Walking after the FLESH.

What is meant by walking after the flesh by: J.C Philpot in 1862

"Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1 

What are we to understand by the expression "the FLESH?" This word takes in the whole of that fallen nature, both in body and soul, which we have inherited from our first parent. It does not, therefore, mean merely those gross, sensual lusts, which are so sad a part of our original inheritance, but embraces every faculty of body and mind which we possess as children of Adam.

To WALK after the flesh, carries with it the idea of the flesh going before us, as our leader, guide, and example, and our following close in its footsteps, so that wherever it drags or draws we move after it, as the needle after the magnet. To walk, then, after the flesh, is to move step by step in implicit obedience to the commands of the flesh, the lusts of the flesh, the inclinations of the flesh, and the desires of the flesh, whatever shape they assume, whatever garb they wear, whatever name they may bear. See how wide a net these words cast forth; how thick the crop, how wide the sweep, how sharp the edge of this scythe! Can any of the fallen children of Adam escape being taken by this net? Who is there, from peer to peasant, who must not fall before this keen scythe? All will admit that those who walk after the lusts of the flesh, who are abandoned to the grosser sins of our nature, have no manifested mark of being in Christ Jesus. The common moral sense of men, the voice of natural conscience, the outspoken verdict of society at large, all proclaim, as with one voice, that sin and religion cannot be yoke-fellows.

But are the grosser and more manifest sinners the only people who may be said to walk after the flesh? Does not all human religion, in all its varied forms and shapes, come under the sweep of this all-devouring sword? Yes; every one who is entangled in and led by a fleshly religion, walks as much after the flesh as those who are abandoned to its grosser indulgences. Sad it is, yet not more sad than true, that false religion has slain its thousands, if open sin has slain its ten thousands. This, perhaps, you would all here assent to if I were to confine myself to the lower ground of that common religion which does not even clothe itself in a gospel dress; which has not learned so much as the voice of Jacob, but wears alike the garments and speaks in the tones of Esau. 

But what will you say, if I bring you on higher ground, and take you as you sit under the sound of the gospel? There is a fleshly faith and a fleshly hope and a fleshly love among those of a sounder creed and purer language than the common religionists of the day; and a man that walks after this carnal faith and hope and love in the very courts of the Lord's house, is as much walking after the flesh as though he lived and died a drunkard on the ale-house bench. Our earthly Zion is overrun with a fleshly confidence which is but presumption; a fleshly knowledge which is but ignorance; and a fleshly talk which is but boasting. But to walk after the flesh, whether it be in the grosser or more refined sense of the term, is the same in the sight of God.

To walk, then, after the flesh is to be ever pursuing, desiring, and doing the things that please the flesh, whatever aspect that flesh may wear or whatever dress it may assume, whether molded and fashioned after the grosser and more flagrant ways of the profane world, or the more refined and deceptive religion of the professing church. 

Turning From Attachment To Desire

So much of the journey forward involves a letting go of all that once brought us life. We turn away from the familiar abiding places of the heart, the false selves we have lived out, the strengths we have used to make a place for ourselves and all our false loves and we venture forth in our hearts to trace the steps of the One who said, “follow me” in a way,  it means that we stop pretending that life is better than it is, that we are happier than it is, that we are happier than we are, that the false selves we present to the world are really us. We respond to the Haunting, the wooing, the longing for another life. Pilgrim begins his adventure toward redemption with a twofold turning: a turning away from attachment and a turning toward desire. He wanted life and so he stuck his fingers in his ears and ran like a madman (“a fool,” to use Paul’s term) in search of it. The freedom of heart needed to journey comes in the form of detachment. As Gerald May writes in Addiction and Grace,

"Detachment is the word used in spiritual traditions to describe freedom of desire. Not freedom from desire, but freedom of desire…....An authentic spiritual understanding of detachment devalues neither desire nor the objects of desire.  Instead, it “aims at correcting one’s own anxious grasping in order to free oneself for committed relationship to God.” According to Meister Eckhart, detachment “enkindles the heart, awakens the spirit, stimulates our longings, and shows us where God is.”

With an awakened heart, we turn and face the road ahead knowing that no one can take the trip for us, nor can anyone plan our way.

Ransomed Heart Ministries By John Eldredge

Satanic Temptations

I would now invite your attention to a subject of deep importance, yet of great and awful mysteriousness; I mean, the agency of Satan in our temptations to sin. —he is ever tempting the children of Adam to sin, and following up, as far as permitted, his first success in the garden of Eden.

In what manner Satan tempts men to sin is a deep mystery. That in some way he has access to the human mind is clear, else how could he tempt at all, since he does not appear personally and solicit to iniquity? Peter in addressing Ananias said to him, "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" Acts 5:3. Still the mode of his operation is concealed from us. We are very imperfectly acquainted with the nature of our own spirits; and how another spirit can act upon us, is a mystery not to be explained.

The manner in which Satan and his influence are described in the word of God, and the earnestness with which we are admonished to guard against him, should excite deep concern and holy vigilance. It would seem that his power, though of course limited and restrained, is very great; that his trickery is equal to his power; and that his malignity is not inferior to either. The very idea that we have to combat with such a foe, a foe that had the courage to attack the Son of God—a foe the more dangerous for the cloud of mystery that hangs about him, and conceals his movements from observation—a foe that actually subdued our first parents, notwithstanding their perfect innocence and paradisaic situation—a foe whom success has made bold, and experience sagacious, in ruining souls—a foe that may be near us at any moment, unseen, and therefore unnoticed, and may be preparing some new kind of attack, is indeed sufficient to alarm us, far more than it does, and to put us upon the best means of averting the danger. 

With too many professing Christians, there seems be a careless confidence, and an air of unwarranted security, which their situation of extreme peril does not justify, and which is quite opposed to the solemn warnings contained in the word of God.

But more impressive and appalling is the language of Paul, in another place, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood—but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Above all taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one." Ephes. 6:10-12, 16. This gives us a view of the subject of Satanic opposition, which is almost dreadful.

The Desires of The Flesh And of The Mind

By Philpot

"Meditations on Ephesians"

Food for thought….

As I was reading Philpot, it reminded me of the conviction work that was done in me when I posted about my melancholy day with God. It dawned on me how easy it is for us to see the desires of the flesh, like Philpot put it:  “sensual lusts and passions which are connected, so to speak, with the lower part of our nature.” Because the sensual desires of the flesh pollute our bodies, through the Holy Spirit it is easier for us to feel the filth we carry with us when we commit the act. But, when it comes to our mind, we can be seduced by Satan or our own nature so easily and inconspicuously to do things or think things that are as hurtful to God, yet, we do not even realize the gravity of it all unless the Holy Spirit shakes us out of it.

"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying
 the cravings of our sinful nature, fulfilling the desires
 of the flesh and of the mind. Like the rest, we were
 by nature objects of wrath." Ephesians 2:3

We may observe here a distinction drawn by the Apostle
between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the
mind. Both are opposed to God and godliness, both are
the fruits of our fallen nature.

But the desires of the FLESH seem to be those grosser
and more sensual lusts and passions which are connected,
so to speak, with the lower part of our nature. The desires
of the MIND are those which are connected with its higher
qualities.

Thus some are steeped up to the very lips in all manner
of vile abominations of sensual lust, in the gratification of
which they find all their pleasure. While others, who would
scorn, or at least are not tempted to the baser lusts of the
flesh, carry out with equal ardour the promptings of a more
refined character and disposition. Ambition to rise in the
world, thirsting after power over their fellow-men, a craving
for fame and distinction in any particular branch of art or
science, discontent with their present situation in life,
envying everyone superior to them in birth, wealth, talent,
accomplishments, position, or worldly happiness; attempts,
more or less successful, to rise out of obscurity, poverty,
and subjection, and to win for themselves name, fame, and
prosperity--how wide a field does this open to our view, as
embracing "the desires of the MIND!"

And observe how the Apostle puts upon a level the desires
of the flesh and the desires of the mind, and stamps them
both with the same black mark of disobedience and its
consequences--the wrath of God.

We look around us. We see the drunkard staggering in the
street, we hear the oath of the common swearer, we view
the sons and daughters of Belial manifesting in their very
looks how sunk they are in deeds of shame. These we at
once condemn.

But what do we think of the aspiring tradesman, the energetic
man of business, the active, untiring speculator, the man who,
without scruple, puts into practice every scheme and plan to
advance and aggrandize himself, careless who sinks if he rise?
Is he equally guilty in our eyes? What do we think of the artist
devoting days and nights to the cultivation of his skill as a painter,
as an architect, as a sculptor; of the literary man, buried in his
books; of the scientist, devoting years to the particular branch
of study which he has selected to pursue; or similar examples
of men, whose whole life and all whose energies are spent in
fulfilling the desires of their mind?

As far as society, public welfare, the comfort of themselves
and their families, and the progress of the world are concerned,
there is a vast difference between these two classes; and we
would do violence to right feeling to put them upon a level.

But when we come to weigh the matter as before God, with
eternity in view, and judge them by the word of truth, we see
at once that there is no real difference between them; that
the drunkard does but fulfill the desires of his flesh--and the
scholar, the artist, the man of business, the literary man, in a
word, the man of the world, whatever his world be, little or
great, does but each fulfill the desires of his mind.

Both are of the earth, earthy; both are sworn enemies to God
and godliness; and could you look into the very bottom of his
heart, you might find the man of intellect, refinement, and
education--to be a greater foe to God and His word than the
drunkard or the profligate!

The sin in both is one and the same, and consists in this,
that in all they do they seek to gratify that carnal mind
which is enmity against God, which is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be. God is not in all, or
indeed in any of their thoughts. Instead of living to and
for Him in whom, as creatures of His hand, they live and
move and have their being, they live wholly unto and for
themselves, and thus are practical rebels against God,
as rejecting his rightful claims upon their obedience.

The Desires Of The Flesh

I found such a great description from John cassian from the 4th century. It reminds me so much of my own struggle mostly at the beginning of my walk. I said the beginning of my walk because as time goes by and we learn to put to death the deeds of the flesh, we learn to practice “put off & put on” the struggle truly subsides. It feels as if you reach a place where your soul knows your spirit has taken charge of things now, so, it can rest because you have made the decision to give the throne that was occupied by the self for so long, to Him our only Master.

While it takes a tremendous work and commitment to put off the deed of the flesh but we do it through learning to stand on God’s Word by faith. If we learn to do it just because we have a “to do list” kind of attitude in our mind, well, it’s going to make a major difference whether we overcome or not. It is the difference between the victorious life and a life in bondage.  

Here you go:

What the Apostle means by flesh in this passage, and what the lust of the flesh is.

Wherefore in this passage we ought to take “flesh” as meaning not man, i.e., his material substance, but the carnal will and evil desires, just as “spirit” does not mean anything material, but the good and spiritual desires of the soul: a meaning which the blessed Apostle has clearly given just before, where he begins: “But I say, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the desires of the flesh; for the flesh lust against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh: but these are contrary the one to the other, that ye may not do what ye would.”

And since these two the desires of the flesh and of the spirit co-exist in one and the same man, there arises an internal warfare daily carried on within us, while the lust of the flesh which rushes blindly towards sin, revels in those delights which are connected with present ease. And on the other hand the desire of the spirit is opposed to these, and wishes to be entirely absorbed in spiritual efforts, so that it actually wants to be rid of even the necessary uses of the flesh, longing to be so constantly taken up with these things as to desire to have no share of anxiety about the weakness of the flesh.

The flesh delights in wantonness and lust: the spirit does not even tolerate natural desires. The one wants to have plenty of sleep, and to be satiated with food: the other is nourished with vigils and fasting, so as to be unwilling even to admit of sleep and food for the needful purposes of life. The one longs to be enriched with plenty of everything, the other is satisfied even without the possession of a daily supply of scanty food. The one seeks to look sleek by means of baths, and to be surrounded every day by crowds of flatterers, the other delights in dirt and filth, and the solitude of the inaccessible desert, and dreads the approach of all mortal men. The one lives on the esteem and applause of men, the other glories in injuries offered to it, and in persecutions.

A Daily Prayer For Freedom - Part 3

Holy Spirit, I sincerely receive you as my Counselor, my Comforter, my Strength, and my Guide. Thank you for sealing me in Christ. I honor you as my Lord, and I ask you to lead me into all truth, to anoint me for all of my life and walk and calling, and to lead me deeper into Jesus today. I fully open my life to you in every dimension and aspect-my body, my soul, and my spirit-choosing to be filled with you, to walk in step with you in all things. Apply to me, blessed Holy Spirit, all of the work and all of the gifts in Pentecost. Fill me afresh, blessed Holy Spirit. I receive you with thanks and give you total claim to my life (and my spouse and/or children).

Heavenly Father, thank you for granting to me every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.

I receive those blessings into my life today, and I ask the Holy Spirit to bring all those blessings into my life this day. Thank you for the blood of Jesus. Wash me once more with his blood from every sin and stain and evil device. I put on your armor-the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation. I take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and I wield these weapons against the Evil One in the power of God. I choose to pray at all times in the Spirit, to be strong in you, Lord, and in your might.

Father, thank you for your angels. I summon them in the authority of Jesus Christ and release them to war for me and my household. May they guard me at all times this day. Thank you for those who pray for me; I confess I need their prayers, and I ask you to send forth your Spirit and rouse them, unite them, raising up the full canopy of prayer and intercession for me. I call forth the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ this day throughout my home, my family, my life, and my domain. I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, with all glory and honor and thanks to him.

AMEN

A Daily Prayer For Freedom - Part 2

Jesus, thank you for coming for me, for ransoming me with your own life. I honor you as my Lord; I love you, worship you, trust you. I sincerely receive you as my redemption, and I receive all the work and triumph of your crucifixion, whereby I am cleansed from all my sin through your shed blood, my old nature is removed, my heart is circumcised unto God, and every claim being made against me is disarmed. I take my place in your cross and death, whereby I have died with you to sin and to my flesh, to the world, and to the Evil One. I am crucified with Christ, and I have crucified my flesh with all its passions and desires. I take up my cross and crucify my flesh with all its pride, unbelief, and idolatry. I put off the old man. I now bring the cross of Christ between me and all people, all spirits, all things. 

Holy Spirit, apply to me (my spouse and/or children) the fullness of the work of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life. Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my new life, my holiness and sanctification, and I receive all the work and triumph of your resurrection, whereby I have been raised with you to a new life, to walk in newness of life, dead to sin and alive to God. I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. I now take my place in your resurrection, whereby I have been made alive with you, I reign in life through you. I now put on the new man in all holiness and humility, in all righteousness and purity and truth. Christ is now my life, the one who strengthens me. Holy Spirit, apply to me (my spouse and/or my children) the fullness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my authority and rule, my ever-lasting victory over Satan and his kingdom, and I receive all the work and triumph of your ascension, whereby Satan has been judged and cast down, his rulers and authorities disarmed, all authority in heaven and on earth given to you, Jesus, and I have been given fullness in you, the Head over all. I take my place in your ascension, whereby I have been raised with you to the right hand of the Father and established with you in all authority. I bring your authority and your kingdom rule over my life, my family, my household, and my domain.

And now I bring the fullness of your work-your cross, resurrection, and ascension-against Satan, against his kingdom, and against all his emissaries and all their work warring against me and my domain. Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. Christ has given me authority to overcome all the power of the Evil One, and I claim that authority now over and against every enemy, and I banish them in the name of Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, apply to me (my spouse and my children) the fullness of the work of the ascension of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

My Dear Lord Jesus, I come to you now to be restored in you ---to renew my place in you, my allegiance to you, and to receive from you all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day. I honour you as my sovereign Lord, and I surrender every aspect of my life totally and completely to you. I give you my body as a living sacrifice; I give you my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and I give you my spirit as well. I cover myself with your blood—my spirit, my soul and my body. And I ask your Holy Spirit to restore my union with you, seal me in you, and guide me in this time of prayer.

Dear God, holy and victorious Trinity, you alone are worthy of all my worship, my heart’s devotion, all my praise and all my trust and all the glory of my life. I worship you, bow to you and give myself over to you in my heart’s search for life. You alone are Life and you have become my life. I renounce all other gods, all idols, and I give you the place in my heart and in my life that you truly deserve. I confess here and now that it is all about you, God, and not about me. You are the Hero of this story, and I belong to you.

Forgive me for my every sin. Search me and know me and reveal to me any aspect of my life that is not pleasing to you. Expose any agreements I have made with my Enemy, and grant me the grace of a deep and true repentance. Heavenly Father, thank you for your loving me and choosing me before you made the world. You are my true Father--- my Creator, my Redeemer, my Sustainer, and the true end of all things, including my life. I love you; I worship you. Thank you for proving your love for me by sending your only Son, Jesus, to be my sacrifice and my new life, I receive Him and all his life and all his work, which you ordained for me. Thank you for including me in Christ, for forgiving me my sins, for granting me his authority, and anointing me with your Holy Spirit. I receive it all with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

From: The Ransomed Heart

Flesh vs Spirit

When I found this post, this person sounds so much like me that I could not resist bringing it over to you. If I were to write a post on deliverance ministry I would use those exact words.  This article is courtesy of: http://www.surewordministries.net/articles.html
by: By: Donna J. Kazenske

Here we go:

Are you an individual that likes quick fixes and drive-thru Christianity? If so, you're not alone in this dilemma.

The church worldwide desires quick fixes. Most of us don't like to wait on God, nor do we want to spend hours studying His word in a manner that would transform our lives for all eternity. Why is this? It takes effort to spend time with God, study His word and do what He has called us to do.

Our world, as we know it, operates in fast speed mode. We are a people that desire instant gratification of both the flesh and the spirit. We enjoy drive-thru experiences because it doesn't waste our time. But what are we doing with all of our extra time? Are we spending it on spiritual things, or are we wasting it on the things of this world?

I believe God is raising His standard (the word of God) in our lives. He is calling His church to walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. The flesh desires quick fixes. The Spirit desires whatever it takes to fulfill God's plan and purpose.

Galatians 5:16-21 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Over the years, I have seen many Christians attend deliverance seminars and counseling sessions which seemed to work over a short period of time, but eventually proved to be of no avail in the lives of these individuals. Why is this type of ministry common practice in Christian circles? Why are so many people not delivered?

I know there are various answers to these questions, but I want to focus on one possibility in particular.

Galatians Chapter Five defines the works of the flesh. It does not list adultery, fornication, dissensions, idolatry, lewdness, heresies, revelries, sorcery, hatred, murder and drunkenness as demonic spirits. It lists them as works of the flesh.

If these are in fact works of the flesh (which they are), why are we calling them demonic spirits? Could it be that Christians are not getting delivered from these so-called demonic spirits because these are not spirits at all, but instead are works of the flesh? Is it possible to cast out the flesh? Of course not! Flesh must be crucified, not cast out.

There are no quick fixes when it comes to the flesh.

Galatians 5:24-25 - And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Are we as Christians walking in a manner that is pleasing to God? Are we walking in the Spirit, or are we still walking in the flesh?

If we are truly walking in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh mentioned in Galatians Chapter Five. If a person is truly converted, they should not be fulfilling the lusts of the flesh; they should be living a victorious life in Christ.

Scripture tells us that those who walk in the flesh to fulfill its lusts thereof will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Why are so many leaders preaching a watered down gospel message today? Or, let me take it a step further. Why are so many leaders preaching another gospel today? Why are we not preaching true repentance which leads to true conversions and godly lifestyles? Why do we have so many so-called 'seeker friendly' churches in our society today? Is it because we are afraid to preach the truth of God's word? Is it because we don't want to offend people with the true message of salvation and what it really means to be saved?

We can't live with one foot in the world and one foot in the church. It just doesn't work that way. We are either in the kingdom of God or we are in the kingdom of Satan. There are no in-betweens.

Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

Denying oneself speaks of denying self or denying the flesh. The cross speaks of crucifixion or death. If we want to truly follow Jesus, we must deny our selfish nature and all of its ungodly attributes. We must crucify the flesh and live by the Spirit of God.

I believe it's time for the church to return to the Lord. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to come and root out everything in us that's not of Him. We need to get back to preaching the true message of the kingdom of God which leads people to true repentance.

True repentance brings true conversion, deliverance and healing. True repentance negates the need for counseling and deliverance sessions. True repentance, according to God's word, converts the soul and allows one to walk in the Spirit.

May God grant us mercy as we work out our own salvation

http://www.surewordministries.net/articles.html

Yesterday there were a few emails between a kindred sister in Christ that I met on LinkedIN website a few months ago. Through our emails we shared how our lives both suck yet God does not light up at all. We are both surrendered to Him, we both have been through very hard times with Him and we both have intimacy with Him. Yet, through our emails we were amazed to see how God keeps testing us for the same reasons.  So we encouraged each other and I went to bed. To my surprise I read Oswald Chambers devotional today and it is exactly what we talked about in our emails. I give you my word that I did not read the devotional yesterday nor I knew what the subject was about. It is just one more way God uses to strengthen those who are committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9)

I already shared in different posts how my life with God seems to suck. Even though I am out of the wilderness, God does not seem to be in a hurry to do anything that I have come to expect from all the testimonies I read and heard from friends after they left their wilderness time behind. It got so bad that for a few minutes a doubted that I was in His will for my life. To me, it was either that or God had chosen to pick on me. At one point I was pleading my case with Him to share with me what was going on because if indeed I was out of His will for my life I needed to correct the situation. But He never answered me, yet He seems to come at me at all angles. In fact, I did not label what was happening to me “spiritual warfare” nor that I saw Satan in it. I knew very well it was God’s doing. I got a bit annoyed because I could not see the use of it.  I kept asking why when I just finished spending seven years in the wilderness with you, why is it the testing is not going away? What is going on? I got to the point where I really got stressed out. The answer came recently when I insisted on one question “am I doing something wrong in the way I follow you?  Then He basically said to me “bingo”

It turns out by getting all riled up about how my life sucks it was exactly the lesson I missed. He wanted to show me because I have gone through a surrender process with Him for about nine years now (I surrendered all almost two years before He took me to the wilderness) I am to constantly be very aware of thinking that I cannot stumble into that area. To prove His point, He shared with me, while in the wilderness I would have surrendered in a flash all those things that have been happening to me and caused my life to suck, and He was right. When I realized how I failed Him miserably, I surrendered all the mess my life has become since my so called “coming out of the wilderness.” Even though in some of those things, I needed Him to act now, but I learned to say “may your will be done regardless what I expect or desire.”

But even after this sharing time with Him, instead of getting a break He sets out to test me once again. This past Sunday I worshipped Him for about two hours without anything big happening. In the third hour He came and divulged to me two things that He wants for me because He is going to use me to reach other people. These things He told me, I do not want them anymore in my life. In fact I was praying for one of them to go away, and when I realized the answer to my prayer was no, my heart ached but I could feel the Holy Spirit in me praying where my strength was lacking and all of the sudden I sang with all the strength I could muster “I stand with arms high and heart abandoned to the one who gave it all. I stand my soul Lord to you surrendered, all I am is yours. (This is a Hillsong song)

Just one I thought the testing was over, I got a phone call last night about my little brother who has been hospitalized and apparently it is so bad that everyone has gone over to see him and said goodbye. After they shared the complications he was facing along with his last word of love for me, my heart sank down like it contained bricks. I also realized I cannot hop on a train right away to see him because of all the complications in my life now that God decided not to remove or work out soon. So, I realized I had two pains to deal with: one my brother over the years has become an atheist, so he is on his deathbed  unsaved. The second thing is that I have not seen him for years and I might not see him before he died. As I was crying I said God when is enough is enough? At that time, I could feel the Holy Spirit strengthening me and reminded me, that it is one opportunity to give it all to Him and let Him deal with the consequences of it all. What my pain might be like tomorrow is irrelevant tonight, right this moment. I realized in that moment all that God cares is that I surrender all once again, and through His grace, I did. In exchange He gave me His peace. I am now praying and hoping for a miracle that my brother would live.

God tends to test us over and over again like He did with the Israelites in the wilderness. It is hard to remain strong unless we make it a point to walk in the Spirit because our flesh will fail us every time. If we are not walking in the Spirit through surrender, often times, we miss the point altogether because we cannot hear the Spirit or feel His nudges. The Israelites not only did not pass one test out of all those tests God set for them in the wilderness, and they also got tired of them. Oswald Chambers is right in his assessment because many of God's strong man stumbled over their strong points. When I look at my trials now, in this light, I realize God is not picking on me He is actually strengthening me to avoid more pain later in my walk with Him. As I got hold of what is truly happening with me, my heart was filled with tenderness toward Him and I felt bad to the need of repentance for being so upset, blind, resistant and ignorant these past few months. 

Beware of the Least Likely Temptation

04

19

2013

Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom —1 Kings 2:28

Joab withstood the greatest test of his life, remaining absolutely loyal to David by not turning to follow after the fascinating and ambitious Absalom. Yet toward the end of his life he turned to follow after the weak and cowardly Adonijah. Always remain alert to the fact that where one person has turned back is exactly where anyone may be tempted to turn back (see 1 Corinthians 10:11-13). You may have just victoriously gone through a great crisis, but now be alert about the things that may appear to be the least likely to tempt you. Beware of thinking that the areas of your life where you have experienced victory in the past are now the least likely to cause you to stumble and fall.

We are apt to say, “It is not at all likely that having been through the greatest crisis of my life I would now turn back to the things of the world.” Do not try to predict where the temptation will come; it is the least likely thing that is the real danger. It is in the aftermath of a great spiritual event that the least likely things begin to have an effect. They may not be forceful and dominant, but they are there. And if you are not careful to be forewarned, they will trip you. You have remained true to God under great and intense trials— now beware of the undercurrent. Do not be abnormally examining your inner self, looking forward with dread, but stay alert; keep your memory sharp before God. Unguarded strength is actually a double weakness, because that is where the least likely temptations will be effective in sapping strength. The Bible characters stumbled over their strong points, never their weak ones.

“. . . kept by the power of God . . .”— that is the only safety. (1 Peter 1:5).

Courtesy of: http://utmost.org/

A Melancholic Day With Him! - Part 2

I found out my post on Tuesday April 2, 2013 has reached an all time high. The reason seems to be that it is being downloaded by the same people as they revisit the site to read the post again.  While I am happy, the post got some people thinking, I would not want you to be ill-informed by reading too much into what I wrote.

Let me explain what I mean. Remember this life is a long journey and constant battle. Personally, the more I am growing in the Lord I am finding out Christianity is truly serious business and cannot be a past time even for a moment. So, what we learn from God, as blogger we write about it, often time it is what you would call a “to be continued” type of thing. Because by the time I wrote the blog on April 02, God has been talking to me on this issue, leading me to understand better and directing me in how He wants me to handle the situation. I am now at a point where I found peace about it because I know my will is not my own, it belongs to Him to do as He pleases, and also the fact that I was at fault in sinning big time.

I would not want you to misunderstand the idea behind it all. While it is true God wants us to understand and apply His Word as it is in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 but, understand that my motive to want these people in my life was not right with God. Every time I met with them I offended God in more ways than one because not only I was being disobedient to His Word, I also break my union with Him on purpose. This attitude was one of disrespect, offensive and ungrateful on my part. Furthermore, I failed on purpose to capture my selfish thoughts and bring them into captivity for His glory. I failed to fulfill His desires to cultivate the mind of Christ because you will find that once God sets you apart inwardly, it is exactly what happens. All of the sudden you know a life where I am tempted to say the Spirit takes control of your mind as He keeps injecting his thoughts in your mind to the point that sometimes it feels like you are flooded. I am sure some of you know what I am talking about; you find your mind 24/7 focusing on God no matter what you are doing. The strange thing is, when you sit and think about it, you are aware it is not you doing it, but the Holy Spirit’s work in you. 

To make matters worse, I have been in that frame of mind for years, and I was somewhat blind to my sin. I said somewhat, because deep in me I knew it was wrong to want to break the union with Him especially in this manner, but I minimized the sin, so it gave me an excuse to commit it over and over again. While God allowed it to be an ongoing thing in my life for years, but He also knows what is best for me and I know now that I have reached a place with Him where I cannot keep committing the same sin over and over again without affecting His plan for me. 

Through reading Leviticus, I understood God patience, mercy, grace, faithfulness and so on. But He is clear on the fact that we are not to mistake these attributes and take advantage of them, which is exactly what these Christians in 1 Corinthians 5 were doing. So, I have failed God because I used my own judgement in the flesh and put away righteous judgement as I was taught by the Holy Spirit while I was in the wilderness.

I needed a reminder from Leviticus because God could clearly see that I used righteous judgement to deal with some people in my life, as a result they never have the power to affect my relationship with Him. Yet, because it suited me, I did not use righteous judgement for another group and I allowed them to affect my relationship with God to the point that I dishonoured Him every time. God did not miss a thing in what I was doing. I really minimized those friends careless attitude toward God to suit my purpose.

When I had a chance to put it all into perspective (after my pity party) I realized my melancholy came from the fact that I was losing what I consider good friends but really behind it all, I knew I was found out and called into accountability by God. The other thing that caused my melancholy was also the fact that I needed to put away something that was pleasing to me.  It is really an amazing thing when we put God first, the angle we view what is happening to us changes completely.   

When we decide to apply those verses in our lives such as 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, and cut off people who are considered toxic to our relationship with Him, we better make sure we find balance through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Before we cut ties with them, put it all in the hands of the Holy Spirit, remain willing to do as we are told with an open heart and He will come through for us (which is what I was supposed to do to begin with.) In fact in the past week, God showed me even though I sort of cut ties with these people, meaning the idea behind the friendships and the visits have stopped,  He still wants me to be available to interact with them, but  only whenever He sees fit. However He also made it clear that my relationship with them moving forward, will take the tone of a teacher for lack of a better word. 

Secondly, I questioned God because I have a couple of people in my life that are as bad if not worse (spiritually speaking.) He made it clear to me that He had His reasons for not including them. First, I am in a different frame of mind when I am with them. While I see these people often enough because I do not have a choice, but knowing who I am dealing with, I never let my guard down spiritually. So right then and there you can see how the motive and attitude matter to God. In my interaction with them, I never allowed their attitude toward God affect my relationship with Him and I can see a mile away, when Satan is using them to talk to me. The second reason He gave me for not including them is that He wants to use me in their lives, every time I see them.  

I hope I was able to shed some light on the first post and that while God is God and expects certain behaviour from us, we have to make sure He is leading before we get rid of some of our friends because we do not know who He wants to use us to help reach out to them. We find the right balance in Him alone. 

Groping in the Dark

By James Smith, 1859

It is very unpleasant to be in the dark, especially if you are in a strange place. This was my lot a few nights ago. I knew what I wanted, and I knew where I wanted to get to — but it was so dark I could not find the right road. I groped and fumbled about. For a long time I had not felt my need of a light so much, nor realized its value as I did then. It was a considerable time before I found my way, and in doing so, I got several knocks, and became very chilly. To be alone in the dark is unpleasant, and a friendly voice under such circumstances is very cheering.

After I had gained my point, I began to think of darkness as representing ignorance, cruelty, and crime. What a solemn testimony is that of the prophet, "Darkness has covered the earth, and gross darkness the people." How affecting the prayer of the Psalmist, "Have respect unto the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." And how cheering the announcement of another, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light has shined." And what a lovely representation Jesus gives us of himself when ne says, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness — but shall have the light of life." I wonder not that Solomon should say, "Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing, it is for the eyes to behold the sun." What would the world be naturally without the sun? Just in such a condition would we be morally, and spiritually, without the truth, and without the Savior!

My soul was in the dark once. In total darkness. I knew not my sin, I saw not my danger. I wanted something which I had not. I had heard of the way in which it was to be obtained, and thought I could find it — but I groped about in the dark in vain. At length I was led to God's Word, and I found the truth of Solomon's testimony. "The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light." By that word, I obtained a correct view of myself, and clearly discovered my danger. By that word, I saw the way of escape by our Lord Jesus Christ, and was led into it by the Holy Spirit. There I enjoyed the light of life, the light of God's countenance, and the light of joy and peace. I escaped from danger, obtained salvation, and saw with tolerable clearness the path of the just, which shines more and more onto the perfect day.

Since then, God's Word has been my light, and God's Spirit has been my guide. Nor can I do without either of them, for I need both a light to shine on my path, and a guide to lead me in it; and if left without either, I would find myself as I did the other night — groping in the dark. What obligations I am under to the Word, the Spirit, and the Savior; the Word is the light, the Spirit is the guide, and the Savior is the object to which I am led.

What home is to the poor traveler who has missed his way, and become bruised and chilly by groping in the dark, that, and more, oh how much more — is the Lord Jesus to me! In him is my food, my warmth, my rest, my every comfort. Without him I am hungry, cold, weary, and destitute of all real joy. O my Savior, leave me not in the dark — but if you do, I shall grope after you, and however cold and weary, I shall find no rest, until I find you!

Reader, may I say to you, as Paul wrote to his friends, "You were once darkness — but are now light in the Lord!" Have you discovered the darkness you were in? Have you felt your need of supernatural light? Have you endeavored to grope your way out of the darkness? Have you come to the light, and found rest unto your soul? My groping in the dark the other night, ended in a warm room, a comfortable bed, and refreshing sleep; and my former wandering in the dark, ended at the feet of Jesus, in rest of soul, and a place in the church of God. Has this been your case?

Believer, as a child of light, walk in the light. Walk in the truth. Walk in the Spirit. Walk in love. Walk in holiness. Let your course be that marked out by God's Word — that into which the Holy Spirit leads — that which unites and attaches you to all the Lord's people — that in which holiness shines forth resplendent — that all may see an illustration of the prophet's prediction in you, "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it!" Isaiah 35:8

Walking in the Spirit

I had people asked me “how do one walk in the Spirit?

Walking in the Spirit really does not need a formula. However, there needs to be an attitude of openness toward God. When the Spirit started teaching me to walk in the Spirit He made it clear that this openness toward Him is not open for negotiation. You cannot have a plan A and a plan B and be dead set on wanting Him to negotiate your terms with you.

More often than not, we do have plan A & B but we do not even realize that. There are times our contingency plans are more obvious to us. But sometimes they are not, while they might not be obvious to us, but they are obvious to Satan and he used them against us. If you take for instance someone who reads something from Chambers, Spurgeon, Tozer, Paul Washer, etc then, dismiss it while saying well, this guy is out of his mind and these things he is talking about, I do not need them to be saved.

Then the conclusion here is that you do not have the Holy Spirit in you to begin with to help you understand the truth of God. Or it could be you utter such words simply because in the depth of your heart you know what you read upset your plans. But because your plan B is more important to you than God’s plan A, you stick to your guns. With a mindset like that, you forfeit your walk in the Spirit. The spiritual darkness that is looming over your heart and soul comes from the fact that you know something but you have no intention of obeying God. No matter how beautiful or successful your life might look on the outside, no matter how hard you appear to work for God, well, none of it is being done in the Spirit and you are not walking in the Spirit. This is just one tiny example amongst all those examples that I could give you. But I hope you see where I am getting here.

A test that will never fail us as to whether or not we are walking in the Spirit is the depth of Christ being revealed to us. Understand that I am not talking about us exercising gifts we may or may not have.  Now, I am not saying that He cannot work this life in you because as I mentioned in my book, I have seen God working this Christian life through people, in spite of themselves. But, you are as useful to Him as Pharaoh was in His hand. The only difference between you and Pharaoh is that you have found more grace in His eyes. Openness to God keeps us surrendered to His will, teachable and obedient, hence, you are not perfect, you still have a long way to go but you are walking in the Spirit.

After I learned to walk in the Spirit, God with His sense of humour took one of my pet peeves to show me how easy I can be separated from the oneness with Him and how important I keep focussing on Him and walk moment by moment to keep this oneness. My greatest pet peeve is people who pick their noses. I find it so gross and I cannot understand why not using tissues. Anyway, a lesson that I cannot forget no matter how much I want to, is that God showed me one day, after I experienced His awesome divine nature that could be compared to oxygen so pure that you know it is out of this world. It is so pure that you cannot imagine living without it and if we could see what we are missing, we would indeed make sure we walk moment by moment so that we do not spend one minute out of His nature.  

He showed me even if I have a sin so small that it could be the size of a tiny booger, He said to me, even though you could hold it between your fingers and re-enter your union with me, it would not be possible because this tiny booger however small cannot find a place in my nature. He said if I allow you to get in without the repentance and the cleansing of the blood, you would introduce dirt within me. For someone else this might not be important, but to me, I can't live without this visual, to remind me where I am at in my oneness with Him. I need to constantly ask myself, have I moved away from Him without even knowing it?

With that in mind, I leave you with a good description of the subject with pastor Philpott

This is just an excerpt from J. C. Philpott's sermon preached in 1862

"Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1

1. To walk, then, after the Spirit is to walk after and in a revealed Christ– not a Christ in the letter, but a Christ in the Spirit; not a Christ in the word only, but a Christ in the heart, formed there the hope of glory. The work of the Spirit is to reveal Christ, to glorify him, and make him precious to believing hearts; to apply his blood to the conscience, to discover his righteousness, and to shed abroad his love. To walk, then, after the Spirit is to follow his gracious discoveries of the Lord Jesus to the heart, and to realize them by a living experience of their sweetness and blessedness.

2. But again, the Spirit leads into all truth. This was the promise given by Christ to his disciples– "Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13.) It is impossible for us to know the truth savingly and experimentally, except the blessed Spirit guides us, as it were, into the very bosom of it. Until then its beauty and blessedness, its liberating, sanctifying influence are hidden from our sight. But if I am guided by the Spirit into all truth, if he himself condescends to lead me into the truth as it is in Jesus, and enable me to walk in the truth as he leads me into it, then I may be said to walk after the Spirit.

3. But again, the Spirit is spoken of in the word of truth as an Intercessor, teaching us how to pray and what to pray for; no, he himself is represented as "interceding for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." If, then, I pray in the Spirit, I walk after the Spirit, for I walk in that path of prayer and supplication in which he is pleased to lead me. He has promised to help my infirmities; and therefore if I find my many infirmities helped by his grace and overcome by his power, then too I may be said to walk after the Spirit.

4. But the Spirit is also the author of faith, hope, and love, for these are fruits and graces which spring from his work upon the heart. If, then, I believe in Jesus with a spiritual faith, if I hope in him with a spiritual hope, and love him with a spiritual love, I walk after the Spirit; for the Spirit moves me both to will and to do those things; and as he leads I follow.

5. But the Spirit is also a Spirit of contrition, of brokenness, of humility, of godly sorrow for sin and honest confession of it. If, then, I am ever blessed with humility, contrition, repentance, and godly sorrow for sin, I walk after the Spirit.

6. But the Spirit is also the Comforter of God's people, for that is the name which our blessed Lord himself gave him. So that if he ever comforts your heart with his choice consolations, and you walk after his comfort, desiring to drink into it, and following after everything which may promote it, you follow in the steps in which the Comforter leads you.

7. But if we walk after the Spirit, we shall also be spiritually-minded, which is life and peace; our affections will be fixed upon heavenly realities where Jesus sits at the right hand of God; for all this is his special work, and nothing short of his power and influence can produce it. If then we are favored at any time with this spirituality of mind and these heavenly affections, it is a proof that we are walking after the Spirit.

8. But again, through the weakness of the flesh and the power of temptation, we often fall into a state of coldness, darkness, hardness, and even miserable carelessness in the things of God. Then the Spirit has to revive our drooping graces, bring us out of this miserable state of carnality and death, to lead us to the fountain once opened for all sin and uncleanness in the blood of the Lamb, to renew our hope, strengthen our faith, and impart to us fresh confidence. As we then walk in the light, life, and power of these gracious revivals, we walk after the Spirit.

Thomas Brooks (Puritan)

Thomas Brooks on the title page of his book The Riches of Christ.

Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Brooks_(Puritan)

This post  by Thomas Brooks below merged well with my post on April 12 :  Complete & Effective Dominion

 

I mentioned how important it is to test the spirits. A minister who is not breaking your heart with the word of God almost every time he takes the pulpit, there is a strong chance that he has not been hand picked by Him. A real minister of God will cause you to go home somewhat, if not fully offended every time you hear him. Why? Because it is the nature of the true Gospel it offends unbelievers as much as it offends believers that are not right with Him.

 

Sadly, Satan has worked it so nicely for us to make us comfortable with a half truth, that in the Church, we scream “apostasy” when we are offended by the truth of  the Gospel and in our state of spiritual we have no idea that we are led by Satan to react this way. Satan has done such a great job that we love our mediocre preachers, they make us feel good, we agree with them, we say AMEN, HALLELLUJAH! We get all emotional and drunk on “god”   yet, we go back home with the same compartmentalized lives, wrong attitude toward Him, stubborn hearts,  lack of obedience and our rituals that make us feel good because we found “religion”

 

Even on my death bed, I will keep saying over and over again. The reason we are offended by the preaching, the posts or the books that call for examination of our hearts, or to a deeper life and make us feel inadequate is because we are not where we should be. Deep inside of us, we know something is wrong, but we shut if off and slap our mask on again. For a lot of us, often the subtlety of Satan acts like a snooze alarm we keep pressing the button just so we can get a few more minutes of sleep. Before we know it, time passes us by, we get so deep with Satan, and in our slumber it would take a bulldozer to get us out of our lethargy and laziness. By then, it is easier to say Oh! Well God is good!

 

May God have mercy on us!

Thomas Brooks (1608–1680) was an English non-conformist Puritan preacher and author

Consider carefully what you hear." Mark 4:24"

It is sad to see how many preachers in our days, make 

it their business to enrich men's heads with high, empty, 

airy notions; instead of enriching their souls with saving 

truths. 

Fix yourself under that man's ministry, who makes it his 

business, his work to enrich the soul, to win the soul, and 

to build up the soul; not to tickle the ear, or please the 

fancy. This age is full of such light, delirious souls—who 

dislike everything—but what is empty and airy.

Do not judge a minister . . .

  by his voice, nor

  by the multitude who follow him, nor

  by his affected tone, nor

  by his rhetoric and flashes of wit;

but by the holiness, heavenliness, and spiritualness 

of his teaching. Many ministers are like empty orators, 

who have a flood of words—but a drop of matter.

Some preachers affect rhetorical strains; they seek abstrusities, 

and love to hover and soar aloft in dark and cloudy expressions, 

and so shoot their arrows over their hearers' heads—instead of 

bettering their hearers' hearts. Mirthful things in a sermon 

are only for men to gaze upon and admire. He is the best 

preacher, not who tickles the ear—but who breaks the heart.

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and

 persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's

 power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom,

 but on God's power." 1 Corinthians 2:4-5