1Co 1:26 MKJV
(26) For you see your calling, brothers, that not many wise men according to the flesh are called, not many mighty, not many noble.
Paul spoke of the 'foolish things of God' as being greater than the strong things of men. Have you noticed there aren't a lot of tremendous minds in the Kingdom? Oh, yes there are some! But with knowledge comes pride that wars against the Revelation of Jesus. The wonderful thing about the Gospel of the Kingdom is that it is for the unlearned and learned alike. It's for everyone! Anyone who can accept the news can also propagate it.
1Co 1:29 MKJV
(29) so that no flesh should glory in His presence.
We want... we desire... we strive... to know 'about' God - often for the wrong reasons. But to know God with a son's heart is to realize the Glory of the Father, which automatically places us in the proper perspective. The flesh cannot even begin to stand up to the weightier manifestations of His Spirit! It will shake... cry... collapse... even lose consciousness at times...
We could ask another question that might begin with "Then, how could Satan...?" The answer is the devil is not flesh, nor has he ever had the heart of a son. Every realization of his existence has been out of a prideful heart. In truth, this may never change, but his knee will bow nonetheless. This is who he is. How many people will follow his way? Jesus answered that question with this word: agonize.
I thank God for those who have taught me some of the deeper things of God. God has hidden much for those of us who love to dig, and He invites us to don our shovels. But knowledge of Him is for walking a little further with Him alone, and blowing oxygen on the smoldering spiritual fires of our brethren. It's not for hanging a diploma on the walls of our hearts.
Showing posts with label flesh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flesh. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Attack In Faith
1Sa 13:2-5 JPS
(2) And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmas and in the mount of Beth- el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeath-benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
(3) And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the horn throughout all the land, saying: 'Let the Hebrews hear.'
(4) And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also had made himself odious with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
(5) And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and pitched in Michmas, eastward of Beth-aven.
Pressing into the Kingdom of God is a job for 'violent' men and women (Matt 11:12). What we find when we become active in 'pressing' is that we upset the powers of the enemy. We become targets. Saul and Jonathan learned this the hard way, as they became 'odious with the Philistines'. Jonathan was a man of faith that 'pressed' by faith. As a result, Jonathan was victorious in his battles, but really ticked off the enemy! Saul never proved to be much of a man of faith. He relied more upon numbers and the backing of his people and his prophet, Samuel. This reliance upon flesh never panned out for Saul. Rather, it cost him absolutely everything.
We can know that in these days, we are to be acting more like Jonathan. Attack in faith and expect victory. Also expect the enemy to gather against us, but realize no enemy can overcome the people of God, for no weapon formed against us shall prosper.
(2) And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmas and in the mount of Beth- el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeath-benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
(3) And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the horn throughout all the land, saying: 'Let the Hebrews hear.'
(4) And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also had made himself odious with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
(5) And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and pitched in Michmas, eastward of Beth-aven.
Pressing into the Kingdom of God is a job for 'violent' men and women (Matt 11:12). What we find when we become active in 'pressing' is that we upset the powers of the enemy. We become targets. Saul and Jonathan learned this the hard way, as they became 'odious with the Philistines'. Jonathan was a man of faith that 'pressed' by faith. As a result, Jonathan was victorious in his battles, but really ticked off the enemy! Saul never proved to be much of a man of faith. He relied more upon numbers and the backing of his people and his prophet, Samuel. This reliance upon flesh never panned out for Saul. Rather, it cost him absolutely everything.
We can know that in these days, we are to be acting more like Jonathan. Attack in faith and expect victory. Also expect the enemy to gather against us, but realize no enemy can overcome the people of God, for no weapon formed against us shall prosper.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
A God Encounter of the Closest Kind
I've often caught myself praying for an encounter with God that might sound something like this: God, just let me feel your touch tonight. Let me sense your Presence.
God answers this prayer to varying degrees - often. I recently had an experience that was of the closest kind. It was at a very stressful time, and He decided it was time to grant my request in a different way. It was by a vision - and it was very personal. Needless to say, He taught me much during that time, but my eyes opened to a very important fact.
The flesh cannot withstand the Spirit of God.
During this time, I cried and shook and basically was a mental mess. Some in my family thought I was having a breakdown. But spiritually, I was high. It's incredibly hard to explain what happened and I wouldn't try to write down what I saw. When the encounter was over, however, I was spiritually numb for a number of days. Useless - in many ways... maybe most ways. I'd walk around thinking about what I learned, but unable to articulate it or even translate it.
That taught me that despite my desire to be in the presence of God - physically - He is kind enough to give me only what I'm able to handle without breaking me down for an extended period of time. This was a strange circumstance, and He gave me more than I've ever experienced before, and I paid a price for it. I'd gladly pay it again and I expect to, but He doesn't always give me what I ask, purposefully.
These are the days when God is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh. Many are experiencing Him in new and wonderful ways. My prayer is that all the blog readers do just that. Blessings.
God answers this prayer to varying degrees - often. I recently had an experience that was of the closest kind. It was at a very stressful time, and He decided it was time to grant my request in a different way. It was by a vision - and it was very personal. Needless to say, He taught me much during that time, but my eyes opened to a very important fact.
The flesh cannot withstand the Spirit of God.
During this time, I cried and shook and basically was a mental mess. Some in my family thought I was having a breakdown. But spiritually, I was high. It's incredibly hard to explain what happened and I wouldn't try to write down what I saw. When the encounter was over, however, I was spiritually numb for a number of days. Useless - in many ways... maybe most ways. I'd walk around thinking about what I learned, but unable to articulate it or even translate it.
That taught me that despite my desire to be in the presence of God - physically - He is kind enough to give me only what I'm able to handle without breaking me down for an extended period of time. This was a strange circumstance, and He gave me more than I've ever experienced before, and I paid a price for it. I'd gladly pay it again and I expect to, but He doesn't always give me what I ask, purposefully.
These are the days when God is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh. Many are experiencing Him in new and wonderful ways. My prayer is that all the blog readers do just that. Blessings.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
New Frontiers
For those of you who occasionally like to watch a good animal documentary (I know there are many of you who do...) you have probably seen one that depicts dangerous encounters. The one that comes to mind for me is the problem polar bear in some remote Canadian town. You've seen it - the authorities are shooting firecrackers and shotguns in the air to frighten the creature out of town.
The problem typically occurs when an animal becomes so hungry that its hunger surpasses its fear.
As followers of Jesus, we have to reach this point. Walking like Jesus is not easy. It's not easy to take a stand, or to be different, or to deny the flesh. But the Holy Spirit creates such a hunger in us that eventually - hopefully - the hunger trumps everything else. Then we can step into the frontier of risk.
It is difficult to separate flesh from spirit. In the scriptures, the flesh was the skin and hide, and spirit was the fat. There is a way to separate it, but it takes FIRE. It's the fire within - the hunger within - that drives us into our destiny. If we don't have that, we should be praying for it.
The problem typically occurs when an animal becomes so hungry that its hunger surpasses its fear.
As followers of Jesus, we have to reach this point. Walking like Jesus is not easy. It's not easy to take a stand, or to be different, or to deny the flesh. But the Holy Spirit creates such a hunger in us that eventually - hopefully - the hunger trumps everything else. Then we can step into the frontier of risk.
It is difficult to separate flesh from spirit. In the scriptures, the flesh was the skin and hide, and spirit was the fat. There is a way to separate it, but it takes FIRE. It's the fire within - the hunger within - that drives us into our destiny. If we don't have that, we should be praying for it.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Too Much Light
Have you ever wondered about our solar system? Isn't it interesting that life as we know it depends totally upon a molten hot globe of fire in the dead center of our solar system? I mean, if you read much fantasy growing up, it's not hard to envision the opposite. Perhaps it's a gigantic ball of ice that offsets the heat given off by the earth! But no... it's not that way.
That much light gives off so much heat! So much energy! If you get too close... bad news! Even if you just stay outside too long!
In the Hebrew, the word for 'sun' is 'shemesh', or 'east' (by implication, from where the sun rises). Jesus is directly linked to this phrase, as He is the 'son', and will return by splitting the eastern sky.
Matthew 24:27 LITV
(27) For as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Have you noticed that the closer you get to God, the less you care about the fleshly things of the world? The analogy is the same. Too much sun hurts the flesh. In fact, if you get too close all flesh is consumed. That is what we as Christians should be shooting for. I want to be so close to God that the fleshly lusts are just consumed.
That much light gives off so much heat! So much energy! If you get too close... bad news! Even if you just stay outside too long!
In the Hebrew, the word for 'sun' is 'shemesh', or 'east' (by implication, from where the sun rises). Jesus is directly linked to this phrase, as He is the 'son', and will return by splitting the eastern sky.
Matthew 24:27 LITV
(27) For as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Have you noticed that the closer you get to God, the less you care about the fleshly things of the world? The analogy is the same. Too much sun hurts the flesh. In fact, if you get too close all flesh is consumed. That is what we as Christians should be shooting for. I want to be so close to God that the fleshly lusts are just consumed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)