Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
(Psa 141:2)

We have to be reminded that prayer is more than a duty, it bespeaks of our relationship with God as we pray ‘Our Father …..’ (Matt 6:9). David knew how to cry out to God (Psa 141:1), whereas many will cry out to men for whatever reason. Learning to cry out to God in relationship is so important, Esau cried out for lost blessing (Gen 27:38) but David cried out to God to restore intimacy with the Almighty (Psa 51)… ‘cast me not away from Thy Presence…’. David’s crying to God was so deep that it was an offering up of his soul and affections to God. What or who are we offering ourselves up to these days?

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
(Mat 27:50)

Jesus cried out to the Father and gave up His Spirit on the cross, no coincidence that it was about the time of the evening sacrifice. Crying out to God involves something dying inside that God’s divine plan takes over because these kind of prayer goes against everything that is in us and to culminate in the Father’s higher purpose (Mat 26:42). Jesus went through the cross despite human pity (Luke 23:27, 28) and pain, for God’s purpose fulfilled in us does not concern our personal comfort nor well being. God’s final interest is that we conform to the image of His Son (Rom 8:28, 29) and consider that this is that ‘all things work together for good’ to those who love God.

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.
(Psa 141:5)

Our pain is God’s good for us, which is the predestination plan of God for us to bring us to glory (Rom 8:30). Welcome righteousness to smite us, it shall not break our heads but it may break our hearts. Chastisement of God is the proof of our son-ship (Heb 12:6) which brings us to spiritual maturity where we are persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:37, 38).

Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
(Prov 16:3)

I believe the writer of the Proverbs (most likely Solomon) is talking of more than our occupation, may it be in our jobs, as homemakers, as a minister, missionary, etc. We tend to segregate ‘full-time’ and ‘secular’ lives. David Pawson said that there is no such thing; as long as we are Christians (followers of Christ) we are full-time Christians in whatever occupation we are in. We are to be consistent in our witness of being light of world (Matt 5:16). If we separate than we adopt the Greek (humanistic) philosophy of dividing the spiritual from the physical which leads to double lives. Our children can see through our hypocrisy if we live this way, having one behavior in church and another at home and worst behavior at work or with our friends. The obvious thing is in our speech splattered with ‘hallelujahs’ and another time with curses (Jam 3:10). If we live in this manner then we are the salt that has lost its savor (Matt 5:13). Salt remains as salt wherever it is. When Jesus talked about salt in His days, its use is for more than preservation but in agriculture where salt in the form of potash was used as fertilizer. Therefore Jesus was talking more than preservation but also of growth and fruitfulness. Therefore ‘works’ is more than occupation but encompasses our entire life which can be either hot, cold or lukewarm (Rev 3:15).

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
(Jas 1:8)

Double mindedness literally means double souled, having one soul towards God and the other towards something else. James is obviously referring to Christians because the unbeliever would not have one’s soul given to God. Here is where we can live schizophrenic lives, neither hot nor cold which results in God’s rejection (Rev 3:16). I dare not imagine the sorrow of God’s rejection yet this is what Jesus (not the apostles) said in Matt 25 because the truth is that God’s rejection is an everlasting one.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
(Jas 4:8)

The remedy to living double soul lives is given to us in the form of repentance. Firstly humbly coming before God acknowledging our wretchedness as sinners (remember James is talking to Christians!) and cleanse our hands (our works) and purify our hearts (where it all begins). It is no wonder that our thoughts are unstable, filled with doubts, fears, self, sensitive, etc because there is no establishment in God. We need a renewed mind where our entire life is lived in accordance to God’s satisfaction (Rom 12:1, 2).

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
(Isa 26:3)

When our thought life is founded on God that is when we are at peace though there can be a raging storm (economically, turmoil, etc) around us (Psa 91:7), this is when our thoughts are established (firmly grounded and unshakable).

Denying self vs. Self denial

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
(Luke 9:23)

Bill Gothard mentioned that there is a difference between the denying self and self denial. This statement really got me thinking about Jesus call to believers. Jesus did promise two things for a follower of the Way (as early believers are called) eternal life and likewise also the cross. The question of what the cross is comes to mind and we may have different ideas of what the cross entails.

Jesus laid this condition for coming after Him with a question of ‘who others say that He was’ (Luke 9:18) and varied answers were given. When the question was directed to the disciples, as usual, Peter quickly answered….. ‘The Christ (anointed) of God’. Anointed meaning chosen by or as if by divine intervention and Jesus goes on to explain that He was appointed divinely to suffer, die and resurrect on the third day. We know that the suffering and the death Jesus obediently went through for our propitiation was the cross. The cross means death, for Jesus it was not giving of Himself for the world, but rather giving of Himself to the Father (Luke 22:42). We cannot degrade the cross to the humanistic level of thinking that the cross Jesus died was merely for us. Jesus taught that the opening to our prayers is with regard to His Kingdom and His will (Matt 6:10). Jesus cross was primarily for the Father, His Kingdom and His Will, we shouldn’t think of anything else lesser than these.

Paul says that we are new creation with the old passed (past tense) away (2 Cor 5:17). Passing away requires death. Holding things in balance, we are to be living sacrifices to God thus the cross for us is not one of physical death. Not being physical means it is not external.

The Pharisees’ focus was primarily on the external that they wanted people to recognize them for humanly visual piety, for example their fasting and prayer. They exemplify self denial. Jesus said that fasting and prayer in secret will receive heavenly rewards, these things are to be done that the Father alone would see. Today we too can be trapped into self denial and put on a front of ‘Christianity’. Yes we are to be salt of the earth and light of the world (Matt 5), but note that these two have the properties within themselves that classify them as salt and light. For example salt that loses its flavor is good for nothing, therefore salt is not salt if its properties are lost. Salt is not noticed unless there is lack of or too much of it. Those who practice self denial bring a lot of focus and attention on themselves. The danger is that pride can seep in and we know what God thinks of the proud. The converse is those who deny self bring praise and glory to the Father Whom we give ourselves to.

To come after Jesus means that He will give us the cross daily, the cross is not from our pastor, family, employer nor even circumstances. However God may use people and circumstances as the cross, but keep in mind that it is Jesus Who will give it. The purpose of the cross is death to an inner self that God’s Kingdom might be manifested and His will be completed in our lives (Phil 1:6). The evidence of God’s Kingdom for His disciples (Matt 5:1) is listed in Matt 5:3-12. It is not about the external but about the being, thus these are called the Be-Attitudes. How much of the cross we carry daily will show in our meekness, mourning for sin (Rom 8:23), purity in heart, merciful, turning the other cheek, etc. It is not the means (the cross) we should be concerned about; it should be His Kingdom and Will. I decrease that all things that concern Him will increase.

Ask what I shall do for thee

And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. (2Ki 2:9)

There are instances of asking in the Bible, for example God asking Solomon what He shall give him (I Kings 3:5). Jesus taught about asking in Luke 11 relating to the Father’s willingness to give His Holy Spirit to those who desire earnestly and ask. Jesus mentioned that there were three actions on our behalf, first being asking, second seeking and thirdly knocking. Three in the number is representation of divine completeness as with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as well as God being ‘Holy, Holy, and Holy’. There is a divine completeness to receiving from God but it begins with asking.

Elijah knew he was to be translated to Heaven by whirlwind and Elisha was asked to tarry three times. Each of the three times Elisha’s consistent reply was ‘As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee’. Do we consistent want to receive from God as Elisha did or we ask amiss (James 4:3) to consume for ourselves. Therefore we have to ask for the right thing so that it pleases the Father’s heart to give. Likewise earthly fathers don’t just give anything that a child asks for. Some things may not be necessarily bad, for example a child could ask for a knife. The knife is a useful instrument but if the child is not ready to handle it the knife is forbidden.

Jesus taught in the Matt 6:8 that we don’t waste our prayers like the heathens making repetitive prayers for things beyond the necessary. We have to learn to trust the Father Who will lovingly provide for all our needs. In Matt 7:11 Jesus said that the Father will give us good things. If we cross reference to Luke 11:13, He was referring to the good gifts or things as being the Holy Spirit Himself. He was referring to the better things in life worth asking, seeking and knocking on doors for is the presence of the person of the Holy Spirit permeating our lives.

Elijah knew that the Spirit of God that rested on Elijah was what he wanted. Three times asked to tarry, but three times consistently replying with the same desire. The sad thing about Gehazi was he followed after Naaman (showing his persistency) to ask for material gifts. This man could have received double of Elisha’s anointing which numerically will mean four times of Elijah’s! The Bible recorded double the miracles in Elisha’s ministry and Gehazi could have quadrupled. What a waste we might say, but do we have the desire and persistency of Elisha which will not ask amiss to spent it on our own desires? Check our prayers, what proportion of it deals with asking for His desire or His Holy Spirit or for His Kingdom coming down on our nation, community and our families. It’s either God’s Kingdom we want or we want our’s to supersede.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
(John 14:26)

As a disciple of Christ, the Holy Spirit is the promise Who will bring revelation of everything Jesus taught. We may know about what Jesus taught, but the true revelation of the Word (John 1:1) Himself is through the Holy Spirit. Paul’s apostolic prayers have always been that we have the revelation of Christ. It was by the Spirit the apostle John had the Revelation of Jesus Christ. So ultimately, the Comforter will reveal Christ to us. Paul could say truths like he was determined not to know anything among the believers except Christ and Him crucified and he was crucified with Christ. These are revelations of Jesus’ promises for He promised two things…… the cross (Luke 9:23) and eternal life. We like the latter but don’t be enemies of the cross (Phil 3:8).

I believe the revelation of the cross is firstly the revelation of our redemption. The whole creation groans and labors pang for it’s redemption through the revealing of the sons of God (Rom 8:22, 23) likewise we also groan for the redemption of our body at the Appearing of Christ second coming. The sons of God need to have the revelation of our redemption so that we know the cost of God sending His own Son and the cost of the Son His life lest we trample of the Son’s precious blood. When we have the revelation of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus we will think twice about sinning and keeping our live pure and holy to live before God. Today we can despise the redemptive work of Christ by the way we live, talk, spend our money, time and priorities. We who are still living in this ‘tent’ need to continually repent that we might grow from glory to glory. Rejecting repentance also reject the redemptive work of Christ because we think we are alright and not willing to work out our salvation in trembling and fear.

The second revelation of the cross through His Spirit is the cross we need to bear daily in following Jesus (Luke 9:23). This is called the cost of discipleship, the dying to self to take on the life of Christ. Oh, that we have the same revelation that Paul had that’s why he could peek into heaven (Acts 26:19) and know his destiny. Do we know our destiny or does it end at the grave or our destiny is an eternal one in Christ? What are we asking for these days?

Oswald Chamber's thoughts on forgiveness and the Cross

The Forgiveness of God
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/11/20/devotion.aspx?year=2008


In Him we have . . . the forgiveness of sins . . . —Ephesians 1:7

Beware of the pleasant view of the fatherhood of God: God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought, based solely on emotion, cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ. To base our forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours. Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive— He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm. Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.

Bearing the marks of the Lord Jesus

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
(Gal 6:17)

Jesus resurrected bodily, not just in the spirit for after He rose from the dead he ate before His disciple (Luke 24:32). He also showed them His hands and side and even asked Thomas to feel the wounds. Why didn’t Jesus resurrection come with healing and why the scars of the painful crucifixion still remain? Paul himself told the Galatians that he bears the marks of the cross. If the disciple is not above the Master (Matt 10:24), like Paul we should also bear the same cross and eventually the same marks of the Lord Jesus.

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
(Php 3:18)

The reality is many are not enemies of Christ for many want the blessings (eternal life, healthy, wealthy, protection and whatever we want God to offer), but when confronted with the cross many will veer or run. The foot of the cross is where we decide who is in control, whose will is it that rules. Once we decide it is God’s will, we will indeed drink the cup that Jesus drank (Matt 20:22, 26:42) and from the foot of the cross to the hanging there. We decide and God will bring people or circumstances to pin us to our cross. We don’t hang ourselves there. Subsequently the marks of Jesus become our marks if His will is done.

As we know the cross is the place of death, to follow Jesus and to inherit His Kingdom takes death, though not physical but yet much deeper because we have to live through it. Abraham had to let his dreams die when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac. That is probably why physical death is easier to face. This old patriarch lived to see the day Isaac was born as it were the confirmation of God’s promise that through him comes a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth will be blessed (Gen 18:18). In Gen 22, the quick and unquestionable obedience of this righteous man took his only son whom he loved up to offer as a burnt offering. He only knew it was somewhere in the land of Moriah, location not told to him yet. He must have done some deep wrestling within himself but didn’t question Jehovah. Faith is like that, it leaves us in an un-nerving situation when we have lost total control. Wrestling with the Truth (John 14:6) isn’t easy. On the mount, Abraham’s dreams died….. however the promise of God came through……”Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. “ (Gen 15:1). This revelation given to him long before Isaac was born became a reality on that mount, he inherited the Kingdom. It wasn’t Isaac but God.

Jesus said ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven’ (Matt 5:3). Abraham came to appoint of absolute poverty before God when his dreams died. The rich young man (Matt 19 and Mark 10) could have sold everything he had and gave to the poor but the covetousness could not have been dealt with. In Matt 5 Jesus started giving a discourse about the spirit of the law, beyond the external. Our righteousness that will have to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees has to do with the dealing beyond the external, for who can outdo these men who followed the Law to the letter. It has to do with dying deep inside, which Abraham experienced, he could have toyed with the idea of him dying in the stead of his son. You see, inner dying is harder because it will leave a scar of remembrance for the rest of our lives. Jacob (supplanter) became Israel (he will rule as God, Prince of God) but walked to the grave with a limp.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
(Joh 20:27)

You see, the dying may be internal but the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ is external. We are called to mourn when everyone else is rejoicing (heart broken for the sin of the world and for the people who call themselves ‘church’, marked by God as those who mourn for the sin Eze 9:4). We are called to be meek, losing our rights but being bondservants of Jesus Christ. People everywhere will fight for their rights, from the rich to the pauper. But we are to confessed that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Heb 11:13). We are called to pure in heart, an ‘enclosed garden’, an exclusive bride of Christ. (SoS 4:12). We are called to turn the other cheek. We are called to love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which spitefully use us, and persecute us.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
(Php 3:8)

The cross we carry to follow Jesus takes us to the place when things we have been holding on for dear life becomes dung, never secondary nor even holding third place…..but becomes dung. What do we want to win today? Is it our ambition, dreams, ideals, ideas, anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ, good and noble they maybe…… or we want to bear the marks of discipleship to win Christ. Confront the Truth, let the wrestling begin, don’t veer or run away but yield at the end. The paradox of the Kingdom of God is loosing in order to gain (Mark 8:36).

Ten Indictments (A Historical 21st Century Message) by Paul Washer

Description: Preached Wednesday, October 22nd at the Revival Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Paul Washer delivers a urgent appeal to the Christians and Churches in North America that many have been believing a false gospel and have false assurance of their salvation. He lists 10 indictments against the modern Church system in America. This is a historical urgent message, tell others and spread the message. We need a reformation and revival of a biblical standard!

http://downloads6.pardoned.net/18/SID18002.mp3

Grace that trains us

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
(Tit 2:11-14)

As followers of Christ, we will know that we have been saved not by works but by grace. Grace makes salvation available to all mankind, regardless of the former condition we came from, but the truth is whether we are willing to admit it or not, we have been saved from wretchedness. If we don’t see our salvation from wretchedness than grace doesn’t bear its significance. Because we have been called out of darkness into marvelous light, thus grace revealed to us our state of darkness and our response to grace is to want to get out of it. We are saved not in sin, but grace beings salvation to us out of sin.

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
(Col 1:13)

The work of translating us from darkness and the power behind the darkness is the work of God, thus we are saved by God’s grace. Grace therefore is powerful, not just to save us but changes our standing.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
(Rom 5:1-2)

Our standing or foundation changed to one that has peace and live in agreement with the Holy God. We can see the doorway into the foundation of grace is faith. Without faith it will not please God to save us by His grace. Our new standing through Christ is our cause for rejoicing, Jesus said that our rejoicing is on the basis that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). What are we rejoicing over these days? Are they eternal and heavenly in nature or earthly and temporal?

Beyond having the power to save us from darkness and the power thereof, grace has the authority to teach or to train us to godliness and our ‘taste’ for worldly lust change into the blessedness of hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Matt 5:6).

What happens if we reject the training to godliness?
We are saved from one kingdom to another, either we are in the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness. Jesus said that there is another father, the devil (John 8:44)..... and He taught us to pray to our Father in Heaven. Earthly parents are to train children in the way they should go (Prov 22:6), more so our Heavenly Father would want to train us, His children, in the way of righteousness. If we are indeed His children, than the authority of His grace must be seen at work in our lives to train us into God (Christ)-likeness. To deny the authority of grace is to deny the Fatherhood of God.

If we subject ourselves to the grace of God that trains us unto godliness, we then have the blessed hope to meet Christ in the air when He returns (1 Thess 4:17) and receive the redemption of our body (Rom 8:23). Conversely, if we reject the training unto godliness, we will follow the way that seems right to us and its end are the ways of death (Prov 14:12).

To love because or to love despite

Jesus asked Peter “lovest thou me?” in John 21 has been much preached over pulpits as the restoration of Peter after his 3 times denial of Jesus. From the same passage comes also the teaching of ‘agape’ and ‘phileo’, distinguishing the deeper meaning of levels of love lost in the English language.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deu 6:4-5)

Love is a topic that can’t be ignored because love is the essence of the commandments that God gave through Moses. If the essence of God’s commandments is about love why are laws and commandments looked upon with such negativity? I have even heard of a preacher saying that the 10 commandments ought not to be considered in the church today because it deals with before Christ resurrection. However Jesus said in Matt 22:37 that to love God first and to love our neighbor, these 2 commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Therefore to love God first and to love others as we love ourselves fulfills the law and the prophets. There is a completion in obedience by just fulfilling these two. Now how do we rationalize this?

Jesus said that if we claim to love Him, keep His commandments (John 14:15, 14:21, 15:10, 1 John 5:2, 5:3, 2 John 1:6). As parents as know that we expect obedience from our children whom we love and their obedience to us is the evidence of their love toward us. Obedience is then not tedious to us because it is in love. Christ expects us to obey in love; therefore obedience and love are one.

If a man say, I love (agape) God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth (agape) not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love (agape) God whom he hath not seen? (1Jn 4:20)

Jesus said that we agape our neighbor as ourselves, John also goes on to teach us the second commandment to agape others carries the same equally importance as the first. It is easy to phileo other for it say I ‘love because’….. I am loved in return, I benefit something out if it… this kind of love is like in a ‘win-win’ situation (sounds covetous and selfish doesn’t it?). Jesus said in Matt 5:46, there is not reward if we love and expect love in return. To agape is to love my enemies, to love without expecting anything in return… it is a love that ‘loves despite’.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)

Why is agape love important? James 2 teaches that faith without works is dead and if we link that truth together with the goats and the sheep in Matt 25 we can conclude that at the end our reward of eternal life is founded in our love toward others; give drink to the thirsty, food for the hungry, clothing for the naked, visit the sick and go to those imprisoned. These ones that we love won’t have anything tangible to return as in the parable of the Good Samaritan (loving with a cost). Can we love others this way, even if they have cursed us, spitefully used us and persecuted us? This is the love the Son of God demonstrated by dying on the cross for the world… He loved us despite that we were enemies and without strength (Rom 5:6). Are we willing (not that we are unable) to follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Master to ’love despite’?

When pride compliment covetousness

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. (Psa 10:3-4)

This verse is clear in describing the proud as being wicked. To be wicked also means being evil or having morals that are bad in principle or practice. Truly wickedness is conceived inside and out of that rottenness comes forth boasting and covetousness, eventually to the point of denying God. To deny God is to say that God doesn’t exist and self has been proclaimed as god. Psalms 14:1 describes the god-less fool as corrupt and does nothing good. Mathematically this makes sense because evil inside equals to evil practices. If self have taken the place of God, then the direction of worship or worth-ship is on self and not to the Almighty Creator of Heaven and earth. High estimation of self becomes pride. God will resist such a person (James 4:6), conversely gives grace to the humble.

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. (Luke 12:18-19)

Jesus warns us about covetousness and it appears that the covetous thinks highly of self for it’s all about ‘my’. Humble people put others into their consideration. Building up self is the main concern and God is out of the picture totally. The same situation as in Psalms 14:1 when God declares such one as fool. What a terrible judgment, losing not just dreams on earth but eternally loosing everything.

We can be quick to put a wealthy person into this mold. Consider that a 'rich' person can be abounding in natural resources or gifting or even experiences (one that claim to have eaten more salt than others have eaten rice). We have heard of the wealthy despising the poor (James 2:6) similarly people who are consider themselves more ‘superior’ than others in talent and gifts who don’t have things in Godly perspective tend to despise others too.

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: (Jas 2:8)

God looks for obedience, Samuel told Saul that all the sacrifices is not what God is looking for (1 Sam 15:22, 23), for disobedience is viewed as rebellion and it is as the sin of witchcraft. The penalty for witchcraft is death. Paul reminds that that there is such a thing as obedience unto righteousness (Rom 6:16 – here is one for the antinomians from Paul, the preacher of grace). Therefore the righteous subjects of the Kingdom of God have a very important law to obey. As far back as Lev 19:18, the Lord said that we shall love our neighbor as ourselves. The command ends with ‘I am the LORD’, meaning we better take heed to this commandment because He is LORD. Love is the more excellent way (1 Cor 12:31), Paul said that even if we do anything or sacrifice everything, without love we are nothing. Obeying the royal law is then what we should do.

The opposite of pride is meekness and the blessing for meekness is inheriting the earth (not the world). Probably the most powerful prophet who would have a lot to boast about including his close communion with God (even speaking face to face, Duet 34:10)) was the meekest man on the earth (Num 12:3). Living in that stature of meekness, there isn’t any reason for covetousness in a righteous child of God.

What seest thou?, Jer 1:11

The true test of a prophet is whether they see what God is showing them. Rightly so because prophets are also called seers as recorded for us in 1 Sam 9 on Saul’s servant suggesting to look for the prophet Samuel on some lost asses. Seeing correctly is important to God as we have to view things, situations, circumstances from His perspective and will. Even in prayer, I was told that we should pray with our spiritual eyes open.

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
(Rev 1:17)

Not just seeing from God’s perspective but also seeing Him correctly for Who He truly is. Not some figment of our imagination of a god we want to see. The apostle whom Jesus loved, the same guy who leaned on His bosom during the last supper, saw the exalted Christ and fell as though dead.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
(Exo 20:4)

Many have this picture of gentle Jesus, sweet and mild. I wonder where this imagery came from. Once we have our own perception of Jesus it would be considered have graven an image of Christ in our minds. If so then it is called idolatry, idols don’t have to be physical. Idols are worshiped and exalted by those who form them according to their imagination.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
(2Co 10:5)

Paul warns us about imaginations that conflicts with the true knowledge of God. These imaginations are human concepts of a god according to their own reasoning and wisdom. The exaltation of such knowledge is idolatry because it is a poor portrayal of the Almighty. God is Holy, so in our relationship with Him there has to be boundary which cannot be frivolously overstepped.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
(Mat 5:8)

Jesus stated very clearly who can see God for Who He truly is. A simple test of the purity of our hearts is found in our speech.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
(Mat 12:34)

How pure our speech is, it is how pure our heart is. James warns us that our tongue is small yet difficult to control; it defiles the whole body and has fire set on fire of hell. We have to check our speech if it’s nature is hell like. I have heard a preacher say that we lie in our worship because we can bless and curse with the same tongue. Our worship can be overwhelmed with emotion but God’s Presence isn’t there because it takes clean hands and a pure heart to enter His Holy place.

Obedience unto righteousness (Rom 6:16)

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
(Mat 25:33)

Jesus ended the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven with this astounding closing statement. The question that I had in mind was what about John 3:16? What about 2 Cor 5:21 that says that ‘Jesus was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him’? How than can we become righteous in order to end up in the Kingdom of Heaven? Does this mean that the ‘sinner’s prayer’ that many of us so sincerely prayed and believing after that we will end up in Heaven?

What separates that sheep from the goats? After all both sheep and goats acknowledge Jesus as Lord. It would be rather hard to find a non believer acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Lord. This time Jesus returns in all Glory as Son of Man (because He can as one to save us and finally to judge mankind) and sits on the judgment throne to those who call Him Lord. When John had the revelation of Jesus Christ as recorded in the last book of the Bible, this man who used to lean on Jesus bosom fell down as through dead (rev 1:17). Against our human estimation of intimacy and friendship, we have to consider the Holiness of God. It appears that the Holiness of God in the New Testament and the Old Testament is consistent.

Before this joyful or dreadful time (depending which of His side we will stand on) nobody is to label anyone sheep or goat. It is Christ that will do the separation for He sees beyond the human eye and looks on the heart (1 Sam 16:7).

It appears that the criteria for the separation have to do with feeding, clothing and visitation of the destitute. Interesting isn’t it? We know that judgments have to be made on basis of law. If we committed a traffic offense, we will be judged according to the traffic law and punishment will be administered accordingly. So Jesus who came to fulfill the Law (Matt 5:17, He must be referring to the Law of Moses since the NT wasn’t written yet) and not to do away with it, must be judging the sheep and goats who used to feed on the same pasture called ‘church’ by it. So OT is still relevant today, not FYI only.

What is the Law of Moses got to do with feeding, clothing and visitation? We should not look at the letter of the Law but the spirit of it.

In Exo 20, there was the giving of the 10 Commandments or the moral laws. Which I believe is still valid today. In following 3 chapters God talks about how we should treat others kindly. Subsequently the laws written on sacrifice and priesthood were fulfilled by Jesus, which is why we no longer bring animal sacrifices to our worship. Therefore we can conclude that the Moral Laws and civil laws (how we treat others) are still valid today. So we have the vertical relationship to God and the horizontal relationship toward man. That is why Jesus said in Matt 22:37-40 that loving the Lord is the first and greatest commandment followed by loving others; there hang all the law (singular because it talks about the whole package deal) and the prophets (who declared the law).

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
(1Jn 4:20-21)

I believe that the criteria of feeding, clothing and visiting the destitute are a concern of the Lord. This is the horizontal relationship that is difficult to keep as what John wrote in the Epistle. In fact John states loving others as a commandment and hating our brother will make us liars if we dare say we love God. We all know who the father of lies is and that liars belong to that father. Now we have to consider seriously not falling into the goat category by looking at how we love and treat others by our words, actions and intent of our hearts. Those who harbor unforgiveness and anger towards others are in danger of hell fire (Matt 5:22).

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
(Mat 25:37)

The righteous sheep don’t even know what good they have done to the destitute for His commandments are a delight (Psa 119:47). Fulfilling the second great commandment is a normal Christian life.

Paul, the teacher of Grace teaches us in Rom 6:16 that obedience leads us to righteousness. And the fruit of holiness, everlasting life (Rom 6:22).

Ask and be given bountifully

: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
(1Ki 3:5b)

Many would like to have this question asked of God to Solomon. Jesus taught to ask what you will and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7). But we ask and ask amiss (James 4:3) most of the time not getting the expectant answer. The idea of Jesus in the asking and it will be done unto you is when we abide in Him. If we abide in Him, we will be interested in the things that concerns Christ. If we ask for a bigger car or better job or anything that concerns what the world deems as of ‘worth’ it won’t concern Him. Jesus was offered not just the world but the glory of them (Matt 4:8, 9) but that offer didn’t move Him one bit. The devil can’t offer Jesus (Who knows all things), what he doesn’t own. So if we asked of the things of the world the best person to ask from is the devil. Jesus wants to give us His eternal Kingdom (Matt 25:34) heavenly treasures where moth and rust can’t destroy – how about the crown of life (Jam 1:12) and the being loved by the Lord, let’s desire these things that last forever! For all that is the world consist of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and loving the world voids us of the love of the Father (1 John 2:15). What we ask depicts the condition of our heart (Luke 6:45). As parents we also know what our children’s priorities are and hopefully we have the wisdom to give them things they asked for concerns their long term good.

The account continues in 1 Kings 3 of the first test of the wisdom Solomon asked for. It was the test of two women. What lessons can we draw from this first test of wisdom?

Firstly they were harlots, true wisdom from God is not prejudice it is based on God’s standards and not ours. If you or I sat on that throne that day we would have judge harlots differently because we have our own sense of self righteousness. Yes, Jesus didn’t condemn the adulteress but she was asked to sin no more (John 8:11). Our self righteousness will condemn us (Matt 7:2). Our righteousness is not given ‘free’ just because we claim to be Christians; righteousness is to be desired (Matt 5:6). Let’s be honest with ourselves, how many of us really, truly hunger and thirst for righteousness. Think of the things that we hunger and thirst for and no need to wonder anymore why we are not blessed.

Secondly, having wisdom of God we will be able to divide the truth from a lie. Rev 21:8 tells us the liars shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. The first judgment of God after Pentecost was the lying to the Holy Spirit. Today lying is not regarded as a deadly sin. People lie to gain things (perhaps to cheat or even career advancement) or lie to get out of trouble. There is a worst thing to get and bigger trouble to face in the final judgment of Christ by being a liar.

Lastly, Solomon revealed the heart. The reaction of the two women to dividing the child shows who the true mother is. Love is stated as one of fruits of the Holy Spirit. The first and greatest commandment also concerns the heart; it’s about Who we should love with ALL our heart. Jesus warns that in the last days iniquity or lawless (those who refuse to obey the laws of God, no room for antinomianism) will abound and hearts of many will grow cold (Matt 24:12). Why? Because there is another love, covetousness is already abounding in books, preaching, ‘prophecies’, conferences, etc (1 Tim 6:10). The message of the church is about the Kingdom of God (Acts 28:31) not about betterment of society, politics, entertainment, etc. Jesus kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) that’s why His disciples are not striving for a better world. Jesus said that if it’s about the world then we as disciple would be fighting for the betterment of this and of that in the world.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Prov 1:7)

With the increase of iniquity and the devil knowing his end, all the more we require the wisdom of God least we become fools. If we don’t know how to ask for the right thing, i.e. wisdom we can end up like the fool who says in his heart that there is no God (Psa 14:1, 53:1). This is a very strong accusation to declare people as fools, but dear ones, look at it this way. If we are able to do things and changes for the betterment of the world then we really don’t need God, because we have done it.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(Jas 1:5)

Wisdom is for all of us to ask of God and He will give bountifully. This is one prayer that God will definitely answer but don’t doubt in asking. Solomon didn’t doubt when he had to face to judge the two women, he just gave the correct judgment. Seek the right things first (Matt 6:33) and all the other matters of life that we need will be provided for as He does creation (Matt 6:26). Do we trust God by asking for wisdom above other things?

Preservation for the righteous sake

And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.....
(Gen 18:26)

The privilege of friends is the ability not to hide anything for each other. The proof of Abraham’s status as a friend of God (Jam 2:23) was that the Lord shall not hide from him the thing that He will do (Gen 18:7). Friendship with God comes with responsibility. It not just about blessing, protection, healing but it is about sharing the same burdens. Do we share the same concerns as God do and talk with Him about it? If we don’t we have to seriously consider our relationship with the Lord.

We ask without answer to our prayers because we ask amiss (Jam 4:3). Our prayers can be polluted with things for self consumption and not God’s concerns. Instead of ‘bless the Lord, O, my soul’, it becomes ‘bless my soul, O, my Lord’. We do indeed need to be weaned from this attitude in being a child of God and dwell in the place where as His friends we know and we know that our Heavenly Father knows our needs (Matt 6:32, 33). That is the confidence a friend of God has, any lesser would be distrust. Jesus warns us that if we ask amiss we will lose our friendship with God and become no better than the heathens.

Notice that Abraham’s intercession was for the preservation of the righteous. It was for the righteous that didn’t bend their knees to baal that the nation was preserved despite the wickedness of Jezebel over the nation. The righteous are the ones that bend their knees to God, not fearing others but only fearing God.

Ye are the salt of the earth…….
(Mat 5:13)

In Lev 2:13 there is a commandment with regard to the covenant of salt. Salt is used to savor our food or in this case the sacrifice. Another important aspect is that salt is a preservative at time when refrigeration is non existent. When Jesus taught that we are the salt of the earth, He doesn’t mean that our existence make life more palatable for others, but rather to preserve our city and even our nation.

As the signs of the end times (read Matt 24, 2 Thess 2) are unfolding before our generation, our roles as salt of the earth become more crucial with the escalation of evil. God will preserve our city and nation for the sake of the righteous. At this time to how many of us will He say ‘Shall I hide from My friend that thing which I do’?

Hidden Manna

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, …..
(Rev 2:17a)

Pergamos was church which Jesus evaluated as a compromising church, discounting a need for separation. While we are to preach the gospel to all nations and show Christian charity to many, yet we are not to be of the world while dwelling in it. Similarly Jesus saved us from our sin not in our sin.
Though this church was faithful even unto death; yet Jesus Christ judged as having terrible flaws that requires a double edged sword to deal with. Separation is required. This is a sober reminder that faithfulness and determination to remain separated unto the Lord is important (1 Pet 2:9). Separation unto holiness is the reason why Jesus died to bring us the ultimate freedom from sin (Rom 6:22). This could mean that if we live like the world with all its views and values, the seed of sin has not been dealt with. That could explain why our lives yo-yo between righteousness and sin and victory is sparse and not continuous.

Christ blessing to those who overcome and willing to cross over out of compromise will have life from the hidden manna. It is so exclusive, hidden and precious that the Lord Himself will give.

But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
(John 2:24)

Jesus our Bread of Life (John 6:48) is One that doesn’t frivolously entrust Himself to empty professors of the faith. Men are fond of making claims but not living up to it because of the carnality inside that lacks Heavenly integrity. This could explain why this manna was hidden, exclusive and precious. After all why cast pearls to swine?

Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
(John 6:49)

How do we know that we are worthy to partake of this hidden manna? How come we can still 'die' while eating ‘manna’ of God’s Word? Jesus quoted Isaiah many times about seeing and not seeing, hearing and not hearing. We can claim to have received God’s Word, but has it become quick and powerful (Heb 4:12) to ‘slay’ the sin nature and rose from sin to live to God (Rom 6:11). As long as we continue to say things like ‘I can’t help it’ or ‘it’s my nature’ or whatever justification to commit sins, the sin nature still thrives in us. For sin that is alive is kept alive and grow as we feed it by committing sins. Are we trapped and going around in circles in the wilderness of sin? We need to get out of the wilderness to partake the hidden manna.

This hidden manna is the partaking of the life of Christ. If Christ lives in us, it is no longer we who live (Gal 2:20). Christ takes over our desires, fears and basically everything. It is the divinity of Christ in earthen vessels (2 Cor 4:7). The hidden manna when eaten prevents corruption. As long as we are continually corrupted by sin, then we have not eaten the hidden manna.

When God questions us

……. What doest thou here, Elijah?
(1Ki 19:9, 13)

When we get into a rut, our natural tendency is to question God. Perhaps He is questioning us in the still small voice.

After a great demonstration of the Power of God of hailing down fire, killing the false prophets of Baal and having received answered prayer for rain to quench the drought, one word from Jezebel sent this great prophet fleeing for his life. Faced depression and even asked to die. His race wasn’t over yet. We know this because an angel fed him so that the 40 day journey to the mountain of God must be made. The Heavens stood still in silence through out this time.

Why did the LORD asked ‘what’ and not ‘why’? ‘Why’ would be asking for a reason which the LORD wasn’t interested in. For He knew the fear and depression Elijah was going through. God was opening Elijah’s eyes to the inward condition, not the outward reason.

We like Elijah in many ways allowed the external to determine our destiny. God is interested in building what is inside a man or a woman. One word from others sends us flying into the wrong direction. Jesus warns us that in the last days there we will hear of wars and rumors of them. Jesus tells us not be troubled, meaning these things shouldn’t shake us.

The answer Elijah gave the LORD is full of ‘I’. We are very like this man, full of self which is easily over come by the eternities of our lives. God allows us to go through the things that Elijah had to go through to awaken us. He will, by His grace, give us the miraculous energy to go up to Him not away nor around our circumstances. We must remember that God doesn’t come down to our level; we have to climb that ‘mountain of God’. Let Him question us, our answer betrays our true self.

Notice that Elijah muttered the same thing twice with each questioning of the Lord on ‘What’. Surprisingly God’s Word to him each time was ‘go’. God’s Word at that crucial moment was as powerful as ‘Let there be light’. Jesus great commission to us was also ‘go…’. God’s command to Abraham and Isaiah was also ‘go….’. The Word ‘go’ fulfills His will. His will accomplished through those who are called according to His divine purpose. That is how we run our race to completion. When we pray ‘Let thy will be done…’, our response is to just to ‘go’.

After hearing the Word ‘Go’, the will of God unfurls before us and reminds us that we are not alone. The seven thousand who didn’t bow their knee to Baal are our great cloud of witnesses (Heb 11). Strange that the commandment involved 3 things, but Elijah only accomplished one, this was the anointing of Elisha. When we hear the Power of His Word and obey, God ensures that whatever we do has a multiplying effect; like the breaking of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes.

God allows us to come to our wits end; He remains silent, and then asks us what is on the inside. Let’s His Word command us that we will finish our face to win the crown of Life. Unless we receive His Word, we will fall into man’s words (or rumors) and face the consequences. We have to be governed by what is our inward stature in Christ in order to be robust against man’s words (or rumors).

Selah

This word was used 74 times with 3 times in the Habakkuk and the rest in the Psalms. The concordance would tell us that it’s a musical pause or suspension to stress the importance of the preceding passage. It basically informs the singers, musicians and readers to pause and consider. It brings a sense of abruption. We want to continue but asked not do so. It is like taking stock.

Be still, and know that I am God: …….
(Psa 46:1a)

The word ‘Selah’ means to stop and consider, meditate… and know that He is God. Sit still and know is the best advice Naomi gave to Ruth (Ruth 3:18). God can’t do what He sovereignly desires to do if we continue to 'help' Him out. By doing this we neglect the opportunity to know the saving power of our Redeemer (read Psa46). The Psalmist seems to be telling us that there is no knowing I AM redeems us outside of stillness. We must not meddle in God’s divine working in us.

God showed the bold, busy, miracle working, antithetical, call down fire from Heaven prophet that He speaks in stillness (1 Kings 19:12). God could be screaming at us, but He won’t because He knows that we can’t receive save we ‘Selah’. Like Elijah we want to know God in the spectacular. He patiently waits to prove us wrong. When God speaks in stillness, there is a reviving deep within which caused the prophet to complete his pilgrimage. We too can be revived to be overcomers to the end. Just ‘Selah’.

Jesus knew He had to withdraw from preaching, healing the sick, raising the dead, forgiving sins and all that He does as the Son of God into the mountains, away from the crowd to be with the Father. Getting intimate with Father requires a departure from our busy-ness. One can never know God in busy-ness. Jesus knew the wealth of ‘Selah’, how much more we.

Determine to take time to ‘Selah’, that is the way to know our I AM God.

The obedience of the Rechabites

…….. that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.
(Jer 35:7b)

This chapter in the book of Jeremiah is like a breath of fresh air in the midst of a nation that has departed from God who loved them with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). It is a nation that has yielded it self to prophecies (2 Tim 4:3) that suit their liking where the leaders and shepherds are judged. This glimmer of hope in the form of the people who are descendents of Jonadab the son of Rechab proved themselves to be a company of remnants that God was looking for in a backslidden nation.

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (1Sam 15:22)

God is not looking sacrifice, for what can be greater than the sacrifice in the form of the Son of God. Partial obedience is not acceptable, because many will conceal self motives under the cloak of religious zeal. Total obedience is to say ‘Let Thy will be done’. God’s will is always good, acceptable and perfect (Rom 12:1, 2). Substitution of His with our will means that His promises can’t be fulfilled in us. Letting His will take over ours will says that we have to lay our will down and leaving us in the un-nerving situation where we are no longer in control. This is what faith is about, a position of God’s great delight.

…….. for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, …….
(Jer 35:6)

Obedience brings about fulfillment of promise, in this case that they may live many days even as strangers (Exo 20:12 and Eph 6:2). Inward reverence shows forth in our outward behavior. This is what God honors because He sees the intentions of our hearts. ‘Many days’ would also mean fulfilled days, meaningless long lengths of time is of no value. How many of us live fulfilling lives? Perhaps we need to come back to the place of inward reverence toward our parents (Mal 4:6). Yes, we can live fulfilled lives which are not governed by circumstances (as strangers). Unwelcoming situations don’t mean we live unfulfilled lives, He will ensure that we do….

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. (Psa 91:16)

Jonadab’s commandment for his descendents was firstly ‘to drink no wine all our days’ (Jer 35:8) nor ‘build houses, plant vineyards, field nor seed but to dwell in tents’ (Jer 35:9). These seem to be strange commands in our world where we want to ensure that our children and their children live ‘good’ lives, or at least better than ours. The pursuit of happiness by making it big in the world is the theme parroted over and over again, feeding the spirit of covetousness (which incidentally found in the 10th commandment). Jonadab’s story began with the overthrow of evil Ahab’s descendents in partnership with Jehu (2 Kings 10:15). The commandment could most like stem out of the evil that he experienced during his days and desired that his descendants stay away from it.

The first remarkable precept was similar to the Nazarite vow of abstinence of wine. The Nazarite’s vow was about separation from the world and not participating in the joy’s of it (wine is a picture of joy) not given to drunkardness but be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18, 19). Living a life led by the Spirit breeds no condemnation (Rom 8:1, please don’t refer to NIV). The famous Nazarite include Samson and of course Jesus who was called the Nazarene. Living a purpose driven life is not found in a book, it is found in Jesus… for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. It is a life that refuses to identify itself with the world and the gratification of the flesh.

Secondly is that we don’t become too earth bound (Heb 11:13) but be constantly reminded that we look for the heavenly country, a stature where God is not ashamed to be called our God (Heb 11:16). Instead of inheriting the world which the Father has no part of (1 John 2:16) but inheriting the Kingdom of God. Jesus says the meek shall inherit the earth and not to inherit the world for the world will pass away. Those who do the will of the Father will abide forever. Why desire for what is passing away?

Jonadab the son of Rechab certainly has eternity in his sights and in all his wisdom passed this commandment down to his descendants. He saw the evil in his days and learned much from experience. We likewise can live fulfilled lives as we pass through planet earth as strangers and pilgrims, looking forward to reigning with Christ in eternity if we heed the wisdom of this man.

The Power in Abiding

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
(John 15:4)

Abiding in Christ is two fold, first we abide in Christ and He abides in us. It appears that we have to take the first step of faith to abide in Him and He in turns promises that He abides in us. There lies the secret of bearing fruits. The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost which is the start of the harvest activities in the Jewish calendar, where first fruits are waved by the priest before Yahweh as an offering (Lev 23). It is therefore no coincidence that the Holy Spirit was poured out in connection to the harvest. Spiritual fruits are to be harvested with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Fruits that are worthy of repentance from evil to good (Luke 3:8 and Matt 7:16-23) are to be harvested for the Kingdom of Heaven.

What does it take so that we abide in Christ? Especially we know that we are saved not on the grounds of works. In Matt 19 the disciples asked Jesus ‘who then can be saved’, and the answer was it is only possible with God. But we may say that we are not like that rich man Jesus is referring to. If we look at the preceding verses about the encounter with the rich young ruler who not only possess physical wealth but also lack nothing (Matt 19:20) in the way of doing good. I believe Jesus saw not just the possession he had physically, but also the wealth in self-worth. Self is something we can be so rich of hence John the Baptist cried out that He MUST increase and I (self) decrease (John 3:30). We recognize that we are full of ‘self’ in our demanding for our ‘rights’ and saying things like ‘why should I apologize first?’ Our self sufficiency and self priority denies the Lordship of Jesus Christ over every aspect of our life. He can’t abide in such an individual.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
(Rom 6:8)

John the Baptist understood that decreasing is a form of death to self. It’s recognizing that we are dead (Rom 6:6) and alive to Christ. Gal 2:20 speaks the same truth. It takes faith to live this life where Christ liveth in me. Heb 11:1 says that faith substantiates or assures us. The life of faith has the resurrection power which is by the Glory of the Father (Rom 6:4). The abiding in Christ takes place when we first know (Rom 6:4, 9) that we have died with Christ. Many of us carry the head knowledge but without the ‘knowing’ that brings a revelation of this truth. People say that the furthest distance is between the head and the heart. When the ‘knowing’ reaches the heart or core it will become revelation. This revelation of death of self will manifest its great power and thus abiding in Christ begins.

Firstly there is a power to live a new life freed from the bondages of sin that enslavement of the devil and demons. We also no longer have to bear the weight of the accuser of the brethren accusing us day and night before God. In other words we are free from guilt. Being free from guilt is a life that has the Peace of God. Guilt is terrible burdens for many who haven’t experience this wonderful working power. Having guilt removed frees us from suspicion and fear. We have the power over the dominion of sin (the nature that breeds forth sins, that is the fruit of sin). Any wonder why we can confess the same sins over and over without living transformed lives. It takes a possibility in God to do this mighty work. Know that this work is finished (John 19:30) on the cross we just have to reckon this truth.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
(Rom 6:13)

Secondly, there is the power to yield ourselves in order to speak, think and do righteousness. All our facilities can be given to righteousness. No part of our body can participate in any form of evil. We ‘are created in Christ Jesus unto good works…’ Eph 2:20. These works of righteousness are not performed until the power of God created us for it. There is the enablement for us to do good and doesn’t become a struggle any more (Rom 7:15). Righteousness becomes our nature.

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(Matt 7:23)

This is a sober reminder for us that performing works isn’t enough to be saved at the end. There are a lot of ‘do-gooders’ (‘Christians’ included) out there that will not be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven when Jesus returns. Any work that is outside the fruit that comes with Christ abiding has roots in iniquity or self generated with self in mind. This work glories self and not raised by the Glory of the Father. This work has the appearance of Christianity but lacking the power of the abiding Christ (2 Tim 3:5). To know this power is to know death to self. It is not ‘crucifying’ ourselves, but having the revelation that we have died with Christ and raised with Him. How do we know we live in this glorious state? It is when sin continues to dominate our lives and we struggle in unrighteous speaking, thinking and doing. There is true power in abiding in Christ and Him abiding in us and may this become a reality for us.

Power Evangelism

Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
(Mat 26:13)

We know of Mary’s act in the things surrounding her actions; in terms of it being the outworking of her love because of the much forgiveness she received (Luke 7:47). There was a lavish sacrificial expression in breaking the alabaster flask of costly ointment. The incident recorded for us in John 12:2-8 tells us that it was anointing for His burial. The women who went to the grave early morning hours (Mark 16) didn’t have the privilege to do so. Only Mary did have the privilege. This act that Mary carried out was prophetic in nature. So powerful that it was a memorial of her that is linked to the preaching of the Gospel.

We know that this memorial is because she was one who poured out to the Lord. A poured out life is precious to the Lord. In Scripture we read of David, Paul, and Mary and of course Jesus poured out before the Lord. Pouring out is a non reversible offering that is not required as per any commandment outlined on sacrifices in Leviticus. It is an offering that once poured out, it is given in totality without reservation. Albeit not commanded, but with great acceptance by the Father.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
(John 17:21)

I personally believe that the secret to Mary’s act (David, Paul and Jesus) was because there was that oneness with the God. As the ointment was only reserved for the bridegroom, so this act by Mary speaks of an intimacy so deep, precious and holy that only can be understood between two. There is such an oneness in the act that the one pouring out everything is oblivious to the surroundings. It is a lonely journey at the risk of people’s questioning and rebuke. Mary just did what she knew she had to do, despising the shame. That is why for Jesus it is a personal joy that He carried within that caused Him to endure the cross (Heb 12:2).

The act of pouring out is not just despising the shame, but it is a sacred act. Oneness in marriage cannot and should not be shared with another. So is our oneness with Christ. So much an important requirement that God has upon His redeemed that Jesus had to pray this in His High Priestly prayer. It takes a powerful prayer of Jesus to achieve this oneness. We can’t strive to attain it; we just receive as an answer to His prayer.

Today power evangelism is so much surrounded on the external in ‘great’ worship, ‘anointed’ speakers and ‘awesome’ miracles. Not implying that these are not bringing people into the Kingdom. There are those in these ministries who lived poured out lives before the Lord. On the flip side, power evangelism in Jesus’ perspective is when it's a memorial built that the very Heaven’s will recognize. Instead of memorials reflecting acts of man which may down play the act of God. For it takes an act of God to achieve oneness with Him.

Oneness with Christ is a lonely life to live because it is lived for God alone to see, not man. Oneness with Christ is life of joy where pride has died in order to have the power to despise shame. Oneness with Christ is when the world will know that He has sent us and not man. It is goes hand in hand with the preaching of the gospel leaving behind a memorial that God’s cherishes for eternity... this carries a heavenly power in evangelism.

God Perfecting Us

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(Heb 13:21)

Lately I have been pondering over my personal reading into ‘The Normal Christian Life’ (the portion on Romans 8) by Watchman Nee and recently Ps Susan’s Tang sharing in our little house church about God working in us. I realized that many of us are so keen to display our Christianity through many means. Of my years of service in the worship ministry, many either volunteered themselves or even been volunteered to ‘help’ out in the ministry. Many of whom were new believers not even firmly grounded in their new found faith. Does God promote volunteerism with show of such zeal? Yes, we are to be God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph 2:10). Yes, it is God’s divine will that we have been ordained to do so. Is the practice of Christianity today producing ‘cookie cutter’ servants?

“You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must "work out your own salvation" which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it "out"? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.” – Oswald Chambers

Paul tells us that we are God’s workmanship or handiwork. We are to be products of God’s work that produces vessels of honor (2 Tim 2:20) made of ‘gold’ not of ‘wood’.

The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.
(Pro 17:3)

God’s vessels have to be purified and heart must be tested. Why else God chose David over Saul, for the former had his heart tried by fire to be proven to be a man after God’s own heart. Here we are trying to help God in churning out workers for Him with the Saul nature who concern themselves more with their own water face than God’s honor. David knew it was only God and God Himself and sought His face even with the conviction of sin (Psa 51). Where as Saul didn’t get replies from God and ended up in blatant disobedience in offering the sacrifice (only allowed by prophets and priests) and worst, consulting a medium. Resorting to our own mean is a sure sign that our heart has not been tried.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
(Eph 3:20)

God wants to work in us! The Ephesians church did works derived from self which led to their losing their first love (Rev 2:1-11). They probably loved their works more than God for self is exalted, not God. Jesus said that if He be lifted up (John 12:32), He will do the drawing of men into His church. Not by means of music, magic shows, entertainment or even what we term as ‘good deeds’ or ‘seeker friendly’. It is the crucified Christ that is the mark of the church that will draw people. We who are no greater than our Master have to live the reality of the cross too. We are what we believe. There is a power of God working in us, not just men’s idea or interpretation of Scripture. Truth needs to be worked into us.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
(Eph 1:4)

The power that God works in us is unto perfection or completeness according to His will. Heb 13:21 has lost the Greek meaning ‘to do His will, working in you’. It meant rather that God is continually doing it in us His good work unto completeness. Completeness in that we should be holy and without blame. The truth is that God’s aspiration in our salvation is that we be made holy and blameless not just to make it to heaven. If we are made holy and blameless than there isn’t any thing the accuser of the brethren can point the finger at. Not just at us but also at God (remember the incident of the devil questioning God on Job’s uprightness). To be holy means that we are wholly His, qualifying us to live in the place of His pleasing (fully acceptable) and that Christ be glorified forever.

Don’t rush ourselves and don’t rush God. David spent his time in the wilderness to be completed to do God’s plan. So was Paul in the Arabia. Jesus stayed 30 years hidden from man’s eyes and heavens open at His baptism. Keep our eyes on the end, let God work out the means as we submit wholly to Him.

Our Conscience - Oswald Chambers

Conscience is that ability within me that attaches itself to the highest standard I know, and then continually reminds me of what that standard demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul which looks out either toward God or toward what we regard as the highest standard. This explains why conscience is different in different people.

The Excellency of our God

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
(Psa 8:1)

We can see excellence in man’s work and will quickly respond in praises to what comes out of man’s ingenuity, intelligence, creativity, etc. But God’s Name is excellent by it self! The word ‘excellent’ means glorious. We know that names and titles are important and people are recognized for them. Royalty for example command the reverence and respect from ‘commoners’. Some acquired their recognition through their contribution to society or sciences. Some are born with names that command respect and some earn them.

However, God’s name LORD our Lord; Jehovah our Adonai speaks of the nature of God Himself. Jehovah or Yahweh is the holiest name of God that was never written or spoken by any Hebrew (except by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, the holiest day which denotes much fasting, prayer and work is forbidden. It is the receiving of the second set of the 10 Commandments and to atonement for the sin of idolatry of the golden calf) which is why we don’t know the true pronunciation of that Name. There is a special exclusivity of that Name. It means 'I am that I am,' or 'I am the one who is.' The Name Yahweh which must never be blurted out frivolously, because that Name is a revelation to the early fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Exo 3:15). We will never know the God that is behind that Name unless we receive a revelation of Who He truly is to us. Thus our knowledge of God has to be a personal revelation, so does our salvation.

Adonai means Lord or Master. The Jews won’t dare use Yahweh in their prayer but call upon Adonai instead. This first verse of Psalm 8, David uses Yahweh our Master or we can say O Holy and Glorious God who has revealed Himself to those who are under His Divine Lordship. This seemed to be a mouthful, but this is how I would interpret it. Is He Lord over our lives with concrete evidence of His Mastering over our entire lives, living it out gloriously. The acid test of our glorious living is determined how much we embrace the revelation of God.

The Name by Itself is excellent or glorious or Chris Tomlin sang, Indescribable! The Psalmist cried out in the similar manner beginning with ‘O Yahweh our Lord’. Whole creation is full of His glory and radiates forth His Excellency. We are beggar for words. We can’t begin the fathom the greatness of the stars in the heavens and can never name each and every one of them (Job 9:8,9), but He did. Yet whenever we gaze into the clear night at the majesty of the heavens we are constantly reminded of how small we are and how great is our God who created all those in a single command… ‘Let there be light’! The awesomeness and glory of God can’t be hidden even in the deepest of the deeps. Creation cries out His Glory. Everything is found in its proper place.

Why personal revelation of God? It is found in the word ‘our’. How can He be LORD our Lord if there is no relationship. Our relationship as shown by the forefathers who received the relation of ‘I AM’ is that there are marks of obedience, trust, love, acknowledge Him in all things and willing to die for Whom they believed in. We have to take ownership of our relationship with Him. There is such sweetness in the little word ‘our’ that is towered between Yahweh and Adonai. That is where our balance in life is…. living under that shadow of our LORD Lord.

The Divine Exchange

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
(2Cor 12:9a)

The weakness mentioned by Paul is with regard to our moral frailty or even bodily. We struggle and hard pressed to find God’s grace sufficient enough for us. The trouble is that we wrestle with our human strength, understanding, and wisdom and all that we can muster up from within. I suppose that is why we can’t experience the reality of God’s graciousness in tough and most trying circumstances. The word ‘grace’ used is ‘charis’, which is commonly interpreted as God’s unmerited favor upon us. However there is another aspect which is the divine influence upon our heart. God’s divine influence cannot come in unless we are stripped of self influence seated deep within our heart. Self influence will continually rear its head to give us the ‘positive’ mentality that we can make it. If we read this verse carefully, Paul is telling us not to consider ‘making it’ but to consider ourselves surrendered and start waving the white flag. Someone once said ‘Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity; man’s security is Satan’s opportunity.’ We have to be freed from this false sense of security that which we constantly summon in the face of our struggles with sin or character flaws.

If we are faced with circumstances that we need victory over sin; or patience for a difficult child; or love for an irritable person; or trust in God in the face of adversity, we ask God for them. How oft that our prayers are left unanswered regardless of how earnest we are. I have, and I don’t see whence my help comes (Psa 121:1). This can be frustrating and can even come to the point of questioning God if He is truly real to deliver us.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Rom 6:11)

Adam sinned or disobeyed God’s commandment not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17) and lost our innocence to sin. We are only to partake from the tree of life and leave the decision or discernment of the good and evil to God. As such the sin nature have over taken the nature that God’s first created man. Thus all that is in man is not of God, how can we draw from within in this state? So the solution is that we die to the sin nature and start anew as in a totally new creation (2 Cor 5:17). We are saved not to have victory or to have a better disposition over our weaknesses, the truth is that we must be completely renewed. A divine exchange has to take place to realize divine sufficiency. This truth of this exchange has to be reckoned. To reckon is an accounting term which is to count or calculate to know the bottom line. It is not subjective but objective, unprejudiced.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
(Gal 2:20)

‘I am’ is the declaration to principalities and to God of death to the old nature and taking on the new creation. It is death to the ‘me’ factor that constantly want to surge to the fore that sufficiency of God’s grace can’t be complete. But when we so surrender all to Jesus, Christ take over meaning the government of our lives becomes His responsibility. We can trust Him completely because He loves us with His life. When Christ takes over the reign, our moral and bodily frailty becomes His to deal with. Christ’s power will deal with our habits we never have been able to rid off, addiction, lust, covetousness, etc. Our victorious and glorious living becomes the bottom line in Christ.

Paul says that it is ‘my strength’; there is that oneness of Christ strength that becomes ours to bring it to completion. Isa 40:31 reminds that our strength comes with a renewing, a divine exchange not an added strength. How else can we soar in victorious living save understanding that the exchange required for us has to be Divine in nature.

Bringing Many Son’s to Glory

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
(Rom 3:23-24)

The Jewish Bible phrases verse 23 as ‘For all have sinned, and come short of God’s praise’. As true believers we have to realize that God have saved us not just from sin, but beyond that is that God is able to recognize a nature of Himself imputed in us that will catch His attention. With that heavenly notice follow a heavenly approval of being well pleased (Matt 3:17). Jesus didn’t die for us merely that we will be saved from hell only, but to bring us to glory, a state where the very heavens can open and Father’s eye watches with delight (2 Chron 16:9). We have to know and know that God didn’t save us just to get into heaven. It is a divine led pilgrimage from glory to glory, see it as a privilege!

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Rom 8:17-18)

Our ‘glorification’ can be achieved through suffering. What then is the suffering that we have to endure that brings glory? The suffering the apostle speaks of the nothing else but denying of the ‘self-life’ and taking up our cross daily (Matt16:24). Following Jesus inevitably leads us to the cross. It is the cross that He will give us, not a self-assigned one nor given by any individual (even our pastor). For our heart is deceitful above all things and since none on earth can understand it, only Jesus knows what cross we need to bear, so that that sin nature that rules over us will die and we live to glory.

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
(1Pe 1:21)

Jesus’ glory was bestowed upon Him after He was raised from the dead. Likewise since we are not greater than our Master, the God given glory is to be dead to self or the sin-life first and it takes a supernatural act of God that we be born again (John 3:3) to be a new creature (2 Cor 5:17). In Jesus conversation with Nicodemus, He made it clear that we don’t have to die bodily to be born again. We have to see the whole council of God to understand that self have to die in order to be born again. It is not just by reciting a mechanical ‘sinners-prayer’ that we are raised to glory, the first step is Jesus giving us our cross.

Therefore glory is not a cheap thing to behold. It’s a painful journey that God wants us to take. Jesus laid down His will in Gethsemane, so must we. The suffering is the struggle within us to submit or yield to God’s will. Our strong will (or self) opposes the will of God because if God’s will take over we are no longer ours. Meaning our whole being belongs to God.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
(Rom 6:13)

To yield to God is just as presenting our entirety to God. That means our hands, eyes, and any other faculty is no longer ours. Watchman Nee in his book, ‘The Normal Christian Life’ mentions about a brother on a long train journey in China. During the length of the long journey, there was a group of 3 gambling and needed a fourth partner, thus the Christian brother was invited to join in. The brother gave a rather strange answer by replying that he didn’t bring his hands with him. Of course this seemed ridiculous to the other 3. He then explained that his whole life has been yielded to Christ and so his hands, therefore gambling is not possible at all. If we have yielded all of ourselves to God, can our eyes watch pornography or can our hands steal or can our hearts wander and commit adultery? Paul frequently uses the word ‘Heaven Forbid!’ in Romans when teaching about our new life as God’s new creation.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
(Rom 6:8)

What does Paul mean ‘if we be dead with Christ’? Didn’t Jesus die about 2000 years ago and rose from the dead? Isn’t this a historical event or a thing of the past? I believe Paul wrote this truth with the ‘be dead’ as a current reality because the cross for us is also a current reality. In order to mature from glory to glory, looks like we have to take up many crosses dealing with one sin-nature than another. God is merciful in the sense that it is a serial giving of a cross not parallel lest we can’t handle it (Duet 7:22).

How do we know that we have progressed from glory to glory?

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
(Rom 6:14)

We know that our pilgrims’ progress is in the right direction when we know that the cross we carried have put to death that particular sin nature has lost it power to enslave us. Just as a drug addict who has decided to come out of addiction, he or she goes through a process of cleansing. Being clean of drugs isn’t enough. The person has to come to a stage where all kinds of drugs and cigarettes are considered tasteless or useless or dead to them, even like dung. Paul was a man that has truly died and lived for God as he was able to count all things as dung (Phil 3:8) in order to win or gain Christ.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
(Heb 2:10)

The perfecting or completeness of our salvation through the cross Jesus will give us in our following Him daily will take us to son-ship in God. Only sons inherit of the Father, in that we have God’s glory embedded in us that we might be found pleasing to Him.

The Normal Christian Life

Oswald Chambers' meditation below tows the same line as what I've been reading in Watchman Nee's 'Normal Christian life', together with these few days reading with the children on Romans really brings a lot of light to this matter on dealing with Sin (the nature thereof) and Sins (expression of sin nature). It is the blood of Jesus for our justification; cleansing us from Sins and our crosses dealing with the Sin nature for our sanctification. This has also been my personal experience to declare that this is true, albeit still many crosses ahead as the Lord desires that we grow from glory to glory.

We need to be crystal clear in the differentiation between Justification and Sanctification. Without which we can swing into either legalism or antinomianism (salvation by works and not by faith or Christianity without discipleship). Rejecting the cross could lead us to antinomianism which will loose the truth of the cost of discipleship thus breeding cheap grace. Conversely, if assemblies of believers pursue holiness without the cross, legalism could step in for the force behind the religious system during Jesus time was precisely that. Legalism breeds condemnation but the Apostle teaches in Rom 8:1 that we won’t be condemn if we walk not after the flesh (1 John 2:15-17) but after the Spirit. The letter kills but the spirit of the Gospel gives life (2 Cor 3:6).

Watchman Nee's book is a must read to understand what Ps Susan and Ps Wong has been preaching on the cross (at the Station of Life). The centrality of the cross of Jesus in a Christian’s pilgrimage will determine our desire to follow Him (Luke 9:23). Our desire for neither selfless service in activities nor any form of self zealousness is not the plumb line of following Jesus.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(Rom 6:22)

The fruit of following Jesus and taking up our crosses is Holiness. This means that we don't have to be hung up on pursuing holiness, it's about following Jesus. From this verse it appears that holiness and everlasting life are not mutually exclusive. Therefore living a life of sanctification will determine our salvation at the end… as Watchman Nee put it aptly; our pilgrimage of sanctification and willingness to take up our crosses is the normal Christian life. May we not live sub-normal lives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oswald Chambers
Complete and Effective Decision About Sin
http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php

. . . our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin —Romans 6:6

Co-Crucifixion. Have you made the following decision about sin— that it must be completely killed in you? It takes a long time to come to the point of making this complete and effective decision about sin. It is, however, the greatest moment in your life once you decide that sin must die in you-not simply be restrained, suppressed, or counteracted, but crucified— just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world. No one can bring anyone else to this decision. We may be mentally and spiritually convinced, but what we need to do is actually make the decision that Paul urged us to do in this passage.
Pull yourself up, take some time alone with God, and make this important decision, saying, "Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me." Make the moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.
This was not some divine future expectation on the part of Paul, but was a very radical and definite experience in his life. Are you prepared to let the Spirit of God search you until you know what the level and nature of sin is in your life— to see the very things that struggle against God’s Spirit in you? If so, will you then agree with God’s verdict on the nature of sin— that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? You cannot "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin" ( Romans 6:11 ) unless you have radically dealt with the issue of your will before God.
Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ, until all that remains in your flesh and blood is His life? "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . ." ( Galatians 2:20 ).