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Author
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Topic: Site recommendation! Life revelation!
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Michael Harrison
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Member # 6801
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posted
Why thank you B! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) I am pleased to be discovered to have forbade the maddness of the phaltz phrawphit!
"Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits." (Rom 12:16)
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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WildB
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Member # 2917
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posted
Mike you are no better than that mule that forbad the madness of the prophet.
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That is all.....
Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004
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Michael Harrison
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Don't get me wrong! I might be God's biggest failure. But i am not forsaken, and even better, i'm lovingly preserved! ![[wave3]](graemlins/18.gif) I pray the same for you of course.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Michael Harrison
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You have heard me say this! Why do i mention it - to toot my own horn? Not at all, but to illustrate that i am not the only one.
This is a must read.
Put Ye On The Lord Jesus
by Chip Brogden
"But put ye on the Lord Jesus, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts (Romans 13:14)."
We have discussed the difference between receiving the Life of the Lord and receiving the Lord as our Life. The two sound very similar, but in actual practice they are not exactly the same. We have seen how that God, desiring that we should not perish, did not give us "eternal life", but gave us His only Son to be our Life. Then we are told, "He who has the Son has the Life, and He who does not have the Son does not have the Life (I John 5:12)." Eternal Life, then, is not everlasting existence, but an eternity of union with CHRIST OUR LIFE.
As we look for some practical help for living out our new Christ-Life, the apostle Paul gives us some rather peculiar advice. We know that Paul is very good about laying the foundation, and then calling us to live out of that foundation with regard to some very practical matters. So it is interesting that he would say, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus." What exactly does that mean? How do we put on the Lord Jesus?
If we are looking for a method, or a technique, then we are apt to be disappointed, for neither the Lord nor the apostle Paul gives us such a method. The method is Christ: He is Way, He is Method, He is Technique. We are not given a three-point sermon for how to put on the Lord Jesus; yet we are told this is the key to making no provision for the flesh. This much is clear, however: victory is bound up in Christ, and not in ourselves.
It is fine to have the theory, but we need the practical application. I am mostly concerned with foundational truth, because the foundation of the Church is more important than anything (and that foundation is Christ). Nevertheless, the saints need some practical instruction on how to put on the Lord Jesus, for this is seldom done. This, evidently, is not an ethereal thing in the clouds, but a practical thing which involves our flesh. May God grant us further insight into His Son.
CLOTHED WITH CHRIST
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27)."
What does it mean to be baptized? It is to go down into death and to come back up into life. We were baptized into Christ. The water of baptism does not merely signify the washing away of sins, but the death of the sinner. We go down into the water, and we are brought up out of the water. If we were to stay under the water for long we would surely die. But we are quickly lifted back up out of the "grave". This represents death and resurrection.
The outward sign of water baptism is meant to represent an inward spiritual truth - that I am baptized indeed, not into water only, but into Christ. I died with Him, and I was raised with Him. If I am one with Him then His death is my death; when He is raised, I too am raised. God has placed us in Christ, and since we are joined to the Lord, we are one spirit with Him. The Branches will go the way of the Vine. The Body will go the way of the Head.
So we may say it this way: to put on the Lord Jesus is to be clothed with Him. The apostle makes a connection between baptism into Christ and putting on Christ: he says these two are one and the same. When we signified our oneness with Him through baptism, we buried ourselves into Him and He became our covering. Have you clothed yourself with Christ? Some people are naked altogether, and their shame is evident to everyone but themselves. Others are clothed with the filthy rags of their own self-righteousness. Then there are those who are clothed with Christ. They are immersed into Him, and we touch something in them which is larger than them.
In our relationships it is easy to touch one another in the flesh. But to put on the Lord Jesus is to make no provision for the flesh, even in our relationships. To "know no man after the flesh" is truly a challenge. We "project" a certain something, and either it is ourselves, or it is Christ. We note the personality differences between Paul, and Peter, and John, and James, and Barnabas; even so, they each have the same clothing, having put on the Lord Jesus. So we can touch them on a deeper level than who they are in themselves. We can still see the man, but we mostly see the Lord of the man. When we put on the Lord Jesus then the outward man becomes consistent with the inward man. This is fruitfulness, and this should be the normal experience of all disciples of the Lord.
"Put on the New Man, created in God's own Righteousness and true Holiness (Ephesians 4:24)."
What is the Christian Life? It is leaving our ground altogether and coming onto the ground of Christ. It is deeper than a changed life - it is an exchanged life. Over time we can accomplish a change, but we can do nothing to exchange our life for His Life. This, from start to finish, is God's work, and it is a work of grace. What, after all, is Righteousness? What is true Holiness? Christ is not righteous because He does righteous things; He does righteous things because He is Righteousness. Christ is not holy because He does holy things; He does holy things because He is Holiness. His "doing" flows out of His "being" - and OUR "doing" flows out of His "being" as well.
How so? The old man (self) is put off, and the New Man (Christ) is put on - this is Christianity. Christ then becomes my Righteousness and my Holiness. But too many of us take a natural, intellectual approach to Christianity. We think if only we can instruct people concerning the tenets of our faith, or persuade them with a logical argument, or woo them with some emotional plea, then we will have disciples. This is a falsehood. That is not Spirit and Life. Christianity is not memorizing certain doctrines or disseminating a systematic theology or having people repeat a so-called "Sinner's Prayer". Christianity is becoming one with a God-Man! You can have all the other in its proper place, but for too long that "other" has been offered as Christianity. And so people touch our beliefs, our doctrines, our religion, our theology, our zeal, but they do not touch a Living Christ.
When we are called to put on the New Man we are challenged with something radical, something which by reason of Who He is must result in an upsetting of the natural, earthly order of things. It is a major upheaval. Why? Because this New Man is Totally Other. This New Man is of Heaven. This New Man is Spirit. This New Man is foreign from this world. And when we put on THIS New Man, we are going to be at once set apart from the world and earmarked for something larger than we can fathom with our mind, something apart from flesh and blood, something we call "Spirit and Life".
Many years after having first put on the Lord Jesus, Paul declares that he is still trying to apprehend the One Who has already apprehended him. The height, width, breadth, length, and depth of this New Man, this Heavenly Man, is quite beyond what we can measure apart from Spirit-revelation. We are more familiar with and have more confidence in the old man than we do in the New Man. By the grace of God, this has to change. When we truly see the New Man we transcend the old man. And this, in a nutshell, is how God accomplishes the work of decreasing us and increasing Christ.
"Bring forth the best robe and put it on my son (Luke 15:22ff)."
It would be helpful to illustrate what it means to clothe oneself with Christ. In the story of the prodigal son we find such an illustration. The phrase "put it on" my son is the same Greek words used as in "put ye on" the Lord Jesus. It is even the same word in English - "put on". So the connection is clear. In the fullness of time God brought forth His Son, and we are told to put Him on, to be clothed with the best robe.
Praise God! We are not laying down a rule for Christian life and saying that in order to be a good Christian you must start doing this, that and the other, and then you must stop doing this thing or that thing. That is the natural approach. But when the son returns to his father, we do not hear a word of rebuke (except from the elder son). It is not a question of our being "worthy", for the son frankly admits he is no longer worthy to be called a son. Nevertheless, he IS a son. The remedy our Father has for him is not what we would expect. We are looking for a rebuke, or a reproof. Perhaps we are looking for some new list of expectations, punishments and rewards. Instead, he is given the best robe, a ring, and shoes for his feet. This is grace!
To put on the Lord Jesus is to be clothed with the very best robe. This robe makes us look better than we really are. But when we are dressed with the best we begin to act differently. Our behavior and our conduct is the fruit of who we are, not the cause of what we are. Paul never gives us commandments for the sake of commandments. He gives us a lot of instruction regarding our conduct, but it is always based on who we are in Christ, not who we hope to be in ourselves. Having put on the Lord Jesus, we are enveloped with Him and His character replaces our character. His Life is received in exchange for our life. If we cooperate with the Life we will naturally find our behavior is changed.
But what of the elder son? "Son, you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours (Luke 15:31)." Hallelujah! There is no partiality with God, however much we may think God is being more fair or more generous to some brother or sister. Not so: the robe, the ring, and the shoes only represent the "all", the fullness of the Father, and "of His fullness we have all received (John 1:16a)". The Father says, "All that I have is yours!" Who can dare ask God for a single thing apart from the Son?
CLOTHED IN PURE LIGHT
"Put on the armor of light... put on the whole armor of God (Romans 13:12b; Ephesians 6:11a)."
In the matter of our spiritual warfare, we must see before God once and for all just what His armor consists of. By now we should know that God has not given us anything outside of or apart from Christ. We should know that God's Answer is Christ, God's Provision is Christ, God's Way is Christ, God's Victory is Christ.
So our overcoming is not bound up with a piece of armor, real or imagined. It is not without significance that just after saying "put on the armor of light" in Romans 13:12, Paul goes on to say "put ye on the Lord Jesus" in verse 14. It is hard for us to miss the point. Christ is the Armor of Light. To put on the armor is to put on the Lord Jesus. So it is not a great leap for us to connect Romans 13 to Ephesians 6 and discern that the Whole Armor of God is a MAN. Christ is Righteousness, Truth, Peace, Faith, Salvation, and Word of God. He is each individual piece of armor, as well as the Whole Armor. How ridiculous for us to go through the motions of "putting on our spiritual armor" in a sort of melodramatic pantomime. "Put on the armor" is another way of saying "Put on the Lord Jesus."
May I frankly say that anyone trusting in "spiritual armor" as a thing in and of itself is going to fail miserably. Anyone relying upon a faith-formula or a spiritual warfare method is going to see both the formula and the method eventually meet with defeat. Why? Because God has not given us a formula or a method: He has given us His Son.He does not give us a ritual or ceremony to follow, He says, "Put on the Lord Jesus". Having the Lord Jesus, I have the Whole Armor of God. It is not necessary to ask for each piece of armor, or to confess anything, or to do anything. It is only necessary, having put on the Whole Armor of God, to "stand therefore". It is only necessary, having put on the Lord Jesus, to abide in Him.
God's Solution to the problem of sin, self, and satan is to have us put on the Lord Jesus. Only through Him can we "make no provision for the flesh", and only through Him can we "stand against the wiles of the devil". We dare not make it more complicated when the Lord has made it simple. To focus on our flesh and on our enemy is a huge waste of time. Instead, we must perceive just how glorious the Son of God is, and press deeply into Him. Do you have a method, or a Man? It is not about me, my flesh, or the devil - it is all about Christ, and as He is increased, none of these other things can do anything but be decreased.
"Jesus was transfigured before them: His face shone like the sun, and His clothing was pure white, as white as light (Matthew 17:2)."
To be clothed with the Lord Jesus is to be transfigured. For too long we who claim a heavenly calling, a heavenly citizenship, and a heavenly birth have lived as earthly men. What light we have is hidden beneath a bushel; there is no glory that surrounds us. We are not talking about an outward display, or something fleshly, but a Light and a Life which demonstrates the presence of Christ. "In Him was Life - and the Life was the Light of men (John 1:4)."
If we are abiding in Him then we will be as He is. If we have put on the Lord Jesus then we are being changed into His likeness, we are being made into His image, and we are in the process of being transfigured. After some time following the Lord we should not have to stop and ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" If we are being transfigured then that Light and that Life will respond spontaneously and effortlessly to any demand placed upon it. Just as Testimony follows Revelation, so Life follows Light. We simply know what to do because He Himself is doing it through us. If we have put on the Lord Jesus then we need not look to the past, or to the future. We need not look up to the heavens, or down upon the earth. We need not look outward at all, for the Kingdom of God is within us. The One Who said, "I am with you, but will be in you" has now taken up residence within all who believe.
We might ask why Peter, James, and John were selected to come apart into a high mountain alone with Jesus to witness this revealing. A better question is, how can we be included in this remnant? We cannot answer why these three only, and not the remaining disciples, were given this revelation. The issue is: have we seen the Lord? Have we, at least once, ascended up the mountain and caught a glimpse of this Light? Have we, at least once, seen the Son of Man transfigured into the Son of God? Eventually all the disciples saw His glory, but in Peter, James, and John we have a type of Overcomer - those who see the glory NOW and possess the Kingdom now, not waiting for a future inheritance or a future reward, but standing for the Will and the Kingdom in advance of its future fulfillment. Because they see in advance, they are able to bring the firstfruits to the Lord.
Moment by moment, hour by hour, we are being changed. This transfiguration is subtle, but powerful. How is it affected? How does God change us? When we put on the Lord Jesus then we become what we have put on. When we see the glory of the Son of God then we are changed thereby. We become what we have seen. When we see Him as He in fact is, when we behold His glory, we will be smitten to the ground. If what we have seen thus far of the Lord has not struck us dumb and blind then we have not yet touched upon His glory. Our vision is too small. May God illuminate our hearts and grant us further revelation into His Son, that we may be transfigured. Amen.
Chip Brodgen
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You put on the Lord Jesus Christ from the innermost heart outward, by believing that He is there, and believing He is in control, and you are living by Him, intimate with His thoughts, feelings and desires which are walked out, worked out, as you believe in Him. He is your heart, and by Him in you, all of your surroundings are ordered according to His wishes, and dealt with according to His riches and glory! He is God (can do anything) and Lord (all things are subject to Him).
Michael!
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Michael Harrison
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Carol! I think that there is confusion in the term 'total surrender', that tricks the mind and distresses the spirit (one's own). Total surrender is simply belief! In this way He enables you to 'do' His will. Otherwise, doing is done apart from Him, in vain.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Michael Harrison
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Becausely says:
quote:
Praying for Yahweh to open your eyes, there no doubt your intellectual but the scripture are not understood with your head… the scriptures are understood with your heart.
Exactamunde! That is what i have been saying! The scriptures are understood with your heart. With the HEART you believe unto Righteousness; and righteousness is not a thing. It is a real Person, a life, a power of living and doing by having the Person of Life! The Person replaced you in death, so that He may replace you in living. All that you have to do is have this in your heart. If He is living, by your trusting in His living, you rise above failure, and all you have to do is believe. That is an 'affair' of the heart.
‘Doing’ is alive to self, and ‘having’ is alive to God! I stutter and shudder in weakness, and in awe of His Glory to speak this, it is so powerful. And I give praise!
So, be like Jesus? Stop trying. You cannot be like Jesus, but Jesus can be like Jesus, if you will let Him. To be separate from Him is evil. To be one (in union) with Him is by belief, and this the loving hug of God; that amazing, encouraging embrace of that most precious little lamb, who is yourself. And the joy of it! It delights His heart to unimaginable proportions for you to believe!
But 'doers' distinguish themselves. They distinguish themselves from Him. If you want to stand out, go ahead as a doer. Doers distinguish themselves, and havers are one with Him. (It is a ‘pride’ or surrender type thing.)
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I want to throw this in which is a comment of mine from spiculum's post "What was the first sin?"
quote:
Concerning trees, it is worth noting that Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves. The symbolism here is that they covered themselves with the system of man! They embraced self exaltation and implimentation apart from the Grace of God. This is the fruit that they ate of. They wanted to 'do' 'it' on their own!!! (The most irresistable temptation to man!!!)
This cannot be more profoundly stated!
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Michael Harrison
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Au contraire, or however you spell it. It is completely strange to me to hear you say that! Because, in fact, the message is entirely compassionate, to the tittle, and the uttermost; for as much as i say that our life is in 'having' and not in 'doing'. The requirement to 'do' opens the door to condemnations due to failure, keeping one there. But the commandment to 'have' is freedom! It is freedom from trying and failing; freedom from guessing and building wood, hay and stubble.
Now some hear this as doing what they want and still 'having'. (Notice that ‘doing’ is still in there.) That would be sinning so that grace may abound. Let me immediately clear this up. The ‘having’ that I speak of is power, like as unto a resurrected life, the gift of God. And it couldn’t be easier! That is compassion. It is the very compassion of God and the joy of His heart.
The only reason not to have it is because someone clings to something that they don’t want to part with. I will not elaborate further on this.
God gives you life. He gives you power to live it, not leaving you to your own devices to accomplish it. That is love! God says that "By my life you are a winner!"
You said that you don’t know anybody that lives that way (like Jesus did), that I was the only one who does (if you only believed it). Well, there are three very famous ones right off of the bat; Paul, Peter and John, and they wrote extensively to try to describe it for everyone.
For example, in Galatians we read that “All the promises are yes in Christ.” Alright! So let me encourage you, ‘do the promises’. You say, “what do you mean? You cannot ‘do’ the promises. They are given.” That’s right! You cannot ‘do’ them. You can have them. You can live them. Now what did you ‘do’ to have them. Only believe (if only you did that!)
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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becauseHElives
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Chip Brogden is a very good teacher/preacher and unlike you Michael Harrison, he does not take thing out of context.
read all of Chip's writings and you will find he teaches obedience to Yahweh's will, an active participation of the believer in the call of Yahweh on a persons life.
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/mother.html
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/work.html
Praying for Yahweh to open your eyes, there no doubt your intellectual but the scripture are not understood with your head… the scriptures are understood with your heart.
The heart of every issue, is the issue of the heart.
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
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Michael Harrison
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No Carol. That is so tragic; and it grieves Him. Believe me. The reason He died was for this very thing. To settle for less is to, again, grieve Him. If anyone will pay the price to know, he or she will find out something beyond the self. And all scripture supports this statement, except when it is in the hands of those who wrest it to their own destruction. It is so clear and simple. When scripture says somethng like to "Walk in the light, as He is in the light," all that one can do is reject it as impossible, or rationalize it, which means to make it fit their understanding. But the word says to walk so! So, if you artificially love Him, you cannot run. You cannot hide from it. You can only deny, and you know that is not what He expects.
Jesus died for you so that you can live like He did. I mean it! I am not the only person. I may be the only one you have met. Moreover, depending on who you ask, you might get some really negative reports from someone claiming to know me. But what matters is what HE sees, and He looks on the heart. Remember that the Pharisees saw a jerk, a scoundrel, and a devil, the scourage of Israel, and they were looking at God Himself. This is most quaking, and soulshaking!
To add to this, this is why i say explicitly, you cannot live this way by 'doing,' only by having! And you can have His victory, for it is a gift. Period! Mind you, to settle for less is sin. So also, those who accuse in their hearts, with their lectures, automatically have in their hearts that which defiles them.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Carol Swenson
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Michael,
I know you're right. You're absolutely correct! But, the only One I know of who actually lived that way is Jesus Himself. He is (and was during His earthly life) totally surrendered to His Father's will.
In my daily walk with the Lord, I am sensitive to His leading. I don't just follow rules and ignore the dynamic, living Spirit within me. If He leads me to talk to a certain person, or do a certain thing, or turn away from a certain thing, I do (or He does).
But I still stumble. I have "stumble days". If your daily walk with the Lord is perfect everyday, and you are totally surrendered to His will, then you are the only person I've ever met who lives that way.
God bless you.
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Michael Harrison
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Carol! Chip does have the message. Look up the site.
Ok! You said:
"There are times when I'm happy to give, but other times I still feel selfish, and I have to make myself be good…it doesn’t just happen automatically for me."
What this reveals to me is that your heart needs to discover something that is has yet to. I say this with humility, that it is automatic; because it is by His life within, and the heart needs to discover this life. And by automatic (this is where the humility comes in) You don't have to do it. It is done already. Therefore you can yield it easily upon discovery. However, the flesh, which is manifest through unbelief, can still jump in there and get in the way. It still does for me, but it doesn't have to. Yet, it isn't the rule, but rather the exception now.
And let's go back to discovering this life. Truly, there is a deeper meaning of Him to each of us, and the heart has to discover the key. He is locked up, and there is a belief of the heart that unlocks. To say any more here would muddy it.
This too:
"Fiery darts still hurt me. The armor of God is our defense against fiery darts, but they do still hurt. I have to take time out and wait for the pain to calm down before I can respond to someone without shooting arrows back at him. Do you know what I mean?"
Once unlocked, you will find what the true armor is! (Or who) What you have been doing is protecting yourself. It is self preservation. If there is no self, there is no one to preserve. Jesus can handle it. Clearly, if you have taken up your cross, then you are not there, and Jesus can battle for you. Then Jesus, who is hiding you in Him, is your shield. Here is the armor. The key to it is in the heart. If you ask Him to show your heart what to believe, then you will understand.
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Michael Harrison
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David! Perfection is a person. We don't concentrate on ourselves, or we will only see imperfection, no more. You are so right! Put eyes on Jesus and rejoice!
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Michael Harrison
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Ok Carol! I am going to get on my soapbox a little here and there, and ramble some too. So don’t mind it. It has nothing to do with our conversation directly. I simply must address some others, and I think the opportunity is in this posting. But to begin to address your concern, let me say that peace is mine, the strong undercurrent of it, regardless of the troubles, or even temptations that I do experience. It is the first fruit of victory, the signature of our Lord’s redeeming love. I mean to tell you that it has not been subtle. God’s approval is in the peace He gives! It is His reward for obedience, and yet it is undeserved, not merited, even if one does ‘do’ the right thing expecting to receive. It is the first-fruit of proper faith, and is utterly most valuable, and I personally do not want to see anybody without it. Peace is verification of something.
You know, it is hard to think of for anyone to miss having it! (John 14:27) So, in talking about our reacting to circumstances that He has literally placed us in, this is pretty much a bottom line provision if we are trusting Him as we should. So we should find out if we are! What, after all, does He want?
And here is where it starts. Perfect love of God casts out fear towards Him!
1Jn 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth [one can also say faileth] is not made perfect in love. [towards Him] This verse applies towards God (not whereunto we are sent primarily), as clearly evidenced by the next verse:
1Jn 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.” So here is an illustration. If you have perfect love towards God, then you can know the meaning of reconciliation. Then out of reconciliation comes the unspeakable, though you try (to illustrate it). Unfortunately (soapbox) , you can talk about it, but no one will know whereof you are affirming, because their own obedience is not fulfilled, and what they think they are supposed to do, displaces what they really are supposed to do, and haven’t. (I will address this some at the bottom of the post.) Yet they will preach obedience to you with scorn, elevating themselves with every swelling word, yet without understanding! So, (1Co 9:3) “Mine answer to them that do examine me is this.” What did the Lord say to all of those who gave Job advice on how wrong he was, telling him to repent? Were they right? They got the third degree mind you, and I would spare you if I could. My obedience is fulfilled and peace and confidence are my companions, but thank you anyway.
So perfect love casts out fear, but some can’t say that. It is not their experience if they have not been obedient. And these preaching to me about being obedient, if yet they were obedient; they would have understood this passage stringently, utterly. See, people think that obedience is like (well, I can’t even explain it), go do this, go do that, go here, go there. Say this or that to everyone. There is a formula for doing something, a rule that everything comes under, and they have to make a special effort at it to feel obedient, when it is in fact, byproduct of daily normal living, which you don’t even think about if you are properly yielded! Automatic! Therefore, you are doing without trying, or making a special effort, or even thinking about it, because it is who you are in Him, and by Him. I don’t think about loving someone, because I do. I don’t think about helping. It happens.
There once was a small unfinished furniture store near to where I lived. I was driving somewhere and had stopped at the stoplight which was nearly in front of the store. It was late, well after dark, in fact, after midnight. I glanced over and saw that the parking lot in front of the store was full of furniture and boxes, and a truck was backed up to the door. The Lord prompted me as quickly as I noticed the situation, to go and offer to help him get this stuff in. I did so, and this guy, whatever he may have first thought, was really appreciative. He was alone and it was very late. He had a score of work to do. You know he paid me for helping, which I really needed, but didn’t even ask for. Voila! It was neat. I didn’t feel any prompting to speak to him about Jesus. Hopefully, if I had, I would’ve done so, but it was exciting confirmation of relationship and knowing God, just average life being lived in Christ.
You know, scripture says to shout it from the house top; so most evidently think that it means that every Christian is supposed to literally go up on the roof and shout. But if God wants you to stand still; if He wants you to be quiet; if He wants you to read a book, then you have to know His will. And the only way to do that is by knowing Him; and any preconceived notions of what He wants you to do are thereafter gone! They are legalistic rubbish, crutches for unbelief which props one up making them feel like they are being good! They are from distance relationship, doing what you think God wants. Anyway.
So how do you come to the end of that? Simply, your walk hasn’t begun until you have given Him control. This means to cast your cares upon Him, and this means all! It can’t be overstated, and you can’t cheat it. Of course, you cannot let Him have control of it all if you don’t believe that He is. It would be pointless and you might even get hurt! But this takes faith and stepping out; simply placing one foot in front of the other once you have chosen to believe. Too, you have to believe that He is personally involved. It is who He is. For that matter, I think that His heart would delight if you called Him ‘Personally involved’. Like, “Hey Personally Involved. How are you this morning? I love you too. Thanks! Praise your name Lord. You are my joy today, and every day because you are carrying it.”
![[spiny]](graemlins/spiny.gif) Ramble on!
Well! I have to believe that what everybody is thinking is that there is this prescription that everybody is supposed to follow (a good and pious, go do this according to the word!), and they think that they are obeying because they got up on a ladder and got up on a housetop and shouted, you know. Or maybe they went out and gave the homeless guy some money. You know, it is a whole lot more complicated than that, and at the same time, it is a whole lot more simple. It isn’t a general rule, one size fits all, go out and do kind of thing. He has a personal plan for your life. He has a time and place for you to speak. He knows all of those around you. He knows their needs. You get to interact or to express, or demonstrate (actively or passively) Jesus to them on an informed basis, out of a full trust in Him. This is the very reason He says to put Him first. Until you do you, don’t know what He wants you to do, and you are only guessing. You don’t know your posture and are just filling in with something.
So, ok! I see these guys out here in the Wal-mart parking lot. And they are alcoholics – you know. So, short of going up to them and saying “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give unto you. In the name of Jesus Christ, be sober!” You know, short of doing that, what can I do? Well, I can pray. Scripture does say pray without ceasing. God hears prayer, and the God is the power to change them. Uhm, you know: or I can just be friends in the hope that they might see something worth pursuing and reach out for God. Nevertheless, I still might go up and say, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give unto you. In the name of Jesus Christ, be sober!” You just don’t know but i might just walk by them.
Go up on the house top, and preach it from the house top. Now get ye down and go find the guy on the street. Feed him and give him money or whatever. But see, you don’t understand. God isn’t in that. That is something that you did because you thought He said ‘do that’ (like in general). It may not be His will for that person. To everything there is a season and that person may not be ripe yet. He may not have come to the place where he is ready, and though well meaning on his behalf, you might only get used by him or worse.
If you know Jesus, and are known of Jesus, you don’t know what He wants to do in every situation one-for-one. You just live. But it is not in some cookie cutter ideal where you just go out and give money to every beggar. That’s not it. That is a feel good thing that makes many to feel like they are a Christian, and are accomplishing His will. But rather, they are distracted by the feel-good stuff and neglect what God wants them to discover.
Alright! Life is lived out of love and trust, not of those around you, but of Him. If you have surrendered to Him by obeying (believing! for those having a hard time understanding), from the heart, the doctrine that was delivered to you (read this carefully), you can pity the lost, and see past the darts! You are a sacrifice, and in it, in a fiery situation, you can respond rather than react, because of the confidence of Him which you have. You know that Jesus has a love for them and would minister something to them if you are not in the way, and you are the chosen vessel. You will be able to see it as a blessing indeed if self preservation is eliminated through faith of realization that He is not absent, but is there in it, in you!
Peter said (1Pe 4:12) “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” It is not accidental. It is God! It is opportunity for Him to manifest His character because you are yielded to His will. It does have a specific starting place. Turn loose, and depend on Him El Totally!
You know, you will find that some of those broken people with whom you work, who would dominate your personal space, have problems that you will be able to understand because God in you understands them. You will come to see very differently knowing that life is very hard on people, and it distorts them, and they are victims.
Without God, life is like arthritis. Even if they don’t feel it, it affects them, distorts their personality, but you are free because of God. Therefore you get to understand and show compassion to win them, or the observing bystander. It is a humble thing, and you will have to take bumps to get to show forth, it, but you can because you have come to this place of understanding that He is not only in it, but brought it to you so that by confidence of the surrender that you have by faith in His working, He can use you to the praise of His Glory! But it starts with the who, and the heart. The Holy Spirit is your cushion.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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KnowHim
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Michael,
So, all of those who want to beat me up because they want so earnestly to preach clinch fisted to me about obeying, well, they'll have their day. .....
Don't know if you are refering to me or not but all I was saying is:
If you truely know Jesus, love Him and serve Him. The bible states you will obey. Does not say you will be perfect (until you die or Jesus comes for us, when we are truely born-again) but your nature will change to try and please Him. That is obeying.
Michael do you have a problem with wanting to obey Jesus Christ? or do you try and obey?
Don't really know what the debate is on this but was just wondering. Because I do believe it is all about Jesus. And when you meet Him your life also starts to be about Jesus.
If it does not, then you never meet Him because He changes lives when people actually meet Him. If they just know about Him, then they will not change. Even Satan knows about Him.
Plow on, plow on...
David
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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Carol Swenson
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I’m sorry it took so long to get back to you. I had to work late and didn’t get home until almost 0100 MST. (I live in Colorado).
Some temptations are obvious, like lying, stealing, cheating and so on, and I can turn away from those. Other temptations are so subtle and deceptive, I don’t know which way to turn. I pray, and usually I do get direction. But not always.
Fiery darts still hurt me. The armor of God is our defense against fiery darts, but they do still hurt. I have to take time out and wait for the pain to calm down before I can respond to someone without shooting arrows back at him. Do you know what I mean?
The poor and hungry. By that I mean anyone who needs something from me. It means giving to charity, but it also means missing the end of a movie because my Mom needs me to help her with something. At work it means that several people need me to do something all at the same time, or the client needs me to do extra work for a few days. Or my brother wants to borrow my computer. It could mean anything that I have to give up for someone else. Time, money, possessions, even pride. There are times when I'm happy to give, but other times I still feel selfish, and I have to make myself be good…it doesn’t just happen automatically for me.
When everything in my life is sailing along smoothly, then it’s easy to feel good and do good. But when a storm comes up and I’m about to shipwreck and drown, then feeling good and doing good can be difficult. The Holy Spirit has filled me with peace when I would otherwise have been afraid, like a few years ago when I was in a car wreck and my knee was broken. Another time a man attacked me, and I just stood there like in a dream state, filled with peace, and the attacker just turned away and left. The Holy Spirit has filled me with joy, with love, with compassion, with other wonderful feelings and insights. But not always. Sometimes the old me is the only me, it seems like.
So my question to you is, or was, is it easier for you? Temptations, fiery darts, other people needing things from you…do you ever have to struggle to serve and obey the Lord, or does it all just happen without effort?
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Michael Harrison
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There was another time. I picked up a hitchhiker. Well, the Spirit was so strong in that car that the guy panicked. Literally, he asked me to stop and let him out! He did not want to change and i didn't even have to mention it. I kid you not. I didn't know what to say, but i will tell you, even though i didn't, that dude will remember that day, because it was GOD that shook him up, so strong was His presence in my car.
So, all of those who want to beat me up because they want so earnestly to preach clinch fisted, pulpit pounding and Bible thumping to me about obeying, well, they'll have their day. And they still have yet to discover that there is a place in Jesus to discover, and to be, and that it is not optional; but God is just mercyful and longsuffering about their resisting it. Yet, you try to describe it, the life that is Christ, but you are inadequate; but you can't help but to make an effort. Yet people want to argue. I will tell you that the SWORD has been in their midst and they didn't recognize it! And judgment is not far away. For if judgment begins at the house of God.....
So! I was saved by Grace. Really! It's just like that. I was introduced to a lady, a former missionary who lived directly across from who was at the time my girlfriend, and i went back a few days later by myself and knocked on her door. I wanted to talk about my girlfriend and i will tell you, it is completely unlike me to do what i did. But i did. I felt confident with this person whom i had only just met, and exchanged two words. I knocked on her door. She opened, and led me to the sofa and invited me to sit. Having left the door open, she went back to close it; and upon returning to the sofa, did she say how are you? Or did she want to know anything about me? No! She said, "Do you know Jesus as your savior?"
I can remember that my jaw dropped. I said "no!"
She asked "Would you like to?"
I remember that in spite of me, or my jaw, i said yes. Then she prayed with me the sinner's prayer. And that is where it started. I will tell you that her very name was Grace, and under God's beautiful heaven, it was no accident, but God's devine providence that it is so! So, had she not been so direct, a wall might have gone up, and i would have gone away resisting. Moreover, I thank God that she plowed right in and surprised me. Therefore i am humbled. It is painful to fail, especially knowing that there are people like her out there! Yet i know that He understands me, and gives grace beyond. That is why the Spirit was so strong on that day of the hitchhiker.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Michael Harrison
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Carol:
Pray, praise, respond according to the Heart of Jesus, with whose burden i am often overwhelmed, and with whom i certainly share.
I can tell you of a couple of failures. Once i was driving down the road, and the burden of Jesus, or the prompting of the Holy Spirit urged me to stop and talk to some seemingly angry or distressed individual who appeared to have just left an apartment community. It was hard to get to him because of traffic, but procrastination is what really slowed me (giving the traffic the advantage). I missed it. I can tell you that i was distressed because i know that something, possibly big, would have come of it. The Spirit was strong. I was disappointed to have missed the opportunity. It was there. As a result i can see where i failed grace. Do you have a story like that?
Another time there was this guy who was working construction. I was in the auto, and parked, having just dropped off my mom at the hearing aid place. When i saw him, i knew that he was headed for the hospital. I just knew! All i had to do was to go and speak to him. I don't know what would have come of it, but i am sure that had i, something to speak of would have.
But your walk with Jesus begins (and you thought it already had) when you completely trust Jesus to have control of it all, hands off, no reservation. When you recognize that He is and walk in it, well, let's take the Mcdonald's example. Say that you go into Mcdonald's and get into line. Just before you get to the order taker, he or she acknowledges some stray individual who comes up from the side. The Mcdonald's employee takes to that individual in an undisciplined, blatant, and disrespectful disregard of your rightful place in line. The feeling surges up in you to be angry, and respond unpleasantly somehow. Yet, trusting that Jesus is "LORD," and that the situation could have turned out differently if He so willed (do you believe?), you respond kindly by the love of Jesus that is within you. What a gift. Now, it may be very small thing to have happened; but what do you know about that person that dished you? Something great or small was out of order with them in that moment; and no doubt, they, knowing that their indiscretion should have caused a reaction in you, probably expected one. What do you know about how your response will have affected him or her? Sometimes, something even so small, can cause a person to search if you don't blow it. And Jesus will meet them. You are the representative of Christ here on earth, by His life in you. A carnal reaction will quench the spirit, and have a negative outcome.
I, like Moses, am not a good speaker. And even Paul asked for prayer the he may open his mouth boldly. But here is the thing. God expects you to put Him first, and let Him take care of it. His grace can enable you, or me, just as it did Peter to be able to face the inevitable. Of course this is the very reason why Jesus said that "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." Remember? Peter the coward, and the bird crowed thrice.... But Jesus saw him as a rock, able to do anything by God's grace once he realized fully (as He would have Peter to know Him), who Jesus is. And his courage in the final hour showed it! You don't go to your death by doing it, but by having the grace of God to cushion and carry you.
"Hide me in thee" goes the refrain.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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KnowHim
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Michael,
You are correct. I have posted many of Chip Brodgen' messages and articles. He is one of my favorate speakers.
It is true. It is all about Jesus and NOT about us.
But if you know Him and love Him you will obey Him and server Him.
1 John 2:3-6 (NIV)
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
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So people that know Jesus and love and serve Him will obey him. Those that say they know Him and do as they please are liers and are not saved.
Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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Carol Swenson
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Michael,
When you are faced with temptation, what do you, as Michael, do?
When you are shot with fiery darts, what do you do?
When you see someone who is poor and hungry, what do you do?
Real life, everyday life, real questions. What does Michael do?
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Michael Harrison
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I was excited to read an article that i could relate to, posted no less by admin#1, early on when i first discovered this forum. I have now ventured out to find more by this author, and offer these excerpts and url to anyone interested. Here is a good read, and my excitement is not able to be contained for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake.
"God does not give us a thing called victory. Instead, He gives us His Son to be our Victory. Christ is Victory. It is not a question of going forth to war in the name of Jesus and claiming the victory in advance. May I say that Victory does not depend upon whether you "claim" anything or not. Victory is a Man! Overcoming is entering into Victory Himself, being clothed with Victory, sharing in the Life of One Who overcame. Thus, our victory is bound up in the Lord Himself. It is not a separate grace or gift which He grants to certain ones who learn some principles of spiritual warfare."
"As Christians we use a lot of spiritual phraseology without understanding what it really means. For instance, we say, "The battle is already won." What does this mean? If we take it for what it says, it means that there is no fighting left to do, and we are already victorious. It means either victory has been handed to us, or we have already fought the battle and won. Both of these have, in fact, been done for us in Christ. We have been handed a victory, and we have also already fought a battle in which we obtained the victory. On the one hand, we did nothing at all for it, and on the other hand we have already fought the battle: yet not we ourselves, but through Christ. Since Christ overcomes, and I am in Him, I overcome as though I fought the battle myself.
Two separate paragraph excerpts from an article by Chip Brodgen called "Victory is a man"
http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/
Look for this:
Home| About | Read | Write | Listen | Learn | Join
Click on Read. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will find some articles to read.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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