From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Walking The Walk Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:15:46 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0007_01C503B9.EC7BDA20" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C503B9.EC7BDA20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable WALKING THE WALK By Pastor Dick There are so many precious people of God who love the Lord dearly; read = the Bible constantly; encourage and help many who are downhearted; go to = church services regularly; are generous, kind, loving and full of truth; = can convey spiritual truths to others . . . but . . . yet . . . they = themselves don't seem to benefit that much from God's truth in their own = personal lives. I have known for a long time that some Christians are = not aware of something that is blocking their way to the treasures in = the inheritance of Christ that come with salvation. Many have been = storing wonderful truths from the Bible in their hearts for twenty or = thirty years; yet, it does not seem to have much of an effect on their = daily life style. I never could understand why. This is something that = has puzzled me for a long time, but now I am beginning to recognize what = is causing their problem. There they are, loaded down with the treasures of love, peace, patience, = truth and righteousness, freely given to them; and even though they have = it all, they personally don't seem to be benefitting from it. I couldn't = help but cry out in my heart, asking our Lord why such a condition has = come upon so many precious, dedicated people. The answer recently came to me from a line in a message, written by a = great evangelist, called Lighten The Ship. It was: "If you don't = surrender control, you can have a cargo of truth, yet not benefit from = it at all."=20 I find that most people don't realize the effect of not surrendering = control; how many lives it destroys; how it prevents us from receiving = our true riches in the inheritance of Christ. When I try to warn some = about it, they wonder what I am talking about; many look at me as if I = am speaking in a foreign language. It has taken many years of seeing a lot of devastation in Christians' = lives before I realized the destruction that controlling can cause. And = especially when complaining is added to it. (Complaining is one symptom = of the advanced stages of controlling.) When complaining is added to = controlling, it is like pouring gasoline on a raging fire! I have also = seen the devastation that can come from being controlled, which is just = the other side of the coin of being a controller. There came a point in my journey through life when I knew that I would = have to be willing to let God deal with the control issue in my own = life. I got a view of how good life could be if I would give up = controlling or give up being controlled. After that I asked the Great = Physician to operate on me and do whatever it takes to get that control = bug out of my life. At the time, I was thinking of a little procedure where I would just = pray, receive a healing and that would be the end of it. I had no idea = what I was getting into. Nor did I have any concept of the size of the = roots of control that are embedded in human nature, or how deeply they = are buried in our subconscious. Also, I did not realize how much of a = satanic stronghold we attack when we stand up, using wisdom and faith, = to resist a controller. But what I did know is that our Lord is the = Wonderful Physician, so gentle, so kind and so patient. Year after year = He keeps operating on me, little by little, deeper and deeper; and I = don't feel any pain, only love. As the roots of that old control cancer = come out, rich treasures from Heaven come flowing in. Also, every time a = stronghold of Satan is knocked down, a flood of freedom comes in. Right now you may be having some smooth sailing through life and feel no = need to deal with this control issue, or you may think it simply just = doesn't apply to you. Sometimes, when I remind God's people of the = dangers, as I see them entering into a control mode, it is like I have = pushed their anger button. If you feel I am beginning to rock the boat, = at least, know that I am doing it in love! If you don't want to let go of control or being controlled . . . hang on = . . . for those two things are bound to generate some rough waters! Many = disastrous storms on the Sea of Life could be avoided if we would simply = heed the warning not to control-or be controlled (or complain). But that = is much easier said than done. There are two main courses that can be taken to avoid control storms: = One is a hard route and is not that effective; the other is an easy, = enjoyable course that can't fail. The hard way is to just don't control = or don't be controlled-or complain; in other words, try to control = yourself not to be a controlling complainer. This will avoid some = storms, even for those who have not yet come to the Lord. But the easy, enjoyable, heavenly delightful and unfailing way to avoid = control storms, is to simply live in the new creation we became when we = received Christ as Lord and Savior (2 Cor.5:17). Another way to say the = same thing is: Choose, moment by moment, to walk after the Spirit, not = after the flesh (Rom.8:1).=20 Walking after the Spirit (living in the new creation) is believing and = living in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We can say we are = doing that, but if we are working to earn our righteousness, we are just = talking rather than walking in the Spirit. We can say the blood of = Christ was enough to wash away all our sins-past, present and future-but = if we live under guilt and condemnation, we are not living in our new = creation. If we are not willing to let go of control, we are not living = in our true identity (our new creation), for Jesus is not a controller. = His Life in us will not try to control people. Walking after the flesh is easy, for it is a natural (not spiritual) = thing to do. In some places in the Bible the flesh is referred to as the = old sinful nature that was crucified with Christ on the cross. It is = sometimes referred to as the "old man" or the old self (not the new = creation). Many well-intentioned people of God try to die to self, which = is really walking in the flesh, because it is trying to do something = that Christ has already done on the cross. The Bible tells us to deny = self and to reckon the old man dead (Matt.16:24; Rom.6:6-11); and, by = faith, to put on the new man, which is created by God in righteousness = and true holiness (Eph.4:22-24). King David said to the Lord that his heart was not haughty nor were his = eyes lofty, and that he did not exercise himself in matters or things = too high for him; but that he behaved and quieted himself as a child = that is weaned of its mother (Ps.131:1-2). Sometimes, that is how I feel = when I try to apprehend the mysteries of God, which can only be grasped = by faith. I don't know and can't explain how my old adamic nature, being = dead-having been nailed to the cross with Christ-can still bother me so = much here on earth, even after knowing I am safely placed in Christ. = Perhaps that old dead thing is still, in a way, being used by the Lord; = for it is teaching me the importance of walking by faith rather than = feelings. Walking in the Spirit is living in the new creation and it is a walk of = faith. It is not a hard thing to do; in fact, we don't even have to try, = for it comes automatically-that is, if we simply stay close to our = Heavenly Father by abiding in Jesus, the True Vine (Jn.15:4-5).=20 ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C503B9.EC7BDA20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
WALKING THE=20 WALK
 
By Pastor Dick
 
There are so many precious people of God who love the = Lord=20 dearly; read the Bible constantly; encourage and help many who are = downhearted;=20 go to church services regularly; are generous, kind, loving and full of = truth;=20 can convey spiritual truths to others . . . but . . . yet . . . they = themselves=20 don’t seem to benefit that much from God’s truth in their = own personal lives. I=20 have known for a long time that some Christians are not aware of = something that=20 is blocking their way to the treasures in the inheritance of Christ that = come=20 with salvation. Many have been storing wonderful truths from the Bible = in their=20 hearts for twenty or thirty years; yet, it does not seem to have much of = an=20 effect on their daily life style. I never could understand why. This is=20 something that has puzzled me for a long time, but now I am beginning to = recognize what is causing their problem.
 
There they are, loaded down with the treasures of = love, peace,=20 patience, truth and righteousness, freely given to them; and even though = they=20 have it all, they personally don’t seem to be benefitting from it. = I couldn’t=20 help but cry out in my heart, asking our Lord why such a condition has = come upon=20 so many precious, dedicated people.
 
The answer recently came to me from a line in a = message, written=20 by a great evangelist, called Lighten The Ship. It was: "If = you don’t=20 surrender control, you can have a cargo of truth, yet not benefit from = it at=20 all."
 
I find that most people don’t realize the effect = of not=20 surrendering control; how many lives it destroys; how it prevents us = from=20 receiving our true riches in the inheritance of Christ. When I try to = warn some=20 about it, they wonder what I am talking about; many look at me as if I = am=20 speaking in a foreign language.
 
It has taken many years of seeing a lot of devastation = in=20 Christians’ lives before I realized the destruction that = controlling can cause.=20 And especially when complaining is added to it. (Complaining is one = symptom of=20 the advanced stages of controlling.) When complaining is added to = controlling,=20 it is like pouring gasoline on a raging fire! I have also seen the = devastation=20 that can come from being controlled, which is just the other side of the = coin of=20 being a controller.
 
There came a point in my journey through life when I = knew that I=20 would have to be willing to let God deal with the control issue = in my own=20 life. I got a view of how good life could be if I would give up = controlling or=20 give up being controlled. After that I asked the Great Physician to = operate on=20 me and do whatever it takes to get that control bug out of my = life.
 
At the time, I was thinking of a little procedure = where I would=20 just pray, receive a healing and that would be the end of it. I had no = idea what=20 I was getting into. Nor did I have any concept of the size of the roots = of=20 control that are embedded in human nature, or how deeply they are buried = in our=20 subconscious. Also, I did not realize how much of a satanic stronghold = we attack=20 when we stand up, using wisdom and faith, to resist a controller. But = what I did=20 know is that our Lord is the Wonderful Physician, so gentle, so kind and = so=20 patient. Year after year He keeps operating on me, little by little, = deeper and=20 deeper; and I don’t feel any pain, only love. As the roots of that = old control=20 cancer come out, rich treasures from Heaven come flowing in. Also, every = time a=20 stronghold of Satan is knocked down, a flood of freedom comes in.
 
Right now you may be having some smooth sailing = through life and=20 feel no need to deal with this control issue, or you may think it simply = just=20 doesn’t apply to you. Sometimes, when I remind God’s people = of the dangers, as I=20 see them entering into a control mode, it is like I have pushed their = anger=20 button. If you feel I am beginning to rock the boat, at least, know that = I am=20 doing it in love!
 
If you don’t want to let go of control or being = controlled . . .=20 hang on . . . for those two things are bound to generate some rough = waters! Many=20 disastrous storms on the Sea of Life could be avoided if we would simply = heed=20 the warning not to control—or be controlled (or complain). But = that is much=20 easier said than done.
 
There are two main courses that can be taken to avoid = control=20 storms: One is a hard route and is not that effective; the other is an = easy,=20 enjoyable course that can’t fail. The hard way is to just = don’t control or don’t=20 be controlled—or complain; in other words, try to control yourself = not to be a=20 controlling complainer. This will avoid some storms, even for those who = have not=20 yet come to the Lord.
 
But the easy, enjoyable, heavenly delightful and = unfailing way=20 to avoid control storms, is to simply live in the new creation we became = when we=20 received Christ as Lord and Savior (2 Cor.5:17). Another way to say the = same=20 thing is: Choose, moment by moment, to walk after the Spirit, not after = the=20 flesh (Rom.8:1).
 
Walking after the Spirit (living in the new creation) = is=20 believing and living in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We can = say we=20 are doing that, but if we are working to earn our righteousness, we are = just=20 talking rather than walking in the Spirit. We can say the blood of = Christ was=20 enough to wash away all our sins—past, present and = future—but if we live under=20 guilt and condemnation, we are not living in our new creation. If we are = not=20 willing to let go of control, we are not living in our true identity = (our new=20 creation), for Jesus is not a controller. His Life in us will not try to = control=20 people.
 
Walking after the flesh is easy, for it is a natural = (not=20 spiritual) thing to do. In some places in the Bible the flesh is = referred to as=20 the old sinful nature that was crucified with Christ on the cross. It is = sometimes referred to as the "old man" or the old self = (not the=20 new creation). Many well-intentioned people of God try to die to self, = which is=20 really walking in the flesh, because it is trying to do something that = Christ=20 has already done on the cross. The Bible tells us to deny self and to = reckon the=20 old man dead (Matt.16:24; Rom.6:6-11); and, by faith, to put on the new = man,=20 which is created by God in righteousness and true holiness = (Eph.4:22-24).
 
King David said to the Lord that his heart was not = haughty nor=20 were his eyes lofty, and that he did not exercise himself in matters or = things=20 too high for him; but that he behaved and quieted himself as a child = that is=20 weaned of its mother (Ps.131:1-2). Sometimes, that is how I feel when I = try to=20 apprehend the mysteries of God, which can only be grasped by faith. I = don’t know=20 and can’t explain how my old adamic nature, being = dead—having been nailed to the=20 cross with Christ—can still bother me so much here on earth, even = after knowing=20 I am safely placed in Christ. Perhaps that old dead thing is still, in a = way,=20 being used by the Lord; for it is teaching me the importance of walking = by faith=20 rather than feelings.
 
Walking in the Spirit is living in the new creation = and it is a=20 walk of faith. It is not a hard thing to do; in fact, we don’t = even have to try,=20 for it comes automatically—that is, if we simply stay close to our = Heavenly=20 Father by abiding in Jesus, the True Vine (Jn.15:4-5). =
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