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Dr. Irwin "Rocky" Freeman
Second session on Communion with God or how to commune with God. You recall that on our session we talked about the prayer warrior on the hill and how the prayer warrior on the hill would lift his hands to God and The armed men in the heat and confusion of the Battle of the Plains.
They have their Commission from the Lord of Hosts and from the spiritual standpoint picture the two aspects of the spiritual warfare where the holding up of the hands and the grasping of the hands of the Victorious Word of God needs the co-working of the actual aggressive warfare with the enemy in the valley of the soldiers of the Lord.
God could have given victory to the people of Israel at Rephidim by the lifting of the rod of Moses as at the Red Sea, but Israel had to learn to cooperate with God. So Joshua is sent to fight as though there was no uplifted rod up on that hilltop.
Meanwhile Moses had to lift up that rod at the cost of suffering and strain as though there were no armed men fighting the foe in the battle. So we have this lesson of co-partnership with God and the people of God learned from the object lesson how to work with God in prayer and We learned from this story how faithful in all of his house Moses was and how faithful to his trust on the hilltop that day because his hands were steady.
Until the going down of the Sun Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword and so the Lord said that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven and. So we'd see how this was brought about what the rod of God meant.
We see in the action of Moses for after the victory. He built an altar and called it Jehovah Nisi the Lord is my banner. You see Israel had fought under the banner of Jehovah and at the altar. Which is a picture of the cross of Calvary?
He said amen to God when God said the Lord had sworn The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Now let's turn to the New Testament pattern for the New Testament pattern of the prayer warrior on the hill and.
For the understanding of the full significance of the example to us We have to look at the last chapter of Paul's letter or epistle to the Ephesians. We can see how wonderfully the Apostle depicts the conflict and the victory of prayer.
Through the uplifted hands of the armor-clad prayer warrior. Ours is not a conflict. He says in verse 12 and I read from the Weymouth translation ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood but with the Despotism's the Empires the forces that control and govern this dark world the spiritual host of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare.
You see the Battle of Joshua and his picked me in with the Amalekites was a very small thing compared with this great conflict Which is being waged in the unseen sphere with the forces which govern this dark world.
The spiritual host of evil a battle which is worldwide and not confined to one spot of earth. Like Israel's fight with Amalek Moses one man and the two with him Aaron and her. Were enough on the hilltop for victory for Israel, but not so in this great worldwide war.
I will stand on the top of the hill with a rod of God. Moses said there he could watch the battle and know how long to hold up the rod until that particular phase of conflict. Over Israel's advance was over on the hilltop Which is a figure of the heavenly places the prayer warrior is called to stand and clad in heavenly armor.
To take in his hand the sword of the Spirit, which is of course the Word of God. In The New Testament it is called a sword. But it is also called a rod in the aspect of conveying the messages of the reigning power of the Ascended Lord.
The rod of God typifies the power of the reigning Lord Who stretches forth the rod of his strength out of Zion. Psalm 110 verse 2. He rules with a rod of iron unbending truth that is on his throne. Now there are many stages of the prayer fight which Ephesians chapter 6 opens up if one will read it very carefully.
In verse 13 Paul speaks of having overcome all and standing unshaken. The prayer warrior has learned in much suffering something of the fight in a lower plane. With a spiritual host of wickedness and of the wrestling in hand-to-hand warfare.
But having overthrown them all in all their personal attacks He now stands unshaken on the hilltop with the rod of God in his hand for a time. He stands Having very carefully seen to the various parts of the armor until he hears the Word of the Lord sit down with me.
He does not realize how long the conflict will last. Possibly he thinks that he can best stand alone and needs no Aaron and he needs no error at his side until at last the vision grows clearer and he sees the Scene in a worldwide battle it will last until the going down of the Sun that is Until the whole body of Christ is lifted out of the earth and darkness settles down on the whole world.
He turns to look for the Aaron the her able to stand with him to hold up his hands when they grow heavy he hears the master's voice sit down with me from henceforth expecting and he settles down to wait and to watch and he holds the weapon of victory with steady faith.
Irrespective of his feelings and even the scene of ability to hold on to the end. Revelation 2 26 Paul depicts this stage of having overcome and the settling down of the prayer warrior to persistent watching prayer in his words all prayer Praying at all seasons in the spirit watching there unto he says in all perseverance for all the Saints here is clearly focused Prayer warrior standing on the heel of the heavenly position in Jesus Christ standing or better still sitting down With the Lord in his reigning prayer life he watches the battle in India and Africa in England in America and Hold the rod the word of victory through the Christ of the cross Over the place where the conflict rages and he settles down in spirit to a quiet dogged death steadfast Holding up until that phase of the conflict is over and the battle through.
Remember Moses and Aaron and her were enough on that hilltop to hold the victory for Joshua and his men in the valley. But now in this great worldwide conflict with the host many groups of three are needed.
Those who have learned in personal conflict to overcome and having overcome Right up to the fullest extent of their present stage of knowledge are called by the Lord to sit down With him to hold in persistent focused prayer his finished victory of the various battle centers throughout the world.
Mobilizing the prayer forces is now the need for the Joshua companies have been left long enough in the Battle of the Plains without the prayer groups on the hill. Still as in the time of Moses the Lord himself is watching.
The counsel of God stand sure that in due time the enemy and all of his host shall be cast into the pit. And their remembrance blotted out from under heaven at the altar of Calvary. Let us say amen to God and Joyfully remember that the battle is the Lord's for the Lord did war with the enemy at Calvary and there brought about the first stage Of his casting down which in due season will be completed by his casting into the abyss Revelation chapter 21 through 3 through the prayers of the Saints Revelation 8 verses 3 through 5 and by the grace and the power of God.
Now the question arises What is our attitude to service or if we wanted to put it in the context of an Old Testament story? We could say the pot of oil our attitude to service or the pot of oil. 2nd Kings chapter 4 verse 1 and verse 7.
This story is familiar to most people who go to church or who study the Bible. The widow in her sore distress. Coming to Elisha for help. She was a debtor and unable to pay the debt. We must note first the ground of her appeal to the man of God.
Thy servant did fear the Lord. You see her husband had been one of the sons of the prophets. Men set apart for the service of God. Whatever may have been the cause of the debt of this family that appealed to Elisha in their trouble We at least learned that God will work a miracle to set his children free from such a burden.
All we must do is obey him. God does not change and his word through Paul the Apostle. Oh, no man. Anything stands as the revelation of his mind in this matter. If we desire God to manifest his presence in our midst, we must obey him in the least of his commandments.
We have longed for the rivers of living water to flow through our various branches of work. May it not be that God is waiting for us to prepare the way of the Lord by removing the stones. The things that are contrary to his revealed will.
But the widow goes to Elisha and she cries the creditor is come. Then the prophet leads her first to face her resources and then confessed frankly her position. We are far too careless about this particular matter.
We will meet it somehow when the time comes is usually our thoughts and so we drift on until the creditor appears and We are not at all ashamed of a deficit or a balance on the wrong side. But Elisha said unto her tell me what hast thou in the house?
You see we must be definite in dealing with God and in facing our own position. Are we prepared for sacrifice on our part rather than let the work of God entrusted to our particular care be hindered by debt.
What have you to meet this need is God's question to us before we can expect him to supply the need. What have you to meet this need? God may have a claim upon us and he will not respond to our cry for help until we are prepared.
To let him have all that is in the house to use as he wills. This widow had only a pot of oil. She was really in the position of having nothing to pay. If We can honestly look up to God and tell him there is nothing we can do.
No sacrifice father that we make. He will work for us. But not until then the reality of our prayers can be tested as to how much we are prepared to sacrifice. Toward getting them answered. This may be the reason why so much prayer for the work of God appears fruitless.
God made use of the pot of oil possessed by the widow to answer her prayer. Perhaps you are expecting God to send a help in some miraculous way when he's waiting to use some little pot of oil that you have already.
What is the spiritual lesson for us in the story of Elisha? With debtors to a perishing world to give them the gospel or to be channels for the love of God to be poured through us to needy people. Romans chapter 1 verses 14 and 15.
The creditor has come to take unto him my two children to be bondsmen cries the widow. It is really true. We must overcome the world by paying our debt to it or else the world will overcome us and rob us of our dear ones.
Are the souls that ought to be ours for Christ? There is no neutral position for any child of God. Our family share in our loss or they share in our gain. The children will become entangled in the world if we are apathetic or Anything but faithful to God in the stewardship of sharing the gospel.
Our eyes may be open to see this and we are in sore distress. We recognize our responsibility to the people around us. The creditor has come. We see our dear ones our friends and family in danger of being enslaved by this present evil world and yet we are seemingly powerless.
We cannot meet our debt. What then shall we do. Let us appeal to God. What what hast thou said Elisha to the widow? Well, I answer be the same not anything. Except this pot of oil. How have we really been brought to the end of our resources?
2nd Corinthians 3 5 not sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves. 2nd Corinthians 5 1 not anything in the house the earthly house of this tabernacle. No resources of our own. This is where we must be brought.
Before God will show us the secret of the oil and how it may be increased into rivers of oil. Enough to pay our debt to the world and to meet our hearts need. Now oil in the scripture is a well-known type of the Holy Spirit.
Child of God you have the pot of oil. 1st Corinthians 6 19 know ye not that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, which is in you. Have you recognized his gracious presence in your life? Have you given him the throne of your heart?
Have you honored him as a person you have received Jesus as your personal Savior. Entirely by the working of the Eternal Spirit who delights in veiling himself and flashing the light upon the Son of God.
Have you recognized the Holy Spirit as the one given to be your indwelling teacher? And he's your guide into all the resources of God that are yours in Christ. In that pot of oil lies all the possibility of your being able to pay all your debt to the souls around you and God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye may abound.
2nd Corinthians 9 verse 8. Yes, I know I have the oil you might say, but how can it be increased into rivers of oil one asks? Well, let's turn to our picture lesson and note the directions given by Elisha to that widow in verses 3 and 4.
He says go borrow the vessels. Empty vessels go in and shut the door and pour out. Now only borrowed vessels so that you can never say my. They are my about the people you are used to. Go to those that you minister to they are not yours.
They are not mine. Go and look for the needy people around you even amongst neighbors. It matters not where not waiting for introductions wherever you meet people because you may miss an empty vessel.
Be ready for any opportunity that God may give you. When you find a vessel a needy soul take it to the inner chamber. How few of we who are God's children know the secret of the inner chamber the holiest of all?
Fall enter by the new and living way and under the sprinkled blood abide in the glory of the Shekinah light of God. It is in the secret place of the Most High that we learn to pour out and find that the heavenly oil Can flow out perpetually in its healing melting softening power.
Now, let me just sum up momentarily the points of God's message that I see in this particular story. First of all our responsibility to the people around us who look to us to meet their need and Then secondly our position of utter insufficiency to meet our responsibilities.
God waits long to bring us to the place where we confess and we deeply feel it that we have nothing in The house. And then thirdly our resource lies in the pot of oil the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
He who has been silently working to bring us to know our nothingness and to see that in God alone Is our only hope the God who revealed himself to Abraham Abraham as El Shaddai the poor fourth or the fourth poorer.
We must also remember something else. Remember that the oil will flow only as We dwell in the inner chamber of the king, which is the holiest of all. It is not enough to have the pot of oil the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.
But we must abide in unbroken fellowship with God and walk in the light as he is in the light if his power Is to be manifested for ourselves and others. Also, we want to remember that only as we walk in God's way and under God's direction.
Will we find him manifesting his power within our lives? Elisha said the widow was to take the vessels go in and shut her door. There would have been no flow of the oil had she questioned and said why cannot I pour out elsewhere?
Why need I go in and shut the door? Absolute obedience to God's revealed will is the condition for the manifestation of his power. And Then we must never forget that we shall see the oil increased only as we pour out.
You see there was no visible quantity before the widow began to pour. She obeyed the directions and in faith upon the Word of God, which was given through Elisha. She poured out her little all. Then the all flowed and flowed and flowed and did not cease until there was not an empty vessel anymore.
Now that the all will only flow. To meet real emptiness is a truth in verse 4 thou shalt set aside that which is full. It does not flow indiscriminately or arbitrarily it flows to meet real emptiness.
You and I must develop biblical discernment. Not to keep pouring when the all is stayed because God sees that the vessel that we are dealing with is full. If we do we shall be pouring out of ourselves.
Dead works. Not the precious oil. We need to remember that the all flows without effort and that nothing that is a strain or forced Ever comes from God. Blessed be God. Empty vessels attract the heavenly oil.
Desire is the vacuum that God delights to feel. Full souls do not need him. The full soul trampleth upon a honeycomb. But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Proverbs 27 verse 7. This is why he keeps us empty that through us the all may flow to meet the need of others.
For the empty vessels who desire intensely to be filled when field are again willing to be emptied that others also may be blessed. Then the story closes. Live thou and thy sons on the rest. The children were saved from bondage.
They shared in this bountiful supply. For the all to flow so that all that are in the house may be blessed. Why should we think God can use us anywhere but at home. If they all cannot melt our loved ones why expect it to melt others?
How many are frustrating the deep purposes of God in their inner lives by running away from the discipline of their homes? It is easier to be trained as a missionary than to accept God's training in the home when our picture lesson the sons also shared in the power of all that was poured out and Child of God ponder your father's heavenly message to you in this.
Let him adjust your life and bring you into harmony with his will in every detail. So that you may dwell in the inner chamber in the secret of his presence. Then as you carry before him who sees in secret.
Pour out of his love and life until there's not a vessel more in your presence to be filled. But of course We have to deal with these relationships and they're very real and sometimes they're difficult.
I think we ought to remember that there is a thing before God that is actually called reality. So many people live in a fantasy world or a world that isn't real. The difficulty with many Christians is that they try to manufacture Reality or what God calls reality.
They attempt to produce this reality before God. With the result that they copy or imitate someone else. What God requires though is truth. The real thing manifested in our lives that which we do ourselves is man-made.
Is it not counterfeit? It is not the genuine thing. It is nothing more than outward conduct. He does not have the true article the reality. Because reality involves conduct, but it is not necessarily the same.
It is a fact. Because of this we must learn to live before God according to what we really are. Sometimes, you know, we are close to being false. Simply because we know too much and act according to doctrines instead of following the Holy Spirit's leading.
It is a fact that sometimes it is more valuable to reprove than to shake hands. Though we may maintain a gentle appearance which causes people to praise us. There is no spiritual value before God. One day a Christian Had some trouble with a member of his family and this member of his family was quite violent and he slapped.
This Christian fell across the face at the very moment. The brother remembered what was in Matthew 5 39. Whatsoever smiteth thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also. You see he thought that being a Christian he ought to act like one.
So he turned the other cheek. Having done that then he was so Exasperated afterwards that he could not sleep for two nights as far as his conduct went. He had acted in perfect accordance with the Word of the Bible.
Nonetheless, he was so enraged that for two nights. He lost his sleep. Now this plainly betrays the fact that he had not touched the reality. His conduct was not out of life. It was not the real thing.
You see many Christians sense that they have a deficiency in that they are unable to distinguish true from false. Unable to discern what is of God and what is not of God. The reason for such a deficiency judging from spiritual experience lies in their failure to have touched spiritual reality.
Had they made contact with that reality then the moment any unreal thing might appear before their eyes. They would instantly recognize it for what it was. If you and I have touched spiritual reality in a certain matter, no one can deceive us in that matter.
A Truly saved person has at least touched the spiritual reality of salvation. It is difficult to deceive him in that matter. He knows he is saved. Similarly one who has touched the spiritual reality of a certain matter will only naturally detect the false or the unreal thing as soon as it appears.
I Believe the reason people are so easily deceived is because they often to see themselves. The self-deceived person is prone to be deceived by other people if we do something in ourselves. How can we see it in others?
It is when we come to know ourselves that we commence to know other people. But once having come through God's dealing to see what we are. We naturally recognize what others are. If in a particular matter you have received God's dealings and touch the reality.
You know how the Holy Spirit of God works in you by this knowledge. You instantly then are able to discern whether another person is acting on his own or is moved by the Spirit of God in that matter. Spiritual discernment is what we're talking about.
It comes only after we ourselves have contacted the reality. The one who has not touched reality Deceives two people. First of all, he deceives himself and the one who is spiritually in the same category.
He cannot deceive those who know What is of God and what is not of God and who live with God and live in the power of the Spirit of the Lord? It is time for this kind of a person to confess his sin because he obviously has falsehood in him.
You know some brothers and sisters of the Lord trouble and burden the church not simply with their sins. But also with their good that issues from themselves. Sin is easily recognized. But the good which proceeds from self is not so easily detected though.
It is far from God and far from true spiritual reality. It is a matter of great concern to see how often Christian people Regard themselves as having come into some certain thing after they labored over it when in actuality They have not even touched the spiritual reality.
One person performs an act before God. He touches life and causes others to touch life another person also takes certain action. He feels he's done well yet. Others do not meet life in him and they are not edified because there's something about him.
That isn't true. Instead of admiring his action They reject it and it is basically because this person's conduct comes out of himself and the consequence of self is death instead of life. We must learn to live in the Holy Spirit.
Otherwise, we may exercise good conduct without ever having touched true spiritual reality. Well, what is meant by the phrase living in the Holy Spirit? I? Believe it means not doing anything by or out from ourselves.
Whatever is done by the self is of the flesh and whatever is of the flesh is definitely not spiritual reality. Spiritual reality is spiritual. It is not fleshly to put it simply. Spiritual reality is what one?
So touches by the power of the Holy Spirit the thing that one touches is living and real it is true. The conduct of a Christian is not real if it is not in the Holy Spirit. It can neither help others nor can identify himself.
May God be merciful to us that we may realize that to live in the Holy Spirit is to live in true spiritual reality and life now. Obviously there has to be a supply involved if we are to live in reality in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 it especially shows us.
There is a supply where there is true spiritual reality in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 10. Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus. That the life also of Jesus may be made manifested in our body.
Where the dying of Jesus is exhibited there is the manifestation of the life of Jesus. In other words. Since the dying of Jesus is in us the life of Jesus is also in us this refers to those who know the dying of Jesus and in whom the life of Jesus is Manifested and we see these people walk with God in verse 12 2nd Corinthians 4 so then death worketh in us but life in you.
In verse 10 Paul speaks of the Manifestation of life, but here in verse 12. He speaks of the supply of life that which is manifested in us. We call life, but that which is manifested in others we call supply.
Consequently. Proclaiming or preaching without the reality is empty and useless because it cannot supply the body of Christ. Only after dying of Jesus has worked in us can the life of Jesus work in others.
Hence, this is more than a matter of preaching or working. It is a matter of the supply of life of Course preaching has its proper place and no one criticizes or demeans that particular task. But if it is not backed up by true spiritual reality, it cannot supply spiritual life.
When we bear in our bodies the dying of Jesus the body of Jesus Christ receives the supply where there is reality. Then there will be supply. If on the other hand we do not know the dying of Jesus and have not quietly borne the cross.
Then we will have no supply and please remember dear friend that so far as spiritual reality is concerned work is not what you do. But what you have passed through Before God it is this which will automatically supply the body of Christ.
If you know on your side on your part what the dying of Jesus is then the church or the body on the other side Will spontaneously receive supply. That is why so many people say I am NOT fed in my church.
I am NOT growing in my church or I don't get spiritual food or my pastor or my church does not feed me and You know I have a spiritual hunger and they begin to search around and begin to look wide because.
So many of those who fill the pulpits so many of those who teach the classes Do not have the dying of Jesus in their life. They've not died with Christ. They know nothing of the death of Christ as far as their own personal experience in their daily walk.
So consequently there is no supply of life for the body of Christ. Because of this we do not need to tell people that we have forgiven this or we have forgiven that. Nor we have to blow the trumpet that we have loved people nor do we have to draw people's attention To how we have borne our cross if we have touched reality.
We will effortlessly supply other people. It just becomes a natural outflow. Sometimes I think we act according to our teaching but there is no practical supply. Let us remember always that supply is not an outward act, but it is an inward reality.
It is not an outward act, but it is an inward reality. Where life is there is supply why? For supply is the imparting of life not the exhibiting of work for someone to admire. Supply is to build people up not to build up the reputation.
Let me repeat that each time you pass through the dying of Jesus. Some brothers and sisters in the Lord will receive from you the supply of life. There is no need to wait until you publish your autobiography.
We need to know that many helps Transcend consciousness and feeling. When we have reality people will be supplied whether we are conscious of it or not. For life is a fact. Whenever we are truly bearing the cross before the Lord.
The body of Christ receives supply and people want to be around you because they are what we call they say you minister to my life. How can we understand how can we comprehend what Paul says? So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
So then death worketh in us, but life in you if we are ignorant of what the supply of life is. Well, look at Colossians chapter 1 verse 24. Paul tells the Saints at Colossae now. I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and Fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake.
Which is the church? What is this? It is simply the supply of life. Having seen the body of Christ as one there will naturally be supply. Hence Paul is able to suffer for the sake of the body of Christ and to fill up on his part in his flesh.
That which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ. Let us ask the Lord to open our eyes to see that the body is one. Whosoever really knows that the body is one cannot fail to see first Corinthians 4 verse 7.
What hast thou that thou didst not receive? All we have has been received from God and all is for the supply of the body. The reality we personally touch before God Actually becomes the supply of the body or the church.
What a pity so many Christians live in the external realm. When they work there seems to be no supply or a little supply. But when they are not working there seems to be no supply at all when they open their mouths.
They appear to be God's choice servants, but when their mouths are closed they are no longer God's choice servants. They are able to supply when they are appreciated, but they cannot supply when they are misunderstood.
Why. Because they have not touched spiritual reality before God they fail to supply life to the body of Christ. Yet there are those who are such that when people talk with them for but maybe five minutes.
Those people receive a life supply through these individuals. Spiritual supply does not depend on shaking hands nor does it depend upon conversation? Beloved we supply the body we supply the church. We supply other Christians with what we have known of God within us.
He who has touched reality has supply. He who has not touched reality does not have supply. It is something which you cannot force it cannot be forced. Judging from the experience of Paul. I think we can truly say that supplying the body of Christ is a reality and it is not an act.
If we have experienced reality before God we will spontaneously supply Christians with that reality. The words which Paul says are quite unique. We easily understand when he says always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus that the life also of Jesus May be manifested in our body.
But when he says so then death worketh in us, but life in you. We do not so easily comprehend its meaning not unless we know the oneness of the body of Christ. Since the body is one Whatever works in me will naturally work in others.
This is life and this is supply. We are exceeding joyful because all which the members receive from the head Christ is kept in the body and we are enjoying this body together. So far as appearance goes we have to acknowledge the poor and degraded condition of the Church of Jesus Christ.
I Believe we must confess that an outward appearance. Individual Christian groups as well as individual Christians have all failed. Yes. But when we touch the reality of the church We immediately declare that the church is neither poor nor is it degraded?
It is not because of the failure of individual Christians and individual Christian groups that the wealth of the church is diminished. For day by day all which the members receive from the head is supplying the church the body.
Paul touched this spiritual reality. Thus he could reprove the church in Corinth as well as supply their needs in Ephesians 4 13 He says till we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
Unto a full-grown man. Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This word is rather difficult to understand outwardly and mentally. Who knows if the body of Christ will ever arrive at that point?
When we touch spiritual reality, we do not sense the need to ask even such a question. We know that the church before God is one and it has never been divided as. Soon as we touch that reality all external questions disappear.
So supply is based on touching the reality of the body as well as on the experience of the cross. Let us realize that the supply of words is also based on the life. We have already given to the body to the church.
Beloved the Holy Spirit will bear witness to what you express if what you say is what you have already Have given the church in life. But he will not bear witness to what you utter if it does not represent what you have received from God.
People receive help from your words only if you have first supplied them with your life. Otherwise the help which words give is merely a bit of clarification for the mind. Since such help is but the produce of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil the food of the church is life.
The supply of life is the one and only food of the church. The question is not what you can give but how much you already have given to the church. What have you given of reality to the church? Would you say by the church?
I mean the body of Christ. If you have touched not you will have nothing to supply the people only what is spiritual. Which has reality behind the word can supply the church. Some Christians deem the body of Christ to be only a concept a parable.
They have not seen the reality of the body and therefore have no way to supply it. There is no possibility of supplying the body if one has never seen it it is with a body and view that the Eating of the mouth is the eating of the body and the hearing of the ears is the hearing of the body.
What a member receives the body receives. No matter which Christian it is whatever he or she receives is also received by the body. We need to understand that body life is not only a corporate living but a corporate life as well.
If you and I fail to touch this reality the church is but a Doctrine and the body is but a parable and we have no way to supply the need it as simple as that. Do not ever forget that you are not an independent entity, but you are a member of the body.
Paul says in 1st Corinthians 12 26 and whether one member suffers all the members suffer with it or One members honored all the members rejoice with it. Is this empty word or is it fact? Paul is a man who had what I call Body consciousness.
If he had not touched the reality of the body, he would not be able to utter such a word. Let us therefore ask God to cause us to touch the root which is the reality that we may spontaneously supply the church.
Now if if we have not seen spiritual reality, we obviously are going to have many many questions. Suppose there is available for occupancy a House you've never seen it before. To know about it. You have to ask how many rooms it has whether the windows are large enough.
How many doors? How many closets? Many questions, but once you've moved into it and live there you have no further questions to ask they are answered. Whatever is already clear need not to be asked anymore.
In other words if We live in the reality of a thing we have no more questions about that thing. Only a person who does not know the body of Christ will ask what it is. He who knows will not ask such a question.
With regard to spiritual matters. It's the same we can clarify them to the extent of removing any spiritual difficulty. But we cannot make them so clear as to present no problem to the human mind. Take preaching the gospel as a good example.
We can preach to people are clear enough to believe but we cannot preach to a man's mind is fully satisfied. What did Nathanael say when Philip told him that they had found him of whom Moses and the law of the prophets had written?
You recall that? He said can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Yet later on when the Lord said to him Before Philip called thee when thou wast under the fig tree I saw thee. Nathanael encountered reality.
Whereupon he naturally confessed thou art the Son of God thou art King of Israel. John chapter 1 verses 45 49. You see Nathanael had touched reality and hence he had no more question. And this is how spiritual things are as soon as one touches reality.
He is enlightened within he knows inwardly whether or not he is able to explain it. Lest there be some confusion let me share a thought or two about how to enter in on what I call spiritual reality and What we're talking about here.
Oftentimes spiritual reality is nothing more than terminology to us for we have not yet entered into the reality of it. Only after one enters in can we touch that which is real? I'm not talking about salvation.
How can we enter into spiritual reality in? John chapter 16 verse 13 and 14. How be it when he the spirit of truth is come he shall guide you into all truth. He shall glorify me for he shall take of mine and declare it unto you.
Now the Greek text adds This how be it when he the spirit of truth is come He shall guide you into all and the Greek text adds the truth into all the truth that is in the Greek these two verses then tell us that the Holy Spirit is the one who declares truth to us and guides us into all of it of All the works of the Holy Spirit.
I believe two are of prime importance. First the revelation of the Spirit and to the discipline of the Spirit. The first enables us to know and see spiritual reality. The second guides us into the experience of spirituality through environmental arrangements.
Revelation is the foundation of all spiritual progress. If one has a revelation of the Holy Spirit and yet lacks the additional discipline of the Holy Spirit that Christians life is incomplete. When he reveals He also disciplines and while he disciplines he likewise reveals.
For this reason Revelation does not embrace the whole of the Christian life unless it also includes discipline. We believe that whatsoever the Son of God is entrusted to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will accomplish.
We also believe that however immense spiritual reality is the Holy Spirit is well able to guide us into such an immense reality. There is nothing whatsoever of Jesus Christ, which has been kept from the church or The body of Christ and you and I need to bear in mind that as Jesus Christ has accomplished all So too shall the Holy Spirit accomplish all.
We must believe the trustworthiness of the Spirit and the completeness of his work. You see the object of the Holy Spirit's work is to guide us into trueness into reality. Now stay with me and think a Christian who wishes to help others Must himself be brought by the Spirit of the Lord into what is real spiritually.
In order to guide him into spiritual reality. The Spirit of the Lord must lead him into much discipline and perhaps many trials. In Psalm 4 verse 1. Oh God of my righteousness in pressure thou hast enlarged me.
God had allowed David to fall into distress that he might lead him into notice the word enlargement. James in chapter 2 verse 5. Hearken my beloved brethren. Did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?
Which he promised to them that love him. Yes, God chooses the poor in the world that they may be rich in faith. God does not entertain the idea of his children always in distress and in poverty. His aim is to lead them from distress into enlargement from poverty to riches in faith.
What is enlargement? Well, what do we mean the enlargement? I believe which the psalmist speaks of when in distress you are brought by God into an enlarged place to enjoy him. Distress is not able to depress you.
First he who enjoys the company of the fourth person in the fiery furnace in Daniel chapter 3 25 is He who enjoys God and he who enjoys God is an enlarged person. The one who is cast into prison with his feet cast fast in the stocks and yet can pray and sing hymns to God.
Acts 16 verse 24 to 25 is a person who enjoys God and such a one is certainly being enlarged. The Holy Spirit aims At leading us to enlargement through distress, but sad to say. Sometimes we instead are overwhelmed by that distress.
We have seen the end our purpose of the Lord. In the case of Job how many of us know the story of Job and How the Lord is full of pity and merciful. James 5 verse 11. Job indeed realized the end of the Lord, but some come to an end before the end of the Lord is reached.
They are pressed by distress and failed to come into an enlarged place as soon as they are tested. They are capsized by distress never taking opportunity of being brought into enlargement. You know some Christians though.
They're not in distress. They may be in poverty. They lack spiritual reality. What they have is insufficient to supply their own need spiritually. How can they ever talk about helping other people? But thank God they are Christians who are spiritually rich.
Of these people you cannot fathom their depth nor measure their breadth. Whenever you have trouble you go to them, and you're always helped. Is it not true you bow your head and say thank you Lord. There are some rich people in the body of Christ their wealth exceeds your poverty hence they supply your need.
They are rich because they have touched spiritual reality. Oftentimes we may pray in an emergency and God is merciful to us nevertheless. Emergency prayer cannot substitute for richness. How poor we are if there's no increase in spiritual things after say five six years.
What is the cause of spiritual poverty? One thing it is the lack of discipline and control of the Holy Spirit. This is the cause. Let you and I recognize that all those who are enlarged and rich before God are People who have gone through things and who have a history of walking with God.
Many difficulties are for the wealth of the church. Many sufferings are for the wealth of the body and many frustrations are for the wealth of the church. Look at the number of Christians who pass their days peacefully and much at ease.
The outcome is spiritual poverty when other Christians are in trouble. They do not understand nor are they able to offer spiritual assistance because they have no history with God. However much they have heard the Word of God.
Hearing cannot substitute for the work of the Holy Spirit. To those who lack the work of the Spirit in their lives the wealth of Christ does not come to be their wealth. They therefore have nothing with which to supply of the people.
Whether we are useful in God's hand or not is determined by how much the Holy Spirit has worked in us and A Christian ought not to be so fallen that the Holy Spirit never seems to have bothered him. I Believe that each and every trial is the purpose is for the purpose of enlargement and spiritual wealth.
Each trial produces more spiritual wealth. Every difficulty helps us to know God better and thus shall we be able to supply the needs of God's children. One sister was saved when she was 13. She lived to be a hundred and three years of age.
A Brother in the Lord visited her in her hundredth year. He asked why God kept her so long on the earth she very quietly answered. God keeps me here that I may pray once more and Once more and once more.
Oh How rich that blessed sister was? Another sister was sick in bed for 40 years. For 35 of those years she was deaf. When another man went to see her she said I was formerly very active running hither and thither.
I did not fulfill the many works of prayer needed by the church. But today I lie in bed and for 40 years. I daily do the work of prayer. She was not angry nor anxious no murmuring because of her sickness.
Instead she did a very good work. You see distress had enlarged her and made her spiritually rich. Her richness had become the wealth of the body of Christ. Some Christians are not eloquent in the church.
They don't have much knowledge. Nonetheless, they know how to pray. Whenever they hear anything they pray for that thing. They pray for the sick. They pray for their brothers and sisters in troubles. They supply the church constantly with their prayers.
Other Christians only assembled they come together, but never pray. They listen to the messages yet. They do not pray. They have nothing with which to supply the church. They are poor because they have not received the discipline of the Holy Spirit.
And so they do not know What spiritual reality is? Day after day the Holy Spirit speaks opportunity to guide us into spiritual reality. If we refuse to accept discipline of the Holy Spirit We deny to him the opportunity to lead us into spiritual reality.
All too frequently when the difficulty arises some go around it. When the trial arrives some people choose the easy way out. Thus the difficulty is avoided. But also So is the opportunity lost for the Holy Spirit to guide that person into a spiritual reality?
The Spirit of the Lord has no chance to work something into them so that they may impart to others what they receive. If you and I evade or escape the discipline of the Holy Spirit We cannot expect to enter into spiritual reality and consequently we miss the opportunity for enlargement and for richness.
Let us accept the Holy Spirit's discipline. Then shall we enter into an enlarged place and have something to supply the church? We need once again to consecrate ourselves more completely and more thoroughly so as to give the Spirit of the Lord a Chance to perfect perfect his work and to guide us into spiritual reality.
May God grant us grace that we daily learn before God so that our deposit may become the wealth of the body of Christ. There is no gold which has not passed through fire. No precious stone that has not gone through darkness and no pearl that has not encountered suffering.
Let us ask the Lord to deliver us from all vain talk and poverty. Let us ask instead that We may see more and more what spiritual reality is that the Holy Spirit may guide us into spiritual reality in Isaiah 50 verse 10 and 11.
Who is among you that feareth Jehovah that obeyeth the voice of his servant? He that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of Jehovah and rely upon his God. Behold all ye that kindle a fire that gird yourselves about with firebrands.
Walk in the flame of your fire and among the brands that you have kindled this shall you have of my hand. You shall lie down in sorrow. Psalm 36 9. For with thee is the fountain of life in thy light. Shall we see light?
Psalm 36 9. It is the truth which sets us free. Oftentimes a Christian fails to touch trueness and falls into falsehood instead. He is deceived or bound by falsehood. He does not clearly see the true character of the thing yet.
He considers himself clear. What he thinks and does is wrong, but he reckons himself to be right. Such a condition I call obsession. The obsessed person needs the light of God. Otherwise, he will not be able to come out of his obsession.
Now, what is this obsession? First of all, it is self-deception. First John 1 8 it describes an obsessed person. Declaring him to be self-deceived if a person knows he has sinned but nevertheless tells others he has not it is a lie but if he has sinned and yet believes himself to have no sin, it is self-deception.
A lie is committed when one knows in himself that he has sinned, but he tells others that he has not. An Obsession is evident when one has sinned and yet thinks so well of himself that he believes himself to be sinless.
A liar knows his sin, but tries to deceive others an Obsessed person though himself. Though he himself has seen he believes and tells others that he has no sin. What deceives others is a lie while that which deceives oneself is an obsession.
The substance in a lie is the same as in an obsession. They are both sin. But in a lie the person knows his sin in his conscience yet intends to deceive others by saying that he has not sinned. Whereas an obsession he not only says he has no sins, but also psychologically.
Believes that he actually and truly is innocent. They live in their imagination. Many of those who are proud are obsessed. The proud tend to conceive such thoughts of themselves as to literally believe.
That they are such as they imagine and to desire others also to believe them to be so. When Stephen was stoned to death in Acts chapter 8 verse 1 It says Paul saw was consenting to his death. He was completely obsessed within.
When he wrote to the church in Philippi and Philippians 3 6 he referred to his former history by saying as touching zeal persecuting the church. He thought he was serving God zealously in persecuting Christians.
He was not satisfied just to see people hurt. He asked the high priest for letters to Damascus to the synagogues that if he found any there who were of the way. Whether men or women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem acts 9 1 and 2.
He believed that in this way he could serve God with fervor, but was he right? His wish to serve God was right. But his persecuting Christians as a service to God was wrong. He was wrong yet. He believed himself right that is obsession.
Those to whom the Lord refers in John 16 to they shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the hour cometh that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offers service unto God. To believe that killing the disciples of the Lord is serving God that is obsession.
An Obsession beloved is a matter of the heart. When the obsessed does something wrong his heart insists that he is right. If a person commits wrong and asserts that he's right He is lying, but if he commits wrong and affirms with his mouth and believes in his heart that he's right.
He is obsessed. A Liar is hard without but withered up within. The more confident outwardly the more empty inwardly. An Obsessed person is hard both inside and outside. Being confident both within and without for even the conscience seems to justify it.
When he does something wrong his heart insists that he's right. If he commits wrong and asserts that he's right He's lying, but if he commits wrong and believes with his mouth and his heart that he's right.
He is obsessed. So the situation are the obsessed is such that having done something wrong He nonetheless thinks and firmly believes the thing done to be right so that no one can tell him that he is wrong.
This is spiritual obsession. Furthermore he imagined something which has not been as though it actually were and his imagination goes so far as to vow that others have definitely Done it. This is also obsession now in Malachi there's an interesting illustration in chapter 1 verse 2.
I have loved you saith Jehovah now. That's the fact but Israel says wherein hast thou loved us that is obsession. What they say is not the same as common lie they dare to say to God wherein hast thou loved us.
It proved their hearts actually do not believe God has loved them. They do not believe the fact. Instead they take a lie for truth if this is not obsession. What is In look at verse 6 a son honors his father and a servant his master.
If then I am a father where is mine honor and if I'm a master where is my fear? Saith Jehovah of hosts unto you O priest that despised my name now. This is the word is spoken by God, but they say wherein have we despised thy name.
They have not honored Jehovah yet, they believe they have not despised his name that also is spiritual obsession. Look at chapter 1 verse 7 you offer polluted bread upon mine altar now. That's God's Word yet.
They come back and say wherein have we polluted thee. They are wrong, but they believe themselves, right? Chapter 2 verse 13 and 14 and this again you do you cover the altar of Jehovah with tears with weeping and sighing and so much.
That he regard is not the offering anymore neither receiveth it with goodwill at your hands. Because Jehovah hath been witnessed between thee and the wife of thy youth. Against whom thou has dealt treacherously.
Though she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant now, that's the fact. How do they say wherefore? They do not believe they have done wrong in verse 17. You have wearied Jehovah with your words.
That's the fact. They say wherein have we wearied him evidently? They have wearied God even so they believe not and you can go all the way through. You can go to John the same thing this phenomena of obsession.
Some people are obsessed in their testimony. They talk as to how their prayers are answered their works blessed and their problems solved and they dream that the prayers are answered too and but their fantasies they are not facts and When there's an opportunity to give a testimony they rise to do so and they speak so lividly.
That he makes what is the most ordinary sound as though it was something extremely wonderful and after giving the testimony several times. They actually believe it to be so. They can no longer distinguish what part of it is true and what part of it is false.
May God Father I pray that to thank you for those who have studied with us diligently. Those who listen to the material and these who come to the meetings and Father very informally as we share your word.
I thank you for those who have prayed for us who supply the life by their lives and Who have stood with us? Thank you for their finances that they've shared with us that we might continue to send the word out.
For those that are contemplating sharing with us I pray that you'll bless them and enable them supply for them that they might be used to extend their lives through us. And through this ministry of thy word Thank you for the faithful people who lift us to thee and stand with us day by day moment by moment month by month.
Father use us to reach more people those that we have been witnessing to in recent days. Bring it to fruition that they might come to know Jesus as Messiah of Israel and might know him as Lord of their life.
That they might know him as Savior Jew and Gentile alike that we speak with father bless them. We pray because we ask it in Jesus name until he comes. Amen.