Others May You Cannot

                                                                             
IF God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work of their successes,
of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep
you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some
choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be
produced in the shade.  He may let others be great, but keep you small.  He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious He may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make YOUR REWARD TEN Times GREATER When JESUS COMES.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. SO make up your mind that God is an Infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in Jealous Love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Settle it forever, then that you are to DEAL DIRECTLY WITH
THE HOLY SPIRIT, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others.  Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this PECULIAR, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, JEALOUS GUARDIANSHIP and MANAGEMENT OF the HOLY SPIRIT OVER YOUR LIFE, then you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.

WHEN YOU ARE forgotten, neglected, or purposefully set at
naught, and you smile inwardly, glorying in the insult or the
oversight, because thereby you are counted worthy to suffer with Christ, THAT IS VICTORY.

WHEN YOUR GOOD is evil spoken of, when your wishes are
crossed, when your taste is offended, when your advise is
disregarded, when your opinions are ridiculed, and you take it
all in patient, loving silence, THAT IS VICTORY.

WHEN YOU ARE content with any food, raiment, climate, society, solitude,or any interruption by the will of God, THAT
IS VICTORY.

~Author Unknown~

A Sense Of Unworthiness

                                                                             
Suddenly, we are plagued by a sense of unworthiness. We turn inward, thinking, "I did it again! I haven't changed at all. I'll never be Christlike. I still react like a babe, not a mature Christian. Why haven't I changed?"

Beloved, the devil wants you to keep worrying over your shortcomings and lack of growth, thinking the race is impossible, so that you will become discouraged and drop out.

It is certain that we will stumble at times because the race is going to continue until our Lord returns. But we must always get on our feet and continue moving on.

God's Word speaks of overcoming: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4). "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7).

To overcome is to "conquer and get the best of all temptations and obstacles." What are our obstacles? They are every new reaction in the flesh, every failure to be Christlike, every uprising of temper, bitterness or agitation.

David wrote, "My sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). This man was exposed before the whole world as an adulterer and a murderer. He also wrote, "For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. . . . I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long" (Psalm 38:4-6).

What if David had worried and fretted over his failures? He repented wholeheartedly and therefore he could say, "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness" (Psalm 30:11).

The fastest way to get rid of "a sense of unworthiness" is to trust in Christ's forgiveness. And He is ready to forgive at all times: "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee"  
Psalm 86:5

~David Wilkerson~

Be Still And Know That He Is GOD!

Psa 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

We should not be fearful, nor fretful and impatient, or restless and tumultuous; but be quiet and easy, resigned to the will of God, and live in an assured expectation of the appearance of divine Providence in our lives. 

And "know"; own and acknowledge that he is God, a sovereign Being that does whatsoever he pleases; that he is unchangeable in his nature, purposes, promises, and covenant.

That he is omnipotent, able to help us and deliver us at the last extremity; that he is omniscient, knows our persons, cases, and troubles, and how and where to hide us till the storm is over.

That he is the all wise God, and does all things after the counsel of his own will, and makes all things work together for good to us; and that he is faithful to his word and promise, and will not suffer us to be overpressed and bore down with troubles.

Be Still today and know that God is God and He has Everything under His Almighty Control! Amen and Amen!!!                                                                         

Physical Need~First Target For Attack

                                                    
Satan always uses physical need as the first target for attack. He simply mentioned eating fruit to Eve, an entirely physical matter. Next he proceeded to entice her soul, intimating that by indulging, her eyes would be opened to know good and evil. 

Although such searching for knowledge was perfectly legitimate, the consequence nonetheless led her spirit into open rebellion against God because she misconstrued God's forbiddance as arising from an evil intention. 

Satan's temptation reaches initially to the body, then to the soul and lastly to the spirit.

After being tempted Eve gave her verdict. To begin with,the tree was good for food." This is the "lust of the flesh." Eve's flesh was the first to be stirred up. 

Second, "it was a delight to the eyes." This is "the lust of the eyes." Both the body and her soul were now enticed.

Third, "the tree was to be desired to make one wise." This is "the pride of life." Such desire revealed the wavering of her emotion and will. 

Her soul was now agitated beyond control. It no longer stood by as a spectator but had been goaded into desiring the fruit. How dangerous a master human emotion is!

Why should Eve desire the fruit? It was not merely the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, but also curiosity's urge for wisdom. In the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, even of so called "spiritual knowledge," activities of the soul often can be detected. 

When one tries to increase his knowledge by doing mental gymnastics over books without waiting upon God and looking to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, his soul is plainly in full swing. This will deplete his spiritual life. 

Because the fall of man was occasioned by seeking knowledge, God uses the foolishness of the cross to "destroy the wisdom of the wise." Intellect was the chief cause of the fall; hence, in order to be saved one must believe in the folly of the Word of the cross rather than depend upon his intellect.

The tree of knowledge causes man to fall, so God employs the tree of folly (I Peter 2.24) to save souls. 

If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God (I Cor. 3.18-20; also see 1.18-25)

~Watchman Nee~

The LORD'S Great Need~An Instrument

The Lord must have an instrument, a Daniel instrument, whether personal or collective, that moves out towards God for His testimony.

He must have a Nehemiah with a heartache over the people because of the breakdown of the testimony. He must have an Ezra who is not for a moment compromising with anything contrary to the mind of God. 

He must have the Esther instrument who flings fear to the winds, and goes, taking life in hand, to besiege the throne for the life of her people, for the deliverance of the people of God from the threat of the enemy. Oh! What those prayers wrought!

And, beloved, the burden of the Lord must come on our heart in like manner if we are to be effective instruments for the Lord in His End-time activities; we must be exercised in a very deep way with the interests of God.

We must hold back nothing that will count for the Lord and His interests.

You would be surprised how the Lord would come through if you gave Him a chance.

The whole thing begins with a recognition of the need, and the burden of these things upon our hearts.

When we are really in it by the urge of the Holy Spirit, the common features found in these Old Testament instruments will be found inwrought in us; and we shall be found an abandoned people unto this ONE THING - the Lord's burden and heart concern for His testimony in His people.

~T. Austin Sparks~

Satan Traduced (Lied)

                                                 
Traduce~to defame,slander,charge falsely or with malicious intent,attack the good name and reputation of someone, to speak badly of or tell lies about someone so as to damage their reputation

We learn from the Apostle of other ways in which his service was hampered. His heart must have been sorely tried by the constant activity of those who traduced him, imputing things to him of which he was not guilty, and seeking to undo his work by misrepresentation and insinuation. 

This he particularly mentions in the second Epistle to the Corinthians. The gospel had proved fruitful in Corinth, both among Jew and Gentile. During the initial difficulties the Lord had revealed to him that He had "much people in that city." We are therefore not surprised to find that the opposition of the Adversary was vigorous and varied.

The character of his ministry was disparaged by influential opponents. He was accused of changing his opinion and of fickleness (2 Cor. 1:17,18); of walking according to the flesh (10:2); of inferior capacities in his ministry (10:10); of acting toward the saints by guile and taking advantage of them for his own ends (12:16,17). Unfavourable comparisons were made between him and other apostles (11:5,6), and the service he had rendered in such disinterestedness and genuine love was in other ways defamed.

All this must have been exceedingly burdensome. Moreover these matters required firm handling, not in the spirit of mere self-defence, but for the sake of the Lord's work and the profit of the church. We can understand something of the stress under which this Epistle was written.

There can be scarcely anything more trying for the servant of the Lord than misrepresentation of his motives and methods, and especially when he might have expected that those who act thus would seek an opportunity of an interview with him, and of becoming acquainted with facts.

Sometimes it pleases God thus to test faith.

Yet even these obstacles are under His control and become His instruments for the carrying out of His purposes. 

Difficulties are intended to draw us nearer to the Lord. Thus, learning that all our resources lie in Him, we derive from Him the power to enable us, if our private interests are at stake, to manifest the spirit of Christ towards our detractors.

If, on the other hand, the honour of His Name and the blessing of His people require that the matter be taken up in any way, the Lord is ready to impart the wisdom and strength to do so, and from Him alone can we derive it. In each respect the Apostle, who so closely followed the Lord, has set us an example.

~T. Austin Sparks~

Money Giving A Continual Help~~~~~~~ On The Ladder To Heaven

                                                                                                                                                            
You know how often our Lord Jesus spake of this in His parables. In that of the unjust steward He said, “Make friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that they may receive you in the eternal habitations.” In the parable of the talents He said, “You ought to have put my money.” The man who had not used his talent, lost all. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, it is they who have cared for the needy and the wretched in His name, who shall hear the word -- “Come, you blessed of my Father.”

We cannot purchase heaven -- as little with money as with works. But in your money giving, heavenly-mindedness and love to Christ, and love to men, and devotion to God's work, are cultivated and proved -- the "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom," will take count of the money truly spent on Christ and his work. Our money giving must prepare us for heaven.

Oh! how many there are who if heaven and holiness could be bought for a thousand pounds would give it. No money can buy it. But if they only knew, money can wondrously help on the path of holiness and heaven. Money given in the spirit of self-sacrifice, and love, and faith in Him who has paid all, brings a rich and eternal reward. Day by day give as God blesses and as He asks -- it will help to bring heaven nearer to you, it will help to bring you nearer to heaven.

The Christ who sat over against the treasury is my Christ. He watches my gifts. What is given in the spirit of wholehearted devotion and love He accepts. He teaches His disciples to judge as He judges. He will teach me how to give, how much, how lovingly, how truthfully.

Money -- this is what I want to learn from Him above all -- money, the cause of so much temptation and sin, and sorrow and eternal loss; money, as it is received and administered and distributed at the feet of Jesus, the Lord of the Treasury, becomes one of God's choicest channels of grace to myself and to others. In this, too, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Who gave a farthing, and gave her all. Lord! give Your Church, in her poverty, give us all the spirit of the poor widow.

~Andrew Murray~

Guarding Your Affection For Him

                                                                                
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5).

Jesus is saying: Think back to what you were like when I first saved you.

You rejoiced that I came to live in your heart! And you spent all your free time digging into My word, learning about My love for you.

You never considered prayer to be a burden, because I meant everything to you. You loved Me more than life itself. But now you've fallen away from all that. I get so little of your time now, so little of your attention. You've grown cold toward Me.

Something else has your heart!”

Look at the serious warning in this verse: “Repent . . . or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” For many years theologians have tried to soften this warning, wanting it to mean something different. But it cannot be softened—it means exactly what it says.

Jesus is saying to us: If you claim to have the fire of God, and yet I am no longer the delight of your heart, I will take away every bit of light you have!

No matter what good works you do for Me, you will no longer be My witness. I simply won't recognize anything you do because you have lost your love for Me.”

Is your love for Jesus exclusive? 

Do you regularly take quality time to be with Him?

Or have other things crept into your heart, taking up your thoughts and affections?

Jesus is asking you right now to repent and start over. He wants you to stop and realize, “Wait a minute. I see how this thing has crept into my life and it is robbing me of my exclusive love for Jesus. I can't let this go on any longer. Lord, forgive me! Light my candle anew.”

Go back to your first love today. 

Ask Him for grace and strength to begin again to guard your affection for Christ.


~David Wilkerson~
 

The Holy Spirit Testing The Money

All the money that is given, even in a time when the Holy Spirit is moving mightily, is not given under His inspiration. But it is all given under his holy supervision, and He will from time to time, to each heart that honestly yields to Him, reveal what there may be wanting or wrong. Listen: "Barnabas having a field, sold it, and brought the money. But Ananias sold a possession and kept back part of the price, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the the Apostles' feet." Ananias brought his gift, and with his wife was smitten dead. What can have made the gift such a crime? He was a deceitful giver. He kept back part of the price.

He professed to give all, and did not. He gave with half a heart and unwillingly, and yet would have the credit of having given all

In the Pentecostal Church the Holy Ghost was the author of the giving: his sin was against the Holy Ghost. No wonder that it is twice written: "great fear came upon the whole Church, and upon all who heard it."

If it is so easy to sin even in giving, if the Holy Spirit watches and judges all our giving, we may well beware and fear.

And what was the sin? Simply this: he did not give all he professed. This sin, not in its greatest form, but in its spirit and more subtle manifestations, is far more common than we think

Are there not many who say they have given their all to God, and yet prove false to it in the use of their money?

Are there not many who say all their money is their Lord's, and that they hold it as His stewards, to dispose of it as He directs, and yet who, in the amount they spend on God's work, as compared with that on themselves, and in accumulating for the future, prove that stewardship is but another name for ownership?

Without being exactly guilty of the sin of Judas, or Caiaphas, or Pilate, in crucifying our Lord, a believer may yet partake with them in the spirit in which he acts.

Even so we may be grieving the Holy Ghost, even while we condemn the sin of Ananias, by giving way to the spirit in which he acted, and withholding from God what we have professed to give Him.

Nothing can save us from this danger, but the holy fear of ourselves, the very full and honest surrender of all our opinions, and arguments, about how much we may possess, and how much we may give, to the testing and searching of the Holy Spirit. Our giving must be in the light, if it is to be in the joy of the Holy Ghost. 

~Andrew Murray~