Over the last few days I have felt the Holy Spirit dealing with a subject inside of me that just wasn't quite clear. In those days several things have happened to open up the message He was saying. In the next few minutes I pray that every word He wants said is written. It has touched my heart and brought great insight to our Father's love for us beyond anything I have heard before.
For years I have felt God expressing to me how great He truly is for us. He has purposely continued to keep me on the same subject for months. The Holy Spirit would say it different ways, but as I followed, the message was always the same. I want you to understand that Satan enjoys confusing us. Whether he knows that our Father is in control of what's going on or not, is still not clear to me. Leading up to this message, the Holy Spirit reminded me of how Satan thought he had defeated God when he killed Jesus. The great revelation I saw, was that God was in control all through the sacrifice of His Son. Our Father along with Jesus, knew the only possible way for us to receive what God wanted for us, was for this sacrifice to take place. You know this had to be a difficult experience for our Father and Jesus. Yet it was fulfilled. Victory was accomplished. The pathway for us had been finished. In fact, those very words were spoken at the completion of the task, "It is finished"!!!
We can see that what Satan thought was going to defeat the plan, was actually the very thing that had to be done for the plan to come together. This leads me to what has been placed heavily on my heart from the Spirit. For many of us, we get up every day feeling this pressure to be this certain kind of person. We try and do our best to succeed and yet we fail, or at least that is how we feel. We find ourselves getting caught in a trap. It's this up and down in our life that gets to us. We feel that we are making some ground and all of a sudden, it happens. We make that next mistake. That same one I thought I had overcome. Satan steps up and reminds me of my failure and causes me to feel departure in my standing with God. He is gracious enough to let me know that I had made some progress, but that I need to go back and work even harder. He wants to make us think that we can accomplish this feat and to keep on working at it. This is where most of us are making our biggest mistake. This attitude of failing causes us much grief and takes us up and down in our feelings. Oh how we want to make it. We desire so much for that peace of knowing we are doing the right things. It only makes sense at trying to be the best Christian we can be. And when we fall down or move backwards it sort of destroys us. In that thought we have tremendous support from Satan.
Here is some great news!! God is in control!! Just as Satan thought he had defeated God when he killed Jesus, he feels that exact same thing when he thinks he is robbing us of our Father's joy. Here is some breaking news, God knows what He is doing. Amidst this turmoil and trouble, victory is growing deeper in our life. The very thing Satan uses against us, which is allowed by God, is the very thing that delivers us!! God knows. Can you say praise the Lord? Thank you Jesus!! This confidence and joy we seek, is being delivered to us from our Father. We are safe and secure in Jesus. Go back with me to the cross when we heard Jesus say, "It is finished". Our Father called us out. We heard Him touch our heart. The Holy Spirit reached in and moved us to respond to this call. We found out that we were lost. We had sinned and been cut off from God. But because of how great His love for us was, we reached out and accepted this wonderful love offering, sacrifice, for our sin. God made it perfectly clear that He provided the way for our debt to be paid. Jesus took on all my sin and yours. He paid the price. The moment we accepted it was over, FINISHED!! We no longer could be cut off from our Father. We no longer could lose!! Everything that was needed or ever would be needed was done on the cross. That includes the success of mine and your life. Jesus took on that responsibility and completed it on the cross. That's why God says He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. That includes us. Upon accepting Jesus, God started it and He finishes it.
Stay close to me here, this battle we go through every day is not our responsibility. When God allows Satan to turn us upside down, inside out, and every which way, He is leading us to see how foolish Satan is to think he can destroy us. Our Father is leading us back to the cross. When we can see that it is finished, we can be set free. We can find this peace we are looking for. Why should we care about those things we label defeat if it reveals the truth about the cross? We won't. Instead of us standing toe to toe with Satan, we will instruct him to take that lie to Jesus. We will tell him to go and try to take it away from Jesus. We will find ourselves not feeling any defeat or think we are being punished, but instead being matured and lead to see the wonderful power of the CROSS!! We will be confident that only good can come out of my suffering. That only good can fill my life through those things I go through. Instead of it having any power over me, the power of the truth, the cross, and who Jesus is will keep me steady, and lead me through each step. Now I can confidently proclaim the truth, because our Father has us standing on top of it. I can live the truth because our Father has released it to me. No more can Satan confuse me about what's going on. I'm not saying I want fall anymore. I'm not saying things want happen in my life any more. I'm just saying they can't make me think I am being defeated any more!! I thank the Lord for revealing my weaknesses and my misunderstandings. I thank Him for showing me that it all has been taken care of. I thank Him for allowing me to see that I can't lose!! I thank Him for showing me that He has taken the responsibility to see it through. I thank Him for loving me in the way He does. Cast all your cares upon Me!! Be still and know that I am God!! Praise Him for the corrections He brings, which in turn develops us into being able to stand in His victory. The battle has already been won. We need not ask for anything for everything has already been given. We no longer will perceive that God is the Alpha and we are the Omega!! It is FINISHED!! We can't lose!!
Thank you Jesus,
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Walking To The Storm
Have you ever been taken away by the approaching of a storm? Things get exciting. The weather channels start broadcasting about the possibilities in front of us. High winds, heavy rain, dangerous lightning, thunder, hail, sleet, freezing rain, and snow. Warnings start popping up well in advance. We actually can watch the movement of where it is heading from town to town. All kind of emotions are moving through us. It's hard to describe how we feel it that particular moment.
This is going to sound funny, but I really enjoy a good storm. Being able to see the display of the awesome power of nature, knowing God has total control over it. It really can be a thing of beauty. Isn't lightning beautiful? To see it flash across the sky, lighting every thing up as far as the eye can see. Hearing the rolling thunder that comes from that flash in the sky. Sometimes it seems it rolls on for ever. The wind slowly picks up and then gets stronger and stronger. The trees bend back and forth. Outside umbrellas look as though they are about to snap, and sometimes they do. All kinds of objects blowing down the street. The sound of hail hitting against the house or carport. It sounds as if a song is being played. Or how about the beautiful snow. It starts out as just a few small flakes falling and it gradually grows to a heavier snow. It begins to blanket the ground and roads, until finally this wonderful piece of art has been painted by our Father. I find myself truly admiring the wonder of it all. It captures every ounce of my attention. It's an awesome display of the creation of God.
During the storm every thing seems to happen so fast. It's gone about as fast as it came. Yet as we look out, there are remnants every where. We all seem to be safe and stand in amazement. We gradually start the clean up just waiting for the next time.
I think this is some what how the storms of our life take place. When they start, everything seems to go haywire. We can't describe how we feel. Our emotions are going about a million miles a minute. After it passes, we start the clean up waiting for the next time. What if we could look at the storms in our life as I mentioned above. When we word things a certain way, they don't seem so bad. What if we could see the greatness of our Father's presence and power when our life storms start approaching. What if we could see the beauty of the aspects of the storm. You know as time has gone on, our ability to predict when and where storms will hit have gotten a lot better. The facilities we have built have been built to sustain the storms. The seriousness of the storm has become easier to predict. We can now tell if it was an F1 or an F5. How has that happened? We have experienced what happens in the definition of each storm. I think our life storms do the same thing for us. We see them coming quicker than we used to. We can also see the seriousness of the storm easier. We can see how sever the storm will be before it hits. Why? Because we have experienced the storms. Fewer and fewer lives are lost due to storms now than used to be. Why? Because we have greater radar than we have ever had. I think this is true in our life storms now. Why? Because we have greater radar than we have ever had. Because of our experiences, we can see the storm coming. God has provided us with the ability to make our structures and foundations more solid. He has brought us to avoid where our weaknesses live and taken us to another side. He has brought us to Him where we have found can survive any storm. He has given us confidence that we have never had before. That confidence lies in Him. We have found that we can give our life to him and allow him to protect us from the storms. He is our shield of defense. We stand behind Him peering out from the side, standing in amazement of seeing Him work. It is astonishing to see what He does. Time and time again He has walked us through. Just as He will always do. Isn't it enough to make us shout? Isn't it enough for tears of joy to well up in our eyes? Isn't it enough for us to tell everyone why we are so excited? Isn't it enough for us to share who He is for all those who are hurting? Oh, Hallelujah, praise His name!! Our Father is always on the job watching over us continually. There is a day approaching!! We can see it coming!! Why? Because of our experiences. All of this will be summed up and the race will be finished. And we will be standing behind our Lord peering from the side. He will reach around us and say it's now o.k. to come up here with me. And joy will ring throughout the heavens. A celebration will take place like none seen before. And we all will bow our heads in admiration of who our great Father is. We will be filled totally by His love and it will pour profusely through us without any effort.
Until that day, God gives us all of Himself, to live with Him safe and secure. Walking us every step of the way. Reach over and tell someone how GREAT HE IS just for you. Then let them know they mean the same thing to Him as you do. He is their Father wanting them to reach out and take His hand. Our God is greater than anything. In this day and age with all that is going on, we can stand behind our shield knowing that nothing can take it down. He will walk us all the way.
Fear no evil, walk to the storm,
with all my love,
This is going to sound funny, but I really enjoy a good storm. Being able to see the display of the awesome power of nature, knowing God has total control over it. It really can be a thing of beauty. Isn't lightning beautiful? To see it flash across the sky, lighting every thing up as far as the eye can see. Hearing the rolling thunder that comes from that flash in the sky. Sometimes it seems it rolls on for ever. The wind slowly picks up and then gets stronger and stronger. The trees bend back and forth. Outside umbrellas look as though they are about to snap, and sometimes they do. All kinds of objects blowing down the street. The sound of hail hitting against the house or carport. It sounds as if a song is being played. Or how about the beautiful snow. It starts out as just a few small flakes falling and it gradually grows to a heavier snow. It begins to blanket the ground and roads, until finally this wonderful piece of art has been painted by our Father. I find myself truly admiring the wonder of it all. It captures every ounce of my attention. It's an awesome display of the creation of God.
During the storm every thing seems to happen so fast. It's gone about as fast as it came. Yet as we look out, there are remnants every where. We all seem to be safe and stand in amazement. We gradually start the clean up just waiting for the next time.
I think this is some what how the storms of our life take place. When they start, everything seems to go haywire. We can't describe how we feel. Our emotions are going about a million miles a minute. After it passes, we start the clean up waiting for the next time. What if we could look at the storms in our life as I mentioned above. When we word things a certain way, they don't seem so bad. What if we could see the greatness of our Father's presence and power when our life storms start approaching. What if we could see the beauty of the aspects of the storm. You know as time has gone on, our ability to predict when and where storms will hit have gotten a lot better. The facilities we have built have been built to sustain the storms. The seriousness of the storm has become easier to predict. We can now tell if it was an F1 or an F5. How has that happened? We have experienced what happens in the definition of each storm. I think our life storms do the same thing for us. We see them coming quicker than we used to. We can also see the seriousness of the storm easier. We can see how sever the storm will be before it hits. Why? Because we have experienced the storms. Fewer and fewer lives are lost due to storms now than used to be. Why? Because we have greater radar than we have ever had. I think this is true in our life storms now. Why? Because we have greater radar than we have ever had. Because of our experiences, we can see the storm coming. God has provided us with the ability to make our structures and foundations more solid. He has brought us to avoid where our weaknesses live and taken us to another side. He has brought us to Him where we have found can survive any storm. He has given us confidence that we have never had before. That confidence lies in Him. We have found that we can give our life to him and allow him to protect us from the storms. He is our shield of defense. We stand behind Him peering out from the side, standing in amazement of seeing Him work. It is astonishing to see what He does. Time and time again He has walked us through. Just as He will always do. Isn't it enough to make us shout? Isn't it enough for tears of joy to well up in our eyes? Isn't it enough for us to tell everyone why we are so excited? Isn't it enough for us to share who He is for all those who are hurting? Oh, Hallelujah, praise His name!! Our Father is always on the job watching over us continually. There is a day approaching!! We can see it coming!! Why? Because of our experiences. All of this will be summed up and the race will be finished. And we will be standing behind our Lord peering from the side. He will reach around us and say it's now o.k. to come up here with me. And joy will ring throughout the heavens. A celebration will take place like none seen before. And we all will bow our heads in admiration of who our great Father is. We will be filled totally by His love and it will pour profusely through us without any effort.
Until that day, God gives us all of Himself, to live with Him safe and secure. Walking us every step of the way. Reach over and tell someone how GREAT HE IS just for you. Then let them know they mean the same thing to Him as you do. He is their Father wanting them to reach out and take His hand. Our God is greater than anything. In this day and age with all that is going on, we can stand behind our shield knowing that nothing can take it down. He will walk us all the way.
Fear no evil, walk to the storm,
with all my love,
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Life Of Feeling
As I sit here studying and reading The Spiritual Man by Watchmen Nee, I just had to share with you this particular portion. Bear with me, it's long.
A Believer's Experience
When Christians become affectionately attached to the Lord they are usually experiencing a life of feeling. Such an experience for them is most precious. These Christians often assume this kind of emotional experience to be most spiritual and most heavenly since it is encountered primarily after release from sin and affords them great pleasure. The delight it bestows is so satisfactory that they find it difficult to cut loose and forsake it.
During this period the believer senses the nearness of the Lord, so near that the hands can almost touch Him. He is alive to the delicate sweetness of the Lord's love as well as gripped by his own intense love towards the Lord. A fire seems to be burning in his heart; it leaves him with an unspeakable joy which makes him feel he is already in heaven. Something is heaving in his bosom, yielding indescribable pleasure, as though he were in possession of a priceless treasure. This sensation continues with him as he walks and works. Whenever the believer passes through this type of experience he wonders where his abode is, for he seems to have shed his earthly tent and now soars away with the angels.
For the moment Bible reading becomes a real delight. The more he reads the more joyous he feels. Prayer is also very easy. How wonderful to pour out his heart to God. The more he communes the brighter the heavenly light shines. He is able to make many decisions before the Lord which indicates how much he loves him. Great is his longing to be quiet and alone with God; if only he could close his door forever and commune with the Lord his joy would be full, for no tongue can speak nor pen write of the joy that lies therein. Formerly he was gregarious, as though crowds and individuals could satisfy his needs; but today he cherishes solitude because what he could derive from the crowds can never be compared to the joy he now receives when alone with his Lord. He favors seclusion more than companionship for fear that among men he may lose his joy.
Moreover, service assumes considerable spontaneity. Hitherto he appeared to have nothing to say, but now with the fire of love aglow in his heart he experiences multiplied pleasure in telling others of the Lord. The more he speaks the more anxious he is to speak. To suffer for the Lord becomes sweet to him. Since he senses Him so near and dear, he gladly embraces the thought of martyrdom. All burdens turn light and all hardships grow easy.
With such a consciousness of the closeness of the Lord, the Christian's outward conduct also undergoes change. In days gone by he was fond of talking, yet currently he is able to remain silent. In his heart he may even criticize others who talk incessantly. Previously he was rather frivolous, today he is quite serious. Very sensitive is he to any ungodliness appearing in other brethren, for which he judges them sternly. In a word, the Christian at this stage is increasingly careful about his outward deportment as well as possessed with more insight into the shortcomings of others.
Such a person always secretly pities those who are lacking in his experience. He estimates his joy to be most excellent; how pitiable his brethren know nothing of it. While he watches other brothers and sisters serving the Lord coldly and quietly, he considers their lives tasteless. Must not his be the highest life since he is flushed with the joy of God? It seems to him that he himself is floating on the clouds above the mountains while ordinary saints are plodding along down in the valley.
Does this kind of experience last long however? Can one possess such exultation daily and be happy for life? Most of us cannot maintain such an experience for very long. And so what grieves the believer most is that upon enjoying such an experience-generally speaking, for about a month or two-his most beloved joy suddenly vanishes. He rises as usual in the morning to read his bible yet where is the former sweetness? He prays as before but finds himself exhausted after a few words. He feels as if he has lost something. Not long ago he was judging others for being far behind him in the spiritual race, but now he considers himself to be one of them. His heart has turned cold; the earlier sense of a fire burning within has been smothered. No longer is he conscious of the presence and proximity of the Lord; instead the Lord appears to be quite remote from him. He now begins to wonder where the Lord has gone. To suffer becomes a real suffering now because he cannot sense any more the former joy he had in suffering. Moreover, he has lost interest in preaching: he no longer feels like continuing on after saying but a few words. In sum, during such an episode everything seems to be dark, dry, cold and dead. It appears to the believer as though he has been abandoned by the Lord in a tomb; nothing can comfort his heart. His former expectation of lasting bliss has faded completely away.
At this moment the child of God will naturally surmise that he must have sinned and that the Lord has consequently forsaken him (for if he had not sinned, he reasons, the Lord would not have withdrawn His presence, would He?). Accordingly, he probably sets about scrutinizing his recent conduct, trying to ascertain how he has sinned against the Lord. He hopes that upon confession the Lord will return and replenish him with that previous feeling of intimacy and high spirits. As he examines himself, however, he cannot detect any special sin; he seems to be just the same as before. And so the believer once more resumes his inward inquiry: IE today's condition provokes the Lord to depart from me, he asks himself, why did He not forsake me before? And if I have not sinned, then I say again why has the Lord left me? The believer is completely mystified. He can only conclude that he must have sinned against the Lord somewhere and hence his forsaken condition. And Satan accuses him too, reinforcing the false notion that he has actually sinned. Wherefore he cries in prayer to the Lord for forgiveness, hoping to regain what he has lost.
The believer's prayer is none the less ineffectual. Not only is he unable to have the lost experience instantly restored; he also day by day grows colder and drier in his feelings. He loses interest in everything. Previously he could pray for hours: today even a few minutes becomes forced. He has no inclination to pray at all. The reading of the Bible, which in the past greatly interested him, currently looms before him as a massive rock from which he can derive no nourishment. He experiences no pleasure when fellowshiping with others or undertaking any task; he engages in these affairs merely because a Christian is expected to do them. All is dull and forced.
Confronted by such a sensation some Christians, not all, shrink back. Many matters which they know belong to God's will are left undone because they have fallen into despondency. Many duties go unfulfilled. Their former conduct which they had corrected during the period of ecstasy returns to them. What they pitied others for in earlier days has presently become their own experience. They adopt talkative, frivolous, jesting and fun=loving manners. Although they had undergone a change, that change did not last.
When a child of God is stripped of his joyous feeling, he concludes that all is gone. Since he no longer senses the Lord's presence, surely the Lord cannot possibly be with him. If he does not feel the warm affection of the Lord. he most certainly must have displeased Him. As this experience lengthens, the believer seems to lose even the sense of God. He will therefore seek earnestly to recover what he has lost, so long as he does not faint in his heart. For does he not love the Lord and has he not longed to be near Him? How can he abide the absence of the sensing of God's love?
He goes forth to find God. He struggles to free himself from this desolate state, but without success. Even when he can force himself into manifesting some good conduct, his heart secretly condemns him as being a hypocritical. It is not easy for him to succeed in anything for his failures are many. This naturally intensifies his suffering. If anyone should praise him at this moment he is keenly embarrassed, because no one can appreciate how miserable he is inside. On the other hand if anyone should blame him, he senses the rightness of it because he understands his own weakness. He deeply admires those who are advancing in the Lord and who are having sweet communion with Him. He looks upon all others around him as better than he since they each possess some measure of good while he has not a shred.
Will this barren condition continue forever? Or will he regain his former experience? What usually happens is as follows. After awhile, perhaps within a few weeks, the coveted feeling suddenly returns to him. This may occur at the hour of listening to a sermon, or following earnest prayer in his early morning devotion or during his midnight meditation. The times varies but the joy does return. During this break in the believer's condition, all which had been forfeited is restored. The presence of the Lord is as precious as before; the glow of love fires up again in his bosom; prayer and Bible reading become sweet as in days gone by; and the Lord is so lovely and so approachable that He can almost be touched. To draw nigh to Him is not a burden but the pleasure of his heart. Everything is transformed: no more darkness, suffering and staleness: all is now light, joy and refreshment. Since he considers his unfaithfulness the reason for the Lord's departure, he thereafter uses all diligence to preserve what is regained, lest he be deprived of this life of feeling all over again. His outward conduct is more careful than ever; he serves the Lord daily with all his strength, hoping to sustain his joy and never again fail as before.
Yet strange as it may seem, despite all his faithfulness, the Lord shortly afterwards leaves the saint once more. His transport of delight has altogether taken flight. He again slumps into anguish, blackness, and barrenness.
If we examine the biography of many Christians we discover that this type of experience is shared by many after they have been delivered from sin and encounter God as a Person. Initially the Lord causes them to sense His love, His presence, His joy. But soon such feelings disappears. It subsequently comes back, rendering them extremely happy; not long afterwards, though, it vanishes a second time. At least several times the Christian undergoes these come and go occurrences. Such phenomena will not happen while he is still fleshly, before he learns to love the Lord; only after he has made some progress spiritually and begun to love the Lord will he meet with this kind of situation.
The Meaning Of This Experience
According to the believer's interpretation, he is at his spiritual peak when in possession of the wonderful feeling: he is at his lowest when deprived of it. He often characterizes his walk as full of ups and downs. By this he means that while he is feeling joyful, loving the Lord and s ensing His presence he is at his spiritual best; but if his inward sensation is marked by dryness and pain he must be at his spiritual worst. In other words, he is spiritual so long as the warm fire of love is burning in his heart but soulish if his heart turns icy cold. Such is the common notion among Christians. Is it accurate? It is totally inaccurate. Unless we understand how it is wrong we shall suffer defeat to the very end.
A Christian should recognize that "feeling" is exclusively a part of the soul. When he lives by sensation, no matter what the kind, he is being soulish. During the period that he feels joyful, is loving the Lord and senses His presence, he is walking by feeling; likewise, during the period that he feels just the opposite he is still walking by feeling. Just as he is soulish whose life and labor are dictated by a refreshing, bright and joyous sensation, so is he equally soulish whose walk and work are determined by a dry, gloomy and painful one. A real spiritual life is never dominated by, nor lived in, feeling. Rather does it regulate feeling. Nowadays Christians mistake a life of feeling for spiritual experience. This is because many have never entered into genuine spirituality and hence interpret happy sensation to be spiritual experience. They do not know that such feeling is still soulical. Only what occurs in the intuition is spiritual experience-the rest is merely soulical activity.
It is here that Christians make one of the grossest mistakes. Under the stimulation of emotion a child of God may feel he has ascended to heaven. And naturally he assumes he has an ascended life. But he does not realize this is solely how he feels. He thinks he possesses the Lord whenever he is conscious of His presence, yet he believes he has lost the Lord whenever he cannot sense Him; once more he knows not that this is but the way he feels. He thinks he is truly loving the Lord as he senses a warmth in his heart; but should there be no burning sensation then he concludes that he has veritably lost his love for Him; yet again he is ignorant of the truth that such are only his feelings. We know that fact may not agree with feeling for the latter is exceedingly untrustworthy. Indeed whether one senses much or senses nothing, the fact remains he is unchanged. He may feel he is progressing and yet may make no progress at all; he may likewise feel he is regressing and yet may not regress in the slightest. These are simply his feelings. When full of lively stirrings he reckons he is advancing spiritually; this, however, is just a time of emotional excitement which soon will subside to its former state. The working of emotion seems to assist soulical people to advance but the working of the Spirit causes spiritual men to advance. The progress of the former is false; only what is attained in the power of the Holy Spirit is true.
There is so much more but it's pushing 2:oo in the morning and I have a meeting at 9:00. I know that the Holy Spirit is teaching us on a regular basis. He is removing this soulical, flesh life we lean on continually. God will complete the work for us. It's an exciting thing to understand that my feelings have nothing to do with the truth. It's also exciting to realize that when the Holy Spirit empowers us with this understanding, the things that shake us today will have no power over us tomorrow. Our Father is the power behind all truth. It works period and is not dependent on me assisting Him with it. Our greatest decision and moment in our life was the second we asked Jesus to save us. God's word fulfilled the request because it is the truth. It did it. From that moment on Our Father took over. He will finish in us what He started. We can state that with all confidence because it is up to Him. We know we can count on Him to do what He has said.
I will continue this later. It gets even better. Next we will find out what is God's aim for this process to happen to us.
Love you,
A Believer's Experience
When Christians become affectionately attached to the Lord they are usually experiencing a life of feeling. Such an experience for them is most precious. These Christians often assume this kind of emotional experience to be most spiritual and most heavenly since it is encountered primarily after release from sin and affords them great pleasure. The delight it bestows is so satisfactory that they find it difficult to cut loose and forsake it.
During this period the believer senses the nearness of the Lord, so near that the hands can almost touch Him. He is alive to the delicate sweetness of the Lord's love as well as gripped by his own intense love towards the Lord. A fire seems to be burning in his heart; it leaves him with an unspeakable joy which makes him feel he is already in heaven. Something is heaving in his bosom, yielding indescribable pleasure, as though he were in possession of a priceless treasure. This sensation continues with him as he walks and works. Whenever the believer passes through this type of experience he wonders where his abode is, for he seems to have shed his earthly tent and now soars away with the angels.
For the moment Bible reading becomes a real delight. The more he reads the more joyous he feels. Prayer is also very easy. How wonderful to pour out his heart to God. The more he communes the brighter the heavenly light shines. He is able to make many decisions before the Lord which indicates how much he loves him. Great is his longing to be quiet and alone with God; if only he could close his door forever and commune with the Lord his joy would be full, for no tongue can speak nor pen write of the joy that lies therein. Formerly he was gregarious, as though crowds and individuals could satisfy his needs; but today he cherishes solitude because what he could derive from the crowds can never be compared to the joy he now receives when alone with his Lord. He favors seclusion more than companionship for fear that among men he may lose his joy.
Moreover, service assumes considerable spontaneity. Hitherto he appeared to have nothing to say, but now with the fire of love aglow in his heart he experiences multiplied pleasure in telling others of the Lord. The more he speaks the more anxious he is to speak. To suffer for the Lord becomes sweet to him. Since he senses Him so near and dear, he gladly embraces the thought of martyrdom. All burdens turn light and all hardships grow easy.
With such a consciousness of the closeness of the Lord, the Christian's outward conduct also undergoes change. In days gone by he was fond of talking, yet currently he is able to remain silent. In his heart he may even criticize others who talk incessantly. Previously he was rather frivolous, today he is quite serious. Very sensitive is he to any ungodliness appearing in other brethren, for which he judges them sternly. In a word, the Christian at this stage is increasingly careful about his outward deportment as well as possessed with more insight into the shortcomings of others.
Such a person always secretly pities those who are lacking in his experience. He estimates his joy to be most excellent; how pitiable his brethren know nothing of it. While he watches other brothers and sisters serving the Lord coldly and quietly, he considers their lives tasteless. Must not his be the highest life since he is flushed with the joy of God? It seems to him that he himself is floating on the clouds above the mountains while ordinary saints are plodding along down in the valley.
Does this kind of experience last long however? Can one possess such exultation daily and be happy for life? Most of us cannot maintain such an experience for very long. And so what grieves the believer most is that upon enjoying such an experience-generally speaking, for about a month or two-his most beloved joy suddenly vanishes. He rises as usual in the morning to read his bible yet where is the former sweetness? He prays as before but finds himself exhausted after a few words. He feels as if he has lost something. Not long ago he was judging others for being far behind him in the spiritual race, but now he considers himself to be one of them. His heart has turned cold; the earlier sense of a fire burning within has been smothered. No longer is he conscious of the presence and proximity of the Lord; instead the Lord appears to be quite remote from him. He now begins to wonder where the Lord has gone. To suffer becomes a real suffering now because he cannot sense any more the former joy he had in suffering. Moreover, he has lost interest in preaching: he no longer feels like continuing on after saying but a few words. In sum, during such an episode everything seems to be dark, dry, cold and dead. It appears to the believer as though he has been abandoned by the Lord in a tomb; nothing can comfort his heart. His former expectation of lasting bliss has faded completely away.
At this moment the child of God will naturally surmise that he must have sinned and that the Lord has consequently forsaken him (for if he had not sinned, he reasons, the Lord would not have withdrawn His presence, would He?). Accordingly, he probably sets about scrutinizing his recent conduct, trying to ascertain how he has sinned against the Lord. He hopes that upon confession the Lord will return and replenish him with that previous feeling of intimacy and high spirits. As he examines himself, however, he cannot detect any special sin; he seems to be just the same as before. And so the believer once more resumes his inward inquiry: IE today's condition provokes the Lord to depart from me, he asks himself, why did He not forsake me before? And if I have not sinned, then I say again why has the Lord left me? The believer is completely mystified. He can only conclude that he must have sinned against the Lord somewhere and hence his forsaken condition. And Satan accuses him too, reinforcing the false notion that he has actually sinned. Wherefore he cries in prayer to the Lord for forgiveness, hoping to regain what he has lost.
The believer's prayer is none the less ineffectual. Not only is he unable to have the lost experience instantly restored; he also day by day grows colder and drier in his feelings. He loses interest in everything. Previously he could pray for hours: today even a few minutes becomes forced. He has no inclination to pray at all. The reading of the Bible, which in the past greatly interested him, currently looms before him as a massive rock from which he can derive no nourishment. He experiences no pleasure when fellowshiping with others or undertaking any task; he engages in these affairs merely because a Christian is expected to do them. All is dull and forced.
Confronted by such a sensation some Christians, not all, shrink back. Many matters which they know belong to God's will are left undone because they have fallen into despondency. Many duties go unfulfilled. Their former conduct which they had corrected during the period of ecstasy returns to them. What they pitied others for in earlier days has presently become their own experience. They adopt talkative, frivolous, jesting and fun=loving manners. Although they had undergone a change, that change did not last.
When a child of God is stripped of his joyous feeling, he concludes that all is gone. Since he no longer senses the Lord's presence, surely the Lord cannot possibly be with him. If he does not feel the warm affection of the Lord. he most certainly must have displeased Him. As this experience lengthens, the believer seems to lose even the sense of God. He will therefore seek earnestly to recover what he has lost, so long as he does not faint in his heart. For does he not love the Lord and has he not longed to be near Him? How can he abide the absence of the sensing of God's love?
He goes forth to find God. He struggles to free himself from this desolate state, but without success. Even when he can force himself into manifesting some good conduct, his heart secretly condemns him as being a hypocritical. It is not easy for him to succeed in anything for his failures are many. This naturally intensifies his suffering. If anyone should praise him at this moment he is keenly embarrassed, because no one can appreciate how miserable he is inside. On the other hand if anyone should blame him, he senses the rightness of it because he understands his own weakness. He deeply admires those who are advancing in the Lord and who are having sweet communion with Him. He looks upon all others around him as better than he since they each possess some measure of good while he has not a shred.
Will this barren condition continue forever? Or will he regain his former experience? What usually happens is as follows. After awhile, perhaps within a few weeks, the coveted feeling suddenly returns to him. This may occur at the hour of listening to a sermon, or following earnest prayer in his early morning devotion or during his midnight meditation. The times varies but the joy does return. During this break in the believer's condition, all which had been forfeited is restored. The presence of the Lord is as precious as before; the glow of love fires up again in his bosom; prayer and Bible reading become sweet as in days gone by; and the Lord is so lovely and so approachable that He can almost be touched. To draw nigh to Him is not a burden but the pleasure of his heart. Everything is transformed: no more darkness, suffering and staleness: all is now light, joy and refreshment. Since he considers his unfaithfulness the reason for the Lord's departure, he thereafter uses all diligence to preserve what is regained, lest he be deprived of this life of feeling all over again. His outward conduct is more careful than ever; he serves the Lord daily with all his strength, hoping to sustain his joy and never again fail as before.
Yet strange as it may seem, despite all his faithfulness, the Lord shortly afterwards leaves the saint once more. His transport of delight has altogether taken flight. He again slumps into anguish, blackness, and barrenness.
If we examine the biography of many Christians we discover that this type of experience is shared by many after they have been delivered from sin and encounter God as a Person. Initially the Lord causes them to sense His love, His presence, His joy. But soon such feelings disappears. It subsequently comes back, rendering them extremely happy; not long afterwards, though, it vanishes a second time. At least several times the Christian undergoes these come and go occurrences. Such phenomena will not happen while he is still fleshly, before he learns to love the Lord; only after he has made some progress spiritually and begun to love the Lord will he meet with this kind of situation.
The Meaning Of This Experience
According to the believer's interpretation, he is at his spiritual peak when in possession of the wonderful feeling: he is at his lowest when deprived of it. He often characterizes his walk as full of ups and downs. By this he means that while he is feeling joyful, loving the Lord and s ensing His presence he is at his spiritual best; but if his inward sensation is marked by dryness and pain he must be at his spiritual worst. In other words, he is spiritual so long as the warm fire of love is burning in his heart but soulish if his heart turns icy cold. Such is the common notion among Christians. Is it accurate? It is totally inaccurate. Unless we understand how it is wrong we shall suffer defeat to the very end.
A Christian should recognize that "feeling" is exclusively a part of the soul. When he lives by sensation, no matter what the kind, he is being soulish. During the period that he feels joyful, is loving the Lord and senses His presence, he is walking by feeling; likewise, during the period that he feels just the opposite he is still walking by feeling. Just as he is soulish whose life and labor are dictated by a refreshing, bright and joyous sensation, so is he equally soulish whose walk and work are determined by a dry, gloomy and painful one. A real spiritual life is never dominated by, nor lived in, feeling. Rather does it regulate feeling. Nowadays Christians mistake a life of feeling for spiritual experience. This is because many have never entered into genuine spirituality and hence interpret happy sensation to be spiritual experience. They do not know that such feeling is still soulical. Only what occurs in the intuition is spiritual experience-the rest is merely soulical activity.
It is here that Christians make one of the grossest mistakes. Under the stimulation of emotion a child of God may feel he has ascended to heaven. And naturally he assumes he has an ascended life. But he does not realize this is solely how he feels. He thinks he possesses the Lord whenever he is conscious of His presence, yet he believes he has lost the Lord whenever he cannot sense Him; once more he knows not that this is but the way he feels. He thinks he is truly loving the Lord as he senses a warmth in his heart; but should there be no burning sensation then he concludes that he has veritably lost his love for Him; yet again he is ignorant of the truth that such are only his feelings. We know that fact may not agree with feeling for the latter is exceedingly untrustworthy. Indeed whether one senses much or senses nothing, the fact remains he is unchanged. He may feel he is progressing and yet may make no progress at all; he may likewise feel he is regressing and yet may not regress in the slightest. These are simply his feelings. When full of lively stirrings he reckons he is advancing spiritually; this, however, is just a time of emotional excitement which soon will subside to its former state. The working of emotion seems to assist soulical people to advance but the working of the Spirit causes spiritual men to advance. The progress of the former is false; only what is attained in the power of the Holy Spirit is true.
There is so much more but it's pushing 2:oo in the morning and I have a meeting at 9:00. I know that the Holy Spirit is teaching us on a regular basis. He is removing this soulical, flesh life we lean on continually. God will complete the work for us. It's an exciting thing to understand that my feelings have nothing to do with the truth. It's also exciting to realize that when the Holy Spirit empowers us with this understanding, the things that shake us today will have no power over us tomorrow. Our Father is the power behind all truth. It works period and is not dependent on me assisting Him with it. Our greatest decision and moment in our life was the second we asked Jesus to save us. God's word fulfilled the request because it is the truth. It did it. From that moment on Our Father took over. He will finish in us what He started. We can state that with all confidence because it is up to Him. We know we can count on Him to do what He has said.
I will continue this later. It gets even better. Next we will find out what is God's aim for this process to happen to us.
Love you,
The Satisfied Life
The Lord Jesus speaks to His disciples saying: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29). The soul here is speaking especially to the emotional part of our being. The Lord knows that His Own people must pass through many trials, that the heavenly Father is going to arrange for them to be lonely and misunderstood. As no one understands Him except the Father, so no one will understand His disciples (v.27). Jesus knows that the heavenly Father must permit many unpleasant occurrences to befall the believers in order that they may be weaned from the world. He also appreciates what the feelings in their souls will be like as they are put through the fire. For this reason He tells them in advace to learn from Him so that they may find rest for their emotion. Jesus is gentle: He is able to receive any treatment from men: He joyfully accepts the opposition of sinners. Jesus is likewise lowly: He heartily humbles Himself: He has no ambition of His own. The ambitious are hurt, angry, and restless when they cannot obtain their wishes. But Christ at all times lives gently and humbly on earth; there is consequently no occasion for His emotion to boil and erupt. He teaches we should learn from Him, that we should be gentle and lowly as He is. He says for us to bear His yoke as a restraint upon ourselves. He bears a yoke too, even the yoke of God. He is satisfied with His Father's will alone; as long as the Father knows and understands Him, why should He be concerned about the opposition of others? He is willing to accept the restrictions given Him by God. He explains that we must bear His yoke, accept His restraint, do His will, and sek no freedom for the flesh. If this is done, then nothing can disturb or provoke our emotion. This is the cross. If anyone is willing to receive the cross of Christ and submit completely to the Lord, he shall find rest for his emotion.
This is none other than a satisfied life. The Christian cherishes nothing but God; henceforth he is satisfied with His will. God himself has filled his desire. He regards everything God has arranged or given, asked or charged him with, as good. If he can but follow the will of God his heart is satisfied. He seeks his own pleasure no longer, and not because of force but because God's will has satisfied him. Since he is now filled, he has no more request to make. A life such as this can be summed up in one word: satisfied. The characteristic of spiritual life is satisfaction- not in the sense of self centeredness, self- sufficiency, or self filling but in that of the person having found all his needs fully met in God. To him God's will is the very best; he is satisfied. What else need he ask for? Only emotional Christians find fault with God's arrangement and aspire to have more by conceiving numberless expectations in their hearts. But one who has allowed the Holy Spirit to operate deeply in him by the cross no longer yearns for anything according to himself. His desire is fulfilled already in God.
At this point the believer's desire is totally renewed (this does not mean that thereafter there can be no failure); it is united with God's desire. Not only is he, negatively, resisting the Lord no longer; but positively, he is delighting in His delight. He is not suppressing his desires; he is simply delighted with what God requires of him. If God desires him to suffer, he asks Him to make him suffer. He finds sweetness in such sufferung. If God desires him to be afflicted, he willingly seeks such affliction. He loves affliction more than healing. If God desires to bring him low, he gladly cooperates with Him in bringing himself down. He delights now only in what God delights in. He covets nothing outside Him. He expects no uplifting if God does not so desire. He does not resist God but rather welcomes whatever He bestows, whether sweet or bitter.
The cross produces fruits. Each crucifixion brings to us the fruit of God's life. All who are willing to accept the practical cross which God gives shall find themselves living a pure spiritual life. Daily there is for us the practical cross God desires us to bear. Every cross has its peculiar mission to accomplish a particular work in our life. May no cross ever be wasted upon us!!!
Continue to lead us God,
This is none other than a satisfied life. The Christian cherishes nothing but God; henceforth he is satisfied with His will. God himself has filled his desire. He regards everything God has arranged or given, asked or charged him with, as good. If he can but follow the will of God his heart is satisfied. He seeks his own pleasure no longer, and not because of force but because God's will has satisfied him. Since he is now filled, he has no more request to make. A life such as this can be summed up in one word: satisfied. The characteristic of spiritual life is satisfaction- not in the sense of self centeredness, self- sufficiency, or self filling but in that of the person having found all his needs fully met in God. To him God's will is the very best; he is satisfied. What else need he ask for? Only emotional Christians find fault with God's arrangement and aspire to have more by conceiving numberless expectations in their hearts. But one who has allowed the Holy Spirit to operate deeply in him by the cross no longer yearns for anything according to himself. His desire is fulfilled already in God.
At this point the believer's desire is totally renewed (this does not mean that thereafter there can be no failure); it is united with God's desire. Not only is he, negatively, resisting the Lord no longer; but positively, he is delighting in His delight. He is not suppressing his desires; he is simply delighted with what God requires of him. If God desires him to suffer, he asks Him to make him suffer. He finds sweetness in such sufferung. If God desires him to be afflicted, he willingly seeks such affliction. He loves affliction more than healing. If God desires to bring him low, he gladly cooperates with Him in bringing himself down. He delights now only in what God delights in. He covets nothing outside Him. He expects no uplifting if God does not so desire. He does not resist God but rather welcomes whatever He bestows, whether sweet or bitter.
The cross produces fruits. Each crucifixion brings to us the fruit of God's life. All who are willing to accept the practical cross which God gives shall find themselves living a pure spiritual life. Daily there is for us the practical cross God desires us to bear. Every cross has its peculiar mission to accomplish a particular work in our life. May no cross ever be wasted upon us!!!
Continue to lead us God,
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