Back to Galatians 2

Ga 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

The news is… the doing is not to be your focus.  Your focus is to your relationship with the Father.  I need to stop here because I just realized something.  I have known of Catholics that say they pray to Mary because it is easier and less threatening than praying to God.  A not worthy mentality… and you weren’t worthy either until what Jesus did for you to make you acceptable to the Father.  Here is my realization:  relating to Mary…okay I guess, as far as that can go… relating and having a brotherly love and friendship with Jesus, may seem odd to some… but to get past the God Almighty image, is just too hard for most.  Can you get to the position of Jesus where He could honestly say “Abba Father” or Daddy Daddy.   I remember hearing someone calling Him “Daddy” and I baulked at it , it sounded strange, foreign, pushy and childish.  A little later I remembered the verse, “Unless you become as a child…” …Selah (stop and think about that for awhile).

I am not belittling the Almighty God that we are now in relationship with, by any means, but there is an intimate side that to “live unto God” takes.  If you try to “live unto God” without that developing the open and close relationship first, you’ll find yourself into works still trying to get acceptance and trying to make yourself worthy to Him.  If you start with relationship then what you’ll end up doing is not for acceptance, but out of love and wanting to be part of what He is doing.  At this point we can see Paul’s logic to the Galatians when he called them foolish. “Hey! Did you get the Spirit because of what you did or what you believed?” (my phrasing). 

Saying a “Daddy” prayer is one thing. Can you say to someone “You want to know what my Daddy God said to me?”

A Shocking Verse

I recently found the Bible on mp3 (a free download version too) that didn’t want to make me gag, (it’s just sometimes the voices just are  intolerable to me).  Anyway, if I get up in the middle of the night I will turn on my laptop and start it playing.  The other day I woke up half groggy to this verse that I could not place although I knew it was in the book of Revelaton.  So here is what I heard:   "And I will kill her children with death”.   I could not determine the context, but  I knew it was Jesus talking and it just seemed a bit strong.  Not only was there a threat of killing, but as it says, killed with death!  I wanted to know  whose children and what's this killed with death bit.   As it turns out it is Jesus talking to the church at Thyatira, Rev.2:18-29.  The analysis of this church seems to start off pretty well, but then it turns not so pleasant:

20… to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

When it comes to these judgments and proclamations to these church groups I believe that: it was a real part of the Church at the time of writing, but also can be a for individual bodies that exist today and last each church represents  a church age.  As I looked as to when people thought the Thyatiran age was, it seemed to be placed between 600AD to 1500AD.  As I thought about this and the “killed by death” pronouncement I thought of the Black Plague which was active in the 1300s. During the plague  the conservative estimate is that  1/3 of Europe died and up to 75% in certain cities.  The plague not only destroyed the people but also the economy of those cities.  So not only did the people lose family members but the ability to buy and sell even food became hard if not impossible.  Killed by death indeed…  ouch.

Although I do like the end and hope presented:

Re 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

 28 And I will give him the morning star.

The good news is no matter what the “Christians” of the age are up to… you can go against the flow and overcome and get a special reward for those that make their relationship with God their priority.

It is sometimes good to look back

In this current age of compromise, change and influence brought upon us from all angles it is sometimes good to look back to materials written to see how and what people thought and believed.  Here is a link to a book I have enjoyed reading (and doing so again) written around 1900, The Hidden Life of Prayer, for those of you that are interested in joining me and reading it too.  http://www.spiritone.com/~wing/hiddnint.htm  (I make no endorsement with the web site or its theology).   It is very good and eye opening and there are all kinds of quotes from saints of the past. You'll have to renew your mind to some of the words used in association with God and prayer as we have twisted them and associated them with a singular meaning. Also recommend having a second window open to the footnote section, as you read, that they provide (below the chapter links), as some of the best stuff is in the footnotes.
  Here is a portion I ran across this morning in chapter 1..."The only remedy for this sluggish mood is that we should "rekindle our love," as Polycarp wrote to the Church in Ephesus, "in the blood of God." Let us ask for a fresh gift of the Holy Spirit to quicken our sluggish hearts, a new disclosure of the charity of God. The Spirit will help our infirmities, and the very compassion of the Son of God will fall upon us, clothing us with zeal as with a garment, stirring our affections into a most vehement flame, and filling our souls with heaven."  I have found it so much easier to pray and have (in the phraseology of this book see note on renewing your mind to old definitions of words above) continual and good intercourse with God when my soul is already full of heaven. Which in turn fills my soul with heaven  more and the cycle goes on.
I  want to continue in this vein for a moment to make you think and possibly blow a couple circuits (I really wanted to title this posting "Having intercourse with God", but figured it would shock too many of you and I wouldn't want to be the cause of your departure- death).  If you find yourself dry or lacking in the God life find yourself a quiet secluded spot (kind of like how you used to in your earlier years, if you catch my drift) but this time spend the time in quiet "intercourse" with the Father and renew and awaken yourself and get your soul full of heaven.  It may take several sessions to get past the fluff (and eventual walls we put up to keep Him and/or conviction out) that we so easily put in there from this world but He will help us if we'll just be honest and open.  I will close this off with another mind tweaking quote from the book.  " It has been said of Origen (in his own words) that his life was   "one unceasing supplication."   By this means above all others the perfect idea of the Christian life is realized. Intercourse between the believer and his Lord ought never to be interrupted."   Sorry to all you all you rigid ones out there but... It's the Viagra of the spiritual world in action with none of the side effects. For those of you having problems with this try interpreting intercourse this way- close and intimate relationship with God.  Now you can relax and breath again.

Please, pleased or pleasing

Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Let’s look at part of this verse and simplify it a little.                                               

Justified= made innocent

So,  Gal 2:16 “fact: no one is made innocent by doing things (preordained or made up by the individual) to try to get in God’s graces,”

It is not a situation of doing things to make you more acceptable for God.  If you are trying to do things, it needs to be because you are in a relationship with Him cause you’re one of His kids.  It is a fine line between trying to please and being pleasing.

Before we go on… does anyone have a problem with this?

Here is something I will bet you've never thought about!

  In the Gospels James' and John's mom came to Jesus and asked Him, "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom."   Jesus basically replied, "Sorry Charlie.  That's not mine to give."
But, in the book of Revelation He says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
  First, of all I have never pictured the two of them sitting in the same chair. Selah (pause and think on that)
  Second, I just see all these people wiggling and squirming around like little kids with their big brother on the big old easy chair.
I hope two things:

1. That He has a big throne so all of us fit!

2. That enough of us overcome that He has to get a bigger than planned model.

Abba, could you please take out the trash

Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 Here is the problem,  Paul in this verse writes that we would know something that is truly only known after you conceive it and is past the point of your thinking!  To know something without knowing it in your thinker… I believe the word or expression would rightly be to experience or truly feel the love of Christ.  There is only one place to do that and that would be in a place of communion with God.  Letting Him wash over you with His presence.  I picked up the book I referred to from Lenard Ravenhill (as mentioned in a previous posting) in the beginning it talks of a man named M’Cheyne, who said or wrote in a diary, “I ought to spend the best hours of the day in communion with God. It is the noblest and most fruitful employment, and is not to be trust into the corner”.

As I look at my life I always have found very easy to sit still for various activities(games, reading, tv or computer) but found it hard when it came to God.  In my journey with Him, I came to a spot of desperation and finally breakthrough,  where I found that I didn’t need to fill the time with words but found that just being there in quiet or with a worship song or two going (and I would recommend one or two, at the most, it’s less distracting but can set an ambiance of worship) I could deeply  meet with God. Simply put,  I was there just to meet with and be next to Him.  All the pressure is off and I am open for Him to do what He wants doing.  As I would meet with Him and He would in turn love on me, it started to change me, old habits and behaviors started to melt away without any struggle from my side other than I made sure I was there for and with Him.  It took the work out of my relationship with Him and I became the blob of clay that He could mold.  As you find your way and He fills you more and more and you experience His love for you, victory, change and healing will come. 

My advice for you is to:

1.       Keep it simple

2.       Shut up and don’t keep talking (Be still and know… that I am God.)

3.       Be faithful.  Just because you didn’t feel anything the first day, week or maybe even a month the change is coming, the seed is planted, it is growing and will spring out at anytime.

4.       Quiet your mind.  If some important item comes up write it on a pad to look at later. The only thing to think on, if you must, should be Him.  If a sin comes to mind confess it and move on.  DON’T LET YOURSELF GET DISTRACTED!  It does take practice to still the mind and activity without falling asleep (and that will happen too).  Be open, invite Him to meet with you and tell Him you are there to just be there with Him and meet with Him.

Remember:  Garbage in …God out.  But… God in... garbage out!

I would love to hear your past, present or, soon to be, future experiences knowing the love of God.  Email me at shadowofagreatrock@gmail.com and let me know if I could post some of them with or without identity attached.

Innies Make for Faster Outies

Years ago I got an old book that my father -in-law had gotten from Lenard Ravenhill.  It was a compilation of saints gone by that sought after the heart of God.  The book always drew me (kinda like that last donut that is sitting in the next room that knows your name).  I would take it out in the woods, especially during deer season, and read and reread, I think its time to find it once more. 

  While describing my latest blog on Facebook, the phrase “garbage in, God out and God in, garbage out” flowed from my keyboard.  I would love to take credit for it, but as usual, God does things through people that at first think, “that was good”.  He’s so funny, at times.  Then you realize He dropped that in and you are just relating Him and His principles for the helping of others (and yourself).  And you laugh at your little “creative self”. 

The more of His Word and the more into relationship or fellowship with Him you get, the more the old will fade and the attraction for the old will dissipate.  Please note here the emphasis on the and in the last sentence, having a purely scriptural walk with God dries you out and makes you brittle, just a personal fellowship walk will eventually make you fruity, flaky and off course.  If you however put the guidance and stability of the Word with the oil of the Holy Spirit you will be effective and victorious. 

Are you fighting a losing battle?  Stop fighting and bring God into you and your situation.  Sometimes the battle takes our focus… remember the verse…  “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith”?    I know its taking this verse out of context but it works as a principle here, “…look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Lk.21:28   Your focus needs to be on Him and the victory that He has provided for you, instead of your condition or circumstance you are in. Your focus on the situation causes worry and stress over the apparent defeat that is looming . 

The crowding principle:   2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Again, one in the other out, “either you will love the one and hate the other or…”  There is no room for both.  Bring Him in.  Not just into your situation but make room and time for Him in and with you.  You don’t have much you can give Him… except your time which includes and is you!