John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all receive, all had a share and have all been supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) came through Jesus Christ."
Why would God need to try and test us, when Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20,21 (Amplified), "It is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who Love me and gave Himself up for me."
God's not trying to push you to the point of quitting and "returning to Egypt," but is believing with you, so you don't "Set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the Grace of God," in Verse 21. We must never believe that the adversary can bring more on you, than faith in God's Grace cannot deliver you from. If Goliath, a Jericho, the Red Sea or the things Pharaoh uses against you, then God has already prepared a way out and a safe place to land.
Many of us, sadly never see God's deliverance, because we accept whatever comes as being His will for us. God will isn't the one trying to kill you. God is the One Who delivers you . When sickness or calamity come against you, don't accept it as being God's will and your portion. We're to "submit ourselves unto God, and resist the devil, and he will flee from you," according to James 4:7 (Amplified). How do we know when to "be subject to God" or when to "resist the devil," if we don't know whether it's God or the devil resisting us? We must come to the place where we trust in His Grace and where we can by faith, "be subject to God."
We're called to submit ourselves unto God, but we must understand Who God is. We've been double-minded about Who He is and have confused God with the adversary. Even my kids know the difference between their own father and someone else's father. Surely God's Own children should know Who the Father of Spirits is. God contrast our earthly fathers who disciplined our earthly body and our Heavenly Father Who disciplines our spirit, in Hebrews 12:9.
My earthly father spanked my backside, in order to correct me and my Heavenly Father, the Father of Spirits, corrects my spirit. We know how our Heavenly Father, the Father of Spirits, deals with and corrects His Spiritual children, by reading 2Timothy 3:16 (Amplified), which says, "Every Scripture is God breathed, given by His Inspiration, and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin (for correction of error and discipline in obedience and for training in righteousness) in holy living (in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action) So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well-fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Why would a child of God want his Father to "make him sick," rather than submit to God's Word and be compete, proficient, well-fitted and equipped for every good work?' We've substituted satan's lies for the truth of God's Word. We've submitted to the devil, instead of submitting and being subject to God? John 4:24 (Amplified) tells us, "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being), and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)." God is a Spirit and His Word is Spirit. Jesus says in John 6:63 (Amplified), "It is the Spirit Who gives Life (He is the Life-Giver), the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (Truths) I speak to you are SPIRIT AND LIFE." You are a spirit. Romans 8:16,14-15 (Amplified) says, "The Spirit Himself, thus testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are children of God." Verses 14-15 say, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For the Spirit which you have now received is not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption (the Spirit producing son-ship), in the bliss of which we cry, Abba, Father, Father."
If we're Spirit beings and have a Spirit Father, then wouldn't He correct, discipline and direct us by His Word, which is Spirit? We've been taught and led to believe that God deals with us, like He did the Old Testament saints. These men and women were sustained by the sacrifice of goats and bulls. They weren't sons and daughters by the new birth, but were under Law. They weren't born-again, but were carnal and dead in their spirit, through the first Adam. We're born-again by and through the Spirit and the Word, by the Blood of our Lamb, the Last Adam, Jesus.
God doesn't deal with us like he did with them, because we're family, who are led by the Spirit and not the flesh. We're to receive instructions, discipline and correction from our Heavenly Father, by His God-breathed Word, which is Spirit. We don't receive instructions discipline and correction from sickness, disease and torment. Remember, "As many as are led by the Spirit are sons (or mature sons) of God." This is how we make ourselves "subject to God. This is how you resist the devil and he will flee from you.
We submit and make ourselves subject to God's Word, so we have sufficient authority to resist the devil, and he WILL flee from us. If your truly love God, then you don't a disease or a broken leg to convict you of something. If you're in sin, then God's Word will convict, correct and deliver you back into Grace, if you receive it. First though, you must read and understand God's Word, which is Spirit. Your flesh doesn't care what God's Word says, because it's not subject to the spirit, according to Romans 8:7,6 (Amplified) which says, "That is because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thoughts and purposes, is hostile to God, for it does not subject itself to God's Law, indeed it cannot." If you wait for the flesh to correct you, then you'll never receive correction, because your flesh isn't subject to God's Word. You'll keep following the flesh, until the flesh kills you. Paul writes in Verse 6, "The mind of the flesh, which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit (or the Word( is death." If we don't receive correction and discipline by the Word and the Spirit, then our flesh or carnal mind will deceive us into death.
We're God's Own children and are to make ourselves subject to God, by His Word and the Guidance of the Holy Spirit. God never intended for the devil to guide, discipline or correct His children. God intends for satan to keep his hands of us. We don't know and can't distinguish our Father from our enemy. Paul tells Timothy in 2Timothy 2:21 (Amplified), "So whoever cleanses himself from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contaminating and corrupting influences, will them himself be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work." He goes on in 2Timothy 3:17 (Amplified), "So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well-fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
How was Timothy to cleanse himself to be a vessel used by God? He was to receive the Word as being God breathed and then apply it to his life. Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) says, "Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that Rest of God (to know and experience it for ourselves), that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience into which those in the Wilderness fell." It takes labor, to enter into Rest." This labor isn't by the works of the flesh. Paul instructs Timothy in 2Timothy 2:15 (Amplified), "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved and tested by trial, a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing and skillfully teaching the Word of Truth."
This is the labor we do, in order to enter into and experience God's Rest. No one can do this for us, it's left up to each individual to do this. It might seem easier to stay in Egypt, than it is to trust God in the Wilderness. Many have decided that "God doesn't do these things any longer" and "We're supposed to put up with whatever comes." Our fight is one of faith in the One Who has already fought the battle for us. Our job is to "fight the good fight of faith."
Ephesians 6:12 (Amplified) tells us, "For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending with only physical opponents), but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere." There are some believers who deny the devil's existence. The don't believe satan is an outlaw spirit who opposes God and His children, at every turn. This might be satan's greatest deception. We can't fight him, if we don't believe he exists. We deny satan is the master of darkness, sickness, disease and calamity. We say instead that satan is God's way of punishing and correcting us.
No one can convince you otherwise by simply saying so. Everyone must come to his/her own conclusions. Sitting back, without trying to understand this, might seem like an easy way out, but it always results with you can't trust the devil. James says in James 1:3-4 (Amplified), "Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. but let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be a people perfectly and fully developed with no defects, lacking in nothing."
So you say, "See Brother Jim, James tells us that trials and testing of our faith, will make us perfect and developed." "No." James tells us to remain steadfast in our faith, when trials and tests come. He says that patience, consistency and endurance will strengthen you, during the trial or test. The test didn't happen to make you strong, but to put you under. How you endure the test, depends on you. Others will say, "Surely God knew when He tried and tested me, what I would do." That's a second mistake, according to James 1:13-16 (Amplified) which says, "Let no many say when he is tempted, he is tempted from God: for God is incapable of being tempted by what is evil and He Himself tempts no man. But every person is tempted when he is drawn away (enticed and baited) by his own evil desire (lust, passion). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured brings forth death. Do no be misled my beloved brethren."
Jesus taught us to pray this in Matthew 6:13 (Amplified), "And lead (bring us), not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen." If you follow God's Word in 2Timothy 3:16-17 and allow it to correct, convict, reproof, correct you of error and discipline you, then you will correct the enemy's lie about "God does this to teach you." Submit yourself to God, then resist the devil, instead of accepting him.
God has drawn the Battle Line in the sand, in many different ways and times, in His Word. He has revealed Himself and He has revealed the enemy. God has drawn the line and shown us which side He is on. Jesus says in John 10:10 (Amplified), "The thief has come only in order to steal, to kill and to destroy. I have come that you may have and enjoy Life to the full (till it overflows)."
Romans 8:2 (Amplified) says, "For the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus." This is the Law of our new being, which is God. He has freed me from the Law of Sin and of Death. The Law of Sin and Death comes from the thief. The Law of the Spirit of Life, which is in Christ Jesus comes from God.
Luke 13:11-13 (Amplified) says, "And there was a woman there who for eighteen years had had an infirmity caused by a spirit (a demon) of sickness. She was bent completely forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to look forward. [THIS IS THE THIEF]. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, Woman you are released from your infirmity. [THIS IS GOD. Then He laid His hands on her, and instantly she was made straight and recognized and thanked and praised God." The crowd asks in Verse 16, "Ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom satan has kept bound for eighteen years, [THIS IS THE THIEF] be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" [THIS IS GOD].
It would seem relatively easy to spot the difference between God and the thief (satan), but it's apparently not easy for some. It must heart the Father's heart, when He hears His Own children blaming Him for the heartache they're going through. If my children spoke of me like God's children speaks of Him, then I would be devastated. Even after God has done so much to deliver us from the enemy, we still accuse Him of doing what the enemy has been doing all along.
Remember that we're admonished, "With all your getting, get understanding." Without understanding, Wisdom has become carnal minded and religious in doing. We're replaced God's thoughts with our thoughts and His way of doing, with our way of doing. We must humble ourselves and ask, when we don't know what to do, according to James 1:5-8 (Amplified) which says, "If any of you is deficient in Wisdom, let him ask of the Giving God, Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly (without reproaching or fault finding), and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks (this will be the understanding of Wisdom) with no wavering (no hesitation, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out to sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything that he asks for from the Lord. For being as he is, a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), he is unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything he thinks, feels or decides."
This is where many believers are today. We've been taught by carnal minds, customs and traditions, that it's difficult not to be double-minded when we hear something contrary to those things. Our religious backgrounds have been established in our lives for so long, that it seems to be "unChristian" for us to even question. This destroys our understanding, when we question the Wisdom from Above. When God answers our prayer request for Wisdom, we become double-minded, asking "Was that really God," if God's answer opposes former teachings. We lose the Wisdom of God's answer and fail to receive it. It's not that God didn't give us Wisdom when we asked, but we didn't receive in our faith, because of being double-minded.
James 1:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Every Good Gift and every Perfect (free, large, full) Gift is from Above; it comes down from the Father of All that gives Light in the shining of Whom there can be no variation, rising or setting or shadow cast by His turning (as in an eclipse). And it was of His Own free will that He gave us birth as sons by His Word of Truth so that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures (a sample of what He created) to be consecrated to Himself."
I don't know how much time the average Christian spends in God's Word, but it's probably not enough time. We get so caught up in every day life that we seem to forget that God's Word is Spirit and Life. It might seem like more trouble to do it God's way, because we will all meet Him in the end anyway. This might be true, but I want to know God and serve Him in Spirit and in Truth, while I'm here on earth. When we're so comfortable in the world and don't miss His Presence (except on Sundays), then we're not walking in His Plan for His family.
Where is God in your home, your family, your thinking or fellowship with Him? How much is God on your mind? Would you hear Him, if He tells you to "Stop at the intersection," even though the light is green? The reason for stopping, was that the man approaching wasn't going to stop. Would you hear God or would we be having a funeral service and saying "God needed another angel, so He took him." God doesn't need us to make excuses for Him. He needs us to listen to His Voice and follow His Spirit.
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