Christianity Oasis Forum

[saint701]

Hello Christianity Oasis!



Blessings!

http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-st-louis/easter-and-the-other-side-of-the-cross-part-3-christ-you-part-5?CID=examiner_alerts_article

Yesterday we discussed the greatness of God’s power in us, that great power our Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Lord God Almighty Love Dad placed in Christ our Lord when He raised Him from the dead. We examined some of the great things we might have to suffer as we endure fierce battles entering into the Kingdom of God. We noted that whatever we might have to suffer is well worth it, as we come to know that greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world.

Acts.14

[22] Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.

In this our last part of The Other Side of the Cross, Christ in Us Our Hope of Glory, we will examine the subtle nuances of walking in the Spirit. Such is of the utmost importance as staying within the boundaries our Lord has set for us keep us in Him and He in us.

First of all we would like to point out that for the spiritual man or woman Christianity is not a one and done walk with the Lord. With many, however, it is. With them the sum total of their spiritual experience began and ended with a water baptism and only continues as one attends church and receives communion. For the spiritual man or woman, such is only a beginning and a minor continuance in what should be a continuous growth in the understanding, knowledge, and spiritual experiences of God that God gives to each of us.

The Apostle John names three distinct phases of spiritual growth and development. First we are babes or children. Next we are young men and women that are strong because we have overcome the wicked one. And finally we are given the great honor of knowing the Father.

It is in knowing our Heavenly Dad that our boundaries are set. It is time for us to walk with God. How do we walk with God? We walk very carefully. All that God has overlooked concerning us before, He overlooks no more. We must chase the little foxes that spoil the vine away. Such would seem to be a great challenge for us if not for Christ our Lord living within. His presence within really is our hope of glory because it is through Him living in us that we discover what we are permitted to do and what we are not, what we are called to do and what we have not been called to do. Christ within us knows what is in the mind of the Father and He imparts that knowledge to us.

That is, He shows us many things about the scriptures that were hidden from us before, specifically the understandings of why we shouldn’t do some things, and why we should do other things we haven’t been doing before. Categorically speaking, those things we learn to do and those things we learn not to do are found under the Banner of Love God has placed over us. The Apostle John put it this way, “He that loves, God abides in Him and Him in us.”

Such is an issue of willingness to be obedient in the leading of Christ within us, (those that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God), the symbiotic presence of God being within us to will and to do. Such is not the difficult thing one might imagine that it is. We’ve found that with each and every leading of our Lord that we obey the results are always positive.

However, it is in learning to what degree our Lord requires obedience that can be challenging. We really have no idea how much our Lord loves us until we enter into His school of obedience. He guides and helps us in all that He shows us to do, even the most mundane things one is inclined to overlook.

Here are two examples of how we have prospered in our Lord’s leading in two mundane things. In the first example we had to learn from a mistake…For many years we have made our bed using the same steps. One wouldn’t think the Lord would show us a short cut in one of those steps, but He did. One morning He showed us how to take two blankets and set them in place simultaneously. Because such was so mundane we let what we saw to do slip and continued putting each blanket in place separately. A few days passed and we noticed that the leading of the Spirit had diminished considerably and the spiritual realm around us was getting dark and cloudy. We didn’t understand why. Another week passed and the darkness grew worse. Finally we asked the Lord what the problem was. The first thing we saw was that we had failed to obey Him willingly in how we could save time making up our bed putting the two blankets in place at the same time. We got the message and have been making up the bed His way rather than ours every day since. The clouds of darkness disappeared immediately.

In our second example we saw what to do, and when we obeyed in faith, something very appetizing came out of it…For years and years and years we wondered how to fry potatoes and have them turn out crispy rather than just well done and still a little soft. We had our pan out with the oil in it and our potatoes diced and seasoned. Everything was ready and we were set to begin frying them. Just as we reached for the burner we saw the package of flour that was up on the top shelf of the cabinet nearest the stove. We saw that if we would sprinkle flower all over the potatoes and oil that they would become crispy. We obeyed and had crispy fried potatoes for the first time in our life outside a restaurant. Just thinking about how much our Lord loves us to be involved with us in the most mundane things is just…wonderful!

Here is how our Lord’s Spirit within us has directed us generally speaking. He looks into the mind of our Lord and shows us our Lord’s will. He works exactly in the manner the Apostle John wrote of our Lord in John chapter 16.

John.16

[12] I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
[14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
[15] All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.

The Spirit of Truth shows us things. In our case we see and understand more than we hear and understand. As mentioned in a previous section of our articles about Easter and the Other Side of the Cross we stated that the Spirit of Truth would teach us either in the evening or morning by showing us the understanding of various passages of scripture. He would receive a teaching from the Lord and show it to us. Such went on and on and on and on…days and nights for over a year. Such was amazing grace, glory to God, amen and amen!

Walking with God is wonderful. We see things to come. Some are things concerning the world, but more often we see everything our Lord has prepared for us to do each day. We do very little thinking of our own, and very little of our own will. The Lord orders our steps. He shows us one thing to do, and while doing that we see what we are to do next, and so it goes day after day after day. Walking in the Spirit is fun! Our burden is light and our yoke is easy.

There are times when things get rather dark and cloudy and when they do we check whether we have missed the Lord in something He has shown us to do, or whether it is dark and cloudy because we are in a spiritual battle with the minions of darkness. It is often difficult to tell as our spirit is already involved in whatever is going on many times before we are, ( mind, soul). Thus we continue to grow in our ability to discern good and evil. More often than not the darkness that surrounds us is an assault by wicked ones attempting to block something that will hurt their kingdom from getting through to us. We always win in the Lord, but we’ve been in battles that have lasted for months.

We will end this section of our series with this. God has made us your servant. Our greatest delight is in sharing with you those things that come to us through the Spirit of our Lord, Christ within our hope of glory. Nothing makes us happier than pleasing our Lord in our service to Him and you. Nothing. Such is our life living under the love banner of our Lord.

In part 4 of our series on Easter and the Other Side of the Cross we will examine how we should see ourselves in the Family of the Father. As spiritual Christians it is very important for us to know who God has made us in Christ Jesus. All we will say in closing is this, to know who God has made us in Christ Jesus…, is absolutely wonderful!


Blessings!
Love, In Christ Jesus, saint.


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[saint701]

Hello All,


Blessings!

While reading my last article in a series that is basically a review of those things discussed in previous ones it is important to note in this case you are missing out on new material you really need to understand. I don't say that lightly simply because while many of you lack some of my experiences of Christ living in me, you will enter into them sooner rather than later if you pursue them. It is important that we groan within ourselves earestly yearning for our Lord to live in us, lead, direct, and guide us in all that we do as such shows our love for Him and gives Him great glory. He died for us in order that He might live a similar life in us that the Father lived in Him.

And if you are afraid of such you shouldn't be as our Lord always leads us to do according to the fruit of His Spirit. If a spirit directs you to do evil to another you can rest assured that spirit is of the devil. All must learn to discern good and evil that is an essential part of our spiritual growth and development. If we shrink back from that which our Lord of Lords King of Kings Lord God Almighty Love Dad desires for us to learn which includes who He has made us in Christ Jesus, He has no pleasure in us. Therefore, it is our foremost goal that He be well pleased in us as He was and is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


Blessings!

Love, In Christ Jesus, saint.