gave Him direction to move in the right path.

It is my hope that you will see this more clearly as our discussion progresses.

You expressed another thought, Mrs. Cartwright; you seemed aghast at the thought of

Jesus beginning his “public ministry” without the power of God. I don’t know how to

answer that one.

Let’s see. Just how can I say this? Jesus received knowledge that He was the Son of God

when he was baptized. Now, a son does the will of his father. At least that’s the way it is

supposed to be. The son takes over authority from the father and works in place of the

father. Jesus said He came, not to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent

Him. Jesus had a will of His own too. No one can do God’s will and his own will. Every

one of us must come to the place of discerning the difference in this area before we can

ever move in the power of the Spirit. In the case of Jesus, we can see this division

between flesh and Spirit take place step-by-step, and because of this, we can

understand it better in our life.

I am not saying that Jesus did not do God’s will before, but I am saying that after His

temptations, He moved perfectly and knowledgeably in God’s will. A change had taken

place and this is the thing that we will see as we move along in our discussion.

Do these words help you to understand what I say, Mrs. Cartwright?

Lady: Well, I guess I don’t change my mind that quickly. I still don’t see how…

Stahl: I don’t want you to change your mind that quickly. All I want is to be as sure as I can that

my words are plain to you. I want them to carry meaning that you can understand;

that’s all.

Lady: I understand what you say all right.

Stahl: Then I can ask for nothing more. Mr. Brewer, I believe there were some more

questions?

Brewer: Yes, these were passed up to me, but it seems to me that you have already indicated

their answer. Here is one that wants to know when the temptations took place…another

one asks why is the time so important anyway. You seem to have indicated that you will

answer these questions.

Stahl: Yes, Mr. Brewer. I will. I’m glad to know that they have been asking as it shows an

interest. I could answer them right now, but I prefer to let the answer come in its proper

place. Sometimes, a question deferred is answered in due time, but if I don’t answer it,

please remember it…jot it down so you won’t forget. This is an open discussion and I

want to answer every question that I can.

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Brewer: That sounds fair enough.

Stahl: Let’s say we have gone far enough with this first temptation. It definitely establishes the

fact of a doubt that had to be overcome. It wasn’t a matter of can you turn stones into

bread; it was a matter of satisfying your own desires to get rid of doubt. This is never

the thing to do.

I said earlier that if we can discover how a man meets temptation, we can discover

somewhat of his character. This is our first glimpse into the character of Jesus along this

line.

What Jesus had learned throughout His life began to take effect. “Man shall not live by

bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Here is resolve.

It is a resolve that goes contrary to the natural urge of a hungry man and it indicates the

attitude and integrity of the man Jesus.

His attitude is displayed in that He considers Himself a man along with all of Israel. His

integrity is demonstrated in His choosing the path of sustenance from God rather than

natural means.

Now we enter into the next temptation. The Bible says it this way; “And the devil taking

him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a

moment of time.” The temptation was to have the kingdoms of the world and the price

was to worship Satan. To think that Jesus desired to worship Satan would be bizarre.

Actually, it was Jesus who wanted to be recognized by His own nation. Remember, we

have to find the man’s desire and it was certainly not to worship the Devil.

To me, this poses a very interesting question. Why would Jesus desire the kingdoms of

the world? I considered this from every angle and could not determine why until God

revealed it to me. The answer was very simple: He was a Jew, and what’s more, He was

the Messiah! It was the most natural thing in the world for the Messiah of the Jews to

desire the kingdoms of the world. That’s what the Jew had been taught for hundreds of

years. When the Messiah would come, He would establish one-world government; all

nations would come to Israel to learn of God. Israel would become a teacher to all

people, and the Messiah would be King!

It is interesting to notice that this time Satan did not make mention of Jesus as the Son

of God. This is significant. It was the main point in the first temptation, but here it was

not even mentioned. The big thing here was the logical thing that the Messiah would

want the kingdoms of the world. I learned something from this. I felt that something

had happened to give Jesus a sense of security on this point. It had been settled insofar

as he was concerned.

I’m jumping forward now to the next phase of Jesus’ temptations. This time, Satan

again struck at Jesus with the question, “If thou be the Son of God...” So here again,

there was doubt within Jesus. This looks like an-on-again off-again affair, insofar as faith

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in this thing is concerned. That’s not like Jesus who is the same yesterday and today and

forever. You see, Jesus was in the process of being tempted. The first time He met this

situation in a certain fashion and he seemed to have victory over it, but it wasn’t a

lasting victory. Something else happened that caused Him to have a reoccurrence of the

same old doubt. The thing that he thought was settled was back again and in a much

worse way than it was before.

I imagine that every one of us here have had exactly the same thing happen to us. This is

the thing that gets us so discouraged sometimes. When it seems that we have to meet

the same problem over and over again, we begin to wonder just what the use is.

But Jesus didn’t have to meet the same problem over and over again. He found the

secret the second time around and got the victory once and for all. This is why it is so

important for us to see this particular thing in Jesus, because it is only in Him that we

learn how to defeat Satan. After all, Jesus is the only one who ever defeated Satan. I’ve

already pointed out that in answering Satan on the first go-around, Jesus equated

Himself with mankind. He quoted scripture. “Man shall not live by bread alone…” Man,

as a whole, was not being tempted. Jesus was the one being tempted. His answer in

effect was: I, being a man, will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds

out of the mouth of God.

It was pleasing to Jesus to make this choice. The words came from the traditions of His

people, and He was pleased to take this as His position. To follow the word of God was a

far greater honor than to turn stones into bread. It satisfied Jesus to know that He could

take such a stand. Only the Christ, the Anointed One of God, would make such a

decision under such trying circumstance.

Jesus immediate doubt was allayed, but not for long. The victory was based on “His”

ability to make such a decision; obviously, if He wavered in this ability or resolve, He

would no longer have the victory. You see, His victory was based upon something He did

as a man, rather than what God can do. This is always a shaky victory because it is no

stronger than man. At any rate, it lasted for Jesus until the next time He faced

disappointment.

Jesus entered into the second temptation sure in regard to His anointing, but, there was

no understanding why people would not accept Him as the Messiah. If the people would

come to Him and worship Him, there would be no problem. He would establish the

Kingdom in Israel and the entire world could see the Glory of God.

These are some of the thoughts we can glimpse within Jesus as we study this second

temptation.

There is an interesting thought that presents itself when we consider the anonymity of

Satan. The condition that Satan laid down as payment for the delivery of these

kingdoms…if thou wilt therefore worship me…cannot possibly mean the obvious. Jesus

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did not know that these things were being presented to Him by Satan. He considered

these thoughts His own. Here, then, is the thought that came to Jesus: If these people

would worship Me, they would recognize Me as their Messiah and then all the kingdoms

of the earth would be mine.

This is not a strange thought; it is in line with the principles of the Jewish Messiah and it

is in line with the decision Jesus reached.

We remember the stand that Jesus took in His first temptation. He equated Himself as a

man and followed the Word of God which said man shall not live by bread alone. Now

He is facing a temptation in which He feels that the only way to establish a kingdom is to

have the people worship Him. The word of God is very explicit in this case however. “It

is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.”

There can be no mistaking that. He may be the Messiah, but He was still a man. God’s

word was clear; you are not to worship man, you are to worship the Lord only!

If a man were to worship a man, then he could not be obeying God by worshiping Him

only. On the other hand, if man did not worship Jesus, how could He ever be set up as

the Messiah? So here is an impossible situation insofar as the thinking of man is

concerned. In Jesus’ mind it spelled defeat to everything He considered the Messiah

should be. Jesus left the mountain discouraged, defeated, and whipped, or so it seemed

to Him. He had turned from His own desires; He had chosen God’s word to strengthen

Him. He desired the Kingdom to be restored to Israel; He had longed for it with all the

aching and yearning that it was possible for a man to have, and yet, it was not to be. No

matter what happened, God’s Word came first. It is written, “Thou shalt worship the

Lord, thy God, and him only, shalt thou serve.” This doesn’t leave room for anyone else,

and no kingdom was ever established without loyal subjects who served the king.

But, God was not through with Jesus! He knew the desire in this great heart and He

found pleasure in it.

Remember we considered the fact that God led Jesus to the wilderness? All throughout

these first two temptations, there seems to be no considering the things by which God

led Jesus to this time and place. Jesus early training and traditions of His people seemed

to be the criteria for what Jesus did and said.

Now, He entered into His third temptation. His original doubt was back again. We know

this because Satan used it as the chief factor again…“If Thou be the Son of God…” Only

this time it was infinitely worse. It was as though Satan were laughing at Him and

mocking Him. So what if He was the Son of God? What if He were the Messiah? He

couldn’t set up the Kingdom because God desired that man should worship only Him.

I believe that this third time around Jesus began to consider some of the things that God

had been saying to and through Him. In other words, He began to consider things in the

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light of God’s personal dealing with Him. Before, it had been Israel…now it was God’s

dealing with Him.

Here again, we learn a lot. Many people today are satisfied because they belong to a

certain church group and many are satisfied because they are members of the Anglo

Saxon race. They belong to a “Christian” nation and feel that this is enough.

It wasn’t enough for Jesus. God took Him beyond this point to the place where Jesus

faced a personal relationship with God. When this was thoroughly established and

accepted, Satan left Jesus and Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.

It is no different with us today. We will not move in the power of God, nor will we have

any authority over Satan until we too recognize and accept our position in Jesus and His

place in us.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl, I have a note here. It reads: “I have a question.” and it is signed Mr. Sawyer.

Would this be a good place to hear Mr. Sawyers’ question?

Stahl: By all means! Mr. Sawyer, where are you? Oh yes, there you are. Mr. Sawyer, what is

your question?

Sawyer: You said Jesus was whipped. That word stuck with me because I can’t imagine Jesus ever

being whipped or defeated as you suggest. Do you really mean what your words imply?

Jesus “whipped?”

Stahl: Mr. Sawyer, I said it seemed this way to Jesus, and I think I mean what my words imply.

Remember now that all this temptation is coming against Jesus as a man. Jesus is

anointed; God gave Himself to Jesus when He was baptized in the Jordan, but Jesus was

not walking in the full awareness of what this anointing meant. Jesus was aware of all

the traditions of Israel, and because He was a Jew, these things were strong in Him. He

desired to see the Messiah come and establish His Kingdom in Israel; that’s why He was

baptized of John. To realize the anointing of God and to know the traditions of the

Messiah made His one consuming passion the establishing of the Kingdom. It was strong

enough in Him to cause Him to shun the bread that the stones could have been. Now to

feel that what you have given your whole life for is an utter impossibility is to be

defeated and whipped.

Remember, this whole experience is something that God has been leading Jesus into.

Anyone that is to be used by God must come to the end of himself. Jesus was no

exception. He was a man, tempted in all points like we are, yet, He did not sin.

Sometimes we think that victory over temptations would bring us great joy. Nothing

could be further from the truth. Sometimes, a step in God’s direction will bring a great

sense of despair and defeat. But the thing we must remember, as we see in Jesus, is that

despair and defeat is in the realm of the flesh. There is no despair and defeat in God.

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Therefore, we can, in God, rejoice because we know that if we continue on, there will be

the knowledge of a new life.

Jesus had to come to the end of Himself as a man. All of His hopes and ambitions

according to the traditions of His people had to be removed from His life.

We have just witnessed their removal in this second temptation. It is not a pretty thing

to see a man stripped of everything He had hoped for, but it must happen to every one

of us if God is to have free access to our life.

We will see the fulfilling of things in the third temptation, but for the moment, Jesus

was defeated and completely beat, or so it seemed to Him. Jesus was defeated in His

own eyes, but He was just now in the place where God could reveal Himself.

Are my words plain to you, Mr. Sawyer?

Sawyer: Yes…but it’s hard to believe. Maybe if I wait and see what comes next, I’ll understand it

better.

Stahl: I’m sure you will sir. But, the main point here is that flesh must die out to itself if God is

to make it alive. We are told to reckon ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God. Do

you believe this?

Sawyer: Of course!

Stahl: This is what is happening in Jesus. It had never happened in a man before, Mr. Sawyer;

this is a brand new thing. It is the miracle of God dwelling in man, and, more particularly

the process by which man becomes aware of this new life.

Sawyer: I see what you mean. I just never considered this to have happened to Jesus.

Stahl: That’s because you never considered Jesus as a man before.

Sawyer: Could be. Go ahead; I’ve got to think about this for a while. I’m not going to believe it

just because you say it.

Stahl: I don’t want you to, Mr. Sawyer. If God doesn’t make it alive, forget it. I know that you

won’t forget it though, because I see you love the Lord. You will find that your strength

increases as your knowledge of God’s word increases. God bless you, sir.

Are there more notes, Mr. Brewer?

Brewer: I guess not. Mr. Sawyer was the only one I received. So why don’t you continue?

Stahl: I appreciate Mr. Sawyer’s words, and, if there are any more here that share Mr.

Sawyer’s thoughts, I say God bless you. I’m not ashamed to say that it took me

considerable time to accept these things when God showed them to me. There is a

difference now between you and me also. I was actively seeking understanding of this

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thing, whereas, without doubt, this is the first time many of you have ever heard these

thoughts expressed. There are many of you, who for the moment will forget what I say,

but the thought will stick with you, and you will remember it at various times. It will take

hold of you as you look to God; it will be quickened and, if you keep your mind on it, it

will change your whole life!

That’s the thing that happens: That is what is so startling as you see this change come

about in Jesus. I said Jesus was defeated, and He was, but not before God. In this defeat

of the flesh, Jesus stood before God, stripped of everything He had understood God

expected of man and this is what God wanted!

God cannot freely work through any life if it is contrary to His own. God wanted to

reconcile the world to Him, but in order to do this He had to have an expression in this

world. God purposed that it was to be Jesus who would be His “expression” and God

brought it about. His expression became flesh and dwelt among us. This had to be a true

expression though. God would not tolerate any of man’s traditions being expressed as

His Word, so Jesus had to come to the end of everything. Then, and only then, He

became the Word of God. This is what God wanted; He would settle for nothing less.

God demanded absolute things. We today live by the mercy of Jesus Christ, but Jesus

did not receive this mercy. God led Jesus to this wilderness of temptation for the explicit

purpose of Jesus coming to the realization of the absolute nothingness of all that man

held dear or thought was of God.

Now Jesus entered into God; from now on, He didn’t even talk like a man.

I suppose that this is the most important thing that ever happened to Jesus, and,

consequently it is the most important thing for us. The words that Jesus spoke of God

are true and pure because He did come to the end of Himself. That’s why He could say,

“The words I speak, they are Spirit, and they are life.” Jesus came to the end of all

tradition; He came to the end of all that “He” thought should be. There was nothing left

in Him to express other than God, so we beheld the glory of God in Jesus. God was in

Jesus and we are reconciled to God through Him.

Jesus entered into His third temptation. Luke reads in this fashion: “And he brought Him

to Jerusalem and set him on a pinnacle of the temple…” Matthew words it this way.

“Then the devil taketh him up into the Holy City and setteth him on a pinnacle of the

temple…”

This brings up a question in the minds of many people, they have asked me; how did the

Devil take Jesus to Jerusalem? How did he take Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple? This

seems to say to them that the Devil was a person like Jesus and that he actually carried

Jesus about by some means.

The truth is much more startling. Jesus walked there Himself. It was the “thoughts of the

man” Jesus that caused His steps to take Him to Jerusalem and to a pinnacle of the

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Temple. Here again, the anonymity of Satan enters the picture. Until a man recognizes

God in a certain thing, he cannot recognize Satan. Jesus had not yet come to the place of

recognizing God in relation to the purpose of God in His life. He was too concerned with

the traditions of Israel – with what the Messiah should be and do. Never, in all of history

of mankind, was, or will there ever be, a man more dedicated to his calling than Jesus,

and, never was there ever a man so bereaved of purpose and direction than Jesus was

when He was finished with His second temptation.

It was hopeless discouragement, despair, defeat, and emptiness that directed His steps

to Jerusalem and to a pinnacle of the Temple. The thing that we must know is that

hopeless discouragement, despair, defeat, and emptiness are merely adjectives that

describe Satan. God is none of those things. We are apt to soften the impact of these

things by saying they are just human emotions, but until our eyes are open to God in

this matter, we will never see Satan. So His steps, as well as His thoughts were directed

by Satan as Jesus went to Jerusalem and to a pinnacle of the Temple.

We can realize the extent of His temptation to begin with. He was hungry. We have

been hungry too; and it is not too hard to project ourselves to the place of

understanding regarding His desire for the kingdoms of the world. After all, this is the

rightful heritage of the Messiah. However, this third temptation goes beyond all physical

things and expresses the very spirit of man.

What was in the mind of Jesus? The Devil voices it. “If thou be the Son of God, cast

thyself down from here, for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all

thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest at any time thou dash thy feet

against a stone.”

How can I paraphrase it so it will have impact upon us today? Sometimes we have heard

certain phrases and received them in certain ways for so long that they become

somewhat meaningless to us. I think this is the position many people are in regarding

these temptations. The words we read are plain but we have let their meaning become

obscured.

Jesus was ready to end His life! He had come to the place of complete and utter

hopelessness. All He had ever hoped for now seemed an utter impossibility. There was

nothing left to live for. His life was stripped of all purpose, so the natural impulse of such

extreme dedication was to end it all. On top of all this hopelessness, or perhaps I should

say, adding to it, was again the question as to whether or not He was really the Son of

God. It was the same old doubt that had been gnawing at Him for quite some time. He

had gone to the wilderness and fasted so that He might resolve it, but things were

worse now than they were before.

God’s word seemed to mock Him now; Cast yourself down from here if you are the Son

of God; there is nothing to worry about. For it is written, “He shall give his angels charge

over thee to keep thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou

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shalt dash thy feet against a stone.” Go ahead, jump – get the thing settled one way or

the other.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl, I think there are some questions; at least I have indications to that end.

Stahl: Whoever has a question speak up. You there, Sir, your hand seems to be the highest;

what is your question?

Man: Do you mean to stand there and tell me that Jesus, the Son of God, our wonderful

Savior, contemplated suicide?

Stahl: Yes, that is what I mean to say, Mr…I do not know your name.

Man: My name doesn’t make any difference – I’m shocked at what you say. I think you have a

devil. Anyone who would even dare suggest such a thing as you have admitted to is

guilty of blasphemy. As far as I’m concerned, I can’t listen to any more. Jesus is divine;

He is just; and, He is Holy. How in the name of God, anyone can even suggest that He

would think of suicide, like a mentally sick person, should have his head examined.

Stahl: I would appreciate it if you would hear me out. I assure you that you haven’t heard it all

yet. If ---

Man: I’ve heard all I’m going to Mr. Stahl. I’m leaving now and I’d advise everyone else that

wants to keep their sanity to do likewise.

Brewer: Ladies and gentlemen. The objects of our discussions have always been aimed at

arriving at an understanding on various controversial teachings that we hear from time

to time. We have always insisted that the Bible be our standard text. We have not in the

past, nor is it our aim to either accept, or reject the opinions expressed by our guests.

Mr. Stahl is our guest today, and we extend to him the same privileges and courteous

treatment that we have extended to all of our guest in the past.

We expect, and I’m sure Mr. Stahl expects, all of you to accept, or reject, or merely

listen to what he has to say.

Mr. Stahl, I hope you will excuse the interruption.

Stahl: Mr. Brewer, in a way I’m glad for it. This is not the first time that I have had this happen,

and I don’t suppose it will be the last, but I am glad. I’m sorry for the gentleman who left

because he refused to listen. A story half heard is a story not heard at all. It is hard to

conceive that Jesus was tempted in all manner as we, but Hebrews 4:15 say that He

was.

I am glad in this sense – for you who are here the incident is fairly well fixed in your

mind. You won’t forget that once you heard a man suggest the startling thought that at

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one time Jesus contemplated suicide. I trust that you will hear the rest of the story, and

then, you will understand.

There are several statements that Jesus made that take on new importance when

considered in this light. Remember, one time Jesus said, “If a man save his life, he shall

lose it, but if a man shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall find it.” It’s impossible

to understand that until you see and understand how Jesus laid down His life – and I

don’t mean on Calvary either. He died for us on Calvary, but He died to self some two

and one-half years earlier in the process of His third temptation. He was raised from the

dead by the power of God, but, He willingly laid down His life and took the life of God

for His own when He said to Satan, “Thou shalt not temp the Lord thy God.”

Are there any more questions before we proceed? Yes, you Sir, what is your name?

Brown: My name is Brown; Cyrus Brown and I would like to ask a question.

Stahl: Very well, Mr. Brown. What is your question?

Brown: Here we are at a certain time in Jesus’ life – you say He was going to commit suicide. At

the present time I think you’re way off base on that score, but I’ll hear you out. Only one

thing keeps bugging me. Do you say that Jesus was divine? By that, I mean anointed of

God. Was he divine at this time, or wasn’t He?

Stahl: Yes…

Brown: Then if he is divine, how can you suggest suicide?

Stahl: Mr. Brown, He was anointed, therefore He was divine, but, He didn’t know it. There

were doubts in His mind about this anointing. That’s why Satan could hit Him so hard

with the thought, “If Thou be the Son of God…”

And, Mr. Brown, there is one thing about man’s relation with God that we may as well

face – if we don’t believe something – as far as we are concerned, it just doesn’t exist!

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, and God poured out His Spirit on all flesh, but

not everyone has availed themselves of salvation, nor is everyone living in the life of

God that He so freely gave. But the promise is unto him that believes. Again, we are

told, when you pray, whatsoever things you desire, believe you have them, and you

shall have them. So my point, Mr. Brown, is that Jesus had not yet reached the place of

believing in His anointing. This is evidenced by the question, if thou be the Son of God.

Therefore, it was not yet true to Him, even though to God it was an accomplished fact.

Do you see what I mean? Jesus had not come to the place of perfect faith so He was not

yet in conscious possession of what God had for Him.

Brown: Yes, I understand your thought. Thank you.

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Stahl: Are there any more questions? …….Well, let’s move along then.

Up to this time, Jesus had answered the questions Satan put to Him in the light of the

traditional understanding of God’s Word to Israel. But now He had come to the end of

this. God’s word was still true, but quite evidently, there was something required for its

understanding that no one had as yet found.

Remember when Jesus was arisen from the dead? He talked to two discouraged and

despondent disciples who were on the road to Emmaus. They were in the depths of

despair because, as Jesus put it, they didn’t believe all of the prophets. They needed

something added to their understanding.

This is true of Jesus regarding this third temptation…Something new must serve as the

key to understanding God’s Word. The traditions of Israel led to defeat; they lacked the

thing that would bring victory.

We have mentioned, in the course of these discussions, and the Bible mentions it, that

the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. We have not yet considered just how this came

about. What happened to Jesus to bring Him to this place of testing? I believe that now

is the time to mention at least some of these things.

All of these things happened in a normal, natural way. Well, I can’t really say that either

– what happened in some cases was super natural, but only to Jesus. The time, the

place, the event all fit into the natural surrounding so completely that it easily could

seem to have natural explanations, but it was by these things that God led Jesus.

All of these things require time. The reason that many of us do not really see what

happened to Jesus is that we have more or less believed that Jesus was baptized and

then immediately led or driven, as Mark puts it, into the wilderness. We have left no

time for things to happen. God doesn’t work that way. He is Spirit. He works in such a

way that only those who look for Him will find Him. All the others will be lost in their

own reasonings. When Jesus came as a man, He was seen by all, but God’s Word

declares that only to those who look for Him will He appear the second time – without

sin – unto salvation.

The next question then is this; Does the Bible indicate to us when the temptations took

place? Yes. I believe it does.

Let’s consider some things for a moment. What do we know about the temptations in

relation to time? Only this – it was preceded by a forty-day fast. But, actually that is all

we need to know. The next things we need to know is what the Bible has to say about

time.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke make no attempt to establish days. Luke, very precisely

establishes the time of the Baptist’s appearing, but makes no further attempt to

delineate days. John is the only one that does this. He gives us specific days up until the

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third day after John baptized Jesus when there was a marriage in Cana. Marriage feasts

in Cana lasted for ten days. Then Jesus and His mother went to the country about

Capernaum and abode there for a few days. From there, they went to Jerusalem for the

Passover. So, we have a very good indication of days from the time of Jesus’ baptism,

which historians tell us was in January to the days of the Passover, which was in April.

There is no place that we can squeeze in an extra forty days.

What else do we know about His temptations? When they were finished we read that

“He returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.” One time He went to Galilee, and

didn’t have much success. This was His home country and it was said that He could not

do many wonderful works there because of their unbelief. Jesus Himself said a prophet

has no honor in His own country.

Another time He went to the Synagogue in Nazareth to read from the Prophet Isaiah

and said “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears…“ The words spoken, the events

that transpired all have a tone of confidence that was completely lacking the first time

He went to Galilee.

There is another thing we read in the scriptures that, of itself, is extremely peculiar. It is

the time that Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda. This was a peculiar healing.

It is the only time that Jesus ever singled out a person and healed him. It marked a big

change in Jesus. From then on His life was in jeopardy. The Bible says the reason for this

danger is that He had done this thing on the Sabbath.

This points to a very definite change in Jesus. It indicates that He had never before

desecrated the Sabbath in this fashion, but something had happened that caused Him to

change His mind. When you understand that He was a Jew raised in the traditions of

Israel; and when you hear Him teach fasting even as the Pharisees and express Himself

as He did to the Syrephoenician woman, then you can better understand that something

very important had happened in His life.

I feel that this great thing that happened which changed His life was His temptations.

If we look in the book of John, in the Fifth Chapter, we read these words: “And there

was a feast of the Jews…” This feast is not identified, but, if we consider Jesus’ life as a

whole, we know that He was crucified during what was the fourth Passover since His

baptism by John. A study of the scriptures very strongly indicates that this “feast of the

Jews” mentioned in John, the Fifth Chapter, was indeed the second Passover that Jesus

observed since His baptism by John.

All indications are that Jesus was somewhat inactive prior to this second Passover feast,

and that He, indeed, did return to Galilee after this second Passover. It was the period

immediately preceding this second Passover that John was imprisoned; so

philosophically the stage was set for Jesus to enter into a unique ministry. John had

preached to repent and make straight the paths of the Lord. Then, he had identified

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Jesus as the Lamb of God, but John was not a follower of Jesus; he continued in his own

zeal.

Finally, to give further indication that this second Passover was indeed the time of the

temptations, we have only to look at the locale. There was a wilderness to the east of

Jerusalem and it was not far removed from the normal paths of travel frequented by the

Jews in their migrations between Galilee and Judea. The hills about Jerusalem provide a

setting in harmony with what we read about in the second temptation, and we know

that Jerusalem itself was the scene of this third temptation.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl…

Stahl: Yes?

Brewer: I have three questions here, all along the same line. It seems that Mr. Landberg, Mr.

Sampson, and Mrs. White, are all interested in knowing a little more in detail just how it

is you can say Jesus was not tempted immediately following His baptism.

Stahl: Very well – let’s go over it again. In the first place, the Bible doesn’t say He was tempted

immediately after His baptism. That’s the result of an impression we have. What the

Bible does say is that immediately the Spirit “led” Him into the wilderness. This does not

denote an immediate arrival in the wilderness; it denotes some immediate activity on

the part of God, but Jesus’ arrival at this place was not immediate.

The Gospel of John gives proof of this. Another thing that one must consider is the

geography as well as topography of Palestine. After all, it took a finite time to travel

from Capernaum to Jerusalem.

I would suggest that those who are interested try counting days. Remember, the Jewish

calendar was based on a 28 day month. The Passover was the middle of April. The week

of preparation preceded the feast. Other facts that we must consider is that the

marriage feast lasted for 10 days. Two things must be assumed; one is the time it took

to travel from Capernaum to Jerusalem. We can consider ten days for this. They traveled

on foot and they traveled in large groups because this offered maximum protection

from thieves and robbers that infested the byways. The other thing that we must

assume is that the “not many days” mentioned in John, 1:12 has a span of two weeks. If

Jesus was baptized around the middle of January, we would find that He was in

Jerusalem for ten days prior to the beginning of Passover week. This certainly is needed

if Jesus is to establish a reputation by His teaching and miracles as Nicodemus indicated.

Let’s suppose that Jesus was baptized at the beginning of January – add another 14

days. That means 24 days, and that’s a long way from 40. Even if the “not many days” he

spent around Capernaum did not exist, there would only be 38 days, not 40. So, no

matter how you figure it, you still can’t find 40 days.

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Have you followed me? I suggest if you really want to be sure of what I’m saying, take a

pencil and paper and figure it out for yourselves. Are there any more questions? You

there, what is your question?

McGinnis: I am Mrs. McGinnis: I follow your reasoning, but Luke seems to indicate that Jesus was

tempted during the forty days. I would like to read it, Verse 2 of Chapter 4. “Being 40

days tempted of the devil…” This seems to me like a plain statement, does it not? Why

are we so concerned about the end of 40 days?

Stahl: Mrs. McGinnis, you have a good point. You have read the scripture right and I believe

that you have properly understood what you read. But, please read on. You will read

these words: “and in these days he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, he

afterward hungered”. Then in the third verse it says, “And the devil said until him…” So

you see, Mrs. McGinnis, the temptations of which we speak came after the 40 days. The

second verse of the Fourth Chapter of Matthew reads the same.

Yes, I believe Satan did tempt Jesus during the forty days, but the important and

significant temptations are the ones we read about and they took place after the 40

days.

McGinnis: Thank you.

Stahl: The reason it is so important to establish the time of these temptations is because we

must see what happened to Jesus. God caused certain things to come about that led

Jesus to the wilderness. What were they? What was it that provided the basis of

understanding for Jesus when all tradition had been stripped from Him? If you know

when the temptations took place, you can look before that time and see what

happened.

I feel that this time is right before the Feast of the Jews mentioned in the Fifth Chapter

of John’s Gospel, and I feel that this feast was the Feast of the Passover.

John mentions certain events that I feel are important factors in understanding these

things of which we have been speaking. He tells us of the time Jesus made a whip and

drove the money changers out of the temple. He tells us of Jesus meeting with

Nicodemus, and he tells us about Jesus and the woman of Samaria. This in itself is quite

normal. Here is a Jew, telling about the Messiah, and He tells about a Samaritan first

proclaiming Him as the Messiah!

I’d like to suggest to you how I feel Jesus moved about during these days of temptation.

I want to show you the perfectly logical way in which Jesus lived. The reason I want to

do this is that I want you to become aware of the manner in which Satan works. He’s a

sly one! Like I’ve said before, the minute we know him as Satan, he has lost his power

over us. That is, of course, if we know Jesus, which I assume you do.

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Jesus was pretty discouraged when He went into the wilderness. That was why He went

- to get things straightened out. You see, He wanted to be the Messiah. God had

anointed Him to be the Messiah, but things just hadn’t been going right – at least not

according to what He understood the Messiah to be. The Samaritans, rather than the

Jews, had given Him acclaim as the Christ. He was anxious to get back to His home

country, but He by-passed the road to Nazareth and went to Cana.

There is not much said about this particular time around Galilee. John tells us about the

Nobleman from Capernaum who sought Jesus and asked Him to come and heal his son.

Jesus didn’t go with the man. He sent His word and the son began to improve, but the

fact remains that Jesus didn’t go with the man. The words that Jesus used seem to

indicate despondency - a hopelessness that seems strangely out of place with what we

know of Jesus. “Except ye see signs and wonders,” He said, “Ye will not believe” (that I

am the Christ).

It seems quite evident that the Nobleman considered his trip useless. He had sought

Jesus and found Him, only to have Jesus refuse to come with him, and he had received

sharp words from Him on top of everything else. He did not believe Jesus when he left

His presence. It was not until the next day when he met his servants and learned from

them that his boy was on the mend, that he believed Jesus. The Bible says that he

inquired at what time it was that his boy began to improve, and when they found that it

was the same hour that Jesus had said “Go thy way; thy son liveth,” that the Nobleman

from Capernaum believed again that He was the Christ.

However, Jesus was beginning to experience the uncertainty of doubt regarding the

things of His calling. These people of Galilee provoked the old phrase “Physician, heal

thyself” in regard to their attitude toward Jesus, and Jesus mentioned that a prophet

has no honor in his own country.

There came a time in the life of Jesus, just like there comes a time in the life of

everyone, where we have to face square up to a problem and make our own decisions.

Almost a year had gone by since He had heard God’s voice proclaiming Him as His Son.

This could mean only one thing – a Son was to do the work of the Father – and in this

case that meant being the Messiah.

Some strange things had happened in Jerusalem at the Passover, but He had had more

than a normal amount of success teaching and baptizing along the Jordan – and then in

Samaria – but His own people would not receive Him! They said they wanted the

Messiah and He offered them all that he could, but they would have none of it.

Now, quite naturally, doubt began to tease Him – was He or was He not the Messiah?

The path that He took to find His answers was typically Jewish; He entered into a fast.

The time of His fast is indicative of His dedication - forty days. Only two men in all of the

history of Israel experienced a fast of such duration. Moses, when he went on the

Mount and fasted for forty days and nights and when he returned, he returned with

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God’s words. Elijah took meat and drink and went in the strength of that meat and drink

for forty days. God spoke to him and he went to Mount Carmel and challenged the

Prophets of Baal; and so Jesus chose to fast so He could determine before God whether

or not He was the Son of God.

The Passover was not too far away, and so Jesus left the country about Galilee and

turned His steps towards Jerusalem. There is one characteristic we find about Jesus. It

appears many times and I believe that it is evident here. Whenever Jesus was tired or

troubled, He wanted to remove Himself from the multitude and be alone. Moses went

to the Mount and was alone with God, and Elijah went to the wilderness.

The country east of Jerusalem below Jordan was desolate. The fertility of the Jordan

plain quickly disappeared as the land plunged to the Dead Sea. It was removed from the

routes of travel of both the merchants and the pilgrims who found their way to the Holy

City. I believe that it was here that Jesus went.

For forty days He fasted, but He reached no decision. Then it happened - a bitter manlike thought. “If you are the Son of God, command these stones that they be made

bread.” There went on in Jesus a struggle, a man wrestling with his principles.

A doubt, a desire, a solution - this is the way Satan works. But the solution, in order to

be right before God, must be God’s solution. It cannot be the one we have arrived at by

our own reasonings.

Jesus saw two possible things to do. One was dictated by desire. He was hungry; the

other was dictated by tradition, the Word of God to His chosen people of Israel. “Man

shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of

God.” It was on the basis of His teaching, His training, and the traditions of His people,

that He chose the way He did.

There is something that happened to Jesus that is very human, and not at all God-like.

Because of this, I know that at this time He still thought as a man.

Now stick with me for a moment; don’t go shaking your head - just listen. The Devil

doesn’t fool around with his tempting – he is out for keeps. He doesn’t waste time

presenting little temptations, but his temptations are designed to kill - “If you are the

Son of God.” This thing was gnawing at Jesus’ very soul. Apparently whatever Jesus did,

brought Him satisfaction. How do I know this? Because the next time He was tempted

we don’t hear of one question about whether or not He was the Son of God. In fact,

now listen – the next temptation was based solely upon the assumption that He was the

Son of God. If He would have had doubts about His Son ship, there would have been no

strength to His desire for the kingdoms of the world.

Yet, now stay with me a bit longer – the third time He was tempted, the old doubt was

back again! God doesn’t give a victory then take it back. He doesn’t play that kind of

musical chairs!

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Let’s consider the Law for just a minute. The Law develops an attitude. It was very

prevalent among the Jews.

Jesus puts words to it when He told about the Pharisee that prayed and said, “I thank

thee, Lord, that I am not like this publican – I pay my tithes – I do this and that.” We

think that is the attitude of the Pharisees - we wouldn’t be like that! But in the thinking

of that thought we are like that! It’s a characteristic of the flesh. It is evidence of man’s

thinking. It is not God! The early Apostles took great pride in observing the Law. Peter,

in the book of Acts when commanded in a dream to arise and eat said, “Not so, Lord, for

nothing unclean has ever touched my lips.” Yet at the time, he was living with one

Simon, a tanner, which was itself an unclean thing, because it required coming in

contact with blood. James said to Paul, “You see how many brethren there are that have

believed. Every one of them is zealous for the Law.”

What am I trying to say? Simply this: Observing a law or tradition, is the path to selfrighteousness because it is something that we ourselves do. It makes us feel good; it

gives us a feeling of accomplishment; we have done the right thing, even at the expense

of our own desires!

This is the feeling that Jesus experienced. He was a hungry man! Yet all of His desire was

for the Lord, but He did not know God’s desire. He knew the traditions of His people. He

knew what was expected of the Messiah according to Israel. He subjugated every desire

to that end. He chose the ways of God insofar as He knew them.

This made Him feel good and it offered proof to Him that He was the Son of God. His

calling must surely be a true calling or else He would never have had the power to make

the choice He did. Consequently, He actually was strengthened in His body. But, He had

not yet found the place of God’s abiding. All the old doubts were to return and they

would be more complicated than ever before. His joy would be turned to hopelessness

– all because He had not yet found the place of God’s habitation.

He left the wilderness and made His way toward Jerusalem. He soon came to the

byways that came from all points of the compass and converged on Jerusalem. He found

them crowded with Pilgrims. The faithful Jews from every nation under the sun were

coming to Jerusalem to worship the one Almighty God, for the days of the Passover

were at hand. As Jesus walked along the way, I believe His steps were light and His

hopes high. I believe He entered the city expecting to have the people proclaim Him as

their Messiah.

Whatever His hopes, they were not realized. There were troublesome and frustrated

thoughts that came to His mind. They reached such proportions that again Jesus wanted

to get away from the crowd. This time His steps took Him to a high mountain. There,

undoubtedly He could look down upon Jerusalem. In His mind’s eye, He could see the

people fathered from all nations under the sun. They had come with one thought in

mind; to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

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Soon now, deliverance would be here. He was the Messiah. He would establish the

Kingdom in Israel and all nations would learn of God from them. There would be no

more wars, the lion and the lamb would lie down together. Israel would be restored to

her rightful place in the world, and He was their Messiah!

But the one thing that was required to bring this about was for His people, the Jews, to

recognize Him as their Messiah. In His mind’s eye, He saw all the nations of the Earth.

They would come to the restored Kingdom of Israel and learn of God. They would

forever more live in Peace. He could give Israel all the splendor and glory that was

rightfully theirs. All these nations He could give them if only they would worship Him, if

only they would recognize Him and accept Him as their Messiah! Longing for this welled

up within Jesus until nothing else seemed to matter. If only – if only, His people would

worship Him! He was their Messiah – even the Samaritans had recognized this! He could

teach them of God; all the glorious history of Israel would shine forth as the truth. The

words of God spoke to Israel were real and all men everywhere would know them. What

a great God He was!

Surely Jesus’ thoughts must have been along this line. In fact, I believe it was always

along this line - Israel was the reason for His existence! As He thought, God’s Word

came to Him again as it had in the desert, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and

him only shalt thou serve.”

Then suddenly, as the lightning shines from the east to the west, all that Jesus ever

hoped for, all that He ever considered Himself to be, all hope that He ever had was

shattered - everything wiped out in a twinkling of time. All because of the Word of God -

“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

The one thing that Jesus could see clearly now was that no man could ever be the

Messiah to Israel and still fulfill God’s desires. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and

him only shalt thou serve.” Man could never worship or serve another and still do God’s

will. No kingdom could ever exist without a king, nor could it long endure without

faithful, loyal service on the part of the people. Jesus had thought that if people would

worship and serve Him, He could restore the Kingdom to Israel and teach of God. How

could He teach loyalty to God and also to Himself? “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy

God, and him only shalt thou serve.” No man dare worship or serve another man and

say that he does God’s will!

Jesus had turned to God’s Word when He was in the desert, and be strengthened

because of it. Now He was stripped, utterly and completely without hope of all that He

had dedicated His life to. If Jesus had been elated when He left the desert, He was

completely and hopelessly discouraged now.

He went again toward Jerusalem. He moved without purpose. No matter what went

through His mind – no matter what had gone on before – He could not reconcile the

finality of man’s separation from God. There would be no restoring of a Kingdom to

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Israel – there would be no Messiah to rule, because God demanded absolute obedience

and servitude.

It is not at all unusual for men of great dedication, when they are stripped of all hope, to

consider self-destruction. It does not seem a strange thing to them because all hope is

lost – there is no more to their life. No man that ever lived, or ever will live, ever had a

greater dedication than Jesus. No aim of man was higher, or more noble than that of the

Messiah. And, because of this, no man was ever plunged to greater hopelessness than

Jesus. No man ever faced a blacker void.

The scriptures say “And the devil taketh him to Jerusalem, to a pinnacle of the temple,”

and said to Him, “If Thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from here; for it is

written, he shall give his angels charge over thee, and in their hand they shall bear thee

up lest at any time thou should dash thy foot against a stone. “

This was the end of the road as far as Jesus was concerned. All hope for Israel was

secondary now. The prime question was like it had always been: was He, or was He not

the Son of God? If not, there was no reason to go on living. It had seemed so sure in the

desert. There was a sense of destiny as though He had lived all His life for that moment.

But it was not so now. All His life seemed empty and hopeless now. All that He had been

taught seemed strangely unreal.

A man looks over his life at times like this, and I imagine that Jesus was no exception.

Here it was almost the beginning of the Passover. One year ago He was in the same city.

A lot had happened. A Pharisee had sought Him and asked Him questions. He had

spoken to him of some strange things. The man had been troubled; he had come to

Jesus seeking answers and Jesus had answered him.

“Ye must be born again or ye cannot even see the things of God.” Ye must be born of

God if ye are to know the things of God. “He that is born of the flesh is flesh and he that

is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.”

I can’t help but feel that as Jesus considered these things, an amazing thing gripped Him.

I think He had what we call a “revelation”. Here is the basic truth of God coming home

to Jesus - a new life, a new creature in God. This is what Jesus needed. Remember, He

had been brought to the place of nothingness in Himself. If there was to be any life

whatsoever, it had to be of God. All hope of the Messiah, according to the traditions of

Israel had gone; but here was a new creation - here was a new realm - here was a new

being.

Other things must have come to His mind too. A year ago, he had brought ridicule upon

Himself. He had made quite a commotion in the Temple when He used the whip on the

money changers. The Temple officers asked Him by what authority He did these things. I

don’t believe that Jesus understood His answer then either because the words were not

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His own, but I believe He understood them now. I believe that Jesus understood now

that His flesh was nothing but a dwelling place, a temple, as it were, for God to dwell in.

Oh, what a surge, a joy must have come over Jesus when He realized this truth! A life

that was empty now became full. Not full of traditions and self-understanding, but full

of God! What a blessed thing to have come to the end of self so that you might be

possessed by God!

I believe Jesus’ whole concept of God changed. I believe He remembered some words

that passed His lips as He spoke to the woman in Samaria. “God is Spirit, and they that

worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth.”

I cannot tell you just how God revealed Himself to Jesus, but I know what it was that He

revealed. I cannot say just what method God used to lead Jesus into the wilderness, but

I know what it was that He brought Him through there after.

God revealed Himself to Jesus so Jesus would know that He was Spirit and not flesh. God

revealed Himself to Jesus so Jesus would know that God was all things and that nothing

could exist apart from Himself. God revealed Himself to Jesus so Jesus would know that

all that man was, all of his hopes, and pride, and traditions were as nothing. With God it

was as though they never existed. God revealed Himself to Jesus so Jesus would know

His love.

God brought Jesus to the place of emptiness so He could fill Him with Himself. If Jesus

had not been completely emptied of self, He could not have the fullness of God because

God does not give His glory to another. We know that the fullness of God dwelt in Jesus;

therefore, we know that He was emptied of self.

To know that God is in you; to know that you are indeed at the end of self is to know

real victory. This will be reflected in our speech.

Jesus came to the place of knowing. He no longer directed His life, His decisions and

actions on the basis of tradition. He does not need precedent; He knows. He no longer

has to depend on the Law or the priest or on any other thing. God has given Himself to

Him and all knowledge, thought, and action is based on God Himself. Because Jesus saw

God, He saw Himself. No longer were these thoughts of despondency and defeat His

thoughts; these were Satan’s thoughts. And so because He had seen God, He became

like Him and He spoke suitable words - words of authority. They were not words of

reasoning, they were commanding words. They were not words of compromise, they

were words of irrefutable fact. They were words of victory – listen to them!

“Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God”.

Eight words that Satan could not get around, eight words with which Satan could not

argue, eight words that stated an Eternal truth, eight words that cannot be destroyed.

eight words that no man can speak; but, eight words that are ours in Christ.

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I’ve taken a good bit of liberty in supposing that certain things went on in Jesus mind,

and I’m not expecting any of you to believe it unless you want to. But before God, I do

know certain things, and it is of these things that I will speak.

Something happened to Jesus! The first two times He answered Satan on Satan’s own

level. I don’t need bread because – and I won’t worship you because – but the third

time, there was not even a “I won’t do this or do that”. The order was to Satan “Thou

shalt not“ and the authority was absolute; “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God”.

Jesus came to the place of considering Himself something other than a man. He made a

clear cut statement to Satan – He identified Himself as the “Lord”. This was victory! You

can determine for yourself how it was He came to this place of understanding. I say it

was by revelation. Jesus answered Satan with the Word of God in all cases, but from the

stand point of a man. But in actuality, Jesus wasn’t wrong. He understood something

that no man before Him had ever understood. When God touches a man; when He gives

Himself to that man, the man becomes no more. The man cannot understand this with

the power of his mind because his mind is not subject to the laws of God. It does not

know the things of God. It is subject to a different realm. Therefore, this knowledge

must come by revelation. The man who wants to understand with his mind, and

struggles to learn, will never understand, nor will he learn the things of God. When he is

before God; when he stands in utter helplessness and knows that he cannot in himself

ever know or understand, then, and only then, is he in a position to learn of God.

I feel it is significant that Jesus made no voluntary, direct statement along this line. He

hinted. One time the Sadducee’s were after Him. They tried to trap Him into some

statement about marriage. They supposed that a woman married a man who had seven

brothers. Her husband died and she married the brother – right on down through all of

them. Then they asked the question, “Whose wife would she be in the resurrection?”

Now listen to what Jesus answered them. “In the resurrection, there would be no

marrying. Only the children of this world marry, but those who have attained unto the

resurrection are like the angels.” This is the only place I know about where Jesus

referred to this complete change that comes about within an individual when God

dwells within him. Paul talked about it, but here is where He speaks because of

revelation. You do not hear this oneness with God quite so plainly from the Apostles.

But Jesus prayed the meaning of it in John’s Gospel, Chapter 17.

Brewer: Mr. Stahl, could we pause here for a minute? There are several questions that have

been asked.

Stahl: Certainly, Mr. Brewer, what do you have?

Brewer: Here’s one from a Mr. Miller; here is what he says, Do you mean, Jesus is being selfrighteous?” Then here is one from someone who signs as Mrs. Jones – it says, “You

seem to be taking a lot for granted about Jesus. How do you know what His thoughts

and actions are?”

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Do you care to say anything about these observations?

Stahl: Sure, I don’t know much what to say though. I admit to what Mrs. Jones says. Yes, I am

taking a lot for granted, but not without reason. Even though there is no record of Jesus’

thoughts at the time of His temptations, Jesus did express Himself along these lines to

His disciples. Then again, there is a very plain record of His thoughts recorded in John,

Chapter 17. When you take these into consideration, I do not feel that I am taking too

much for granted after all. Although, I admit, Mrs. Jones, that on the face of it, it would

easily seem that I am a bit free with my supposings. I want to talk about what Jesus

actually said. I think then you will better understand my words.

Now, let’s see Mr. Miller, where are you? Oh yes, there you are. What was your

question sir?

Miller: I don’t know if you can call it a question or not. I just don’t see how you can dare call

Jesus self-righteous. The Bible says that self-righteousness is as filthy rags, and I just

don’t believe God ever considered Jesus as a filthy rag.

Stahl: I’m with you Mr. Miller. I don’t believe God ever considered Jesus as a “filthy rag”

either.

There is one thing, however, that God does not like. It makes no difference where it is,

He doesn’t like it and that is thoughts based on the reasoning of this world. Jesus was

well-learned in the traditions of His people, and He lived by them until He found God’s

will. And this is the difference, Mr. Miller, it is why God did not consider these thoughts

of Jesus to be self-righteous. Jesus did not hold the traditions as law, He was willing to

change. His one desire was to please God, and if it meant turning from everything He

had been taught, He was willing to do that. When faced with the greatest void He ever

experienced, He did not question or say I’ve done this or I’ve done that.

You see, this is self-righteousness, Mr. Miller, to stand in your own efforts. Remember

the rich young man that inquired of Jesus about eternal life? Jesus told him about the

Law, and his answers were “All of these things I have kept from my youth.” This is an

example of self-righteousness.

I remember one time, very early in my Christian experience; God quite emphatically

taught me a lesson along this line. One day God brought thing to pass in such a way as

to cause me to believe that He had raptured all the Saints of God, and I was left behind.

I cannot begin to tell you the terror that filled my heart. But what I remember more

than anything else is the fact that I began to offer excuses to God. I said, “But Lord, I’ve

gone to every church service; I pray; I pay tithes I sing in the choir…” Then the Lord said

to me that not one of those things saved me and that to claim them was selfrighteousness! I’ll never forget that lesson, Mr. Miller. God reminds me of it every once

in a while. Self-righteous thoughts come to every one of us, but the thought doesn’t

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make us self-righteous unless we take hold of it and let it become the standard of our

life.

So you see, Mr. Miller, even though these thoughts came to Jesus, they did not become

His standard. But these thoughts did come to Him; don’t ever forget that! Let’s know

this one thing – if these thoughts come to us, they came to Him, because He was

tempted in all points like we are. I do not say that Jesus was self-righteous, but I do say

He was tempted with self-righteous thoughts and like every other man, He considered

Himself victorious because of them. But when these thoughts brought Him to the place

of decision, He turned from them even though He felt there was nothing left.

I hope this will help you to see what I mean when I speak as I do.

Miller: I guess so. I guess I’m a little slow, but I’ve never heard anything like this before. It

seems to me that you’re putting every human trait in Jesus’ character and stripping Him

of all His deity.

Stahl: I’m not stripping Him of anything, but I admit that I am pointing out the human traits in

Jesus. After all, the scriptures say that He was tempted in all points like we are, does it

not?

Miller: Well – yes…

Stahl: Our aim as a Christian is to gain victory over these human traits so God can clearly be

manifested in us. Right?

Miller: Yes…

Stahl: If we see these things in Jesus and see what happened in Him, we will be able to see the

only right way to handle these things. On the other hand, if we fail to see them in Jesus,

we will not know what to do when we see them in our life; consequently we stumble

blindly along. And I, sir, do not believe that blindness is the way of God!

Do you get the general idea, Mr. Miller, of what I am trying to say? Believe me sir, I’m

not attacking our Lord, He’s my Savior too! But, I honestly believe He wants us to see

these things.

Miller: Yes – I guess – I see what you are getting at, but somehow I don’t know if your method

is so good. I think you could bring out the same truth in other ways.

Stahl: That undoubtedly is so Mr. Miller, but this is the way God showed it to me, so I have to

tell it that way.

Miller: I understand that, but you’re still talking about Jesus as a man. Was He, or was He not

God? I would like to know what you say.

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Stahl: You ask a direct question, so I’ll give you a direct answer. I don’t think you’ll understand

my meaning yet because the words are too premature. Yes, he was God, in the flesh,

but He didn’t know it yet.

Miller: Now wait a minute! Do you mean to say that Jesus didn’t know who He was?

Stahl: That’s what I said. Mr. Miller, give me the courtesy of hearing me out. I believe – well,

let me get my punch line off. I feel that it is necessary for me to give you all this

background so you can understand what a change can take place in a man. I anticipate a

lot of questions, and I want to answer all that I can but let me come up to them in my

way. That way I will have given you all the background that I can and perhaps questions

that you now have will already have been answered. I understand, Mr. Miller, that what

I’m saying is without a doubt very different from what you have heard before. I know

you’re interested, or you wouldn’t have been here this long. So this I will ask of you.

Keep your questions; wait until I have finished and then give them to me. All right?

Miller: All right.

Stahl: Just one thing. Interrupt me with questions if I have not made myself clear.

How about it, Mr. Brewer, does that sound OK to you? Any rebuttal type questions, like

“I don’t believe that because…” Let’s keep those till the end. Any questions that will

further clarify a point – let’s take those, so no one gets lost along the way. Does that

sound OK?

Brewer: Sounds all right to me Mr. Stahl. I guess I’ll save these other two questions for the

rebuttal.

Stahl: Good – we’ll proceed on that basis then. Give your questions to Mr. Brewer as you have

been, but I will give an immediate answer only to those that seek clarification. The rest

will be considered at a later time, but I assure you that I will answer each question. I’m

liable to have to say “I don’t know” to some of them, but I’ll acknowledge them.

Well – let’s see…where was I?

Brewer: I’m the one that interrupted you, Mr. Stahl. According to the transcript you had just

mentioned Jesus reply to the Sadducees regarding there being no marriage in the

resurrection.

Stahl: Oh yes! This is one of the few times that Jesus hinted at this new life in God. You see, it

would have done no good to teach the people these things because the Holy Spirit was

not yet given to all flesh. Jesus was the only one to whom God had given Himself, and it

took Jesus a while to come to the place of realizing what this Anointing really meant. He

knew that the time would come when everyone would have opportunity to know this

truth. Here is what He said along that line, “When the Holy Spirit is come, (there shall be

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no need for man to teach you) but He (the Holy Spirit) shall bring all things to your

remembrance whatsoever I have said to you.”

You see, some way, by some miracle, Jesus became one with God – not a part of, but

one, with God. This had never happened before. Therefore, it would be somewhat

useless to try and explain it to someone who didn’t even know what God was like! Man,

in trying to understand God, had made Him like himself. The thing that man cannot

comprehend is that God desired to make man like himself. This truth was revealed to

Jesus and that is why He said to Satan “thou shalt not temp the Lord, thy God.”

There is no record of what Jesus thought while He was on the pinnacle of the Temple,

but I believe whatever it was He had it in mind when He talked to the twelve that last

night when He was arrested. There is an urgency in His words, a longing to make Himself

understood, and yet a knowledge that they would not, indeed, they could not yet

understand.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” He said, “You believe in God, believe also in me”.

Remember how it is recorded in John that the Father committed all judgment to the Son

and gave Him all authority so that He could give life to whomsoever He would –

remember that? Yet, here Jesus was pleading with them to believe Him. Then He asked

them to “Believe the words that I say, or else believe me because of the works that I

do.” You see how Jesus was pleading with them to believe Him? Look the Bible over and

you won’t find another place where Jesus expressed such a desire to have His disciples

believe Him. Whatever He was saying must have been important.

What was the occasion? Phillip had said, “Show us the Father, and that will be enough

for us”. Now listen to the answer that Jesus gave. It shows surprise, “Have I been so long

with you and yet you have not known me? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.

How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” You see the attitude of Jesus in relation to His

true identity being, revealed in these words? This attitude was born on the pinnacle of

the Temple. The first fruits of this attitude were the words directed to Satan “Thou shalt

not tempt the Lord, thy God.”

Here is an amazing thing; here is evidence that flesh can so take hold of this truth of

God’s life in us that we consider it surprising that no one else knows it.

Jesus said to Phillip, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in

me? Don’t you believe that the words I speak are the Father’s? They are not my own,

they come from the Father who dwells in me.”

Then He went on to tell them how the Spirit of truth, the Comforter, would come to

them, and He told them “At that day you shall know I am in the Father and you in me,

and I am in you”. Jesus knew the futility of man ever understanding this truth by himself

and so He told them of things to come. If it seems obscure to us today, it is because we

have trusted in our own understanding rather than the revelation of God. Perhaps His

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words could have a dual meaning to us, but not to God; and when we receive God’s

revelation concerning it, it is perfectly clear. It is impossible for man to accept or

understand in himself because it follows no principles that are understood by our carnal

mind. However, there are still other words that Jesus spoke that even further clarify this

truth. It is significant that He did not speak these words to man, they were addressed

directly to the Father. Listen to them, they are found in John Chapter 17.

To me, this is a very interesting portion of scripture. It is one of the few times that Jesus

spoke words that are recorded in the Bible and no one was around to hear them – yet,

here they are! It is interesting to suppose what happened. After the supper, Jesus talked

with His disciples for a while. Finally, and this is indicated in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus felt

the need for prayer. He took Peter, James, and John apart from the twelve, apparently

talked with them a while and then asked them to stay put and pray. He withdrew

Himself to be alone and prayed. When he returned, He found the three sleeping.

It seems to me that Jesus didn’t intend this prayer to be for human ears. These words

are addressed directly to the Father. Did John hear this portion of the prayer or was he

told of it by one of the others? Or, was he completely ignorant of Jesus uttering these

words? Why is John’s Gospel the only one to include the communication of Jesus with

His Father? John is unique in many things that he says. At any rate, these words indicate

to me the divine inspiration of John’ Gospel more than any other one thing.

These words are of more than common interest to me because Jesus was not talking to

man. He wasn’t hampered by their lack of understanding. He expressed Himself freely

knowing that there would be perfect understanding. It is just a free flowing of words

that expressed what was in the heart of Jesus. It is the only time that we know of that

He talked about these things, and we should be thankful to God that what He said is not

obscured by parables. Bear in mind that Jesus is expressing the thing that was revealed

to Him on the pinnacle of the Temple. He is expressing what it was that happened to

Him that enabled Him to say to the Devil, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God.”

His mind is on His disciples; He expresses Himself to the Father by these words,“…..keep,

through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me,” now listen carefully, “that

they may be one, as we are.” What a tremendous thing! Not even the angels in heaven

have that privilege. The impact of this thing is in that word “one”. It does not mean two

that think as one, it means one. Jesus emphasized this by saying, “even as we are.”

Then He said something else that must be understood by revelation: Speaking of those

who believed Him – “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”.

This is an unusual thing. How can something be material, such as our senses say we are,

exist in a material world and still not be a part of it! There is no need to try to

understand this. Understanding is with our mind and our mind itself is bound by this

world. It is of this world, but there is something that we are that is not of this world.

Whatever it is, it is all of our life. It is the thing that enabled Jesus to say to Philip, “He

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that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” It is the thing that caused Jesus to say to

Satan, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God.” It is the thing that gave truth to Jesus’

Word. It is the thing that causes Satan to leave. Jesus emphasized it by saying it again

the second time, “They are not of this world even as I am not of this world.”

Now, sometimes I’ve had folks say to me, “That was the disciples He was talking about,”

and they are right. If the scripture had no more to say about it, I would have to stop. But

it does say more.

“Neither pray I for those alone, but for them also which shall believe in me through their

word”.

Brother that means me! It means you, if you believe. Jesus prayed for you and He

prayed for me to an explicit end – “That they all (all of us who believe) may be one, as

thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may

believe that thou hast sent me.”

It looks to me like Jesus couldn’t emphasize this enough. He went on to say, “The glory

thou hast given me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in

them and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one…..”

Read that 17th chapter of John; it’s tremendous!

I realize there is nothing that says these portions of scripture we have been talking

about are in any way connected with what happened on the pinnacle of the Temple.

Therefore, if any of you wish to question this, I have no defense. I feel that what I say is

true, but everyone has the right to his own opinion. Something happened to Jesus while

He was on the pinnacle of the Temple. It was a tremendous thing whatever it was. It

was the thing that God desired because it was God who led Him to this place. Whatever

it was that God desired was fulfilled because God delivered Jesus from His temptations

and Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.

I believe that Jesus saw what God really was. The truth of God is stated in one of the

Epistles – “When we see him we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” No man

can see God until he loses sight of himself. The thing that Jesus saw was that God had

given Himself to Him and that there was nothing else but God. Jesus did not think it

robbery to be equal with God because God is the one that gave Himself to Him.

How shall a man express this truth? Shall we say that Jesus became God? Peter said that

God made Jesus to be both Lord and Christ? The scriptures say that God was in Christ.

They also say this: “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature…” Jesus had to come to

the place of realizing what it was that really happened to Him when God anointed Him.

When He understood this, He knew that He was no more separate from God; He was

made one with God. He was in the flesh, but not of it. He was the son of man, but not of

man. He moved about in the flesh, but God was His life within the flesh.

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It pleased God to be the life within Jesus and it pleased Jesus to live in this life of God.

Therefore, Jesus said to Satan, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God”.

This was the place of victory into which Jesus came. It was His place of abiding. God

could not perform His desires through Jesus until Jesus gave Him complete use of all of

His faculties. When Jesus went to the pinnacle of the Temple, He was stripped of all His

desires. He no longer knew what to do. He knew one thing – God was God, and He loved

Him. When Jesus saw God, He saw Himself, but instead of being two, there was only

one.

Now God began to move through Jesus in the way of His own choosing. He left the

pinnacle of the Temple and made His way to the Pool of Bethesda. There He went to a

man who had an infirmity for thirty eight years. Jesus was not yet thirty-two.

Let’s get the picture and impact of what happened. Why did Jesus single out this

particular man and heal him? There were many other people who were sick; if it was

just a healing that Jesus was interested in, anyone would have served just as well. I

believe this particular man was more or less a tradition in himself. He had been coming

to this pool for a long time, and he had not had a bit of luck. Every time the waters were

troubled, someone else got there first. Yet the man came back year after year after

year, hoping, always hoping, that this would be the time. Obviously the man wasn’t

going to make it. He had to depend upon two things over which he had no control;

tradition and people.

In Jesus’ own eyes, this man must have been a symbol of helplessness. Suppose this

man had been coming to the pool for thirty-eight years – this is not a wild assumption.

The scriptures say that Jesus knew he had been there a long time. This means that Jesus

had seen this man at the pool from his earliest years. Year after year, the same man,

never losing hope, but never being healed – just growing older.

I feel that Jesus saw Himself in this man. He was what He had been before His revelation

on the pinnacle of the Temple. I believe He saw Israel in this man; a captive of tradition.

He saw a pitiful thing; He saw humanity in their blind captive state, trusting in tradition,

always hoping, but never possessing.

So, He said to the man, “Wilt thou be made whole”? “The man said, “Sir, I have no man

when the water is troubled to put me into the pool.” Jesus said, “I am here. Arise, take

up your bed and walk.”

Jesus then returned to Galilee. He went to the Synagogue and read from Isaiah, “The

Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He hath anointed me to set the captive free.”

It was more than just a healing at the pool of Bethesda; it was the first act of the

Kingdom of God – a captive had been set free. It was the triumphant act of a King who

has come into His Kingdom.

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Brewer: Suppose we take a fifteen minute break, have some coffee, and formulate your

questions. Then, when we assemble again, we will see what answers are forthcoming.

**************************

Brewer: We have quite a few questions Mr. Stahl. There is a predominate thought in all of them.

Let me read some of them.

Here is one that says, “How can you say Jesus was a man when you consider the manner

of His birth?” It’s signed, Mrs. Jayle.

Another one: “Please explain how Jesus could be doubtful of whom He was when the

wise men knew, Anna and Simon knew, Jesus knew when He was 12; He proclaimed

that God was His Father and John the Baptist knew.” This one is not signed.

Another one: “If Jesus was not the Christ when He was born, when did He become the

Christ?”

Another one: “In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was

God – and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Does this not clearly say that

not only was Jesus God, but He was always God, even from before the foundation of the

world?”

Here’s another one: “You speak of God urging, or leading Jesus into the wilderness. Just

how do you feel this came about? Also, you seem to make quite a point of Jesus’

temptation taking place at some time after His baptism – is it so important?”

These questions seem representative of the majority of questions that I have received,

Mr. Stahl. Would you care to consider these?

Stahl: I’ll try. You’ll have to go over them again though. Give them to me one at a time and I’ll

see if I can answer them. Didn’t you have some question there, Mr. Brewer, about the

manner of Jesus’ birth?

Brewer: Yes. It was – let’s see. Mrs. Jayle asks, “How can you say Jesus was a man when you

consider the manner of His birth?”

Stahl: Mrs. Jayle, What do you mean by “Manner of His birth?”

Jayle: He was born of a virgin, doesn’t that make Him divine? There was certainly something

different about Him!

Stahl: Yes, Mrs. Jayle, He was born of a virgin, but I do not feel that made Him divine. This

virgin birth is something that we say is fundamental. Whatever else one might question,

He should never question this…the virgin birth is unchangeable. To doubt it is to doubt

God. But believing it without understanding it doesn’t do us a bit of good.

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One might logically wonder why Jesus had to be born of a virgin. Not only did His birth

come about in this manner, it was prophesied that it would come about in this manner.

The big question is “why?”

I’ll suggest to you the answer that God gave me. It is not difficult to understand, like all

of God’s truth it is quite simple. It is simply this: God cannot look on sin.

This is a truth that everyone knows, but let’s see how it applies to the question at hand.

Ever since Adam, man has been separated from God - lost in sin. The Psalmist says “In

sin did my mother conceive me and by unrighteousness was I shapen.”

Paul said to the Romans that by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin.

God also proclaimed through Paul, that “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall many

be made alive.”

If Jesus was born into this world in the same manner as other men, He would have been

considered by God, to have been a sinner. It was necessary that a man come into this

world free of sin, and because of love, remain free of sin. God took care of the first part

by the virgin birth. Jesus took care of the second part because of love. He was tempted

in all points like we are, yet without sin. He entered the world, free from sin, so God

could look upon Him. Because He remained free from sin, God looked upon Him with

pleasure and said, “Thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

So, you see, Mrs. Jayle, the virgin birth did not necessarily endue Jesus with special

powers, but it allowed Him a start in this world that was free from sin as far as God was

concerned.

Jayle: But the Bible says the word became flesh, and it says the Word was God. This seems to

me about as divine as you can get. How do you get around that?

Stahl: I don’t want to “get around” anything, Mrs. Jayle. I just want to understand it before

God.

Yes, Jesus was the Word, and the Word was God. He was God’s expression. God

expressed Himself by bringing Jesus, a man free from sin, into this world. This man

pleased God and God gave Himself to Him. Jesus not only was God’s expression in this

world, now he became God’s word so we could hear.

You mention the Word was God. That’s true, Mrs. Jayle, and this in itself is the biggest

revelation of God that I know of. God is not flesh. He has no form. He is Spirit; He is

logos, thought, and expression. God gave Himself to Jesus because Jesus was willing that

this should be, and this miracle has been enlarged to include us who believe because, in

Christ, we have been made one with God.

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This is introducing other thoughts than your original question suggested. However, I

believe one is a natural outgrowth of the other. Do you see the reason for the virgin

birth now, Mrs. Jayle?

Jayle: What you’re saying is that God brought Jesus forth by a virgin so He could not be born in

sin like other men.

Stahl: That’s right!

Jayle: I see what you mean. I don’t see anything wrong with that, but at the same time it

seems, well, like something is lacking. It seems like some wonderful thing is being

taken away from Jesus.

Stahl: What would that wonderful thing be?

Jayle: I don’t know how to put it into words, Mr. Stahl, but maybe I should just call it His

divinity.

Stahl: To be divine, to have the same glory that God has is indeed a wonderful thing. I’m not

taking that away, nor would I if I could. However, I’m pointing out, what to me, is a

wonderful thing: a man who pleased God, a man who was tempted in all points like me,

yet he did not sin. I’m pointing out the love of God that gave this man the wonderful

divinity of which you speak. Are not these wonderful things, Mrs. Jayle?

I think perhaps the best thing to do at this time is to tell you about something that

happened. Peter tells about it in the Second Chapter of Acts. “Let all the house of Israel

know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom you have crucified, both the

Lord and Christ.”

It is there - a very plain statement. This Jesus – God anointed Him, made Him to be

master over all things, made Him to be both Lord and Christ. The prophecy that came

from the lips of Isaiah is fulfilled in this act by God. “…the government shall be upon his

shoulders…” Jesus said that all judgment has been given to the Son. Isaiah says, “His

name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince

of Peace…” Jesus said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” This is a

tremendous identity, yet Jesus took it because God gave it to Him. When something is

given to us, we should take it and claim it as our own. Listen to what the scriptures say,

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” And here is the Word of explanation -

“who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” You see,

this Word says that Jesus was in the “form” of God so it was perfectly right to be like

God.

Now the point here is that “form” is not physical form, but for want of a better word, it

is used. The physical form of Jesus was no different than that of other men, but there

was a definite time when His attitude changed. Jesus saw God revealed; He had heard

God’s voice. He saw that God had given Himself to Him, therefore he received His life.

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He became one with God, not only in the eyes of God, but He accepted this in His own

eyes. He did not think it robbery, or wrong, or presumptuous to be equal with God. The

big question is “When did this take place?”

Mr. Brewer, you have a question along this line, I believe?

Brewer: Yes, I have, matter of fact, there are several that ask the same thing. Let’s see, this one

asks, “If Jesus was not the Christ when He was born, when did He become the Christ?”

Stahl: He became the Christ at the time of His baptism by John at the river Jordan.

That’s my answer, and here is why I say this. The scriptures say that the heavens opened

and the Holy Spirit descended and rested on Jesus. John’s instruction was that the Holy

Spirit would descend and remain on this certain one. This is what happened; it is God’s

anointing and this exactly fulfills the meaning of Messiah.

This brings up a lot of questions about His baptism that I think should be answered now.

I want to direct these words to anyone who has difficulty in believing that Jesus had a

hard time accepting His Son ship.

Brewer: We have a question here about that.

Stahl: Good, what is it?

Brewer: It says, “Please explain how Jesus could be doubtful about who He was when the wise

men knew, Anna and Simeon knew. Jesus knew when he was twelve; He proclaimed

that God was His Father, and John the Baptist knew?”

Stahl: Boy! There are a lot of questions! I’ll try to get to them all, but it won’t be in that order.

This particular one about Jesus being in the Temple when He was twelve at first seemed

to me to be rather important. The thing that gave it such a different air was Jesus reply

to His parents, “Don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business?” It always

seemed to me that Mary and Joseph were not too careful of the whereabouts of their

children…it was also hard for me to understand the attitude of Jesus. When I was a boy,

I jolly well stayed closer to my parents than Jesus apparently did; and if by some odd

chance I turned up missing for three days and then was found by my parents, I had best

not speak to them in the same tone that Jesus seemed to use. All of this adds up to say,

this is something I don’t know.

The Law says to honor your Father and thy Mother, and this is something that Jesus did.

I know this because Jesus came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. In light of this,

I’m forced to admit that there seems to be a difference of attitude between then and

now that I’d better look into.

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First, I must proceed with the knowledge that Jesus was not rude to His parents, and

that He was proceeding in a perfectly logical pattern. My first question is…what was He

doing? The Bible is very clear on this point; “and they found Him in the Temple with the

doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions.” So then I ask, what was this

gathering? Was it something that Jesus convened; was He the central figure, or was He a

part of something else? It seemed to me that these were all questions that should be

answered. The Bible speaks only of Jesus, so it is only natural that there He was the

central figure.

I discovered that there was a school conducted in the Temple by the Doctors or Rabbis,

and it was for the purpose of educating the 12-year-olds in the history of Israel and the

traditions and concepts of the Lord God Jehovah. This explains why Jesus was there, but

what about the evening - what about the “out of class” time - where did Jesus stay

then? Again the customs of the time gives an answer. Students lived in the Temple

quarters and were under the supervision of their teachers.

Every Synagogue had a school, but they differed from the Temple school in that those

who attended lived with their parents. We are told the curriculum at the Synagogue was

more lenient than that at the Temple, because the Temple training was only for those

who wished to become Rabbis.

So now some of the questions are answered. We know the purpose of this gathering of

which Jesus was a part; there is understanding as to why He was there three days

without causing undue excitement. We understand why the questions and answers, and

we begin to see why Jesus was surprised that His parents did now know He would be

there.

Some more customs of the time that might clarify the event is the custom of the parent

teaching the child during his early years. The mother did not wean her child for 4 or 5

years; and during this time, she taught her child of love and tenderness and of charity

and honor to his mother and father. Then the father took over and taught his son

honesty and integrity of God and the traditions of His people. At twelve, the boy was

ready to begin school.

So, you put all this together and what seems to me a very clear picture emerges. Jesus

was twelve; He was going to school because His desire was for the Lord, God Jehovah.

He had been taught well by His parents regarding the things of God and of Israel. His

understanding was keen and His questions showed a vital interest in the things of God.

His answer, “Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business” indicates to me

that He was reared in a very religious home. The fact that His parents did not keep Him

in the Temple Synagogue indicates one of two things. They were too poor or they had

no intention of doing it. As far as Jesus claiming God as His Father, all of Israel and that

includes the Jews, considered themselves to be the children of God.

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There seems to me to be no indication of miraculous knowledge within Jesus. His

actions and His words indicate a very natural thing. Jesus was just living and His

expectations were in accordance with the time. Luke concludes His account of the

episode in a very normal manner, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in

favor with God and man.”

Another thing of interest that I might mention in passing; these same traditions or

customs regarding education are further illustrated in not only Jesus’ life, but also in the

life of John the Baptist. It was not ethical for one to consider himself a teacher and call

disciples to himself until he was at least 30 years of age. Some six months later when

Jesus began to be about thirty years of age, He came to John to be baptized and thus

began His public ministry.

Now, regarding that part of the question that assumes John the Baptist knew, the Bible

doesn’t tell us that John knew who Jesus was, that is as far as being the Son of God is

concerned, but it does definitely say, and these are John’s own words, “I knew him

not…”

I suppose this could only refer to Jesus as the Christ, because the way that John was to

recognize the Lamb of God was by seeing the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove

descending and remaining up on this special one. It does not refer to Jesus as a man

because in this area there is indication that John knew Jesus and knew Him well.

Let’s see what happened. First, Jesus came to John to be baptized. Why? There is

nothing mystical in baptism, at least not when Jesus was baptized. He came to be

baptized of John simply because He believed what John was saying and He wished to

identify Himself as a believer. This is why people were baptized. Remember one time

Paul was curious about what some young men believed? He had asked them if they had

received the Holy Spirit since they believed. When they answered by saying they had

not even heard whether there was a Holy Spirit, Paul, in surprise, asked, “In what

baptism were you baptized?” When they answered John’s baptism, Paul knew

immediately what they believed. So you see baptism was identification. Jesus wished to

be identified with what John preached so He came to John to be baptized.

Now we can find out some more about the man Jesus. What did John teach - to repent

and make straight the paths of the Lord.

It seems a little incongruous to imagine Jesus repenting at least in the sense of our

repenting - to make straight the path of the Lord? How can the Lord make His own paths

straight? It’s hard to imagine these things if Jesus was God, but it isn’t hard to imagine it

if His knowledge was that of a man! As a man, He desired the Kingdom to be restored to

Israel. As a man, He was ashamed of His people’s bondage, and as a man, He longed for

the Messiah. This was the essence of John’s baptism.

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Jesus came to John to be baptized and John said to Him, “I have need to be baptized of

thee; why comest thou to me?” Jesus answered him by saying, “Suffer it now to be so,

for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”

Now, it is because of this little exchange between Jesus and John that many people

surmise that John knew who Jesus was in a spiritual sense. It infers nothing of the kind.

It does suggest a prior knowledge of each other which is after all a perfectly logical thing

in the light of their relationship.

Jesus exhibited early dedication to the religion of His people and a life devoted to God.

It was the custom of His parents to make the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem to observe

the Passover. Jesus went with them. Zachariah, John’s father, was a priest who served in

the Temple. The two families were close because of Mary and Elizabeth, so it seems

perfectly normal that John should know Jesus and know Him well. “I have need to be

baptized of you, why comest thou to me?” tells me that not only did John know Jesus,

but he knew of His desires and exemplary life as well. The reply that Jesus gave is an

indication of His attitude. “Suffer it now to be so,” is a way of saying, “This is the way I

want it, please baptize me. For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness,” is a

phrase that tells me that Jesus’ attitude was orderly and humble. John was six months

His senior; he was the evangelist and he was the one doing the calling to repentance. It

is the right thing that John should do the baptizing - after all, he was the teacher. So it

was that John baptized Jesus.

As Jesus was coming up out of the water the miracle happened! John’s life was fulfilled.

Jesus was the anointed Christ.

I don’t want to spend much time talking about John; only he was an important part in

God’s plan to introduce Jesus as Christ. This was his purpose in life. John did now know

who this Christ was to be. He was instructed to go forth baptizing. He was told that

there would be one person upon whom the Holy Spirit would descend in the form of a

dove. It would rest upon a man, and remain upon Him. This man was the Lamb of God

that would take away the sin of the world.

John had no prior knowledge as to who this one would be. He was equipped as no one

else was equipped to do the job. You see, John was full of the Holy Spirit from his

mother’s womb. This was necessary because as we are told in Corinthians, “no man can

understand the things of God except the Spirit of God…”

This is perhaps a lengthy explanation just to show you that John did not know Jesus was

the Christ until after Jesus was baptized, but we have glimpsed more things about Jesus

and that is the main object of our discussion.

The impact of John’s announcement was somewhat lost upon the world. A tremendous

thing happened to Jesus, but John’s announcement caused hardly a ripple among those

who followed him. Two people left John and followed Jesus – only two. It wouldn’t seem

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like John had a very effective ministry as far as his main purpose in life was concerned,

yet Jesus said there was no greater man born among men than John the Baptist.

Therefore, if what happened to the world because of John the Baptist is paramount, it

would seem somewhat insignificant in relation to other things, but that is only part of it.

What happened to Jesus is the thing that’s important. Jesus became the possessor of

some knowledge.

The scripture tells us “There came a voice from heaven saying thou art my Beloved Son,

in whom I am well pleased.” One thing we should understand right now - this voice was

made manifest only to Jesus. It was not made known to the multitudes about Jordan;

they heard only John’s voice - only Jesus heard God’s voice. It is not God’s way to speak

in a voice from heaven for all to hear. Men will believe God because they hear Him in

their heart, or they will not believe Him at all. There are three occasions that I can think

of where God spoke from heaven. At the mount of transfiguration; this time Peter,

James and John understood the words. Paul on the road to Damascus heard God’s

voice. He understood it, but the others said, “It thundered.” Then God spoke to Jesus at

the Jordan, and there is no indication of anyone other than Jesus hearing anything.

Therefore, it seems only natural to seriously consider what Jesus heard, and why He

should have heard it. “Thou art my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

This is a simple statement of fact. God announced to Jesus that He was His Son. Had

Jesus already known this, the words of God would be redundant. Redundancy might

possibly have a place when dealing with man, but it becomes utterly foolish and

unnecessary when dealing with God. If this Jesus was born the Christ and was divine

from the moment of His birth on, it becomes rather pointless for God to say, “I am My

Son and I am well pleased with Myself.”

God told Jesus that He was His Son and that He was well pleased with Him for the

simple reason that He did not previously possess this knowledge. It was a brand new

thing to Him. It had significance to Jesus that it would not have to someone of the

western world today. Quite often it seems, our society being what it is, a son is a

liability. This is not so in the society in which Jesus lived. A son was a definite asset. His

responsibility was to do the work of the father.

It is impossible for man to be anointed of God and not change. Jesus told the disciples

that they would receive power when the Holy Ghost came upon them. He spoke from

knowledge and experience. It was at Jordan that He entered into this knowledge and

experience. It was here that certain things happened which were to irrevocably change

His life and bring Him to the place of God’s purpose. Jesus was well versed in the

traditions of His people; He knew the hope of the Messiah. His heart was open to God

and His desire was that the Messiah should come. When He was baptized in Jordan and

heard God’s voice proclaiming Him as His Son, it remained only for Jesus to begin doing

the work of a Son.

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Jesus had one thing in mind. It was the thing every Jew expected of the Messiah, but

God had a different thing in mind. Now the tenderest drama that ever happened on the

face of the earth began. God led Jesus to the place that He desired. He brought Him to

the pinnacle of the Temple where Jesus finally and clearly saw God’s way and He

consciously began to walk in it.

The path that leads us out of ourselves into God is a path of heartaches,

disappointments, hopelessness and frustrations as far as the flesh is concerned. It is

blocked by doubt at every turn. It is not the way of fame and honor and acclaim, rather

it is to the way to oblivion for the flesh. It is not an easy road for man to follow. No man

has to take it, but if he does not take it, he will not find God. Jesus said that if a man

should save his life, he would lose it, but if a man should lose his life for my sake, the

same will find it. He knew what he was talking about. It happened to Him!

Some of you folks have indicated a desire to know just how it was that God urged Jesus

and brought Him to this place of temptations. Your guess is as good as mine. How does

God lead you or me or anyone else? Every one of us is different; therefore, there is no

fixed formula for leading anyone. I’ve already touched on this a little bit, at least to the

extent of suggesting to you that God knows our needs and He supplies them. He knows

our hearts and He woos our soul. God knew the heart of Jesus just as He knows our

heart, and He began to lead Jesus and draw Him to that place of revelation that means

conscious and knowledgeable life in God.

I’ve heard people express the wish that they lived during the time of the disciples so

Jesus could talk to them. I tell them that God talks to them today if they would only

hear, and then they say there are so many ways in which the Bible can be understood

that it is hard to hear God’s voice.

Jesus heard God’s voice. Sometimes the words were within Him as it was the day He

was baptized. At other times, God used the actual vocal chords of Jesus to speak. At

times like this, you will find Jesus conversing with another person as you might think the

words were meant for the other fellow and had their origin in the mind of Jesus.

This should not be a strange thing for a Christian today to understand. The Bible

instructs us of many things that God can do in man, if only that man is willing. In First

Corinthians, God says through Paul, “Now concerning Spiritual gifts, brethren, I would

not have you ignorant…” and then he goes on to tell, in effect, that God can give man

words to say that do not come from his mind at all; they are directly God’s words. This is

what happened with Jesus. It is a little different than the Word of the Lord that came to

the prophets when they prophesied – it is more on an intimate personal basis. Let me

show you what I mean.

I feel that it first happened to Jesus when He was in Jerusalem during the first Passover

after His baptism in Jordan. This is a highly significant event in Jesus life, so I think it best

if we tell the whole story.

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Jesus entered Jerusalem this year charged with great zeal. It was different than any

other year. To the Jew, the Passover was both a commemorative act and an act of hope.

By it they remembered their deliverance from Egypt, and by it they demonstrated their

faith in the coming Messiah. Jesus came to the Passover this year, charged with high

hope. He was God’s Son and He would restore the Kingdom to Israel. A few weeks

before, He had been to a marriage feast at Cana, in Galilee, and had turned water into

wine. He no doubt continued His teaching and good works because it was the thing that

attracted Nicodemus to Him.

Jesus observed what was going on in the Temple and what He did is indicative of what

He thought and the man He was. The Temple was the center of Jewish culture; it was

the one place on the face of the earth that God dwelt. Throughout all history when

Israel was strong, the Temple was clean. There were things going on in the Temple now

that were not pleasing to God. It had become a house of merchandise. The Law required

certain sacrifices and in order to obtain them, they had to be bought. The temple

authorities grew rich on their profiteering.

Jesus observed all this and the more He looked, the angrier he became. The scriptures

say that He “plaited” Himself a whip and drove the money changers from the Temple.

Have you ever wondered what He thought about as He made that whip? You see, the

whole idea is utterly contrary to the Jesus tradition has taught us. A whip is made to

hurt and to punish. It takes muscle and intent to use them. Jesus knew all this and He

made the whip knowing it.

He drove the money changers from the Temple because this was the first thing that

should be done, if Israel was ever to be restored. The Temple, first of all, had to be pure,

then the people could be ministered to; but if the Temple was not pure, nothing could

be purified through it.

So, you see, these are some of the thoughts that could have been going through Jesus’

mind. Some may not agree with me, but this one thing I say. Whatever these thoughts

were, they were strong ones, and they were firmly enough established to be sustained.

They lasted while He made a whip and while He used it; but in the using, God spoke and

when God spoke, He arrested Jesus’ thoughts and established a new one. Here’s what

happened.

Jesus used the whip and drove the money changers out of the Temple. He upset the

tables and scattered the merchandise. But, no one seemed to be afraid of Him. Almost

before the last table was overturned, the Temple authorities appeared on the scene.

They apprehended this young zealot and asked Him, “By what authority do you do these

things?” And here is where a strange thing happened to Jesus. He opened His mouth

and He spoke, but the words made no sense at all…”Destroy this Temple and in three

days I will raise it up.” The Temple authorities were incredulous at such effrontery.

“Forty-six years it took our fathers to build this Temple, and you will do it in three

days?”

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We feel somewhat satisfied in the superiority of our theological knowledge. We are

somewhat sorry for the Temple authorities because they did not know the wonderful

thing that Jesus would do. But what about us? Are we aware of what really happened?

Let’s look at this objectively for just a moment. The words that Jesus spoke made no

sense whatsoever to those who heard Him. It is preposterous to suppose that He did

not know how long it had taken to build the Temple, and it is equally as preposterous to

suppose He expected the Temple authorities to accept His statement in a prophetic

sense. The question arises then: Did even Jesus know the meaning of the words He

spoke? If He did, why then did He expend effort to drive the money changers out of the

Temple? These are not necessarily easy questions to answer in the light of our

traditional understanding, but the events assume significant proportions when we

understand that it was God speaking to and through Jesus.

The words, “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up,” were not words

formed by Jesus’ knowledge; they were God’s words. In Romans 8:11, the Bible declares

that “If the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead…” so you see, Jesus didn’t raise

Himself from the dead; God raised Him. Therefore the words that came from Jesus “…I

will raise it up,” would have been a lie if Jesus meant Himself. So you see it was God that

spoke through Jesus.

God never speaks foolish, meaningless, or empty words. If these words meant nothing

to the Temple authorities, you can be sure they meant something to Jesus. It was

necessary for Jesus to hear these words because He was the one that must know God.

He was God’s anointed one and He would teach all men about God. But He must know

God’s dwelling place. The Jew said that God dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem…now God

is telling Jesus that there is a new Temple, and He is it.

Another thing happened to Jesus. It was along the same line, and it also happened in

Jerusalem. A man called Nicodemus came to Jesus. A song puts it this way: “A ruler once

came to Jesus by night, to ask Him the way of salvation and light.” But Nicodemus didn’t

get much of a chance to ask questions. He took the initiative and greeted Jesus, but that

was all.

What transpired between Jesus and Nicodemus is probably one of the most useless

conversations that ever transpired between men, if we look on it as being solely for the

benefit of Nicodemus. If Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus for the explicit purpose of

enlightening Nicodemus, then the attempt was a dismal failure. Nicodemus could only

ask, “How can these things be?” Then to show his complete ignorance of the Spirit, he

asked, “Can I enter the second time into my mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus sensed the import of what His words meant, but He did not understand them. He

chided Nicodemus with these words, “Art thou a teacher of Israel and knows not these

things?” Yet, at a later time when He had understanding, He said, “You have no need for

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man to teach you, but when the Holy Ghost is come, He shall teach you all things, and

bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”

Now, if we consider the conversational exchange that took place between Jesus and

Nicodemus to be a leading on God’s part to bring Jesus to the place of knowing God, the

whole thing takes on new meaning. Certain cardinal truths stand out. Nicodemus said, “I

know you are a man from God because of the things I see you do.” I suppose right here I

have to stop teaching and preach just a little bit.

You see, Jesus used the same standard. One time, John the Baptist sent one to ask Jesus

if he really was the one who was to come. Jesus told the man to go and tell John of the

things he had seen and heard. So in the height of this, it becomes somewhat irrational

to believe that Jesus’ words to Nicodemus came from His own understanding, but again

it makes perfect sense when we understand that here God was imparting information to

Jesus. These words were inspired! They were not born from the understanding that was

within Jesus; they came through the lips of Jesus, but they came directly from God.

Jesus spoke the words that God inspired Him to speak, even though He did not, at the

time, understand them. In speaking these words they became Him. This is a truth that

every one of us must learn today or God’s Word will never become a part of us. Every

one of us has felt the inspiration of God at some time or other; sometimes we have

given spontaneous expression to it, and were made exceedingly happy because of it.

Other times we have not expressed it. Rather, we have analyzed it and asked ourselves

whether we really believed it or not. Did it make sense; was it the proper time; what

would people think, and oh, so many things determined our actions! These people

never receive a blessing because they never abandon themselves to God. They never

have a revelation because they are never willing to forsake their own thoughts. They can

never see God because they are too concerned with what their own senses discern.

Nicodemus said, “I know you are a man come from God because of the things I can see.”

Jesus, inspired of God, said words contrary to His knowledge; “you can’t even see the

things of God unless you are born again,” and because Jesus said these words, Jesus

learned of God.

Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus even though He did not understand them, and

because He spoke them, God gave Him more to say. The result is that Jesus explained

some pretty important things: a new birth, a new life, a new creation, you must be born

of the Spirit. What is the Spirit like? I don’t know. Jesus told Nicodemus that the wind

blows and one could not tell from where it came or where it went…”so, is every one

that is born of the Spirit,”

Perhaps we can say that God taught Nicodemus. I don’t know, but I can definitely say

that God taught Jesus. Jesus had all the prerequisites necessary to understand this

teaching. Nicodemus did not. I say this because the scriptures declare it. They say that

no man can understand the things of God except the Spirit of God. Nicodemus did not

have this necessary thing and Jesus did. Up to the time of Jesus, no man could

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understand the things of God, the Law was given and obedience was demanded; but

now there was to be understanding. Paul said that God winked at the “times of this

ignorance,” but now he commands man everywhere to “repent” and that means

“change your mind.”

God was bringing Jesus to the place of revelation where Jesus was to see God as He

really was. God was supplying Jesus with “building blocks” that would fit together in the

day of His revelation so the world could see the expression of the one true God, and not

just the reflection of man’s understanding. These “building blocks” are thoughts that

God presented to Jesus. Jesus paid attention to these thoughts and considered them.

I do not know all that God was showing Jesus, but I begin to see enough to see the

wonder of it. Let’s look at what happened so far. The incident at the Temple, if it did

nothing else, suggested to Jesus that there was a different kind of a Temple. This may

not seem too important to us, but, it was the very first thing that a Jew had to consider.

The Temple was not, primarily, a place for man to worship; it was a place where God

dwelt. There was no other place on the face of the earth where God made His abode! It

was a daring thing for someone to change the routine of the Temple as Jesus had done,

and it shows the magnitude of His zeal for God. But the startling thing, the revolutionary

thought, is the possibility of another Temple; another place that God would dwell. The

tragedy that divided Israel in the days of King Solomon was compounded because the

tribes of the north could no longer worship God at the Temple in Jerusalem and there

was no other place that God dwelt.

So, you see, the beginning of understanding is to know that God no longer dwelled in a

Temple made with man’s hands; the beginning of knowledge for the Jew is to be

released from the bondage of his tradition.

It is no different today; man has built his little “Temple” and said, “Here is where God

dwells.” He energetically strives to bring all men to the place of his dwelling and says,

“There is no other way.” He will boast in the antiquity of His belief and say “There is no

other.”

Man is sincere in his blindness, but it is blindness nevertheless. Jesus was sincere too.

He was tempted in all points like us, yet He emerged without sin.

I believe Jesus was willing to consider this change even though He did not understand it.

I believe it because God took Him to the next logical step - He indicated to Jesus that not

only was a new dwelling place to be established, but a new kind of life as well.

The exchange between Nicodemus and Jesus netted very positive information as to the

necessity of a new life. Jesus said a strange thing; it suggests quite strongly that Jesus

was unaware of the impact of what He was saying. To Nicodemus, He said, “You cannot

even see the things of God unless you are born again,” yet there was no attempt to

cleanse the Temple, where to the Jew the things of God were very much in evidence.

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The one paramount truth that emerges is that of a Spiritual creature. It isn’t hard to

understand. In Genesis, God said, “Let every living thing bring forth after its kind.” So

here it is, flesh brings forth flesh and Spirit brings forth Spirit.

It must be understood that these truths which to us seem almost to be self-evident, had

never before been presented to the mind of man. To take a man, such as Jesus, one who

was strongly zealous for His people, one who lived by the Law and looked for the

coming of the Messiah. To take such a man and suggest such thoughts to Him was

daring to say the least. But, to find a man who would listen to and believe such thoughts

pleased the heart of God.

Traditions die hard. It is one thing to hear the voice of God; it is another thing to know it

is the voice of God, and it is still another thing to give heed to the voice of God. It is

quite easy to believe God when it conforms to tradition; we can boldly declare God’s

Word when we have the backing of the multitude but we don’t really believe God’s

Word until we are willing to stand alone and declare it. Jesus was willing to believe.

Now there came another incident in Jesus’ life. It was almost more than an incident. I

believe that to the man Jesus it represented a high point. I’m referring to His few days in

Samaria. I feel that it was a high point because it was here that He was first accepted as

the Christ.

Remember this is what He came to be. These people accepted Him as the Christ because

of what they had “seen and heard.” This is the stand that Nicodemus was willing to take,

but the words that Jesus spoke would not allow it; yet in Samaria He allowed this

attitude to flourish. This seems to indicate further that Jesus’ words to Nicodemus were

not born of His own knowledge and desire. Now we have to make a decision as to which

time was right in God’s eyes regarding this point. Later on, Jesus made a statement to

Peter on the subject; He said that this kind of knowledge did not come by human

reasoning (flesh and blood) but it came by revelation of God. This pretty much gives us

direction in our quest for understanding. If man arrives at the conclusion that Jesus is

the Christ because of what he has seen or heard, it isn’t necessarily so if his knowledge

is from revelation and apart from human reasoning, it can be trusted.

So here was a high point in the life of Jesus, the man, but he also received a bit of

information that gave substance to a very new thought. God was Spirit! This fact gave

credence to the other things at which God had hinted - a new Temple! - one that could

be raised up in three days, an impossibility for any material Temple, a new creature –

not one that was born of flesh, but one that was born of Spirit. And, if you were born of

Spirit, you became Spirit, a new creation - one that could see the things of God, and now

this latest thing - God is Spirit! And they that worship Him will worship Him in Spirit and

in truth.

One must understand that these things were new to Jesus. I have pointed out that what

transpired could not have had much meaning for those to whom He spoke, and it was

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true in the case of this woman of Samaria. To tell her that one would not worship God in

Jerusalem or in “these mountains” was to take away everything that was then known

about worshipping God. No other nation on the face of the earth knew anything about

the one true God. To say that you would worship Him in Spirit had no meaning

whatsoever to the woman of Samaria, nor did it have to the other Samaritans. They

believed He was the Christ because of what they had seen and heard. There was no

Spiritual revelation about it. The fact of the matter is that only Jesus had the Spirit. Only

Jesus had the key to understanding. When he told His disciples about the Oneness that

the new birth brings, He knew there could be no understanding. He encouraged them to

believe and told them “At that day (when the Holy Spirit would come) you shall know.”

You see, there is no “knowing” before God without the Holy Spirit. Again, Jesus said that

“When the Holy Spirit is come, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your

remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

In light of all these things, it seems preposterous to believe that these Spiritual truths

were meant for anyone but Jesus. We have understanding of them now, or at least we

have the privilege of being able to understand because we have the Spirit of God with

us. This was not so with the Temple authorities, with Nicodemus, and the woman of

Samaria. That is why Jesus used parables to teach the people.

I believe these three incidents are high points in God’s leading Jesus to the wilderness

there to be tempted and filled with the knowledge of God. I am not so naïve to say

these are the only times that God arrested the attention of Jesus and pointed His

thoughts in a direction contrary to tradition, but certainly it is three times that it

happened; and in these three instances there is sufficient direction given to indicate the

full life that God meant every born again individual to have.

But what happened to Jesus because of it; was He satisfied? Did this line of revelation

which God chose to give Jesus bring Him peace? Did it strengthen His purpose, and did it

give Him direction?

No, my friend, in the natural, it did not. In fact, it seemed to do everything that one

thinks should not be. It brought Him untold suffering; because of it, He had turmoil that

robbed Him of everything which He had held dear. The scriptures say that He learned

obedience through suffering. This is not an idle statement. To suppose that God can

suffer is putting limitations on Him that are contrary to His nature. But to know that the

man Jesus suffered, and to know He suffered and why He suffered, is to understand the

moving of God in our life.

Oftentimes God speaks to us and it seems that because of His revelation to us our

troubles are increased. This is the way it was with Jesus, and this is the way it is with us.

When we understand why it is this way, then we will understand how God works with

us.

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The turmoil arises within us because of the conflict between Spirit and flesh, between

what we think should be and what God says is. It is hard to lay aside tradition. It is hard

to turn from that thing upon which we had based our every hope, but it is not until we

are willing to do this that we can begin to understand God.

Jesus had some rather definite ideas of what His people should be and what the

Messiah should do. The Messiah’s very manner of living was established - all things

would be according to LAW. The first responsibility of the Messiah was to put down all

enemies and to make them subject to the way of Israel. Even the early Christians

couldn’t get away from this idea. Peter, whom we always picture as being such a

stalwart of faith, encouraged those of Galatia to observe the Laws of Israel. He was

sharply rebuked by Paul for his efforts and the poor Galatians suffered the

consequences. James, the elder, refused to deviate from the Law but for the sake of

unity allowed a less stringent observance for the Gentiles. Regarding the Jews, however,

he said to Paul, “Ye see how many there are who have believed, and every one of them

is zealous for the Law.”

So you see the attitude of the Jew, even though he might accept Jesus as the Christ, was

reluctant to turn from the Law. Jesus was a Jew, He was a man, and He was zealous for

God according to the traditions of His people.

Now, perhaps it would seem that I may have deviated from answering the original

question: How did God lead Jesus, and why is the time interval so important? But all

that I have said has a direct bearing on just that question. Briefly, I could say God led

Jesus by doing this and doing that, but His leading is not quite so obvious. Only those

who are looking for God will recognize His leading in their lives. God speaks to us from

the midst of situations that might seem most common and unless we are eagerly

anticipating and desiring God to lead, His voice will be lost entirely. I do not believe it is

at all difficult to see how God used certain situations to bring certain truth to Jesus’

attention.

Why did it take so long? Because man must come God’s way of his own free will. God

does not force one to do His bidding. Jesus was no exception. God leads; He doesn’t

drive.

I would like to talk so much more about the leading of God in our lives, but I believe

enough has been said to cause those who are interested to consider a few things.

Never allow personal zeal to drive you because of something you have learned from

God. A spiritual zeal is a patient zeal and does not cause one to lose hope. But a

personal zeal will drive you and cause you to lose hope if you don’t see results. By the

same token, never allow yourself to be controlled by hopelessness. Discouragement is

not of God.

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Often times, we receive revelation knowledge from God and feel that it should be an

accomplished thing in our life, yet we come into nothing but trouble because of it. Be

patient, and know above all things that God’s Word is established forever. God is not

bound by time, as we are, therefore, He does not have to cause things to come to pass

just because we think that “now is the time.” But rest assured, God’s Word cannot be

annulled, it is established forever. Remember, God watches over His word and He will

perform it!

We have talked about Jesus, in His temptation. We have seen Him lifted high in

exuberance, with what to Him was a sure knowledge that He was the Christ; and we

have seen Him in the lowest place of despair. Yet we have seen God’s leading in all of

these things. We have seen Jesus come to the place of utter desolation because of

God’s leading in His life, and we have seen His consistent trust in God. We have seen

that when things were the darkest, insofar as the natural things of this world were

concerned, that Jesus really learned of God.

These are worthwhile things to know because in knowing them we can see God’s way

for us. When the time of darkness comes, as they will, we need not be discouraged,

because we know that as we come to the end of our ways, we will find God.

We have already looked into what John the Baptist said. Regarding Jesus as the Christ,

he said “I knew him not,” but you rightfully asked the question, “How did Anna and

Simeon know that Jesus was the Christ?” They looked upon Him as a babe when Mary

brought Him to the Temple to be dedicated. They took the child in their arms and

witnessed to the fact that here, indeed, was the Lord’s Christ.

I have been asked many times: How did they know? Does not this prove beyond all

doubt that this Jesus was born the Christ?

I do not believe so!

Simon said, in giving thanks to God, “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation…” but there is

nothing to indicate that the child was anointed, and, therefore, the Christ. In God’s eyes,

it was already done, but the child had to grow and increase in wisdom and stature, and

in favor with man and God. That He was destined to become both Lord and Christ, is to

me, an undisputable fact; but it is also to me, equally as obvious that He was not at this

time the Christ.

I see no miracle, if God chose to enter this world as a child, seeing God can do all things.

But I do see a miracle of love unleashed in Jesus in His dedication to God and the

unbounded love He displayed for God. I see no miracle in Jesus fulfilling the Law, if

indeed he was God, seeing as the Law came from God; but I do see greatness in Jesus,

the man, fulfilling the Law.

Perhaps it would be worth the time to spend a few moments with the Law and

understand just what the Law did. Why was it given? Briefly, it was given so that we

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might know God’s desires for us. For instance, what is God’s position? The Law defines

this. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Again, what shall my attitude toward

God be? “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart.” Again the attitude of the

child to parent is defined: “Honor thy father and mother,” and our attitude toward our

neighbor: “Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbors.”

Paul said, “I had not known sin except the Law said thou shalt not covet.” So, you see,

the Law gives definition to God’s desires. It does not give righteousness, it does not tell

how to do that which God desires, but it tells what God desires.

Jesus fulfilled the Law: Therefore, God revealed Himself to Jesus and said, “Thou art my

beloved son, and in thee I am well pleased.”

There is no miracle in God doing what He desires, but there is a miracle in man doing

what God desires.

I cannot consciously see evidence that Jesus was born the Christ. He was destined to

become the Christ. So back to the question, “How did Simeon and Anna know?”

By revelation! They came into this knowledge the same way that any one comes into

this knowledge. Peter could not say that Jesus was the Christ except by revelation, nor

can any other man.

Revelation is God’s knowledge given to man. It is not bound by time. God’s revelation

can reveal man’s future, explain the past, and give meaning to the present. In the case

of Simeon, God had promised him that he should behold the Lord’s Christ; this was the

revelation that told of the future. Now a child was being dedicated and again, God

moved and said, “This child is set for the rising again of many in Israel. He shall be a light

unto the Gentiles.” Because it was God’s revelation, it occupied a present place in time,

but it does not mean that at that instant in time He was indeed the Christ.

Peter spoke and said, “Thou are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus said, “Flesh

and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father, which is in heaven.” Jesus told

Nicodemus that he could not see the things of God, unless he was born of the Spirit. You

see there can be no knowledge of God except from God. The mind of man cannot

conceive God or the things of God, because it knows not God. It knows nothing of the

realm of God. It is not subject to God’s realm and never will be. In short, no man can see

Jesus, the Christ, except by the Spirit. Simeon and Anna were no exception.

This truth of revelation is a truth that not many men have considered today; they have

leaned much upon the “arm of flesh”. They have followed after their own

understanding. The result of this has been such that blend of religious thought has

become difficult to tell one group from another. The fact of the matter is that not too

many people even know God’s revelation when God reveals it to them. Therefore, they

establish their own pattern of thought and action and eventually come face to face with

the emptiness of flesh.

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There are certain attitudes that must be formed if we are to learn of God and we see

these attitudes evidenced in Jesus Christ. All too often, we lose faith in what we feel to

be God because things don’t go “right.” There is no deep seated consciousness of God.

When we feel good and circumstances are not too pressing, we can somehow manage;

but when there is physical or mental discomfort, and the trials of adversity are upon us,

it seems that confidence in God’s Word is something we no longer possess.

It is at times like this that we must be all the more sure of God’s word. God doesn’t

change just because our feelings change!

This brings us face to face with the possible need of changing our belief. Quite often we

have followed a certain path because our understanding has directed us in this path. We

feel that certain things should be evident because we go this certain way, and yet, they

are not evident. It is then that man demonstrates his nature by defending that which he

says he believes. God’s words need not defense! It is established! Even though there

should be no more heavens and no more earth, even though time should no longer be,

God’s Word remains! Therefore, we must be willing to say, “I know not, but God is

true.”

God’s Word is the foundation of all that is, or was, or ever will be. In the beginning was

the Word – it was God – and it shall never pass away! How foolish is it for some man to

subscribe to a small finite doctrine and try to establish it as supreme! How foolish it is to

doubt God because He doesn’t fit in with our idea of what He should be! What a wise

thing it would be to lay aside that which we think to be right and honestly re-examine

our relationship with God. How wise it would be to say “Lord, I don’t know, show me

your way,” and this will be our attitude when we know the sureness of God’s Word. If

our faith is based upon the things we feel we know, and yet it is shaken when adversity

comes, we can know our knowledge is based upon the learning of the mind and is not

anchored in God. On the other hand, faith that has God for its author is not shaken by

adversity, but really functions and produces a calm and definite assurance that God’s

Word is true. This is manifest to the believer by a confidence and peace that is beyond

human reasonings or expectation.

This is the thing we see in Jesus. It was God’s purpose to bring Him to the wilderness,

and it was God’s purpose to bring Him face to face with the emptiness and

meaninglessness of tradition. Jesus was shaken, but there was an underlying faith in

God that could not be moved. Like a child, Jesus came to God and in effect said, “All that

I thought to be true is gone, what shall I do?” There was utter and complete

dependence upon God. There was no rebelliousness within Jesus; there was no

questioning God as to the why-for, the emptiness that the wilderness brought forth;

there was no thought that God had forsaken Him; there was just child-like faith that

said, “What will it be now?” And Jesus said, “Except ye become as little children, ye shall

in no wise enter the kingdom of God.”

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This is the attitude that Jesus had when He found Himself on the pinnacle of the

Temple. It was this attitude that caused Him to understand that God existed apart from

traditions. It was this attitude that brought Jesus to the place of readiness to receive

God’s knowledge.

It is this attitude, and only this attitude, that will prepare us to receive God’s revelation.

No matter how busy we are; no matter how much we profess to know the Lord, no

matter what our church background may be, no matter what our supposed level of

Spirituality may be, unless we are consciously upheld by the faith of God, and rest in the

sure knowledge of God’s Word, we will not be ready to receive God’s revelation. Unless

we willingly come to the place of recognizing the emptiness and uselessness and futility

of tradition, we will never be prepared to even know God’s revelation!

Revelation is not a reasonable thing. Simeon and Anna were well advanced in years;

both had served in the Temple for the greatest majority of these years. They were

saturated with the Temple and the things of the Temple. Remember, to the Jew, this

was God’s house; it was the way of salvation. Yet, here was a child that God’s revelation

proclaimed was destined to bring light to the Gentiles and redemption to all that looked

for it. Anna and Simeon had come to the place of rest before God and they were willing

to proclaim, not the reasonable or expected thing, but the unreasonable - the

unexpected. They were to proclaim that which was not yet as though it already were,

simply because God had opened their eyes and they beheld the fullness of God in a

child. No one else could see this thing, but it was revealed to them, so they proclaimed

it as though it already were.

Revelation is an unreasonable thing. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I

am?” The answers were reasonable; they were based upon tradition; they reflected the

things people could expect. Then Jesus said, “But who say ye that I am?” and Peter gave

an unreasonable answer, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus

recognized the source of this knowledge. “Flesh and blood had not revealed this to

you,” he said, “but my Father which is in heaven.”

No man can, of his own ability, recognize the things of God because the carnal mind

does not know the things of God. Man will know God only by revelation and man will

know revelation only when he is willing to turn from tradition and trust God as a little

child.

There is not enough time for me to talk about revelation, and I doubt whether I have

words to clarify what I feel even if I did have time. But, know this one thing, no man has

ever known God, nor will ever know God, except by revelation. Faith is the thing that

enables you to receive. It is with the heart that man believes, not the mind.

I feel that you folks have listened to my words quite patiently, and I appreciate it very

much. I am glad for the opportunity of telling this thought about Jesus. I have tried to

answer all the questions that I could, but I realize that I couldn’t possibly cover them all.

The Temptations of Jesus Chri 62 stisyourlife.com

I have tried to suggest a thought to you, and I know that there will be many questions

come to your mind. Pursue them before the Lord, because, in the final analysis, it is only

what God gives that satisfies. But before I say my final “thank you,” I would like to give

you one more opportunity to ask questions. You have been so good to write them out

and give them to Mr. Brewer. This has saved us a lot of time, but now I would like to

hear from you direct. If you have some questions that you would like to ask, raise your

hand, and I’ll be glad to hear you.

The Suffering of Death

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:09:20 GMT

“We shall reign with Him if we suffer with Him.” This does not mean physical suffering. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” His attitude towards pain is, “By His stripes we are healed.” Regarding demons that attack the mind: “Behold, I give you power over all manner of sickness and unclean spirits to cast them out.” Regarding turmoil and weariness: “Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Regarding fear: “God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of peace and a sound mind. Again: “Perfect love casts out all fear.” This covers the area of our physical and mental well being. Therefore, wherein is suffering? Are we to believe that we are to suffer in these areas or God will not allow us to reign with Him? If this is true, I must conclude that He doesn’t want me to reign with Him because He has provided a complete and eternal deliverance from all the woes of the flesh.

There is a suffering that is beyond this. It is the suffering of a self imposed death.

My body may be healthy but I must reckon it to be dead. It can not lead and guide me any more. That is God’s job! I will come into this suffering when I begin to die to self. When I begin to turn from the things that are strong in my flesh, and say, “They are not so,” I will come into suffering. It will be the suffering of death. My carnal mind will cry out and say, “They are so,” but if I am to reign with Christ I will say, “They are not so.” No one will reign with Christ until he has suffered in this manner.

All the things that we have considered to be good--things we take pride in, honesty, integrity, morality, etc., becomes as nothing. In the realm of the flesh we would have somewhat to be proud of; we could boast because we would be on top of the standards of this world.

All of these things add nothing to our righteousness! All of these things that I considered to be gain I must count them as nothing.

If one is to know the suffering of Jesus, let him spend a life of observing the laws of his society always doing that which is considered to be right, being honest with all men, doing good to all that you can, and then come face to face with the realization that God wants none of it. In fact, His desire is that we no longer even have the life of this world.

He asks you to turn from it and consider this good-name image that you have created to be less than nothing. He asks you to remove yourself from it--take it out and crucify it! This is the suffering of Jesus! He obeyed the Law of God. He was honored and respected in His society; even God said of Him, “I am well pleased.” How fine it was for Jesus to be accepted by man and God! But God said, “Wait a minute, I want you to learn my way.” Jesus learned God’s ways, but in learning He had to turn from everything He had so earnestly and honestly done.

He suffered, He was tempted, but He turned from the former thing to the new way. He was brought to perfection by this suffering; and if we wish to enter into God’s realm and reign with Him, we must also suffer with Him.

These words are God’s truth, and when we know and practice this truth, we will know that Satan’s power is broken and he has no dominion over us.

I pray that everyone who believes the testimony of Jesus Christ will enter into this suffering in a way that he has never before experienced because it is the suffering that Jesus endured. It brought Him to the perfect knowledge of God, and it will bring us to the same place. Do not be deceived by any other thought. Our carnal mind can not conceive the suffering that God has set forth for us because it does not know the things of God. It knows nothing of His realm.

The carnal mind will never come into this place of death by its own volition. Therefore the suffering that carnality decrees is the sensual suffering of the body.

In this carnal way of thinking, God is just a Comforter, one who says, “Poor child, be of good cheer, when you get to heaven pain and tears will be no more.” The carnal mind does not accept a Deliverer, nor does it want one. It is much more satisfying to the ego to feel that you are enduring much suffering and, therefore, a special place will be yours.

This is the carnal mind. God says, “Kill it.” He tells us it is His enemy and that it will never subject itself to Him.

He says, If you love me, “Deny yourself, take up your cross--that’s the suffering--then you will reign with me.”

The Story of Man

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:08:46 GMT

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a force. Some will call me a spirit; some will call me a “will.” No one ever sees me. They only see the effects of my decisions. People see my body but I, the real I, am not my body.

I came from God. I have two things that are mine, God gave them to me. I have a body of flesh, and I have a soul. It is by the media of my body of flesh that I am known. My flesh is something like clothing, without it no one would see me. Without the abilities of the flesh I would not be able to express myself.

This soul is a very important thing; it is the headquarters of my body. My soul was really meant to be the dwelling place of my God. It is only in the soul that God and flesh can be together. I am able to tell you these things because I am speaking from the other side. I suppose it is best for me to tell you what I mean by that.

Originally before the fall of Adam, God occupied the soul. It was pretty wonderful. I was completely His slave. You see, I came from God. God gave me a body, and then He came to live in me, so I was never really apart from Him.

There are certain things about my body that I guess you had best know about too. My body is a pretty amazing piece of machinery. It has the ability to think, to see, to feel. There are so many things it can do. It is very adaptable to its environment. It is very important to me because it enables me to get about because, after all, I’m a captive to my body. It is not an unpleasant relationship though; because I am in control, my body must obey me; that is the way God put us together. There is one thing I might as well make plain; my body has to obey. My body is meant to be a servant.

Well, like I said, the way things originally were I was a complete slave to God. This was the way things were meant to be, I was a part of God so naturally there was complete harmony. This body was mine so I was able to direct its activities. My body was my slave.

Things changed. One time my mind rebelled and openly disregarded God’s Word. The results were disastrous. It wasn’t God’s nature to tolerate disrespect. God knows all things, and His ways are always for the best; but in order for His ways to be brought to fruition, there must be obedience. My mind going off on a tangent like that disrupted the harmony that we had, so the result was that God moved out of my soul.

This left me in a rather bad way. I came from God, I was like Him, a part of Him. I was completely His slave, and now I was locked up in a body that was disobedient to Him. The worst part of it was that my mind, in not paying attention to God’s Word, did the devil’s bidding and became his slave. The devil was against me and he was ruling my mind, so you can see what chance I had. I was bound by Satan and my mind was against me and I was their prisoner.

I had no choice; I was a captive to my flesh. The thing that God meant to serve me became my master. I was taught only the things that Satan wanted me to learn. My mind took orders from Satan and so what became visible by the acts of my body was in no way what I wanted it to be. I could not make my body behave as I desired so it seemed I was continually doing the things that I did not desire.

I never forgot God. My mind tried all sorts of ways to try and erase God from my life, but I always stayed in rebellion. I knew that someday God would provide for my freedom. Mind never forgot me either I always let him know that I was around. I bothered him I know because he would evolve philosophies in which he would try to convince himself that it was all right for him to rule me.

Things got to the place where mind considered that he existed only for himself. He had heard the Word of God, but he would always interpret it to edify himself. He sold himself on the idea that God would come to him, set up a kingdom on earth, and elevate him to the supreme position of power.

I had been a slave to my mind for so long that I began to think that maybe this was the way. Without God I had no ability to think straight.

Well, God sent His Son into this world of flesh. My hopes received a big boost. My mind could see what the Son of God did and I kept saying, “What about that?” There were plenty of times my mind got so mad because it had no answer for what it saw. There were the times I sensed that maybe my deliverance was drawing close.

My God manifested Himself. He demonstrated His complete authority over Satan. He triumphed over him openly. I somehow figured that God would just come in and take over in my soul. But there was one thing that I had forgotten-- God wanted me to love Him. He freed me from the bondage of Satan, but He didn’t force this freedom upon me. He wanted me to know for myself that I was free. When I was convinced that I was set free from the power of Satan, then I could invite God into my soul and we could be One once again.

Well, I know I’m free. I have invited Him in and we have become One. I’m in my rightful place now. I have been restored the authority to do what I was made to do--control my mind.

Because of what happened I have come to know that my mind does not know God, it lives in a different world entirely. Its very nature is contrary to God’s desires, but I shall rule over it. That is the way my God planned it.

I have learned that I must always keep my mind subject to Christ and not allow it a moment’s freedom. I will order it about. I will tell it what to say and do and think. Then I know that once again God’s will shall be made manifest through me so all the world may know of His Love.

The Spirit Is Your Answer

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:07:41 GMT

I can in no way overemphasize the importance of turning to God, who is Spirit, to find the answer for all problems that arise in life.

Quite frequently we cling to something that we think is to be, or should be, and yet we do not see the material realization of that thing. We are torn then between saying that we have understood something to be that is not to be, or that God is wrong. We can not say that God is wrong, and we are extremely unwilling to say that we are wrong, so we attempt to evolve a thought, or a theory, that will embrace both the material and the Spiritual. This cannot be done! There is nothing of the flesh that will inherit the Kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom is of the Spirit--it always has been, and it always will be.

The Scriptures teach that if you sow to the flesh, you will of that very thing, reap destruction. If you sow to the Spirit, you will of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting.

Many people revel in the Old Testament. The function of the Law, and the Old Testament is to bring us to Christ. If we refuse to be brought to Christ and live in the things that He has provided, then we will still be bound by the flesh.

We will still look for the things our eyes can see, we will still say, “How long until your Kingdom will be set up?” We will still judge Spiritual progress by the evidence of our physical senses.

As long these conditions exist, there will be turmoil, confusion and defeat in our spirits.

We are Spiritual Creatures--our life is of the Spirit, our knowledge is of the Spirit, all that we are is Spirit. The Spirit is not, never has been, nor will it ever be, subject to the flesh. The Spirit is God. God made the flesh; the flesh did not make God. Flesh hides from God; flesh fights to get away from God; flesh is not subject to God, nor will it ever be.

The Old Testament points to Christ. Christ says, “I am the way.” If I am to arrive at the place God desires, if I am to be restored to God, then I must go by “the Way.” The way takes me from the flesh and presents me to God. In Christ I am removed from the flesh and placed in the Spirit. All things now have become new, because I have access to a new realm. No more now will I look for the things of the flesh, or the things the flesh could live in, because in Christ I have already considered the flesh to be dead.

How can I say I am a Spiritual Creature, dead to the flesh, and yet look forward to a physical heaven--a physical kingdom? How can I say I have reckoned the flesh dead and yet demand the things of the flesh? How can I say I have laid my treasure in the things of the Spirit and yet search for and fight for the things of the flesh? How can I divide my life into two contrary realms and say I have yielded self entirely to the Spirit? If I am to follow the Spirit, I can not long for, or follow after the flesh. It is Satan’s job to cause discontent, and it is our responsibility to refuse to accept any thought that could cause discontentment. These thoughts must be brought into captivity. We dare not entertain doubt, or confusion, or discontent.

To say, “How long must I endure?” is to say Christ has not endured for me. But it was prophesied of Christ that He HAS borne my sorrows and carried my grief. He was made flesh to do that. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, the chastisement of my peace was upon Him. He bore my unrighteousness, took my sin, died my death.

He endured these for me.

These are all things that the flesh is subject to. He became flesh that I might become Spirit. Shall I make His death of no effect by continuing to look after and follow in the ways of the flesh? Or shall I accept His death for mine by fleeing from every thought of the flesh, and cling to the new Life of His Spirit? I must believe my new Father. He will supply all of my needs. He said He would do this by Christ Jesus. I must have the assurance that He will do this because He said He would.

It is Satan’s job to get me to think I need something that I do not have, and then to get me to dwell on this thought.

The more I dwell on this, the more I am convinced that I am being cheated of something that I am supposed to have.

If I am to embrace this thought, I am accepting something that is contrary to the definite expression of God. He said that He will supply all my needs. Any thought contrary to that is a lie, and is of Satan, and dare not be entertained. It must be cast out. If my Father says He will supply my needs, and there is anything that suggests that my needs are not supplied, then that thought is not of God and is actively hostile to the peace of God. Sometimes Satan's approach is to tempt us by saying that we are creatures of the flesh, and as such we must give heed to the flesh. The Disciples were considering this at one time. Jesus pointed out that the lilies didn’t work or worry, and yet they had all the things that God meant for them to have. Then He told His Disciples a very important thing, “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things will be added to you.” Again, Jesus taught that anyone who wants to save their own life will lose it, but if anyone will lose their life--let go of it, that one will really find life.

That’s the way we come into the fullness of God--by losing ourselves. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." The old one is no more, it is passed away.

How can I say I believe this and still seek gratification of my physical sense? Why do I say I am a Spiritual Creature and still look for a physical kingdom? If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. Satan says to us that this isn’t so, that we know perfectly well that our body is very much alive. GOD SAYS THAT IT IS DEAD! If I believe God, then I will say that my body is dead, and the life that I now live in the flesh is God living in me. Therefore I will not pay attention to the body, rather to the Christ that is in me. I AM A SPIRITUAL CREATURE.

If I am not willing to accept this Spiritual fact, then I am cutting myself off from the victory that is mine in the Lord. If I am willing to accept this Spiritual fact, then I must actively possess it. I can not take my ease and say to the Spirit, “Here I am, lead me.” The Kingdom of Heaven is only possessed by those, who by faith, do the things that God shows them to do. Remember that Jesus said that He did the things that His Father showed Him to do. When we exercise God’s faith within us, we will be encouraged and amazed at the greatness of God’s love when our Spirits receive knowledge from God.

But just to have the knowledge is not to have the victory. Noah by faith knew there would be flood waters, but this knowledge didn’t save him. He had to act, so though he had never seen flood waters, he built the Ark. He never had any little showers in between times to encourage him--he operated by faith.

Just the nature of the word faith is to believe in something that is not apparent to the physical senses. We must live in faith! By faith, then, the Spirit is real--not by sight.

The Spirit must be real to me or else I can not follow its leadings.

I exercise faith by casting down my imaginings and reasonings that are based on what my senses say exist, and I look confidently and serenely to the things that do not exist to my senses.

Faith says: The Spirit is the Truth.

Faith says: The Spirit is Life.

Faith says: The Spirit is my Strength.

Faith says: The Spirit is my Joy.

Faith says: The Spirit is Victorious.

So by exercising the power of faith, I can say, “I have Life, I have Truth, I am strong, I have Joy, I am Victorious.” Anything that is contrary to this is contrary to God. It’s a lie, and if I give heed to it and follow after it, I am giving heed to and am following after the flesh.

Jesus Christ was crucified to redeem me--to take me away from the flesh and to bring me to the Spirit.

He has provided the way. He has given me the faith--I must exercise it.

The Sharpest Sword

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:06:32 GMT

The Word of God is sharper than any two edged sword, dividing even the soul and Spirit (Heb.4:2). If you can not make the distinction between flesh and Spirit, you will have no place to go when trouble appears; you will not know for sure where your salvation begins or ends.

God’s realm is a realm of Spirit. I know this is so because Jesus told us that God is Spirit. We had to be told because we are incapable, in the flesh, of seeing that which is Spirit or knowing anything about the Spirit. This is why we had to be born again, absolutely had to be born again, if we are to enter into the Kingdom of God, or even see the things of God.

Jesus said, very plainly, “If you are born of the flesh, you are flesh.” I understand that. He also said, very plainly, “If you are born of the Spirit, you are Spirit.” I don’t understand that.

Here are two things: one we can see with our physical eyes, and one we can’t see with our physical eyes. We have the Word of Jesus that the thing we can’t see is real. The thing we can’t see is God. I can not investigate this with my physical senses because I can not see anything to investigate. The only thing left for me to do is to believe what Jesus told me.

If I accept what Jesus told me, that He is the Son of God, I must believe that He knows what He is talking about. If I listen to Him attentively, I find that He tells me the way things are, and He tells me the one thing that I must do--I must believe His Words! The Bible tells me that Truth came by Jesus Christ, so I can believe Him. There is no other way.

Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us to live in the Father. Because of His preparations, I am born again. I am actually born of God! This is why I live in God. I can not live in God if I live in the flesh because God is not flesh. I can never be made like Him, in His image and likeness, and just be flesh. I must be born of the Spirit; I must have God’s Life within me if I am ever to be like Him. The Bible tells me that if I receive Jesus, God will give me power to become a child of God. This is not a physical heritage; it is not because of any intellectual power--it is God’s way. I can not change that, nor do I want to. It is this new Life that I must be aware of, and be sensitive to and live in, if I am to be what God means for me to be.

Now, if I am a new Creature in Christ, it naturally follows that if I am not in Christ, I am not a new Creature. If I could have been what God wanted me to be out of Christ, there would have been no need for Jesus to have died. It is by His death that God broke the bondage of sin for everyone who receives Jesus. I have the privilege of accepting His death as my own. Not only is it a privilege, it is a necessity, for without His death I can not have His Life. Or, to put it another way, I can never live in God and still live in the flesh. The flesh is Satan’s domain; the Spirit is God Himself.

Satan can not live in God. But I can live in God, because, and only because, I have accepted the death of Jesus as being my own death. Because I have done this, God has given me His Life. Therefore, in Christ, I have been born again, I am a new Creation.

God lives in me and I live in Him. This is something that I can not see with my physical eyes, and it is something that I can not understand with my physical mind. This is why the world can not receive God except they receive Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “They see Him not, neither do they know Him…” It is because I believe this that I have a place to live that is not seen, and not understood by the world. Because I believe Jesus and accept His death as being my death, I have entered into a new realm. I have entered into God.

In order to do this, how shall I say it, I must see what I can’t see. I must know that something exists that my mind says doesn’t exist. Unless this unseen realm (unseen by my senses) becomes real to me, I can not enjoy living in it. I will never know whether I am there or not. If I go by what my physical senses say, I will never know God! I may believe things about Him, but I can never know Him. If God is my refuge, and I do not know Him, then I do not know my refuge. If God is my comforter, and I do not know Him, then, I do not know my comforter. If I do not know my comforter, I can not be comforted. If God is my Life and I do not know Him, then I am not aware of, nor can I know that I live in God.

This leaves me with only the life of the flesh about which my physical mind says, “Ah! That I do know.” It leaves me with only things I can see. The things that my eyes see are things that are not of God’s realm. I can see only material things. Because of this longing within my heart, and with this void that is there, (the longing that only God can satisfy) I have a struggle within myself. Everything that is about me seems to be wrong. I am not aware of that which my eyes can not see; I am not aware of that which my senses can not feel. I am aware of only the material, physical surroundings, and the feeling of the emotions that are strong within me. Things do not seem to come together right. I am troubled and have no place to go because I am not aware of that which I can not see. I am not aware of God. I am only aware of my wants and desires and needs. There IS a place of comfort; there IS a place of rest. There IS a place of knowing that the God of All Things has provided a place for us to live in His heart. There is a place of knowing the protection of God. Listen to this: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” I believe that God will protect me always in all things. Again, listen to this: “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.” The things of the flesh tear at me; they would turn my thoughts from the Lord. I know that this is the way of Satan; his purpose is to destroy me. But God has determined that I live in Him in this unseen realm. There is nothing in this world that can remove me from the love of God which is mine in Christ Jesus.

God has provided all these things for me, I might as well be aware of it. And I can be aware of it IF I do not let any thought that is contrary direct my mind. I can not even consider contrary thoughts! Before I believed Jesus and accepted Him, I had no recourse but to work out things for myself the best way I could. I had no unseen God in which I could live and to whom I could turn, because I was not born again. I longed for something, so I came to Jesus. I believed Him, He was that link with reality. He was a man who lived in this world of flesh. He told me the things of God. Could I believe Him? Yes! I decided that I would believe Him. I needed Him. I came to Him and God accepted me in His Son, and gave me His Life. Now, because I believe Jesus, I have entered into God.

I still can not see Him. Nor can I, in any way, understand how all these things can be, but I have His Word. He has let me know that even though the Heavens and the Earth pass away, His Word will not pass away, nor will it change. He told me not to accept any thought that is not in agreement with His Word. He calls them “vain imaginings.” Cast them out! Turn from them! Have nothing to do with them! Bring every thought to God. Be obedient to Him in every thought.

Then you will not have to worry about your actions because the power in God’s Word will transform you. When we are obedient to God in every thought, then our every action will be according to His will.

I have come to believe that which I can not see does exist. I believe that I have been made to be a new kind of creation in Christ, which no one can see but God. I believe that I live in Christ and I believe that He is the Almighty God. I believe that He cares for me. I have Eternal Life because I live in God and only because I live in God.

Sometimes, if I do not stand guard on my mind, it will drift back into the old ways of thinking. Then, because I have not brought every thought to the Lord, these undisciplined thoughts take hold of me and destroy my peace. The Bible tells me that this will happen; it says that the carnal mind brings death. There is no changing this, it is God’s Word; it is true forever. But, if I let God’s thoughts rule my mind, if I bring every thought to the Lord and give them to Him, then God’s mind will direct my life and I will enter into Life and peace.

It is because of God’s Life within me (this is not something that my physical eyes can see, nor do I understand how it can be) that I have peace and contentment in my soul. It is reflected through me so that others can see. Where they would have trouble, I have a peace that they can not understand. Then I can tell them about the wonderful Life that God has prepared for us. I can tell them so much more about the Love of Jesus when I live in it.

I am persuaded that it is the place to live, every moment of every day, every minute and every instant of my life. I am determined to live there. That which I can not see with my physical eyes does exist and nothing is going to separate me from the Love that is in Christ Jesus. Now, because I believe His Word, I have a place to live that the world can not see.

My prayer is that I will never be foolish enough not to live in the place that God has provided for me. With that prayer, I say, “Amen.”

The Sacred Trust

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:05:48 GMT

The thing is entirely up to you--the choice is yours, whether to be whipped by circumstances or to be triumphant in them. It all depends on whether you choose to believe the circumstances or the promises of God.

“It is the Word of a Gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor, so there’s an end to it,” declared David Livingston, the great pioneer missionary to Africa, in explaining his confidence in the promises of Jesus Christ. Livingston simply took Jesus at his Word! It was that simple. The promise of Christ was the promise of a Gentleman and that was the end of the matter.

This is the most down-to-earth application of Christian faith that can be made. The Word of Jesus Christ can be depended upon implicity. It is absolutely trustworthy. It can be taken at its face value.

Circumstances can be difficult--but this in no way alters the integrity of Christ, nor the dependability of his promise.

At times a man will feel very much out of touch with God when circumstances almost swamp him, but the Word of God still stands. The man may change, or the circumstances, but Christ is changeless.

A man may fail, but Jesus Christ never. Man’s failure does not mean his failure.

The wise Christian learns to count on the clear promises of God as they are laid down in the Bible. In times of stress and strain, pressure and tension, in times of personal defeat and failure, he turns to the promises of God, rests the full weight of his need there.

God’s promises are utterly substantial. They will bear any weight a man may put upon them. They stand up under any pressure. They are ageless, changeless, infallible.

The secret of the tranquil, efficient, triumphant Life lies in God’s promises and their application to any and every issue of life.

Therefore, the first order of the day for the Christian is to familiarize himself with the promises. If he is not acquainted with them, they might as well not be there so far as he is concerned.

This suggests why a so-called Christian finds himself constantly defeated by circumstances. He is pathetically unaware of the uncounted promises of God stored up in the Bible like a rich deposit, waiting for him to draw upon them whenever the need arises.

Obviously a man can take no strength from a fact he does not know exists. So a man, by neglecting the Bible, remains ignorant of the promises which can carry him through any difficulty to victory.

He’s a smart man who gets his nose in “The Book” every day to discover the wealth he has been given in Jesus Christ.

The Ring of God's Love

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:05:16 GMT

A ring can represent God’s eternal love. It completely encircles—there is no beginning or end. And it is set with great beauty.

It encircles the finger so that it will not fall off. It is sized so it fits individually.

But it can be put on and it can be taken off. Even so, God’s love for us may be accepted or rejected.

When we accept it, it is wrapped around us by His Word that it won’t fall off. “I will never lease thee nor forsake thee.” A ring is worn willingly, and if worn long enough, becomes part of you—it leaves its mark when removed.

Let us accept God’s love and wear it eternally.

The Reality of Praise

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:04:47 GMT

WANT TO EXPRESS THANKS TO MY FATHER FOR ALL HIS WONDERFUL GOODNESS TO ME--AND I DON'T KNOW HOW.

HOW CAN I PRAISE HIM IN SUCH A WAY THAT IS MEANINGFUL? I DO NOT WANT MY WORDS TO BE VAIN OR EMPTY.

IF I PRAISE HIM FOR THE WONDERFUL DAY, FOR THE SUN AND WARMTH AND CLEAR SKIES, IS NOT MY PRAISE AND THANKFULNESS RATHER SHORT LIVED? DOES NOT MY FATHER’ S LOVE FOR ME REMAIN THE SAME EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE CLOUDS THAT COVER THE SUN AND ROB ME OF ITS WARMTH? I AM GLAD THAT EVEN THOUGH THE SKIES ARE NOT BLUE, MY FATHER’S LOVE FOR ME DOES NOT CHANGE--BUT PRAISE SHOULD BE MORE SUBSTANTIAL THAN THE DAY! IF I PRAISE HIM FOR THE HEALTH I HAVE IN MY BODY, THEN MY PRAISE IS COMPROMISED. I HAVE IMPOSED A CONDITION TO MY FATHER’S LOVE FOR ME. IT IS A SELFISH ONE, ONE THAT SAYS, “YOU LOVE ME LESS BECAUSE I HAVE PAIN IN MY BODY.” NO, I CAN’T PRAISE GOD JUST AT THOSE TIMES THAT MY BODY FEELS GOOD! I HAVE HIS WORD THAT HE LOVES ME WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE. HIS LOVE IS NOT CONTINGENT UPON THE WAY THIS BODY OF FLESH FEELS, SO MY WORDS OF PRAISE WOULD BE EMPTY IF THEY WERE BASED ONLY ON THAT.

SHALL I PRAISE GOD FOR MY FAMILY? I AM THANKFUL FOR THEM, BUT I CAN NOT JUSTIFY MY PRAISE TO GOD BECAUSE OF THEM. IF THIS WERE VALID GROUNDS FOR PRAISE, WHAT OF ALL THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE FAMILIES? DOES GOD LOVE THEM THE LESS? NO, I MUST FIND OTHER GROUNDS FOR PRAISE IF I DO NOT WANT MY WORDS TO BE VAIN. I HOLD MY FAMILY DEAR, AND I CONTINUALLY HOLD THEM UP BEFORE GOD, BUT I DARE NOT BASE MY PRAISE UPON THE FACT THAT I HAVE A FAMILY.

WHAT THEN? SHALL I PRAISE GOD BECAUSE I AM EMPLOYED AND CAN PLACE FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR MY FAMILY? I AM THANKFUL TO HIM BECAUSE OF THAT; AND IT IS WITH SURE KNOWLEDGE THAT I KNOW THAT WHICH I HAVE, I HAVE BECAUSE HE GAVE IT TO ME, BUT AS A FOUNDATION FOR PRAISE--NO! GOD DOES NOT LOVE ONE LESS IF HE IS NOT EMPLOYED! MY POSSESSIONS--HOW FORTUNATE I AM! SHALL I PRAISE GOD BECAUSE OF THEM? IS GOD’S LOVE TO ME DEMONSTRATED BY THESE MATERIAL THINGS THAT HE HAS ALLOWED ME TO ENJOY? AGAIN I HAVE TO SAY NO! THERE ARE MANY WITH MUCH MORE THAN I, BUT GOD DOES NOT LOVE ME LESS BECAUSE OF THAT, AND THERE ARE MANY WITH MUCH LESS THAN I HAVE, AND GOD LOVES THEM JUST AS MUCH AS HE LOVES ME.

I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS, FOR THE WONDERFUL DAY, FOR MY FAMILY, FOR MY EMPLOYMENT, FOR MY HEALTH, FOR MY POSSESSIONS, BUT THESE THINGS ARE ALL TRANSIENT. THEY COME AND GO--THERE IS NO STABILITY TO THEM. WHY? THEY ARE MATERIAL THINGS.

SO IF I AM TO PRAISE MY FATHER IN A MEANINGFUL WAY, I WILL PRAISE HIM FOR THAT WHICH IS ETERNAL.

The Power of God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:04:08 GMT

My God is a God of Love. His tenderness is manifest to all people. He has caused His goodness to benefit those who do not believe in Him as well as those who walk uprightly before Him.

The impatience of His anger is hid in Christ so that it is no more. Once He repented that He had made man, and said, “I will save only those who trust in me.” But now, in Christ, God’s love has triumphed and His grace and mercy extend to all people of all generations.

My God is not idle. He does not sit in some far-off place and wait for only those who will come to Him. He covers the Earth. He is found where ever man is found. He woos, and He draws men to Himself. But my God is not articulate; His voice does not drum on man’s ears; He does not speak the language of men. His love comes to us as a gentle breeze--a whisper of air. It is soft and gentle, and can only be recognized in the stillness of one’s soul. My God is seeking those who will recognize His Spirit. Only those who recognize His Spirit recognize God, because my God is Spirit.

He is all might and all power, but He is infinite tenderness too. He is the refreshing that is mine in the quietness of my soul. He is my comfort and my encouragement.

My God seeks men eagerly because He is anxious that all men everywhere should know Him. He is anxious to restore to His beloved the peace and comfort, the rightness and joy that are His alone to give. He seeks man, but not in man’s realm.

Man must turn from his own realm of this world and seek God in the Spirit to find his comfort. He, who came to bring healing to the broken heart, gives the medicine of His Spirit; and only those who are hungry enough to look to the quietness within their souls are restored and made whole.

My God has made many things so that I may see with my eyes, and say within my soul, “How great is my God to provide me with such a habitation.” Then my soul shall reach out and touch my God, and be made like Him.

Then I am made new; my God has fashioned me after His own will. No more am I like I used to be, but the wound in my heart has been bound up, and anointed with the balm of God’s Love. My God has touched me, and I am recreated.

Once my mind would revel in the power that it would receive from God--my mind would strut and be lifted up because of the place of authority that is mine in Christ. But now, my mind is brought low. It can no longer be lifted up with the thoughts of power and might and glory because all of these things belong to my God.

My mind must walk the pathway of humility and show forth patience and kindness. My mind must forget itself so that it may learn of the Love that is my God.

My God is a God of Love, and I must show forth His Love before I can ever show His power and might.

There is a division that my God would teach me. My mind looks at the handiwork of God, and sees the sun and the moon and the stars; it sees the greatness of God’s creation, and it is hushed in awe. The mind studies and learns of the laws that govern the universe, and dreams of power to conquer. Man interprets power to be that which controls the things he considers great and in this interpretation he is blinded to the power of God. .

God demonstrated his ability when He spoke a. Word and the worlds came into being, but this was not God’s power.

His power is the Love that caused Him to make a habitation for man. His power is the Love that caused Him to give His Son to redeem the man who knew not my God. His power is the Love that recreated man into His own likeness.

His power is His Love.

My God tells me that His Love is kind, and seeks not its own. My God demonstrated this Love by coming to me so that I might see His way.

He tells me that His Love is patient and longsuffering and bares all things. Then He demonstrated this Love by loving those who despitefully used Him.

My God triumphed over all these things because of the power of His Love. Even though He had the power to banish resistance with a Word, He knew that this was not the power to win--and so He loved, and because He loved, I am restored to my God and am made like Him. My mind does not understand the power of my God, but my soul knows, and my soul is alive because I am loved by my God.

The Place That Love Prepared

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:03:26 GMT

I love Him better every day. By this I know that my love is not only for God, but of God. There is nothing common about it. One becomes accustomed to natural things; and natural things fade, even the rose loses its luster and fragrance as it grows old.

But the love of God grows in richness; it deepens with time and becomes more precious with knowledge.

I love Him better every day. Once He was just a myth to me--remote and unreal. I had no sense of His love. I was sufficient in myself.

Then I met Him. I met Him because I was persuaded that Jesus, who was called the Christ, had provided my way into the presence of the Father. People told me this and I believed the people. The people pointed out to me that the Word of God said that if I believed in Jesus, I was saved and delivered from hell. Hell, they told me, was a place of torment.

I listened to the people. I did not desire a place of torment, so I confessed with my lips that I believed in Jesus, so therefore I was saved from torment.

But I was forever fearful. Was my faith as strong as it should be? Was I good enough to be counted worthy to escape such awful torment? What if, in a moment of weakness, something should happen to me and I was not “prayed up?” Had I passed by that “last opportunity” to pray to God and ask Him to forgive me of my many sins? What if? What if? People told me I was to never miss an opportunity to “get on my knees” and pray to my Father who was in heaven and ask Him for mercy. My heart was never sure, I was always fearful. I looked to people to take away my fears, but they were only dulled for a moment.

One day I thought about God loving me. Loving? Were my fears the result of God loving me? Other people who didn’t know God had none of the fears that I had. Yet I was asking them to give their heart to the Lord. Why, so they could have fears too? There was something wrong here. Love doesn’t generate fear. The Word of God declares, “Perfect love casteth out fear.” Who could be more perfect than God? If this perfection that was God was to cast out fear, why then did I have fear when I thought of God? I could come to only one conclusion: either I didn’t know God after all, or the Bible was in error. I could not believe the Bible to be in error, because on this point at least, I would have to remove concepts about the peace and comfort of love. The only thing left for me was what came right down to it. I didn’t know God.

This was quite a blow to me, because I had been diligent in all that which I was instructed. I was faithful in my duties to my church. I was in active participation with the church programs, and I held my leaders and instructors in high esteem. Yet, I had to face it, God might know me, but I certainly did not know God.

Jesus was my way to God. I believed that, but there was something unreal to me--I had never arrived. My lips prayed “Our Father,” but my soul could not cry, “My Father.” I began to seek God. I did not seek Him by seeking a different church or new friends or different circumstances. It was my heart that was fearful, so it was my heart that sought freedom from fear. It was my heart that sought God.

I began to find out what faith was. I found that faith didn’t rest in the words of people, faith rested in God. God rested in His Word; so by knowing His Word, I came to know faith.

I began to look at the Bible with new eyes. I had more or less looked to people for guidance, but this had never produced the results that would give peace and remove fear. Now I turned from people and looked to God’s Word.

I found a difficulty even here. Certain scriptures that I had been taught to have a certain meaning did not seem to fit.

They seemed to be isolated. They stood by themselves and did not harmonize with the rest of God’s Word. I found it difficult to clear my mind of its pre-set bias. But, as I did this, certain things came into focus that showed me a sure foundation.

I saw the love of God! I saw it manifested in Christ. I had never seen this before. I had been taught that Jesus was the Christ, and that He was the way to God, but I didn’t see how or why. I knew the Scripture about God 1oving the world to such an extent that He gave His only begotten Son, but I could not clearly see how love behaved. I did not know God.

I had always heard this, “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” It had beat upon my ears until it had lodged in my brain that there were three Gods. Then, when I had been told that these three were one and yet they were separate, I was confused. Truly, I did not know God.

I began to see certain things in God’s Word. I saw the words of Jesus where He said, “God is a Spirit.” I saw where the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and caused her to conceive so that she would bring forth a child who should be called Jesus. I saw by this that God and the Holy Spirit were not two, but one.

Then I saw a great error of the people. This is the error of all flesh. The people had likened God to themselves. They gave Him a form of flesh; therefore, He naturally was a person having form and tempers like themselves. Jesus told them plainly that God was Spirit. To be born of God one must be born of the Spirit. If I was born of the Spirit, I became Spirit. I began to understand how Jesus was made the Christ.

One of the things that Jesus said to Phillip always puzzled me. “Have I been so long with you and yet thou hast not known me? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” This was in response to Phillip’s question. “Lord, show us the Father.” I had always looked at this with the understanding of my senses, and I reasoned thusly: Phillip saw a man and he heard a man. This man said. “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” Yet this same man that claimed to be the Father prayed to some power that was some place referred to as Heaven, and said, “My Father...” So with this type of reasoning, I became very confused. I had approached this point many times before, but I was always confused. I asked people to explain to me, but no one could, so I said, “It is not meant for me to know.” But now I had to know. Jesus was the Way to God and no man could come to the Father but by Him. I had to know.

Then I began to listen. God was a Spirit. Somehow this Spirit was given to Jesus, so that it was declared of Him, “All the fullness” of God dwelt in Him.

I heard Jesus pray to this Father Spirit to give Him the Glory that He had before the world was. He prayed, “Glorify me with thine own self.” This was accomplished. Jesus was never refused by His Father. Once He told the Disciples, “I will pray (ask) the Father and He WILL give you another comforter.” I saw what a wonderful assurance Jesus had.

He knew that the Father would do whatsoever He asked. He knew that the Father loved Him.

Jesus asked for us who believe Him. He asked the Father that we might be made one with the Father, just like He was made one with the Father. God didn’t refuse Jesus; so if I believe Jesus, I am made one with the Father. I am perfect in Him because I have been made one with Him. His Life is now my Life. All that the Father is, I am because I am ONE with Him.

At last I have seen the way to God! My senses can not comprehend this wonderful fact. The flesh is overcome with awe at the tremendous truth of being one with God. Something within me says, “I see how, but I don’t know why.” Then Satan presents a false humility to me, so that if I harbor it and do not cast it out, it will rob me of all that Jesus gave. The thought that Satan would have me to hold is that I am not worthy of this honor.

My teaching was that Jesus was always God, and He triumphed over the flesh because He was God. There was something that didn’t quite satisfy me here. Here’s why. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, He heard a voice from Heaven saying that God was well pleased with Him. Why? I can’t understand a God that says He is well pleased with Himself. But God was pleased with Jesus. Jesus Himself tells me why. He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law.” I began to think about this in a little less abstracted way than I previously had. I saw now that fulfilling the Law was a thing that pleased God. This began to fit because the Law expressed God’s desire for man. I had always been taught that the Law was a Law to the flesh, but I began to see that it was more than that. Jesus Himself stripped all flesh from the Law when He told us what was the first and greatest commandment. He said that this “Law of love” was the foundation of all the Law and the Prophets. This makes sense, because “God is love.” Therefore, His desire could not be anything, but love.

Jesus fulfilled God’s desire so perfectly that God gave Himself to this man completely, so that it was said of Jesus, “In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead…” What favor Jesus received from God! How great was God’s love for Jesus that He should give Him all of Himself! Jesus knew this love, He knew His Father. God gave all judgment to Jesus because Jesus loved like the Father loved. Now I begin to see “love at work,” the giving of one’s self to another. I could, in a sense, understand how Jesus won the love of God by doing the will of God; but in understanding this, I saw my hopeless condition more than ever before. I was born after the likeness of Adam’s sin, and God has concluded that all are under sin. What hope had I? I was bound. Everything that was in me was contrary to God because it was not subject to God’s laws. In my flesh dwelled no good thing. My mind was an enemy of God. God’s law is of the Spirit, and all about me and in me and through me is flesh. That is why I have so many fears; fears are of the flesh, and that’s me, born in sin and shaped in iniquity.

But still, Jesus Christ is the Way. He won the love of God. He received God’s nature, and that means to me that He has God’s love within Him.

The Bible declares to me that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. I am also told that it is by grace that I am saved.

What a wealth of knowledge this reveals to me! The grace of Jesus Christ reaches to me and because of His grace, not because of what I have done or not done. Just because of His grace, I have been lifted out of myself and placed in Him. Here is the answer to His prayer made manifest, that we should receive His Glory and be made perfect by being made one with the Father as He was made one with the Father.

Jesus received His Sonship because He earned the privilege. God revealed Himself to Jesus; therefore, Jesus could say that God is a Spirit because He knew. Jesus tells me this, “No man knoweth the Father, save the Son and Him to whom the Son shall reveal Him.” Jesus asked the Father that we should have another Comforter. He said, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter...” Then He said, “At that day YE SHALL KNOW that I am in the Father, and He in me AND I IN YOU.” So now I know the Father because the Son has revealed Him to me, and in revealing Him to me, has shown me my place in Him. He has shown me that I am made perfect because I am made ONE WITH HIM.

My flesh still feels that I must in some way work for this position, but the attitude of grace does not include the labor of attainment. God’s Word declares that what I have is not of works, or perhaps I might boast. I have been given my perfection because I believe in Jesus. He told me to trust Him and He would present me faultless to God.

Now I found that it is the grace of Jesus Christ that makes me worthy. I had my fears that perhaps God should become weary with me for my many shortcomings, but God’s Word declares that before Him I am perfect because He made me one with Him. I had my fears because not always did my senses rejoice because of the knowledge of God’s presence. I was fearful that perhaps I was forsaken. Now I rest in God’s Word and He says that He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Fears! I will not own them anymore because God has not given me the Spirit of fear. All fears are of Satan; and as I see the perfect love of God, those fears are being cast out. I can not cast them out, but the perfect love that is my Father does the work.

I was never fearful that I didn’t have a desire to come to my Father; my fears were of my own inability to be “good enough.” But Jesus said that He was my goodness, so I believed Him; and I just referred Satan to Jesus whenever he would try to sell me his line.

I knew that my desire was to live for my Father, and I saw that His love prepared the way for me, so I live in His love, and I’m letting His love live in me.

I know my Father, I see His perfection, and I am not afraid because “perfect love casteth out fear.” R

The Nature of Sin

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:02:46 GMT

In the very broad sense of the word, sin can be defined as “anything that separates one from God.” From this we can learn certain things--mainly that the separation is of the spirit. Therefore, the effect of sin would become apparent first in the thought processes of the individual. This immediately rules out any physical action as being sin, but it places the responsibility of sin on the thought processes that generate the action. Another point is that we must believe that God exists. This must be a Spiritual knowledge. This Spiritual knowledge is manifested in our physical minds by certain actions that take place in our daily living. This is evidenced by our realization of right and wrong. Our desire for certain moral ethics stem from the fact that there is a God, and His influence is felt by even the spiritually unregenerated man.

Quite often we find those who do not believe in the basic fact of sin, yet they say they believe in God. This is a spiritual impossibility. Our knowledge of either one could not exist without the other. If there were no God, there could never be separation from Him. Therefore, the very fact that there is a God means that there is sin. In other words, one might say the proof of God’s existence is the fact that men recognize the presence of wrong.

So, on the basis of this truth, one cannot say that they believe God and yet have no sin. If a man says that he does not have sin, and yet says he believes in God, he deceives himself in this manner. He is accepting the belief of God in a purely academic manner and believes only with his mind. To believe in God only with the physical mind is to believe in God not at all. The one outstanding truth of all time is that GOD IS SPIRIT. Our physical mind can only conceive that which we know to exist, either in its pure form or a combination of forms or things as yet untried. The truth of the physical mind is that it conceives by association. If God were physical, then the physical mind could comprehend God. The deception of the physical mind is that man feels he can believe in a Spiritual God without a Spiritual experience. The result of this deception is made evident by man’s belief that he is not a sinner. So this truth emerges: sin, as well as God is Spiritually discerned. When a man is DEAD in his sins, he is not aware of them. Sin is separation from God; and if he’s not aware of God, then he is not aware of sin--sin, being not the discernment between the morally right and wrong concepts of man, but the Spiritual separation from God.

God has a power that will generate within the heart of man a Spiritual awareness that reveals both Christ and sin.

When man sees this, it then lies within his ability to choose the way that he desires.

Some will argue that man inherently knows that sin is confined within him, and that he must find a way of escape.

Therefore, he has endeavored to better his station in life by devoting his time and energies to developing his civilization and culture. The unsatisfied urge for contentment has caused him to be in a constant search for something that would satisfy his desires. There is some truth to this theory. The error lies in the direction of man’s search for contentment. Being ruled by his physical nature, he has sought material things, when what he needs is Spiritual things Spiritually supplied.

Sin brings death, while the negation of sin brings Life.

In the beginning was God, He made Heaven and Earth and all things. One thing is evident-- God, being the Creator of all things, gave life to all of living. Jesus Christ affirmed this when He said that He was Life. Therefore, Christ is the negation of sin in that He supplies Divine Life.

Observing the events of the beginning, we discover the fact that a certain thing brought about death, namely, the partaking of fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If true Life is from God, who is Spirit, and we are to have this Life, then we must have God’s Spirit, and as such we will be Spiritual. If the assimilation of this fruit produced death, then death is a cessation of Spiritual Life. You see, it had to be a spiritual death that Adam and Eve experienced, because they still continued living in a physical form. God made a statement that they should die in the day that they ate this fruit. God cannot lie--Adam and Eve did die, but the death was spiritual. That’s because man himself is spiritual.

Now in this death a knowledge was produced that was vital to future regeneration. Man, in himself, knew good and evil. It now became necessary for him to distinguish the degree of this good and evil. To his reasoning it was of one degree, and to God it was of another. Not being aware of God (remember, man was spiritually dead), man was not aware of the fact that his sin was before God. His fellow men surround him on every side, and it was to these men that he felt his sin. Therefore, man sets up a program of social rules and conduct that is aimed at a better understanding of his fellow men. It is the violation of this code of ethics that the unregenerated man feels to be sin.

The basic reasoning back of this concept of sin is sound. It is sound in this respect: The violation of this code of ethics will separate the transgressor from society as a whole. In this respect of separation, it is sin. However, this sin is toward man. The error here is that man is not the judge and has no power regarding Spiritual matters that are concerned with Life and death. Therefore, he is not the one to deal with sin, which is in reality before God. Man’s responsibility and aim should be to live before God who is the true Judge, and the giver of Eternal Life which is itself Spiritual.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they did not hide from each other. They were aware of a changed condition--they knew that they were naked. This was an easy matter to correct in their own eyes, but the covering they provided that was sufficient for them, proved lacking when they stood in the presence of God. They hid, not from each other, but they hid from God. It was not until God showed his presence that man became AWARE of the death produced by sin. The truth of God’s Word was proven. “In the day that ye eat thereof ye shall surely die.” Perhaps more than any other statement in the Bible, this statement shows us that the Life of which God speaks is Spiritual, and that this was the kind of Life possessed by Adam and Eve. This is the Life that instructed Adam, and this is the Life that Adam died to when man lost his communion with God by being disobedient.

In the Spiritual state, Adam and Eve received their instructions regarding their conduct, directly from God. In himself, he had no knowledge of either good or evil; this knowledge was generated within man by his act of disobedience.

This gives us a hint of the absolute purity of God’s intention, and the purity of existence as God intended it to be.

Before each other, they realized they were naked, and they were ashamed, but this could be taken care of; they had the knowledge of good as well as evil, and they provided their covering before each other. This covering was sufficient as far as they were concerned. Then God appeared. Here man saw the standard or the highest degree of goodness; and because he saw this and knew it to be good, his position became apparent; he was ashamed and he hid. The covering that was sufficient in their own eyes was inadequate in the eyes of God. Man knew this because he was in a Spiritual presence. He now knew that Life was Spiritual, and that his spirit indeed had died. He knew this because he saw true Life in God.

Here is the picture of sin firmed up. First, man had an estate with God in which he was completely dependent upon God for knowledge and help. He possessed a Life that was SPIRITUAL although he did not know that it was Spiritual until he had lost it. It was sin that caused him to lose this Spiritual Life from God. Sin must, by its very nature, be a spiritual issue, because it separates us from a Spiritual God.

If being separated from the Spiritual source produces real death, then the problem is to nullify sin, so that we might be restored to Spiritual Life. The thing that nullified sin for Adam and Eve is the thing that nullifies sin for us today. In a very particular sense, it is the fact that GOD DID SOMETHING FOR US. Looking back to the beginning we have already seen that the material covering provided man by his OWN efforts was not sufficient for his meeting with God.

God was the one to do something; He provided the covering for man. This provision was sufficient because it had been supplied by God. This is the thing that was needed because the sin was against God. Therefore, it remained for God to provide the forgiveness.

Certain things are outstanding in this drama of forgiveness. These things did not happen by chance, but they happened because God created man as He did. Everyone today who would gain God’s forgiveness will follow the same pattern because there is no other way that will produce the same result.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they became aware of their nakedness; but as we already found, this was easily corrected in their own eyes. In the eyes of God, however, it was a different thing. The pride that said, “We can take care of this thing,” in their relation to each other was completely broken down when they knew they were to face their Creator. There was no pride of sufficiency when they met God. They hid.

And so, from this story emerges the first step on the way back to God: humility. A man cannot face God and say, “See, my covering is sufficient.” He cannot come to God claiming Spiritual Life because of his own ability, nor is righteousness produced by the works of man. The Life that is Spiritual belongs to God; it comes from God, and is generated by God, and it can be obtained from no other source. The pride of man, evidenced by his “homemade” covering, must be and always will be completely missing when he faces Christ. This is an unalterable law, MAN CANNOT RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM GOD WITH PRIDE IN HIS HEART.

Observe the direction of this pride. Many people who do not Spiritually know the Lord have looked upon some of those who profess Christ, and seen evidence of a very meek and subjected attitude. This is not necessarily a good testimony for the Lord in many cases. The Christians humility has been directed toward man, and as such, a reputation has been gained. This reputation generally identifies him as one who does not value his liberty and Christian principles enough to vigorously defend them by his everyday living. Man is by nature a proud individual, and he is not attracted to any display of weakness. His observation is that if this is being a Christian, he does not want it.

His feeling is that he must display this same type of humility if he is to be a Christian. As long as the demonstration of humility is so obviously directed to man, then it is directed by man, and the individual who does not know the Lord says, “I will not do this.” Mark this well because this is the condition that comes about when we try to produce within ourselves the evidences of God. Someone says that he needs the fruit of the Spirit in his life and that he will have to work hard to get them. This attitude is exactly the same as that evidenced by Adam and Eve when they tried to provide their own covering; it is not acceptable to God. Humility must be before God. Then it is that God will do something for you.

To be humble is to recognize one’s inferiority, or insufficiency. So, if we are humble, we must be humble to God because it is “He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.” He has created us ALL equal in His sight so that NO ONE can say of his relation to God that he has more than someone else. It is because of this that He has concluded ALL under sin so that ALL may obtain mercy. Salvation, the forgiveness of sin, is not of works, lest any man should boast. So, in the one respect that matters, humility must be realized before God. Any humility demonstrated before man that does not have, as a reason for its existence, the basic knowledge that the Lord God is Almighty is a false humility, and will serve not one whit in establishing man’s approach to God. Man was made to show humility only to God. Man can but deprecate himself in the eyes of his fellow men.

An individual who is humble before God will demonstrate a teachable attitude toward the things of the Spirit, yet he may conduct himself with authority toward his fellow man. He will demonstrate this attitude because he is sure of his position in the Lord. Certain principles of living will be clearly defined in his thinking, and this will lend to him a strength of character that is unique in that its basic root is found in God rather than man. This is the result of a humble attitude directed to God.

A man that has Christ is the possessor of a confidence that transcends the confidence of man, because it is generated by God and is God-given. A Christian realizes that all he has is his because of God’s mercy. Having personally experienced the effect of this mercy, he is sure of his possession, because he knows the mercy of God is real. The man without God is not so; he has not become aware of the things of God. This means that he must trust in his own ability to provide the confidence that he experiences. Quite often he will develop the attitude that “what is to be will be.” This attitude is not born out of knowledge from God. Many times the course of events has been changed because man has interceded with God. Still other times events have taken a certain path because God spoke to men, and men listened and obeyed.

Adam’s sin brought to him the knowledge that all was not well between him and his Creator, so when God came looking for him, he hid. It was then that God spoke, He called to Adam and asked, “Where art thou?” This is one of the musts in man’s return to God. GOD MUST SPEAK TO HIM. As in ALL of the things that count for God, this too is so simple as to be lost in its simplicity. Many folk have joined a church and think that this is giving their heart to the Lord. Others have been baptized at the instruction of someone, without actually feeling Spiritually compelled to take this step. It is because many follow this course without first hearing God speak that there are so many professing Christ, but so very few POSSESSING Him. It is the purpose of the Scriptures and of Bible teaching and preaching to cause a man to think of the Lord. Through the power of the Spirit, man (the hidden man of the heart) is then capable of hearing the voice of God. Adam heard that voice, and so will every man who comes to the Lord.

If Adam was to receive adequate covering to stand in the presence of God, the covering had to come from God; and if the covering came from God, Adam had to go to God to receive it. Even so today if we are to receive forgiveness of sin, we must receive it from God; and in order to receive it from God, we must go to God. There is no other way.

Christ is the only way.

When man goes to God to receive forgiveness for sins, he is made a NEW CREATURE. He is born again by the Spirit, and in this state he is reconciled to God (made one).

So, now we have seen the nature of sin, its effect, and remedy. God is Spirit, and if we are to be one with that Spirit, we must be of the same Spirit. Man’s spirit is dead within him because of sin. Our transgression had been against the Spirit. We cannot, by our own efforts, remove the effects of our transgression; rather we must come to Him and accept the covering that He provides. Then it is that we are BORN AGAIN by the power of the Spirit. We become a Spiritual creation, able to fellowship once more with not only our Creator, but our Savior as well.

The blessed joy of knowing our sins are forgiven by the mercy of God is voiced by the Apostle Paul when he says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Name of Jesus

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:02:09 GMT

GOD HAS MADE PROVISION FOR THE SOUL THAT BECOMES WEARY. HE HAS PROVI DED A WAY TO RENEW OUR STRENGTH. HE HAS PREPARED US A PLACE OF REFRESHI NG. IT IS A PLACE OF RESTING.

IN IT WE DO NO WORK OF OUR OWN.L WHEN THE STORMS COME AND WEARINESS OVERTAKES US AND THE HEAVENS ARE DARKENED SO THAT NO LIGHT SHINES ON OUR PATHWAY--WHEN IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE ALONE AND COMPLETELY FORSAKEN, THEN WE MAY ENTER I NTO GOD’S PROVSION FOR US AND BE RENEWED.

GOD HAS PROMISED THAT THOSE WHO WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; AND SO, WE WILL ENTER INTO OUR WAITING.

GOD’S WORD DECLARES THAT THOSE WHO HAVE ENTERED INTO HIS REST HAVE CEASED FROM THEIR OWN LABOR AS COMPLETELY AS GOD DID FROM HIS ON THE SEVENTH DAY. IT IS ONLY AS WE REST THAT GOD CAN WORK. WE HAVE BECOME SO ENGROSSED IN WORKING FOR THE LORD THAT WE HAVE COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT NO MAN CAN DO GOD’S WORK. WE HAVE BEEN SO BUSY THAT WE HAVE NOT LEARNED HOW TO REST IN HIM.

WHEN JESUS WALKED THE SHORES OF GALILEE, THE PEOPLE CAME TO HIM BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEY COULD NOT DO FOR THEMSELVES THAT WHICH THEY DESIRED. JESUS SUPPLIED THEIR NEEDS. HE DID FOR THEM THAT WHICH THEY COULD NOT DO FOR THEMSELVES.

ALL OF GOD’S POWER WAS VESTED IN JESUS. THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD NOT DO. JESUS TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT BEFORE, IT WAS THE FATHER WHO WORKED, BUT NOW IT WAS THE SON. HE SAID THAT EVEN AS GOD COULD GIVE LIFE TO WHOMSOEVER HE CHOSE, SO ALSO THE SON COULD GIVE LIFE TO WHOMSOEVER HE CHOSE. HE TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT GOD HAD COMMITTED ALL JUDGEMENT TO THE SON. THE WORD DECLARES THAT IN JESUS DWELT ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD IN A BODILY FORM.

BUT JESUS RETURNED TO THE FATHER. HE NO LONGER WALKS THE SHORES OF GALILEE, OR ANYWHERE ELSE. WHAT THEN OF MY PROVISION? WHO NOW WILL INTERCEDE FOR ME? WHEN MY SPIRIT IS HIGH AND THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT AND AN AWARENESS OF GOD’S PRESENCE FILLS MY SOUL, I FIND IT EASY TO PRAISE GOD. NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT TO FACE.

BUT THERE ARE DARK HOURS--HOURS THAT THERE IS NO AWARENESS OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

THEY ARE LONELY HOURS--HOURS THAT MY SOUL NEEDS A COMFORTER. TO WHOM SHALL IT TURN IN TIMES LIKE THESE? GOD HAS GIVEN ME A NAME THAT A SOUL DISCOURAGED MIGHT SPEAK THAT NAME AND BE LIFTED.

WHAT WONDERFUL COMPASSION! WHAT A WONDERFUL THING GOD HAS DONE FOR US! GOD HAS GIVEN ME THE NAME OF JESUS. GOD HAS PLACED ALL POWER IN THAT NAME. HE HAS MADE IT TO BE FAR ABOVE ANY NAME THAT CAN BE NAMED. GOD HAS VESTED THAT NAME WITH HIMSELF. ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD DWELLS IN THE NAME OF JESUS. EVEN AS GOD GAVE HIMSELF TO THE MAN JESUS, SO HE GAVE HIMSELF TO THE NAME JESUS. THIS IS HIS PROVISION FOR ME TODAY. I CAN SPEAK THAT NAME AND SEE THE HEAVENS OPEN.

I CAN NOT TALK TO THE MAN JESUS AS HE WAS LONG AGO, BUT I CAN SAY, “JESUS,” AND SEE THE SAME GOD WORK TODAY AS HE DID WHEN JESUS SPOKE. JESUS SAID “IN THAT DAY YE SHALL ASK ME NOTHING. WHAT I SAY IS TRUE; WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK THE FATHER, IN MY NAME, HE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. HITHERTO YE HAVE ASKED NOTHING IN MY NAME, NOW YOU MAY ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE SO THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL.” TODAY, WHEN MY SPIRIT IS LOW AND DARKNESS SEEMS TO BLOT OUT THE LIGHT OF GOD, I CAN SAY, “JESUS,” EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO WITNESS IN MY SOUL. AND BECAUSE I AM WILLING TO SAY “JESUS,” THE POWER OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD BEGINS TO WORK IN ME. BECAUSE GOD IS WORKING, MY SOUL RESPONDS AND I AM LIFTED UP. THE LIGHT BURSTS FORTH AND THE DARK HOURS MELT AWAY.

NO EVIL FORCE CAN STAY THE POWER OF GOD THAT IS LOOSED WHEN I SPEAK THE NAME OF JESUS.

THE NAME OF JESUS HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME TO RESTORE MY SOUL TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS PRESENCE, AND GOD CAN NOT BE OVERCOME. WHEN MY MIND IS RAMPAGING IN ITSELF AND I KNOW NOT HOW TO STILL THE TEMPTEST, I CAN SAY, “JESUS,” AND GOD SPEAKS, “PEACE.” IT IS MY PLACE OF REST AND VICTORY IN ALL THINGS. I CAN SAY, “JESUS,” AND GOD UNLEASHES HIS MIGHTY POWER.

HE HAS PROVIDED THIS NAME FOR ME AND BECAUSE I SPEAK HIS NAME, MY SOUL LIVES.

The Most Important Thing

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:01:34 GMT

I’m thinking about Jesus. I can’t see Him. There is no way in this world that I can prove God to my senses. God is Spirit. This world is composed of material things and man is made from the dust of this material world. Man has no knowledge of this Spirit. I never found God until I quit looking for Him in material things.

I didn’t find God in Churches or people or places or things. I found God inside of myself, in something I can’t even define. The Bible calls it the “inner” man. In other places, the Bible calls it a soul so that is what I’ll call it too--my soul.

That’s where I found God. Sometimes I say that He is in my heart, but by that I mean He is the center of my affections.

I suppose that to remember where I found God is the most important thing for me to remember that there ever will be.

If I forget it and start looking for God in churches or people or places or things, I’ll soon be in deep trouble because I will have lost my standard. Then, as I look here or there, I will hear voices saying, “This is the way,” or “that is the way.” And because I have lost my standard, I will not know for sure which is the way. Pretty soon my standard will be defined by a doctrine or a creed and I will, like a robot, begin to recite “I believe.” Faith in God can not very well be reduced to twelve statements or less! Faith in God can not be applied to life in general, which is what doctrines and creeds try to do; Faith in God IS Life! Because of this, God isn’t something that man can take hold of and use to his own advantage. Don’t think that this isn’t being done, even the Bible says that there are many people who ask for things when they pray, and they don’t get them because they want “to consume it on their own lust.” It’s not God's purpose to fit into our lives. It’s His purpose that we fit into His Life! It’s a little difficult to accept this concept of Spiritual totality when we consider God as having form and sitting in some far off place called Heaven. We only kid ourselves when we say that God is in us, and yet believe that He is somewhere “over there.” Whenever we let the carnal mind reason with the logic of this world, we lose a bit of the glory that is God in us.

We translate our thoughts into plans and words and actions; then we judge these plans and words and actions. We say, “They are of God,” or “they are not of God.” This is not a good thing to do because we are stepping out of God’s realm of Spirit into Satan’s realm of flesh, and making judgment there.

Spirit can only be known by Spirit. Things do not have to be made manifest physically for us to know if it is of God or not. His Spirit is within us; and from this Spirit, and only from this Spirit, do we know God.

Nicodemus was a good man and he thought he was in possession of certain knowledge because of what he could see and hear. “Not so,” said Jesus, “No man can see the things of God except he be born of the Spirit.” Only then is God in him, teaching him and showing him things of Himself.

We must remember, that first, last, and always God is Spirit; and we will never find Him except in the Spirit. You might find what you think is surely God, but if you do not find God in the Spirit, you will be disappointed sooner or later. It takes faith to see God and without this faith we are hopelessly blind.

The Galatians found God, and then they were drawn away to material things. Instead of finding the blessings of God, they found trouble and divisions and heartaches. Paul called them “foolish” and he asked them a question: “Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh?” Jesus says that God is Spirit. Therefore that is where we will find Him--no place else! And that is the most important thing in the world for a man to remember.

The Law of Life

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:00:53 GMT

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The keeping of Christ’s commandments is not done by conscious effort or direction. Love is the force that “keeps” the commandment. When we find ourselves in a situation wherein we failed to keep Jesus’ word, we will do well to know that somewhere we have let our love for Jesus be overshadowed. We have for the moment lost sight of His great love for us.

When we again “see” His love for us, our love towards Him will revive and again be the dominant factor in our living.

Our love will respond to His love with an eagerness that will transform our thoughts and our actions.

The Law of Life which is in Christ Jesus is a statement of reality. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Love never fails.

The Greatest Miracle

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:00:22 GMT

My God is deep in my heart. He could not be there unless He were Spirit. I could not have Him there unless I were Spirit. But because my God has made me for Himself, He has made me to become Spirit so that we might be One.

To be Spirit with God is to be One with God. In this Oneness there is perfection.

I am One with God, because while Jesus was yet in the flesh, He prayed the Father that we who believed Him would be One with Him.

The Disciples could not understand that Jesus and the Father were One. They saw with eyes of flesh. Phillip said, “Show us the Father.” Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” The Disciples looked with blind eyes and they could not see. Blind eyes can not see today any more than they could then. Flesh eyes are blind eyes. Carnal thoughts are dead thoughts.

It is no miracle for Spirit eyes to see Spiritual things. It is no miracle for the Spiritual mind to understand Spiritual things. This is natural. The MIRACLE is that Spirit CAN DWELL IN FLESH! God set up the universe and He said, “Every creature shall bring forth after his own kind.” And then the miracle happened. Jesus asked the Father, “Give them the same glory that I had with thee before the world was.” Because God could not deny His Son, we who love and believe Jesus are made partakers of the greatest miracle that ever was--God and man made One.

God has at many times rescinded the natural laws of His creation. The waters parted for Moses, the sun stood still for Joshua, the fire came from Heaven for Elijah, and Peter walked on the water, but none of these things compare with the miracle of Christ in us. They are lesser works because they do not touch on God, only his creation. But Christ in us involves God Himself! The miracle of Christ in us was not fact until Jesus went away from this world physically and gave Himself to the Father so that God may be “all in all.” Because He went away, the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, has come and now dwells in the hearts of men.

When men see with the eyes of God, who is in them, he will mind the things of the Spirit. Then he shall live with the Life of God. Then it is that the greatest miracle of all becomes a reality. We become One with God.

The Foundation of Joy

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:59:38 GMT

I have often wondered why it is that some people are forever fighting to retain their joy in the Lord while others seem to have a deep settled peace that takes them through every trouble that comes their way.

Now, I think I know why. The Bible says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Faith comes from Jesus. Sight is one of the senses of this world--it’s carnal. The Bible says that I am not of this world even as Jesus was not of this world. If I believe in a God, whom I cannot see, why should I let things that I can see affect my harmony with Him? God’s realm is hid from the eyes of this world. Jesus told Nicodemus that he could not even “see” the things of God unless he was born again. One of the things that I learn from this is that my carnal senses cannot know the things of God. In regard to my mind (which is carnal) the Bible says that it is against the things of God. It is not subject to God’s laws, and it never will be.

The hitch to this is that I am only aware of things because of my mind. I want to be aware of God. I want to be aware of His love for me and I want to know His care for me always. That takes faith.

My mind relies on material things, things of this world, because that’s all it sees and knows.

So guess what I am the most aware of? It all depends upon what I do with my mind. If I do not change my way of thinking, I will only be aware of what I see and feel and think.

It’s a real chore to understand this. I know many people who are very familiar with the Bible. They have read and reread it. They have memorized it until it seems to be second nature with them; and yet, they have a hard time understanding what being born again is all about.

The reason that God made me to be a new creature is that the old one had no place in God. I didn’t understand all this when I gave my heart to Jesus, but God did.

The Bible says that flesh and blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. The reason for this is that God considers all flesh to be in sin. That means that the flesh is in bondage to Satan. Satan won’t let you go; death is the only way out. So, that was the first thing God took care of. Jesus offered to die for us. He was willing to give up what He had so we could have this new Life and know the things of God, and so Jesus died.

This is the thing that is beyond our understanding--Calvary is where we died. As long as we see only Jesus dying, we will never understand the things of God because we have not yet accepted our new Life. It is only when we see that we died when Jesus died that we can know that we have become One with God. That’s what His death was for so that we might have a new Life.

The Bible says that we are to reckon ourselves to be “dead unto sin and alive unto God.” That’s a new way to live.

The Bible says that if we died with Jesus, we shall also live with Him. If we believe that we live in Him, we should also walk in this new Life.

We do have a new Life! The old one was conceived in sin and shaped by iniquity. This old life ended when we died with Jesus on Calvary. The new Life began when Jesus brought us to the Father. It was with exceeding joy that Jesus presented us faultless to the Father.

Jesus told us that He was going to prepare a place for us to live in the Father. He asked God to take care of this by making us to be One with the Father, even as He was One with the Father. His request to God was, “Glorify me with thine own self, with the glory I had with thee before the world was.” That is Spirit, it is not the things or this world! Then He says, “The glory thou hast given me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one.” That’s being “born again!” The next thing that Jesus did in preparing our place of abiding was to leave this world and give Himself back to God.

Jesus told us that it was expedient for Him to go away because if He did not go away, the Comforter would not come.

I like that word “expedient.” It means that something has to be done in order to accomplish an end, or, the bringing of something to completion. That’s what Jesus did for us, brought us to completion. He did this by preparing our place of abiding in the Father.

Jesus said, when the Comforter is come, “At that day you will know that I am in the Father and He is in me and I am in you.” To be even more explicit, He said, “If a man love me he will keep my Words; and my Father will love him, and we will come and make our abode in him.” Then He said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” So that’s the way Jesus prepared our place of abiding in God. In order to receive this, I had to die. Jesus took care of that. In order to be aware of my life in God, I have to bring my mind to the place of faith. In order to do this, I must know that all things, including my faith, come from Jesus.

Now comes the hard part. Do I really believe that this is what happened? As far as my mind is concerned, I have to say, “Of course, not!” That’s exactly what the Bible says my mind will say. “For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” The Gospel of John talks about Jesus and it has this to say: “As many as re¬ceived Him to them He gave power to become Sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” But here again, the carnal mind is not subject to God’s laws, and it never will be, so how can one believe? Here, I think, is the provision that brings us to Christ. Read this carefully: “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that is not of yourself, it is the gift of God. It is not by works, lest any man should boast”. It is because of the grace of God that we are saved. Salvation is brought about through faith. This faith is the gift of God. Isn’t that wonderful? Even with all these things spelled out for us, sometimes it is hard to rejoice because there are too many things floating around in our mind. We think that if this is true, why doesn’t God do this, or, why did that have to happen? We ask “why” to so many things. The simple truth of the matter is we don’t understand. That should be a clue. The Bible says that flesh doesn’t understand. Faith obliterates questions, and faith comes from Jesus. So, there are two paths for our thinking, we have the privilege of choosing the way we want to go.

Jesus said, when He was talking to His Father, “They (the ones who accept the words of Jesus) are not of this world even as I am not of this world.” In Romans we read that you are not in the flesh if the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Believe it or not that’s the truth! Then how do you account for the flesh? Paul put it this way: “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live. Yet, not I, but it is Christ who lives in me. The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Every time I need faith, Jesus gives it to me. That’s one of my needs that Jesus said He would supply. The Bible tells me to look to Jesus because He is the Author and Finisher of my faith.

About faith: The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for; it is the evidence of things not seen.

My mind relates to substance as being something that is evident in this material world. Here, God’s Word says that I am to know that faith is the substance by which I live. It is the evidence of things that I do not see, so it’s a good thing to know that we walk by faith, not by sight.

All of this represents a new way of thinking. I will not be aware of it until I bring my mind to the Lord and say, “This is it. There is no other truth!” I can’t fake it either. I might discipline myself, but sooner or later, I m going to come face to face with something that I can’t handle, and I’ll blow it, just as sure as there’s a God in Heaven My mind was shaped by iniquity, but God freed me from that bondage. However, He left it up to me when it comes to teaching my mind the things of God. My mind has accumulated a lot of bad thinking, but now that I know where the truth is, I can bring my mind to Jesus and learn from Him.

The problem is that my mind has always directed me before. I have to break that habit. I am determined that I am going to be led by God. Remember the Bible says that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God.

So, I will make a captive of my mind; I will bring it to my Father and learn from Him.

That means that I can claim that which I could never claim before. As I renew my mind and let God’s Word dwell in me, I find a change taking place within me that I had never been able to bring about.

I am aware of new things. I am aware of the fact that I do actually live in God. I am aware of His Love for me more than I have ever been before. I am aware of Him because I brought my mind to Him. When my mind said, “No,” I said, “Yes.” I really can’t worry when I am aware that my Father lives in me and is taking care of me. Jesus told us that we could rejoice because He was going to His Father. And we can rejoice because when Jesus went to His Father He took us along! That’s how it came about that we are hid with Christ in God. Who could ask for anything more? So that’s my awareness, and that’s my joy, and upon this joy, all other joys are built.

Travel with God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:54:07 GMT

Discouragement comes to a Christian when he knows in his heart that God’s Word is true, yet he looks to circumstances for verification of this truth. If he continues to analyze things from a carnal viewpoint, he will eventually be enshrouded with hopelessness.

Man’s patience has a limit. It’s just like man’s capability to love, to understand, to show wisdom or compassion. If the ability belongs to the man, it’s limited because man is limited. Man can only go so far and then he comes to the end of his patience. Sometimes man defends his rights and says that he has gone as far as is humanly possible. To travel beyond that point is to travel with God.

A man who is a Christian desires to be like Jesus. He wishes to show forth the virtues and characteristics of God. He desires to do good. He works hard at it. He is conscientious; then, when he fails, he feels condemned. There is no joy in this approach, no life and no hope of success! Man does not have the ability to show forth the attributes of God.

The only love man can show is his idea of love. The only patience man can display is his own idea of patience. Man’s best effort is to emulate what he thinks God is like. Jesus expressed God perfectly. He said that the words He spoke were not His own, but the Father’s. Even the things He did were not done because of His knowledge; the Father showed Him what to do. Jesus had “seen the Father.” Man was excused from his shortcomings because, as Jesus said, “No man has seen the Father except the Son.” Therefore, God had given man the law. Jesus told the Pharisees that God had given them instructions concerning divorce because, in their heart, they did not know the meaning of love. They had not yet seen the Father; therefore, they did not know Him. Not knowing Him, they could not possibly know the meaning of love because God is love.

He is also meekness, compassion, wisdom, righteousness, salvation and all things. But the Christian can not show these things to the world until he “sees” the Father. We try very hard in our own selves, but the words spring from ourselves and our actions are the result of our own deliberations. But “when we see Him, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” When we see Him it is not an “out” for the flesh--it is the end of the flesh. All the work, the words, the doing, the striving has come to an end. Seeing gives the sure knowledge that it is no longer I, but it is Christ, who dwells in me.

Regarding the matter of choice, sometimes we think we have quite a selection from which to choose, but it’s largely a matter of our horizons. The question is, “How much do you see?” Man is a creature who ultimately has the freedom of making only one choice. In the final analysis, he chooses either to be a servant to the most high God or to be a slave to Satan. All other apparent choices are incidental. There are two realms in which a man can live--in the realm of God, which is Spirit, or in the realm of Satan, which is flesh. If a man’s horizon is so limited that he sees only the materialism of this world, he is deluded into thinking that he can be whatever he chooses to be. He feels that there is no limit to the multiplicity of his choice. As his horizons expand to include God’s realm, he sees that all his many socalled choices doubled back on themselves so that in reality he exercised no choice at all. If a man is to gain direction and purpose by making a choice, then his choice must be to serve God because only in God is a man freed from himself.

Transformed

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:53:31 GMT

We have been talking about a lot of things lately that have to do with our spirit. We’ve been talking about our carnal mind, and the Spirit of God. It’s more or less understandable that you should desire more clearly defined boundaries of these various things.

Back in Genesis when God made man, the Bible says, “God formed man out of the dust of the earth (material things) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Life (Spiritual things) and man became a living soul.”--Gen.

2:7. This soul belonged to man, but man himself was created a spirit being. When the Bible speaks about believing with the heart, when Paul talks about the “inward man” or the “spirit of man,” this is all one and the same thing. It’s not nearly so confusing when we know that.

Perhaps just a little review about the way man was made might be a great help. Man was made of three things, we call them body, soul and spirit. We could say body, spirit and Spirit, but that would be confusing. The soul houses the spirit of man, and the Spirit of God is the Life of man’s spirit.

Before the “Fall,” there was only one thing predominate in Adam, the Life of God, or the Spirit of God. Adam’s spirit or the inward man was in all ways subject to God. Quite naturally it follows that the body followed along and was subject to the things of God.

There were all the senses of the body in operation, but none of them were dominating. None of them DICTATED to man. They were placed in his body to SERVE. Man’s body also has a mind and it was through the senses that the mind learned. The senses, the mind, and the body were all made of the dust of the earth; therefore, they are subject to the same decay. “From dust you came, and to dust you shall return.”--Gen. 3:19 There is within man both a soul and a spirit. This needs clarification because man himself is a spirit. He is like God. However, the human spirit cannot learn the things of God by material means; it must learn by Spiritual means.

We read in the Bible that the Voice of God talked to Adam in the “cool of the day.” Nothing has changed. There is only one way for man’s spirit to learn, and that is to HEAR the Voice of the Lord. “Faith cometh by hearing the WORD of God.”--Rom. 10:17. Of course, we often claim to know all these things, but sometimes our actions do not always agree.

Man’s spirit was born in sin (that means separated from the Spirit of God), and shaped by iniquity. That means he was taught, or formed by unrighteousness, things that are contrary to the Spirit of God.

We must tie that thought together with what happened to Adam and Eve to really see what it means. Our first parents were not dumb. They had a mind and they had keen, observing senses of the body. It was by these senses that their mind became full. They learned many things--how to hunt, how to prepare food, how to use the myriads of things that were theirs. They had many things because the Bible tells us that all things were made for man.

But, never forget this one thing: None of these things dictated to them. Their source of Life was God, and He talked to them in the cool of the day. He satisfied their soul. There was communion and perfect understanding between God’s Spirit and man’s spirit. There was harmony, and peace, and contentment.

Then entered Satan. He had no rapport with man’s spirit, so he attacked the mind. This was the thing in his realm.

So he began to question Eve’s position.

When Eve stepped out of the place of the Spirit by listening to the questioning of the mind, there was trouble! Now for the first time, the carnal mind was being treated as a master. Always before it was this Voice that came in the cool of the day. Now it was the mind.

One can just imagine Satan thinking, “If I can only get this soul, this spirit of man, to listen to the mind rather then that Voice (Word of God), I’ve got it made.” That’s what happened, too! Eve listened, and she REASONED, and she obeyed, not God, but her mind.

Notice the realm that this opened up. Immediately their eyes were opened. This doesn’t mean that they had gone around with their eyes closed before, but it does mean that what their eyes previously saw made absolutely no difference to their living as far as right and wrong were concerned. But now they had some knowledge--right and wrong sense knowledge. Their senses exerted a powerful influence. They found themselves in a place where their mind, instructed by their senses, was telling them what to do. They were now considering Satan’s suggestion as truth. No longer was it the voice (Word) of God that was given first priority. They allowed Satan’s word to be exalted above the knowledge of God. They believed the wrong spirit.

“Immediately their eyes were opened and they saw that they were naked,” and they made for themselves coverings from leaves.

So, you see, here was the crux of the whole situation.

They obeyed their mind and senses rather than the voice of God. They leaned to their own understanding. They allowed themselves to consider a suggestion made by Satan. Think about that, it’s rather an important thing. As long as they followed after the Spirit, everything was subject to God.

Once we get a clear understanding of how sin entered the world, then we can better understand the scripture. When we see that we are the guard over our minds and that we can bring our minds into submission to the things of the Lord, then we will hear the voice of God, and know the way of salvation.

Paul said that we were to present our bodies unto the Lord. Our bodies are no good without our minds; and if we are to yield our members unto God as instruments of righteousness, then we cannot be conformed to this world of unrighteousness. Our mind will be renewed only when we bring it into submission to the instructions of the Spirit of God. Then it is that our soul is restored to God. Our spirit is lost again in God, and we are ONE with God. I pray God that this truth will be so forcibly brought home to us that we will never forget it.

There was a time when we did not know God. Our spirit was kept in bondage to our mind. Even though our spirit was made by God, and for God, it had not the least chance of becoming one with God as long as our mind controlled it. The mind in turn was controlled by Satan.

One day things happened. The knowledge of God came to us and we understood that Jesus set us free. We claimed that freedom, and our spirit was restored to God.

Satan knows that this freedom is a REALITY and he can’t do anything about it. He also knows that the choice of living in this freedom is ours, and if we purpose to live in the grace of God, there is nothing he can do about it. His power over the children of God has been completely broken. The only thing he can do is resort to his old trick of attacking the mind. Because the mind has been taught by the senses, Satan says, “Look at this.” “You feel that? What about those desires?” And because we have been shaped by things which are contrary to God, we give heed to Satan’s lies and thereby lose our victory.

Our battle is to bring the mind into CAPTIVITY to the things of the Spirit, and not allow it any freedom outside of God. This is the only way that we are ever going to prove what the will of God is for our life (Rom. 12:1-2).

When your mouth begins speaking the Words of God, you (your spirit) will know that your mind is subject to the things of God. That’s why the Psalmist says, “His Words shall not depart from my mouth.” One of the first things that we have confessed in the Lord is that of salvation. The mind was brought into subjection for that confession. According to God’s Word we believe that if we confess with our mouth, and believe in our hearts (spirit), we shall be saved! We have gotten that victory over Satan because we have moved in faith--we have acted upon God’s Word.

Too many people stop at this point, they never seem to go on. Watch their testimony and you’ll see why. They continually confess to how strong Satan is, and how human they are. They are continually confessing how weak and unworthy they are. They are engrossed in their “work for the Lord,” and then they say that all their selfrighteousness is as filthy rags. They never confess to the righteousness of God in them. They go right on living in their filthy rags.

Even though these folks have confessed salvation, and received it, SATAN IS STILL RULING THEIR MIND to the extent that they will not confess their righteousness and strength in the Lord. When the Word of God declares that I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, then I can confidently say the same thing. I can boldly declare that I am righteous. I may not be righteous in the eyes of those about me; perhaps I am not conforming to their ideas or standards. But this makes not one bit of difference. I am righteous in the eyes of God and it is before Him I stand or fall.

When we understand this truth, we will fearlessly and gladly confess the Word of God. We will confidently live in the presence of God, knowing that we are in right standing with Him. We may boldly ask whatever we will because our Father has told us that we may. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.”--John 15:7 When we KNOW we have right standing before our Father, we also realize that we may use all that the Father has given us. We have received all power so that we may know that no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper. This is part of our heritage in the Lord. We have been given the full authority of the name of Jesus. That Name has been lifted up far above all principalities and powers so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess (acknowledge) that He is Lord. It is the will of God that we cast out demons and unclean spirits. It is His will that we heal all manner of sickness and disease. We know this, because He gave us the authority to do it! This may seem pretty confident talking, but it is the Word of God. There is no doubt in this testimony. The man who will confess this does not have to ask for faith; he is already confessing the Words of faith. When He knows that these Words are for him, he lives in them. When he does that, he is living in faith.

The thing that keeps us from confessing these things is a feeling of unworthiness, of unrighteousness. That’s from the devil! We are accepted in the beloved because God has made it so. We are righteous before God because God has made it so. We are the workmanship of God created in Christ (Eph. 2:10).

That’s faith speaking. There is nothing in heaven or hell that can change that fact. “Forever, oh Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven.” That’s the only thing that is real and enduring. So, therefore, that is the only avenue to faith.

Your mind can learn faith, because your mind can be taught of God. The carnal mind has been shaped by iniquity and must be renewed in the knowledge of God.

God has provided the way and He has told us His law concerning it. He said not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, and in this way we could PROVE the perfect will of God (Rom.12:1-2).

That will is that He should live in us and that His faith should be active in us. His will is that our lives should glorify God, and without faith it is impossible to please God.

There is much good in Christ to think about. Your mind-- bring it into subjection to God’s Spirit. Confess with your lips the things that God says and pattern your life by God’s Word. As these things become a part of you, you will become less and less aware of faith, but more and more aware of God. Inasmuch as God IS faith, you will have all that you need (Phil.4:13, 19).

You will know this is true right now because His Word declares that He WILL supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. As you become more aware of God in you, you will become aware of victorious living because Christ is the victor over all things. You will become aware of peace because He has given you His peace. Are not these the things for which you desired faith? Now they are yours, and you are not conscious of faith, but of Christ.

This is as it should be, because the Word declares that we should be “looking to Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith”--Heb. 12:2

To Know Myself, I Must Know Christ

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:52:43 GMT

Christ is in me. I’m not boastful; that is just the way it is. God set up things that way. People can laugh, mock, or do whatever they want; it doesn’t change God’s way of doing things.

God is in me because I believe in Jesus Christ. He is in me perfectly, completely, and entirely. All of God is in me, waiting for me to let Him work! God arranged it this way so He could perfectly do His will in this world. Our minds are not capable of understanding what is in the mind of God; therefore, we could not receive instructions and carry them out. Jesus indicated this when He said that of Himself He could do nothing; even the words He spoke were not His own. Paul understood this when he said that it was Christ living in Him, and again it is God who works in you both willing and doing His good pleasure.

I might as well come face to face with it. I can’t do God’s will. I, my old carnal self, do not even know God’s will. I do not know what to pray for as I should; it is only the Spirit, or the mind of God that can make intercession according to the will of God.

I have that Spirit! Christ is in me. He is the One who is making me to be alive right now, even while I am in this mortal body.

I know all of this because the Word of God tells me so. I can’t prove one little bit of it to any one, but me, and what I have is not proof; it’s faith.

Faith is my only touch point with God. There is nothing that reaches from the flesh to the Spirit other than faith. Jesus said that if I would believe in Him I would live even though I was dead. My mind can’t comprehend Life in the midst of death, but that is what the Word of God declares, so I have Life and there is nothing that can overcome this Life; it is Eternal. There are not many creatures of Eternity; there is only One who is Eternal, yet I am Eternal. I do not have Eternal Life of myself. Jesus is my Life; it is Christ in me. I am in Him. I am hid with Christ in God. I am wrapped about by God’s love, so therefore I Live.

Christ is in me, not only so that I might have Eternal Life, but He wants me to yield my faculties to Him so that others may see and hear and know His love.

If I live only to myself, I have not yet seen the love of God. If there is no desire to share with others the Life, and joy, and victory I have received from Christ, then I am not sure of my God.

I have a purpose. My purpose is not just to be saved from my sins; that is God’s purpose to save me from my sins.

My purpose is to yield myself wholly to God so that He can do with me as He wants to do with me. I have no other purpose in this life. I have tasted God’s love. I have been made complete because of it. I have been made a partaker of the Divine nature of God.

I have been lifted out of the bondage of this world and given a place in the heart of God. I have found the abiding place that Jesus prepared for me. I am living in my God. There is no lack in this Life. It is a perfect Life because it is Christ living in me. I have a job to do too. It’s all tied up with my purpose. The fact is I can’t even begin to let God use me until I get along with my job. I desire God to use me. I want that so much, but nothing seems to happen. I. get discouraged when nothing seems to happen, but the whole reason for it is that I haven’t done my job. Sometimes we get so intent on trying to do the Lord’s work that we forget to do our own. Actually God will never do any work through us until we do our own work first.

Our job is to present our bodies to the Lord. If we want people to know the Lord, and we know that we have the Lord, then the thing to do is to move among people and let the Lord move in us. My job is just to live among people and let the Lord move me. I can not do God’s job and He can not do mine, so the sooner I learn that I must do my job before God can do His, the sooner it will be that broken hearts will be healed and the captives set free. The sooner it will be that the weak shall be strengthened, and the fallen lifted up. Actually it is all dependent upon me doing my job. The Lord is capable of doing His and He is eager to get along with it. I’m the only one holding Him up.

Sometimes it seems hard to know how to present our bodies to the Lord. That’s only because we don’t know the Lord. It is not difficult for us to conform to the things that are seen, and so we do more readily tend to accept rules of physical doing than the laws of the Spirit. As long as we are not clear in our minds that God is Spirit, we will tend to ascribe physical attributes to Him. This places our mind in the morass of carnal thought; so, therefore, we fail to know God as He is.

We unconsciously are aware of the fact that we are meant to be like God so it becomes the duty of the carnal mind to obscure the fact that God is Spirit. The mind will go along with all the good that is God, but the mind will seek to find a way to attain this perfection without the benefit of the Spirit. The way can never be found. That is why Paul says, “The things that I would do, I do not.” If the mind can continue unchecked in its belief of a God that is likened to physical man, we will never know God as He is; therefore, we will never be able to give Him our bodies. If this isn’t done, then God will never be able to work through us as He desires, and our hearts shall continue to be overcome with longing and we shall be filled with despair.

God can not be known by the carnal mind, He is known by the revelation of the Spirit that is Christ. “No man can know the Father save the Son, and Him to whom the Son will reveal Him.” The Law of the Old Testament was provided so that man could be kept confined within a certain way so he could be presented to Christ. It was impossible for man to know God then even as today; he was kept by the Law. Jesus Christ came, and to Him was given the knowledge of the Father. Now, by His mercy, I know the Father because I believe the Words of Jesus.

“God is Spirit, I and my Father are One.” “That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” I must be born of the Spirit in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven; these are the Words of Jesus and I believe them. He spoke further. He said whosoever would believe in Him would have everlasting Life. He promised that He would come to me and make His abode in me; then He preserves His Word and says that it is Christ in me who is my hope of Glory.

I see a God who is not confined to a physical realm. I see a God who is Spirit, and He has made me like Himself.

Even as I could not understand God until I understand that He is Spirit, so I will not be able to understand my place in Him until I understand that I am Spirit. I must understand these things if I am to yield my body to Christ. I must understand this: That which yields my body is not my body, but the thing that controls my body. This controlling factor is me--my will. The environment about me is one of materialism. It is the realm of Satan. It is a realm that belongs to the five senses.

It is the realm in which we live our physical lives. Our will has been ruled by the senses so that there seemed to be no other choice than to go along with what we could ascertain by the reasoning of our mind. Our mind is not subject to God’s laws; therefore, our mind can not know God. In ourselves we do not have the will to go contrary to the dictates of our mind because we have let our will be ensnared by our mind. We have been held captive by that which does not know God. We have been bound by that which is not God’s truth. Jesus said that we should know the truth, and the truth would make us free.

The truth that I needed to know was that God is Spirit and is not conformed to the same boundaries that my flesh has. The truth that I need to know is that I have been liberated from this bondage by being made like God. That is what being born again means. Jesus said, “That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit,” therefore it is not presumptuous for me, having been born of the Spirit, to claim Spiritual Life. If I have Spiritual Life, it is different than the physical life that is controlled by my physical senses; therefore, it is not right to allow my will to be dominated by that which does not know Christ. By recognizing Christ, I am set free from the dominion of my mind, and I can now make a choice. By recognizing Christ, I recognize that the way of thinking that my mind dictates is the way of death, and the way of Christ is the way of Life. When I absolutely believe this, then I will follow the way of the Spirit. My soul desires Life, and my soul knows that true Life is only in God. I believe that Christ spoke the truth, and because of that, I believe that I am a Spiritual, born-again creation of God.

Knowing that God is Spirit, I now know what to look for. Knowing that I am a Spirit, I know that there is within me the capability of knowing God and understanding Him. He has told me that I have received of His Spirit so that I might know the things of God. When I believe this, I will not seek to utilize my physical senses to understand the things of God. Rather, I will bring all of my physical being into subjection to the Spirit and learn of God.

In this, I am beginning to renew my mind. No longer am I thinking like I did when all things had to be approved by the mind; there is a choice to make. I can make this choice now because I am free.

I choose to follow God’s Spirit! How can I follow that which I can not see? I have been doing it all my life. Many times we have done certain deeds, not because we stopped to reason them out, but simply because we felt an urge to do them. We gave ourselves over to this thought, or urge, and performed the deed. Sometimes the deed was a kindness done to someone, and sometimes it may have been a malicious thought or act. In these cases, we have either given ourselves over to the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of anti-christ.

When we read the Bible and accept it as a revelation of God, then we become aware of what God is. We become aware of His nature; and because the Word of God is light, we see the nature of man without God. When we are thoroughly convinced that God does not lie, we no longer try to protect ourselves and cover our shortcomings because we see that Jesus took those upon Himself and they were destroyed when He was crucified. Therefore, we turn from the old dead thing to the new nature of Christ in us. We do the urging of His Spirit because we know that these are the things that bring Life, and freedom, and victory.

I will not entertain thoughts of doubt, discouragement, defeat, despair, unhappiness, hate, revenge, worry, and such like. I will center my mind on Christ and what He is. Then I know that all that He is I am because He is living in me. I will yield myself to His Spirit; and if I feel the urge to say words of kindness, I will say them because it is Christ in me.

When I feel the urge to do a deed of kindness, I will not say, “Is this right?” I will do the deed because it is Christ in me. When these deeds require my voice, then I am yielding that part of me to my Father; and I know that it is He that Has inspired me to say this thing because I, in myself, am not inclined to kindness. In my flesh here is no good thing.

Many times God has moved in our lives and led us to say a comforting thing to someone that needed comforting, but we did not yield our bodies to the Lord, so the Lord could not say that Word that needed to be said. Sometimes God has caused a thought to enter our mind to visit a certain person. We have meant to do this, but we just never got around to it. We have not yielded our members to be used of God.

Now the reason for our procrastination is not that we do not want to do God’s will, but rather it is because we do not recognize that it is God who is leading us along these lines. We are concerned as to what people think, or we will try to analyze why it is we thought this thought, or we will just plainly not deem it important enough to do anything about it. Perhaps we will say to ourselves, “Why should I put myself out for that?” Not finding a logical answer, one that is accepted by our mind, we promptly forget about it.

We must renew our mind. This automatically means that we will think about God and desire to do His will. The mind that is not renewed thinks only about itself and the things that bring pleasure it. When we keep our mind renewed, keep it stayed on the things of God, then we will receive His thoughts; we will be directed by Him. Then we are in the place to yield our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord who loves us and wants to show Himself to the world through us.

God’s will done through us is not necessarily a spectacular thing, it is not n necessarily a. very logical thing to do, but it is a. very important thing to do because it is Christ in you, and He is working out His will through you.

To Husbands

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:51:37 GMT

Just some thoughts in general: I think I have come to the conclusion that our Heavenly Father went to great lengths to protect and cherish the female of the species. Man, it seems to me, has it somewhat mixed up. He picks up on his own interpretation of certain words, and it comes out a little grotesque. “I’m the head of the house, my wife will submit to me.” Well, the Bible doesn’t put it that way exactly. It says that husbands are to be the head of the wife. Christ is the Head of the Church. The Church is made up of those who have listened to the call of the Spirit and given themselves to God.

God cares for these people. He hides them in Himself and gives them Life and security and peace and joy and all things. Everything He does is for the good of His children.

So, husband, that’s the way you are to be the head of your wife. Did you know that God provided husbands for the specific purpose of taking care of a wife? Then there are widows. God is very specific about them too. There are two kinds of widows-- there are widows and then there are widows indeed. The widow indeed is the one who doesn’t remarry and has no means of support. That is the one that the Bible mentions how she should be cared for. If she has no means of support, the surviving members of the family should pitch in and do the honors. If that can’t be, the Church--that’s the people who have given themselves to the Lord--are to take care of the widows. Isn’t that nice? God never provided for a man in that way.

And then there is another side to this--the WOMAN. She is to submit herself to her husband! But, if the husband is doing his part in caring for his wife, as Christ cares for the Church, there’s not going to be too much trouble about the wife submitting. She will be eager to do that because there is absolutely no place that she will be better loved and cared for.

Another thing: it is necessary to know that she adds to this union too. She is her husband’s helper. That means that he needs her, she can do things that he can’t. God knew this. He watched man try to operate on his own, and His opinion was that he needed help.

God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, He didn’t say exactly why, but there were things in which this man needed help, so God made woman to be his “helpmate.” So, it’s plain to see that God made both man and woman for the mutual benefit of each other. People today get into trouble when they get the idea that they can get along on their own. God knew they couldn’t; that’s why He made them for each other.

It’s in knowing what God did that enables us to see the truth of what He said, “…they two shall become one flesh.” When a person understands that each one needs the other--that neither is sufficient in himself, then they begin to get the idea that they really can be “one flesh.” I guess marriage is somewhat like a “three legged race;” you have to learn to work together or you can’t win.

To Do from the Heart

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:50:55 GMT

One can not fashion a God from his own understanding without ending up with an empty basket.

He knows what he should do but how to accomplish that thing is beyond him.

Paul said, “Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Man’s religion stops there! But man’s need keeps right on making itself felt. Man’s unfulfilled need is still making man to feel wretched.

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all of you who labor and are weighted down with cares, and I will give you rest.” Man doesn't know how to accept that invitation so he keeps on trying to bring circumstances into conformity with what he thinks they should be. He ends up being crushed by them.

Jesus felt this same helplessness in the face of circumstances. One time when He prayed, the problem pressed on Him so much that He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood. The circumstance did not change, Jesus did! He said,….“nevertheless not my will, but Thine be done.” In saying this, He took the path of God’s will as the direction for His life.

The Bible tells us that it is through Christ that we are delivered from this body of death.

Now, if this body is a “body of death” and I am delivered from it, I no longer have to depend on what it can produce for my happiness or my contentment, or my ability to understand my God, or to do what He desires me to do. There is only one thing that is expected of me. I must be willing to give every desire, every hope--I must be willing to give myself to my Heavenly Father. I must have no reservations.

I can not do this unless I love Him. I guess one way for me to say what I want to say is that I cannot give things to God with my mind. I can only give things to Him from my heart.

When my heart, out of love, says, “Not my Will, but Thine be done,” I enter into God, through Jesus, and my life becomes complete. I have entered into a new dimension. I have found the way of deliverance from my wretchedness--it is through Christ, not by my own efforts.

Tithing

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:50:15 GMT

A plain picture of God’s Word will show some sharply divided lines. These lines contain certain structures of society and certain dispensations of God’s Omnipotence. We greatly err when we attempt to remove the operation of one such unit and place it in another unit. This is not rightly dividing the Word of truth.

For instance: Let us direct our attention to a certain structure of the Old Testament--tithing. Tithing was a fragment of social behavior that required a tenth of your material substance to be given to a religious cause. This became a law to the Hebrews when Israel was formed as a nation. Not only a tenth of material things was to be given, but a seventh of your time was required. This not only provided the material necessities to carry on, but it provided the manpower as well.

Today many people are taught that if they will give a tenth of their income to the church, God will bless them. Many of these people come to feel that if they do not so give they shall find themselves in much trouble, and they are therefore brought under the bondage of modern day tithing.

Let us examine the principle behind the act. Old Testament tithing assumes that not only your material substance, but your time as well, belong only to you.

The situation is this: A group of people, the Levites, were appointed as administrators of God’s given laws, and were to act as executors of the ceremonial laws. The group did not have time to pursue a domestic way of life so, therefore, their needs had to be met. Tithing provided this support.

The ceremonial laws required the offering of a vast number of sacrifices. We read that on one day alone more than 100,000 sacrifices were offered between sunrise and sunset. The work entailed in such observances required a huge amount of manpower. Tithing, in respect to a seventh of an individual’s time, covered this need.

The observance of the law, both liturgical and ceremonial, was an absolute necessity to Israel if they were to be partakers of God’s promise. This in turn demanded support and backing. Israel’s law of tithing covered this need.

Failure to comply with this law made them a transgressor.

What is the situation today? Do we have the same need for tithing? Obviously not! Therefore to imply that the same blessing will follow the keeping of this law today as it did in days before the advent of Jesus Christ is to teach the wrong thing. It is not “rightly dividing the Word of truth.” There is one basic difference between the Old and the New Testament. When this difference is overlooked, all sorts of misconceptions arise.

The basic difference is this: Before Christ, people were not redeemed. Since Jesus Christ, we are redeemed by His Blood. Being redeemed means that we no longer belong to ourselves. We are not our own. Our time is not our own, it belongs to the One who redeemed us. How utterly foolish then, to say, “I will give a seventh of my time.” When we know that our time is not our own, then we will utilize the time that we have been given for the One to whom time belongs.

Having been redeemed by the One who creates, we are re-created. We are born of the Spirit. This is necessary, because our state before is one in which we are identified with a materialistic world. It is a world full of substance; it is a world full of things that will pass away. In order to obtain an inheritance that is incorruptible--one that will not pass away, it is necessary to have a Life that is of like nature. So we are made a Spiritually-alive creature, one in the image and likeness of God.

This new creation “lives and breathes” in the Spirit. As we identify ourselves with this Spiritual creation, we more and more come into the knowledge that the “old man” of materialism is dead, and we no longer need to seek after material things. We become aware of the fact that we are God’s prime creation, because we have been made in His image and after His will. We live in our rightful place as a Son of God, not worrying about material things because we know that the Creator of all things is our Father, and He will supply all that we are to have.

Nothing that a born-again child of God possesses, either Spiritually or materially, is had because of his ability or worthiness. It is had because it has been given to him by His Father. How silly then to say, “This is mine, Lord. I’ll give you ten percent.” How did the New Testament Church in Jerusalem function? Did every one come together and give ten percent of what he had, and thus build up a stockpile of material so that none would have need? Rather, we read that they sold all that they had and gave to the common fund. It was this understanding of completely giving themselves and all they had to the cause of Christ that impelled the early church to be such a force for God.

Witness the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. They were not required to sell their possessions. When, and if they did sell, the gain was theirs to do with as they wanted; it was in their power.

Their conspiring and their lying was not before man, it was before the Holy Spirit.

The law of tithing was not in effect at this time. It was the law of the Spirit.

Why tithing today? Let’s put it in its proper place. Let us “rightly divide the Word of truth.” We are children of God living in a materialistic world. We have gathered together in groups that we call churches.

These groups are subject to the laws of the land, and as such, require that money and time be allotted to them if they are to exist.

Individuals who are born again have given of their time and life to the proclaiming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Some have gone to other than their native lands. They have become modern day “Levites.” They require material things to exist and continue their “work for the Lord.” In the Old Testament, eleven tribes were supporting and aiding one tribe. You cannot say the one tribe was doing God’s will and the others were not.

The situation in this respect has not changed today. The pastor, if he is called of God, is doing God’s will; the secular worker, if he is called of God, is doing God’s will.

The truth today is that we do not give of our time, and our money, rather we share the time and money that has been given us with those whom our Father tells us to share.

Therefore, it is not a life of law; it is a life of love. The law says, “Ten percent,” love says, “I will share all that I have.” Man receives a blessing today, not because he gives ten percent, but because he loves God and knows that he is not his own. Man is bought with a price. He knows that he is not the old man of sin but that he is born again by the Spirit, and re-created in the image and likeness of God. To him, “…Christ is the end of the law…to everyone who believes.”- -Romans l0:4 He is FREE to do God’s will.

Thy Comforts Delight My Soul

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:49:29 GMT

The inevitable cycle of this life is, “What begins will end.” All things in this material universe are that way. That’s the way God made it to be and that’s the way it is.

Man fights and struggles, not wanting to confront the end, because there is something within him that doesn’t want to end. There is that something within us that cries out for that which is Eternal. There is nothing that lasts in this material world; and if we look for something that lasts, eventually we end up frustrated and disappointed. We have this longing for something that is eternal because our beginning is in God. When we realize that our beginning is in God and that God made provisions for us so we could knowingly enter into this place of eternal abiding, we do something about it. This is a place that God has established and we will enter into it with full awareness. It is as real to us as God is real.

Were things ordained, or predestined, only for eternal life, we would live out our lives not knowing that we had it. We would never know the Love that provided it. We would live, not ever knowing what Love really is. We would have the most glorious thing that God could give us and we would never know it! But, because God made us the way He did and sent us into a world of flesh--into a world that had no knowledge of God--we can know the things of God. It is a knowledge that we have to look for, it isn’t a knowledge that is thrust upon us. Unless we really want it, we won’t have it.

When I am convinced within me, in this place that I can not define--it isn’t a place of reason according to the reasonings of this world, it is not a place of seeing or material substance. There is a word that we use sometimes called faith, it has a lot of different definitions, both physical and theological. By immediate definition of faith is to believe something that has no rhyme or reason as far as this world is concerned. I believe there is a God and I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus came to tell me of God, and to reconcile me to Him. When I believe these truths, I receive Jesus and enter into that place of living in the Father that Jesus has prepared for me. It is there that I have fulfillment of all these longings that were in me.

I believe the faith of Jesus sustains me. I live in His Faith. My soul is restored because of His faith. This Faith is God’s gift to me. I can look to Jesus because He is the Author of this faith. It comes from Him. He is the One who brings peace to my innermost being. His faith is the substance of those things I had hoped for. There is a very real peace within me that I can’t explain; that is because faith has become the evidence of those things that I can not see. I entered into these things because I became willing to believe what Jesus said.

I have entered into that place in God which is Eternal. I have His Word for it. In this world, I can see where things have a beginning and an end; then it is no more. This is not the kind of thing for which my soul longs. My soul longs for that which is lasting and substantial. As long as I sought for this in the things of this world, I couldn’t find it. When I turned from this world and exercised faith in something I couldn’t see--when I believed the Words of Jesus--I received that which my soul longed for. Now I live in a realm that doesn’t pass away because I live in God.

I exist in a physical world. I have emotions. I feel happiness, joy, sorrow, hope, despair, and all shades of feeling.

Since I made my choice to live in God and accept this new Spiritual Life that He gave me, I have become aware of something about my feelings that was unknown to me before. Before I entered into God, there were times that I experienced a peace in my soul, but it was a tenuous thing. I knew that it would not last. Because of this knowledge, there was a desperation within me to maintain this peace and enjoy it for as long as I could. You see, with the peace was a sure knowledge of its mortality.

In God, this is not so. Peace is peace, but in God it is Eternal. There is no apprehension about when it will end. I am aware of this difference because I know God and I am aware of the ways of this world. God’s Word to me is that I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me. So, in Jesus I have that which is perfect. I know it is perfect because I have been able to compare it with that which is not perfect. Therefore, I can enjoy Eternal Life in this physical realm, which is not eternal, because I live in God.

This is something the world does not understand. Sometimes they call it a myth; sometimes they call it superstition; sometimes they call it pure fantasy.

But I know what happened within myself. I am not really concerned what the world calls it. I find, that if I only considered what I could see and feel and touch in this world, then I, too, would have to call this thing that God has given me a myth, or superstition, or a fantasy or whatever. But I have entered into a new realm because I believe in Jesus. That which I could not understand before, I understand in God. I can not make it clear to anyone who is not in God because they have not yet come to the place of accepting His Word. Truth is still in their own mind. There is within me that desire, that longing for security, for love, for a purpose in my life; and I have found that the fulfillment of those desires is in God. The amazing part is now that I have entered into the Lord, I find that this is what He had planned for me from the very beginning! I can know that I have entered into God and become that person here in the flesh that God meant for me to be. God has given me understanding about the difference between this world of flesh and the realm of God. He has given me words so that I can tell others so they, too, might believe. It’s the knowledge that you live in God, and even though you are in this world, you are not of it. You know that the heavens and earth will pass away, but your place of abiding will remain secure and undisturbed because you live in God.

There is no fearful looking forward to a day of judgment or punishment because that which required judgment and punishment has already been taken care of on Calvary. Jesus died for us. He has removed all those things that made us guilty and worthy of punishment. He took them upon Himself and paid that price for us. So, in Him we are free from guilt and we can enter into God. It’s the best place to live.

Thoughts about Loneliness

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:47:59 GMT

Loneliness is the longing for certain desires to be fulfilled that are inherent within us. The method, or way, in which we attempt to fulfill this longing varies with every one of us in accordance with our training, background, and environment.

Man, in himself, is ignorant of what it is he requires to have this feeling of loneliness assuaged--in fact, he is not even aware of its cause! When he tries to give conscious direction to the fulfillment of this feeling, he is apt to say, “I am lonely because I lack this or that.” Loneliness is brought about because of our inability to communicate. In realizing this, we say that we are lonely because we need people. The sad part is that because of our inability to communicate, we often find that we are the loneliest when the most people are around.

Often times we meet people who are the life of the party, yet deep within them they are lonely souls. Again, we meet those who excel in their field and we think how wonderful it must be for them to be “accepted” as they are, and to receive the acclaim of others. Yet, quite often, we find that these people, too, are lonely.

On the other hand, we find contentment in things hard to understand. For instance, two people with such an understanding between them that they have no need to utter a word, people in extenuating circumstances, possessing very little material substance, yet they are rich in contentment.

It does not seem to make much difference what we have or what we say. We are lonely or contented because of something deep within us. This “something” seems to be elusive and almost unobtainable for many of us. But this, too, like everything else, is found in Christ.

Some other words that perhaps give a little more meaning to loneliness are “isolated”, “cut off “, “not understood,” “alone” etc. These words are an attempt on our part to more clearly describe our feeling. They show that loneliness comes about because of our inability to communicate. We think that if we could just hear a voice, if we just had someone around, then everything would be all right. But, as we have already said, many times we experience the most acute loneliness when there are the most people around.

Here is where we see the breakdown of communication. We find that words do not necessarily make for effective communication. Words can express thought, but they do not by themselves communicate feeling. Feeling is a spiritual thing. Words, very simple words, can carry the most profound depths of feeling, yet if this spirit is not discerned and shared by the one for whom it was meant, communications have been lost. Similarly, if the spirit of one or the other of the parties involved is contrary, or antagonistic, communication is garbled so that the original thought or intent is lost. Hearing with our ears can give us information, but we must hear with our heart if we are to have effective communication. When we are aware only of material things, every word we hear will be interpreted on a material plane. The soul is excluded from communicating in this case, and therefore loneliness can never really be assuaged.

When we hear words with our ears, the thought framed by these words is presented to our mind. We interpret these words to mean certain things that are in accordance with what we want to think. If we are given to finding good in things about us, then we interpret the things we hear in like manner. Selfishness, distrust, hatred, suspicion, etc., also affect our interpretation of the things we hear. We will become more, or less, lonely depending upon what we allow ourselves to think.

Man is bound to suffer this difficulty in communication. There are too many factors within him that are not satisfied.

We have seen that our mood affects our interpretation of the things we hear, but the one who speaks is also plagued with problems. Quite often he experiences difficulty in finding just the right words to express his thoughts. To cover this shortcoming, he relies upon tonal inflections, or a look, or perhaps other things that to him are very real, but they are nevertheless intangibles. These intangibles form a very real part of our communication, yet they are not always recognized and very seldom understood. Consequently, we have a difficult time establishing effective communication, and loneliness is the result.

If I am to be free of loneliness, I must know how to communicate with my fellow man; yet, it seems that due to the differences between us, we never will be able to understand our fellow man. There are those with whom it seems we may be more at ease than others, but always there is that sense of incompleteness within us that gives rise to loneliness.

Now I have to look for something else to assuage this loneliness that is inherent within me. I must look to what I am. My real being has been obscured because of sin. Satan has not allowed my mind to consider the fact that I was made for God. God made me a Spirit like Himself, so He could communicate with me. If I fail to consider this, I am forever doomed to a life of loneliness. To be able to communicate with God is the whole basis of contentment. It is the very first thing that ever happened to man. It is the foundation of his existence; it is the source of his life. God walked and talked with Adam in the cool of the day. This was a Spiritual communication because God is Spirit. It was a communication with the soul of man. This harmony of Spirit that is essential to Godly communication was disrupted by Adam’s transgression and man plunged into a lonely existence. No wonder, man was now separated from God.

Man needed sin to be stripped away from his soul. He had to be free from bondage if he was to commune with God.

As by one man sin entered the world, and death (separation from God) by sin, so also by one man, Jesus Christ, was life provided for all who would BELIEVE His words. He then promised a Comforter, an everlasting communion with God. Now, think of what happened on the day of Pentecost: God had walked and talked with Adam in the cool (or wind) of the day, and now, on Pentecost, a “rushing, mighty wind filled all the house where they were sitting.” God had once again established communication between Himself and the soul of man. Only when man UNDERSTANDS that his FIRST need is God and that there must be an unimpeded flow of communication between God and himself, will he ever cease from loneliness. Jesus recognized this when He prepared a place for our abiding. He said He would send us a Comforter who would abide with us forever, and a Comforter is the only one who can take away loneliness.

When a man understands that it is his soul that is lonely, and that God is the only one who can communicate with his soul, then and only then, will he begin to know real fellowship. He will begin to experience a completeness that was never before possible because now there is total harmony of Spirit between his soul and God. He is satisfied because he has found the real source of contentment. Now God can establish fellowship with those who are of this world. This could not have been accomplished previously because we had no sure communication with God and could not have fulfilled God’s purpose for us. He desires that we become His expression to those about us; and now that we have communion with Him, we can speak His Word.

As long as this truth is firmly fixed in our souls we can never be lonely. We are, first of all, SPIRITUAL creatures made so by God, and our joy is walking and talking with the Father. Then, we are, secondarily, creatures of this world, so that we might take those things that we have learned from God, and tell them by word and deed to those who have not yet learned to talk to their God.

We will not be accepted by all people, nor will we be able to communicate with them without misunderstandings. Our compassion will go out to those who do not understand, but let us never forget that only God can talk to their souls. It is impossible to ever overcome loneliness by material things. We must hear a voice in our soul and only God can speak to us there.

Now, you have seen that man is lonely and you have seen the REASON for his loneliness. In seeing this, you understand there is NOTHING outside of God that can establish the communication your soul desires. This is your first joy--to talk to God; then confidence surges within you and you can talk to men because you know the words you say are true. Jesus told them to you! Loneliness--never again because you have found the Comforter, and He abides with you forever.

This Body of Death

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:47:15 GMT

A body of death, that’s what we have. God wants to live in this body of death so He may reconcile the world to Himself.

Jesus delivered me from this body of death when He prepared a place in God for me. God can not occupy my body of death unless I move out. Before Jesus came, there was no place for me to go, but now I have entrance into God.

In order to enter into God, I must say goodbye to my body.

To do this, I must understand the Spirit nature of my new life. It is God’s desire that I understand this because He is seeking people who are willing to worship Him in this manner.

My carnal mind laughs at this and says, “How can you move out of your body?” And in the carnal way that my mind knows, I am completely defeated. I can discipline myself, I can govern my actions, and do only that which I allow, but I can’t move out of my body.

My cry is like Paul’s, “Who shall deliver me from this body of death?” The answer is Jesus--the way is to be born again. This makes it possible for me to move out of the flesh because my new birth is of the Spirit, not flesh.

Now I have an entrance into God, but I seem bound to this flesh, I do not know how to release myself from the bondage of the flesh. Jesus provided this too. Because He died for me, I can reckon His death as my own. This frees me from this body of death; therefore, I may reckon myself dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God.

Now I am free to move out of my body. I shall reckon myself dead to sin, but what shall be the scope of my reckoning? The nature of my carnal mind, at its best, is only to understand the carnal things of the past; it does not understand the things of God. Because of this, carnal thinking can never provide Spiritual truth or give Spiritual understanding.

Our consciousness is of the flesh. God knows this and He has provided prods that will arrest our attention; and, if we know God, we will turn our thoughts to Him and experience His deliverance.

Adam entered into a world where he did not walk and talk with God as he previously had. God left prods for him and said, “The ground is cursed.” In other words, “When you feel the curse, remember me and I will deliver you” Remember, the flesh has no natural consciousness of God. Its thoughts must be brought into captivity and presented to God. God is merciful in providing these prods that turn our thoughts to Him.

Jesus said, “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven…..” Again the scripture declares, “Count it all joy when you fall into different temptations…..” These things are prods that will turn your thoughts to God. Your faith will be put to the test and you will learn patience; you will enter into the fullness of God.

Every phase of our physical living in this material world is, by the nature of this world, contrary to the Spirit, which is God. When we have been born again and made a Spiritual Creature, we come into life and we begin to feel the prods of the flesh and it hurts.

These are meant to arrest our consciousness and we are to remember God and turn to Him.

Then, as He says, “He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” If we will heed God’s Word in this manner, we will not have to worry about the scope of God’s desires for us. He will show us His way and teach us His will. God’s promise is that if in all our ways we acknowledge Him, He will direct our path.

Discouragement, fears, turmoil, heartache, pain, anxieties--all of these are prods that should turn our thoughts to God. In God we will learn and live in victory. I can rest in God. I will not be disturbed by the prods that beset my path, but rather I will give thanks to God because I know that this is God’s way of bringing to my attention the things that He would have me learn. I know that God will teach me the things He wants me to know, and He will teach me when I am ready and willing to learn.

I am no longer bound to this body of death. My God dwells within and I live in His freedom. He is my Redeemer.

Things That Are Seen

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:46:40 GMT

I want these words to remind you of the reality of Christ. This reality is something that only a Believer can know.

Christ isn’t real to the world simply because they do not believe Him.

The world must have something they can see if they are to believe.

Even as Jesus was “seen,” we are the ones that are seen today.

The world sees that thing which controls our life. That is what they believe our God to be.

If material possessions or social position is the dominant force of our living, then we are like all other people.

But a Christian has been changed! He has inherited the Kingdom of God. He has become a new Creature; He has been born again, born of God. Now he actually lives in God! As such, even though he dwells in this world, he is no longer of this world.

He is an inheritor of the Kingdom of God, he is possessed of God’s righteousness and peace and joy.

When the world sees these things reflected through us, they, too, will want to know our God. These are the things they long to have.

The world has fame and riches; the Christian has righteousness and joy and peace. These are things money can’t buy.

There Is a Difference

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:46:07 GMT

I have often wondered how much we consider our life our own, and how much we consider our life belonging to Jesus.

I have thought, many times, of those who became Christians during the first several centuries after Christ.

Proclaiming Christianity was not a popular thing; it removed one from safety and exposed him to persecution, torment, and even death. Yet, it was in this atmosphere that the roots of Christianity penetrated deep. There were no well defined Dogmas or Creeds, but there was a reality to the individual that does not exist today.

There was a purpose, an aim, a need that was realized that is lacking today. It is no wonder that the deficiency has brought about an emaciated Christian, one who has no strength of purpose, one who cannot bear hardships as a true soldier of the Cross.

Man has not resolved to live for Christ at any cost. If he can be accepted by his fellowman, and looked up to, and be pointed out as an upright person, one that goes to church, but is not a fanatic, then Christianity is fashionable and acceptable. Many people purpose to serve God in this fashion.

There will come a time of darkness, the trials will come, persecution will be the lot of those who, out of a true heart, purpose to serve God. There is, a great time of sifting. One’s resolve and purpose is shaken as though by a great storm, and, unless the roots go deep, unless we are willing to suffer shame for the purpose of Christ, we will not long endure. We will fall by the wayside. We will be like the seed that sprang up, but there was not enough depth to the soil to sustain and nourish it, and so it died.

When man begins to live for the Lord, and finds that his purpose is not sufficiently strong enough to carry him through, he becomes “religious.” He knows that his only life is in, and of the Lord; yet, because of his unwillingness to be thought of in any way as being reprobate, or hypocritical, or insincere, he is hesitant to face the fact that his progress for the Lord is no more of the Spirit, but rather, he must build a shell of religious activities about him, and hide in the fact that the “world” accepts him as a Christian because he goes to church. He becomes enmeshed in program activities that allow him no time for meditation, and therefore becomes a stranger to the Spirit of God.

This is, after all, more or less to his liking. Because he is a creature of the flesh, he lives in a world of flesh, and his conformity is like a comfortable garment.

But conformity to the things, thoughts, and customs of this world is not Life.

Israel was given the Law and Ordinances by God; and everyone of them was designed so that Israel would be a separate people, a peculiar nation under God, a people set apart; and it was only as they were willing to be different that they received the blessing of their God. When they forgot this, and lived in such fashion as to be acceptable to the people that surrounded them, then they had their troubles.

These things are written for our admonition, but if we are not willing to accept the “lessons” then they become wasted and useless. God, very effectively, has revealed to us that His desire is that we should be a separated people and that in this separation will the blessing of God become ours.

I, at this present time, am not concerned with nations, I am concerned with individuals. God’s principle has not changed: If the nation He called was to be separate, then the individual He calls is to be separate.

Israel’s difference was observed in her rituals, and in her ceremonies; it was a difference that all could see. The difference that God desires of us today is of the Spirit.

Man has become so inbred with the idea that he must present a difference to the world, that he has devised a set of rules, a code of ethics, a way of life that will serve to demonstrate his difference to the physical eyes of those about him. He has become so zealous in his pursuit that he has forgotten one of the basic laws of God.

Briefly--“A man is what his heart is regardless of what his actions are.” This is God’s law.

Man follows a percept that says, “What you do speaks so loud that I can’t hear what you say.” This is man’s law, and so the man that follows this law is constantly concerned with what his fellow man will say about this or about that.

He has forgotten the fact that it is before his own Master that he either stands or falls. By being constantly concerned with his standing before men, he is in effect saying that these men, who do not know the Spirit of God, are setting up a standard that will prove him as being either good or bad. He is conforming to the standard of the world, and then he wonders why he is not different than the world.

He must know that his life is of the Spirit, and His difference will be in the Spirit.

He must know that he will never be transformed until his mind is renewed and he no longer thinks after the fashions of this present world. He must know that if he is to have the Life of God within him, he will have the Spirit of God within him; and if this is true, he will have a new heart. If he will follow after the leadings of God’s Spirit in this new heart, he will not have to work to bring about a transformation, because “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” His thoughts will no longer be of conformity to this world, he will no more worry about what people think; rather his thoughts will be of God’s Spirit, his concern will be to do the will of his Father. Only in this fashion will he be transformed.

Following after the things of God requires that all of our energies, our tempers, and our thoughts, be given to God.

There will be clashes with the world; we will not be accepted by them. We will be persecuted and we will be ostracized by the society in which we 1ive, but we will stand secure before God if we purpose to stand. Our difference is not of the flesh, our difference is of God.

There Are Two Me's

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:45:28 GMT

One cries out for something and the other says, “Praise God, it is mine!” But there is only one expression for these two me’s and the individuality that is mine to choose determines which of the two me’s can talk.

One is a creature of this world and identifies itself as a part of this world. It is subject to the environment of this world; therefore, when the sun shines, this me is warmed and all is well.

The me of this world is very careful for itself, and very proud! It feeds upon praise and suffers in adversity. Yet, even in adversity, its pride must be fed because without it the me of this world can not exist--it loses its purpose, it becomes aimless and loses hope.

The me of this world thinks and speaks from the center of all things. It is understood by no one because no one can have the same feeling or experience for the simple reason that no one else is me! I exist unique, so no one can understand me.

The me of this world is a boaster. It claims to possess all things for a balanced and complete disposition. Yet, it is subject to fears, heartaches, frustrations, worries, hopelessness, and defeat. In all of these things, it is hard put to come up with a satisfactory and realistic explanation that will satisfy its need. The me of this world has a problem! The me of this world also has a solution to its problems. If the sun was shining, it wouldn’t be so cold. If it would rain, it wouldn’t be so hot and uncomfortable. If people would be friendlier, it wouldn’t be so lonesome, or it could get more done if people would let it alone. If people would do the right thing, it wouldn’t be in this condition now. It would have some peace and quiet when things around it settle down. Yes, the me of this world has a solution; but it’s awfully hard to implement because the fault always lies outside itself. Therefore, the me of this world will always have its fears, heartaches, frustrations, worries, hopelessness, and defeat.

But there is another me--one that is not of this world! The me of this world says it is not real and will not freely even admit the possibility of its existence. But there is another me given Life by God, and it is as real as God! It is not a Life that is like God, but the life is God dwelling in me. This is the miracle that God through Jesus brought about for me.

The me that is of God has no lack! All of God dwelled within Jesus, and because He dwells in this me that is of God; the completeness has not diminished. The me that is of this world has a lack and knows a need; but to the me that is of God, there is this promise, “God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The me that is of God has no fears because God is not one given to fears. There are no frustrations because with God all things are possible. The me that if of this world is bound by this world. It is a victim of its own environment; but the me that is of God is instructed to be of good cheer because Jesus who is our Life has overcome the world. Again, the me that is of God can not be lonely because God has promised never to leave nor forsake me.

Now it is up to the individuality that is mine to choose to determine which me shall live and just who I shall be. Shall I cry out of lack and say, “I can not be filled because others will not help?” Or shall I live in fullness and thank God for all that is? But fullness does not seem a fullness if I can’t feel a fullness. And of what good is the word of peace if there is still turmoil? So it seems that my choice is based upon one of two things--not my desires because all my desire is for the good; but my choice is based upon either the truth of this world or the truth that is God--nothing else! It comes down to this, will I identify myself with the me of this world or will I believe that which this world knows not and say the me that is real is the me that is of God! When that question is clearly resolved, then I will enter into the me that God meant for me to be. My problem is knowing how to attain that which my soul desires.

So I must turn again to the me that I desire to be. I must study its characteristics and proclaim them to be paramount.

I will hold them in my thoughts continually and claim my subservience to them. In this way, I will become the me that I choose to be.

If I choose to be a creature of this world, then I only need to be aware of the rain and the sun, the pain and the fun that is all about me. Then I will have nothing of myself. I will be a victim of my environment; and as the things of this world whither and are blown away, so shall I become shriveled and cease to be. I will be a prisoner to my flesh because that is the thing to which I confess. I can not afford to even consider the possibility that there might be the me that is not of God. I must turn my mind from it or else my heartaches and fears are increased manifold. If I choose to be the me that is of God, I will reckon the old one to be no more. All of my Life is of God or I have no life at all.

I dare not speak the thoughts of the world because they rob me of the knowledge that God meant for me to have. If I am to reckon myself alive unto God, I dare not entertain thoughts that will defeat that which I desire. So my thoughts and my words must always be in harmony with God’s Word. At times it will be hard for me to follow this course because the me that is of this world is strong. (He has exercised his prerogative of thought and speech and become strong.) I must cage him and not allow him room or expression. I will be of one mind and one thought--it shall be of the everlasting truth of God. That, and that alone, shall be my standard.

Yes, there are two me’s. The one has a lack and the other is full. The individuality that is mine to choose determines what I shall say and think--and what I am determined to say is what I am determined to be.

Then I Shall Know

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:44:48 GMT

There was lethargy within my heart so I did not speak the words of God. It is true, I have been given the words of reconciliation, but I chose not to speak them because of the despondency that was in my heart.

It was my desire that those about me should know of the deep hopelessness that was within me, so I let my very actions proclaim my feelings. I let the words of my mouth lend emphasis to my despair. I found many words that explained how I felt. Then, because I spoke them, I found myself in even deeper despair.

There are none that understand me, and I long to be understood. I find no joy in sorrow, no hope in despair and no exuberance in despondency. But there are times that I am locked in the grip of despair, and I can not get out. I have no joy, and there is no strength in me for pretending, so my lips speak only of my feelings.

I know that my joy is in the Lord and I would like to go out and tell of this joy; but I do not have the opportunity. There seems such a sense of uselessness about me that I am overcome with despair. If I could only detach myself from my feelings and objectively see the things of my God, I would see things differently. Take, for instances, what I call “my despair,” how utterly foolish it is for me to own something such as that when Christ is my Life There is no despair within God, and there can be no despair within me when God is my all in all. Hopelessness? Ridiculous! He who creates all things is not the Author of hopelessness--He is the Ever Present I Am. I am a Temple for Him. He is the One who dwells in me and works through me. He has consumed all of what I thought I was and now I am only what He is.

There is a battle within me--the old man does not easily give up. I must reckon him to be dead. I turned from him when I turned to Jesus. Through Jesus I have entered into a new realm. It is the presence of God; it is the realm of His Spirit. I am not a stranger in this new realm because I have been born again. I have been created a Spiritual creature, fit for God’s abiding.

My lips say Hallelujah, even though the old pressures are pushing at me. I will ignore them, then I know they have no power over me. Circumstances have no power over God; and because He is all that I am, they have no power over me.

My joy is not in doing, but in knowing, and it is because I know that I do. I do not plan the work nor do I do the doing; it is God, who lives within me, He plans and He works. So my joy is not in doing, it is in knowing what Christ has done.

My lips shall speak God’s Word because it is for that purpose they were made. I will give my power of expression to the God who lives within me, and then shall my lips say words of praise. My lips will speak praise because my heart is filled with praise. My lips shall sing because there is a song within me. It will make no difference whether I speak to the winds, or to many or few, but my lips will speak. And because it is God’s Word that my lips speak, the old bondage of despair will lose its power to shackle me, and I shall be free. I will exercise my right on the field of battle that is within me--I will be violent. I will command my lips to praise my God; I will force them to speak only God’s Words of Life. I will dwell only on the wondrous love of my God. I shall be eloquent in my praise to Him.

Then shall I cease from my own smallness and know the true greatness of God

The Word of Truth

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:44:08 GMT

“It's impossible--it just can’t be done. That’s not the way things are--it surely doesn’t mean what it says!” That’s the reaction I have heard time and time again when I have talked about a certain statement Jesus Christ made. “If you ask anything in my Name, I will do it.”--John 14:14. That’s not the only place Jesus said this either. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer believe that you receive it, and you will.”--Mark 11:24 These statements are facts; and if I am to believe God, I must believe the things He says. If these words stagger me-- it surely is because I do not believe. Now let’s look into this. The Bible teaches some plain, basic, simple facts: Fact #1 There is within me a carnal nature, one that is opposed to God.

Fact #2 If I am a Christian, I am “born again” and have within me a Spiritual nature. This nature accepts the things of God.

Fact #3 I can of my own free will obey either one of these natures.

Fact #4 Jesus said, “The words I speak to you--they are Spirit and they are Life.” Fact #5 They that are of the flesh mind the things of the flesh, and they that are of the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit.

So there you have it. If I’m staggered by the promises of God it is because I am trying to accept them with the natural mind of man. I am trying to rationalize. I am seeking a logical way.

If I mind the Spirit that is in me, I will not be staggered at God’s promise because the Spirit knows that God cannot lie and He will do what He has promised. Knowing this I can confidently confess POSSESSION of God’s promises even before I see the evidence.

And that brings us up to one rule of faith that we have in the Bible. “This is the word of faith that we preach, that if you confess with your lips the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”--Rom. 10:8-9 There it is: Confess it, believe it, and you will have it. And salvation, my friend, includes all that God is and can do.

The Word of God

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:43:32 GMT

Just a word, it is Jesus.

There is power in this Name.

To speak this word with our lips will bring peace and joy and strength.

It will remove condemnation and fear and loneliness and worry.

It is the name that bridges the gulf between man and God.

It is the name that makes the unseen things of God real to us while we are in this world of sin.

It is the name that lifts our soul out of this body of death and lets us know the reality of God’s Life in us.

It is the name that defeats every adverse thing Satan can bring against us.

The Two Kingdoms

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:36:37 GMT

The Bible isn’t worth much if it doesn’t help us today. Sometimes I’m interested in what happened a long time ago, but more often, I’m interested in what I need TODAY. I’ve heard the Bible taught for years, but it was only a story.

When I became older I got mighty tired of hearing the same stories over again. There wasn’t anything new; they seemed remote from me, but at the same time, I felt that there was something that I was missing. I’ve talked to a lot of people who used to go to Sunday School and church, but don’t any more. Many of them seem somewhat vindictive in their attitude regarding religion. Many of them have expressed the idea if that’s God, I don’t want anything to do with re1igion.” I’ll confess they’ve got a point, if their opinion of God is correct.

Questions like this have come to my mind, but I just couldn’t bring myself to chuck the whole thing. I kept asking MYSELF about MY knowledge of the things of God, and I found out that just a whole lot of it was based on what people said. I’d check in on people and find out they repeated what some other people had said, and so on. Pretty soon you had a tradition built up that was real tough to break. It was tough because you didn’t realize that it could be wrong..

So, like I said when I started writing this thing, I’m going to read the Bible and believe it, rather than people. This may not make a person too popular with people; but believe me, it sure makes the things of God mighty real. And that’s my prime object.

This story about Adam and Eve--for years it was just a story, but I have already learned some new things about it. I feel that the Bible doesn’t record “entertainment,” but what is there is there for a purpose.

I don’t feel it’s a very smart thing to teach my children to be merciful and then not show mercy myself. I’m just one of God’s created creatures, and I certainly am not more intelligent than my Maker. Yet for years I have been taught that God could really cut loose with punishment. I was always taught that the first ex¬ample of God punishing someone was what He did to Adam and Eve. But now I don’t think so. I think He helped them. The way the story goes, at least the way I was taught, was that God just upped and made things rough for them; and they were expelled from the Garden. Frankly, I always had a hard time seeing the justice in that. In effect, God said that they were going to have a rough time, but eventually things would be all right. I’ve heard this teaching right down to the present day. I know a lot of people, who the minute they are in trouble, think that God is punishing them for something.

I’ll tell you something. I don’t think God punishes. He will correct you, but punishment is reserved for the devil and his angels.

Here’s the way I see what happened. I’ve already told you how I see from Genesis that there was a God Life, or a Spirit Life in Adam. It was this Life that died and Adam then found himself in the middle of his self life, or the flesh.

There were now two different levels of being. Let’s see if we can get an idea of what these two levels were like.

First, let’s look at Adam’s estate before he sinned. Adam had a body, but he didn’t think much about it; he didn’t even know he was naked. This tells me that he didn’t run his life to please his body. I find a reoccurring thought in these first few chapters of Genesis. God was the Ruler! Look at Genesis 2:15, “...and God took man and put him...” That’s sure different than man today. No one is going to take or put him any place--he will take care of himself. God even brought the animals to Adam. God made the plants to grow; He caused a mist to rise from the ground to water them.

In short, it was God who did things for man. God provided for man. God planted the Garden for man; then He put man in it to keep it. So the way I see this is God will provide for man in this SPIRITUAL LIFE, but He wants man to dress and keep what He has given him.

Adam never got sick either, because there wasn’t any sickness in this “God Life.” He didn’t have heartaches and he didn’t have sorrow. I know this because when he fell heir to these things it was new to him and he had to be told about it.

That brings us down to this next level of existence that was Adam’s lot--his flesh life. This one isn’t so hard to understand because that’s where most of us live. We are familiar with heartaches, adversities, sickness, pain and worry.

Look at the Genesis 3:16-17. It’s real easy to see that these things came upon Adam and Eve because of the things that they had done. This was an entirely new thing to them. Can you imagine what a rough thing it would have been for them to all of a sudden experienced pain and not know why. Can you imagine what a mess they would have been in if they had continued to expect God to do things for them, and then not see these things done and not know why.

That would certainly have killed their faith in God! You see, if a man lives in the flesh he can’t expect God to work in that realm, nor can he expect the same kind of existence that is characteristic of the Spirit or God’s Life. So what more wonderful thing could God do than to tell man what to expect in this realm of the flesh. God didn’t leave Adam and Eve in the dark as to what their future would be like. He told them; He didn’t punish them.

I think we should take heed of this knowledge today. When we find ourselves overcome by pain, sickness, sorrow, or any of these things that the flesh is subject to, we should not be discouraged, but rather we should know that this is the effect of being born in sin and living in this realm of the flesh.

You see, if we know that, we also know that there is ANOTHER KINGDOM, where God rules, where these things don’t exist. God doesn’t want us to be a subject of this fleshly Kingdom. His desire is that we Live in the Spirit Kingdom and have the Life of God. That’s the way He made Adam and Eve in the first place.

There is something I want to particularly emphasize. In the Kingdom of God, God is the one who does things for man.

Yet, just the minute this God Life was removed from man, man started to depend upon himself. First thing he did was to provide his own covering. God also told Adam that “henceforth he should make his living by the sweat of his brow.” He also told Eve a very interesting thing about her relation to Adam. From now on, her desire should be to her husband. Apparently this was not true before; because if it was, God wouldn’t have had to mention the matter. You see, this was a new thing. I have a hunch that her desire was toward the Lord God who made her, because that is the nature of the Spirit. “They that are of the Spirit, do mind the things of the Spirit.”--Rom.8:5 God is still interested in this man even though he is in this Kingdom of the flesh. He was interested enough to provide a covering for Adam so he wouldn’t always be this way. He gave a promise. If Adam would believe God, he would know that the Serpent’s power would come to an end because his head would be bruised.

So, it finishes up about the way it started as far as believing is concerned. Man didn’t know anything about death, but God said he would die if his actions weren’t based on faith in God. Now man died (spiritually), but God promises that everything will be all right if our actions are based on faith in God.

There is a very clear picture of the Kingdoms that one can get. I like that too, because I can see what the basic concept of each Kingdom is. The Kingdom of God is where God takes care of man; and the Kingdom of the World, or the flesh is where sickness, sorrow, pain and death reign, and man takes care of himself.

This one thing I know: God wants man to Live in the Kingdom of God because that’s where He put him in the first place. Man lost out when he followed after his own will. Quite naturally one could expect to regain this Kingdom when he follows after the will of God.

In knowing these things, we are in a position to make a choice. And this is the thing that gives glory to God, that we make our choice for God. After all, if we really want to Live in the Kingdom of God we should obey the King.

Two Kinds of Love

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:35:54 GMT

There are two kinds of love in this world. Let’s consider them for a moment. One is a self-centered love and has its roots within man. The other is quite different in nature and comes from God.

This self-centered love could really be called a selfish love because it is very demanding. This kind of love takes all the attention and affection given, and cultivates that which brings the most pleasure and gives the most gain. This love causes a person to become cross and irritable when things are not to his advantage. Sometimes we call him a “poor sport.” In reality he is just the guy who wants his own way. Selfishness is just a self-centered love. It's a sorry thing to contemplate, but it’s a fact.

We have become civilized, and have learned that it’s good to be charitable and always give the other fellow the “biggest piece of cake,” even though this makes us feel like martyrs. Then there are many people who feel pretty proud of the fact that they are so generous. Pride and selfishness are first cousins, and they are related to man.

Then there is the other kind of Love. This is a Love that is completely forgetful of self. It’s a Love that says, “What can I give,” not “What can I get.” It’s a Love that is patient; it’s a Love that wants to please rather than be pleased. It’s a Love that knows humility because it has found a worthy object of devotion. This kind of Love comes from God.

Of course, this is the kind of Love we all would like to have govern our lives. Naturally we want our families to know that this is the kind of Love we have for them; and certainly it should be the standard of our relations with our fellowmen, especially those we like. But, what about those we don’t like? What kind of love governs our attitude toward them? And what kind of love governs our attitude toward Jesus Christ? Do we seek His favor because we don’t want to die, or do we ask forgiveness of sins just because we want to go to Heaven? Or do we seek to serve Him because we see the great Love that He has for us? And in seeing this Love do we forget ourselves? Here’s a scripture that we all know, but let’s think about it again. Let’s measure our love for God by it: “Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”--1 Cor.13:4-7. The Phillips translation gives the thought that this Love is not possessive; it is neither anxious to impress, nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.

Think it over. It’s a good check point.

Two Times

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:35:12 GMT

Hear, little children, harken to My words, and I will tell you the way of strength and righteousness which no man knoweth. It is hid in the deep places of the soul, for it is found only in thy God. Only in Him is the way plain and the goal sure.

No man can look to that which is about him and find the way of peace, because the ways of peace are not the ways of this world. Only with the eyes that God gives will he see His way, and only with His strength will he walk in it. No man can see the way until he sees Christ, and only with the eyes of his soul will he behold the glory of God.

God will appear two times to every man. His eyes will behold God’s glory and his way will be illuminated by His radiance. Man will behold his own way and the hopelessness of it. He will see the futility of the flesh and know that the end there of are the ways of death. He will see the darkness of sin and the blackness of night. No man can see these things unless they be revealed to him by God.

From whence cometh depressions, loneliness, fears, hopelessness, heartaches and frustrations? Are they not from the desires of the flesh? They are natives of this world and their home is the pit of hell.

But be encouraged, My little children. Look, and as God is faithful, ye shall see the heavens open and the very God of all things shall receive you unto Himself. He shall wrap you about with His love. Yea, He shall cover you with His heart. Your eyes shall be opened to the newness of His life because you have been removed from the bondage of sin.

There shall be no more heartache. There shall be no more loneliness. Despair shall be vanquished and your strength will be the strength of God. Fear and condemnation no longer can find you because you have been given a new life— you have been given the life of God. You will have purpose and your life will be useful because God would work through you revealing Himself to others by His life which is in you.

But what does the Lord require of you? He requires a heart that is willing—one that will say, “Take my life and use it for thy glory.” So, no more, my little children, shall you fear the darkness of sin, or the hopelessness of this world, or the fear that comes from loneliness. You have seen Him once, and now be of good cheer for unto those that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.

Rejoice and look up. Sing praises unto your God! For in Him there is full salvation, for His love endureth forever and ever, and unto all generations.

Unconditionally His

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:34:33 GMT

“We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus, unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”--Eph.2:10 These truths are not realized unless we are in Christ. As long as I consider my life to be separated from Christ, I do not dwell in the truth.

Outside of Christ I must shape my own life. That’s hard for me to do because I do not know what is going to happen tomorrow. I plan for good things to happen, but more often than not, things don’t go the way I planned.

Sooner or later I come face to face with the fact that there is something missing. I am not complete in myself. I need help. So, I come to Jesus.

I confess that He is Lord of my life. I find it quite hard to settle on the meaning of that word “Lord.” It really means that some one else is directing my life. Sometimes I act as though it just means that He will help me if I hit a snag and can’t do things myself. Otherwise it’s up to me to find out what He wants and then start doing it.

That’s not so.

It means that He is doing His will in me and through me. He doesn’t have to ask what I think He should do next, or how it should be done. If I have really given myself to Him, and I consider Him to be Lord of all, I am unconditionally His. He can do with me what He wants to do in the way He wants to and when He wants to.

Faith never faults His activities.

When I give myself to Him, He places me “in Christ.” Now I am His responsibility. I no longer have to live with worry or fear or be apprehensive, because He has made me to be part of Himself. I am “hid with Christ in God.” His promise to me is that He will take all things that have ever happened to me and all things that ever will happen to me, and bring them about for my good. He has promised that He would never leave me nor would He forsake me at any time.

He said that He would be with me always.

So, now I rest I am His workmanship; He has created me within Himself. I belong to Him. He leads me all the time.

He has removed all the “what if’s” from my life. He has created me for His glory. He has chosen to tell the world of His love through me. He has created me unto good works.

He has ordained that these things should be.

Unreasonable Faith

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:33:55 GMT

FAITH—IT’S A WONDERFUL THING. THERE IS A COMFORT IN FAITH THAT IS INEXPLICABLE TO MATERIALISTIC REASONING.

THE MIND CAN UNDERSTAND A “GOOD FEELING” WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES ARE HARMONIOUS; BUT TO FEEL GOOD, WHEN ALL ABOUT YOU IS CONTRARY TO GOOD, IS UNREASONABLE. FAITH CAN MAKE THE UNREASONABLE REAL.

THERE IS A BONUS TO FAITH IN THAT THE GOOD FEELING IS MADE MORE REAL THE MORE UNREASONABLE THE SITUATION SEEMS.

THERE IS SOMETHING WITHIN US THAT SEEKS “REALITY,” AND THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING WITHIN US THAT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE REALITY.

THE SOUL SAYS THAT GOD IS REALITY AND IS AT REST WHEN THIS IS RECOGNIZED AS FACT. THE MIND SAYS THAT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE REALITY AND IS REBELLIOUS BECAUSE OF THEM.

FAITH IS THAT FORCE THAT MAKES THE MIND AGREE WITH THE SOUL.

Victory

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:33:05 GMT

I think a lot of people have a hard time being a friend, not that they do not want to be friendly. It’s just that they don’t know how.

Being a friend is everyday living, not just sometimes when you visit someone. Wives and husbands and children need friends, and being a friend is everyday living right in the home.

What Is a Believer?

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:31:47 GMT

To be a believer today can mean different things. That is the way it was when the “Acts of the Apostles” was written.

We can not read the word and always expect it to mean the same thing we think it should mean.

The reason for this particular turn of thought is the difficulty some folks have in regard to the infilling, or receiving of the Holy Spirit. For instance, Paul said to a group of men, “Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?” Paul knew what he meant when he used the word believe, but the men didn’t. By this scripture, some feel that one shall first become a Christian and then receive the Holy Spirit.

This group men believed, but their belief was based upon what John, the Baptist, taught. They believed that one should repent and prepare the way of the Lord. Paul taught them of Jesus Christ. Then they believed what he taught and received the Holy Spirit.

There are several references about believers being added to the early church. Were these people Christians in the sense that we know Christians today, or did the word denote something else? The scriptures mention 3,000 at one time and 5,000 at another, then there are many lesser cases.

Let’s look at a statement made by James about these believers. Talking to Paul, he said, “Ye see how many have believed, and every one of them are zealous for the law.” This does not sound to me like the Christ that sets free from the Law was very well known. But these people did believe in something that set them apart. What was it? Consider this: Israel was the only Nation on the face of the Earth that believed in one God. They had for centuries taught, and been taught that they were the chosen of God. Their history said that there would come a man, anointed of God, who would be their Ruler and Savior. Then it would be that righteousness would cover the Earth.

Jesus came, and God made Him to be the Christ. These believers accepted this. They believed Jesus to be the Christ.

Listen to the questions of the Disciples. “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel? They accepted this Jesus as the Christ, and coupled it with what they had already been taught. They stayed in Jerusalem, and expected the momentary return of Jesus to rule supreme.

They believed that Jesus was the Christ, and because of their belief, they were counted righteous. But God was to reveal a different life than they had expected. God appeared to Paul and revealed to him this “new Life”--the mystery of the Ages now revealed in us--Christ in YOU, a new creation.

We have been transformed so that a new thing has been accomplished: man has been lifted out of himself and made to “sit in the heavenlies” with God. He has been made One with God so that his perfection is not of this Earth; it is not of himself, it is of God. So this is the Christ--this is the power, this is the newness that is ours when we believe in Christ.

So there are differences to the word believe and the question is, “What do you believe?”

What Makes Us Hurt?

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:29:17 GMT

We violate God’s law and get into trouble. Our heartaches--we don’t want it to hurt, but we really don’t know why it’s hurting. We cry out to the Lord and say, “What shall I do?” We would gladly do what God wants us to do if we only knew what it was.

The law that we have violated is the law that says, “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.” Let’s be truthful, we haven’t done it. That’s why we’re hurting. We have desires that we haven’t given to our Father, and they have not come to pass; and we want them to come to pass and we say, “God, please,” but nothing happens except we’re hurting.

We have to give that thing to God.

That’s a little hard to do because we have the idea that you only give the wrong things to God, and we don’t see anything wrong with wanting this thing. We feel that it’s a perfectly normal desire.

I don’t think the question is whether it’s right or wrong. I think the problem arises from whether or not we have placed that particular desire in the hands of the Lord. It’s hard to know just how to go about doing that. I don’t know of anyone way to tell people how to do it. Desires are different and people are different. The only thing that I have found to be the same is that when you have given something to your Father you don’t worry about it any more.

It isn't something that you just sluff off and say, “Oh well, I don’t care if it happens anyway.” The desire is just as real as it ever was. The difference is that you have given it to your Father; you are no longer ruled by this thing; you are trusting God and you know that He can and will take care of it. You trust Him because you know that He loves you.

There is one thing that is true; it is sort of hard to understand, but it’s true. The only one that can do anything for us, and make it last is our Father. You see, He is Eternal and what He does is Eternal. The reason that this is hard for us to understand is because our mind can only relate to material things, and they don’t last. Our mind says that the only permanent thing is change, but our soul knows that the only permanent thing is God.

Just to know that this God, who is our Father, is Lord of all and that this world came into being just because He spoke the Word is not enough to take the hurt from us and heal our heart. But to know that He loves us--that’s enough.

Love never fails

When I See Christ

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:26:30 GMT

God gave man a law. It was meant for man, it was good for man; yet there is an end to it. “Jesus Christ is the end of the law to everyone that believes.”--Rom.l0:4 Therefore, if I am to do God’s will, I will either be subject to the law, or I will be subject to Christ.

If Jesus Christ is the end of the law, and I have Him within me, then I am at the end of the law. Yet there is not always the peace within me that Jesus gives. This is because there is a lack of understanding as to what “having” Christ means.

An intellectual understanding of what He is is not the Spiritual possession that is having Christ.

Spiritual quickening, or understanding, has the ability to bring two opposite things together; and, of the two, make one. There is no division in one, and so there is no conflict. Christ is one, and in Him there is no conflict.

When I am one in thought with Him, there will be no conflict within me. I will have His peace.

It is no problem for Christ to give all of Himself to me. His love is above the love of man. He gave Himself for and to me before I ever knew Him.

It is a great problem for me to give myself to Him. In the first place, I do not know myself; and in the second place, I do not know my God. So first I must learn Him, and then I will know His desires.

For the moment, I am overcome with love for Jesus, and I say, “Lord, I give all of my life to You.” On the next day a new thing comes into my life. I did not know of this thing the day before when I made my consecration, so now I have a new decision to make. And so, little by little, I give my life to God, and I learn of Him.

He has things reserved for me that I do not know about. My God wants to preserve me for these things so that I may rejoice with Him. My understanding is not His understanding, and so He preserves me with His Word. He speaks to me and says, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” My eyes can not see, nor does my mind understand, but I have learned that God’s Word is true. Because I believe it to be true, I will obey it without understanding. In so doing I have recognized and entered into the Law of God’s Word.

I do God’s Word, not because I understand it, nor do I know my ultimate destination in it, but only because I believe it to be the Word of God. I am blind to the reason for it. I know that God says it; so I do what He says.

God tells me that He loves me and that if I love Him, He will see that all things work together for my good. I do not understand how, and my mind scoffs at the “stupidity” of God. Because my mind is of this nature, my God speaks again and says that I am to cast down any such thought that might give rise to disobedience.

I am bound by the Law of His Word.

But Jesus Christ is the end of the law to everyone who believes! What then, is the Word of God made to be of no effect? Of course not! Law is obedience without understanding.

When Jesus Christ came, He, because of God’s Spirit within Him, understood the meaning of the law; and, therefore, He fulfilled the law! No man can understand the things of God except the Spirit of God dwell in him (1 Cor.2:11-12).

There can be no understanding of God’s Word until one has learned to understand the intelligence of the Spirit.

When the Spirit of God reveals the meaning of His Word to an individual, He does so because that individual is famished for understanding. He now knows the heart of God because God’s Word is God’s desire, and God has revealed His desire to the hungry heart.

This individual will accept God’s revelation because he was hungry for it. He becomes one with God in this thing; there are no longer two points of view to be reconciled. God’s Word no longer is law to this individual--it is now not only God’s desire, but his desire too. God’s nature has been given to Him and he has received it because he was hungry for it. He no longer needs a law to tell him to do something that his very nature desires.

Christ in you--He is the end of the law to everyone who believes. Once, when I was a kid, I bought a package of flower seeds. The package had a description of what one could expect the flowers to look like. I put the seeds in the ground, but I kept the packet because it told me what to expect. But eventually I threw the packet away. The flowers had matured; I no longer needed the description that told me what was to be. I could see the finished product. So it is with the law, and so it is with Christ. “The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ….” “Christ is the end of the law to every one who believes.” “…When I see Him, I shall be like Him because I shall see Him as He is.”--1 John 3:2 There will be no conflicting thoughts within me when I see Christ. I shall be like Him for I shall see Him. I shall see His peace, so I shall have His peace; I shall see His joy, so I shall have His joy; I shall see His tenderness, and I shall have His tenderness; I shall see His love, and I shall have His love.

No law shall bind me, and no law shall direct me when I see Christ. I shall see Him as He is and I shall be like Him.

Where Do You Live?

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:25:57 GMT

There is one big difference between a Christian and other people. The man who has come to Jesus and been born again by the power of God has a choice.

I’ll show you what I mean. Before a man comes to Jesus Christ, he is a creature that is born in sin. He is not necessarily a sinner because of what he does; he is a sinner by nature.

It’s somewhat like the poor guy that’s born on the wrong side of the tracks. He can’t help it if he’s born there; that’s just the way things are. As this fellow grows up, his life is shaped by the environment in which he lives. He finds that he will fall into a certain pattern of living and expressing himself. This won’t be at all strange to him because everyone does the same thing. Sometimes he becomes discouraged by this existence, but so does everyone else, so that makes him pretty normal.

You see, this man is bound, he knows only one kind of life. That’s just like the man born in sin; he only knows one kind of life too.

One day our friend gets wind of the fact that there are two sides to the track. Conditions on the other side look much better. One day he decides to get an apartment on the other side and becomes part of their society. He hasn’t changed his habits of living, so things don’t work out quite right. He feels somewhat strange, so he decides to spend part of his time on one side of the track and part of his time on the other. Then things really get tough. People on the right side of the track can’t accept him because his ways of expressing himself are contrary to their ways. The very fact that he wants to live on the right side of the tracks makes him uncomfortable on the other side.

So our friend, even though he has a choice and is no longer bound to express himself, in just one way, is having difficulties. Eventually he solved his problems by resolving to live on the right side of the track entirely, to learn their ways, and to give up his old ways completely.

When a man realizes that he is bound by sin and that there is something better, it’s quite natural that he wants it.

When he realizes that what he wants is found in Jesus Christ, he comes to Him. Then he is born again and has a NEW Life. He no longer is bound to the old way of living. The choice of WHERE he is going to live lies with him.

The best advice a Christian ever had is to follow after this new Spiritual Life. Here’s why: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the law of sin and death.”--Rom. 8:1-2.

Have you ever stopped to consider just where you live?

Who's Thinking for You?

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:25:27 GMT

Thoughts! They are odd things. I wonder if I could say there are two classes of thought. The first is that kind of thought that pertains to the study of the sciences or has to do with the practice of the arts, and the second kind has to do with thoughts that make you what you are. That’s not a very good description, but maybe as more words come, it will clear up. There is really a sharp line of demarcation between the two. And yet very few are there who are aware of it. Thoughts are just things you think about, they say, and let it go at that.

We can choose the thing we want to study, put our mind to it, and learn. This falls into the first category of thought.

What we are going to do with what we have learned is determined by thoughts that fall into the second category.

These thoughts are not our own. Even though they are in our mind, they come from either Satan or God. Our privilege is to know this and choose the right thoughts.

Let me illustrate a little bit of what I mean about these two categories of thought: Let us say two men have set their mind to the task of becoming expert with side arms. They both sacrifice of their time to spend long hours in practice. They are learning a skill. Each one is subject to the same discipline required to achieve success. All of this falls into the first category of thought. Now here is the difference, and the thoughts that make this difference fall into the second category. One is working diligently so he can live outside the law, while the other is learning the same skill so he can uphold the law.

Again, one man studies the Bible to learn more of God, while another studies it so he can argue against it.

Again, one man does a good deed because of the love of God within him, while another does a good deed to gain an indebtedness.

Again, one man goes to church to worship God and to fellowship with those of like mind, while another goes to church to further his social position.

And so it is, in every phase of our living. There are thoughts that give reason to our actions. It is these thoughts that reveal what manner of men we are. I repeat--these thoughts are not our own, but it is our privilege to choose those thoughts which will dominate us.

Let us look at what happened to Eve. The thoughts that led to disobedience were not hers, but they were given to her by Satan! She accepted them, dwelt on them and partook of their fruit--death.

Paul says, “To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Man has not majored this truth, he does not know the division between these two great categories of thought. Paul understood it and wrote about it. The writer of the book we call Hebrews says that God’s Word discerns the thoughts and intent of the heart.

It is foolishness to think that the carnal mind can generate Spiritual thought. The carnal mind can not even understand the things of God! The carnal mind is of this world and it can only understand the things of this world.

That is why we can study the arts and sciences and the trades. None of these things increase our spiritual stature or take away from it. It is what we do with what we have learned that determines what we are.

The Bible speaks of two great classes of being, the one is called flesh and the other is called Spirit, each have their characteristics. Those who are familiar with the Bible will understand what I am talking about when I say, “The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these…” Then again, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy…” The Bible is sufficiently clear on these points that if one wishes to and will be honest with himself, he may analyze his thoughts and determine whether they are of the flesh or of the Spirit. But remember, these thoughts are not you own --they come from Satan or they are from God! The strength of Satan lies in his anonymity. When one is born again, he becomes a new type of being because he is born of the Spirit. Satan is no longer obscured; God has revealed him for what he is. He that is born of the Spirit has God’s ability in him even as Satan’s ability was in the old man of the flesh. The Bible asks us to yield our members unto God as “instruments of righteousness,” even as we had previously yielded them to Satan. Then we are reminded of this fact: When we yield ourselves to something, whether God or Satan--when we obey them, we become their servant.

In Romans Paul writes to walk after the Spirit, not after the flesh, mind the things of the Spirit, not the things of the flesh. Then we are told that we have the mind of Christ; Again, He is the head over all things. Again, let this mind be in you that was also in Christ. The truth of the matter is simply this: A Spiritual thought is not the carnal mind thinking about God; it is God within you, thinking His thoughts through you! Before we gave ourselves to God we were servants of Satan--we were born in his domain, we thought his thoughts.

We were not necessarily sinners by choice; it was just our estate. When we hear of Jesus, and believe His Word, we enter into a new estate: This one is of God, in it there is no sin. Now there are two estates made known to us and what we do now is entirely up to us.

Now we have a choice. When we enter into God, we become aware of a new conflict. We desire to do well and we are more than ever aware of our own inability. It seems that we are forever doing that which we do not desire and are not quite able to do that which we do desire. We become more and more aware of our own inability to do that which we know God desires.

The answer to this apparent impasse lays in the way that God made us. In Romans we learn a startling thing. We are molded by the thoughts we think! The Word says that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. This indicates that we are not to put too much emphasis on what we do or say. The emphasis is on what we think. The Bible says “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Therefore, if our thoughts are God’s thoughts, it naturally follows that our words and actions will be the expression of these thoughts.

The whole trouble is that we were born in sin and our thoughts were shaped by iniquity. They were Satan’s thoughts.

We were his servants and we did his bidding.

The scripture brings another truth to light. It says, “Train a child in the way that he shall go and he shall not depart there from.” This is what Satan has done to man. Satan has trained us; and because we are creatures of habit, we continue to react after the fashion of this world, even though Jesus has given us a new Life and set us free from the power of Satan! Paul wrote about this to the Colossians. He said, “Wherefore, if you be, dead, with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances…..after the commandments and doctrines of men?” If this characteristic of habit is our problem, it is also our salvation. If a habit can be formed, it can also be broken! But, even as no one ever formed a habit without first entering into a pattern of thought or action, no one will ever break a habit without altering that pattern of thought or action. No one else can form a habit for you and no one else can break a habit for you; you must do these things by yourself. The Bible says there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We have to do our own walking; no one can do it for us.

Jesus set us free from the bondage of Satan. He gave His life for us so that we might have God’s Life in us. He gave us His thoughts and made us partakers of His nature. We are no longer caught short with just the “old way;” we are made alive in the “new way.” The only thing left is just the old habit of thinking and doing. If we will let God’s thoughts dwell in us and be willing to let them be expressed through us, the old habit will be broken.

Paul speaks in some detail when he wrote his letters; he said no man should think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but we should think soberly, knowing that God has given him that which he has. We are to be sincere in our love for each other and not be dishonest or hypocritical. We are to separate ourselves from that which is evil and cling to that which is good. We must love the Lord with a fervent Spirit, rejoice in hope, be patient in trials, and we must bless them who persecute us. We must not return evil for evil, rather we must return good for evil. We are not to be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.

And so, with many words we are instructed in what to think and what to do. But it is impossible to detail thought and action for all who would live for God. And so the Word says: We must cast down (this means destroy) every imagination, thought, and action that sets itself contrary to the knowledge of God. Every thought must be captured and given to God so He can form it in accordance with His desire.

God lives in those who have believed the Words of Jesus Christ and received them for themselves. All those who will receive His thoughts, and allow them to be expressed through them, will enter into the joy of their Lord. They will know full salvation because they have crucified the “old man” and broken his habits. They have opened their mouths and confessed God’s word; they have presented their bodies to the Lord and have become “instruments of righteousness.” They have experienced the miracle of transformation.

Whose Words are Shaping Your Thoughts?

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:24:41 GMT

You have heard some gossip and it has affected you. You heard words from someone’s mouth and they have become powerful. They have taken hold of your mind and they are coloring your thoughts and your actions. Once there was joy, now there is doubt. Confidence no longer is yours. Once where peace reigned, now there is turmoil.

Once where there was eagerness, now there is hesitancy.

All this because you have heard words, words coated with the poison of Satan words that were not necessarily uttered with malice, but words that did not convey the glory of God. They were words that were not spoken in praise to the all-loving Father.

These words became seeds that were planted, and they bring forth fruit--many fold. These words come to mind unbidden because the heart of man is fertile ground for the seeds of Satan. (The man of God must watch what manner of man he is in all holy conversation.) Man does not need to nourish the seeds of gossip; he must guard against them. He must eradicate them from his thoughts, as he would remove weeds from a prized garden. They are not profitable; they will destroy the garden of God, if not tended to.

Now here is the truth of it. You have just heard words yet your whole attitude has been changed because of these words. No force has been applied, just words have been used. What is it that these words react on? Is it not the spirit that is within man? The earthly creation that is man has been born in the freedom of his ability to choose. He may listen to what he wishes. Eve listened to the words of Satan. Because she listened, man lost the light and life of God. Now there is nothing to use as a comparison to show the things of Satan. Man is in darkness, he is without light, he is blind. He is born in sin. He knows not God.

Now the deceit of Satan takes over. Man requires a standard and so Satan suggests that man use his senses. “Then you will know good and evil. Your eyes will be opened.” The Bible declares that man was born in sin and shaped (educated) in iniquity--things that are not right, therefore, as long as man follows the natural path to which he was born, he cannot attain to righteousness. There is no righteousness in him because the light of God has departed.

Man has learned to walk. He can use natural sight and avoid colliding with obstacles. He moves in a material world.

Animals do the same, but because man has been able to accomplish more than the animals he has established himself as supreme over the material world.

He has overlooked something—words affect him, words shape his life. Words release power within him because he is more than a material creature—he is Spirit.

If man is Spirit, then it is not right for him to be governed by that which is of the flesh. Not having the light of God, he cannot “see” the evil of Satan. He is subject to words. Words shat carry the poison of Satan become his relish.

These kind of words never bring peace and contentment. Rather they generate turmoil, suspicion and doubt. These are the fruits of Satan’s words. Hate springs forth and chokes out love. Love is gone and there is no understanding.

There is no forgiveness. Man stands ready to condemn man. He becomes an island wherein there is no fellowship.

He is at bay because he has no sight. He is ready to fight because he has no love. There is no forgiveness in his heart.

All this is because the words of Satan were planted. They reacted upon his Spirit; and not having the light of God, he was blinded and knew not what to do.

But there are other words—words of God, words that are different from those that Satan has. The first words we read about come from God, and they dispel the unknown, they illuminate. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Now light and darkness existed—darkness for those who chose darkness, but light to them who chose light.

Satan could not push back the light. The light shown into the world and the darkness could not overcome it. Satan must be content to speak his words, and then those who listen will be filled with darkness. They will see a way, but they will not find it. They will seek peace, but it will elude them, because peace is of the light.

God’s word triumphs over Satan’s words. Jesus answered Satan with God’s word and he could not reply. It was necessary for him to leave Jesus because Jesus would not listen to his word. His words had no power if people would not listen to them. But he had to obey the words of God because God was his master. Only those who would listen to Satan would do his will.

God’s word says “There is no condemnation to those who mind the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh.” The Psalmist says of God’s word, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” The permanency of God’s word is such that though heaven and earth shall pass away, God’s word will remain. The integrity of God’s word is established because God said that He will watch over His word to perform it. It remains for me to know God’s word.

There are so many words in this world that they beat upon our ears as the waves of the seas. If I do not know God’s word, I will not know what to receive and what to reject. In myself I am apt to receive that which sounds logical to my senses; my flesh will react to its training.

God is Spirit. His words are Spirit. To understand them, I must be Spirit. But I have been “born in sin.” That which is of the flesh is flesh. What shall I do? The word of God says that he that comes to God is born again by the power and will of God. God is a Spirit and the word of God declares that that which is “born of the Spirit is Spirit.” This is the sure word of God. It is dependable.

As I receive this Word and tend to it, I am created again and made a new creature in Christ Jesus. This is the power of God’s word. Because I received the word of God by faith, I am by faith made a Spiritual creature so that I might know the things of God. There is a power released within me that is the power of God because the Bible says that it is God who works within me both willing and doing of His good pleasure.

There are more spirits than one because I am told by God’s word to believe not every spirit, but to try the spirits and see whether they be of God. Every spirit that says that Christ is not come in the flesh is not of God. But any spirit that says Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, that this anointing can dwell in man, is born of God and the truth is in him.

The Spirit of God is the nature of God and the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, faith, patience, meekness and longsuffering. These things will be made manifest within us because God’s Spirit is in the one who believes.

The words we listen to determine the path we follow and the Spirit we serve.

To hear the word of God and not do the word is not to believe. We deceive ourselves. The children of Israel heard the word, but they did not believe, they did not do, they murmured and complained. They did not mix the word with faith, so they did not receive the benefit of the light and life that is in the word.

No one can say they are a believer of the word and not be a doer as well. So if I hear a word of gossip or malice, and even though I say I do not believe it, if my thoughts are governed by it, my actions will be changed. I have become a doer of that word. I have believed because I acted on that word.

If I hear the word of God, and I harbor that within my heart, my thoughts will be changed. My actions will be changed.

I will be a doer of this word that I have received.

I must pick out the weeds of Satan. I know God’s Spirit brings forth love, and whenever any word is said contrary to this, I must cast it out and bring every thought in subjection to the obedience of Christ. If any thing shall cause me to become bitter and to doubt my God, I must cast it out, and bring it into subjection to God’s word.

And soon the way is clear. If I am to have the fruit of the Spirit brought to perfection in my life, I cannot receive the words of Satan.

I must receive the word of God

Words

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:23:54 GMT

I have been thinking lately about words--words that we use in our every day life, words that we probably take for granted, words that we use in business and for pleasure.

Contracts and agreements between individuals or large corporations are based upon words. Words seem to be the foundation upon which all of the negotiations in the society in which we live are established.

Whether it has to do with the masses or whether it has to do with individuals, words are the only way in which we can communicate. Wars are declared by the agency of words and with words peace is made again. It is by the agency of words that nations are built, destroyed, saved, or lost.

Relationships come into being because of words. Words are creative. When someone says a simple thing like, “I love you,” a relationship, which did not previously exist, is born. In fact God created the world with words. Words build or they can tear down. Words can cause joy or sorrow, faith or doubt, contentment, or discord. All this and more with just words. Everywhere we go we are exposed to the power and influence of words--just words. That influence may be pleasant or unpleasant, kind or unkind, good or evil, but all, nevertheless, with words.

How necessary words are. Words are the only way in which we can effectually communicate. We cannot have a complete relationship with thoughts alone. Thoughts must be clothed with words. Words are the seen and heard garments for the invisible thoughts that we are thinking. Of course, there are some thoughts that should never be put into words.

It is by words that communication is established. Even Morse Code must be put into words or it is just rhytlimic noise.

Thoughts come first, but words are necessary to get the idea across. Thoughts must be clothed with words or they will go unknown and unexpressed. It is words that verify the meaning of thought and bridge the gap that exists between ignorance and knowledge, making communication possible. Even the tyrant Adolph Hitler once said, “The power that has started all of the political and religious avalanches rolling has been the magic of the spoken word and that alone.” We probably have never majored the fact that words have such a profound influence over our lives. Listen to what Proverbs in the Old Testament says, “The power of life and death are in the tongue (words) and they that love it (life or death) shall eat the fruit thereof. You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken captive by them. A man has joy by the answer of his mouth. A word spoken in due season, how good it is! A word timely spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Paul says, “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart thou shalt be saved.” Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Paul further says, “For with words the mouth makes confession unto salvation.” Proverbs says, “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” (words are found in the mouth). “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found. The lips of the righteous feed many. The tongue of the just is as choice silver. Thy 1ip of truth shall be established forever but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” What captivating power and influence words have upon us, both for good and for evil. “There are those who speak like the piercing of a sword; but the tongue of the wise is health. A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth.”--Proverbs 12:18 For instance, there is a positive effect upon our spirits when we confess God’s Word. We are delivered by words or we create ourselves a prison by them. “A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise use knowledge aright; but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. The words of the pure are pleasant words. A divine sentence (word) is in the mouth of the king. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones.” In conclusion Proverbs says, “The wise in heart shall be called prudent and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning; the heart of the wise teaches his mouth and adds learning to his lips.” The apostle Paul says we are to increase in utterance and all knowledge. There are many words that are bandied about in our society today. These are constructive and destructive powers at work, economical and political, individual and corporate; but the real root cause of all words is spiritual. Words are either born of God or born of Satan, motivated by love or governed by selfishness. Politics may get under your skin, but only God’s Word can change your heart.

When Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” He was really saying that out of the reserves of one of two spirits a man shall gather his words. Paul said he spoke out of the Spirit of supply that is in Christ Jesus where all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge reside. He said, “Seeing you seek a truth concerning Christ speaking in me...” No wonder King David said, “I have set a watch before my mouth and kept the door of my lips.” James says, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth, and the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire (fire of desire) the course of nature (human) and it is set on fire from hell. The tongue no man can tame, it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God and curse we men. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing.” James concludes by saying, “Brethren, these things ought not to be. Can a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you. Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”--James 3:13 The tongue no man can tame because by nature man is a liar and how can a liar establish integrity within himself? Our words are either born of God or they are born of Satan. They are either born of the flesh or they are born of the Spirit. They are either human or they are divine. They are either the gospel (good news) or just the word of man (bad news) bad for him and those around him. The Word of God is blessed (divinely empowered) and brings deliverance.

That is the simple but practical difference between the words of man and the Word of God. Man’s word is dead.

God’s Word is living.

God’s Word is always GOOD NEWS, and that literally is what the word Gospel means. Man’s words are dead because he has no life within himself apart from God. God’s Word is indwelt by His own Life and He imparts that Life through His good news, which is, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, made up of words. The Word gives birth to the Divine seed within us.

Jesus is called “The Word of God.” In John it reads, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us… No man has seen God at anytime. The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared or revealed Him.” Jesus became God’s Word on the earth. Jesus became the garment for God’s mind, the revelation of God’s heart and nature. Jesus spoke only His Father’s Word. He said, “My Doctrine (words) are not mine but His that sent me.” (I wonder how many preachers can honestly say that.) Jesus also said, “The words I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life.” That simply means that God dwells in His words, because only God is Spirit and Life.

Jesus the man is gone now and has returned to the Father, but he has left something to take his place which is just as powerful and just as sufficient. It is the Word of God. Paul says, “Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ down, or who shall descend into the deep to bring Christ up from the dead, but what saith the scripture, the Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth, the Word of faith which we preach.”--Rom. 10:7- 10 The written and spoken Word actually takes the place of Jesus on earth. In Hebrews, Paul says of the Word, “The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and He is a revealer of the thoughts and intents (motives) of the heart. All things are naked in His sight.” Notice that Paul does not call the Word an “it”, but a “He.” No wonder he said that the Word is alive and active or quick and powerful. Christ dwells in that Word and Christ is alive. That is what differentiates God’s Word from man’s word. God’s Word is alive and therefore begets Life. Dead words can not beget Life any more than dead matter can beget living cells.

Christ dwells and abides in the Word of faith. It is God’s Word, not man’s word. God says, “I will watch over My Word to perform or fulfill it.” He fills it full of Himself.

In 2 Cor.1:19, Paul says, “The Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us...” The emphasis I wish to stress here is that Paul actually states that he preached the Son of God. He didn’t say that he just told Bible stories about a historical man called Jesus but that he was bringing Him on the scene by the very Word that he spoke. In short he was saying, “The Son of God’s very Life indwells my preaching and fills my words. God is in my words because Christ is in God and God is in me. I am actually and Spiritually preaching the Son of God out of me because He already lives within me.” To talk about someone is historical. To have them indwell in our words while we are yet speaking is Spiritual, and the nature of Spiritual things is to always be PRESENT! In the gospels it is recorded that the disciples PREACHED THE KINGDOM OF GOD. There is a difference in preaching about something and bringing that very thing within reach so that it may actually be possessed. Jesus said, “Repent, (which means to change your way of thinking) the kingdom of heaven at hand.” And it was because it actually dwelled within him. But he was telling others that they too could have ownership and there was no need to go away empty. He wasn’t telling them to get ready for it in some far-off future day. He was actually bringing it down to earth. He knew that they would never be ready for Heaven so he got Heaven ready for them. He brought the Kingdom of God down to them with his Word. The only problem was that they didn’t recognize the King. He preached the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God Spiritually inhabited his every Word. The King had come that God’s will could be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

In the Book of Acts it says that Phillip “preached Jesus” unto the eunuch. He didn’t just talk about “Jesus.” Jesus filled his words. Paul said, “We do not fill our preaching (words) with ourselves but we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord.” Christ Jesus, the Lord, dwelled within his Word. Paul said in 1 Cor.2:4, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in man’s wisdom but in the power of God.” Paul also stated that the Kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power. He said that his teaching came not in word alone but with the Holy Spirit and much assurance. It is that blessed assurance that says, “Jesus is mine.” Even as important as words are, if Christ is not in them, they are naked, empty, alone, and dead. Only Christ can make words Live. Whether you are a Greek scholar or not won’t make much difference. It is all Greek to us anyway until He reveals Himself to us.

They didn’t abandon their goal in order to fight and debate Judaism. They preached Christ and Christ who dwelled in their words added to the Church daily according to His will.

It is recorded in the book of Revelations that the believer overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb (that made things legal) and by the word of their testimony (that made it vital). Jesus himself said, “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit down with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in His throne.”-- Rev. 3:21 Hebrews says to hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering (doubting). Christianity is based upon a faith that is founded upon only one thing and that is God’s Word.

Christianity is Life not just a doctrine, creed, or theology. The Word is not paper and ink; the Word is Spirit. The Word is alive. The Word is God! The Word is the Divine thought, the Divine mind, the Divine nature breathed out into words. No wonder Jesus could say, “The Words I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life.” God’s Words are alive and active, while doctrines and men’s theories are dead and idle. The Word (Logos) existed before the foundations of the world and long before paper and ink came on the scene.

Jesus himself said, “The letter kills but the Spirit (God) gives life.” Paul when writing to the Corinthians said, “You are our epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men: for as much as you are manifestly declared (revealed) to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone but in fleshy (sensitive) tables of the heart.”--2 Cor.3:2-3 A man will speak the most frequently about that which is dearest to him. Our words will most certainly reveal our thoughts. If I believe in my problems, I will reveal that belief and betray myself with words. If I believe more strongly in God than I do problems, I can deliver myself by speaking God’s Word.

There are only two types of words--words born of faith (God) or words born of doubt (Satan). Satan is the anti-spirit of faith and all words born of doubt are the child of Satan. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Faith comes from God just as surely as doubt comes from Satan.

How great a mountain we can build with words! We can manufacture problems that seem insurmountable and impassable. We can build mountains of doubt with our words, or we can move mountains into the sea. “You shall have whatsoever (no matter what) you say.”--Mark 11:23 No wonder King David in the 34th Psalms said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.” David knew that if his mouth was continually filled with God’s Word and God’s praises that doubt could find no place in him.

How powerful effect words have upon us. It is no wonder that Paul said that the gospel is the POWER OF God unto our salvation. The gospel is good news for human beings that need salvation. No one could bring better news to our front door than God has brought in His gospel. It will dispel darkness from our hearts. Paul says, “God who commanded the light (Word) to shine into the darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”--2 Cor.4:4-6. “It has pleased God by the foolishness of words to save them that believe.”--1 Cor.1:21 Never underestimate the power of words. Words can change your life if they come from God. Words can direct you and words can give you revelation and understanding. Always remember that the nature of God’s Word is to build faith and encourage you. God’s words are always GOOD NEWS to those who love the truth. If we love the truth, it looks like we have nothing to worry about.

“If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

Words about Different Things

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:21:36 GMT

There is no lack of words in this world -- but a lot of times the words lack sense.

Some words are good but they enter ears that can’t hear. In this case they produce nothing--either positive or negative. Ears that hear respond one way or the other.

Actually, when it comes to knowing God, we’re a pretty ignorant lot! But on the whole we have a good heart, and that comes from God. We would be better off if we recognized that.

We’re an amazing lot--we travel the sea and dive in its depths, we fly in the skies, and float through space. We measure the speed of light and know the composition of the stars, yet we stand helpless before a human heart. We can not heal heartache or take away loneliness. God alone knows how to touch the heart of man.

Christians are peculiar too--they say they are born again, yet they don’t know much about their new Life. They say they are born again yet they seldom seem to grow. They refer to themselves as “Babes in Christ.” They say, “All things become new,” yet they follow the old laws of reaction to their surrounding. That’s evidence that the old nature is very much alive! Yet God loves them! Some men are leaders and some are followers. If we are followers and are fortunate enough to find a leader who says, “Follow Christ,” we soon will become a leader and tell others to follow Christ.

God does not want a man to follow a man--Jesus said. “Follow Me!” When a man does this, he inevitably comes to the place where he hears the promise of the Father and is endowed with power from on High. He knows that God is in him and working through him. This man is now God’s ambassador; and, as Peter said, such a man “ought to obey God rather than man.” Paul says, “Follow me, as I follow Christ.” This is good advice. What it really says is “follow Christ,” otherwise you won’t know when not to follow me.

If we follow someone and not know when not to follow him, we’re apt to become so tangled in the affairs of the Church that we forget to let God’s compassion and love flow through us. We become a tool of the Church rather than an instrument of righteousness used by God.

It’s o.k. to honor a man in the Lord, but the tendency of man is to listen to the man and this is too risky when it comes to Eternal values. You see, it’s a lot easier to hear man than it is God. This man might say the same words, but you better be careful and use the right ears to hear them. God’s ears routes the words to your heart, but man’s ears just routes them to your head. Know God, listen to him; and if your brother says the same thing, say, “Amen, God bless you,” and worship the Lord with him, but don’t worship him. Remember, when God speaks, he draws men to Himself.

Sometimes God uses a man to show us the right way, and sometimes God uses a man to show us the wrong way.

But the benefit of the whole thing is lost if we don’t hear the commentary from God. God’s desire is that we listen to him. We will find no error in his teaching, but when we are dependent upon someone else for what we learn we are subject to their errors as well as our own. It’s best that we deal direct and cut out the middle man.

A Christian is never isolated! He is never left alone and no matter where he is or what his surroundings are, God is with him--always! Therefore, the one who is born of this Spirit can not be lonesome. Lonesomeness is of the flesh--it is not of God. The flesh is isolated from God, but the one who is born of God has the comforter abiding in him-- always. When we know God as God meant for us to know him, we will know companionship, harmony, contentment, and peace such as can not be found in this world. That’s just one of the benefits of salvation; so if you claim salvation, you might just as well claim the continual, Eternal presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Know God, live in him, and enjoy this wonderful companionship that God has bestowed on us through Jesus Christ! God made us, therefore, he knows all about how we think and feel. He understood loneliness and so he prepared a place of abiding for us wherein it is impossible for us to be lonely. The door swings both ways--we may enter, or we may leave. Obviously, if we wish the benefits of this place, we must live there. God, through Jesus, has provided this place, but living in it is up to us.

God chose to make us become one with Himself. He brought peace to us by vanquishing the enemy. As long as there is flesh and spirit, there’s going to be conflict, but God has brought things about in such fashion that we need not obey the dictates of the flesh. He did this by indwelling us and giving us his Life. It makes no difference whether you can see this or not--you better believe it if you want the deep inviolable peace that God has provided for you! Listen to what the Bible says, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now, if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”--Rom.8:9 And “If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”--Rom.8:10 The plain simple fact of the matter is that if we are born again we are new creatures. The birthing process is brought about by the will and ability of God to all those who believe Jesus. There are not some of God’s children who are born again and some not--all of God’s children are born again. (If you are not born again, you are not God’s child.) The trouble is that we are not too much aware of this new Life, so we go right on living according to the dictates of the old. Sometimes, it seems to me, a Christian considers himself to be just the same as before, only now he has new ideals and a new destiny. That’s not right! The early Church made the same error. They never quite got hold of the kind of faith freedom that God meant for them to have. Remember what James told Paul, “You see how many there are who believe and everyone is zealous of the law!” Yet the truth of the matter is that Christ is the end of the law to everyone that believes.

That’s the way it is with us--we have a new Life, not a modified version of the old, but an entirely new one! This new Life is as different from the old one as Satan is from God, and I can’t evoke any greater difference! The Bible says, “Old things are passed away and all things become new,” but the old things don’t blink out like a light! They sluff off the more we are aware of the truth that is God.

I can’t tell you what this new Life is like because it is Spiritual, and I have no point of comparison. Jesus would always say, “The Kingdom of Heaven (this Spirit realm) is liken unto…” and then he would illustrate a point by telling a story.

Jesus, Himself, became the source by which we know God. So the only thing I can do is listen to what he has to say.

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature”--this means, among other things, that he has new ears! This is important. The old creature’s ears route everything to our mind, while the new creature’s ears routes things to the soul. Therefore, the words we hear take on different meanings depending upon which ears we use.

The natural thing is to use the old ears. This way we can evaluate what we hear. We say, “God gave us a mind so we might as well use it” But the trouble is our carnal mind has not, does not, and never will know or understand the things of God. Therefore, words routed by the old ears are not interpreted for good.

God gave us new ears--so let’s use them! It will not be easy or comfortable.

We can hear words that the old ears would say carry hatred and malice and distrust, but the new ears filter that out, so their venom does not reach our soul. We hear no evil so we can return good for the evil that Satan intended.

The new ears can hear the intent of the word and see the soul of the thought --- they bring hope and joy and peace because that is God’s desire. The old ears interpret according to their own desires and bring rebellion to the heart.

Rebellion! Our hearts are full of it! Lots of times we don’t recognize it as rebellion. Ever feel frustrated? That’s because of rebellion. Frustration is probably the most lonesome feeling there is. Sometimes we feel badly within ourselves when we can’t accomplish certain things. This isn’t really too bad if we can turn to someone to help us; but when we can’t turn to someone and feel that there is absolutely no way out, no where to go, and that nothing can be done, brother, that’s trouble at its worst! Lonesomeness, rebellion, and frustration all seem to be related. Each one magnifies the other; and if we allow them free hand, we end up with what little peace and sanity we thought we had ripped to shreds! This doesn’t make God happy because that’s not the way he planned things. You see, he knows something that most of us don’t--he knows why we’re lonesome! He knows the real reason. Sometimes we think that we are lonesome because there’s no one around or because we feel that people won’t accept us. That’s not true! A person is lonesome because he isn’t communicating with God! When a man learns he can fellowship God, he’s not lonesome anymore!

Worshipping in the Spirit

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:20:14 GMT

I read in the paper the other day about someone who was recovering from a case of poison ivy. It seems this party was hiking through the woods and coming to a shady green spot, decided to lie down and rest for awhile. The idea was all right, but the place was full of poison ivy and the results were bad. The article was captioned with a picture of the person swathed in bandages and reading a WORSHIPING IN THE SPIRIT There is a bit of a problem as to how best to set forth some of the truths of the Spirit. If only people would seek after God and recognize Him as a Spirit, then understanding would be increased. The things we talk about sound like a bunch of nonsensical foolishness to the reasoning of man, but it is truly solid when it comes to Spiritual things. As soon as we realize that God doesn’t have to conform to man, but rather is complete within His own confines and can do exactly as He wishes, then we will begin to have the flexibility that ALLOWS for God’s leading.

God does not HAVE to work in a church organization. Maybe at one time He will and in certain ways, but He is not bound to do a repeat performance--don’t expect Him to! Physical love and natural expectation cause many people to be overwhelmed by despair. There is NO material thing or act that we do, that can repeatedly bring the Spirit of God’s presence to us.

We must be flexible and EXPECT God to come from nowhere and everywhere.

His Spirit can be strong within us as we walk down the street and look into the face of a passerby. On the other hand, the most beautiful Sanctuary ever built, in which the most impressive ritual ever enacted by man is a regular occurrence, can turn your heart into the hardest and coldest kind of stone as far as God is concerned.

God was not in the earthquake--He was not in the lightning or thunder, nor was He in the mighty wind; it was that “still small voice.” Look for God to be everywhere, but don’t demand for Him to be anywhere.

When you have found Him, don’t reverence the place or the act, but worship the Spirit. When you find He is not in something, no matter how much you think He should be there, don’t try to put Him there, or your heart will turn to stone.

Do not say that just because something seems good to you, it is good to the Lord; or that because such and such seems the rea¬sonable thing to do, it is God’s will. God does not conform to man’s ways or man’s thoughts unless He sees His glory in it. Man’s will and reasoning is conceived, exists, and disintegrates in death. It has never seen anything else, so it cannot produce “real life” of its own accord.

The words that God speaks mean just what He wants them to mean, and no amount of theological meandering is going to change them. When you say, “How can these things be,” you are saying that you do not have either the mind or the faith of God, and are trying to understand them within yourself. Again, the mind conceived in darkness cannot comprehend the light. To be carnally minded IS death.

One cannot say with the lips, “I believe,” and in the heart entertain doubts, because soon your life will put the lie to your words.

To be determined that such a thing will be, or should be, does not make it so; and physical energy or physical zeal does not produce Spiritual reality.

One can believe that such a thing is true, and yet consider it to be of such remote consequence that, even though the fact is concrete in reality, it is nonexistent to the individual. This is impersonal faith. If, however, I believe that an event is to occur that concerns me and for which I must prepare and is actually going to happen, then because of this faith, I will bring my life into certain channels that will produce the beneficial results. This is a personal faith, and the result of this faith is a changed condition. On the other hand, I may be the one who must change. Either way, I can learn in all things if I am willing.

Our life demonstrates the personality of our faith. Faith that is faith in the eyes of God is a productive seed that produces Life where there was no Life. The possessor of this faith finds his life a changing life, not because he wills the change, but solely because this is the nature of faith.

When you come together to pray, come with your own praises, your own desires, your own needs. But then when you have prayed and sense the presence of the Spirit, remember those about you so that you ALL may enjoy the fellowship of the Spirit. In this manner, you will come to know the unity and leading of the Spirit. You will learn the need of the Spirit in your life and for those about you ONLY as you know the Spirit of God yourself.

The reaction of physical things upon the flesh produces certain results. Physical things cannot react the same way upon the Spirit because they are of different natures. In the flesh, the reaction is to produce sin which brings forth death. In the Spirit, the self same thing brings forth Life. How does this work? In the flesh the desire presented itself, and we yielded; in the Spirit the desire presented itself, and we learned of God because, in comparing the desires of the flesh with the Spirit desires, we clearly see how insignificant flesh is. The man who has never been tempted knows not the bigness of God.

Roy L. Stahlbook on botany. That makes good sense. If you get into trouble because of something you do not understand, give it some thought and attention so you can avoid the same thing happening again.

Spiritually speaking, we get into a peck of trouble because of the ineffectual operation of our faith. The thing that causes all this trouble is doubt, so let’s look at the culprit a little more closely and see it for what it is. The dictionary says that doubt springs from the intellect. If this is true, it means that our most serious enemy, insofar as the things of God are concerned, is the mind that man prizes so highly and spends so much time developing.

The Bible says that the carnal mind sees no further than the natural things, but the Spiritual mind reaches out after the things of the Spirit. The carnal mind means death, and the Spiritual mind means Life and peace. And this is only to be expected, for the carnal mind is opposed to the purpose of God, and neither can nor will follow His laws for living. Men who follow after the carnal mind can not possibly please God (Rom. 8:6.8). So it seems plain that the source of trouble is allowing our mind to dictate to us. God says one thing; and our mind, being opposed to this Spiritual knowledge, says it can’t possibly be, that’s just not the way things are. If we follow the reasonings of our mind in this case, we are bound to doubt the things of God. Being creatures that have the ability of choice, we can think what we will, but this thing we must know: When our will is above God’s will, only one thing can result--doubt.

God has given man a soul that demands the Spirit of God in order to live. It was this Spirit of God that made man a Living soul. It was with this mind that man chose to be contrary to the things of God. Faith is made strong by hearing the truth, and that truth is the message of Jesus Christ, not the reasonings of our carnal mind.

So here is the situation as it exists. The soul desires the things of God, and our mind is contrary to these things. The soul is eager to live by the direction of the Spirit, but the mind says, “I’ll have my own way. There is war being waged within us in a very real sense. One of the acts in this warfare is to cast down imaginations (the original of this word means not to follow our own reasonings) and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We even fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges and is obedient to the authority of Christ (2 Cor.10:.5).

When the mind is brought into captivity to the desires of God, there will be no more doubts; and then the faith that God has given us will have free and ample opportunity to bring the strength of God into our life.

I beg of you that you present your bodies alive unto God--be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might prove (live in) the perfect will of God (Rom.12:1-2).

YOUR MIND WON’T BELIEVE

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:18:47 GMT

A FRIEND IS EVERDAY LIVING

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:29:07 GMT

I think a lot of people have a hard time being a friend, not that they do not want to be friendly. It’s just that they don’t know how.

Being a friend is everyday living, not just sometimes when you visit someone. Wives and husbands and children need friends, and being a friend is everyday living right in the home.

UNDERSTANDING

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 02:09:16 GMT

Don’t expect people to understand you. They didn’t understand Jesus. Don’t expect people to like you for what you say. They didn’t listen very long to Jesus. Don’t expect people to be your friend. They were not always friendly to Jesus.

But don’t let this keep you from being understanding with people and don’t let this keep you from speaking God’s Word. Don’t let this keep you from being friendly because Jesus was always friendly. Always remember that the word God has given you is true and does not change because of public opinion. Remember that there is a great gulf between the understanding of man and the understanding that God gives. Remember that one’s understanding is founded in the flesh--the other in the Spirit; and man does not know, or in many instances has not yet come to the place where he can understand Spiritual things. Know that until man learns to recognize the voice of God, he will act quite human. If you therefore understand God, act like Him. Do not lose faith because others do not have it.

Remember, be patient with them and know that God’s Love is for them too. Do not give into feelings of

disappointment because others do not believe you. Remember they did not believe Jesus either. If they do not respond to you, remember that God does not quit loving them because of your feelings. Remember that there are times when you too have not been responsive to God’s Word and Spiritual things, but still God is very patient and kind. Remember that you are the salt of the earth; and if you really are convinced that you have God’s Word, then speak because you have faith in what you say. If you are not convinced of that, then don’t speak; but if the words you hold are truth and life to you, then these words can work in others as they have worked in you. It is God’s responsibility to take care of His Word. It is your responsibility to speak His Word and believe.

Do not be brought under bondage to the carnal mind whether it is yours or someone else’s. It does not understand the things of God, so do not consult with it. Do not defend yourself for you are dead and Christ is your life and He needs no defense. Remember that Love is what has made God’s revelation real to you and it is Love that shall make it real to others. Do not argue. Love does not use force. Always be bigger than those who would oppose you and remember that God’s Word is for them as well as yourself. Remember that Jesus died for all men and His Love is never failing. Never take anything personal, but the Word of God for all else will pass away.

Keep ever before you the truth of God’s Word and it will change you. Remember that Jesus understands when people do not. Jesus is your friend when people are not. Jesus cares when people will not. Jesus helps when people cannot. Remember that Jesus never fail, though people often do and that one day the flesh shall pass away and be no more, but God’s Spirit abides forever.

Always remember that God’s Word is a “He,” not an “it;” and when you give voice, you are releasing God’s power that can change the lives of those who can hear it. Do not limit God’s Word to your own experience, but know beyond doubt that His Word is not bound to human limitations and will work in the heart of the hungry. Remember, too, that a hungry heart is fertile ground for the Divine seed to take root; and it can grow up as the mustard seed into a great tree having strong branches. Remember that you can fill your words with whatever you choose--hatred or love, life or death, God or Satan, good or evil. Learn only to speak God’s Word and then you will quench the carnal mind’s socalled “right” of expression.

Remember that God’s Word is a living thing and is not dead like the words of man. It will work wherever faith is found and too it can generate faith where there is need. Jesus declared that the words that He spoke were “Spirit and Life” and unbelief could not cancel it. Abide in Him and let His Word Live in you and then ask what you will.

The Desires and Effects of Two Unseen Forces in the Heart of Man

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 02:04:17 GMT

God loves me for His Word tells me so.

Satan despises me, he is my enemy. God’s Word says this also.

Because of this knowledge, I learn that there is one for me and one against me. Love seeks and desires that which is best for the one who is loved. God is love.

Sometimes we do not know what is best for us, and because of the lack of knowledge we suffer. Lack of knowledge of the Spirit gives Satan opportunity and advantage over us.

God is knowledge. God gives us Himself. His understanding so we don't have to suffer ignorantly. The more I understand God, the more vividly I see Satan and his desire to overthrow me.

1 am to live in the conscious knowledge of God’s Spirit. I am to be Spiritually-minded. My thought-life is not to be outside of God’s Spirit-liberty and freedom.

If Satan can coax me into thinking thoughts of worry and unrest, he has accomplished his purpose. Of course, he doesn't want us to know that it is he that tries to push these thoughts into our minds. That would expose the source, and give us opportunity to exercise authority over him.

If I think his thoughts, I will be uniting willfully, but unconsciously with his purpose which is to destroy me. I certainly do not want to destroy myself. It is Satan wrho wants to do this.

I do not like heartache or mental agony. If I do not enjoy unrest or anxiety, then why should I have to go through it? Does God desire this for me? God does not! That is why he wants me to be Spiritually-minded. He cares for me and wants me to have a sound mind. My mind can only be sound when it is filled with His thoughts.

His thoughts do not tear you down and eat your very life away. His thoughts comfort and cheer you. they encourage and strengthen you. Anything that does the opposite is a messenger of Satan that seeks to steal, to kill, and destroy.

Would a man willingly and knowingly oppose himself and seek to destroy and limit his own life? Of course not! There is only one who seeks to kill and destroy—the Devil.

Can you imagine a Son of God, a member of the new Creation whose Father is God. willingly yielding himself to the Devil so he can be tormented? Should one who has Spiritual life be ruled and tormented by the one who has already been defeated—Spiritual death? If he is, it is because he has not recognized or realized who is exercising authority over him without legal right.

Satan cleverly uses suggestions, or thoughts to do this. Very few see their enemy and how he cleverly and secretly leads the individual to destruction by the use of thoughts.

The wTong kind of thoughts can trouble one's most inner heart. The wrong kind of thoughts can smother and kill the purpose of God w ithin the lives of individuals. They can cause grief and heartache. They are the ways of Spiritual death. Yet we sometimes participate with this type of thinking. Why? It is rather foolish to think thoughts that will weaken us and limit the purpose of the Father within us.

Willingly we unconsciously invite Satan over and say, “I want to think your thoughts of death for awhile so you can torment and create unrest within me.” We do this because we do not realize who is the author of this type of thinking.

We have a will. This will is one with our mind. We say, “I will or I won’t.” This becomes so. Satan can not take advantage of us without our consent.

If I am being ruled by the Devil or any of his negative methods, it is because I unconsciously let him.

The Bible says, “Resist the Devil ” This shows us that we have the ability to yield or resist whom we want to and when we want to.

It’s for sure that I can not resist him unless I see him as he is and how he is working against me. If I don’t see him or recognize his cleverness, he will unrelentingly and unmercifully take advantage of me until I, according to knowledge, exercise my will against him. I can only do this with the ability that God has given me that is contained in His knowledge.

When I see Satan’s way of using thoughts to torment and obsess me, I am to resist him with the knowledge that if I don’t I will be joining him in his assault against myself. If I think his thoughts, it is for sure that they, being filled w'ith the ability of spiritual death, will gain dominion over me. I would be thinking according to the bondage of the Satanic spirit, so therefore I would be bound.

I do not know' how to liberate myself from the Devil’s snare, so God liberates me. He liberates me with His knowledge. I must walk in this knowledge.

Satan is unmasked as I gain the understanding of his clever ways of warfare. I resist him and submit myself to God. As I do this I no longer unconsciously join Satan and his thoughts which attempt to destroy me.

Because of lack of knowledge, Satan had me where he wanted me. I was his slave unknowingly, thinking the cause was from me or circumstances. I joined him in thoughts and words and even in actions, unconsciously helping him carry out his will and plan to paralyze or destroy me. At any rate, he wants to eliminate my usefulness to God and the human race, because they are his enemies.

I was bound. The God of this world had blinded my mind from the truth which is the Gospel of Christ. God liberated me with His knowledge. I could not free myself.

Before I was bom again, I was the Devil’s slave. “To whom ye yield yourself servants to obey, his servant ye are whether of sin (Satan) unto death or obedience unto righteousness (God).”I am not to be his slave any longer. I have received knowledge of this from God. I am free from Satan’s dominion. I am not to be oppressed or tormented in any manner from now on. I have received a new life that puts me over Satan.

Now I must see with my Spiritual eyes in what way he is opposing me in life and then execute authority over him.

II Timothy 2:25-26 says that I oppose myself unconsciously with Satan until God is able with my consent to teach me the truth and give me a chance to change my way of thinking from Satan’s bondage to God’s deliverance. Thus with the knowledge of God I can recover myself out of the Devil’s snare.

The truth that He wants to show me here is that I am taken advantage of because of my lack of understanding and am unconsciously, but willfully, yielding to the dominion of Satan.

As the knowledge of God is made known to me and I change my way of thinking, I can begin to exercise my freedom and dominion over the Devil and be released from his prison.

My mind must learn new things. It must repent—change its method of thinking, and follow the way of truth and liberty.

I must think the right kind of thoughts—God's thoughts, not the kind that bind, limit, and destroy, but thoughts of peace and freedom. Any other kind of thought is from the Devil and will destroy me if I give place to it.

I have a choice.

Contrast

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 21:57:44 GMT

There can be no joy without sorrow.

No hope without despair.

No peace without turbulence.

No comfort without pain.

No faith without doubt.

No courage without fear.

No love without loneliness.

No salvation without sin.

No deliverance without bondage.

No strength without weakness.

No miracle without a need.

No victory without a battle.

No mercy without a fault.

No forgiveness without guilt.

No freedom without choice.

No evil without good.

No life without death.

No devil without God.

God has contrasted the values of good and evil so man, His creation, can see and recognize the difference. When man perceives this difference, the knowledge of this difference contrasts in such a way as to maximize his appreciation.

God has contrasted the realm of the flesh with the realm of the Spirit so that man can see what true life is. When he sees the darkness and death of the flesh and becomes born of the Spirit, he can then realize (real eyes) the true life and light of the Spirit of God.

God has embodied all the anti-God characteristics in the nature of Satan that man might see the contrast and know good from evil (God from Satan)!

The flesh and this world is Satan’s realm. That is why there is so much trouble and turmoil in the heart of the unbeliever. The Spirit is the Kingdom of God--Rom. 14:19. That’s why there is righteousness, peace and joy in the heart of the believer.

Through the new birth of Spiritual Life, man is born out of the kingdom of Satan and translated into the Kingdom of God (God’s realm). See Col. 1:13.

Without the contrast of the knowledge of good and evil there would be no appreciation and without appreciation there could be no joy.

Jesus said, “These things I have spoken in the world that you might have my joy and that your joy might be full.” He has divided good from evil with the power of His Word. The prince of this world has been judged. The way is so plain and simple that a child wou

ld not err therein.

Aren’t you glad you can know the difference between good and evil?

The greater the trial--the greater the victory.

The greater the sorrow--the greater the joy.

The greater the bondage--the greater the freedom.

The greater the contrast--the greater the appreciation.

No wonder Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. And, because we do love God, that includes you and it includes me!

ABOUT A LIAR

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 04:33:40 GMT

Gal 4:1-7: *Huio thesia = adoption, the placing of a Son

Eph. 1:5: *Huio thesia = adoption, the placing of a Son

Romans 8:14-17: *Teknon = child, daughter, Son

In the near east, it was the custom that by age thirty, a male should be positioned to take his father’s place. Below are some of the scriptures in regards to Jesus’ Sonship adoption at approximately thirty years of age:

Luke 3:21-23: Sonship pronounced upon Him by His Father
John 3:35: All things – all authority given to the Son
John 5:16-30, 43: I am taking over my Father’s place and position.
John 8:31-36: The Son has authority to set the slaves free.

John 10:30-33, 36: The Son becomes one with the Father John 16:15: The Son having received all things will reveal those things to those who believe on Him and will also become Sons of God.

The rights we receive as Sons of God shown through the Scripture is as follows:

Power of Attorney: John 3:35, 5:43
His complete inheritance: John 16:15
Equality with His Father: John 5:18, l0:30-33
Let’s look in John’s Gospel and First Epistle and see what other scriptures say about those of us in Christ.

John 1:11-13: *Teknon = child, daughter, Son

I John 3:1-2: *Huios = child, foal, Son

I John 4:17: As He is in this world, so are we in this world.

You are a Son of God with the same rights and privileges. You have God’s life living in you. That Life is equal with the Father because it is the Father and the Son living in you, I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one--John 17:23. Let this mind be in you….Phil. 2:5-11

*Greek definitions are from Strong’s Exhaustive Hebrew and Greek Concordance.

All Scripture references are from the Original King James Version.

A more comprehensive study of this subject matter is contained in my article titled, “The New Birth,”

which is to be found on my Website address below:

christisyourlife.com

YOUR PROBLEM IS NOTHING BUT A LIE

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 03:01:05 GMT

As far as the believer is concerned, habits of thinking are the only thing Satan has going for him. The devil has taught our flesh how to sin and then he condemns us for it. But according to Jesus, we who have been born again are not flesh anymore, we are Spirit. He said, “That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”--John 3:6. If you are born of the Spirit, then you can safely say that you are indeed Spirit--that is, if you want to. You will only have this reality by faith. If you will not claim this fact in God’s word, then you are stuck only with flesh, and flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God according to the scriptures.

Now that we are a new creature in Christ, we do not have to obey the dictates of the flesh anymore, that is, reacting to situations the way Satan has taught our flesh. Having once been a creature of the flesh and being trained in the ways of the flesh, we have obeyed habits of the flesh; but now that we are a new creature in Christ, we are free from Satan’s hold. We are a new kind of being--a new species.

We are not only free from the habits of the flesh, but also the habits of thinking that Satan has taught the flesh. We are also free from the death source that trained us in those habits. We are completely free from Satan’s power. In other words, we have died to sin. Any other thought is a lie from the devil.

James says in his Epistle that we are tempted only when we are drawn away and enticed by our own desires. We obey a habit then when we pay attention to the desires of the flesh. When we recognize the flesh over the Spirit, that is sin, and sin when it is finished brings forth death.

According to the revelation given to the Apostle Paul in Romans, Chapters 6, 7, and 8, the flesh is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of God’s righteousness. Why then should we pay attention to a dead man who has already passed away?

According to the Word of God, Christ is our total life-source now, and we should acknowledge this as true. When we feel sorry for the old man and cater to his desires, that is where we lose the battle. We are reckoning him to be something and Christ in us to be nothing! In the words of James, “Brethren, these things ought not to be.” We are instructed in the Word of God to count the old man already dead (that is why Jesus died) and to then reckon the new man to be alive (that is why Jesus was raised from the dead). To not reckon the old man to be dead is to say that Christ did not die, and to not reckon ourselves alive to God is to say that Jesus was not raised from the dead.

If we do not do what God tells us to do, we end up with all sorts of problems. We need to turn our thoughts to the Spirit and away from the things of the flesh and God promises us we will find Life and peace. To not turn our thoughts to the Lord is to be what the Bible calls carnally-minded, which is death. That is exactly what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden.

Anytime we put the flesh before the Spirit that is sin against God; and the penalty of sin, according to the Bible, is death. But Jesus died so that we don’t have to die. He doesn’t want us to die--He wants us to live in Him. That is why He came--to give us life, true life, in the Spirit. He said, “I have come that you might have life...” True life is only in the Spirit of God--the flesh profits nothing!

The very instant we regard the flesh and its desires we come under its control. But we don’t have to do that anymore. If we reckon the flesh to be something, we are reckoning in the wrong realm. God’s realm is the realm of the Spirit. We are told to acknowledge that life in all of our ways. God is Spiritual life.

The reason we are told to reckon ourselves dead to sin is because we are dead to sin. We are just as dead to sin as Jesus died. His death was a complete death or He did not die at all. His death set us free from the law of sin and death that is in our flesh. If we do not reckon or count upon Christ’s death, we are stuck only with the flesh and there is no way out. God’s law is flesh produces death--Spirit produces life. Jesus said, “The flesh profits nothing, it is the Spirit that gives life.” You can’t change that law because God established it. We would do well to pay heed to this fact.

Paul says, “They that are Christ’s have crucified (put to death) the flesh with its affections and desires.” How then can we recognize the flesh above the Spirit and still claim to be a creature of the Spirit?

We no longer have an obligation to the flesh to live and think after the flesh. Jesus bought us with His life’s Blood. He became flesh in order to die to set us free. He became sin on our behalf.

He tasted of death for every man so every man would not have to taste of death. “Him who knew no sin God made to become sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ.”--2 Cor.5:21. Sin is separation from God and separation from God is spiritual death.

No Christian has an obligation to give his mind over to that which would rob him of God’s peace. Jesus gave us His peace. He wants us to live in that peace, but there will be no peace as long as we mind the things of the flesh.

Everyone belonged to Satan at one time. We were born in sin (separated from God) and shaped by iniquity (things contrary to God). In our first birth of the flesh, we were estranged from God; but in our second birth of the Spirit, we were made one with God. But old habits of thinking learned in the flesh die hard.

Satan has no legal right to control a believer because he has totally lost his dominion. His realm is the realm of the flesh; and if we do not live after the flesh or mind the things of the flesh, he can’t touch us. Actually he can’t really touch us because the Bible says, “Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” He can’t gain access to God no matter what he does. We are a new creation in Him and Satan has no power over us. Every man who believes on Jesus and is born from above has the right to be a Son of God. If he wants that right, then he must exercise it. No son of God is a subject of Satan's because he is one with Christ in God, and Christ is not subject to Satan--it is the other way around.

In Bible language, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh to live after the flesh. Flesh has lost its legal claim to lord it over us. “Sin shall not have dominion over you.”-¬Romans 6:14

If we will stop identifying ourselves with the flesh and no longer claim the things of the flesh, the training of the flesh will die out.

Jesus died for one purpose--TO SET US FREE FROM SATAN’S POWER and make us a new creation in God. He already did this; therefore, we must learn new things. We must become familiar with the realm of the Spirit and live there because Jesus put us there.

Paul says, “Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God lives in you.”--Romans 8:9. Jesus came so that we might have the Father’s life and live where He lives. Paul also said, “If ye live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you walk after the Spirit, you shall live.” Actually that is what God told Adam and Eve way back in the Garden of Eden--“Ye shall die.”

To live in the Spirit is to acknowledge Christ as being our complete life-source, not just a problem solver. Flesh and Spirit are of two opposite realms. One is God’s--the other Satan’s, one sin--the other righteousness, one light--the other darkness, one good--the other evil--one freedom-- the other bondage, one heaven--the other hell.

To obey the dictates and desires of the flesh is to be the servant of sin. Paul says in Romans Chapter 6, “Know ye not that to whom you yield yourselves slaves to obey, his slave you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death or obedience or unto righteousness?”

The only way to be free from the bondage of the flesh is to reckon yourself dead to the flesh and alive to the Spirit of God. If you reckon yourself alive to the flesh, then you will always have a problem of one kind or another. We must realize this: CHRIST IS OUR PRESENT LIFE AND HE IS NOT A PROBLEM! '

Because He lives, we live also. He is making alive our physical bodies right now. He is quickening our mortal bodies by the self-same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

Christ is our resurrection Life today.

It’s a miracle!

YOU DON’T NEED MORE OF GOD

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:55:02 GMT

I have often heard someone say, “My trouble is that I need more of God; I have just got to pray and get more of God; if I only had more of God.” Have you ever thought that way? I have never seen anyone that has prayed that prayer satisfied--only frustrated; and God is not the author of frustration, but of peace.

God has revealed something to me--we have been proceeding on a wrong basis and that is why we haven’t gotten anywhere. We have been made to think thoughts of doubt from Satan (an angel of light) that our problem is that we do not have enough of God and that the answer is to have more. That is a spiritual lie. When we asked Christ, to come into our heart, all of Him came, for the fullness of God dwells in Him. It is not by getting more of God; it is by giving up more of ourselves. We have allowed our attention to be moved to a false goal. God’s Word plainly states that of His fullness have we already received and grace for grace. (John 1:16). We surely do not believe God’s Word, therefore, we do not act like people who are indwelt by God’s fullness. God’s Word also says, “You are complete in Him.”--Col. 2:10. All of this came about instantly at the new birth when we became partakers of the Divine nature.

What is the answer then? Where is the difficulty? The difficulty is in our thinking. Nothing God has given us is based upon what we can do, but upon what God is to us and what He has already done in Christ for our benefit.

The unbelieving mouth of man speaks on this wise. “If I just had more of God, I wouldn’t be so unhappy.” But God says, “If I had more of that man and his thoughts, his unhappiness would cease.” The thing that is the root of man’s unhappiness is the thought that tells him that the God he has isn’t enough. That is why many people just go on seeking more and more experiences. They haven’t found their place in God.

Jesus showed that by giving. Jesus gave Himself to God that God may be all in all. We have tried to find fulfil1ment our own way by getting; but the only way that works is God’s way.

Many times we are like the rich young ruler that Jesus told to sell all he had and then follow Him. We would rather not have it cost us anything.

The truth is we do not need more of God for all of Him is what we have and all of Him is enough. God is not stingy. He has given Himself to us. The real problem is: How much of you does God have? Does He have all of your desires and thoughts? You cannot be happy any other way.

The problem is that we already have had much of God, but He has been permitted to have very little of us. This is demonstrated by the very act of thinking thoughts that suggest lack. These are the thoughts that God must have to insure our happiness. One does not attain the fullness of God by subjecting God to himself, but allowing God to subject the seeker. The Bible says to present your body (members) as a living sacrifice unto God (Rom.12:1-2). This is all we can do and all God wants from us. We can never of ourselves rise to the heights of God’s fullness; it is God in Christ who has stooped to the depths of our lowest level and made us by His own mercy and initiative complete and entire In Him.

One is not made happy just because he happens to have a lot of God. If he is happy at all, it is because God has been permitted to have that much of him. The key to freedom and happiness is to dissolve in God--lose your life and then you will find it. Jesus said, “But he that loves his life shall lose it.” He that feeds his selfishness and nourishes his ego shall perish, but he who denies it shall live.

Presenting our body to God as a living sacrifice is said to be our only acceptable service (Rom.12:1-2). This is all we can do and all God will accept. We can never of our own initiative become, so to speak, more Spiritual or more Godly. Religious accomplishments and spiritual exploits are not so much wrought by us subduing God, as it is allowing Him to subdue us. It is not as we control God, but as He has us. It is not so much us attaining God as it is God obtaining us. While we were yet in ignorance, while we were yet without strength, or one might say before any spiritual ambition, Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6).

Now one can see that the emphasis is not to be stressed so much on man’s attempt to find God, as it is God having already found man through Christ. It is said the shepherd set out to find the lost sheep. The shepherd’s sense of direction is better than the sheep’s or the sheep would be herding the shepherd. The initiative was on the part of the shepherd, not the sheep. If the sheep were capable of finding their own way, Christ would not have come. Sometimes we think that we are so advanced that we forget that we are saved by the grace and mercy of God. Things are to continue on the same basis that they began. “By grace are you saved…”Eph. 2:8. Grace is God’s nature.

Paul said that I might be found in Him not having my own righteousness but His (Phil. 3:9). There is a difference in finding and being found. Man speaks on this wise, “If I could just find God!” But the wisdom of God says, “What this man needs to know is that I have already found him. He could not see the way because of his blindness; but because I can see, I in Christ, have sought him out and brought him to the place that I have prepared for him, that where I am he may be also.”

God says, “I have already prepared a place for you, and in your new birth I have received you to myself.” God was interested in man long before man was interested in God. God purposed to seek man out long before man revealed any interest in Spiritual things. It is written that God purposed this before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4). I love Him because I know He first loved me. The knowledge of God’s Love towards me gives birth to the Love I have towards Him.

Man says if I could only reach God. The truth of the matter is that man of himself can never reach God. God must reach him and He has in Christ. Man in his ignorance says if I could only get to where God is, but God says you don’t have to--I have already gotten to where you are. Man thinks if somehow I could only reach up to God, but his arm isn’t long enough, so God reaches down (His arm is Jesus) to where feeble man is and lifts him up to His abiding place.

Because He has drawn us to Himself, we can be sure that we are there. We are in Him now and He is in us now, because now is when we need Him.

YOU CAN BELIEVE BEYOND YOUR SENSES

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:51:19 GMT

Doubt is manufactured by the limitation of sense knowledge evidence. You have to see beyond your present experience. The only way you can see beyond your experience is by faith. You must look into the realm of the unseen in order to possess the things of faith.

No matter how impossible or hopeless things may look, you can propel yourself beyond the limitations of your present circumstances by the faith God has already given you.

He has already given you all things that pertain to life and godliness--it just doesn’t look like it.

Unbelief is to be ruled and dominated by your senses. Faith is to be ruled by the Word of God. There are no limitations with God.

Your physical experience may be totally contrary to what the Word says. It is up to you as to what you believe. You must project your thinking out of the realm of the impossible into God’s realm of the possible. Jesus said, “All things are possible with God and to him who believes.”

To be ruled by your senses is to be ruled by unbelief. Faith has nothing to do with your senses. That is why the Bible says, “We walk by faith and not by sight.”

What is there that is impossible with God? God is the God of the impossible. Project your thinking and believing beyond your experience and see things as God sees them. As a new creation in Christ, you are not tied to the limita¬tions of the flesh or your carnal mind. You are a creation of the Spirit. You are a believer like your Father who created all things by the Word of faith--“Let there be....”

Boldly declare how God sees you through His Word. Boldly confess it with your mouth and believe it in your heart. You are what He says you are and you can do all things through Christ. He is your strength.

Break the barrier your carnal mind would impose upon you by an open confession of the Word of God. God’s Word is truth. If God’s Word says you are something, you are. If God’s Word says, you already possess something, you do. If God’s Word says you can do something, you can. Therefore, no matter what your senses say, don’t make God’s Word a lie. “Let God be true and every man a liar.”

You are a NEW creation in Christ by faith. You are not tied to the impossible. That is natural man’s realm. You are not a natural man. You are a Spiritual man. You are like God, the Creator.

You boldly speak the Word of God about whom and what you are and you become what you say.

Make your declaration of faith and God will stand behind your confession when that confession is based upon His Word. He says He watches over His Word to perform it; It will not return void.

Don’t waiver. “He is faithful who has promised.” Hebrews 4:14 says, “Let us hold fast (secure) our confession of faith.” We are to hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.

Call the things that are not as though they were and they will become. Do not speak words of doubt, fear, and unbelief. Force your mouth to speak the Word of God.

Remember Proverbs says, “A lying tongue is but for a moment, but the lip of truth is established forever.”

Don’t let your dead carnal mind rob you of God’s truth.

“All things are yours and you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.”--1 Cor.3:21-23

Amen.

YES

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:47:51 GMT

Jesus Christ is God’s answer to the heart cry of the masses.

Christ is the expression of the compassionate movement that took place within the heart of the Father as He beheld the need of His creation, man.

Christ is the expression and fulfillment of the faithfulness of God that He purposed to demonstrate toward His creation before the foundation of the world.

Christ is the filling in of the gap that existed between God and man for centuries. He is the unification of things of heaven and earth that they may be made one in Him.

Jesus Christ is God’s response to the need of the heart whatever it may be. This answer is directed to you and for you. “For all of the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen...”--2 Cor.1:20

The answer to your need, whatever it may be, is in Christ; it has been a reply sent directly from the Father. It is a reply as complete as the need. It is a reply that fits the condition, or circumstance, regardless of how big or demanding it may be. We know that God would not answer us with an incomplete reply, so we may have confidence toward Him and in Him. We needed a reply, so God sent His Son.

The answer is, “YES.”

YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" (John 8:32)

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:45:13 GMT

Jesus is the Truth. Jesus is the Father unveiled to us. Jesus is the Word. He is also the expressed will of God toward us. He is the Spiritual will of our Father. Jesus is God’s way of expressing Himself to us and all mankind. Jesus said, “Ye shall know the Truth…” He was saying just as well, “You shall know the will God for you and the knowledge of this will shall set you free.”

The knowledge of the will of God must be made known to our Spirits, for we are Spiritual creatures. This new will must be exercised through us.

The word “know” used here is to be used in connection with the heart--heart knowledge, Spirit knowledge, knowledge that is independent of the senses.

Because of the fact that I am a Spiritual creation, I must be educated with Spiritual knowledge. I was not created to be ruled by carnal knowledge. The Spirit says, “Put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him.”--Col.3:10. God is a Spirit. He has made me Spirit. I am to be renewed in knowledge after the image of God.

From the day I was born into this world by natural means, I began to mature and receive knowledge. I received this knowledge through the five senses. The education I attained made up my attitude, my disposition, and my outlook toward life. It more or less shaped my personality. I was a natural man, born by natural means, shaped by natural knowledge.

I have been born again. Now I am a Spiritual creature. I am no longer natural. I have been born from above. God has given birth to me with his own Life. I have a new nature. God’s nature is Spirit (John 3:6).

I was educated and taught by natural knowledge while I was a natural person. This was in harmony with my nature. This was to be expected; it was my nature to follow after natural things. I obeyed my nature unconsciously.

Now that I am a Spiritual creation, I must be educated with Spiritual knowledge. At first I was educated by natural knowledge through the senses, but now I am to be educated with Spiritual knowledge through the Spirit. I must consider myself to be Spirit and expect to be re-educated with knowledge that is found in that realm.

The Bible says that I was born in sin and shaped by iniquity. I was born in opposition to God and taught by things contrary to His way of Life. I must not only be put in harmony with God by nature, but by knowledge also. It would be impossible for me to receive Spiritual knowledge from God without being recreated and made in His likeness. As long as my mind continued to operate on a physical plane only, and its way of thinking not changed, God couldn’t make Himself known to me. I must now become Spiritually-minded. I must expect to learn things of the Spirit.

I am now a completely new creation. I have eyes that are Spiritual; I have ears that are Spiritual. I have Spiritual senses now. My conversation is in Heaven (Phil. 3:20), the realm of the Spirit. I am no longer to be led by senseknowledge, but Spirit-knowledge. I am to depend upon Spirit- knowledge rather than sense-knowledge. I am to be led by the Spirit and not by reason.

I am to walk in the Spirit. I am to look for things in the Spirit rather than through my five senses. I walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor.:7). My whole life and mode of living has been changed from physical to Spiritual. I am now living inwardly first, then outwardly.

I depend upon the Spirit. I trust in the Spirit; I obey the Spirit. I listen to the Spirit’s voice. The Spirit is my source of life. In ministering the Word, I go to a person’s heart before I deal with their body. I plant the seed within the heart before I reach out to reap the harvest. Everything is done first in the Spirit. Teaching is done in the Spirit; believing is done in the Spirit; knowing is done in the Spirit; healing is done in the Spirit. The seed is planted first in the Spirit and then the fruit is borne.

The Spirit is the method by which God does everything. “It is the Spirit that giveth life, the flesh profiteth nothing.”-- John 6:63. “Are ye so foolish, having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh.”--Gal. 3:3

If we have been made a Spiritual creation, then we should live accordingly. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”--Gal.5:25. “We look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.”--2 Cor.4:18

We are eternally united with God in Christ. We look at the things that are not seen--Spiritual things, the Eternal things. We look and learn of things that are in our realm. It is only natural according to our new nature that we should look at Spiritual things. When we were natural, we looked to and cared for natural things. We talked, thought, and depended on them. Now our life has been made anew with the Spiritual life of God. We set our affection on things above not on things beneath (Col.3 2). We are new creations with a new purpose and a new desire. We have a complete new life. “Old things have passed away, behold, all things are become new.”

What a privilege we have! We shall be taught by God. The source of our knowledge is Eternal, unchangeable. We shall learn true knowledge that has been established by God. We shall learn God’s ways instead of man’s ways. We shall learn of principals that when cooperated with will bring forth demonstration and power of the Spirit.

Oh God, cause us to be Spiritually sensitive to Your leading. Cause our Spiritual ears to hear and our eyes to see. Make us to know that it is by Your Spirit and not by my might. Have us to remember that we are now Spirit and live a new Life together. Help us to know even as we are known. Teach us to speak and plant Your seeds of Divine Life when the season is come, when the ground is ready and fertile, and the time right. Teach us that others might see Your love in and through us.

WORRY, FEAR, DOUBT, ETC

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:41:33 GMT

Where do these things come from? They have plagued the mind of man ever since the incident that happened in the Garden of Eden--what man calls the fall.

Adam had communion with God in the garden and absolutely no fear until his fellowship with God was interrupted by Satan, the so-called god, of this world.

When Eve considered or thought Satan’s thoughts, things changed. Eve's nature was changed into the enemy's nature. We then read about a thing called sin.

When Adam had partaken of the forbidden fruit, a nature change, a thought process, and a behavior change came about. When God called out for fellowship with Adam, the Bible says that Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord. The reason given by Adam was, “I heard your voice in the garden and I was AFRAID…and I hid myself.”

Adam and Eve knew nothing about fear, worry, loneliness, and a lot of other things that plague the flesh today. Prior to their experience with Satan, all was well. They didn’t even know that they were naked.

When man became separated from God (sin is separation from God), he entered into a state of being wherein he became aware of things not experienced before. He entered into Satan’s realm--the realm of spiritual death, the realm of the carnal mind. This spiritual death caused his soul to die and fears to arise.

God had told them that in the day you partake of that tree, you will most surely die. Man died as a result of his decision, but the death was the death of the soul, not of the body. Adam’s soul was now separated from God (Spiritual life).

When communion with God was broken, fears, and insecurities arose. That day the first thought of worry and care entered into the mind of man. A voice that Adam never heard before began to dictate to his mind. That voice was the voice of the devil--a voice that you and I may only recognize as worry or fear.

Before the fall, Adam’s mind was accustomed to hearing only the voice or Word of God. He had no fears and no worries.

When sin or separation from God entered, his mind became subject to the god of this world--the voice of Satan. Fear, worry, doubt, insecurity, etc., is the voice of Satan. The god of this world had blinded the minds of Adam and Eve. They were now physically alive, but spiritually dead. God had left their soul.

Look at Adam’s behavior after the fall. He not only hid himself from the presence of the Lord, he also desperately tried to cover his nakedness. He felt very incomplete and insecure.

God asked him a direct question: “WHO told you, you were naked?” You see, there was a voice in Adam’s mind now that was not THE WORD OF GOD. There was another voice, and the other voice broke Adam’s rapport and TRUST with the Spirit of God.

The Bible says that the serpent that deceived Eve was the most SUBTLE out of all of the beasts of the field the Lord had made. I looked up the word “subtle” in the dictionary. It means to be “barely noticeable.” That means then that when Satan spoke to Eve’s mind, it was done in such a way that it was barely noticeable.

There were no alarms or red lights flashing. It was just a subtle turning of one’s thoughts in Eve’s mind. In fact, I believe these thoughts were so subtle that they appeared as HER OWN THOUGHTS.

When we read of the temptations of Jesus in the Gospels, we see Satan appear to Jesus in the same way--in the form of doubt and questions-- “If you be the Son of God…” When we read these two accounts regarding temptations, we more or less get the idea that the devil openly exposed himself and literally carried on a verbal conversation with his intended victims. Nothing could be further from the truth. If that were true, the Bible would not take the time to use the word “subtle” in its narrative. Remember, the word subtle means “barely noticeable.”

It is much easier to deal with an enemy when he is right out in the open, but that is NOT Satan’s methodology. He is crafty, sly, and deceitful. He is a LIAR. There is NO truth in him at all! Jesus said he was a liar from the beginning. “When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own for he is a liar and the father (source) of ALL lies!”

I’ll give you an example of how subtle Satan is: In Luke 4:5, it says that Satan took Jesus up into a high mountain. I remember the day I was studying this portion of scripture. I asked the Lord a simple question. “How did Satan take Jesus to this mountain?. How did he get there?” I was staggered by the answer God gave me. He said, “HOW DOES THE DEVIL TAKE YOU?” I almost fell out of my chair. I said, “Lord, simply by thoughts, desires, and imaginations.” The Lord said, “Well, would anyone much less the Christ follow the devil if he KNEW IT WAS the devil?” I said, “No, Lord, no one would do that, not even the most inexperienced believer.”

Then the Lord said, “You see, Satan can only tempt you so long as he remains anonymous (hidden in your thoughts). I never will forget that communion with God. It was and still is extremely vital to me. I saw that all worry, fear, depression, oppression doubt, despair, darkness, evil, death, and everything that is destructive were nothing less than adjectives defining Satan himself.

The devil cannot violate a man’s will. If he took Jesus to a high mountain or the pinnacle of the temple, he could not do it against His will. And no one would consciously follow the devil--no one. Neither would Christ--neither would you!

Let’s take it to the extreme! Has the thought of suicide ever passed through your mind? Where do you think that thought came from? If this were the Garden of Eden, God would say, “Who told you to kill yourself?”

According to the Bible, there are only two sources or origins of thought: Good (God) and evil (Satan). Jesus said, “Why do you call me good, only God is good.” So now we know that Satan is the evil one.

Why did Jesus say in John 10:10, “The THIEF comes but to kill, to steal, and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and that abundantly”? The answer is simple: So that you and I will know most assuredly where ALL of our thoughts come from--GOD or the DEVIL!

So now you know where worry, fear, and doubt come from. No wonder we are told to cast down imaginations, to pull down strongholds, and bring into captivity EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ. Your victory depends on it! Christ is your victory. Listen to Him and no one else!

WORDS

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:46:06 GMT

I have been thinking lately about words--words that we use in our every day life, words that we probably take for granted, words that we use in business and for pleasure.

How powerful (filled with power) words are. Our whole society is based upon words. Our Declaration of Independence is made up of words. The laws of our land are spelled out with words. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which set slaves free was made of words. Words put people in prison and words get them out. Contracts and agreements between individuals or large corporations are based upon words. Words seem to be the foundation upon which all of the negotiations in the society in which we live are established.

Words are like thoughts, they shape our lives. They either build confidence within us or they whip us with the cords of defeat. Our children are shaped and matured with words. We either build their personality into a positive sense of well being or a distorted unbalanced image for themselves to be governed and blinded by doubt and selfishness. They are the products of words. How necessary words are. Words are the only way in which we can effectually communicate. We cannot have a complete relationship with thoughts alone. Thoughts must be clothed with words. Words are the seen and heard garments for the invisible thoughts that we are thinking. Of course, there are some thoughts that should never be put into words.

It is by words that communication is established. Even Morse Code must be put into words or it is just rhytlimic noise. Thoughts come first, but words are necessary to get the idea across. Thoughts must be clothed with words or they will go unknown and unexpressed. It is words that verify the meaning of thought and bridge the gap that exists between ignorance and knowledge, making communication possible. Even the tyrant Adolph Hitler once said, “The power that has started all of the political and religious avalanches rolling has been the magic of the spoken word and that alone.”

We probably have never majored the fact that words have such a profound influence over our lives. Listen to what Proverbs in the Old Testament says, “The power of life and death are in the tongue (words) and they that love it (life or death) shall eat the fruit thereof. You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken captive by them. A man has joy by the answer of his mouth. A word spoken in due season, how good it is! A word timely spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Paul says, “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart thou shalt be saved.” Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Paul further says, “For with words the mouth makes confession unto salvation.” Proverbs says, “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” (words are found in the mouth). “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found. The lips of the righteous feed many. The tongue of the just is as choice silver. Thy 1ip of truth shall be established forever but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”

What captivating power and influence words have upon us, both for good and for evil. “There are those who speak like the piercing of a sword; but the tongue of the wise is health. A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth.”--Proverbs 12:18

For instance, there is a positive effect upon our spirits when we confess God’s Word. We are delivered by words or we create ourselves a prison by them. “A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise use knowledge aright; but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. The words of the pure are pleasant words. A divine sentence (word) is in the mouth of the king. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones.” In conclusion Proverbs says, “The wise in heart shall be called prudent and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning; the heart of the wise teaches his mouth and adds learning to his lips.” The apostle Paul says we are to increase in utterance and all knowledge.

There are many words that are bandied about in our society today. These are constructive and destructive powers at work, economical and political, individual and corporate; but the real root cause of all words is spiritual. Words are either born of God or born of Satan, motivated by love or governed by selfishness. Politics may get under your skin, but only God’s Word can change your heart.

No wonder King David said, “I have set a watch before my mouth and kept the door of my lips.” James says, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth, and the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire (fire of desire) the course of nature (human) and it is set on fire from hell. The tongue no man can tame, it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God and curse we men. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing.” James concludes by saying, “Brethren, these things ought not to be. Can a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you. Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”--James 3:13

The tongue no man can tame because by nature man is a liar and how can a liar establish integrity within himself?

Our words are either born of God or they are born of Satan. They are either born of the flesh or they are born of the Spirit. They are either human or they are divine. They are either the gospel (good news) or just the word of man (bad news) bad for him and those around him. The Word of God is blessed (divinely empowered) and brings deliverance. That is the simple but practical difference between the words of man and the Word of God. Man’s word is dead. God’s Word is living.

The written and spoken Word actually takes the place of Jesus on earth. In Hebrews, Paul says of the Word, “The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and He is a revealer of the thoughts and intents (motives) of the heart. All things are naked in His sight.” Notice that Paul does not call the Word an “it”, but a “He.” No wonder he said that the Word is alive and active or quick and powerful. Christ dwells in that Word and Christ is alive. That is what differentiates God’s Word from man’s word. God’s Word is alive and therefore begets Life. Dead words can not beget Life any more than dead matter can beget living cells.

Christ dwells and abides in the Word of faith. It is God’s Word, not man’s word. God says, “I will watch over My Word to perform or fulfill it.” He fills it full of Himself.

In the gospels it is recorded that the disciples PREACHED THE KINGDOM OF GOD. There is a difference in preaching about something and bringing that very thing within reach so that it may actually be possessed. Jesus said, “Repent, (which means to change your way of thinking) the kingdom of heaven at hand.” And it was because it actually dwelled within him. But he was telling others that they too could have ownership and there was no need to go away empty. He wasn’t telling them to get ready for it in some far-off future day. He was actually bringing it down to earth. He knew that they would never be ready for Heaven so he got Heaven ready for them. He brought the Kingdom of God down to them with his Word. The only problem was that they didn’t recognize the King. He preached the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God Spiritually inhabited his every Word. The King had come that God’s will could be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Paul also stated that the Kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power. He said that his teaching came not in word alone but with the Holy Spirit and much assurance. It is that blessed assurance that says, “Jesus is mine.” Even as important as words are, if Christ is not in them, they are naked, empty, alone, and dead. Only Christ can make words Live. Whether you are a Greek scholar or not won’t make much difference. It is all Greek to us anyway until He reveals Himself to us.

In the Book of Acts when legalism opposed the teaching of Christ, it records that the apostles preached the Word and the Word prevailed. The Word overcame. They didn’t set down their tools as it were and argue points of Doctrine. They didn’t abandon their goal in order to fight and debate Judaism. They preached Christ and Christ who dwelled in their words added to the Church daily according to His will.

Hebrews says to hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering (doubting). Christianity is based upon a faith that is founded upon only one thing and that is God’s Word.

A man will speak the most frequently about that which is dearest to him. Our words will most certainly reveal our thoughts. If I believe in my problems, I will reveal that belief and betray myself with words. If I believe more strongly in God than I do problems, I can deliver myself by speaking God’s Word.

No wonder King David in the 34th Psalms said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.” David knew that if his mouth was continually filled with God’s Word and God’s praises that doubt could find no place in him.

Never underestimate the power of words. Words can change your life if they come from God. Words can direct you and words can give you revelation and understanding. Always remember that the nature of God’s Word is to build faith and encourage you. God’s words are always GOOD NEWS to those who love the truth. If we love the truth, it looks like we have nothing to worry about.

“If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

WHOSOEVER

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:36:16 GMT

Christianity is not a corporate thing; it doesn’t just rub off on you because you go to church. Being a Christian is an individual matter. You have to seek God for yourself. You either find Him or you don't find Him. But if you truly seek Him, you will find Him.

No one can inherit the kingdom of God because someone else does. Just because you sit next to someone in church does not mean that you will automatically know the Lord. Yes, others can share Christ with you, but fellowship with God is a very personal thing.

Christianity isn’t some type of group therapy or mass psychology. You can’t just throw a blanket over everyone and have them come out Christians.

Fellowship with God isn’t mere church attendance either--it goes far beyond that. No one can know God unless he takes the time to seek God individually. He only rewards those who diligently seek Him according to the Bible.

You can’t inherit Christianity from your parents or ride on the pastor’s dedication either. Your pastor is a man too and at times he is just as subject to temptations and the weakness of the flesh as anyone else. You don’t have to get your religion second hand--you can go direct. There is one mediator between God and man, and according to the Bible that man is Jesus Christ. He is no respecter of man’s person and will reward the diligent seeker regardless of national origin, social, or economic status. In Bible language, “The same Lord is rich unto all that call upon His name.” To Him there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free man, male nor female. He doesn’t even see the difference between what we call “laity and clergy.” That is man’s distinction. In Christ, there is no difference. “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Salvation is offered to “whosoever.” You will find that word many times in the Bible. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish…” “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

You are a “whosoever,” I am a “whosoever,” even the pastor is a “whosoever.”

You see, the word “whosoever” literally means, “No matter who.” So if you ever get to thinking that you don’t matter, just remember that Jesus died for “whosoever.”

Aren’t you glad?

WHO'S RIGHT

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:33:29 GMT

As a Christian, if we continue to think that we have a problem, it is only in our mind. How do I know this? If you know what Jesus did on Calvary and you BELIEVE the Word of God in your heart, you can’t help but come to that conclusion.

But if you do not know what Jesus has done, you won’t be able to think the way God wants you to think. If you don’t think right, it is for sure you won’t be able to believe right because the Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Jesus said that if we would know the truth, the truth would set us free. The knowledge of the truth shows us how to think and exactly what to believe. For instance, the Bible states the following words, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” We are partakers of the divine nature--we have the life of Christ. Christ is living in us. We have the mind of Christ. All things are new and all things in this new creature are of God.

The Bible also says that we have been delivered from the authority of darkness and have been translated into the Kingdom of His dear Son. It doesn’t say that God is going to do this. It says that He already has! In light of these statements of fact, how can we have a problem? You see, that is why I started out by saying if we THINK we have a problem, it is only in our minds!

All one has to do to settle any concern or doubt he may have regarding the subject is simply to ask himself this basic question: Did Christ accomplish what God sent Him to do or did He fail? Did His dying on the cross secure our redemption? Did He really defeat Satan on our behalf? Are we really free from sin? Are we a new creation? Are we saved completely?

The answers to these questions can be summed up in one or two words: Yes or no! There can’t be anything in between.

Galatians 1:4 says that Jesus gave Himself to Satan as payment for our sins that we might be delivered from this present evil world according to the will of God, our Father.

What do you think? Do you believe this to be true? If you believe this to be true, then if I were you, I wouldn’t toy around with thoughts that question or cast doubt upon the Word of God.

Jesus thinks He has saved, delivered, and translated us into His Kingdom. He thinks we are a new creature and free from Satan’s power.

If you know right, you can think right; and if you can think right, you will believe right. If you believe right, you will be all right.

So, who do YOU think is right?

WHO DO YOU BELIEVE

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:30:08 GMT

When we listen to thoughts of fear and discouragement, we might just as well face it--we are listening directly to the devil. There are only two sources of thoughts according to the Bible--one good, the other evil. Jesus said that God is good and that Satan is evil.

Can you find any place in God’s Word where God says to be discouraged? Can you find any place where He says to let your heart be troubled? Can you find any place where He says to be afraid? Can you find any place where God says He will leave you or forsake you? Quite the contrary!

Jesus says in John 14:1,“Let not your heart be troubled. You have faith in God, have faith also in me.” How many times has Jesus said in various ways not to worry or be fearful? I dare you to count them. You can read it for yourself. Jesus doesn’t want us to be discouraged, lonely, or fearful. His word speaks peace to the troubled heart and calms the mind. He is still the Master of the sea.

We might be surrounded on every side by the storm, but Jesus is in the center of that storm and we are safe in Him. The enemy might be on every side, but Jesus still says, “Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”

It is your mind that doesn’t believe God and is fearful. That is because your mind is uncertain and doesn’t know how things are going to turn out. Your mind doesn’t trust God. Your mind doesn’t even know God. That is because it is not capable of knowing Spirit. We can believe and know God only in the realm of the Spirit. That is because God is Spirit and your heart is Spirit. Your mind is of this world and has been trained by the devil. But don’t forget--Jesus is Lord of the devil.

The victory and the peace that Jesus gives are not conditioned upon circumstances. The only condition it is based upon is whether you believe His Word or not. But even if you do not believe Him, He won’t forsake you. “If we believe not, yet He abides faithful.” You can either believe what you see (remember Peter when he sank in the water) or you can believe Jesus. Faith wouldn’t be faith if there were not contrary winds. Can you imagine Jesus saying, “Now believe me,” when there would be nothing facing you that would challenge your faith? There wouldn’t be anything else to believe.

Faith can only be faith when there is no other proof of God’s integrity, but His Word. If there is even a hint of some other way, then there cannot be faith. God doesn’t compromise His Word. You either believe His Word or you believe the devil’s word--but never both at the same time.

I rather like it that way because that is how I become more certain of God’s love and care for me. I know it is God then, and my mind can’t take the credit. The more hopeless things become, the more I know God is with me in that thing. But God isn’t hopeless!

Moses had the Red Sea before him and the Egyptian army behind him. He was in a real spot--that is until he heard the Word of God. You see, faith comes when we hear the Word of God and God’s Word always brings peace-- always! If what we are thinking about doesn’t, it isn’t God's Word. So, Moses didn’t have to sweat it--He just did what God told him to do, and the Red Sea parted.

It is the same with us--all we need do is what the Word says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” The choice is ours!

WHO AM I

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:26:50 GMT

I am not who Satan would like me to think I am. If I were to claim the identity Satan would like me to assume, I would be bound forever by the fetters of hopelessness.

You see, the answer to the question, “Who am I,” is not worth knowing or answering except in Christ. Man since time began has asked this question. All these so-called “great” philosophers have been quoted as saying such things as, “Know thyself and to thine own self be true,” and so on. Almost anyone can philosophize, but it is just like man to prescribe no satisfying remedy and leave one floundering.

You see, in the sphere of the flesh there remains no answer. The flesh is a prison house for man, and of himself he cannot break through into the realm where the real Spiritual answers are to be found. Man is a spirit being, but he is so controlled by the flesh that he thinks he is the flesh. In short, his spirit is a servant to the flesh. Apart from God, the Bible considers him “dead in trespasses and sins.”--Col.2:13

There is absolutely no answer in the flesh. God has not provided His answer there. That is why Jesus Christ said, “Ye believe in God, believe also in me. Ye must be born again.” That is where Divine knowledge begins and merely a human understanding of one’s self comes to an end. You see, the real answer to those soul searching questions is only provided in Christ. The heart is a lonely hunter, so the world says; but there is no need any longer to be lonely. God has provided an answer to all pertinent questions, and they are contained in the one man Jesus Christ. “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby a man can be saved.”--Acts 4:12

About this fundamental thing of identity--if I am to look at myself outside of Christ, I can only speak of myself as a person of flesh and blood with desires and thoughts that lead me to perpetual emptiness. However, if I think of myself as being in Christ through the new birth, it is a completely and totally different picture, and I do mean total. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away (died); behold, all are become new; and all things are of God.”--2 Cor.5:17-18

Perhaps it was God’s wisdom that man could not find a satisfactory answer until the Christ should come. There is no deliverance in knowing one’s self if that self is not worth knowing. Man is not the complete equation. The solution is in the Spirit of God. There is a wealth of understanding to be found in Christ--a wealth that can take one farther than any philosopher would dare to tread. There no longer will be a case of mistaken identity. The truth of it is that one will never truly be satisfied unless he comes to know his true self in Christ. There is nothing in man’s self worth knowing until Christ lives there. That is the “why” of the new birth.

Man must come to the place where he finally recognizes that the only true image worth holding was in God before the foundation of the world--Col. 3:4. Not until then will he be satisfied. Not until then will he know what it is to be in God’s own image and likeness. He must learn to no longer consider himself after the flesh, but realize his Life to exist only in the Spirit of God. So know thyself and to thine own self be true--but you can’t really do that until you are born again!

WHEN A MAN’S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM -PROVERBS 16:7

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:24:21 GMT

May I share what I see in this verse of scripture? I would like to describe the thought that I receive from this saying in the Bible this way--“When a man is thinking thoughts that are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies to cease striving with him.” To be even more definite, let’s put it this way, “When a man observes things as God wants him to, he loses sight of his enemies,” To reverse this thought and see it from the opposite side, it says, “When a man looks at things with the improper emphasis and in the wrong prospective, he loses sight of God and becomes conscious of his problems.” I guess what I really am trying to say is, if you put your mind on God, you won’t have to worry about the devil.

The man that is in Christ must remember that his enemies are not people or circumstances, but they that are of his own mind. As Jesus said, “A man’s enemies shall be those of his own flesh (mind of the flesh).” Paul said, “We have been alienated and enemies in our minds against the purpose of God.”--Co1.1:21. A man’s enemies are the thoughts and imaginations (images) that come before his mind--the things that attempt and purpose to move him from selfmastery or self-possession. The man that is in Christ must remember that he no longer has any real enemies for Christ has taken care of them. The believer is victorious! Jesus has already beaten principalities and powers at their own game (Col. 2:15).

In the above mentioned verse, the word peace is used. A man’s enemies shall be at peace with him if his ways please the Lord. In this particular usage, the word suggests silence, stillness, a ceasing to be obvious. When a man’s thoughts are pleasing to the Lord, his seemingly apparent enemies become silenced, unheard of--they have ceased to be evident. This is because in order to please the Lord, one must cease being wicked and quit thinking thoughts that are from the wicked one--the ungodly one. The thought of our enemy must pass out of the picture. What picture are we speaking of--the picture screen of the mind. We have all heard the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” If we fill our mind with Christ, the devil will have to leave.

The source of agitation and turbulence ceases to hold sway over the mind because we have refused to give it place or acknowledgment. We have closed off every avenue of access and approach that leads to our mind. “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, his enemies cease to be apparent. If my thoughts are pleasing to the Lord, I will not have to worry about my ways. If I mortify the thoughts of the carnal mind, God says I shall live.” This is when God becomes Lord of the mind. I entertain no thoughts that are dead, therefore, I live (Rom. 8:6).

I would like to take another word that is used in the particular verse I mentioned earlier and observe it in a certain light, the word please. When a man’s ways please the Lord--the word please here means to agree, to be in agreement and harmony with, to be equal in value. When a man’s thoughts are equal in value with God’s, He promises that his enemies cannot bother him, Only God’s own thoughts could be pleasing to Him for He alone is good. Our enemies no longer bother us because we have lost sight (undue recognition) of them. We have learned to regard them in the same proportion that God regards them--defeated powerless tools that gain influence only through over-emphasized observation.

The man that is in Christ (and Christ is in God) is instructed to take no thought, that is, receive no thought nor regard any apparent enemy significantly enough to believe in his power to manipulate and remove him from God’s Peace. He must remember that Christ is his Peace and nothing can remove Christ for He is Lord of all. Peace has given His Word and declared, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The man that is in Christ is stable and firmly fixed because he has a well-disciplined mind, and he has learned not to regard the appearance of evil. He has learned to close his mind to all that does not edify him. He will not acknowledge or recognize any spirit that purposes to place him in the defensive attitude. His equilibrium is properly established because he knows where the emphasis belongs and where he stands. As a result of this knowing, evil can no longer find its place with him. He is no longer tricked and deceived, no longer tossed to and fro, no longer under its dominion.

The man that is in Christ must learn to think as God thinks. He must become familiar with the mind God has given him. His enemies have no power over him because he knows that God is his Life and there is no greater power.

How does God approach the subject? He says, “I am and besides me there is no other.” No other what? There is no one to challenge or contest Him for He regards Satan and the works of Satan as nothing--only that which He has already defeated in Christ.”

It is apparent that man’s ways (thoughts) must be as the Lord’s ways before he can rest and cease from his struggles. It is a known fact that God does not struggle for He regards no real opponent to contend with. He is not on the bottom end of the totem pole, striving to get to the top, and in His mind neither are His children. He sees them as being where He is. I know this because that is what Jesus prayed for as recorded in John 17, “Father that they may be with me where I am.”

That which appears to be opposing me is not at peace with me when my thoughts are not pleasing the Lord because to not please the Lord is to over emphasize and acknowledge the existence of that which does not suggest Peace. Consequently, we reap the nature of our thoughts. God does not want us to mind or give place to anything that does not beget Peace.” “To be Spiritually-minded is Life and Peace, but to be carnally minded is death.”--Rom.8:6.

I would like to consider a sobering question. Are we not to observe the things that touch our life as God sees them? Can we be happy any other way? Whichever way we choose to observe things will determine what kind of fruit we reap and what kind of wages we will be paid. This fruit will be in direct proportion to our faith.

We must observe the Lord only and as Jesus said, “Simply believe.” This was a singular command to acknowledge the things that beget faith alone and to shut one’s mind to all else that intrudes. If we will do this, we will find that our enemies are made to be at peace with us even as God has said; for we would have learned to lose sight of all that distracts, closing the door forever to that which kills, steals, and destroys. We will recognize the existence of that which opposes us only to the extent that we may learn good from evil, follow after that which is good, and refuse the bad.

“Who is blind but my servant or deaf as my messenger that I sent? Who is blind as He that is perfect (mature) and blind as the Lord’s servant? Seeing many things but thou observest not, opening the ears, but he heareth not.” “Butter and honey shall He eat that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.”--Isa.42:19-20. This is true Spiritual balance. It is the result of having closed forever the door of our mind to that which cannot enter the Kingdom of God with us now.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:19:49 GMT

According to the Bible, a Christian is a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). He has had a new birth. Birth means life, therefore, he has received the very life of God. He is born of God!

This means he has become a new creation in the Spirit of God! He has entered into the life of Christ and the life of Christ has entered into him. Christ is the life of God in the believer just like Christ was the life of God in Jesus. That’s why, “If any man be IN CHRIST (the life of God) he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things have become new. And all things are of God.”--2 Cor.5:17. One thing about living in God; that means that nothing from the former identity exists anymore. Jesus did away with the old life of sin once and for all by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:26).

God could never allow sin to enter into Himself but He has accepted us in the beloved (Eph. 1:6). Jesus did away with our sin so that we could enter into God and have His life.

This new life in God is a total, complete thing. There is no such thing as being partly in Christ or Christ being partly in you. You are either in or you are out. That is why Col. 2:9-10 states that we are complete in Him.

We often say things like, “Christ came into my life.” Really?--according to the Bible, we were already dead in trespasses and sins. If we were dead, how could we possibly consider the old existence--life?

Christ isn’t the Eleventh Commandment or just an addition to the old. We have a brand new life that completely did away with the old. All things are now of God--ALL THINGS!

Paul said, “That which is natural is swallowed up with life.” He is speaking of the Divine Spirit Life--the Life of God, the Eternal Life. He said, “When this mortal shall have put on immortality (Christ) and when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption (Christ) then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death where is thy sting, oh grave where is thy victory? For the sting of death (spiritual death) is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God which has given us the victory.”-- 1 Cor.15:53-57. Paul also said, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.” He is your life of victory. Put Him on!

For two thousand years, God has been waiting--waiting patiently for His children to put on Christ. Yet the church sits in their pews waiting for God to do something. He has already done it! His Son has come that we might have life. God is waiting for us to put on Christ who alone dwells in the light and has immortality. We don’t have to wait until we experience physical death to have the Christ-life. We can have it now! God isn’t the God of the dead, but of the LIVING.

Life and immortality has already been brought to light through the gospel. “This is Eternal Life that they might know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”-- John 17:3.

Eternal Life has become the very nature of the believer. He is now a New Creation. Christ has abolished death--the death of the old Adamic nature. The believer has already passed over from death into the life of Christ. Christ is his Passover!

If you are a believer, you are living in Eternity right now, because you are living in God and God is Eternal Life. That’s why Jesus came so that we could live in God. True life is in God, the Father, through His Son. That’s why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.”--John 14:6

He that has the Son has life. God’s message is a message of life, not a message of death. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” That life is the life of God, the Father.

You can have Eternal Life right now! You don’t have to wait. Christ is your life. Paul said in Col. 3:4, “When Christ who is our life shall appear...” Has He appeared to you? Do you know that Christ is your life?

Hebrew 9:28 says, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him He shall appear the SECOND TIME without sin unto YOUR SALVATION.” Are you saved?

If you keep trying to know Him after the flesh, you won’t see Him. You must learn to know Him after the Spirit because He is Spirit--the Spirit of Truth. That’s why you are born of the Spirit, so that you can know Him and recognize Him in the Spirit. Yes, my friend, Christ has come to be your life! Old things have passed away and all things have become new.

You are now a NEW CREATION in Him.

“And we know that the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and Eternal Life.”--1 John 5:20

What is the understanding that John is talking about? It is the understanding that Christ is come to live in our hearts and has brought us Eternal Life to enjoy and live in right now--today!

Aren’t you glad that today is the day of your Salvation?

WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD?

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:15:26 GMT

Jesus was the will of God in action. He was the first man to have the Father’s nature. He partook of the nature that had the ability to express equally, what it was when it was yielded to. Jesus said he came not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent him. This was the will of God.

Jesus had the nature then to do the will of God. He yielded to this nature to the extent that he even spoke the thoughts and obeyed the Spiritual impulses and suggestions of this nature. People were healed, comforted, and delivered as a result.

God is Spirit. His nature is Spirit. The will of God is a Spiritual will; it is the active expression and manifested attributes of God Himself. Everything that God is is included in His will, His will and Himself are one. The New Testament is the will of God unveiled, the nature of God made alive.

When Jesus acted upon the known will of God, he was acting in harmony with God’s Spiritual law of order. He was walking in the Spiritual wisdom of God. Because he walked according to the law of God’s Spirit, he neither got behind the moving of God’s Spirit or before it. He walked in God’s Spirit. He lived in God.

Jesus walked in the will of God knowingly. He sought only to do His Father’s will. Because he wanted to do God’s will, God revealed His will (Spirit) to him.

If you are to do the will of God, your purpose is to express in your everyday living what God is. God’s desires, wants, the impulses that motivate Him and make Him what He is, would be exercised and expressed in you. You would act like God, you would talk like God, you would even think like God.

If you want to do the will of God, you need to know what it is. You must not exert any opposition of your own to prevent His will, His very Self, from being expressed and made manifest through you.

In order for the very image and expression of God to come, you must count yourself as no longer the supreme one in your life. In fact you must count your¬ self as no more. You must see yourself dead, and Christ alive in you. You can only count yourself dead to the extent that God shows Himself to be your Life. Then God’s Life will gain the ascendancy over you to the extent that you yield to this knowledge.

God and you are one. There is not two of you, but one in Spirit. This Spiritual-you is expressed through the physical body that God’s Life now possesses. This brings forth the expression of the will of God to the physical world. You are obeying His nature willingly.

If God wanted us to be everything that He is, He would have to place His nature in us. This He did at the new birth (2 Pet.1:4). He could not give us part of Himself and be free to express all that He is. You could not imitate God’s Spirit, or His will, because you would be doing it externally instead of from the source of expression, the Spirit Himself. You would just be a poor fleshly imitation (emulation-Gal.5:20).

Your imitation naturally would not be according to Spiritual knowledge. This would allow circumstances, and other things that the devil might use, to confuse you and overthrow you. If you tried to imitate me, you would at one time or another find yourself in certain difficulties, because you would not know how I would act in this particular case, the same with God. We must not try to be like the Father, but let Him Live His Life through us.

You must know that God is in you and expect Him to teach you how to Live. This is Spiritual knowledge. If you acted without knowing, you only would be expressing yourself. God must teach you and you must learn to act on what He teaches you.

You can act only as He teaches you or gives you knowledge. God will be manifested through you to the extent that you learn of the Spirit as being your new Life, and conform your way of living to this knowledge. This is not a natural knowledge, but a Spiritual knowledge.

God’s will and your will are one. As His will is revealed to you, and you yield to it, God is expressed or made manifest. Actually you will be walking in God. You will be living God’s Life. He longs to reveal His will to you so you can live as He lives and enjoy what He is. Anything outside His will is opposed to Him. It is harm to you. We must know the things He knows and do the things He does and think the things He thinks.

It will be more than just doing what God does; it will be God doing it through you, for you are one--one in Spirit, one in speech, one in action, and one in will. It is more than saying what God says. It is God declaring Himself. It will not be a fleshly imitation, but a Spiritual participation.

You have a will. This will is the freedom and privilege to do what you choose to express, the freedom to express what you are. It is the freedom to be what you were or what you are now in Christ, the freedom to act for yourself or to act for God.

As God makes His will known to us, we are to forsake all to walk in it. His will is Himself revealed to us--it is what He is. He has filled us with Himself to do what He does. He will build His own character and attributes into us until we are matured and developed like He is. “As He is so are we in this world.” I have found that God’s will includes every member of the human race. His will will cause you to be concerned and involved with the interest of every living soul. I find that this is nothing less than the very attitude of God Himself gaining the ascendancy over me. I am beginning to realize that God lives in me, and that He yearns to make Himself known to the ones who are in captivity and are living within the enclosed boundaries of themselves. He wants to reveal His will and show them Spiritual freedom so they can be as free as He is. It is His freedom. There is no freedom outside of God.

In the knowledge of His will, He wants to reproduce Himself and His will within the hearts of others, so He can make His great heart of love known to the countless thousands who do not understand Him. God wants that which is mortal to be swallowed up with His Life.

God’s will is the will of love, and He seeks to plant within the hearts of men and women the very nature that makes Him what He is. God loves man and desires to have him love Him with His love, which only can satisfy the craving of the human heart.

We love one another with His love. What a privilege we have! The Life of the Father Himself is ours--God in us!

The knowledge of His will gives us His freedom, His peace, His health, and Spiritual strength. We have everything God is. We that are “born again” have God’s nature--His Spirit. God’s will manifested through His Word will reveal to us what God is. If it tells us what God is, then it tells us what we are in Him, for as He is so are we in this world.

What the Bible says is true. We that have been born again have been born with the very Life of God. We have His Life and Truth at the refusal of our own.

If we have God in us, then we should walk like God, talk like God, think like God, and act like God (1 John 2:6). This is the Spiritual will of our Father in motion. This is the glory which our Father had prepared for us before the world was (John 17:5).

WHAT FAITH IS

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:10:17 GMT

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. (Substance means reality.)

As I have talked with many of my Christian friends, I find that they all share one basic hope. They hope for the return of Jesus. They call it the “Second Coming of Christ.”

The only problem is the Bible doesn’t teach that there is any substance to hope. The Bible says that “faith” is the substance. Hope isn’t faith!

The Bible says in Romans 8:25 that we only hope for that which we do not see or realize (real eyes) to be fact. If people believed that Christ was already living within them, their hopes would be reality and they wouldn’t need to hope any longer.

Paul said in Colossians, “Christ in you is your hope of glory.” He also said, “Do you not know that Christ is in you, unless you are reprobate?”

You see, the knowledge of the second coming of Christ does not come from the outside, it comes from the inside. That is why Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation, but ‘behold’ the kingdom of God is within you.”

The revelation or unveiling of Christ happens within the heart because that is where Christ lives, unless you haven’t asked Him to come in!

In the Third Chapter of Colossians Paul says, “When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall you also appear with Him in glory.” What He is trying to say is that as we hunger and thirst after righteousness and follow on to know the Lord, it will appear to us (be revealed) that Christ is our complete Life right now, today! He also said, “For me to live is Christ.” Are you living?

You once were dead in trespasses and sins, but if you are a believer you are alive in Christ. He is your resurrection Life today, not just someday.

The reason people do not realize (real eyes) this truth is because they still insist on looking at physical things. The Bible plainly states that faith is the evidence, or proof, of things NOT SEEN. It also says we are to walk by faith and not by sight.

Faith things and faith facts have nothing to do with things that are seen. The Spirit God is not proved by material things. The Bible tells us to compare Spiritual things with Spiritual things, not physical things with the physical realm-- (1Cor. 2: 13). Faith always deals with the invisible. God himself is invisible because He is Spirit and you can’t see Spirit with your physical eyes.

Paul said that Christ (the Spirit of God, the anointing) lives in our hearts by faith. He said we live our new Christian Life by the faith of the Son of God. We do not live by our own faith!

The reason faith is the reality is because Christ is the reality. Christ said, “I am the way, truth, (the reality) and the Life.” We cannot separate (rate separately) Christ from faith.

My hopes have been realized because Christ lives in me now! The knowledge that comes to us and substantiates this truth is a Spiritual awareness not a physical awareness. It is not a knowledge based upon material things.

It is only by the Spirit of God that we can become aware of Spiritual realities. That is why we have been born of the Spirit. Paul says in 1 Cor.2:12 that we have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things of God.

Through the new birth of God’s Life within us, we have received what I call the “sixth sense of faith.” This takes us beyond the limitations of the five senses. Eye has not seen nor ear understood the things that God can and will reveal to our Spirit.

This faculty called faith can perceive Spiritual realties--- things only that pertain to the Kingdom of God.

Jesus told Nicodemus in the Third Chapter of John’s Gospel that unless a man is born of the Spirit he cannot see, perceive, or realize the Kingdom of God. That’s the reason we must be born again, so we can receive the Life of the Spirit. We then enter God’s Kingdom, perceive it’s reality within us, and then begin to enjoy it.

This is not a physical Kingdom. It is not of this world. It is of a different realm. It is Spirit!

The majority of Christendom has absolutely no awareness of Spirit; therefore they cannot recognize the Kingdom of God or its present King. They do not realize that the Kingdom of God has already come.

Their awareness is still made of physical things, the things of this world. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” in other words it is not a physical kingdom. It is a Spiritual Kingdom. Paul said that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). That is the Kingdom that is within you if you are born again.

If the Kingdom of God is within you, then the King is also there. What good is a Kingdom without a King?

Paul also said that Christ would come to be admired and glorified in all of those who believe. Do you believe?

Christ is the Spirit of Truth that Jesus promised us in John 14. He came on the day of Pentecost, but he came to you when He entered your heart.

Hebrews 9:28 says, “Unto those who look for Him shall He appear (be revealed) the second time without sin to your salvation.” The first time He appeared was to take away your sin, the second time without sin unto your salvation. Are you saved? If you are, then he has already appeared to you the second time. All you need to do is recognize Him!

We will never recognize Him as long as we seek to know Him after the FLESH. We must know Him after the SPIRIT because He is Spirit. “Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world (mind of the flesh) cannot receive, because it cannot see Him, neither know Him...” John 14:17

It takes a Spiritual mind to know Spiritual things. That’s why the Bible says, “We have the mind of Christ.”

Aren’t you just a little curious as to what is inside of this mind?

Prayer: May God give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. May He open the eyes of your understanding that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints the length and width and depth and height of the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge. Amen!

WHAT DO YOU THINK

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:04:42 GMT

Victory for the believer in Christ is not something that is far away. You don’t have to ascend into the heavens or descend into the depths of the sea to obtain it. It is already yours!

In fact, it is only a thought away. The Word of God has divided things into just two categories--carnal and Spiritual. Every thought, motive, or desire comes under one of these two categories. One realm refers to God’s realm, the other to Satan’s.

One realm is the realm of the Spirit. The other realm is the realm of the flesh. These realms can best be defined as either Life or death. That is because God is the Father of Spiritual Life, Satan the father of spiritual death.

The Bible plainly states in Romans 8:6 that to be carnally minded is death; but to be Spiritually-minded is Life and Peace. So you see it depends where we place our mind and what we think about.

According to the Bible, Christ has completely defeated Satan on behalf of the believer. He has stripped him of all authority. From God’s perspective the power of Satan has been completely destroyed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are many scriptures that bear this out. Find them!

Satan has no jurisdiction whatsoever over the believer. He is completely through as far as God and Christ are concerned. That is why God the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world.

Galatians 1:4 says, “Jesus gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God our Father.”

It was God’s will that Jesus deliver us from the power of evil. In fact that is what Jesus prayed when His disciples asked Him how to pray, “Deliver us from evil, for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever.” The Kingdom and the Power and the Glory do not belong to Satan, they belong to God.

In the 17th Chapter of John, Jesus prays not for the world, but for those that are His. “I pray not that You should take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil.”--John 17:15

That prayer has been answered! If you read the New Testament writings, you will find that Jesus accomplished His mission. That is why He said on the cross, “It is finished.”

What is finished?--our deliverance from the power of evil and of Satan. Simply stated, God is good and Satan is the evil one.

To prove that Satan has been stripped of all authority, Jesus says, “All authority has been given unto to Me in heaven and on earth.” That leaves absolutely nothing for the devil. Satan has been defeated and the believer has become a new creation with absolute authority over Satan and his demons. Jesus gave this authority to those who have confessed Him as Lord of their lives.

The writings of Paul, the apostle, teach us about our present day status in Christ. The believer is as victorious as Christ because Christ has become his present Life. Christ is the Life of the believer, now! Christ is his Victory!

Any thought that opposes this truth the Bible calls a carnal thought and must be cast down as a disobedient imagination. Any and every thought contrary to the Word of God is a lie and directly from Satan.

No believer can be defeated when Christ is his Life, because Christ cannot be defeated. That is why I began this article by saying that Victory for the believer is only a thought away.

The same Christ that arose from among the spiritually and physically dead completely destroyed the work of the devil and has come to dwell in the heart of the believer.

So, God thinks He saved us - what do you think?--2 Tim.1:9

God thinks we have power over all the power of the enemy - what do you think?--Luke 10:19

God thinks we are blessed with every Spiritual blessing - what do you think?--Eph.1:3

God thinks that we are in Christ - what do you think?--2 Cor.5:17

God thinks we are more than Conquerors through Him - what do you think?--Rom 8:37

God thinks we are new Creations in Christ - what do you think?--2 Cor.5:17

God thinks we are accepted in the beloved - what do you think?--Eph.1:6

God thinks we have been delivered from the power of darkness - what do you think?--Col.1:13

God thinks we have been translated into the Kingdom of His dear Son - what do you think?--Col.1:13

God thinks we can do all things through Christ who is our strength - what do you think?--Phil. 4:13

God thinks we are partakers of His divine nature - what do you think?--2 Peter l:4

God thinks we are the very righteousness of God in Christ - what do you think?--2 Cor.5:21

God thinks we are hid with Christ in God - what do you think?--Col.3:3

God thinks Satan is completely defeated - what do you think?--Col.2:15, Rev.12:10

God thinks that He will keep you in perfect peace if you stay your mind on Him - what do think? --Rom. 8:6, Isa.26:3

God thinks we have the mind of Christ - what do you think?--1 Cor.2:16

Victory is only a thought away, so what do you think?

WAKE UP CHRISTIAN

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:45:58 GMT

My brothers, don’t get caught off guard by Satan’s tactics. You must be ready at all times. Put on God’s complete armor. Take a firm stand against the wiles of the devil, the enemy of your soul. Be sober, be vigilant; don’t allow him one foot in the door. Be responsive to righteousness and not sin. Don’t fool around with his thoughts.

We dare not give Satan opportunity or he will quickly occupy any slackness on our part. We just cannot afford to give him the upper hand. We should have recognized his strategy by now and know that he deals in nothing but lies.

My beloved brethren, my prayer is that you will not be fooled for one moment, but that you will keep in cadence with the Spirit’s rhythm that you will march only to his music. Let us not follow just any old tune that comes along. Nor should we behave like inexperienced children who are easily confused and led astray by every religious error, especially those spoken through the mouths of power hungry men who claim they know it all, but are only lying and waiting to seduce us.

Surely you must understand, my friends, our combat is not just with faces of clay or the voices of mere human beings. We fight a common spiritual battle. Together we fight the good fight of faith (that’s what Satan wants to destroy), and we must never war among ourselves.

No, my brothers, our real conflict is against the spirits of the underworld, those dark princes that lie in the deep. I want you to know that their supreme goal is to deceive and divide us.

They wish to destroy our faith and unity, our faith in the Word, and our faith in God, the Father, who authored it. In fact, they would prefer that we did not even know they exist. They would like to keep our eyes blind to spiritual realities, both good and evil.

You must understand, my companions in the Lord, it is dethroned powers that are at work behind the curtain. Nevertheless, in nothing should we be terrified by our adversaries. They know they are defeated but they want to capitalize upon our ignorance. In fact, that is all they can do.

They actually want us to fight among ourselves; that is their main objective. They know, if we do this, we will never pull together.

Yes, it is those spirits that lie, pretending they are still in authority wanting to lord it over us. They cleverly submerge themselves like vermin into the darkness of men’s minds and go into hiding. It’s true, they speak like human beings and adorn themselves with masks of clay, but we must always see beyond the veil. These are those who criticize God’s little ones, but never reveal their true identity nor lend a helping hand.

Make no mistake, they are not for us--they are against us. These are not spirits of God, but elemental spirits of the natural universe. They often hide their pretense behind the Holy Scripture in order to accomplish their dirty work. They want to stop our progress in the Spirit and bog us down with details.

These princes of darkness gain their influence through the guise of carnal reasoning and humanistic teachings. They themselves are the authors of those devilish doctrines that are fashioned after human desires and make men slaves to rules and regulations. But thanks be to God, Christ has made us free.

These seductive spirits, who argue logic, camouflage their schemes through *philosophy, *psychology and precepts of religion. They actually work through the invisibility of thought and are impossible to detect unless you have the Spirit of truth in order to determine the good from the evil. One can actually tell by the measure of peace one gets.

You must always keep in remembrance, my brothers, even though we are moving about in a body of flesh, our battle is not to be fought with human techniques. That is simply because our real enemies themselves are not flesh and blood.

That is right--the implements of our warfare are not of this world. They are of a much higher realm. They are not human, they are Divine. We need not resort to means supplied by the devil himself in order to get the job done. Tools of anger, strife, contention, and distrust will not work in the Kingdom of God.

Think of it! God Himself is our ability, the power of the Holy Spirit within. We need not turn to human remedies. His Love is enough to enable us to tear down those graven images the enemy fabricates in our minds.

Did you know that our Father has already exposed the devil’s total nakedness? He did this when Christ made an open display of Sa¬tan’s defeat triumphing over principalities and powers by His resurrection from the dead. He then bestowed gifts and Spiritual endowments upon men. He actually led captivity captive and set every prisoner free.

That great day the chief robber was robbed himself. He was exposed to public ridicule in Christ’s triumphant procession. God Himself displayed Satan’s downfall for the whole world to see. The evil one was completely stripped of all authority.

So now you can see that because of Christ’s total victory over the powers of darkness we have received the ability to literally throw down those evil and demonic suggestions that assault our minds. By the shield of faith, we can quench all of the fiery darts of the wicked one.

With Love’s own Power, we can flatten every rising spirit of pride that vaunts itself against God. We can safely say we do not trust in human wisdom or its resources. We are actually able to wrestle those dark powers that be to a standstill through the ability given us by the Spirit of God.

The Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the Spirit of Holiness is the only power that can free man’s soul from Satan’s tyranny. These three are one.

We must speak the Word in season and out of season for only the Word prevails over Satan-caused darkness. It is our God given-responsibility. How can we do otherwise. The answer to our need is in the solution, not in the problem.

Jesus is God’s only remedy to the human dilemma. Neither education nor man-made textbooks will help us here.

Nothing but the name of Jesus will drive back the hosts of darkness that hang as it were about our heads like clouds. “There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we may be saved.”--Acts 4:12

*DEFINITIONS:

Psychology - The science of human mind and behavior; the study of the mind with the human mind. A human behavior study limited to the ability of man’s senses (the old creation)

Psychologist - One who studies the above

Philosophy - A search for truth through logical reasoning rather than factual (spiritual) observation

Philosopher - A product of human reasoning

Conclusion: Not of the Spirit of God but of the carnal mind and of the wisdom of this sensorial world. Human

teachings not born of the Divine Spirit, not just a matter of doctrinal differences but a lack of power to set one free.

Scripture references: Rom. 8:6-7; 1 Cor.1:19-31; 2 Cor.2: l-16; James 3:15; Col. 2:8; John 3:6 & 16:8; 1 John 2:20, 24 & 27; 2 Cor.3:17; Gal.2:4; Gal.5:1-18; Prov.3:5-7

VICTORY

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:41:04 GMT

The Word of God is the answer to every problem a man may think he has. In fact, if you are in Christ you don’t have any problems.

The only problem, if there is one, is in the way that we think. It is just plain wrong thinking. How do I know this? Well, the Bible is pretty plain about stating the position of the believer.

It says this, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: Old things have passed away and all things have become new and all things are of God.”--2 Cor.5:17. It also says that sin shall not have dominion over you (Rom.6:14).

If you read the Bible, you will find that Jesus has taken care of absolutely everything and that includes the devil. It says that Christ despoiled principalities and powers and openly triumphed over evil. It says that He overcame the whole world just for you and me.

Once Jesus did all of this, the Bible says that He sat down at the right hand of the Father. He was done--completely finished with obtaining our salvation. There is nothing more to do. The job is done!

All the Christian needs to do is read the Word of God and believe what it says. If we truly believe what the Word says, then we will live and think like the Word.

Once we learn what Jesus has done for us, we are to live and walk in the truth of God’s Word. Jesus said, “Thy Word is truth.” Truth means reality or fact!

There are only two things that can keep a believer from enjoying the victory that Jesus purchased for him on Calvary: Ignorance of God’s Word or a failure to believe and obey what the Word says.

The devil certainly can’t do anything to keep the believer from enjoying the joys of salvation--he is finished! Jesus saw to that. But it is the believer’s responsibility to find out what Jesus did and then take hold of it.

Even if we know about these things but do not change the way we think, we are going to have the same trouble and problems we had before meeting Christ.

Once we learn the truth of God’s Word, we must adjust our thinking to align with that truth. We must not accept a single thought that is contrary to that truth.

This is somewhat of a chore because the flesh is full of thoughts that are contrary to God. Not only that, our carnal mind has been trained by the devil and we have accumulated a lot of error in our thinking. That’s because the devil used to be our teacher and he is a liar.

It is not impossible however to renew our minds. But that will never be done unless we replace the old way of thinking with the thoughts given us through God’s Word.

People need to realize (real eyes) that there are only two ways to think--God’s way or Satan’s way. There is nothing in between. It’s either good or evil.

When we have trouble in our heart, we need to recognize that we have that trouble because we are accepting thoughts that do not come from the Spirit of God. They can’t be God’s thoughts because He is the one who said, “Let not your heart be troubled.”--John 14:1

No one can enjoy the peace and joy that only God gives if they give their mind over to the devil. It doesn’t make any difference whether you are a Christian. Being a Christian doesn’t automatically mean that your mind has been made subject to Christ. You have to do that as an act of will!

Remember, there are only two realms—God’s or Satan’s, good or evil, flesh or Spirit!

No matter what you think; they really aren’t your own thoughts anyway. Thoughts either come from God or they come from the devil! There are only two sources according to the Bible and THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD!

We must come to the realization (real I) that evil is not just our own thoughts. The whole thing is of the devil--habit and all.

I don’t know what you think; but I don’t want the devil as a companion, do you?

UNDER THE BLOOD

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:33:10 GMT

Oh the blood of the Passover Lamb is applied to the door of my heart. No power of darkness could ever withstand the force of the blood of Christ’s sacrifice.

Though Satan may bring accusation (Rev. 12:10-11), I let him know right where I stand. For now there is no condemnation. I am under the blood of the Lamb that covers the guilt of my past. By the mercies of God, holy and righteous I stand. I am under the blood of the Lamb.

I am safe and secure from the enemy’s plan. No weapon formed against me shall ever stand. I am under the blood of the Lamb.

Author Unknown

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our new “birth”, not our performance determines our true identity.

Satan uses the power you surrender, or yield to him, against you. That’s all he can do—

Rom. 6:16. It is only in our disobedience , whether conscious or unconscious, he works.

That’s why we must learn God’s word to renew our minds and do what it says.

The thing Satan used to try to destroy you, God will use to employ you.

Satan is not your judge, only your accuser. He cannot deliver a verdict or pass a sentence. You are fully justified and wholly righteous in Christ.

The following are the ways that Satan operates:

Deception of the mind
Temptation of the flesh
Accusation of the conscience
Condemnation to the soul

Deception: To cause one to believe what is not true and to cause one to doubt what is true.

You must study and major in Romans Chapters 4 through 8. The Word remains in your heart and brings forth fruit— Luke 8:8.

TRIALS

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:29:04 GMT

I am not going to allow the problems of this present evil world to dominate my thinking. Jesus said that He gave us a peace that the world cannot give. Trials come and trials go, but the abiding peace of Jesus still remains.

There will always be trials and trouble in this world. Jesus said so. But a Christian does not have to bear them. “Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you.”

No trial will last forever. In fact as soon as we give it to the Lord, it quits being a trial. The only reason something presents itself as a trial is because we haven’t yet learned to give that thing to the Lord.

Sure there are things we have to face and do in this world, but God is with us in all we do. All we have to do is acknowledge Him and there He is.

Yes, God is in our trials. All we need to do is recognize Him. The Bible says when we look for Him He will appear to our salvation. Do you need saving? Then LOOK to Him.

As we learn to give thanks to Him in all things, we will see Him in all things. He is there!

So if you want to be aware of God in all things, just give Him praise in all things. God is in all things because He fills all things. He is Spirit and He is Life.

Want Life?

Then look to Him. After all He is YOUR LIFE!

TRADITION

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:26:21 GMT

Tradition--what is it? Jesus said, “Because of your traditions, you have made the Word of God of none effect.”--Mark 17:13. To put in other words, He is saying, “Because of your attitude, even though it appears to be highly religious, you are hindering and making ineffective the Word of God.”

Tradition is a preconceived idea that has superseded God’s revelation and taken over the mind. It is in many cases a religious thought, but one void of power. Therefore it cannot produce the necessities of man’s Spiritual demand. Because this traditional opinion is void of God, it is also void of Life. It is only a form or appearance of Godliness, but this form or appearance denies the power of God. The greatest hindrance and most effective obstruction used by Satan against the Christian is a preconceived idea.

Religion is not Life. Jesus did not come the first time contrary to the scriptures, but He came contrary to man’s understanding of the scriptures. As a result, the religious traditions tied the hands of the unlimited One. Even though God’s power and efficiency are unlimited, the very thoughts and ideas of our mind, though they are ever so religious, though they speak like scripture, are void, powerless, and ineffective, God does not dwell there. “And He (Jesus) did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”--Matt. 13:58.

It is man’s tradition that limits God in the believer’s life. Tradition is not necessarily always an act. It first begins with a thought, a religious interpretation of the Bible. Jesus never commanded us to interpret the scriptures by our own initiative. Contrariwise, He said, “The Spirit of truth shall teach you all things (everything you are to learn) and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have spoken unto you.”--John14:26. Many times the mind has become so acquainted with the Bible, so physically familiar with what it says, that it struts and boasts and declares, “I know God’s Word.” The truth of the matter is that it does not know God’s Word; it may only know the Bible--the Book. The carnal mind does not know God, neither can it. Romans 8:6-7 says, “For the carnal mind is death.” It is at odds with God. “It is not subject to the laws of God, neither can it be.”

First Corinthians 2:14 declares the natural man with his mind (man of flesh) cannot receive or understand the things of the Spirit of God, for he cannot know them for they are Spiritually discerned. The things that pertain to the Spirit are not understood by the human mind. James 3:15 says that its wisdom and judgment are earthly, sensual, and devilish. Jesus also said in John 14:17 that the world (mind of this world, the natural mind) cannot receive, or understand the things of the Spirit. That is why the Comforter, the enlightener, has come to unveil that which man cannot understand. We might just as well face the fact that we cannot of ourselves understand the things of God. Even Jesus said, “Of Myself I can do nothing, as I hear I judge...”--John 5:30. God’s truth must be revealed by the Spirit of God.

God and His Word are one; and if we of ourselves cannot know God, then we of ourselves cannot really know His Word. The religious people in Christ’s time boasted in their knowledge, yet in all of their supposed understanding, they failed to appreciate the Christ of God. They knew the scriptures but only with their carnal mind. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal Life and they and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life.”-- John 5:39-40. (When a man thinks he knows something, he knows nothing as he ought”--1 Cor.8:2

The Bible says, “It is with the heart (Spirit) man believes,” not with the mind--Rom. 10:10. “No man knows or understands the things of God but the Spirit of God.”--1 Cor.2:11. Many of us have become involved mentally with God’s Word, but God cannot be found or understood that way. God must be understood Spiritually because He Himself is Spirit (John 4:24).

God has an impenetrable security system. The traditional and intellectual approach cannot pass through the gate into the area of understanding. There are signs posted that say, “Show your heart before entering; traditional or intellectual knowledge alone cannot go beyond this point. Traditional concepts and opinions are not allowed to enter. If any are secretly brought in, they will be found and destroyed.” Flesh and blood shall not enter the Kingdom of God’s understanding. Every man’s work will be tried by fire (1 Cor.3:1).

You see, the heart is the only badge that God recognizes. Because of this, many are regretfully turned away from the place of understanding. To go the way of the heart is the only way to get in. All other methods must remain outside. The “I know that’s” cannot enter. They cannot enter because, as far as their judgment is concerned, they are already inside. Jesus said “If any man enters the gate by some other way, he is a thief and a robber.”--John l0:1, a thief because he has stolen from others the right to hear the Gospel that feeds the hungry heart.

Jesus said, “Because you say you can see therefore you are blind and because you say you can hear, therefore you are deaf.”--John 9:41. If one says both “I can see and I can hear,” by the Holy Spirit, then He has spoken the truth for he has given voice to the Spirit of God within him. Many are anxious to believe something, not waiting for the quickening approval of God’s Spirit, “For not he that commends himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.”--2 Cor.10:18. Man has said he can both see and hear and understand when perhaps he has never gone further than the devils that believe and tremble (James 2:19).

The proud in spirit always resent instruction (Prov.1:7). Proverbs declares that fools despise wisdom and instruction. “A scorner seeks wisdom and finds it not, but knowledge is easy to him that has an understanding heart.”--Prov.14:6

The proud are always kept in the chains of ignorance, for pride and deceit is the tool used by Satan to obstruct man’s vision. Man must come to the end of his own thoughts. The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain (1 Cor.3:20). “If a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”--Gal. 6:3

Only the children understand God’s revelation. Jesus said, “I thank thee Father that you have withheld your truth from the wise and prudent and revealed it unto babes.”-- Luke 10: 21.

Paul said, “Examine yourself and see if you be found living in faith.”--2 Cor.13:5. Sometimes we live in the emptiness of mental assent. This kind of knowledge will not withstand temptation or trials, and we are soon taught of God where our knowledge originates, the carnal mind or the Spirit.

“That which can be shaken will be shaken but that which is able to remain will remain.”--Heb. 12:27. There is a fearful undoing when we find that our understanding has not been founded upon the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone, but upon the commandments and doctrines of men. Only the knowledge of God can endure affliction without destruction. Jesus did not come just to bring material or theological discussion. He came to bring Life and set the captive free.

Our desires and religious ambitions must die their death. We must be willing to deny and forsake all of our preconceived ideas and concepts. The only thoughts that are to endure are those that are heavenly in their nature. Paul says, “Our conversation is in Heaven…”--Phil. 3:20

Because Jesus was willing to die, God could live His Life through Him without restraint. Jesus did not allow religious tradition (preconceived ideas and motives) to limit God to infectiveness. He considered having possession of the Divine nature serious business--quite a bit more serious than the Christian (partaker) of the Divine nature today. We are unique if we consider the meaning of such things, even on Sunday morning. Jesus never said to go to the church of our choice. To Him there was no choice--it was either Life or death, God or the devil.

Jesus gave Himself to the Holy Spirit. He refrained from thinking the thoughts of man-made religion and followed the direction of God. He knew before anyone else what Paul meant when he said, “For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.”--Col. 3:2. Jesus Himself taught, “He that loves his life shall lose it, but he that hates it for my sake shall find it.”--John 12:25. To put it in everyday words, He was saying, “If you insist on having your own thoughts, your own desires, your own will, your own plans, you shall lose the only Life that counts and lasts--eternal Life.”

We must deny the traditional way of thinking that has been handed done to us by others who have not really known what they were talking about. Our error has been that we took it for granted that they knew.

We must have more than an intellectual concept, more than a churchy idea about God and about ourselves for they are now one in Christ. If we have no more than this, our idea becomes a god to us and God becomes limited to our idea. We will change only as our idea of God changes.

It is astounding, but it is true. Though God is unlimited, yet we can limit Him to our concepts, for God becomes no bigger to us than we believe Him to be, than we know Him to be, no bigger than we acknowledge Him to be, yet He is unlimited. Paul says that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20). We can see here that it is simply our own thoughts that hinder God. Jesus said, “According to your faith, so be it.”--Matt. 9:29. If I might take the liberty, I might say it this way, “In direct proportion to your expectations and your own personal belief in Christ’s ability, so be it unto you.”

Paul said, “If we be otherwise-minded (thinking contrary to God), God will reveal this unto us.”--Phil.3:15. If we are satisfied with our own point of view, then we cannot anticipate change. The Word of God says to be transformed (that is changed) by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:1-2). This is not done against our will. One will follow after God’s knowledge because he wants to or not at all. To change is contrary to the nature of flesh. We have not been born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). “Of His own will begat He us by the word of truth.” --John l:18

“The first man was of the earth and earthy…”1 Cor.15:47. He was earthy in his concepts, earthy in his desires, and earthy in his will.

Today religious tradition and ignorance of God’s Word are the major hindrances imposed upon the new creation. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; all the old things have passed away, behold (observe, look) all things have become new and all things are of God.”--2 Cor.5:17. We have carried the old mind into the new Life even as some of the Jews carried legalism into grace in the times of the apostles. James said, “See how many there are that believe and everyone of them are zealous for the law.”--Acts 21:20. Paul taught that when one believes in Christ, he becomes a new creation; but many have not changed their thinking. There is no real change in their ways because there is no real change in their understanding.

We often try to add Christ to our own ideas, but our own ideas are the obstructions that hinder Him. The Bible says, “It is God in you both to will and to do of His own good pleasure.”--Phil. 2:13. Yet David said in Psalms 78:41 that the Holy One of Israel has been limited.

Jesus said we cannot serve both God and mammon. One must suffer denial. One must cease to be the standard. It is Christ in the believer now and He will not lead us astray. The law that governs us now also makes us new. It is the law of Spiritual Life that has set us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).

Paul instructed us to be renewed in knowledge after the image of Him (God is Spirit) who created the new creation (Col. 3:10). We seldom consider the fact that we are made new in Christ and all these new things are of God.

Many have not been quickened by the power of God and by the understanding of His Spirit but survive on mere speculation. This is not a knowing of the Spirit but of the mind. Speculation leaves room for chance and chance leaves room for error. But, “We have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”--1 Cor.2:12. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error”-- 1 John 4:23. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit.”--1 John 4:13. We must place all of our faith in the Spirit of God for He will guide us into all truth.

How vital the message is that Jesus taught. “Repent; change the course and direction of your thinking, for it has led you to a spiritual death.” Jesus was speaking to the religious people of that day. Jesus spoke the Word that did warfare with tradition and uprooted the tree of preconceived ideas. He knew they did not, neither could they bear fruit. We must be willing to change our mind lest we become satisfied with less than God means for us to enjoy.

We live on dangerous ground when we insist upon reserving the right to form our own opinions. We will go no further than we have already attained.

Jesus said, “Straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to Life and few there be that find it.” - Matt. 7:14. There is only one way and that is by the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit. If one walks this way, the keenness thereof will surely execute a division.

It is difficult to describe the penetrating power of God’s Word because it is a Spiritual thing. It can divide and sever the soulish (fleshy) things from the things of the Spirit so accurately, so precisely, so keenly that it leaves no wounds to heal and it leaves no scars to cover. It can only be realized by the one who is experiencing the process. It is like being in the fire, but not consumed. It is like the force of a rushing mighty wind, and yet it is like the kiss of a soft mountain breeze. It is like the great and mighty eagle, and yet it has the gentleness and quietness of a dove. It is like bending iron in the powerful hands of a blacksmith, and yet it is like the soothing gentle caress of a lover’s touch. It is violent, and yet it is tender. It destroys, and yet it brings Life. It tears down, yet it builds up. It divides, yet it unites. It empties one until he is void, and yet it fills him with all the fullness of God. It begets the assurance of God, yet makes one as a lowly servant. It gives one the boldness of a lion, yet the meekness of a lamb. It makes one Divine in his nature, and yet human in every way.

Because of all this, a man may boast, but he will do his boasting and he will find his glorying not in the realm of the flesh, but in the Spirit of God. In his flesh he realizes there dwells NO good thing, yet he knows the truth of what is said in these wonderful words: It is Christ in you that is your hope of glory. “It is not by might; it is not by power; but BY MY SPIRIT, saith the Lord.”--Zech. 4:6

TO BELIEVE IS TO OBEY

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:19:35 GMT

We hear a great deal today about faith and all the things faith can do. We hear how we need faith, and if we believe, we can have almost anything we desire. Truly faith is a great power and can do mighty things. Nothing within the realm of God’s will is impossible.

Our churches pride themselves in their doctrines, creeds, and articles of faith, but I believe that faith is taught today in such fashion that it has almost become selfish. It is as though one can have all the benefits of faith without the personal responsibility that true faith brings. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Therefore the main purpose of faith is to please God, not ourselves.

The personal responsibility that faith brings in simple terms is obedience to our heavenly Father. The Bible mentions “obedience” to the faith in Romans 1:5 and 16:26. Faith and obedience are tied together. They are inseparable. We err if we try to divide them. For instance, we have heard many sermons about faith in regards to the children of Israel not entering the Promised Land. Hebrews says, “They could not enter in because of unbelief.” But what is unbelief? Is it just a lack of faith?

I would like to look at this text in a little different light than what is commonly taught and understood. The children of Israel did not enter the Promised Land because of disobedience. Sounds different, doesn’t it? “Disobedience,” you say, “but what about faith?”

Well, to hear the Word of God and not obey it is to disobey. To do nothing is to disobey. Simply stated it is a failure to believe the Word of God. But the real problem is not theological--it is practical.

Jesus taught that if a man loved Him, he would keep His commandments or do what He said. In other words, He

would obey. Paul said that this kind of faith works by love. John said that God is love. So, you see, faith, love, and obedience all work together. They cannot be separated and anyone who tries to do so does not understand the basic nature of God.

It is very difficult to believe someone you do not love. But if you truly love them, there will most naturally be trust between you. If you trust them, you will believe them; and if you believe them, you will obey them when obedience is required.

We cannot truly say that we believe in someone and not give credibility to their word. Today we make a very big issue over the word “faith” but hear little or nothing about obedience to that faith. Man tries to manipulate the Word of God until he shapes its meaning after his own desires. Like James says, “We ask amiss that we might consume it upon our own lusts.”--James 4: 2-3

The faith God has given us is not something to be used selfishly or according to our own will. Yes, Jesus did say, “Ask what ye will,” but even a second grader must know that Jesus also said He came to do His Father’s will, not His own.

True faith is a response to the Word of God, not the initiator. It is an obedient action to a Word given by God and no one can fake it and make it work. There is both a human and a Divine element, but the Divine comes first. God’s Word comes to you, and then you respond. You either respond by obeying or you respond by not responding. That is your obedience or disobedience. There is no in-between ground.

Not everyone who hears the Word of God believes it, and not everyone who says they believe it obeys it. To not obey the Word is to not believe the Word. There is where your test of faith comes. Jesus says, “Why do you call me Lord and do not (obey not) the things I say.” To keep his commandments or to do His Word is to demonstrate our obedience. Love, faith, and obedience--you can’t have one without the other.

There is not such a thing in God’s eyes as faith without obedience. James says, “Abraham was justified by his works.” His work of faith then was to obey what God told him to do. The scripture says, “His faith was made perfect (complete) by his obedience.”-- James 2:23

Many today will never know the completeness that faith can bring. Like the children of Israel, they stop short of the Promised Land. They hear the Word, but they are not willing to obey it. How could the children of Israel possibly enter the Promised Land unless they did what God told them to do? They were told that every step they took was their possession, but they had to take the necessary steps. Obedience to the Word is the vehicle which carries one into their Promised Land. In God’s view, there is no such thing as faith without personal responsibility to His Word. Look at the word “responsibility”--response (our part)--ability (God’s part).

We can both read and hear the Word of God taught many times, but we must act upon that Word to truly benefit from the Word. That is what obedience to the faith means--doing the Word.

Everything within us must bow to the authority of the Word of God. As in Abraham’s case, our obedience must be fulfilled in order for the scriptures to be fulfilled in our lives. We must walk in the faithful steps of Abraham. (Read James 1:22 and 2:14-26.)

James said two key things in regards to this subject: “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves.” “Faith without works (obedience) is dead.” It stops short. It is a dead (inactive) faith. It is not complete.

Jesus isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living. He gave us a living faith--his own faith, an obedient faith. There is only one real faith--the one that conforms to the Father’s will. Anything else is a counterfeit lie from the devil!

THOUGHTS ON FAITH

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:15:48 GMT

Faith can only be faith when there is no visible or tangible proof. If this were not true, it would be sight--not faith. Faith has nothing to do with tangible facts. Faith always deals with the unseen. The Bible says that the Word of God is the “evidence of things not seen.”

The promises of God contain what is promised but can only be enjoyed by faith—that’s believing and receiving. Believing alone is not sufficient--one must receive by faith as well as believe by faith. Receiving is something we do, not something God does.

In order to prove the reality of faith-substance, one need only look to the Word of God. Sense-knowledge evidence has no bearing on the matter because things of faith are not proved by sense-knowledge facts.

To prove the reality of Spiritual things, one must look to the Spirit. In order to prove the reality of material things, one need only look to material things. They are of two different realms, and one cannot be found in the other.

Again, the Word is proof of things not seen. One need not look to the senses to substantiate faith things because the senses cannot know the things of faith. The only way to be assured of things not seen is by looking to the Word of God. The Word is a promise of things not seen.

Faith is spending supernatural resources without the limitations of sense-knowledge facts. Faith is your entitlement to things you cannot see--your trust deed.

The Word is your guarantee of possession. You give the Father your faith in exchange for His promise just like you would in any business transaction. His written Word is your receipt.

Faith is the Spiritual substance we carry in our heart until we can carry the material substance in our hands.

Everything the believer needs has already been provided in invisible form in the Word of God. “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”--Phil. 4:19

Believing and then receiving is what transfers our possessions into our experience.

Faith is simply living as though God’s Word were true! It is to exercise the heart muscle of belief.

Faith is expecting God to keep His promise and then receiving the answer.

THOUGHTS OF WISDOM

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:48:54 GMT

The best way to control calamity, suffering, and heartache is to prevent it.

Love is an all wise preventive power whose voice would wield an influence over the wills of men and restrain their desires that seek to lead them to their own destruction. It has the power to set the timing to a perfect Life.

Love is the governing force that speaks a warning voice so that we may bypass or sidestep the failure or defeat that is so often moving in our direction because of the unwise footsteps that we are rapidly taking in its direction.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

“In righteousness (right-use-ness) thou shalt be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terror for it shall not come near thee.”

By practicing the right-use-ness of your members, you shall find yourself established.

Because you do this, oppression shall not wield any influence over you. You shall stop fearing and you will cease

having terror of any kind. The reason is that now through the right-use-ness of your bodily members, you have closed the door to un-right-use-ness, the tool that Satan has used in the past to hold you captive in the darkness of ignorance subjecting you to bondage.

Don’t you know that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey his servant you become--whether it is God bringing about your Spiritual Life and Peace or Satan who brings about spiritual death and anguish subjecting you to servitude!

REDEMPTION

There is a groaning within ourselves and a desire to be redeemed from the bondage that our flesh seems to enforce.

We hope to be delivered from sensuality and gradually, but surely our hope develops into faith and faith gives us the substance we once hoped for.

That which we had our eyes upon has changed from a hope that was in the future to a present- tense benefit.

There is a continual process going on. We are given hope so as to have direction in our lives. We exchange hope for faith and begin to enjoy a present-tense reality.

We do not hope for that which we see Spiritually. We have it, for when we see Him, we shall be like Him.

Think Deeply

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:45:47 GMT

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away--behold all things have become new.” All of these new things are the picture and reflection of God’s perfection which is a creation after the image of His own heart.

For we are His workmanship created, or brought forth, in Christ Jesus. We are the results of God’s complete plan that He purposed in Himself to fulfill before the foundation of the world. I am a new creation. This creation is Spirit, for God said through Jesus, “That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”-- John 3:6. This new creation is “…born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”--John l:13

This new creation cannot depend upon the mind of the flesh, the old creature’s mind. This is why God’s Word says, “Lean not upon your own understanding, but acknowledge Him in all of your ways and He will direct your paths.” Carnality and Spirituality are in opposition to one another.

This new creation is Christ in me, for I know that in my flesh dwells no good thing. Christ is my all in all; He is my righteousness, my Life, and my completeness. I am complete in Him because there is nothing left to be added to Him. Because this new creation is Christ in me, my old mind is not to be allowed to assert control. It is not capable of leading and directing and making the correct decisions in order to fulfill this new Spiritual walk.

Can I afford to rely or depend upon a mind that has been taught by Satan to lead and direct the Christ within me? Is my old mind in the position of authority where it can dictate to this Christ and tell Him what to do and when to do it? Is my own mind more capable than Christ? How can this Christ within me will and work His own good pleasure if the old way of thinking is still predominate? Have we just added Christ to our old 1ife and continued to think the same old way without making a clean break in our thought life? Is it not necessary to have a new mind with this new creation? Does not the Word say to be renewed in the Spirit of your mind? Is not the mind of Christ available to us now? 1 Corinthians.2:16 says, “We have the mind of Christ.”

Will this new creation and the old mind ever harmonize? Can they work together to work God’s purpose? Does my mind (human reason) really have or possess the ability to make the correct Spiritual decisions and exercise proper judgment? Does the mind of the flesh know the things of the Spirit? Can I rely upon what reason says in order to obey a Spiritual will? When I must make a decision, can I trust in the mind of the flesh for the correct guidance? Should I be fool enough to think that my own mind, the mind of the senses, is capable of directing the new Spiritual creature that I am? Can I trust in my mind concerning Spiritual things? Can I compare the new creation that we are with the standards of the old mind?

I have come to the conclusion that the human mind (reason-taught mind) does not possess the authority to dictate to me. “For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.”--Phil.3:3

THINGS TO CONTEMPLATE

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:43:31 GMT

THE WAY OF PEACE

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:39:51 GMT

No man can look to himself and find the way of peace. When man looks to himself, he becomes locked within the realm of his senses. When he looks only to the flesh, there is no answer--no way out.

That’s why God brought us a thing called salvation. The Lord says, “Look to me all ends of the earth and be saved.” One can be saved only by doing this.

The carnal mind is a prison to the spirit of man. Before salvation came, man was locked within the sphere of the flesh and its mind with no escape.

The Bible says to be carnally minded is DEATH, but to he Spiritually-minded is life and peace. No one could become Spiritually-minded until salvation was brought by Jesus Christ.

As long as man looks to his own mind and what the Bible calls his “own understanding,” the way of salvation will be hidden from his eyes. When he looks to Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith, his eyes will he opened.

On a personal basis, if I keep looking to my own carnal mind for the answer, I too will not find the way. That’s because the mind does not know the way of life and peace. Jesus is the only way, the only life, and the only peace.

The Bible says that the way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath. The carnal mind is hell!

Jesus says, “Come to me all of you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” Yet man goes right on trying to solve the problem with his own mind. It will never happen!

Jesus is the only way of salvation. All we need do is come to Him. If we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He promises to direct our path.

“What looks impossible today can be a reality tomorrow,” so the mind says. But Jesus says, “Today is the day of salvation.” Why wait until tomorrow? No believer has to wait for salvation, He is already free. All he need do is acknowledge and confess it. But he dare not look to his mind or the things around him. He must look only to Christ. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. I want life and peace. How about you?

THE WAY OF LIFE IS ABOVE TO THE WISE

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:36:42 GMT

The way I understand it, it is a matter of emphasis. It is for sure that a wise man will look up. He will look up because he finds no comfort in looking down. Above the things of this earth he finds Jesus and in Him is light and there is no darkness at all. The wise man, not only knows, but he believes that if he will place his affection and attention on the things which are above, he will find himself departing from the things that would drag him beneath. He will depart from his fears, his problems, and all his weaknesses because God’s Word tells him this is so.

The wise man is wise simply because he believes God's Word. He does not possess any unique capabilities within himself but he knows what Jesus has told him and he believes His Word. Jesus said that he who hears my word and does it is like the wise man who established his abiding place on the rock. The winds blew, the rains and the floods came, but his house did not fall. The unwise man hears God’s Word, but he does not obey it. His house is built on the changing sands of emotion where there is no sure foundation. His house will most certainly fall.

Wisdom is doing or acting on what you know. It has been said that the streets of hell are paved with good intentions. Jesus has said in so many different ways that hell is prepared for the foolish. The foolish are those who hear but do not. Jesus said that many shall say, “Lord, Lord,” but not enter the Kingdom of God. It is good to say “Lord, Lord,” but it is better to enter the Kingdom of God. We must enter of our own accord. Jesus has made this abiding place ready for us.

When we learn to look up into the face of Jesus Christ, the light of his countenance will transform us and we will depart from all the inadequacy of the flesh. I know of no hell that could be more real than the hell of unbelief (not heeding God).

The wise man knows where his real life is to be found and his knowledge moves him to action.

Only the wise know how to escape the torments of hell. He knows because he listens to what Jesus tells him. The wise man is wise because he refuses to give place to the things of this world that seem to scream for his attention. Jesus has told him that the ways of Life are above the things of this world. You have to look up in order to see them.

Satan’s desire is that we pay attention to the things that oppress us; and if we listen to him, we will surely be oppressed. But Jesus says, “Look up--Here I am! I have lifted you above the things of earth. You are not of this world even as I am not of this world, therefore, look up. When you see me, you shall be like me for you shall see me as I am.”

He is victorious!

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME BECAUSE

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:33:14 GMT

He wants to work through me, because I have been given permission to do His will, because I am ready and invested with the necessary authority and power.

I am backed with the requirements needed to do His will and to feed the hungry hearts that are in need of Him.

The Spirit has anointed me for a purpose. He does not dwell in me without a reason. He has not given me a useless or powerless thing.

He is the source of comfort that meets every need. He says, “Go and give.”

It is an honor and great privilege to represent Him, for I do re-present Him and all that He is. We are one. It is the Father working through me, willing and doing His own good pleasure.

I am one with His Spirit, love, and authority. Anything He wants me to do, I can do. He would not tell me that I am anointed if I were not ready. He would not tell me that He has anointed me to speak His Word if I were not able.

He would not teach me anything in vain. He would not entrust me with this valuable information if I could not act upon it. He would not reveal the authority He has given me if it were not backed by Him--the inexhaustible source of authority and integrity.

He wants me to know that He, Himself, has anointed me with His ability to do and carry out His will in reaching the lost and unlearned, the bound and imprisoned.

He wants me to speak with the Word of His power so that the captives can be released and the prisoners can be set free. He trusts me and depends upon me to proclaim this good news (Gospel).

He loves me enough to reveal His will so I can do it, and He can reach others through me. He would not disclose this if He knew that I would not understand. He has told me because He knew I would understand and receive it with gladness. He has revealed His will because He knows that He can trust me with this precious knowledge.

He knows that I now understand Him well enough to obey His Spirit. He would not reveal that I have been given the authority of His Word if I could not use it.

He unveils only that which I am ready to receive. He shows me only that which I can be trusted with and will not abuse because of ignorance. He informs me so that I will not be ignorant.

He has given me a precious gift that I must realize to be very important. I must not withhold it from others. I have a responsibility to His Word. His love reaches out to give of Himself so as to meet the need of the troubled heart. I must not limit Him.

He says, “I am in your hands. My authority and love are at your disposal, and I trust you with it. You are now my Son; do a Son’s job, meet his obligations, fill his responsibilities. You can with my ability. You are taking my place, representing all that I am here on earth.”

That is why He has anointed me. He would not show me my position and tell me of my mission unless He provided the ability to fulfill it. His sweet Spirit has whispered this to my heart; that’s why I can believe Him.

The Father never tells us anything that is unsure or unreliable. His wisdom says: How, why, where, and when.

He knows how to gently maneuver us into the conscious knowledge of our position and authority as the anointed Sons of God.

Our position and authority is equal to His because it is His. He has given it to us. He has entrusted us with it. He has placed us over all things, even as He is over all things, for we are as He is (1 John 4:17).

What a precious privilege that we should be anointed by the Father. We have met His approval and have been given a position, an office, to carry out His desire and execute His will.

God would never have revealed to Jesus that He was His Son if Jesus wouldn’t have realized just what it meant to be a Son of God. He told Him so he could realize.

This position is one of authority. Jesus knew the place that a Son held. He was anointed by the Spirit, and he knew what for. This anointing is equal to the power that it represents. They are one.

Jesus had received knowledge that He was the anointed. God would not have told Him that He was the anointed without giving Him the knowledge that He had the ability to fulfill this anointing. This ability was the Spirit’s ability, the power of the Spirit. He was to represent God, so God became his ability. He represented the ability of the Spirit that had anointed Him. Everything that the Spirit was, He represented. Jesus, the anointing, and the Spirit were one.

The words that Jesus spoke carried the Father’s authority. They carried the same power and anointing as his position in God. He did not have to back them up; the one He represented did that. No ability of His own was required, only His obedience. That is why He could proclaim the captives freedom and the prisoners’ release. He said what He was anointed to say or given the authority to speak. He did not speak his own words; He spoke the Father’s Word--what He was commissioned to say. He said, “The words I speak unto you are Spirit and they are Life.”--John 6:63

Jesus was telling the people that He had been given authority from the Spirit of God to tell them that these words were good for today. He just spoke the words the Father gave Him to speak and the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, and the blind were all taken care of.

Jesus knew for what purpose He was anointed. He exercised his authority. He knew that even though He was given authority, it would benefit no one unless He believed in it. He used it only according to knowledge--Spiritual knowledge. God had to show Jesus, or teach Him how to use it and when to use it. Jesus obeyed the Spirit’s directions, so God’s authority was behind Him (John 8:28).

Authority that is not known or realized cannot be utilized. The knowledge of this authority came from the source of authority.

Jesus knew that what the Father showed Him could be trusted and acted upon. He recognized that the Father and His Word were one.

It was God in Jesus, willing and working His own good pleasure. This was the mind of God in Christ. We have been given the same mind. God is thinking His thoughts through us just as He did through Jesus. This is the anointing of the Spirit of God--the Gospel of Christ filled with His ability to meet the need of every believing heart.

THE REVELATION OF GOOD AND EVIL

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:27:15 GMT

Sometimes we let the activities of this present evil world become much too engrossing. When it comes to Spiritual things, you just have to take your freedom or it isn’t taken. The Lord has shown me how well Satan has succeeded in driving and ruling over the mind of man. He purposes to keep the mind so busy with things that one does not take time to put emphasis upon that which is the most important. I am glad for Christ. He exposes Satan and his works very plainly.

It is amazing how unconscious we are of Satan’s dealings until Christ comes on the scene. Satan has so well trained our minds that we have been blinded to his subtlety. He has kept our wills captive beneath the bondage that he enforces through the carnal mind.

We have lived with our minds for so long that we have been made to believe that everything it tells us is true and reliable. We have never been aware of the fact that Satan has been dictating to us continually through this source. He has never told us this because this would put the finger on the switch and he could be controlled.

He wants to keep the believer blinded to the values of good and evil and that man has the power to choose, receive or reject that which he pleases. The problem lies in that man has been made to believe that his thoughts are his own. Satan has never come right out in the open and said, “I am the reason you think that.” Man does not believe in Satan and yet he is his absolute slave. Man without Christ can do nothing without Satan’s approval.

Satan dictates to the mind and says to man, “You are a self-made man. You are the reason for your decisions.” Man says, “Amen,” not knowing that Satan has him hypnotized into believing his suggestions. Man feels self-confident and sits seemingly upon the throne of his emotions.

Man is deceived and at the same time mocked (1Cor. 3:18). He is blind and Satan wants to keep him that way. Jesus was not subtle. He was not afraid to say, “Because I live, you shall live also.” He was not afraid to unveil Himself. He had nothing to hide. He told the truth about Himself and also about man. He even exposed Satan.

Jesus told man that he was bound by Satan. Satan whispered to the mind of man and said, “This is not true--you are free.” Satan lied with all that was in him when Jesus spoke the Word of God. He did not want man to know that he was bound by something unseen by the human mind (Rom. 6:16). For, “He that commits sin is the slave of sin.”-- John 8:34

The mind of man surveyed the circumstances about him and came up with the conclusion--“We be Abraham’s seed, we were never in bondage to any man,” They could see no bondage. They thought that bondage was a physical thing. Christ came to reveal that it was a spirit that had them bound and that they obeyed the dictates of this spirit whether they realized it or not.

Just because they did not realize their bondage, did not change the fact that they were bound. But man trusted the judgment of the carnal mind and not the Word of God.

Jesus said, “Because you say that you can see, you are blind and because you say you can hear, therefore you are deaf.” Because they would not acknowledge their bondage, they also denied their freedom. Their minds were thought to be capable of proper judgment, not knowing that Satan had them right where he wanted them. Had they believed the Word of God even though they did not understand, they would have lived. But because they did not believe, they died in their sins even as Jesus said they would.

Satan knew that Jesus was vested with the authority to set and direct the wills of men free and he did not want man to seriously ponder the words of Christ. Satan drove man with a zeal that he was willing to let appear as honest and religious, but he was only hiding the real issue beneath their works.

When the Jews asked Jesus what they could do to work the works of God, He replied, “This is the work of God that you believe on Him whom the Father has sent.”--John 6:29. This was too easy and they stumbled at its simplicity. Their minds drove them. It demanded that they work, that they should do something. They must be engrossed in physical activity. Their mind told them, or Satan told them, that this is what God wanted.

Satan realized, if a man ever came to the place of rest (trust), it was there that he was likely to hear from God. Satan did not want this. He prompted thoughts of religious activity to the mind of man and man readily and already trained obeyed them. Satan never at any time told man that he was behind this, but he wanted man to believe what his mind told him. Man leaned to his own understanding (Prov.3:5).

A man’s ways are always right in his own eyes. This is because he has never had the proper comparison. He must go through a change of nature and of mind before he could recognize good from evil, God from Satan, flesh from Spirit.

This is why God created Satan, so as to use him for a blackboard to compare His glory against. Satan would be exposed in the light of Jesus Christ. Man would realize that he was in bondage, but Jesus had made him free indeed. Man would walk away free because he now perceives wherein he was bound. Satan is unveiled for what he is--the usurper, the liar and deceiver.

When man recognizes good from evil, by the Spirit of God, Satan is through. He loses his power to tempt and discourage because the knowledge of God brings VICTORY.

THE NEW BIRTH

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:22:37 GMT

The New Birth: What is it? To many it is no more than a word. In my early years as a Christian, I don’t think that I gave it much thought. My idea of a Christian more or less encompassed someone who either did or did not do certain things. A Christian to me was a person who did not smoke, drink, swear, or go to movies and so on. The other side of the coin was that the positive evidence of a faithful Christian was someone who went to church every Sunday, believed in God, paid his tithes, was baptized in water, and obeyed the rules as prescribed by our church. Whatever “our church” said was more or less the infallible interpretation of truth and righteousness.

I don’t suppose that my thinking went much further than that. But the one thing I continually overlooked without realizing it was that these “things” a Christian should or should not do were merely physical in their nature. They were not of themselves Spiritual. . .

By paying attention to what man had told me, I was completely overlooking my Spiritual being. I was a very unhappy fellow! There were times that I was not able to go to church, and the one thing that bothered me the most were the desires within me that I could not always seem to control. I had been taught that they were taboo and I felt utterly condemned. Quite frankly I was unhappier than I was before all this “religion” began. .

I never knew where I stood. I was doubtful about my position before God and fearful before man. Now that I think of it, I believe that I was more concerned about my standing before my fellowman than I was about my standing before God. I let what man was telling me become more significant than what God had told me in His Word. I was listening with ears of flesh so I could not hear the voice of the Spirit that was within me.

It had never dawned upon me if I were really “born again,” that everything had indeed become new like the Bible said. I did not realize the Spiritual phenomenon of my new life in Christ and I continually made confessions, which identified myself with the old. I talked about my imperfections and shortcomings just as loudly as the next fellow.

One day something happened to me. I’ll simply call it a revelation. I was reading my Bible, and I was in the Third Chapter of the Gospel of John. It is a beautiful chapter. Read it for yourself and see. I believe my eyes fell upon something that Jesus was telling Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He was a religious man and very knowledgeable of the law and the traditions of the Jewish Fathers.

It was the particular way in which Jesus handled this man that arrested my attention. I finally began to see something with the eyes of my Spirit. Nicodemus was attracted to Jesus because of miracles--by things that he could see with his senses. The Bible states that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God because no man could do these miracles you do unless God be with him.” Jesus did not appear to be impressed by this statement. He did not even seem to regard this important Jew’s reference to the miracles that captivated his attention. It was almost as though Christ were saying, “Ok, we have your attention, now let’s begin to investigate a new realm. It is a realm which takes one beyond the things that he can see--beyond one’s senses. I want to guide you into a dimension of life that is not physical but Spiritual, not temporal but eternal--a realm that one cannot possibly understand unless his Spirit is made alive. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

There, I saw it! In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, I saw God’s reason for the new birth! One must be born again in order to perceive the kingdom of God. I read a little further, “Except a man be born of water (water is the water sac that houses the baby--the physical birth) and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”

I saw it again –God’s two reasons that man must be born again. It was the new birth that actually conveyed me into

God’s Kingdom. This happened the very moment that I believed on Jesus. Now something clicked. I remembered what I had read in Col.1:13. “God who has delivered us (past tense) from the authority of darkness has translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” The Bible did not say that He was going to do this, but that He had already done so. I saw that in the new birth, I actually received a new Life and a new identity. I had also received new faculties that would enable me to enter into and realize (real eyes) this realm or Kingdom of God.

I read further. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” There it was— God’s answer to the human dilemma. For the first time, I began to depart from reliance upon this physical sensorial realm of the flesh and began to explore my Spiritual being. I truly began to see with the eyes of my understanding that that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

I had been born again, but it had seemed to mean so little to me. I had been taught that the new birth was only an experience. In believing that it was an experience, I was unconsciously putting it into the category of all other experiences. Now that I had it, I began to move on and seek other experiences. I had not yet realized that the new birth was not just an experience, but a totally new Life in Christ.

The new birth did not deal with the outer man, but with what Peter called “the hidden man of the heart.” All experiences were but temporal and passing, but this was eternal.

I saw that I had not fully realized what the new birth had done for me, what it really meant from God's perspective. I had not majored the totalness, the completeness of it all! I saw the reason for my ignorance. I had been trained by my senses--the senses were in the flesh and Paul had in no uncertain terms stated that flesh and blood would not inherit the Kingdom of God (Spirit).

This new birth was the miracle of miracles. Yes indeed, man must be born again if he desired to know the things of God. God Himself is Spirit; and if man wants to know God, he must also become Spirit. This is, of course, an unknown environment to man so he would need to be educated all over again. Not only would man require a new birth but also a whole new dimension of understanding.

I realized that I had been looking at the wrong things. I was like Nicodemus who could not get past that which he could see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. I had not yet gotten beyond my mere human ability to rationalize and think. I was totally dependent upon my personal powers of reason and had not departed from my own understanding which scripture had commanded me to lay aside. “Lean not upon your own human understanding...”--Prov.3:5. If it did not fit into my way of seeing things, then as far as I was concerned, it just didn’t fit. I was trying to get God to conform to my carnal thinking when He had something else in mind. The problem was I just couldn’t get past physical things. I was thinking with a limited carnal mind and was ruled and dominated by my bodily senses.

Jesus described to Nicodemus what the new birth was like. He picked an example that he was familiar with--the wind. “The wind blows where it wills and you can hear the sound of it; you can see the bending and the swaying of the trees just as surely as you have seen the might and the power of almighty God working through me producing visible miracles. However, you in your present state, Nicodemus, cannot actually see the Kingdom of God, anymore than you can see the wind. You must have a new birth in order to understand the Spirit of God. God is Spirit. He is invisible just like the wind.”

Nicodemus relying upon his senses to inform him of reality said, “How can these things be?” Jesus replied, “You are a master (a teacher) of Israel and do not understand what I am telling you. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how are you going to believe when I tell you of heavenly things?”--John 3:12. I marveled at Christ’s way of handling this man. He neither underscored nor emphasized the physical miracles that captured his attention. Instead he immediately proceeded to introduce the necessity of this phenomenon called “the new birth.”

It is here that I began for the first time in my Christian walk to contemplate the real significance of the Spiritual Life. There was another scripture that began to take on new meaning. Listen: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new; and all things are of God.”--2 Cor.5:17. I said to my self, “All things are of God in this new creation? What happened to sin and my shortcomings?” Then something else was brought to mind that was in God’s Word. “You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.”-- Col. 3:3. I began to realize something: the new creation was more than a physical being that did not swear, drink, smoke or dance. The new creation was more than someone who went to church every Sunday, got baptized in water, sang in the choir, and paid his tithes. All of these things were not themselves Spiritual, but material. According to Jesus, God is Spirit and all of these new things were supposed to be of God.

I began at this point to understand a little more of what Jesus meant when He said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” I began to see a separation here of motives, desires, and entities. I began to see that emphasis upon doing and refraining from doing was all my own way of thinking and reasoning. All of my thinking and reasoning at this point were as nothing before God, because it all came under the “works of the flesh.” I saw that according to Galatians 5:20, I was trying to emulate (imitate) God. I had not realized that the Christian life was not one of imitation, but one of PARTICIPATION! I had not yet learned to abide in the vine and rest in His ability to give Life to the branch. I was struggling with mere religion.

Now I understood what the Bible meant when it said, “It is God that works in you both to will and do of His good pleasure.”--Phil. 2:13. Even Jesus said, “I can of my own self do nothing...”--John 5:30

I now realized that in Christ I had received a brand new and wonderfully different Life. I saw the other for what it was-- a thing of death! Revelation knowledge was separating the flesh from the Spirit and I was being made Spiritually strong through knowing the difference. I could now see the enmity between the two sides. No wonder Christ had said, “Because I live you shall live also.”--John 14: 19. I saw that the reason for his life was now the reason for my life. (The Spirit of God was that reason.) I was born of the same Spirit as Jesus when the Holy Spirit came down from heaven and filled him at John’s baptism. God was now my Life just as surely as He became Jesus’ Life. (The Holy Spirit did not live in Jesus until his baptism in the Spirit. That is what made Him the Christ.)

There was so much more to this new birth of Life than I had ever dreamed. I definitely saw one thing--the new birth was not something that God had added just to improve the old nature. The new birth was totally new. It was the absolute end of the old! God had said that he would not put new wine in old wineskins or sew a new piece of cloth on an old fabric. This was a COMPLETE NEW LIFE. I needed a new life because the old one was dead in trespasses and sins. Sin is separation from God and God doesn’t want us separated.

No wonder that Paul in Romans 6 instructed the believer to reckon (count) himself dead to the old man of sin (flesh), but then to find a new Life again in the Spirit. The believer is not an old creation, but a new being in Christ. Christ is the believer’s present Life. (For him to live is Christ.)

The new creation has no harmony whatsoever with the old. They cannot exist together; they are enemies. What

harmony has light with darkness? The one thing that Satan, the god of this world, wants to do is blind the eyes of the believer. He wants to hide from him the meaning of this great and mighty miracle of God’s new species. Satan knows that the NEW CREATION is his absolute and total defeat, and that Christ has completely deprived him of authority over such a being. His only hope is to try to keep the believer ignorant of his true identity. It is through realizing the revelation of Christ being the Life of the believer that the prince of darkness is cast out and man is made in God’s image and likeness.

It is absolutely necessary for the believer to recognize his utter oneness with the Father in the Son to thwart off the temptations of the evil one. As long as the believer sees himself as merely a man of passions and of flesh and blood, he will be tempted sorely by the devil. When he begins to recognize that God is his true Life, he can reply to Satan, “Thou shall not tempt the Lord, thy God.” You see, God is the Lord over Satan and that same Life of God is in you! Satan knows this; God knows this; do we know it? Satan’s main scheme is to convince the believer (with lying deceptions contrary to God’s Word) that he is not really a Spirit being but that he is still flesh. He knows that every man of the flesh is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed of his own desire. He also knows that the NEW LIFE in the believer cannot be tempted with evil. (God cannot be tempted with evil James l:13:14.)

As I began to see my new identity in the Spirit of God, I also remembered a prayer that Jesus once prayed in the Seventeenth Chapter of John and how that prayer now affects the believer. Listen: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world...because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil. They (the new creations) are not of the world even as I am not of the world.”

I would at this time like to substitute another word in place of the word “world.” The reason I would like to do this is because there is another word that I believe makes the meaning contained in this prayer nearer to home than one might think. I wish to substitute the word “flesh” in place of the word “world.” Notice that the meaning becomes more specifically identified with our experience as we repeat this prayer together. Keep in mind that Jesus was also born of the Spirit when he was filled with the Holy Spirit; and, therefore, could very significantly point out to Nicodemus the distinction between being born of the flesh and being born of the Spirit. Listen: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world of flesh... because they (the new species) are not of the flesh even as I am not of the flesh. I pray not that you should take them out of the flesh but that you would keep (preserve) them from the evilness of the flesh, for they are not of the flesh even as I am not of the flesh”--John 17:9,14-16. This is one of the ways that God, (The Father of Spirits) began to show me the limitless dimension of this brand new Life that is ours in Christ. For the first time, “Life” became exciting!

I now began to realize that this Spirit-Life of the Father was so measureless that I could no longer think as a mere man. How could one evaluate its significance by something so small and unappreciative as the carnal mind? Only the mind of Christ was capable of doing the job-- a mind the Bible says we have!

New meaning began to spring forth through ancient words. When I was willing to accept the fact that God Himself was Spirit and therefore free from substance, form, and shape, the perspective at once became boundless. I now understood why Paul when speaking of our glorious redemption in Christ selected words like “exceedingly, abundantly, above, all we can ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). The new creation was passing in review. It required a much higher estimation than the carnal mind could give. A new appraisal must be forthcoming. Even the rocks cry out, “There is more to God than the eye can see.”

As I began to see with the eyes of my Spiritual understanding, there were many things I had formerly read in the Bible that came alive to me (or perhaps I really came alive to them). When the Bible said things like, “He that comes from above is above all” (John 3:31), I began to sense something. Somehow it was now relating to me, that is my new Life in Christ. I had formerly thought that certain things pertained to Jesus, the Christ, alone; but now I began to see with the eyes of the Spirit a whole new dimension of living. No wonder the Bible said, “We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God.”-- 1Cor.2:12

The eyes of the new creation saw things that the old man of sin could not see. I began to compare Spiritual things with Spiritual instead of material things with material.

I also saw what John, the Baptist, meant when he said, “A man can receive nothing unless it be given from heaven.”-- John 3:27. Jesus said, “The flesh profits nothing, it is the Spirit that gives Life.”--John 6:63. I began to understand that the new creation, being born of the Spirit, came from heaven (a higher realm). Because it came from heaven, it was Divine, righteous, and pure. It was holy because it came from above and not from beneath (the earth). All these new things were of God!

I began to realize (real eyes) that I had never majored the fact of the new birth. All of my thoughts and reasonings were from below, but the new man came from above. I also began to understand that the realization of this new Life did not come from myself. It was the gift of God--a treasure in an earthen vessel. This was not a human knowledge but a Divine revelation. Flesh and blood had nothing to do with this! It was not my knowledge about God, but His knowledge dwelling in me. It was this new Life within who understood the message. Christ was living his Life a second time through me. What I possessed was the knowledge of God. It was not just my knowledge about God. I understood now what the Bible meant when Paul wrote in Colossians, “That you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and Spiritual understanding and increasing in the knowledge of God.”--Col.1:9-10. He also prayed in Eph.1:17-18, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes (real eyes) of your understanding being enlightened…”

I began to understand what the Bible called the “appearing” (Greek: apokalupsis, or revelation) of Christ. I began to receive Spiritual illumination. I was knowing Christ this time not after the flesh, but after the Spirit! Again, it was not my knowledge “about” God. Any knowledge that I possessed apart from this revelation of Christ would be considered carnal knowledge. God’s knowledge would have to be Spiritual because God himself is Spirit. But my mind did not understand Spirit because my mind is of this world.

I saw something clearly once again: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” All of my struggling to understand God was a work of the flesh. I had not yet recognized the Spirit of God. That was because I really didn’t believe that God was Spirit. I had still been thinking of God as a person of flesh and bone just like my self. Well, how could God who is Spirit speak to me and reveal Himself as long as I was insisting that whatever He should say must conform to my senses and human point of view?

I had to face it: My understanding of the new birth was fashioned after the graven images of my natural mind. As long as I was thinking like the world, I could not understand God who was not flesh and bone, but Spirit (Luke 24:37-39). .

This new knowledge that Christ was pouring into my heart was fresh and vital; it was nothing like the dead concepts of before. What I began to understand was quickened from heaven. It was alive and therefore generated by the Spirit. It was joy unspeakable and full of glory. Now I understood the words of Paul, “Lie not one to the other seeing that you have put off the old man (old creation) with his deeds: and have put on the NEW MAN which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created him.”--Col.3:9-10

God’s image is Spirit, so obviously this new knowledge would be Spiritual too. It would be fashioned after God’s image and likeness.

One thing I had to clearly understand: Flesh was not Spirit and Spirit was not flesh. Spirit was not like anything that I had ever known before! It was true that God would use physical words to convey the idea, but the meaning was Spiritual, not physical. When God spoke of a “body” etc., it did not always mean that which I imagined when I thought of the word “body.” Jesus said, “The words I speak to you, they are Spirit and they are Life.” As long as I could not separate flesh from Spirit, I was not able to discern the good from the evil or rightly divide (discern) the Word of Truth. If the words that Jesus spoke are Spirit and Life, then they are more than a carnal understanding of the meaning of the word itself. Did not the Apostle Paul himself say, “The letter kills, it is only the Spirit that gives Life.”

It is possible for us to understand the mechanics of a word and still fail to grasp the Spiritual meaning. Jesus told the Pharisees, “You search the scriptures and within them you think you have found eternal life, yet they testify of Me, but you will not come to Me that you might have true Life.” They read the message, but they missed the messenger. They caught the letter, but they failed to hear the Spirit.

The miracle of Christianity is not only the raising of the dead and the healing of blind eyes, but a NEW BIRTH of Divine Life--an eternal Life in the Father and in the Son. “Of his own will (initiative) begat he us by His Word of Truth.”--James 1:18

I was now beginning to realize what it really meant to be born again. It was a dual revelation both of the good (God) and of the evil (mind of flesh). As the eyes of my understanding became enlightened, I recognized that not only had the new come, but that the old had already passed away (died). The old no longer had legal claim over me. I was free--free at last! I knew that just as surely as Christ had died, so had the man of sin that I once was. I now realized that I was separated from the former body of sin and death by the resurrection of a new birth of Life even as the butterfly from its cocoon.

I saw that the new creation was purely the work of God. He had done it all! I had nothing to do with its success other than the fact that I believed his Son. He did all the rest so I entered into His rest--the rest of a perfect and complete salvation.

I had received Him, so He in turn gave me the right and privilege to become a Son of God. It all existed within this phenomenon called the new birth. I was the recipient of an intangible reality. Faith had become the living substance of my hopes. The heritage of every believer had become mine. I was complete in Him--the head of all principality and power.

Now that I understood this newness, I began to realize that my carnal mind was in total opposition with what God had

done. It did everything it could to cancel out and render void the Spiritual reality of faith. I began to understand the meaning of Romans 12:1-2 and Romans 8:6-7. “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God...For the carnal mind is enmity (an enemy) against God. To be carnally minded (sense ruled) is death, but to be Spiritually minded is Life and peace!”

I began to realize that the new creature did not think like the old; and if I did not change my way of thinking (repent), I would be like someone rich thinking like someone poor. All things had for a fact become new in Christ, so I began to put on this new knowledge. I was no longer a sinner in God’s eyes. I was His workmanship created in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:10). I was more than a sinner saved by grace. I had become the very righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor.5:21). I was no longer living in spiritual poverty and human depravity. I was blessed with every Spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph.1:3). I was no longer one of Satan’s prisoners. I was delivered out of the authority of darkness and had been translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13). I was no longer separated from my Heavenly Father, but I was eternally one with Him in Christ (John 17:21).

There were a thousand and one new things that were mine in Christ. I could no longer think the old way; neither could I talk the same old way. If I wanted to enjoy the benefits of the new Kingdom, I was instructed by God’s Word to renew my mind. Now it was up to me. God had already done His part!

I had no proof of this Spiritual reality, but God’s Word. I would enter into the victory that Christ won for me by faith, or I would not enter in at all! False humility would not help me here. Without faith it would be impossible to please God. There was no value in talking about my former unworthiness.

I began to believe! I decided that true humility was to accept the gift of righteousness by pure faith and make no more apologies for the old man. I was born again for the explicit purpose of entering into God’s righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, so I entered in by faith. I was the recipient of not merely a human, but a Divine Life.

There were many ways that the Father opened my understanding to the door of His heart. I remember reading where Jesus said, “I came down from heaven not to do my will but His that sent me.” John 6:38 For the very first time, I believe I finally truly understood what Jesus meant. I remembered the scripture that said, “When a man thinks he knows something he knows nothing as he ought.” What came to me, came by revelation, not through someone’s explanation!

I had always recognized Jesus in the physical sense as being the Son of God. That was normal for a believer. Now I began to see something that I had completely overlooked. I began for the first time in my Christian life to consider His Words with the eyes (the eyes of the Spirit) and ears of the new creation that God had made me to be. Once more this thing about not “knowing Christ after the flesh” challenged me. I knew that if I were no longer to know Christ after the flesh, there was only one other way I could know Him--IN THE SPIRIT (2 Cor.5:16). This too went along with what Jesus told the woman of Samaria at the well. “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in the Spirit and in the truth, for the Father is seeking such.”-- John 4:23-24 (God is Spirit.)

I began to see on the inside of Jesus. I began to recognize the Father’s Spirit within Him. I saw more than a man with a beard and sandals. I saw by the Spirit of the living God. I remembered how many times Jesus had said things like, “My doctrine is not mine...the words I am speaking are not my own...He that has seen me has seen the Father.”

When Jesus said things like, “I came down from heaven...” I began to understand that Jesus was speaking the Father’s Words, not His own. I knew that Jesus was born of a virgin in the physical sense and that He was indeed the Son of God, but then God Himself was Spirit. Jesus went through the normal process of birth only He escaped the seed of Adam (Gal. 4:4). However, this was still a physical birth; it was not a birth of the Spirit. Flesh is not Spirit and Spirit is not flesh. “That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of Spirit is Spirit.”--John 3:6.

Whatever Jesus meant when he said, “I came down from heaven...” disturbed the Jews. They replied, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he says, I came down from heaven?” It is true that they did not understand his physical birth, but they (like the church of today) had not even dreamed that he had also participated in a birth of the Spirit. They knew nothing about the Spiritual Life of the Father.

I finally began to see how this was made possible and what Jesus really meant. It was Nicodemus who once asked in

reply to Jesus’ statement about being born again, “How can these things be?” What I saw was not at all related to

Jesus physical birth through Mary, or his physical birth because of His Father God, nor of any pre-existence of the man Jesus on some far and distant planet. (Why should God waste thirty years of development if Jesus, the man of flesh, already existed?) I knew that Jesus was God’s Son in the physical sense because of the seed of God deposited in Mary’s womb; but this was still a physical seed and God Himself was not material, but Spirit. Yes, there was more to God than the eye could see.

When John, the Baptist, saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove and the Father declared to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” I saw that Jesus became the first man to INSPERIENCE the new birth. Jesus was born of the Spirit of God by believing the Father’s Word (faith) just as you and I become new creations by believing the Son’s Word. As the Father has Life in Himself, so the Son has Life in Himself. (I used the word insperience because “ex” in the word experience deals with the outer man. We here are referring to the inner man.)

This birth of the Spirit of God into a man’s spirit was not to be compared to any physical birth, for it was of a completely different realm --the realm of God. Jesus had received a new Life! It was a Life that He did not possess before His baptism. This birth was not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or the will of man or of woman, but OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD! It was a Life born out of heaven itself. Its Spiritual origin came from God, and into the world for all to see.

THE WORD (Spirit of God, the Logos) came in flesh and dwelt in flesh and lived among us. Spirit Life was walking the earth in a man. The miracle of miracles had inspired because a man was willing to do the Father’s will. It pleased the Father that in the Son all the fullness of God should dwell bodily. He and the Father had become one. Jesus had become the Christ. The anointing came to dwell in Jesus.

I began to see that what was true of Jesus, the Christ, was also true of God’s other Sons. There was only one God, one Father, One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ABOVE ALL, IN ALL, AND THROUGH ALL. God, the Father, had made them ONE!

Jesus had been born again (a second time) by the creative Word of Spirit. He was born first of woman, the second time he was born of God. It was the Word of God which created the new creation in Jesus in response to faith. He then became “The Christ,” the anointed one.

I had always wondered why there was so little recorded in the Bible regarding the first thirty years of the life of the man Jesus. It occurred to me simply because he had not yet been filled with the Spirit of God, and there was little to say or the Bible would have said it. It wasn’t until He was filled with the Spirit that He stood up in the synagogue with the Father’s authority and spoke these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, and announce the year of the Lord’s favor; TODAY this scripture is fulfilled (brought to pass) in your ears.”--Luke 4:18-21

It was not until Jesus became the Christ that things radically changed. His whole Life radically changed! He now had received the Father’s Spiritual Life. He was the first born among MANY brethren that were yet to come (Rom. 8:29). That is why Jesus could speak to Nicodemus about the new birth. He had just recently come into possession of it and was learning about it for the first time Himself. “Though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”--Heb. 5:8. He had never spoken by the Spirit before His baptism because He had not yet had the Spirit birth. He was now being trained and directed by the Spirit of God. This knowledge was contrary to His former training. He was realizing a Divine Life. Now I understood why the Bible said things like, “I came down from heaven...He that cometh from above is ABOVE ALL. He that is of the earth is earthy (the man of flesh) and speaks of the earth. He (the new creation) that comes from heaven is above all.”-- John 3:31.

I began to realize that the Life of the NEW CREATION was superior to other forms of what I had previously thought that life was. Yet it was not a worldly superiority. It was the power of Love and of a sound mind. The WORD sprang to Life within me that said, “Let this ( same) mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form (Spirit image) of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”-- Phil. 2:5-8

The NEW CREATION is above all because he is IN CHRIST. This also makes the NEW CREATION above all in the believer. It also makes the NEW CREATION above all in this world. The NEW CREATION in Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand in heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that that is named: not only in this world but also in that which is to come. Now you can understand why, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” Now you can see why, “Whatsoever is born of God has overcome the world. Who is he that has overcome the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Now you can understand what the scriptures mean when they say, “As He is so are we in this world.”--Eph.1:3, 2:6, Col.1:20,1John 4:4-17, 5:4-5

The NEW CREATION, the Life of the Father in the believer, is the same Spirit that made Jesus the anointed Son of God. He has also made us the Sons of God. “Behold, what manner of Love the Father has bestowed upon us that WE should be called the Sons of God. Beloved now are we the Sons of God.”--1 John 3:1-2

God has made us what we are in Christ today! “It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.” The NEW CREATION is victorious. He is the child and offspring of faith. He is born of God and cannot be defeated!

So you see, no longer is the meaning of these words isolated to the one man Jesus Christ. I saw the Father swing wide an open door to “whosoever will.” They too become God’s Sons. They too have the Father’s nature. They too have eternal Life. They are the very righteousness of God in Christ. They know that it is the Spirit that gives them Life (Greek: zoe). The flesh profits them nothing. They dare to believe the Father’s Word!

About this thing called oneness: When Jesus said, “I and my Father are ONE,” the Bible records that the Jews took up stones to stone him. The reason they wanted to stone Him was “Because you being a man are making yourself God when you say that you are one with God or God’s Son.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, I said you are gods? If He called them gods unto whom the Word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; are you saying of Him whom the Father has set apart and sent into the world, you blaspheme, because I have said that I am the Son of God?”--John 10:33-36

The thing I saw here is that they could not accept the fact that God could dwell in a human being, that a man could become His temple. No way; the temple was in Jerusalem, that’s where it was. They did not understand that God was Spirit and that a man could become one with the Father through a new birth of Divine Spirit Life. They did not recognize God in Christ because of their religious pride and the blindness of their hearts. A man could become equal with God? Impossible! That would be blasphemy to a Jew.

They did not realize that it was the Father who had done the work and the Son of himself could do nothing.

Here is what I believe Jesus was actually telling them: “You are from beneath and born of the flesh; I am from above and born of the Spirit. I have received a new birth of the Father’s Life; this is an invisible reality. God, who is the Word, has come to Me through revelation of the Spirit. He has unveiled Himself to Me and has declared at My baptism that I am the Son of God, filled with the Holy Spirit. I am now claiming a new Spiritual identity in the Father. I have become all that the Father is. All things that are the Father’s are now Mine for We are one. He speaks through Me because I am willing to reckon Myself dead to my earthly desires. I believe the Father’s Words and act upon them. If I should not believe His Word, then I would be a liar like unto you. I have not by My own efforts made Myself equal with the Father; He has made it so. If you will believe the Word, you too shall become God’s Sons. That is why I have come, that you might also have the Father’s Life. I have the authority to implant within your heart the very nature of God if you will believe Me. Yes, it is possible for you too to be born from above.”

You see the words “come from above” simply mean to receive the Father’s Life, to be born a second time, but this time of the Spirit. When you read those words, think of yourself as being in Christ right now! What is true of Him in the Father is true of you. “As He is, so are you in this present world.”--1 John 4:17

Jesus prayed in the Seventeenth Chapter of John these words, “Father, keep through your own name (nature and

self) those whom you have given me that they may be one, just like we are one. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.” (In other words, they too have the Father’s Spirit Life which is above all other forms of life.) “As you have sent (commissioned) Me into the world, possessing your nature, your Life, your Spirit, your power, your authority, even so have I also sent them into the world. My desire is that they all may be one in us Father, just as you are in me and I am in you, that they too may be one. And now Father they are one, even as we are one, I in them and you in me that they may be made perfect and complete in one. (God is one.) That the world of flesh may come to realize (real eyes) that you have sent me into the world and has loved them as you have loved me.”

Have you ever considered this fact of oneness with the Father? It is almost too much for the heart to take in. If we never had one ounce of faith in our own prayers, we can be absolutely certain that the Father has already answered this prayer prayed by Jesus. Jesus once said, “I know, Father, that you always hear me...”--John 11:42. 1 John 5:15 says, “If we know that God hears us, then we have (possess) the petition that we desired of Him.”

Jesus always prayed in faith and always had his prayers answered. This prayer has also been answered! It is a fact

now in Christ! We are one with the Father just as surely as Jesus is one with the Father. Not just in one accord but the number one! Because Jesus always prayed in faith, we now realize that His faith is the substance of the things we hoped for. We believe and live by His Faith!

This thing about being one with God and being a Son of God, what does it do for the believer? Dare we accept the Father’s perspective regarding this profound truth?

The Jews reacted violently to Jesus' reference of His oneness with the Father and of His Sonship. They certainly seemed to have gotten the message--a message that the church has evidently failed to grasp today. Hardly anyone is stirred to thoughtfulness when the words oneness or Sonship is used. That’s because we really do not understand what they mean. That is why we need God’s understanding.

Observe the following: Jesus answered the Jews, “My Father has worked up to now, now I am working. Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill Him, not just because he broke the Sabbath by healing a man, but because He also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”--John 5:18

Possibly you have begun to catch a glimpse of something that has been obscure to the church for centuries. Wouldn’t it be to our Spiritual advantage to know what it really means to be God’s Son from His perspective?

Those Jews understood more about Sonship, not even having the Spirit of God, than most believers do today. Why? Perhaps I can share what God has revealed to me as part of the answer as we travel along.

While reading the Gospel of John, I would have my interest aroused by the Spirit again and again by certain Scriptures that seemed to repeatedly confront me. Each one appeared to be related to this thing called “Sonship,” whatever it meant. For example, Jesus said the following, “All things that the Father has are mine (the Son’s), therefore said I that he shall take of mine and reveal it unto you.”--John 16:15. “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.”--John 3:35. “My father has worked, now I am working.”--John 5: 17. “For the Father loves the Son and reveals to him all things that He does. For as the Father raises up the dead and makes them alive, even so the Son quickens whom he wills. The Father judges no man but has committed all judgment unto the Son.”-- John 5:20-22. “The servant does not have a permanent abiding place in the Father’s house, but the Son abides forever. If the Son shall make you free, then you shall be free indeed.”--John 8:35-36

I began to understand something about the Bible meaning of Sonship. I also began to understand why we here in the Western Hemisphere could not fully appreciate what it meant to those of the East. We that live in the Western Hemisphere have been exposed to a totally different perspective of Sonship. The Eastern meaning is completely different and is, of course, more suitable to scripture. The Bible we know is an Eastern book. The customs of the time of Christ were vastly different than ours of today. The culture, languages, and traditions of the people of that era were of course, divergent to the West. This makes it more difficult in some cases to comprehend the Eastern meaning, but God can still give illumination by His Spirit.

As I began to understand more of the customs of the Bible lands and the Holy Spirit proceeded to guide my thoughts into certain areas of truth, things that had formerly been obscure began to become clear.

One thing that helped me considerably was that I found that there was a certain custom practiced in the east called the ADOPTION OF SONS. However, adoption in the land of the Bible had an entirely different meaning than it does here in the West. When we think of the word “adoption” we think of benevolent parents taking an orphan or a homeless child into their care. This is not the Bible meaning or the meaning understood by the people of the East.

In Israel and in the Near East, adoption was a public ceremony in which a young man who had proven his responsibility and faithfulness to his Father was publicly proclaimed as a Son. This is the Bible meaning for the word adoption.

It was customary for friends, neighbors, and relatives to be present at the ceremony when the Father publicly proclaimed his hitherto adolescent boy as his Son. This proclamation gave the Son certain privileges not previously enjoyed by him. If we contemplate the significance of these privileges, we will begin to realize what happened to Jesus when He became the Christ (the anointed). We will also understand more clearly what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, “For you (the believer) have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear: but you have received the Spirit of ADOPTION whereby we cry Abba Father.” These words also in Galatians: “Now I say that the heir (someone entitled to an inheritance but not yet in possession) as long as he is a child, (not a Son) differs nothing from a servant, though by birthright he be Lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed (adoption) by the Father. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the ADOPTION OF SONS. And because ye are Sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father. Therefore you are no more a servant but a Son; and if a Son, then an heir of God through Christ.”--Gal. 4:1-7. “The Spirit himself is also bearing witness with our Spirit that we are the Sons of God and if Sons, heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God.”-- Rom. 8: 14-17. You have received the Spirit of Adoption.

At this ceremony of adoption, the privileges of Sonship were as follows: First, the Son was given the right to the use of his Father’s name. He could buy or sell, or do business in the good name of his father. He need not build his own credit limit. He could draw upon his Father’s. Putting it in simple terms, he had the power of attorney. (Read John 16:23-27.) Secondly, at the adoption ceremony, the Son was given his inheritance and was therefore able to use the wealth that his Father had provided for him. It became his from then on to dispense accordingly. Thirdly, the most significant thing of all: At the adoption ceremony, the Son was given equality with His Father (John Chapter 17, Phil. 2:5-8).

Do you now understand what Jesus meant when He boldly confessed that He and his Father were one? Do you now understand why the Jews were so violent in response to His words? It was unthinkable for a man to go against the tradition of the Jewish religion and profess such things. It could be nothing less than blasphemy. The Jews would not believe in two Gods, they were monotheistic, they believed in one God!

I now understood many things that were once a mystery to me. I also understood the following words more clearly: “Truly, truly, I say unto you, whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. The servant does not abide in the Father’s house forever: but the Son remains permanently; therefore if the Son shall choose to make you free, you shall be free indeed.”--John 8:34-36

Now that I understood more about Sonship from the Jewish perspective, I realized many implications I had not understood before. Jesus, knowing full well that God told him, “You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (to dwell), understood the all inclusive meaning of his anointing.

Never before had he or anyone else operated as the anointed Son of God. He recognized the position of authority that only a Son could occupy. Also, according to the Jewish custom, if the full fledged Son chose to release the household slaves or servants from their indentureship, he could. The Son possessed all authority. Man was a slave to sin so the Son had come to set the captives free.

When Jesus had said, “I and my Father are one,” the Jew, recognizing what Sonship and adoption really meant, could not receive His testimony. Making their evaluations based upon the oriental customs and traditions of family life, they refused the message. They cried and complained, “We have a law and by our law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”--John 19:7. They never once dreamed of the Spiritual phenomenon that had inspired within the life of this one man Jesus. They did not realize that when the Father came to dwell on the inside of this man that he became a NEW CREATION, took on a new Life, began to speak new Words, and do God’s deeds. It could happen to them too. He had the authority, the right, and the privilege to give eternal Life to as many as would believe on His name. However, religious pride and traditional beliefs hindered them from recognizing God in Christ. Their religious works of self-righteousness and achievement kept them from receiving the gift--the gift of the Holy Spirit!

No wonder John had said, “He that comes from above is above all.” The Spirit of Truth, the Anointing, the Comforter, Eternal Life, the Holy Spirit, the New Creation, the Father, the Son, are not three, six, or eight, but ONE! “He that is born of God overcomes the world.” The new creation is born of God and He is on the inside of the believer! What the new creation has seen, realized, heard, and understood that he testifies. He whom God has sent into the world speaks the Word of God for God has given him the full measure of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given ALL things into His hand.

Do you see? That’s what Sons of God are, have, and can do! They are from above (the highest realm) and possess a *superior Life. They too have come down from heaven to do the Father’s will. *Christianity, a superior life without the attitude of superiority.

They are one with the Father in Christ Jesus. The Father dwells in them, and they dwell in the Father. They are on earth to speak the Father’s Word from heaven. He has sent His Word into the world to heal, comfort, and cheer the broken in heart. He dwells, abides, and lives in His Sons. The Sons of God are the Word made flesh, the Word incarnate. They are a new species with the Father’s super nature.

These Sons of God reckon themselves dead to sin, but alive in Christ. They are hid with Christ in God. They are not of this world even as Jesus, the first Son, was not of this world. They possess a Divine Life. This Divine Life is above every principality and earthly power. The Sons have been baptized with the same baptism as Jesus, not with water only, but a full and complete identification with the Spirit of Holiness.

Jesus once asked the disciples, “Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the same baptism?” He said unto them, “Yes, you shall drink indeed of my cup and be baptized with my baptism.”--Matt. 20:22- 23

The real meaning of the word baptism from the Father’s point of view means total identification in death, then rising into the Father’s newness of Life--a total death, then a total Life--yes, submerged into the Father and into the Son--a new found identity. “He that has the Son has (possesses) Life.” The Sons are quickened by the resurrection Life of Christ. Because He lives, they are living also. Total oneness with the Father is now a fact! Many Sons have been brought to glory (Heb. 2: 10). They are enjoying the glorious liberty of the Sons of God (Rom. 8:21). They are transformed into the image of their Father, as in wonder they behold the glorious revelation of His nature. They go from glory to glory. As they see Him, they become like Him. As He is, so are they in this present world. Now are they the Sons of God. They have come that the Father’s will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

So, you see, the New Creation is a lot more than mere church attendance and dropping off a few evil habits. The New Creation is the very presence of the Christ dwelling within the heart of the believer. No wonder Jesus had said, “Among those born of women there was not a greater prophet than John, the Baptist, but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” The new creation man is born with the Kingdom nature. He is a King and a Priest unto God, the Father. He is born into the Kingdom of God as the Kingdom enters into him through the new birth. He possesses Divine faculties because he is in possession of the Divine nature. He knows that Christ lives within, so his King is already here!

It is time for the believer to cease being a doubter and start considering his true Spiritual identity. He must turn from the sense realm and begin to believe God’s Word--not just for things but for the realization of a new and abundant Life in the Spirit of God.

The new creation is our second chance, our second birth! It is an opportunity to start all over again and lay aside the old. It is God’s best! He can do nothing greater for the believer than to grant a new Life to him in Christ. Nothing shall equal or surpass God’s new birth for His children!

Yes, it is true, “If any man be in Christ (the Christ Life), he is a new creation; old things have passed away, look, all things have become new and all these things are of God.”--2 Cor.5:17-18. There is no need to say, “I hope so.” It is an established fact! There is no substance in hope. It is only faith that gives substance to things hoped for--not just temporal or material substance, but Eternal Spiritual Realty. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. That is why God gave us His own faith!

“While we look not at things which are seen but at things which are not seen for the things which are not seen are Eternal.”--2 Cor.4:18

It is only in the realm of God's Spirit, the realm of the unseen, that a new dimension of Life awaits the believer. As long as physical things occupy his attention, he will never realize what it means to enjoy the Kingdom of God.

This Kingdom comes not with observation (looking for the signs of the times) but with participation in the Spirit of God.

Jesus came to bring more than a ministry of miracles; He came to bring a total, new dimension of living. The Father intends to permeate every nook and cranny of the human experience. Oh yes, there is work to do, but one must realize that being is much more important than doing.

So what will you do with your second chance? Has the Christ-Life become meaningful to you or are you looking for something far off in the distant future? Do you think that the ministry that God could give you may be more significant than His Life? Could our work exceed God’s workmanship? Can we accomplish more for the Father than He has succeeded in doing for us in Christ?

In not realizing the significance of the birth and Life of the Spirit, we have failed to develop the deep sense of awareness and appreciation that comes from understanding Spiritual things! Are we so dominated by our flesh and the senses of our own body that we still think that is who we really are?

Why did Jesus say, “That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit,” if true reality were in the flesh?

No, my friend, the answer is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit of the Living God. If any man would follow Him, let him take up his cross and follow Him into the realm of the unseen. Let him be separated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from his former identity in the flesh to live a new Life now in the Kingdom of the Spirit of God. Flesh and blood will not inherit this Kingdom. A transformation of nature and of mind takes place only as one is willing to disembark from the former and familiar, even as Abraham of old who believed God and walked by faith.

Yes, child of God, there is more to the Father’s Life than healing the sick, casting out devils, and rebuking the storms. I am for all of that, but what we have in Christ cannot be measured. Let’s forget about “things” and leave the details up to the Lord. Let us explore the Father’s heart together as we move along undisturbed by the multitude of voices that cry for our attention.

THE NEW BIRTH

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 05:05:51 GMT

Gal 4:1-7: *Huio thesia = adoption, the placing of a Son

Eph. 1:5: *Huio thesia = adoption, the placing of a Son

Romans 8:14-17: *Teknon = child, daughter, Son

Luke 3:21-23: Sonship pronounced upon Him by His Father

John 3:35: All things – all authority given to the Son

John 5:16-30, 43: I am taking over my Father’s place and position.

John 8:31-36: The Son has authority to set the slaves free.

John 10:30-33, 36: The Son becomes one with the Father

John 16:15: The Son having received all things will reveal those things to those who believe on Him and will also become Sons of God.

The rights we receive as Sons of God shown through the Scripture is as follows:

Power of Attorney: John 3:35, 5:43
His complete inheritance: John 16:15
Equality with His Father: John 5:18, l0:30-33

Let’s look in John’s Gospel and First Epistle and see what other scriptures say about those of us in Christ.

John 1:11-13: *Teknon = child, daughter, Son
I John 3:1-2: *Huios = child, foal, Son
I John 4:17: As He is in this world, so are we in this world.

You are a Son of God with the same rights and privileges. You have God’s life living in you. That Life is

equal with the Father because it is the Father and the Son living in you, I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one--John 17:23. Let this mind be in you….Phil. 2:5-11

*Greek definitions are from Strong’s Exhaustive Hebrew and Greek Concordance.

All Scripture references are from the Original King James Version.

A more comprehensive study of this subject matter is contained in my article titled, “The New Birth,”

which is to be found on my Website address below:

christisyourlife.com

THE MIND OF PRAISE, THE MIND OF GOD

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:55:08 GMT

Praise is being of a single mind. Praise is an attitude brought about because one is thankful for what God is to him, not what God could be to him. He is thankful for what he possesses in Christ now.

Praise is the expression of what already lies within; it is what God dwells in. It is not asking, but thanking because one believes he already possesses.

Praise is as complete as God is complete.

Praise cannot ask as though it did not possess.

Praise cannot pray the prayer of unbelief.

Praise cannot speak as one who is in need, but as one who has found its need met in praising God.

Praise gives no opportunity for doubt or fear.

Praise is the voice of one whose mind has been purged from the begging, beseeching prayer.

The mind of praise has no room for any thoughts that suggest lack.

Praise is not hoping but rejoicing.

The mind that is filled with praise is filled with God, for God inhabits the praises of His people.

The eye of praise is blind to incompleteness; its ear is deaf to the voice of lack.

Praise recognizes no no’s, it only knows yes’s.

Praise knows no boundaries; it is as free as God.

Praise cannot utter a bitter word, it can only rejoice.

Praise is not seeking and grasping, it is rejoicing in the answer.

Praise does not seek or find its answer outside of itself, but within itself.

Praise knows no lack, because God knows no lack.

Praise contains within itself all that could be needed. It is the expression of that which is already within, waiting to be released and given voice.

Praise acknowledges Jesus as Lord--Lord over all.

Praise is the substance of things once hoped for, the very presence of Spiritual Reality.

Praise is already in the heart, your every answer. It is a sure way of letting your mind know who is God!

Praise is speaking faith, your spirit listens and is made strong.

You open your lips and praise springs forth--the answer to your every need. Your need is met by praising God, not by asking and beseeching. You are praising something out of you that is already dwelling within you. Because you are praising God, you are giving voice to that which was already within. Now you can begin to enjoy it. It has become substance and reality to you.

The trouble has not been that you did not possess, but that you did not know what it was that you were in possession of. You have been asking for something that was already yours. That kind of prayer is never answered.

Praise is the answer. The answer lies within your praise. Your answer is in God and your God is in you. He inhabits (dwells in) the praises of His people. Praise Him!

No more begging--build God a house by faith.

It’s done--NOW!

THE MIND OF CHRIST

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:50:51 GMT

Today I learned that I must not consider or fix my mind upon one single thought that would prevent the purpose of God in me.

God’s purpose in me today will never be set loose or completely achieved if I consider or fix my mind upon any thoughts of impossibility or limitations that would hinder Him.

I will never see God's purpose achieved in and through me unless my thoughts are continually thinking of things that are in harmony with and in His purpose (the mind of Christ--the mind of faith).

I must remember that one is united with the purpose of his thoughts regardless of what his heart may desire. If I think like God’s will cannot be fulfilled in me, then my very thinking will prevent the desire in my heart from being fulfilled. If I become too careful, too considerate of thoughts or the things outside of the realm of God, I will bind the Word of God never to be released until these thoughts are given up.

If I should think thoughts of hopelessness, then I will unite myself with only the ability of hopelessness. Hopelessness has never gone any where; it has never accomplished anything and it never will. Hopelessness is bound to itself and it cannot free itself from its own limitations. You unconsciously live or die within the boundaries of your attitude.

If you think thoughts of defeat, then you will live within the boundaries of defeat. You will not be able to free yourself from the limitations of defeat until you give up the thought of defeat. You see within the thought of defeat lies the ability to fail itself.

Within a word or a thought is the weakness or ability of a spiritual attitude. (There are two attitudes--God’s and Satan’s.)

You cannot free yourself from the sense of inability as long as your mind is filled with the thought of inability. You cannot be free from the effects this voice suggests until you forsake the thought that is causing you to feel that way. To mind defeat causes one to already be defeated. He thinks about defeat because he believes in it.

You see, thoughts were given to us to become our servants. We are to benefit by them, but we become their servant if we are not on guard. They can captivate us if we do not captivate them. They can use us if we do not use them.

Words are the products of unseen thought. Unseen thought, unless shaped into words, are of no use to us at all. Jesus, the Word, is the Spiritual direction and mind of God. By the use of words (expressed thought) God leads us out of defeat or bondage. By the use of words arranged in a different manner, Satan would try to lead us into captivity. The truth is that he has kept us there for quite some time, that is, until Jesus came along.

Words, the product of invisible thought, are to guide us and supply the virtue we need to walk in Divine wisdom or Spiritual freedom. These words are from God. If we do not know what type of thought to think, then we are unconsciously bound by the improper way of thinking. Only God can help us here. If we do not know how to make thoughts or words in our mind work for us, they may begin to use us. 2 Peter 2:19 says by what a man is overcome by the same is he brought into bondage (God or Satan--truth or lie).

God’s Word, the Word of Spirit, declares to us that we are no longer in the, flesh but in the Spirit. He is attempting by the agency of words to usher into our lives the truth which sets one free. Satan also a spirit by the use of words or thoughts could cause us to believe that we are creatures of flesh and must live beneath its jurisdiction and its bondage. We eventually believe the suggestions we ponder or consider as true. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” He becomes identified with his thoughts and the characteristics of these thoughts. Satan, the already defeated one, uses thoughts and imaginations to subtly cause the Christian to identify himself with the thought of defeat, therefore, causing him to think like he is defeated.

Within the Word of God, there is the ability of God to perform His will. By conveying His thought to us through the Word of God, God can successfully will and work His own good pleasure in and through us. Satan’s desire is to prevent this.

Our difficulty lies in that having first been trained by Satan (anti-Christ) we have not in the past been able to discern or recognize the difference between good and evil or realize the contrast between a thought from God or a thought aimed from Satan. Untrue thinking or thinking in error has been so entwined and interwoven in our thinking that Satan has worked unrecognized and without opposition. He has never been challenged. James 3:15 says that the wisdom of the mind of man is earthly, sensual, and devilish.

Not knowing Satan’s thoughts from God’s, our minds have been fed on a diet of carnality. This keeps the old man alive in our thoughts who we are told to reckon dead. God knows that if He can persuade us to mind (obey) His Word, He can lead us out of the captivity of the carnal mind into the place of rest that He has made ready for us (John 14). He has already delivered us by nature; now the mind must be taken for Christ. Satan realizes that if he can hold dominion over our mind that we will be kept in a state of constant anxiety. Satan purposes to influence our mind by the agency of lies while God gently wants to grant us exchange in our way of thinking to the acknowledgement of the truth and by this recover ourselves from the snare of the devil, we being taken captive by him at our consent or will.

There is a war going on that we do not really realize until we are matured enough to discern good from evil, or God from Satan. This warfare is two ideas challenging one another for the mind of man. We are to yield our members as instruments of truth.

Satan has had his advantage in that He has never had any difficulty captivating our minds, for he has had his home in them. He has sat in the temple of God making himself God or the lord of our lives. His stronghold has been right in the mind itself. This is why it must be renewed or renovated. He has never had to move out. He has been the reigning prince there for years.

The battle lies in the fact that we are slowly, but surely, coming to the realization of what has been going on. Satan rebels with the viciousness of a demon of darkness. There is a struggle because Satan knows that the mind is his last and only stronghold. He has already been defeated and rendered powerless by Christ. His only influence is by lies and the power of habit that have been ingrained in our thinking. Because he knows this, he struggles to maintain death in us--the carnal mind (Rom. 8:6).

Now we know what it means to actually wrestle against principalities and powers, against the rulers (demons) of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. These are all untrue spiritual thoughts.

God with His knowledge filled with light teaches us the way out of bondage, but states that we must put on His armor by an act of our own will. This must be done before we will enjoy the freedom God has prepared for us. He shows us the way and declares we must walk out from under the dominion of Satan. God supplies the ability in this knowledge.

This walk is a Spiritual walk, a walk under the direction of God out from under the bondage of Satan and his thoughts, a walk from death unto Life, a walk from being carnally-minded to being Spiritually or Godly-minde

Even as we were willing before to accept the suggestions that Satan would give to our minds, we must be willing to refuse these thoughts and break our relationship with them. This is all done on a legal basis. We break our association with these thoughts because we are now instruments of light and not of darkness. We have nothing in common with Satan any longer, so we refuse to identify ourselves with him or his thoughts. This is why we have chosen Christ as our Lord and Master, instead of Satan. We must forsake all that was of the old mind, including the thoughts and imaginations that we used to consider a natural part of our lives.

We live in a new kingdom so we must fill our minds with the knowledge of the laws and privileges that we are to abide by in this new realm. We cannot live in this new kingdom and then go on thinking of the memory and the limitations that the old has taught us. We have been completely reversed from the old; it no longer exists as far as God is concerned.

God says that in His kingdom, we are entitled to certain freedoms and benefits. The memory of the old kingdom tries to interfere and remind us of the bondage that we were under before; and if we listen to it, we surely will believe it and allow ourselves to be robbed of the privileges of the new.

This new kingdom is appropriated by faith only. As far as legality goes, we are entitled to the benefits of the new kingdom; however, if we pay attention to the old voice that has spoken to us and dictated to us for years, we are liable to forget our new legal rights and privileges and live with less than we are entitled to enjoy. Legally we live in Christ. The old kingdom has its strength only in our memory, but legally it has lost its dominion over us because of belief in Jesus Christ.

Christ is the head of a new race which has a fresh and new mind. We are translated out of the kingdom of darkness into His own kingdom of Light (Col.l:13).

THE LIBERATION OF THE SPIRIT OF MAN

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:43:17 GMT

(A Living Paraphrase of Romans 6, 7, & 8)

What should our response be to God’s Love? Shall we just turn our backs and return to the ways of the flesh? Shall we go on abiding in the old man of sin when God’s mercy is so generous and abundant?

Heavens no! How can we who have died to the man of sinful flesh continue looking for Life in a thing that has already passed away? Don’t you realize (real eyes) by now, all who are in Christ Jesus, God, the Father, also have been included in His death?

Because of this fact, our old man was actually buried, being totally identified with Jesus in His death; then when Jesus was raised from the dead by that glorious inward quickening of the Father’s presence, we also were born again to share in a new and Divine Life.

Realizing that we were actually planted together in a seed of oneness in Christ’s death, we can also be certain that we participa¬ted in the full significance of His resurrection. It was then and there that the body of Christ was raised from death.

Knowing this truth, we actually died when Jesus died. Yes, His death was really our death. This was God’s sure way of removing the old man of sin permanently out of the way. Now we can truly say, “I am free.”

It is a simple fact. He that has died to the flesh is also set free from the bondage of sin. Now if we really died when Jesus died, if we truly believe that He died in our place, then we can be confident that we also share in His new resurrection Life. We are now recognizing that Christ arose victoriously from the clutches of death, both spiritual and physical; and He need never again subordinate to its control.

The facts are when He was set free, we were set free. When He triumphed, we triumphed in Him. His victory was really our victory.

It was necessary for Him to die to sin in the flesh only once; but now that He is alive again, He lives in the Spirit of God forever.

Well, how does all this affect us? You simply must know that you are one with Him. What was and is true of Him is true of you. You also are to count upon the fact that in Jesus you died to sin’s control.

But thank God, you are now Living a new Spiritual Life in the Father through Jesus, the Son. Dwelling in your inner man, the hidden man of your heart lives the power of an endless Life.

Now then stop--stop allowing your sin-filled flesh to dictate policy to you. Reckon it dead. You have a new Life; you are born again, not of the flesh, but this time of the Spirit. You are under no further obligation to obey the flesh and its desires. It has already died with Christ-- reckon it so.

No longer offer your bodily members as vehicles for the unholy spirit. Don’t do his dirty work; but simply yield yourselves to the Father as one who has been raised from spiritual death into newness of Life. Yield your members to the Holy Spirit of righteousness because sinful flesh has lost its legal claim over you.

Being a new creation in Christ also takes you out from under the judgment of the law and places you in the Father’s favor. Well then, shall we just turn away from God’s Love and go on doing our own thing? Heavens no! You must certainly realize that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey his slave you in fact become. When you follow the flesh, you automatically become servants to the flesh because that is the nature of sin--it makes men slaves.

So you see, man became the devil’s slave simply by serving his own desires and it ended in spiritual death. That is the death you have been redeemed from--the death that separates one from the Father. Obedience to the right Spirit binds you to God, but then in truth it really sets you free.

You have only God to thank that you have been bought from Satan’s slave market. You were purchased at the greatest cost, so don’t be fools and go back under his yoke of bondage. I am deeply thankful to God, our Father, that you have obeyed with all your heart the Good News I have brought to you.

Through Christ’s death, you were severed from the law of sin that dwells in your flesh and you have become the willing Love slaves of God’s righteousness. For the first time, praise God, you are truly free.

I am using examples that you see everyday because flesh is not really capable of grasping Spiritual thought. I am confident, however, that the Spirit of truth will quicken your understanding.

So, my brethren, you have heard the Good News that you might now learn to hand your bodily members over to the right One. Remember, it is either good or evil--flesh or Spirit. You must always keep in mind you cannot serve but one master at a time. Frankly, it is either God or the devil--there is no in-between ground. Think about it, which one gives you joy and peace?

Then, too, what kind of harvest have you been reaping? It depends; have you been sowing to the flesh or have you been sowing to the Spirit? You must have learned by now all things of the flesh only end in condemnation and death. Even our Lord taught, “He that commits sin is the servant of sin.”

But praise God! Today is the day of your salvation. God Himself through Christ Jesus has made you free from Satan’s tyranny. You are now bondsmen to the truth and your harvest is a brand new creation, the real and lasting benefit being Eternal Life now dwelling in your souls.

When you followed the ways of the flesh, Satan paid your wages. It was death--death of the worst kind. It was a spiritual death that always ended in a feeling of separation and alienation from God. You actually labored in the vineyard of despair, the devil being your taskmaster. You were paid the wages of emptiness. But now you are free. Receive, therefore, the gift of God which is Eternal Life and start enjoying your inheritance.

You are aware of the fact, my brethren, you who are acquainted with the law, that the law can judge a man only so long as he lives.

For an example: A married woman is tied by the law to her husband as long as he is living; but if the “old man” dies, she is immediately set free from her earthly tie.

If her husband (the old man) should still be alive when she married another, the law would judge her as an adulteress. That is because she would be having two relationships at one time and that is illegal. Now if her husband should die, then she is set free to marry again. The real problem here, as you can see, is the old man and the law. To sum it up and to show you what I am really driving at: There is no legal way out for the woman except death to the old man-- her husband.

Can you comprehend the Spiritual implications here? God actually put to death your old man on the cross. In fact, if you could only grasp it—Christ’s body hanging on that tree was really your body. Yes, it was your body of sin that was destroyed. Jesus was taking our place upon that cross and our flesh was put to death with Him, killing its secret motives and desires. Putting it bluntly, it was you who really died. We were worthy of death, but Jesus willingly substituted in our behalf.

God, the Father, made all this possible so that you could be married or made one with Him. Never forget that you were in Christ each step of the way. Even when He was raised from death, the Father included you in Him. God was waiting to reap the harvest as He gathered new fruit unto Everlasting Life.

You see, in the mind of God, you were born again when Christ arose from the dead; and at that time, you were removed from the bondage of the flesh. This became possible because when you were born of the Spirit, you became Spiritually alive.

When you were in the flesh and ruled by the flesh, the earthly desires inherent within your bodies were always at work. They, of course, were contrary to the law. It is just plain spiritual death to be ruled by the flesh.

But, brethren, the miracle of miracles has transpired in Christ. We who were and are in Christ have been set free from the law of sin that dwells in the old creation. That was made possible because in God’s mind we were put to death in the exact spot where we were once held captive. In Christ we have died to Satan’s hold.

Thank God, we now Live a new Spiritual Life in Christ. We need no longer fear judgment by the law, the criticism of others, or the accusations of the devil. When flesh died its death, we were freed in the Spirit from every form of bondage. That is because bondage itself exists in the flesh.

Are we saying then that the law is sinful? Heavens no! The law had a purpose--it was a schoolmaster to escort us to Christ. It was the law that made sin very apparent and caused me to sense a definite need for salvation. I would not have known the dreadful existence of sin if the law had not pointed out my evil desires by simply saying, “Thou shall not covet.”

But sin in my body gained control in spite of the law and a deep sense of unrighteousness kept pulling me down. I had no doubt that I was a doomed sinner.

When there was no law to judge me, sin was not an issue-- it was almost as though I found life without law. But when I compared myself along side the law, I immediately saw how far short flesh fell from the glory of God. It was awful. As the law’s demands became more and more apparent, I became smaller and smaller by comparison. I died in my smallness. The very commandment that was meant for Life towered over me like a giant of death.

But, my brothers, it wasn’t really the law that was my problem--it was sin. Sin took advantage of me through the commandment. By the law sin itself managed to deceive me and finally killed me. It left me totally powerless.

Now the law itself is holy, righteous, and good. Was it really that which is good that became a thing of death unto me? Heavens no! It was the old man of sin again being revealed for what he was. He was actually using good to work evil against me. Nevertheless it was really God’s plan that I should see the terrible awesomeness of sin through His law. It left no question that man apart from God is hopelessly bound by sin’s control.

The law itself is Spiritual; it is a very good outline of God’s nature. God doesn’t lie-- God doesn’t steal. The problem is that apart from Christ I am still a carnal man. Adam sold my birthright to Satan and I inherited his state of slavery. I could not free myself from this awful bondage. The devil owned me lock, stock, and barrel.

It appears I am constantly doing things that my inner man does not approve. I seem to be powerless to carry out that which I know to be right. I detest my own actions; it is as though I am a living-contradiction. My heart agrees with the goodness of God’s law and so my struggles have brought me to this final conclusion: there is a separation here of flesh from Spirit--a change of identity. I must know who I really am.

If I keep doing that which my inner man abhors, then it is not really I who is doing it, but the principle of sin that still exists in my body. I am convinced now and forever there dwells absolutely no good thing in the flesh. I at long last can see that this is exactly what God wanted me to know. Why then should I continue to look to the flesh for good? No wonder I am often disappointed; I must learn to look to the Spirit.

I have the willingness to do what is right, but I find there is no ability within my flesh to carry out that which is good. The good that I want to do I don’t do; but the evil that I detest, I am constantly doing.

Now if I habitually do that which my inner man does not approve, I must conclude that it is not really I who am doing it but the sin that dwells in my flesh. I find this principle: when I would do good, evil always steps in the way.

My inner man wholeheartedly agrees with God’s law, but there is also a principle at work in my senses--my bodily members--that is at war with my mind. What I see bothers me; what I hear disturbs my mind; what I feel rules me.

I find that this ungodly principle of sin that is in my body often controls my mind and brings me under bondage to the law of sin and death that exists in the flesh.

Oh, hopeless and despairing man that I am! Who can possibly deliver me out of this condemned body of death?

Praise God, Jesus Christ, our Lord, has already done it!

So then I can do the things contained in the law only when my mind is in subjection not to the flesh, but to the Spirit. The flesh always serves the law of sin. That is because when my mind comes under the control of the flesh, I become a slave to the flesh; but when my mind is captive to Christ, I am set free by the Spirit.

This is the conclusion, my brothers: you must understand that the Father never condemns His children--never! You are now righteous in Christ Jesus because He was already condemned on your behalf. Condemnation and death come about by following after the desires of the flesh. Yes, it is truly a thing of death. That is because the flesh is Satan’s realm and he is a condemning spirit.

Now a new principle called the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has actually made us free from the principle of sin and death in the flesh. This happened at the resurrection of Christ but became ours in the new birth by faith.

What the law could not enable us to do because of the weakness of our humanity, God did by sending His own Son adorned in the likeness of sinful-flesh* just like ours. It was because sin exists in all flesh that God, the Father, condemned His own Son to die in the flesh on our behalf. You see, He did away with sin when He did away with His Son.

Jesus actually put sin away once for all by the sacrifice of Himself. This made it possible for the very righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in us as we Live by the motivation of the Spirit and not after the dictates of the flesh. *(Jesus was not a sinner. See 2 Cor.5:21.

Well then, what’s the answer--where is our victory? It is very simple. It is again in recognizing the difference between flesh and Spirit. You see those who follow the desires of the flesh do so simply because they are thinking about the cravings of the flesh.

Likewise those who are willing to follow the longings of the Holy Spirit place their mind upon Spiritual things. We reap exactly what we sow.

To be ruled by the mind of the flesh means immediate spiritual death. (Remember what happened to Adam and Eve?) But to deliberately place your mind upon the things of the Spirit of God means Eternal Life and God’s own peace right here and now. That is because the mind trained by the five senses is an enemy of God. It is of a completely different realm and most certainly not a willing subject of God’s kingdom.

It is always in opposition to the knowledge of God and is not capable of understanding Spiritual things. It gains its knowledge not by revelation, but by physical contact with this present evil world. It is impossible for it to understand the things of God because God is Spirit and the carnal mind is of the flesh.

So you can plainly see, my brothers, those who think real Life is in the flesh are deceived. Being controlled by the mind of the flesh, they cannot possibly please God. But I have Good News for you: your real Life is not in the flesh, but it is in the Spirit of God. That is because the Spirit of truth now abides in you and you dwell with Christ in the heavenlies.

Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, then of course He is not one with the Father. That is because only those who are born of the Spirit can dwell in God’s kingdom.

Now it has been clearly revealed to me, my brethren, that the flesh is a thing of death. I now see why it was necessary for Jesus to die for me. We can now understand that real Life exists only in the righteous Spirit of God. Yes, the flesh is dead! That is why we must be born again. We haven’t even begun to Live until we receive God’s Eternal Life.

If the same triumphant Life which resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you, He that raised Christ up from the dead is now also making alive your mortal bodies by that self-same Spirit.

Because these facts are a present reality in Christ, we have a definite responsibility; but it is no longer to the former man of flesh--the old man of sin that we once were. For if we continue to follow after the desires of the flesh just a s Adam, we shall surely die!

Let us, the

refore, receive the grace of God, not in vain, but with wholehearted thanksgiving. Because we can do all things through Christ’s indwelling Spirit, who is our strength, let us willingly reckon dead our bodily members here on earth that we may begin to enjoy now a new Life in heaven.

Please read these references: Isaiah 40:6; Rom.6:6-12; 7:17-18; 8:3; 2 Cor.5:21; Mark 14:38; Heb.5:2; 9:26

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:26:44 GMT

What the Kingdom of God is: Rom.14:17

When the Kingdom of God came: Mark 1:15, Matt.12:28,

Where the Kingdom of God is: Luke 17:20-2l

We see according to scripture the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are synonymous. See Matt.3:2 and Mark 1:15

We conclude that the Kingdom of God is not political. It is not a human system of government, nor is it material or physical (of this world). See John 18:36.

We learn that there are only two realms or kingdoms—the realm of God (Spirit) and the realm of Satan (flesh) and material things.

We learn that the literal meaning of the word “kingdom” simply means a realm to live in. Webster’s definition of the word “kingdom”:

A realm headed by a king

A domain ruled by a king

A sphere of existence inhabited or lived in by subjects of a king.

Questions:

What is the Biblical truth that informs us of God’s willingness for us to enter His Kingdom now? Luke 12:31-32, Luke 16:16, Matt. 11:12

How does one enter the Kingdom of God? John 3:3-6, Col.1:13

Now that we are in God’s Kingdom or His Kingdom is in us, what can keep us from enjoying it, for Jesus said, “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Gal. 5:16- 26, 6:7-8, Rom. 8:1-13

Conclusion:

If according to scriptures, John 3:3-6, the new birth takes us into God’s Kingdom, and if according to the scriptures “it is at hand” (present), why do so many Christians look only to the future instead of believing God’s Word and apprehending the Kingdom of God now? Are there any scriptures that tell us why? See 1 Cor.2:9-16, 3:1-3, Rom.10:6-8, 2 Cor.4:18, Heb.5:11-14

Here then are the Biblical answers that solve the problem: Eph.1:15-19, 3:17-19, Col.1:9-10, Heb.11:1, Mark 11:24, 2 Cor.5:17

Learn these scriptures well. Don’t let the Devil deceive you into putting off the Kingdom of God when you can have it now. Don’t you want it?

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:23:02 GMT

The Bible declares that the just shall live by faith.

Whose faith is this?

Galatians 2:20 says that the Christian lives by “the faith of the Son of God,” not his own faith. It is good that it is that way because God always knows what to do and most of the time I don’t.

Of course, if I could depend upon my own faith, I wouldn’t even need the Lord. Thankfully God has set things up so I don’t have to worry about anything and so I can trust Him in everything.

You see, if I rest in His faith, I have absolutely nothing to worry about because He is ALWAYS faithful.

Sometimes the moment I am in seems awfully dark, but that is when I can depend on God’s faith, not my own. God knew I needed a faith other than my own because my faith waivers, but never His faith. His faith is as faithful as the rising of the sun.

The problem with my own faith is that it is all bound up in my emotions and desires, but not God’s faith. His faith isn’t tied to such things.

You see, God is never taken by surprise. He always knows what to do, even when we don’t. Isn’t that amazing? It’s really nice to be able to trust someone to handle everything, especially when you don’t know how to handle it yourself.

Actually the Lord doesn’t want me to try to handle everything. He wants to do that for me. All He wants me to do is to give myself to Him and He will do the rest.

I don’t have to worry or fret about things because all things are under His control. He wouldn’t be Lord if it were otherwise.

If I could handle everything myself, I wouldn’t even need the Lord and that would be an awful sad way to live. So, I just think I’ll leave the details to Him and rest in His faith.

THE INCARNATION OF TRUTH

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:20:16 GMT

I am a new creation in Christ. I have been born again by the power of the Word of God. “Of His own will he begat me by the Word of truth.”--James 1:18

Satan has no jurisdiction over me. According to Col.1:13, I have been translated from the authority of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Satan has no authority over me because Christ has become my Life. He is not part of my Life, but all of it! For me to live is Christ!

I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. I have been given complete authority over the devil and his demons through Christ’s name and His victory. The devil cannot defeat me because I no longer exist. Christ is my existence. I can do all things through Christ who is my Life.

Any thought contrary to this is a lie from the devil because it contradicts the Word of God.

I have given my body to Christ; therefore, my body is not mine anymore. It is His. I am the body of Christ here on earth. Paul said, “We are the body of Christ.” He can take care of His own body.

Yes, we are the body of Christ. In a certain sense of the word, we are actually the second coming of Christ. Christ first dwelt in the man Jesus, but Christ (the Life of God) now dwells in us.

We are the incarnation of the Christ Life. Christ walks the earth once again. Christ has come to be admired and glorified in all of those who believe (2 Thes.1:10). If you are a believer, Christ lives in you. Christ in you is your hope of glory.

The Christ who lives within you is victor over all things! He has overcome the whole world. You are victorious in Him. HE IS YOUR VICTORY.

The Bible says, “Who is he that has overcome the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Christ!” Do you believe? If you are a believer, then you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you.

Napoleon was a conqueror; Alexander the Great was a conqueror; but you are MORE!

THE GOD OF LIFE

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:16:26 GMT

Some of us cannot seem to direct our thoughts without someone helping us along. I guess that is why most people go to church.

God will keep us in what He is if we will stay our mind on Him. If we are wise, we will keep our mind on the Lord. We can choose what we want to think about, God made us that way.

To be conformed to the world is to allow the world to shape our thoughts. A Christian should let God alone shape his thinking because God is the only One who is not of this world.

If people don’t take hold of the things they do not see, they are not walking by faith.

God’s truth does not elevate flesh. Jesus died to make sure that His death would be my death. He says that if we die with Him, then we will also live with Him. No death, no life!

Our Spirit is not subject to the things of the flesh. That is the reason God made us Spirit.

When it comes to faith, I don’t need faith. I need to hear God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

I’ll never hear God if I don’t learn to listen to Him! If I spend my whole life just listening to sermons and don’t seek God for myself, all I will ever know is what others believe.

God wants to be more personal than that. He wants me to know Him intimately. He wants me to have a heart knowing not just a superficial knowledge about Him.

He is not just the God of things. He is the God of Life. He brings Life to the soul, not just a lot of detailed facts to the mind.

Heart-knowledge brings a real rest and peace to the soul. The knowledge of the mind doesn’t do that.

We only enter into this heart knowledge by meditating on the Word of God. No wonder David said that he meditated on God’s Word day and night. That is the only way your mind can be transformed and renewed.

The Word of God brings Life. The reasoning of the mind only brings death!

I want Life--How about you?

THE FLESH

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:13:26 GMT

The flesh--what an abominable thing! What a dead and dark thing! There is no life in it.

Knowing this then, I wonder why I so often turn to it to fulfill my needs. Historically it never has done the job. You would think that even the simplest of fools would finally wake up to the fact that his needs are just not getting met.

Well, maybe I expect too much out of it. Maybe it just doesn’t, have the thing I want. You can’t get life out of death or light out of darkness. A dead man can’t help the living.

Maybe I am learning what real life is. Maybe it has never occurred to me that in Christ I am by nature Spirit and that Spirit must be fed with Spirit, not with flesh. God’s law is “like begets like.” “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”--John 3:6 “A man’s life does not consist out of the abundance of his possessions.”

You can’t fulfill a Spiritual appetite with materialistic things. It was Jesus who said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.”--

John 18:36

No matter how much you see, you will never see enough! No matter how much you hear, you can never hear enough! The eye is never full of seeing nor the ear full of hearing! The wantonness of the flesh--ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth, futile cravings of the soul (made from the dust of the earth) that cannot be satisfied neither by doing, nor by perpetual dreaming, endless vanities passing through the mind as though the answer lay just around the corner or in some far distant land. In either case, it is always somewhere else or just out of reach.

I might just as well face it! Flesh does not have what I need--not mine or anyone else’s! It is only Spirit that fulfills one’s deepest yearnings. Is it any wonder that Jesus said, “The flesh profits nothing; it is the Spirit that gives Life.” No wonder that Paul wrote, “The flesh is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness.” Paul again said, “Flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God.” In modern day language that simply means, the mind of the flesh cannot find its way into God’s Kingdom. That is because the god of this world has blinded it. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and that is one thing that the carnal mind cannot produce or know anything about.

What a hopeless thing it is to follow the flesh, hopeless because it is blind and does not know where it is going. Only the Spirit of truth given to us by Jesus can recognize God’s Kingdom. The mind of the flesh is so blind that it would miss God’s Kingdom if it were as close as the breath you breathe, and it is. Flesh eyes are blind eyes. What about the new birth? Does it leave us in darkness? Doesn’t the Bible say that we are children of light? Doesn’t God’s Word state that we are children of the day and not of the night? Are we left alone to flounder in the maze of conflicting ideas that are found within the carnal mind?

I am told that I am not to love this world or anything in it. It is when I forget God’s Word and begin to place my affection on the things that are in this present world that the prince of the power of the air fools and deceives me.

Anyone who knows they are in hell and that Jesus is the way out would be a fool not to utilize the means of escape. Proverbs says, “A wise man sees the evil coming and escapes it.” Also, “The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath.”--Prov.27:12; 15:24

The flesh is from beneath--a lower realm: The Spirit is from above--a higher realm. The Spirit is above the things of the flesh. Its way of living is of a heavenly nature. The flesh is of an earthly nature. John speaking of the new birth says, “He that comes from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthy and speaks of the earth. He that comes from heaven (born of the Spirit) is above all.” No wonder Paul said, “He has made us to sit together with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Also, “For our conversation is in heaven (in the Spirit).” Our Life is in the Spirit, not in the flesh. We dwell in the Spirit not in the flesh. Paul says in Romans 8:9, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you.”

What can I say to all of this? At least I know that Life is not in the flesh, and if it were not for God, I would have to stop there. But I must remember that the reason God has shown me that Life is not in the flesh is to cause me to seek Him in the Spirit, that I might find my real Life there. Doesn’t the Bible say that Christ is our Life? (Col. 3:4)

No wonder Jesus said, “Because I live, you shall live also.” Life is in the Spirit and that is where I am going to live!

THE DIVISION BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:10:01 GMT

"Choose this day which master you will serve."

(PLEASE READ FROM LEFT TO RIGHT)

THE CROSS

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 03:51:53 GMT

“Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness.”--1 Cor.1:23

The cross is the ultimate symbol of human reason’s highest humiliation. By the wisdom of this world they failed to recognize “the Christ,” the anointed one sent from God. The scriptures simply state, “Had they been able to recognize the wisdom of God, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.”--1 Cor.2:8

Since the beginning in the Garden of Eden, Satan’s tool has been human reason or human wisdom. Paul says, “I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”- -2 Cor.11:3. Jesus says, “Blessed is he who is not offended in me.”--Luke 7:23. Or blessed is he who does not think that the lowliness of my appearance is incompatible with the loftiness of my pretensions.

When it comes to recognizing the things of God, human reason is satanically inspired at its best. It knows nothing of the Spirit (l Cor.2:14).

God promised that He would destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to naught the understanding of the prudent (1 Cor.1:19). God set a trap and human wisdom inspired by Satan fell for it. “This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly, sensual and devilish.”--James 3:15

The Lord of Glory did not fit into human reason's way of doing things so they shouted, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Human reason was so wise that it cried out for and carried through its own execution. They did not know that in the eyes of God they were crucifying themselves.

Satan hated Jesus He knew who He was (something he had over man). He first tried to destroy Jesus in the wilderness. He tempted Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in order to prove if He were the Son of God. Jesus did not fall for his lies. Jesus emerged triumphant. From that day forth the enemy’s hatred for Jesus played upon the emotions of the Jews. That hatred began to snowball and finally consummated at the cross. But what the wisdom of this world was incapable of seeing was in executing Jesus they were consummating God’s victory over human reason. Reason demonstrated and proved beyond doubt its incapability to recognizing God in Christ. Human reason demonstrated upon the stage of life its limitations for all to see. Their eye could not see, their ear could not hear, it never entered into their heart that God, a loving Father, was preparing benefits behind the scenes in the unseen realm for all of those who would believe in His Son.

Ironically reason set out to destroy the Holy One, but instead of defeat, it unknowingly made possible (with Satan’s help) a perfect redemption for those who with their heart would believe. It helped, through its supposed triumph, to establish a religion of the heart rather than of the mind.

Satan, the liar and deceiver, moved upon human emotion, which in turn moved upon human reason and kindled hatred, which in turn helped carry out God’s plan. God used Satan’s worst at its best to unseat the devil’s own authority. Had Satan any inkling of what was happening, he would have withdrawn and planned another type of attack, but then he never has been smarter than God. He is blinded to the things of God. His wisdom is from beneath.

In Satan’s eagerness to murder the Holy One, he only succeeded in executing his own defeat. God in His infallible wisdom set a trap for Satan and the devil fell for it (Col. 2:15). These men driven by their blind emotions, motivated by hatred, self-righteousness, and deceit (which all describe Satan), could not perceive the Spirit of God at work. “By wisdom they knew (recognized) not God”--1 Cor.1:21). Their religion had them blinded. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. --2 Cor. 4:4. “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.”-- 1 Cor.1:19. “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness”--1 Cor.2:19. He mocked principalities and powers and beat them at their own game. He took captive the captivator. In thinking he had the advantage, Satan made an open fool of himself in front of his own cohorts.

The cross is a symbol of shame upon human wisdom, shame upon human judgment, for not recognizing the Lord of Glory, a visible dividing line where human reason leaves off and Spiritual understanding is to begin. Paul stated he did not teach with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ be made of none effect. The cross symbolized to man’s shame the complete inadequacy of human judgment to recognize its Creator. He takes the weak things to confound the mighty. Though He seemingly was crucified through weakness, yet He lives in us today by the power of Almighty God.

THE CONDITIONAL PEACE OF GOD

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 03:48:24 GMT

Conditional you say? I thought that God’s peace was given without condition! Where did you ever get that idea? If that were true, you could live any old way you wanted and still have the peace of God. But to enjoy the things that God gives, you must live where God lives. According to the Bible, you must live and walk in the Spirit to posses the things of the Spirit.

After all, God lives in the Spirit because He is Spiritual Life. The things of the flesh produce death and destruction while the things of the Spirit bring life and peace.

I’ll give you the conditions God has set forth in His Word in order for us to have and enjoy His peace:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.”--Isaiah 26:3

“To be carnally minded is death, but to be Spiritually-minded is Life and peace.”-- Rom. 8:6

So, there are your conditions. Are you willing to meet them?

We can’t have our thoughts and God’s thoughts too, because God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts.”

We can’t have our will and God’s will too because God says His ways are not our ways.

We can’t have our life and God’s Life too because God is Spirit and apart from Him we are but flesh.

God’s Word says, “They that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you.”--Rom.8:9. That is why we have had a Spiritual birth so we could have God’s Life.

So, it sounds like the only way to please God is to believe Him and live in His Spirit. We can’t live and think in two contrary realms and still please God. If we want the things of God, then we must meet His conditions. That is why I call it the “conditional” peace of God. Paul said that if our real Life is in and of the Spirit then we are to walk in the Spirit. He also said that if we walk after the flesh we shall die.

So it sounds like we have the things of God only if we are willing to meet His conditions. It’s up to us--God always does His part.

The real question then is very simple: Are we willing to meet His conditions?

THE APPEARING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:38:45 GMT

2 Cor. 5:16

From Greek Concordance APPEARING means:

Unveil
Make known
Make manifest
To show forth
Reveal
Realize (real eyes)

Titus 2:11: For the grace of God that brought salvation has "appeared" to all men.

Titus 3:4: But after that, the kindness and love of God our savior toward man "appeared.”

2 Timothy 1:10: His grace is NOW made manifest by the "appearing" of our Savior Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and has brought LIFE and immortality to light through the gospel.

2 Timothy 4:1: Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his "appearing" and His kingdom.

2 Timothy 4:8 speaks of those who" love his appearing."

Titus 2:13 speaks of the glorious "appearing" of the great God and our savior Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:7: The trial of your faith being more precious than of gold that perishes, though tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the "appearing" of Jesus Christ.

Col. 3:4: When Christ who is our life shall "appear," then shall you also "appear" with Him in glory (God’s presence).

2 Thes. 1:10: When He shall come to be glorified in His saints and admired in all them that believe.

Hebrews 9:28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for Him shall He "appear" the second time without sin unto your salvation. (Are you saved?)

THE ADOPTION OF SONS

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:32:11 GMT

Gal 4:1-7: *Huio thesia = adoption, the placing of a Son

Eph. 1:5: *Huio thesia = adoption, the placing of a Son

Romans 8:14-17: *Teknon = child, daughter, Son

Luke 3:21-23: Sonship pronounced upon Him by His Father

John 3:35: All things – all authority given to the Son

John 5:16-30, 43: I am taking over my Father’s place and position.

John 8:31-36: The Son has authority to set the slaves free.

John 10:30-33, 36: The Son becomes one with the Father

John 16:15: The Son having received all things will reveal those things to those who believe on Him and will also become Sons of God.

The rights we receive as Sons of God shown through the Scripture is as follows:

Power of Attorney: John 3:35, 5:43
His complete inheritance: John 16:15
Equality with His Father: John 5:18, l0:30-33

Let’s look in John’s Gospel and First Epistle and see what other scriptures say about those of us in Christ.

John 1:11-13: *Teknon = child, daughter, Son
I John 3:1-2: *Huios = child, foal, Son
I John 4:17: As He is in this world, so are we in this world.

You are a Son of God with the same rights and privileges. You have God’s life living in you. That Life is

equal with the Father because it is the Father and the Son living in you, I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one--John 17:23. Let this mind be in you….Phil. 2:5-11

*Greek definitions are from Strong’s Exhaustive Hebrew and Greek Concordance.

All Scripture references are from the Original King James Version.

A more comprehensive study of this subject matter is contained in my article titled, “The New Birth,”

which is to be found on my Website address below:

christisyourlife.com

THANKSGIVING

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:26:57 GMT

Today is Thanksgiving. I am alone with my family and I am thankful. Yet I can’t help but wonder, “What if I were alone without them? How would it be?” To be alone is certainly no fun and to be lonely is one of the most difficult emotions for humans to face.

Most all of our friends have relatives and go visit them on holidays. We are usually left alone when special days come up because we have no one. All of our relatives live in another State.

So sometimes I feel sorry for myself and yet I have to admit that being with people is not always the answer. They usually have different interests than I do anyway, and it isn’t long before conversation drops off and I may find myself looking for an excuse to go home. The only problem is after I am home for a little while I might get lonely again and so the cycle starts all over.

What about this feeling of emptiness? Are people the real answer? Is something to do the thing I really need? It seems that no matter to whom I talk to or no matter where I go it isn’t long before that “old feeling” is back once more and I must face it all over again. I find that all of my doing only seems to temporarily cover the issue and it isn’t long before I feel melancholy and give into feelings of sentimentality.

There seems to be a hollow in my soul which can neither be filled by much activity nor by a multitude of friends. I guess when you get right down to it, no matter how scientific you may be about your approach, the subject matter comes down to a fact common to human experience called “loneliness.”

There is a vacant spot in the human heart that was meant to be occupied by one thing and one thing only--that is Jesus. No amount of doing, seeing, hearing, or touching shall alter that fact one small bit. We may fool ourselves into thinking we have found the answer by what we do and by whom we know, but we will eventually find that whether we go to church or just go bowling, there is still only one answer and that is not found in physical activity. Is it any wonder that God’s word says, “Be still and know that I am God” and “This is the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.”--Psalms 46:10, Isa.32:17

It isn’t that we quit going places, or that we become social snobs and become hermits. The answer lies neither in doing or not doing. The answer is simply “the Lord.” Then whether we do or refrain from doing, we shall never be disappointed because we will know that we have taken the answer with us. I must learn that the Life of God within me is not dependent upon who I am with, who I am away from, or where I happen to be. The fact of the matter is God’s Life within me isn’t even dependent upon me or my own feelings. I know this will sound conceited, but God’s Life in me does not need anyone or anything; but I know a lot of people who need God a lot more than they know they do.

We may blame our unhappiness and discontent on a multitude of things, but the real cause is simply that we many times are not willing to look for our contentment in the right thing.

Contentment comes from knowing the Lord, and it isn’t found in any other thing. The scriptures say, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” We haven’t really gained anything until we have learned the Lord. The Bible also says, “When we see him we shall be like him.” I know for sure that God is not dis¬content. If there is any area of uncertainty in my life, it is where I haven’t learned to recognize or see God (1 Tim. 6:6,1 John 3:2).

So to sum it up, I don’t ever have to be lonely because God’s Life within me is above all things and has no need. It is when I forget that my life is God’s life that I begin to think like a human, and that is enough to get me in trouble.

So today is Thanksgiving and I am not alone because Jesus is in my heart. It is not people, or places, or things that have what I need. It is only Jesus. Now that I know that, I would be a fool to turn to any other thing. If a person wants help, he must look for it where it is to be found. It is only the devil that would like us to look for it elsewhere.

Too often we as humans look to the familiar for help and guidance. The only trouble is that God’s word says we are to look not at things which are seen, but at things that are not seen. I can’t get lasting help from anything in this world that I can see, touch, or feel, but when I turn to that which I cannot see, I am immediately helped and sustained 2 Cor.4:18).

So on Thanksgiving, I am giving thanks for that which I cannot see. I know that God is with me; and one notchbetterthan that--He is in me and you can’t beat a deal like that!

TEMPTATION

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:23:39 GMT

Dear Dave:

In your last letter to me you seemed to be quite surprised that after so many years of being a Christian that old thoughts could return to trouble you.

To be frank with you Dave, I am rather surprised that you would be so naive. Have you forgotten that the Bible says the devil still goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour? Do you think the devil has changed? No, my dear nephew, you are the one who has changed and you had better not forget it.

Even once in awhile a lobster fisherman checks to see if anything has fallen into his trap. You shouldn’t be surprised if old thoughts are brought to mind. However, don’t think for a moment that you must be captive to them; and whatever you do, never, never, fall for the lie that tells you that nothing has changed with you, that you are still the same old person.

That’s got to be the most colossal lie on the devil’s part which one could be told. That is a blatant contradiction of the Word of God that clearly states when you are in Christ you are a new creation. That is just as big a lie as when the serpent came to Eve and deceptively contradicted the Word God spoke to her. That liar, the devil, is trying the same old tactic on you.

I know you have read the Bible a lot Dave, but if you don’t put what you read into practice and start doing the Word, you might as well throw in the towel. Reading the Bible is good, but that alone is not sufficient. You must take fast hold of God’s Truth.

You know as well as I Dave that Christ, our Lord, has absolutely stripped the devil of all authority. He has no power over you whatsoever. You don’t have to let those old thoughts scare you. They aren’t yours! Don’t claim them!

How could they be your thoughts when you are a new creation in Christ? Have you stopped to think of that? How can Satan tempt you when your identity in Christ has completely changed? The new creation is not under the dominion of sin or the dominance of the devil, but is the dominator!

You have God’s Life now; and, according to the Bible, God cannot be tempted with evil. Don’t you see what Satan is trying to do? He is trying to fool you into believing a lie. Don’t claim the old, but claim the new!

Why I wouldn’t even consider such foolish ideas. What you did Dave was to let your guard down. Remember where the Bible says not to give place to the devil? You must use that shield of faith God gave you. It is more than sufficient to quench all the fiery darts the devil may throw your way.

Remember Dave in Christ you are the Victor not the victim. Never forget that. Jesus already bound the strong man and set you completely free. When God sets you free you are free indeed. You aren’t going to believe a lie, are you? Well, are you?

Satan will most certainly come around to check you out, but don’t believe for one instant that what he brings to your mind is yours. Because you belong to the Lord, the only thing you should claim is the Truth of God’s Word.

I don’t care how real the feelings, thoughts, emotions, or desires you say you may have. It is a lie right from the pit of hell if it contradicts the Word of God!

Dave even if you have slipped in a moment of weakness, you must remember that there is no condemnation from the Lord towards you. Jesus bore all your condemnation (Rom. 8:1-3). All His thoughts towards you are of peace and not of evil.

You belong to Christ and Christ is God’s. You have no right to condemn yourself. You don’t belong to yourself.

Dave, if you believe what God has told you in His Word, you won’t have to worry about slipping anymore.

There is a wonderful scripture in the Bible that says this: “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceedingly joy.”--Jude 1:24. Isn’t that wonderful Dave? It isn’t what you have done, but what He has done for you. That is for you now because now is when you need it!

You are a new creation in Christ and you don't come under Satan’s jurisdiction anymore. God has provided slip and fall assurance just for you. Don’t fear any more!

You might just as well do what the Bible says Dave and put on the whole complete armor of God. Do you realize what that is Dave? God is your armor!

You will be able to stand against all the wiles and tricks of the devil. You don’t have to be afraid of him. Frankly Dave, he is afraid of you. He is just trying to get your mind off the facts of God’s Word.

You know the Word. Use it Dave, for heavens sake use it! Why do you think it is called the sword of the Spirit? We aren’t dealing with just paper and ink. It’s God’s Word to you and for you. If God is for you, who can be against you?

How can something that is not of God belong to you? Don’t claim the lie, claim the Word of Truth. l John 4:4 says, “You are of God little children and have overcome them (those lying spirits) because greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world.”

Dave, the devil hasn’t changed a bit. He always uses the same old tactics. His objective is to get our mind off the Lord and on to the lie. It’s that simple!

You have no obligation whatsoever to claim the things of the flesh. The flesh is already dead according to the Word of God. It died when Jesus died. Thoughts, feelings, desires, and emotions may at times seem very real; but Dave nothing is more real than the Word of God. All these other things are temporal. They change like the sand at the sea shore, but the Word of God is Eternal. It changes not!

Base your life on eternal realities, not on temporal things of the flesh. Everything you can see will pass away, but the Word of God abides forever. Don’t allow the devil to deceive you. He wants you to believe that the problem is yours. Are you going to claim it?

Just think for a moment Dave, if you are hid with Christ in God as the Word states, then Christ has a problem. It just cannot be Dave; it just cannot be. Is Christ the problem? Does Christ have problems within Him? If He is your Life, then you cannot have a problem either. You have a lie!

I am standing with you in this thing Dave and here is what I want you to do: I want you to rise up as it were and renounce all those feelings and desires you say you have. Take the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit and wield it by faith. Ignore the devil and his lies. Don’t recognize the problem just look at the answer. The instant you consider the lie, it starts to work. Don’t even think about it!

Satan knows he has been defeated, but Dave he will test your faith in the Word of God to see what you really believe. Call his bluff, take up your shield of faith and claim your true identity in Christ.

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” We are foolish Dave when we do not use the tools God has already given us. We don’t have to allow the devil to dictate to us through our feelings. The Bible says to reckon these things dead when they are contrary to the Word of God.

We don’t have to listen to the devil, he’s through! Why should we be intimidated by the one who is already defeated? Don’t be afraid of your feelings; they aren’t your Lord! Why in heaven’s name Dave should we throw the Word of God to the winds and believe a feeling? God forbid!

I suppose by the time you receive this letter that so-called feeling will have already passed. But it will come back again Dave. Just remember what God has taught you through this temptation and use it against the devil to the glory of God. That’s all you need to do, because the victory has already been won. Don’t be cheated! The only thing that is truly yours Dave is what God has given you in Christ. Don’t claim anything else or you will be laying claim to a lie.

We are a peculiar lot, aren’t we? All the devil needs to do is make a suggestion to our mind or stimulate our feelings and we fall for it. That doesn’t demonstrate much faith in the Word of God, does it?

We can rise above our feelings Dave. In fact, in Christ we already have. Christ isn’t subject to our feelings. We have a place in God that is far above everything and anything that is of this world of flesh.

The Bible even goes so far as to tell us in the Third Chapter of John’s gospel that we are no longer flesh but Spirit! That shows us right there that we do not have to be obedient to our flesh, but that the flesh must obey us. Flesh has lost its power. Now that we are new creations in Christ, we do not have to obey the dictates of the body. Romans 8:9 says that we do not live in the flesh any more but in the Spirit of God.

We are no longer subjects of the flesh; we are subject to Christ. He redeemed us with His own Life Blood. We aren’t debtors to the flesh; Jesus paid the debt by dying for us. We don’t owe the devil a single thing.

Flesh is Satan’s realm and Jesus invaded Satan’s realm. Jesus took all flesh to the cross and did away with it. Through death He delivered those who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:15).

Hebrews 2:14 says, “For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.”

Jesus’ death on the cross terminated Satan’s hold on us forever. Christ’s death set us free! We are now born of the Spirit of God. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” We are born of the Spirit of God. We are just as free from sin as God is. We have His Life. God is not subject to sin.

Well Dave, that’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so God can help you. I know you will think on these things because I know that you love the Lord.

Isn’t it wonderful what we can learn through trials? No wonder the Bible says to count it all joy. Even Jesus was perfected through His sufferings. And it is true Dave, all things do work together for the good of those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. You’ll see!

SUPERNATURAL PSYCHOLOGY

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:15:40 GMT

Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden brought separation from God, which is the state of sin or spiritual death. This caused the following, according to Genesis Chapter 3:

Low self-esteem – Adam hid himself.

A poor self-image – Adam covered himself.

A sense of rejection – God drove him from the Garden.

All of this combined gave man a universal spiritual inferiority complex called sin consciousness. Sin had now entered the world and spiritual death (the absence of God’s Spiritual life) passed upon all men (Romans 5:12).

Christ has remedied all the following problems: (Please read scriptural references.)

A new birth of Spiritual life restores man and makes him one with God. He receives a new image--God’s (1 Peter 1:23).

Man in Christ becomes a partaker of the Divine nature and becomes a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Peter 1:4)

Man renews his mind through the Word of God and takes on a new awareness (Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 2:16).

Man is accepted in the beloved and becomes the righteousness of God in Christ (Ephesians.1:6, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

CONCLUSION:

No more low self-esteem

No more poor-self-image

No more sense of rejection

No more separation from God

No more sin consciousness

No more inferiority -complex

No more identity crisis

No more need for counseling

STATEMENTS OF FAITH

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:11:20 GMT

Faith is acting upon what I believe.

Believing is acting upon my faith.

Believing is doing the Word in my heart.

Believing is doing what I say I believe.

Believing is exercising faith in the now.

Faith is now giving substance to my belief.

Faith is now the substance of what I hoped for.

Belief is now creating substance out of my faith.

Faith realities are more real than material realities.

Faith existed before substance could be seen.

Faith was in God before the world began.

Faith created all spiritual and material things.

Faith believed the world into view.

The Word of faith dwells in me now.

The faith that created the universe is mine.

I have God’s faith in me now waiting to be released.

I have the faith of God--it came in the new birth.

There is only one faith--the Father’s faith. ¬

I am born of faith’s Word.

I am faith’s new creation.

I am made of faith.

I have faith’s nature.

I am the child of faith.

Faith is my Father--you can not separate faith from God.

Faith is my life--I live by His faith.

I am faith’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus.

I have the mind of faith.

Faith lives in me now.

I am one with faith.

The fullness of faith dwells in me bodily.

I am complete in faith now.

I dwell in faith--faith dwells in me.

I can do all things through God’s faith that dwells in me.

Faith can do all things through me now.

Faith is my strength today.

Faith is God’s ability in me now.

I am saved by faith.

I am made alive by faith.

By faith Christ is now dwelling in me.

I am forgiven by faith.

I am comforted by faith.

I am healed by faith.

I am sustained by faith.

I am dominated by faith realities.

I live faith--I confess faith--I breathe faith.

I drink from the well of faith.

I am satisfied by faith.

I am raised from spiritual death by faith.

Greater is the faith that is in me than the unbelief that is in the world.

I am faithful because I am full of faith.

Faith dwells in me richly in all wisdom.

Faith is my confession.

I speak only faith.

Faith is my victory.

Faith has overcome the world.

Now faith is.

Because faith is now, I am now acting upon my faith.

Now faith is--the time of faith is now.

Faith has come--faith is here--I have faith.

Nothing is impossible to me--I am a believer.

I am like my Father--the first believer.

He makes His confession--I make mine.

It is a confession of faith.

Faith has made me righteous.

Faith is the reality of the new creation.

The new creation is the substance of things hoped for.

Faith is born of the Spirit.

I live my life by the faith of God’s Son.

Faith is the presence of Christ in me.

I have traded hope for faith--I have arrived.

Christ is the author and finisher of my faith.

I can confidently say, “I now have faith because it is not I--but Christ!

SPIRITUAL INSANITY

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:08:21 GMT

Spiritual insanity--that’s what it is!

Sometimes we do not act like we are in our right minds. Just what do I mean by that? Well, the word righteous means true; therefore, what I am saying is sometimes we do not act like people who abide in the mind of truth.

The Bible says, “We have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor.2:16. It does not say it would be nice if we had it, but it says if we are Christians we already possess it. The Bible also says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”--Phil. 2:5. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”--John 14:6. He also said, “Abide in Me.”--John 15:4. Jesus confessed that the words that He spoke did not originate within Him, but the source was His Father who lived within. The truth of it is that if we are not abiding in Christ, then we are not living in our right minds. To put it in plainer words, if possible, when we do not allow the mind of Christ to rule over our thoughts, we are partaking of spiritual insanity. Does that offend you? Well, if you love the truth of God’s Word, you won’t be. “Blessed are they who love thy word for nothing shall offend them.”

You see, only God has a mind that is free and not adulterated and contaminated with worldly wisdom. He looked down from Heaven and beheld that the mind (imagination) of man was evil continually. Man’s mind is earthly, sensual and devilish (James 3:15). He said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways.”--Isa.55:8

However, He has given us the privilege of having His mind if we want it. We don’t have to take it; but if we want it, we may have it right now. It is a wonderful mind. There is no worry or fear or frustration within it--only peace, joy, and confidence. That is because the mind of God is completely independent of this world and from the forces of evil. “My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you.”-- John 14:27. The only way to escape the pollutions of this world is to not only have a change of heart, but a change of mind. We can safely abide in the mind of Christ.

Insanity is simply a word used to show the difference between that which is normal and that which is abnormal. The things we allow to parade through our imagination at times would be considered completely abnormal to the mind of God or the mind of truth. Therefore, God categorizes it as spiritual insanity. Speaking of Adam and Eve where it all began, Paul says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” One of the meanings of the word “fool” is imbecile. They became spiritual imbeciles-- vain in their imaginations; their foolish heart was darkened.”--Rom. 1:22

When we allow Satan to put certain thoughts in our mind, we are acting like spiritual fools. When Jesus said words like, “Let not your heart be troubled,” and “Abide in me and I in you,” it was an invitation from the mind of God beckoning us to depart from our worldly cares and to take refuge in that consciousness which is God’s alone. He was telling us that if we would draw our life from Him that we would not be overcome by the cares of this world. That is because there is no error in God’s thinking. His mind is free from the attacks of the evil one so we are told to put on the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17). It is God’s own salvation and freedom.

How people are in need of a new mind. The old carnal mind with its spiritual sense of inferiority, plagued by the circumstances and nagging perplexities of this temporary life, will not do. Jesus beheld the need that man had for a new mind as well as a new Spirit and began to introduce it when He said, “Take no thought for your life.”--Matt. 6:25. He knew that to change the heart was good but unless the mind could be changed with it, worry would still nag, perplex, and hold the Spiritually-free in an imaginary bondage.

It’s of no use on this earth if you are free in Spirit, but bound in thought. Jesus knew that Satan’s tool has always been the “carnal mind” with its thoughts and thoughts can enforce a bondage upon human experience just as real as Roman government. He knew that it was not a political change that society required, but a revolution in the heart and the mind. Both were significant to Him. This alone would set man free from Satan’s tyranny. To set a person free politically would not necessarily set them free from themselves--a deliverance they needed most assuredly. (Only the cross could do that.)

Jesus was aware of the spiritual erosion that carnal thoughts could have upon a human mind and soul. He knew of human failures and their need for forgiveness and mercy. He knew that more people were affected by wrong thoughts than any other sickness upon the face of the earth. He knew that the mind and the spirit sickness were universal, and He came to ease them of their diseases. That is what the gospel is for; it is good news to the oppressed in mind, spirit, and body. All aspects must be delivered from Satan’s thrall. We have heard much emphasis on the physical aspect of deliverance (healing), but little upon that which really changes a man. Jesus showed this when He healed physically the ten lepers and only one took on a thankful spirit; the rest went their own way. But remember healing us from our misery is only to point us to the will of God; it is not an end in itself.

The Bible teaches emphatically the necessity of having the mind renewed. Romans 12:1-2 says, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind and be not conformed to this world.” Romans 8:5 says “Mind the things of the Spirit, not the things of the flesh.” Colossians 1:21 says, “We were enemies in our minds.” So we must put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created it. Jesus already translated us into the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13), but we will be “transformed” only as we become doers of the Word, putting off the old man and his thoughts and putting on the new (Col.3:8-10). This is an act of will.

Principalities and powers, the dark rulers of this world, want to maintain death in our thinking. They do not want to lose their grasp--their stronghold. They know that they are defeated but they also know when we are unsure of this. God has told us that to be carnally-minded is death. Every man must be persuaded in his own mind. We are commanded not to have fellowship or union with the unfruitful works of darkness, but to reprove or challenge them, questioning their authority. We have not in many instances challenged their authority, but God’s Word says they are not to rule over us. We are not to believe every spirit. We are to rule and reign through Christ Jesus right here in this life on earth. Satan shall not have dominion over you because you are Christ’s.

The Sixth Chapter of Romans tells us how we are no longer under Satan’s dominion. He is the author of sin in the flesh who has held us prisoner. We have been severed from our relationship and fellowship with him through the cross of Christ. Now we are to reckon this or count this as true. Paul says, “Likewise reckon yourselves alive unto God but dead unto sin.”--Rom 6:11. We become aware of our rights and privileges in Christ. We can assert our dominion over that which has had dominance over us. Paul said “Knowing this…”--you have to know it first and then believe it.

When we become aware of Satan’s activities, there is a real struggle because demonic powers do not give up their strongholds voluntarily. But darkness always gives way to light. We realize (real eyes) more and more that we do not war against flesh and blood, but against the dark rulers of this world--against, principalities and powers (Eph, 6:12). We do not war to obtain victory because Jesus already won it. We war to maintain victory. If we become passive, Satan will soon occupy any ground we give him. That is why God’s Word commands us to take on the whole (complete) armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil in the day of evil (Eph. 6:13). All of God’s armor is to protect the front, not the hinder parts, because we are not to retreat. There is no protection for the rear. Get the point?

The helmet of salvation is God’s protection for our mind. We are to hold up the shield of faith whereby we may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. We must realize that Satan can only use thoughts and imaginations of doubt and fear to attempt to destroy our fellowship with God. It is when communications are cut off that fellowship is impaired and we lose the victory that God has already given us. We must dare to stand up and face our adversary, the devil. Paul said, “And in nothing be terrified by your adversary” (Phil. 1:28).

Satan’s one desire is to prevent our fellowship with God. That is all he can do, and then only if we let him. He cannot affect our relationship, but he can squeeze the joy out of us if we do not have enough Spiritual perception to discern Satan at work. When a man realizes that he does not war against flesh and blood, and when he can see past circumstances and beyond people, he is on his way to enjoying the rightful victory that Jesus has procured for him.

What makes it difficult is that Satan has so well trained our minds before the new birth that our mental bias in his favor. When an individual is quickened by the revelation of God’s Spirit and discerns the difference between good and evil, he begins to take his freedom. That is a miracle. If he cannot see beyond circumstances, he is left to flounder in his carnal mind.

We must realize that God’s salvation is Spiritual. A man can be delivered from a bondage that no one knows about, but himself and God. He can be just as happy about his freedom as one who quits taking drugs or has been delivered from any fleshly desire. The reason that anyone takes drugs, or partakes of anything else Satan wants to destroy a person with, is invisible (spiritual) anyway. You can’t see desire, but you can see the effects of it, whether it be good or evil. If God can deal with the desire, one need not be concerned about its fruits. Jesus has laid the axe to the root where society tries to deal only with the symptoms. But if you can deal with the source, you need not be so concerned with the symptoms. Man’s real need is invisible and so is his answer. It is Spiritual in its nature.

We partake of all that the Father has for us by faith. Faith realities are invisible. God’s Word is the remedy to all human problems. Faith is that faculty given by God which makes the invisible real. That is because faith is the reality that causes one to quit hoping and start believing.

I know a lot of people who are hoping, but I know only a few who are believing. He that believes has, but he that hopes has not. That is because without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:1 simply says, “Now faith is.” It doesn’t say faith will be someday, but it says it already is! Hope says, “Tomorrow,” but faith says, “Now.” Isn’t it time that we learned the difference between hope and faith? To some there is no difference, but the real difference is either going away empty or having life fulfilled. Hope is a good place to begin, but only faith can equip us with the sense of entirety that our soul needs.

Abraham was a pioneer because he believed God. I think God wants us to be pioneers, and then others will follow. It is downright “insanity” to do otherwise when God has provided so much. I don’t think that the scientific term “nervous breakdown” ever exists in God’s dictionary so why should it be in ours? Let us be eased from our disease. Let your mind be purged from all worldly thinking. That is what His Word is for.

You have been delivered from spiritual insanity. You have the mind of Christ--just receive it and believe it!

SOUL, SPIRIT, WILL

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:03:28 GMT

I have often heard lengthy discussions about whether or not man is soul, spirit, or will. I am talking about the real part of man, definitely not his flesh. Sometimes words are meant to be to us from God just exactly what God shows them to be. Sometimes, because of our individuality, God wants it that way. Words have different shades of meaning.

I would not want to be found guilty of bringing forth my own revelation about this matter; neither would I want to be responsible for drawing my own conclusions. I would rather have God’s understanding; any other would just be the assumption of my mind and it doesn’t understand Spiritual things.

Man is actually soul, spirit, and will. But for some reason--Spiritual reason--God has revealed to me that man is “a will.” The word “will” speaks very definitely to me. Anyway, today I see God in it more than any other word. Perhaps another time I will see even greater things.

Somehow when I think of the word “will,” I think of the word “freedom.” When God tells me that I am a will, He is telling me that I am free. Only God’s Word could make me free. That’s strange; I had always thought before that I was free. That’s because I did not know what freedom really was, and I guess that’s because I didn’t know God. To know Him is to be like Him; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. His Spirit, of course, is in the heart of the believer.

“Freedom and deliverance come by hearing and hearing by the Word (voice) of God.” He must whisper it to your heart or it is not His Word to you at all. Man, whatever man is, is bound by sin until he hears and believes the Word of God.

It seems that everything I thought about myself or about God before He revealed it to me was wrong. That’s because any thought that is not born of Him is wrong anyway-- it is born in sin.

My mind had always told me that I was free to do what I willed to do. I sensed nothing wrong with this. But I was still a prisoner of sin and did not realize it. That’s because my carnal mind itself is a thing of sin.

After I became a Christian, God began to talk to my heart. He pointed out the areas within me that had my will bound. It was a surprise to me. I was never aware of this before. After He showed me where I was bound and he caused me to see it plainly, He now said, “You are free; go and sin no more.” God spoke to my will and told it to go free from a bondage that before to me was non-existent. I was captive to my own desires and knew it not. I was blinded by the god of this world. It was not until I was brought to this new awareness that I enjoyed freedom for the first time of my existence. I now saw clearly that I was a will and had been living within the prison house of my own thoughts and desires. The Bible says, “By what a man is overcome by the same is he brought into bondage.”--2 Peter 2:19

It took the Word of God to usher in my deliverance because “He that commits sin is the slave of sin.”--John 8:34. I did not know that my own mind was the instrument used by Satan to hold me intact. Anything it said, I believed, mainly because I had nothing--no other knowledge--to compare it with. Jesus said when the Spirit of truth would come that He would show us the difference between good and evil (John 16:8).

I had never realized such a definite need for God before, that is, until He--the Spirit of truth--came to abide within me. I now saw that my need was as big as God, and without Him I was lost within the abyss of my own desires, which were satanically driven and inspired.

It seemed that the knowledge that I am a will wielded the most influence. I could now turn from Satan; and, in so doing, do the will of God. I could actually stand in the “real” position of choice. I could take the good and refuse the bad knowing the difference--something that I could not do before. I now knew good from evil, or God from Satan, or the will of the flesh from the will of the Spirit. I must know this difference in order to present my members as an instrument of righteousness. Unless the evil in me (my flesh) could be revealed, the good could not be done. I could have no real choice. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “When the Spirit of truth is come, He will show you the difference between sin and righteousness, giving unto you proper judgment”--John 16:8. When you have righteous or right discernment, it is then and only then that you are in the real place of choice! Decisions which are made outside of this place are not made with a true “sense” of choice but out of the blindness of habit. The “god of this world is blinding the minds of those who are not believing the good news of Christ.”--2 Cor.4:4

I could now stand disentangled from the pull of my own desires and see them as they are (Satan in the flesh or sin in the flesh) and now do the will of God. The thing that sets me free is this knowledge of God that I am a will and, because of Christ, free!

How Satan wanted this knowledge hidden! What would happen to him if it was made known to me that I really am a will and “free” to do God’s bidding? I’ll tell you what would happen. Satan would be exposed and revealed for what he is--a liar, a usurper, a pretender, and a deceiver. He would lose his influence because it is like Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”--John 8:32

We are not to misunderstand this statement and proudly declare like the Pharisees, “We are not in bondage, neither have we been bound to any man.” We are to have the eyes of our heart opened so that we may behold things as they really are in the mind of God, not just in the mind of man which is sensual and devilish. They did not know the very moment they made that statement Satan was blinding their minds and mocking them by their own answer. Jesus said, “He that commits sin is the servant of sin.”--John 8:34. To make it plainer, “The deeds you do and allow, and the thoughts you think because of your ignorance, are because you are obeying Satan and you are his slaves. When you follow your own desires, you are following Satan.”

They did not know good from evil (God from the devil). Without Christ they really had no choice. If they would have been honest in their hearts, they could have believed the real Master and walked to freedom. Because they chose to listen to the voice of their own understanding--the voice of their own mind--the voice of Satan, they died in their sins just as Jesus said. They remained dead in their sins .

The Spirit of truth or Christ in you--the only hope of Glory--now dwells within so as to reveal to us who we really are. This puts us in the place where we do not have to obey the dictates of our flesh which have been directed by Satan. We can now know good from evil and exercise proper judgment. The prince of this world is cast out--our will is free!

SIMPLY FAITH

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:43:04 GMT

The written Word of God is a faithful representation of a heavenly reality. It is not the reality itself, but nevertheless, a true representation.

To benefit from the Word of God, we must take it at face value just like we would a promissory note. A promissory note is a promise to pay. It is only as good as the one behind it. For instance, paper currency is only a representation of value--there is no actual value in the paper itself. It is what is behind the note that counts--the full faith and credit of the United States Government.

If society had no faith in the Federal Reserve Note, our whole economy would collapse. That is because our monetary system is built upon faith. It actually takes faith to make it work.

Is it any wonder that on the back of every dollar bill are the words, “In God We Trust?”

Knowing that God stands behind His written Word, exercising faith should not be a problem, but as uncomplicated as an over-the-counter transaction at the local grocery store.

In exchange for faith in His Word, God gives us what His Word has promised. His written Word is proof of our receipt.

There is no consciousness of faith or the lack of it--we just rest and receive.

SALVATION

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:40:54 GMT

A Christian’s joy does not depend upon anyone or anything in this world.

It doesn’t even depend upon his church. The kind of joy that comes from salvation isn’t dependent upon things. It depends on Jesus. If it were dependent upon the things of this world, there would be no such thing as salvation. Salvation means to be liberated from the bondage of this world. Salvation is the only thing that is not of this world. Everything else is of the world--absolutely everything!

Dependence upon the things of this world is bondage. Dependence upon Jesus is freedom and that is what He came to bring.

Jesus said that we are not of this world even as He was not of this world. I wonder then why we allow the world to shape so much of our thinking!

The only way not to be of this world would be to have a life and identity that is not of this world--one that existed before the world was. This of course was made possible only through Christ. It is called the Birth of the Spirit. The worldly birth was of the flesh. The new birth is of God who is Spirit.

The apostle Paul called this new birth a “New Creation.” He said that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature and old things have passed away (died), all things have become new and all these new things are of God.

In John’s Gospel in the Third Chapter, Jesus told Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”

Flesh is of this world--Spirit is of God. That is the difference and God is not of this world. There is nothing worldly about Him.

This new birth frees us from the bondage of the flesh and takes us into another realm-- the Kingdom of God. But again, God’s realm is not of this world; His realm is of the Spirit. It is an invisible realm with liberty and justice for all!

We don’t have to hang on to the things of this world anymore because our new life is of the Spirit. We are no more subject to this world than God is. Can you imagine God living in bondage to this world?

The flesh and its world pass away but the Life of the Spirit is Eternal. That is what Jesus came to bring--Eternal Life. Flesh isn’t eternal--it’s doomed! Flesh and blood will not inherit the Kingdom of God. That is why we are born of the Spirit. We have now in Christ become Spirit. We are made into the same Spirit as God. We are one with Him. His Life is our Life.

The realm of the flesh is the realm of trouble, frustration, sorrow, and death. But take heart, there is a much higher realm to live in, a place of righteousness, joy and peace; it’s called the Kingdom of God. That is where God lives and that’s where we live right now! In this new realm, there are no heartaches, no frustrations and no fear. There is only joy, peace, and righteousness.

Flesh and blood cannot enter this realm. That is why we had to die with Jesus and then be born again. That is how we entered God’s Kingdom.

We receive a NEW LIFE! That is what birth means; birth is life. We actually receive the Eternal Life of God. Only God is Eternal so the only way we can have Eternal Life is to be born again. We have that Life right now. “He who has the Son has Life.”-- 1John 5:12

If it were not for Jesus there would be no such thing as salvation--no escape from the bondage of the flesh. The flesh is bound by the law of sin and death, but the one who is born again is free from the law of sin and death. He has God’s Life, the only Life that is free of sin. He is born free--free in the Spirit of God.

Jesus became flesh; then He died for our salvation. He took upon Himself every bondage known to men of flesh. When He became sin, He voluntarily became a partaker of spiritual death, the very nature of Satan. Satan is the father of spiritual death. The penalty of sin is spiritual death. Spiritual death is separation from God (2 Cor.5:21).

When Jesus died, spiritual death--the bondage of the flesh the old nature, the old creation-- died with Him. It is no more!

All who now call upon His name--who truly believe on Him--become partakers of God’s Divine nature. They immediately become partakers of Christ’s resurrection Life. This Life is completely free from sin and the bondage of Satan.

He gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God, our Father (Gal.l:4).

In Christ we have already passed from death into the Life of the Father. It's a Miracle!

SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:36:51 GMT

Praise does not take no for an answer. It is an overwhelming power that wins. Praise is victorious.

God lives in the praises of His people. What is God? God is love, joy, peace, healing power. He is everything you could ever need. If I praise God, I actually give voice to all these things. I bring my mind into subjection to my need. My need is that of having God prevalent over my mind instead of what I seem to lack.

By an act of my own will when I praise God, I remove my mind from the cares of this world--the turmoil, etc., and let God become supreme in my thinking.

I have God’s Spirit, His Life; I lack nothing. I praise Him for being the very thing I need.

I cannot find my peace any other place but in God, so I praise Him for being my peace. If God is not my peace, where can I find it, where could I obtain it?

Satan would like to have me think that I do not have peace, that I lack it. God lives in me and the fruit of His Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc.

If God’s Word is true, then anything that contradicts His Word is a lie. It is from Satan. He would like to have me think that I do not have peace. He wants to send me on a long journey, one without end (except in destruction) to look and search for something that I already have. He knows that I will never find it that way, but will be removed from peace. But God’s Word says that I have received of the fullness of Him. How could I have all of God and lack anything? Is He not my peace? Ephesians 2:14 says, “He is our peace…”

I must bring my mind into subjection in whatever way I can. Praise can do this. I must confess that God is in me; He is my peace, the answer, the fulfillment of my every need.

I must, by an act of my own will, combined with my mind (they are one) prevail over the oppressing power of Satan.

I overwhelmingly persist in praising and giving thanks to God for being my peace. I praise Him for it; and, in so doing, drive the very suggestion that Satan has tried to plant in my mind out of my life. I then begin to enjoy what I am praising Him for.

Because, by an act of my own will, I have chosen to praise God for my need, this attitude of praise has completely driven and overpowered the negative thoughts from my mind.

You cannot praise God from your heart and think thoughts that are contrary. You cannot think one thing and then speak another. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Praise from your, heart and your mind will have to obey you.

Begin to praise God for the answer to your need and you will drive the very roots of unbelief from you. The Bible says in Col.3:2, “Place your affection on things above...” This is the changing of your attitude. Let’s change our attitude and place our minds upon God’s Spirit; and then by an act of our own will, praise our way right into the enjoyment of God’s freedom.

Your inheritance, which is the Spirit of God, is for you to enjoy; and if necessary, you may have to apprehend it by force (Matt. 11:12). It is already yours, but your must take it by force. You must push your way up through every obstacle that would try to hinder you. Only Satan wants to do that. We have been given power over him.

Praise will drown out the negative voice of Satan and cause God’s Spirit to prevail in your thought-life. If God’s Spirit gains the ascendancy over your mind, then you will begin to enjoy who and what He is.

Praise Him for your deliverance and there will not be a force in the entire world that will keep you from the enjoyment of your legal and rightful inheritance.

REST

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:32:36 GMT

There is nothing left for flesh to do. God does not need to be added to. Spirit always was, even before the foundation of the world. God was complete then; He is complete now. He always will be complete and we are complete in Him.

I do not have to worry about God’s will. God’s will is done. My flesh can only move in harmony with what has already

been done in the mind or Spirit of God. It is not a new will; it is an old will--as old as God Himself. Only according to time does it appear to be new; only according to time does it appear to be us doing God’s will. I am only to move in obedience (co-operation) with the Spirit of God.

The flesh does not do God’s will; He does His own will. God in the sense-realm brings together into one things which are in heaven and things which are on earth. This appears to the mind of man and is what he calls obedience. The word obedience is a physical word used for the benefit of physical minds. God’s will is done in the Spirit.

Obedience is what makes manifest what already was and is. It reveals God. When we see the fruit of obedience made manifest, we declare then (with our senses), “God is now doing such and such.” That is not true in the realm of truth or eternal things. God had already done it in Himself. Spirit does not do; Spirit already is. “Do” is a physical word--God is a Spirit. Flesh has just moved in unity with what already was and is. We have been taught too well by our senses, and we believed with them instead of our spiritual faculties. We are one with the Father. We must “see” with the eyes of the Spirit.

Does God need help to accomplish that which He is? The works were finished before the foundation of the world, for God has never changed. That which we see made manifest through the flesh is just Eternity interrupting time. It is the release to the consciousness of the senses that which was already in the foreknowledge of God. It is the fruit and product of the exercising of this, “I knew would be knowledge,” because God knows Himself.

God, by the willing of Himself, is responsible for both the cause and the effect. It is the absolute knowledge of God being manifested. God has chosen to make manifest eternity or eternal life in this period called time; however, this is really nothing new that has not always been.

Flesh describes the work of God as something new because the thing that is new is flesh. The thing that has to do with time is flesh.

Jesus said that He did the things that He saw the Father do. The words He spoke were an attempt to describe a “Spiritual” reality. He was viewing eternal life and eternal life was invading time through a man. God was not doing something and then Jesus repeating it. Jesus was being used to carry out the foreknowledge of God. He was carrying out before the eyes of flesh that which was already done in the mind of the Spirit of God.

I need not fear for God’s will to be done. Flesh need only conform to obedience to the Spirit of God and that which is, was, and will be, becomes manifest.

The oneness of the Father is revealed.

RESPONSIBILTY

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:29:59 GMT

There is man’s part--respond. There is God’s part--ability.

We find that Jesus, the man, walked by what reason described as faith.

Jesus dared to act upon God’s Word. God was only made manifest to the extent that Jesus obeyed the Word of God. Jesus learned obedience just like we are learning obedience (Heb. 5:8).

The manifestation of God did not come before obedience or that which is called faith. It is called faith because Jesus put His trust, His reliance, and His confidence in something that the eyes of His flesh could not see.

The ability to make good that which was revealed to Jesus was present and available. In other words, Jesus could avail Himself of what was set before Him, but only as He dared to act upon and obey the Spirit of God.

Because Jesus dared to believe something unseen by human eyes, however beheld by the eyes of faith, the unseen became demonstrated or visible. The invisible God became visible only to the extent that Jesus obeyed Him. God became evident only through the obedience of a man. The Spirit of God was transferred into the sense realm before the eyes of men only as Christ became response-able.

I see that Jesus was aware of His Sonship-responsibility. He was aware of the fact that God had been made unto Him His very ability; now He must respond.

If Jesus were not to respond to the ability that God had given Him or if He chose not to obey, He knew that God would be limited by a man, though He is Lord of all.

The knowledge of His position carried with it a conscious responsibility known and realized as above and beyond anything He had ever before experienced.

Jesus knew, if He refused to obey the Father, the broken-hearted would not be comforted and the captives would not hear the words of release; the love of God would never be known by the heart of man. Jesus was compelled to become obedient, not to the nature of the flesh, but to His true nature--the nature of God.

There was something in this new Spiritual knowledge that almost took from Him the right to say, “No” Jesus found Himself willing because of the power of His Father’s Love. In the face of His now known position and responsibility, He found that He could not say. No.” He could, but He wouldn’t.

Jesus was compelled to deny His own will and do God’s will. Love spoke so loudly to His heart that He could not but obey. What--fulfill His own desires when God had revealed to Him the vast responsibility that was now His because of His identity with the Father! His heart could not bear or entertain the thought.

Love had spoken to His heart and with it came a new found-willingness to deny Himself. It was a good self in the eyes of men; but, no, it must be denied. After His baptism (identification) with the Father, Jesus sensed the necessity to become responsible. In the Light of this new knowledge (a knowledge that He did not possess the early part of His life), He could not shun, or become irresponsible, and fulfill His own desires at the expense of the Father’s will. In the very thought of failing to respond to the ability that God gave Him, He became aware of the hearts that were beating to the rhythm of misery.

The Love that God had communicated to Jesus gave Him strength and ability to no longer consider His Life as His own, but the very Life of God. If His Life was God’s Life, then God must be allowed to do with and in it as He pleased.

It was the power of Love that was to enable Him to fulfill and do all God had showed Him. Jesus could not deny His new found responsibility with the Father. He could not say, “No,” to Love.

Because of the Love that was born within His understanding, He found an amazing ability provided that enabled Him to put to death His own desires, though they were the closest thing to His heart. It was not always easy, but this Love enabled Him. This Love was now doing it in Him.

Jesus learned to respond to the ability of God.

It was God’s doing to supply the ability; it was Jesus’ doing to respond.

REPENTANCE-A CHANGE OF MIND

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:24:29 GMT

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about this thing called the new birth. Do you remember what Jesus told Nicodemus in the Third Chapter of the Gospel of John? He said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” That’s where the whole thing began.

I am almost positive that the great majority of Christendom is not totally convinced of this truth. If we really believed that we were born again, then we would cease thinking and speaking of ourselves in the same old way. We would no longer identify ourselves with the old flesh birth of sin and begin to take on a brand new approach and attitude regarding the new creation God’s Word says that we are.

I am convinced more than ever that Satan’s one desire is to cover the fact of the new birth and blind our eyes to its full meaning. He knows that because we believe in Christ that something phenomenal has happened to us, something he envies and even angels desire to look into, but can not.

Satan does not want us to realize (real eyes) that our old identity was actually crucified with Christ and was put to

death when Christ died! After all, if Christ died for us, then what we were is dead, as far as God is concerned, to sin’s power. We are now dead to the judgment of the law and the accusations of the devil. We have died to the old life which really was not Life at all, but death. Only God’s Life is considered by God to be real Life. Because Adam died spiritually, we inherited his state of spiritual death and slavery to sin. But because we were one with Christ on the cross, God having put us there, we died when Jesus died. We were also born anew in the mind of God when Jesus was raised from the dead.

Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians, Chapter 2:1-6, “And you (the believer) hath God made alive with new Life who were dead in trespasses and sins and He has raised us up together (jointly in union at the same time) in Christ and made us sit together in heavenly (Spiritual) places in Christ Jesus.” God made us alive together when Jesus was raised from the dead.

Jesus actually became our old man of sin on the cross and God crucified it and did away with it. It is no more. That’s the Good News. Paul says, “Knowing this that our old man was crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin.”--Rom. 6:6. We don’t have to try to die--we have died. What we could not do for ourselves, by ourselves, God has already done for us in and with Christ.

We are one with Christ in his crucifixion, his death, his resurrection, his ascension in victory, and return to earth in the person of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4 and John 14:17-18). Did you know that the Holy Spirit is the new birth? The resurrection of Christ was the final triumph over the old man of sin and Christ’s victory is our victory.

Paul says of Jesus, “Him who knew no sin God made to become sin on our behalf, making us the righteousness of God in Christ.”--2 Cor.5:21. Think of it! God made Jesus to actually become sin, not just a likeness, but sin itself!

If we do not accept the fact that Jesus became our personal sin substitute and died, Satan will deceive us into believing that we must deal with the sin problem ourselves by confessing our shortcomings each and every day, therefore, keeping us weak in the faith. That is because whatever is not of faith is sin. We must understand there remains no other sacrifice for sin--we must accept this one!

Never forget Satan is a liar. The Bible calls him the accuser of the brethren, but Jesus has defeated him for us. Satan has often accused us in our conscience, and we many times do not even suspect who it is. We think we are thinking our own thoughts; but if we died with Christ, then they cannot be. Thoughts either come from God or they come from the devil. There is no in-between-ground. There is just good and evil. We are either identified with Christ or we are identified with Satan. God has identified the believer with Christ. (Read Rom.6.) It is time for us to claim our true identity.

Listen to what the Bible says about Satan’s defeat: “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying now (not tomorrow, not some day) is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night; and they (the believer) overcame him by the blood of the lamb (God’s part that made it legal) and by the word of their testimony” (that made it vital).-- Rev. 12:10-11

God wants the believer to know that he is no longer just a poor miserable sinner but an actual partaker of God’s very own nature of righteousness through and in the new birth. Neither Satan nor sin has any legal claim over this kind of species. “Sin shall not lord it over you.”--Rom. 6:14

1 John 3:20 goes so far as to say that if our own heart should condemn us, God is greater than a condemning heart and loves us without measure. Many times Satan uses our own minds to condemn us knowing full well that Jesus was our sin substitute and answered all the claims that were against us-- past, present, and future. Our Father wants us to confess this fact, knowing that as we acknowledge and confess the truth, it will begin to work in our lives.

Even though we are new creations in Spirit, we must still renew our minds. Both God and the devil know that a man actually becomes the words he harbors in his mind. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” From the very start, Satan has taught our minds through our first birth of sin to believe and identify ourselves with lies. The Father wants us to exercise faith in His Word even though it is to be done in the midst of all contrary evidence--that is what pleases Him!

We must understand it is not what we are within ourselves that counts for us--it is what we are in Christ. All of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ, and we are complete in him. It is not what we are physically that God is looking at. It is what we are Spiritually. It is what we have become in the Spirit through the new birth. No wonder the Bible tells us not to look at things that are seen. That is Satan’s realm. We are to look at things not seen. That is God’s realm--the things seen being temporal and the things not seen being eternal. That is how faith always works. It doesn’t take faith to believe in one’s unworthiness and to make confessions of doubt--that is a faithless situation. Any poor fool can do that. The Bible says we are to hold fast (securely) the confession of our faith without wavering. “He that wavers is like the surge of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” We confess what God’s Word says about us in Christ no matter how we may feel.

What shall we confess? How about this for a starter? “I am the righteousness of God in Christ--I am the workmanship of God in Christ--I am a new creation, all the old things have passed away, behold (look) all things in Christ are new-- Christ can do all things through me. He is my strength.”

We enjoy by possession just what we are willing to make in our confession. If we continually confess our seeming failure and shortcomings, then that is what we will live in. If we confess that Christ is in us and greater is he that is us than he that is in the world, then that’s what we enjoy.

We must understand that we are not saved only by confessing sin. We are saved or born again by confessing Christ as Lord. There are man-made religions that teach people to confess their sins, but no one has ever become a new creation through confessing sin alone. That is because sin is not the answer--Christ is! We are not saved by a negative but by a positive.

We began our Christian walk by acknowledging that we are sinners, but what does the Bible say actually saves us? Romans 10:8-10 tells us what our confession should be. We may not realize it, but we are saved or destroyed by what we confess. Listen: “The Word (of victory who is Christ) is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is the Word of faith which we speak, if you shall confess (acknowledge) with the mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in your heart that God made him alive from the dead you shall be saved (receive a new Life); for with your mouth confession is made unto your salvation and with your heart man believes into God’s very own righteousness.”

You see, we have and enjoy what we are willing to believe and confess. If we fill our words with doubt and despair, then we defeat ourselves. If we fill our mouth with faith words, positive words that honor and agree with what God has already done for us in Christ, then we are supported by that confession because God says He watches over His Word to perform it. Proverbs actually says we are snared by our words; we are made captive by them. Like David, we should set a watch over the words of our mouth.

Satan would like nothing better than for us to go back over the past and continue to identify ourselves with the old creation, to be ruled and dominated by our old earthly memory. What we once were and did, no matter how bad or good we may think it was, has been literally dead and buried with the old man in Christ. God has forgiven and forgotten and He wants us to forgive and forget too. God can not forgive without forgetting. When He forgives, He forgets because God works by faith and faith works by love. “Love believeth all things.” The Father has demonstrated His Love by sending Jesus while we were actively His enemies by nature.

He has given us the new will and testament which reveals His desire for us. It simply and plainly states, “He that believes is not condemned but he that believes not (does not exercise faith) is condemned already.” You see, we must exercise faith. If we do not believe Christ’s forgiveness and his substitution sacrifice, then we are without remedy. No wonder the Word says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” We must avail ourselves of God’s own salvation for He has given it to us.

If we can not speak God’s Words of truth about our new identity in Christ, then perhaps we should not speak at all! No wonder He has said, “Be still and know that I am God.”

REPENTANCE

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:16:36 GMT

No one in the world can change the way I think but myself--not my doctor, my wife, or my pastor. Repentance is an individual matter.

The Bible says that God, our Father, is not willing that any should perish but that ALL should come to repentance.

What does the word repentance mean from the Bible’s perspective? It literally means to CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK. It does not mean just to feel sorry but to change your way of thinking!

John, the Baptist, said, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That means to change your way of thinking-- heaven is here!

That’s asking us to go against all of our logic and believe the Word of God. Of course, that’s what faith does anyway.

We will not enjoy the things of God until we train our mind to THINK about the things of God. Our mind is the last stronghold Satan has on us.

The Bible says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The mind will never renew itself. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ-every single thought. The Word of God is to replace all the old thoughts. We were born in sin and shaped by iniquity. Those are things contrary to God.

We cannot let something that is contrary to our Father rule our mind. That’s why we must read His Word and discover God’s thoughts. God’s thoughts bring us life while the thoughts of the carnal mind bring nothing but death.

Life and peace come by thinking about the things of God. It is a privilege to be Spiritually-minded. There is an old saying, “Think of self and troubles grow; think of God and troubles go.” It’s true. When God fills our thoughts, there is no room for problems.

Aren’t you glad there is something good to think about?

RECOVERING YOURSELF FROM THE DEVIL'S SNARE

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:14:20 GMT

Don’t expect Satan to suggest God to you as an alternative. That would be the last thing he would do even if he could; and even if he could, he would want to do it in a way that would destroy you, not help you. Any alternative that Satan brings to your mind is aimed to ruin you and assist you into your spiritual grave. You can be sure of that. Any remedy suggested by him will end in despair and hopelessness with your soul being mocked!

Have you ever noticed that when the gears of reason are revolving that God is always left out? That’s because Satan is the initiative behind the treadmill. He would like us to reason God right out of our thoughts, even our very life if he could. That’s why the Bible tells us in no uncertain terms not to lean upon our own understanding but in all our ways we are to acknowledge the Lord and He will direct our path (Prov.3:5).

Satan would bring every alternative under heaven to our attention but never heaven itself. That’s because he doesn’t have what it takes to suggest the things that give humans peace. For one thing, he can’t. The fact of the matter is, if the thoughts you are entertaining do not generate the peace of God, watch out! You are letting Satan do your thinking for you. It’s as simple as that. I don’t care what it’s regarding or what it has to do with. God’s desire is to calm the trouble in our heart, whereas Satan’s desire is to stir up the waves of turbulence, frustration, and despair.

Satan may suggest a needle to you, or a drink, a pill, or a razor blade for your wrists; but you can be sure that he will never suggest the One and only thing that will work. More than one soul has been mocked and deceived by Satan. The fact of the matter is when we do not believe God’s Word, the Bible says that our minds are being “blinded” by the god of this world less the glorious Gospel which is the image of God should shine its light in our soul (2 Cor.4:4). Incidentally, the Gospel describes what God looks like. It describes what we look like in God’s eyes too, for we are one with Him.

Thoughts of fear and uncertainty, doubt, frustration, boredom, discouragement, and indecision have only one source. They can be traced back to the one who would like to ensnare your soul and mine and smother it with a blanket of hopelessness. It’s Satan’s job to provide a reasonable basis for us to worry and doubt. He wants to help us found our unbelief upon a seemingly good, solid, compact foundation of lies which as far as God is concerned does not warrant either His or our attention.

Lies—that’s all Satan has to work with. Any alternative that he suggests will only end in despair and hopelessness. Any thought that takes away our peace is definitely of Satan. There must come a time when we are able to separate our thoughts and put the sheep on one side, as it were, and the goats on the other by what the Bible calls reason of use or exercise (Heb.5:14).

Sometimes it seems difficult to separate the thoughts that are in our minds and clearly distinguish their origin. That’s how well Satan has trained our minds. Sometimes we get so mixed up, we often think the thoughts that pass through our minds are our own. That’s where we are deceived! I am speaking in respect to that which determines our spiritual state. I am concerned with that which determines our spiritual victories or defeats, whether conscious or unconscious. I am speaking of thoughts that make us what we are, or what we become, and for whose use--thoughts that are either good or evil as far as God is concerned. Thoughts can pass through our mind which are not our own (that is, we are not the source) and for some strange reason we often feel compelled to identify ourselves with them. We are under the impression (impressed by whom?) that they belong to us. We feel some sort of obligation to them so sometimes we are completely naive to their origin and purpose.

Just because thoughts come to our mind does not mean that they are our own and we must receive them. Jesus says, “Take no thought.” Who’s giving them out anyway? Haven’t we a right to be a little cautious, and sometimes even skeptical, especially when the Bible says not to believe every spirit? It is true that thoughts can use our mind, but there is nothing that I read in God’s Holy Word that says we must claim ownership to any old thought that just comes along. We have a God-given right to question the source and origin of our thoughts! We are to bring every thought into subjection and captivate it for Christ. It is only then that we fulfill obedience (2 Cor.10:4-5).

Satan, the Bible teaches, is the master in the art of deception and subterfuge. He knows his business. He is sneaky, crafty, clever, and subtle. He has enough sense to know, if he can get a man to think like he wants, that he has control of him regardless of his religion. The Bible says we are not to be ignorant of his devices. That is what the helmet of salvation is for, to protect our mind from Satan’s assault. Satan is so subtle that he can slip thoughts into our mind without even giving the password. It doesn’t pay good wages to be asleep at our post. Sometimes we do not even suspect it. Satan doesn’t rattle chains as he approaches your mind. He wears slippers, or moccasins, cushioned with reason.

You might say it is like shopping in a local department store with your shopping bag wide open and unsuspectingly being used by someone who is sneaking items into it that you are not even aware of and really had no intention of buying. My little boy has gone to the store with his mommy on several occasions; and when she got home, sometimes she found certain items in her shopping bag that made both her and him to be a thief without even knowing it. One time she came home with a package of gum, another time a ball point pen she didn’t remember buying.

The world has a saying, “Is a man a thief because he steals, or does he steal because he is a thief?” They really don’t know, and neither does the thief; because if he did, he would quit stealing. That’s because every man that obeys Satan does so because he is ignorant of the origin of his motives and desires. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?”--Jer.17:9. That’s referring to the old life we used to have which really wasn’t life, but death. In fact it is Satan himself--the father of spiritual death.

Man of himself does not know what spirit motivates his decisions. In fact, he doesn’t even realize that it is a spirit that caused his thoughts. It is only because of Christ that we can recognize Satan’s activities. Satan does not voluntarily reveal or expose himself. Christ reveals him and we see him because we see Christ. Man of himself cannot discern good from evil. He cannot because he doesn’t know Christ, the Truth. He refuses to believe in the existence of the devil because he won’t believe Christ.

If a man was brought to the realization that every thought he entertained, every word he spoke, and every deed he has done are either because of Christ or because of Satan, he would be equipped with a much more sensitive and conscientious set of values. There is absolutely no-in-between-ground whether he likes it or not. Jesus said, “You are either with me or against me.” Whatever is not of faith is sin. Whatever is not of God is of Satan. Jesus has broken down the middle wall or partition. Man can no longer, as far as God is concerned, get by with his so-called independent third category. He is not as he thinks--“a self-made man.” He is either a God-made man or he is a Satan-made man regardless of how soft spoken he may be. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil,” even if they did carry a Bible and wear religious clothes. Jesus probably never carried a Bible nor wore religious clothes. The difference between Jesus and them was they carried God’s Word in their heads, whereas Jesus carried God’s Word in His heart.

Man is a doer of words, regardless of the source he obeys. He acts upon his beliefs and thoughts and his thoughts either originate in God or come from Satan. One or the other is the controlling factor in his life. Either Christ is his life or the spirit of “anti-Christ” is his death.

The Bible speaks of two things that are a mystery to man--the “mystery of Godliness” and the “mystery of iniquity.” Both are an enigma to man, and without Christ he can understand neither. Jesus has given us the Spirit of truth so that we may decide in favor of the right thing and not be bound by the chains of foolishness and ignorance. He wants to reveal to us what it is that quickens and motivates our thoughts and decisions.

Hebrews 4:12-13 says that the Word of God is alive and active, and He is able to reveal to us the thoughts and intents (motives) of the heart. Man of himself does not possess the honesty that would give him the ability to distinguish the reasoning behind his motives. The mystery of Godliness and the mystery of iniquity are a spiritual impasse to human understanding, and no one but the Spirit of truth (Christ in you) can shed light on either subject. The Bible says that the mystery of iniquity is already at work; but to the one who understands Christ, it is no mystery. The revelation of Christ is a revelation of both good and evil (John 16:8).

Paul says in Rom. 8:12 that a Christian is no longer a debtor to the flesh, simply because Jesus has redeemed us from Satan’s dominion and given us a new Spirit. That’s what redemption is: a change of Spirit.” Ezek.36:26 says, “A new heart (Spirit) will I give unto you. I will take out the old law-breaking spirit, the lawless one.”--2 Thes.2:8, “the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.”--Eph.2:2. (Remember, to be carnally minded is still death.) Now God’s law is written in our hearts by the Spirit of the Living God. Therefore we need no longer feel obligated to the desires of the flesh and its evil propensities. We have a new obligation and responsibility to a new Spirit. We are told that if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the desire of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). Now it’s a matter of where we place our mind, whether it’s on things above or things beneath. Now it’s a matter of whose thoughts we are thinking.

It must finally occur to us that any thought that does not have peace as its fruit does not originate from God. The Word of God commands us to seek peace and pursue it. (1 Peter 3:11), and “Let or allow the peace of God to rule in our heart.”--Col. 3:15. The word rule means to umpire or referee. In a football game when you step out of bounds, the referee blows the whistle on you. When it comes to spiritual things, God has provided just as sure a means to help us determine where we stand. If we are about to step out of bounds, He blows a Spiritual whistle that warns us first and tells us we are departing from that peace that surpasses understanding. The will of God “is” the will of peace.

So, what alternative are you considering?

REAL FAITH

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:09:58 GMT

There are many people today who profess to believe in God. They say He does exist--that He is the Almighty, yet they do not allow His Word to direct their lives.

They assent to all the basic creeds and doctrines of the church, yet there is little transformation of their mind. Some will even go to great lengths to defend their doctrinal position; yet when trials and temptations come, they throw the Word of God to the wind and demonstrate how little it really means to them. The roots of their faith do not go deep.

How can we say we believe in God if we do not also believe His Word? God cannot be separated from His word because the Bible says that He is the Word. We deceive ourselves when we say with our mouths that we believe in God, yet in our hearts harbor doubts and fears. How can we say that the one we pro¬fess to believe is true, if we do not live like His Word is true?

Jesus said, “You believe in God, then believe also in Me.” (He is the Word.) In other words, “You say you believe in God, then believe also what I am telling you because I came from God. Let my Word have its rightful place in your life.”

If Jesus was the Word made flesh, then we are to believe Him. That is, we are to do what He says.

If we do not allow God’s Word to take hold of our most secret thoughts and transform our conscious minds, then we cannot truly say that we believe Him. We would be lying. We have said that God is true, yet we have not truly believed what He has said through His Son. The Word has no effect upon us.

There is something else about this believing too. We need to know what God says in His Word in order to know what to believe. So, I need two things. I need to know what to believe as well as whom to believe.

Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” and “Where your treasure is, so will be your heart.” He also said, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”

We should make God’s Word our treasure and delight, then our heart will be full of it, and we will know what to believe.

Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord and do not (believe not) the things I say?” To believe Him is to do what He says!

Sure you say you believe in God--but do you really believe God. You don’t if you do not believe His Word.

There is a difference!

PURPOSE

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:05:36 GMT

God is purpose. He is the original and only purpose worth considering.

God’s purpose in you can reinforce the will to live regardless of the opposition that faces you. You were not expected to face the opposition that seems to oppose you in life without the power or ability of God’s dynamic purpose to meet and counter the opposing forces.

There must be a reason for living. This reason must be strong enough to take one through life no matter what kind of resistance he meets. It must be so strong that nothing can stop it or prevent it from fulfilling its purpose.

If we base our life on anything less than the fullness of God’s desire, then we are in danger of defeat and ruin.

If we base our life on God and will to let His purpose be active in and through us, then there is no defeat no matter what seems to be about us. Environment, circumstances, and our five senses may suggest that it is no use--we are losing, but we know that this is untrue and we remain unmoved.

If our purpose is as strong as God’s purpose, then we don’t have to worry. Our purpose is as strong as God’s purpose, for the only purpose in our lives is His; and in His purpose lays His ability. God cannot be defeated, therefore neither can His purpose. We are His purpose now in this earth.

God could never be defeated. His purpose in our lives is the same; it cannot be defeated or overwhelmed.

Any purpose outside of God is dependent upon circumstances. This is not true in the Lord. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”--John 14:27

His purpose is Spiritual and existed before circumstances ever were. God’s purpose does not rely on anything but the strength of God Himself.

We don’t have to carry the attitude that, if circumstances were different, I could do God’s will or fulfill what He wants me to do. It takes supernatural ability to do God’s will no matter how big or how small it may appear. God living His Life in us is the only way to walk according to God’s purpose.

So you see, nothing can separate us, nor can anyone move us from the purpose of God in our life. No matter where we are, or what we are doing, as long as we desire, we are united and are one with the purpose of God. We are dependent upon nothing or anyone but His life in us. It is His life which brings about His purpose in and through us.

God’s purpose is “Christ in you!”--Col. 1:27

PROBLEMS

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:02:21 GMT

So you think you have problems. Well, doesn’t almost everyone? What makes us think that ours are so unique? When we get the idea and are convinced that there is no problem quite like ours, Satan has accomplished his work. There is one other thing that he wants to accomplish though before he is through with us. He knows that people who are preoccupied with their own unique and, of course, exceptional problems, are totally insensitive to the needs of others. They feel that they are the only ones in the world in need of comfort so they never think of comforting others or that others ever sense the necessity. They are so busy taking that they never think of giving, and Jesus Christ said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” In fact, giving of ourselves is the only real way to procure freedom from our problems.

When we think that our problem is unique and nobody has one quite like us, we forget thinking what a problem we might become to others. But of course that is the way selfishness is. It is totally blind and insensitive to the needs of others. In fact, it isn’t even aware that others might exist. It only considers itself because it can’t see past itself. It’s always, “Why me?”

When a person gives his mind over to that which destroys his spiritual and emotional stamina, they forget that they aren’t exactly profitable to be around. They become parasitic and so dependent upon what others have to give that they never stop to think that human resources may run out someday and they may be required to draw upon their own. It’s a shocking thing to selfishness when it must sober up. We might as well face it. There is no problem that is so unique that it is worth considering to the point that it begins to destroy not only ourselves but those around us. No man is an island. He touches others wherever he may be. Whatever he has and whatever he says and thinks will undoubtedly affect others whether it is good or evil.

Who likes to say hello to someone who always looks down in the dumps? You already know the answer before they

even reply.

Selfishness is cancerous. It erodes the personality that is ruled by it, but it doesn't stop there. It has no respect for child or adult, for weak or for the strong. It will destroy, if it can, all that it may touch. Everyone has responsibilities to meet. If we do not meet them, then others will be required to do it for us. There are certain responsibilities that are unavoidable. Is it really fair to force others to carry a load that is larger than their own? But of course selfishness doesn’t consider this fact either.

What about others? Could they have needs in their life of which we may not be aware? We humans are prone to think, if someone else’s problems are not of the same caliber as ours, that it can be written off with a shrug. Couldn’t their problems be just as real to them as ours may be to us? I am afraid that it seldom occurs to us. Everyone tramps around with his head hung down thinking they are unique completely blind to the needs of the other person.

The plain truth of the matter is none of us can really afford the luxury of having a problem, especially when it touches the lives of our loved ones and God loves everyone. The one who becomes accustomed to taking will probably never think of giving, and the irony of it is that we will never really receive until we learn to give.

That’s a truth we ought to learn well. Whatever it is in life that we want, we must first learn to give. Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given unto you.” The amazing thing about Spiritual things is that the more we give the more we receive. Just taking works the opposite. The more we get, the more we lose. That is because we aren’t developing our own Spiritual muscles, and they become weaker and weaker because of lack of exercise. “When by reason of time we ought to be teachers, we need to be taught again the “ABC’s” of Christian living.” -- Heb.5:11-l4.

When we become accustomed to depending on others--the comfort they may give us, the encouragement we need, etc., we must admit that we haven’t learned God for ourselves very well. But God is the source of our comfort and courage, and we can go directly to Him any time we want. What we ought to do when we see one another is ask, “How is your new creation?” Then we would be forced to speak the truth. Too often, when someone asks us how we are, we look to the wrong thing and begin to talk about our “oh-so-unique problem.” Well, what about the new creation? ISN’T THAT UNIQUE ENOUGH?

If we are going to glory, let’s glory in the Lord, not in our problems. Really it isn’t our problem any way; and if this ever occurred to us, we would return it to its source. Satan has a lot of us thinking that we have a problem when it really isn’t ours. If we gave it back to Satan, then he would have the problem of being overstocked with too much of his own merchandise. He has a lot of hot potatoes on his hands and he tries us humans to get rid of them. But remember, “A man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own desire.”--James 1:14. Don’t blame the devil for everything.

So before you decide to have a problem, don’t forget to ask yourself if you can afford it. Having a problem is costly and expensive. It will drain you of your Spiritual, mental, emotional, and financial reserves. It gives the devil access to our faith while the Bible says not to give place to him (Eph. 4:27). I’d say it’s just too costly. Don’t forget that Satan isn’t particu¬lar about the means he uses to destroy us. As long as it appeals to us, any old thing will do. Just feeling sorry for ourselves is enough to get the ball rolling down hill.

Something else to remember too: The Bible says in 1 Corinthians.10:13 that no temptation has taken us or ever will take us but that which is common to man. If something is common in the eyes of God, why should we allow it to become so unique to us? If we dare to believe God’s Word, He will belittle what appear to be problems right in the devil’s face.

So remember, next time you want to say “my problem” that you are doing so because you have chosen to believe Satan instead of God’s Word. Don’t claim ownership to the devil’s merchandise. It’s hot! David said, “Come now let us magnify the Lord together.” I suggest that if we wish to magnify something, we place emphasis upon the Word of God, not the giants of despair that loom up within our imagination. Remember, there is no neutral ground. Man is bound to magnify something. He is either magnifying the Lord or he's “giving place to the devil.” Isn’t it great to know that all things are still working together for our good,” devil or no devil?--Rom. 8:28