Christian Living

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The Bottom Line

By Rick L. King
July 22, 2010

There is an easy answer to all of our struggles. Though the process of doing what is needed may be difficult at times, God has provided an easy remedy.

We tell people to forgive, we tell people to love their enemy, we tell people to do well. The problem is that in our flesh dwells no good thing. We can get religious and walk the word by our flesh. Does it really produce the fruit that we are seeking? Most often no. The problem is the “I” or the “WE”. The Word tells us that we are crucified with Christ and that it is Him living in us. It cannot ever be us doing things, this is works by our flesh. A dead man cannot do anything. How can a dead man forgive? How can a dead man love? How can a dead man walk the Word? If we are truly crucified then it has to be Him and Him alone. Jesus did what he saw the Father do and he spoke only what he heard His father say. It was all about hearing the voice of the Lord and doing what He was told to do. Jesus gave up His will to do the will of the Father. Unfortunately we have placed the Lord in a box telling Him that he must do things a certain way, our way. We have adopted so many formulas that we expect the Lord to bless and follow. God is not a formula. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours are. God is never limited to our way of thinking or doing something. The Word says that they who are in the flesh cannot please Him. Have you ever considered what that means? We can walk the word in the flesh. We can pray in the flesh. We can love or forgive in the flesh. But, this does not please God. Anything that we do by the flesh is not pleasing to God. It does not matter how good it looks or feels to others or us. It may look so religious but still is not the Lord. Religion is flesh at work. It lacks power. It lacks God’s anointing and blessing. So what am I really saying here?

Years ago the Holy Spirit told me that I must minister to Him. He said according to many passages in the Old Testament that His priests minister to Him. Are we His priests? If so then we must minister to Him. He told me that until I learn to minister to Him that He could not minister to or through me. In other words, we must learn to get into His presence. God inhabits praise. In His presence he speaks to us and leads us. He empowers us to do what he chooses for us to do. He changes things in us that need to be changed. It only happens as we allow Him to do so by getting into His presence. Without getting into His presence we are just operating by the flesh and have given in too religious works that don’t please God and profit very little.

We have taught in the church works. We tell people so many things to do. Do this and God will do this etc. We have missed it. Instead we need to teach people how to get into His presence. We need to teach people how to minister to the Lord. This is where their hearts desire is reached. This is where the needs are met. This is where the answers come. This is where they find victory and peace. It is not about what we do; it is only about what Jesus does while we are in His presence. It must become that we are dead, crucified and our old man laid to rest. It must become Him in us instead of us. He has all we need. He is all that we need. We just become crucified and allow Him to work through us by His Holy Spirit and we will walk victoriously. We won’t have to be concerned about forgiving or loving or doing this or that. We just walk obedient to His leading and all this will happen. It is about Him not about us. He told me once years ago when I struggled about doing something. I focussed on changing it, to no avail. He asked me if I could save myself to which I had to say no. He then asked if I could change myself to which I also had to say no. He then said that if I could save or change myself that I would not need Him. Church, it is not what we do; it is only what Jesus does in and through us. It is only about Him. We must learn to let go. We must learn to cast all of our cares upon Him. We must lay aside every weight that so easily besets us. We must get out of doing things by the flesh in our own strength and draw near to Him and allow Him to work for and through us. We then will find new power and strength. I have adopted a scripture as something that if I will remember when I study the Word or try to follow him as a good foundation to build every thing we do upon. Zach 4:6 says “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord”. It must be by His Spirit if it is to bring good fruit that will last. So bottom line is this. We must stop focusing on the problems, others, and self. We must come just as we are and learn to minister to the lord so that He can minister to and through us. We will experience change not only in self, but also in the people we love. He will show us how to pray for people. He will show us how to war in the spirit. He will show us how the fight for our country with spiritual weapons of war. He will show us how to walk in victory. It is only about walking in the spirit in intimacy with Him. His ways and thoughts are higher. If we want His we must eliminate ours. We do that by entering into His presence just as we are, and just focusing on Him and what He desires. We spend so much time asking God to fulfill our desires that we seem to forget His will or desires. We must get out of the religious works and walk with Him empowered by the Holy Spirit if we are going to advance His Kingdom on earth. We must start looking from an eternal perspective rather than from a temporal one that makes everything about us alone.

In His presence is fullness of joy. What do we want?


Comments about this article? Please contact me through my email account. [email protected]. I am not able to receive messages or comments through the faithwriters message board. Thank You.

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