NO FLESH SHALL GLORY

Not sure if you all caught the Olympics this year, but I did at times. I guess I am not dead yet because at times I found myself cheering on my country against another country (or one person against another) for something as silly as a gold, silver, or bronze medal. In the Olympics from its early years the reward or prize would be a laurel crown and at times would be held over the victor's head as someone (usually a slave) whispered in their ear all glory is fleeting. How petty and often foolish we can be when striving, training for years, enduring hardships for years, dedicating ourselves to reach a goal or to beat a time while neglecting the things of God. Now I will not say all of the athletes at the Olympics in 2016 fit this statement, but I would be surprised if more than 1% of all of the athletes really knew God. I seldom heard the word God mentioned, but the Muslims did a good job of this. Now I could be wrong and will be the first to admit it after all "no one knows one's heart" right well maybe that statement is not true 100% of the time. Jesus tells us, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man." (Matthew 15:18) (also see Matthew 12:34) In other words whatsoever is in our heart (where are our treasures what we think is really important) is what we talk about. If I want to know what you like or who you like all I have to do is let you talk and you will tell me everything you like to do and who you like and do not like. My old boss at US Europe Command in Stuttgart, Germany showed this spiritual truth every time we sat down and talked shop. We would talk about critical US military issues in the world revolving around Europe, African, the Middle East, and Russia, but all he had to do to get me really going (his words not mine) is ask how my ministry and church is doing and out of my mouth would roll out the love I had in my heart for the people and the work God gave me . We cannot resist talking about things we really like and things we really do not like. We as flawed humans saved by grace love to speak our mind and tell anybody who will listen what we think and our opinion on issues. But in God dedication and commitment to earthly rewards and medals (scores and times) are NOT the measure of a successful man. Paul in 2 Timothy gives us the standard in God whereby we can receive the crown, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." (2 Timothy 2:4-5) In God the crown (reward or medal) of a race does not go to the smartest, the one swiftest of foot, or to the strongest, but to the one "except he strive lawfully." The key word here is "lawfully" it means within the law or framework God has designed something to be done. The Olympics has strict rules in which to compete, but don't you know God's rules are stricter? And why? Because His rewards are of eternal value not temporal. Here is the divine spiritual principle, the greater the rules, the greater the reward. Funny to know the only rules for salvation is to repent then believe (in that order), but to be used of God and to be able to carry His mysteries and wondrous message in your heart and life, no flesh must glory in His presence. There must be a spiritual death to our: selfishness, self-seeking, pride, arrogance, presumption, and all that is in our carnal nature through His dealings and judgments. It is when our flesh is killed God can be glorified if not and until then we will exalt ourselves over each other and God at every opportunity. We will try to take advantage of each other and God in everything we do. Every relationship we enter will be built on our self's ability and strength and glorying in each seemingly important achievement, but in reality they are fleeting and will pass away as the clouds move in the sky and as the water rolls across the rocks. No my friend the Olympics is nothing more than man exalting his flesh; striving to run faster and longer, jump higher, swim longer and faster, you name it while shaking their fist in the face of God and saying I do not need you. It is a time when all in the world comes together in unity of the spirit of competition and not in unity of the Spirit of God. It is a time when man strives to reach into the heavens and pull God down in the eyes and heart of many people on the earth so they could glory in their flesh. In the newspaper I read and on the TV I heard Olympic village life (where most of the athletics stayed) was nothing more than drunken orgies (24/7) where drugs and sex by all comers flowed freely and I believe this. The heart of man does not want to abide under restraints or limitations, oh no when out of the restraint of authority, especially God's authority, the best man will be is in open rebellion and reprobation. We see a time like this in the book of Genesis when King Nimrod (the mighty archer see Genesis 10:9) built a tower for one purpose and that was to be able to put an arrow in the heart of God. The people under King Nimrod on the earth at this time said, "Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4) Out of their own mouth came their punishment. God has been dealing with this type of thinking (even in me sometimes) in man since time eternal. Man always wants to make "a name for himself" thus the heart and spirit of the Olympics, but God wanted nothing to do with what King Nimrod and the people on earth wanted. You see they wanted to come together in one language. If all can speak the same language then communication, thoughts, and ideas (even though ungodly) will flow freely and man will press himself higher in his thinking and in the eyes of other men while God is pushed down in the thinking and thoughts of man, thus man glorying in his flesh. God acted, "And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth." (Genesis 11:5-9) I do not believe globalization (every nation of the world working together to benefit each other) is what God has in mind for His (all souls, Ezekiel 18:14, belong to God even the unsaved) humanity. God has separated the races (back in Genesis) by separating the languages and man has been trying to reverse what God has done ever since. Most of the deeds and laws passed by governments in America and other countries of the world are anti-Christ and anti God's word. And why? Because the heart of man not under the restrictions and limitations of God is in open rebellion and wants to resist all that God says is true and healthy for man. In direct rebellion to God and His word. In 1963 prayer was taken out of schools and now we see the mess the school system in America is in now we have kids killing kids. In 1973 abortion was legalized giving women the "right" (in God we have no rights except what God gives us) to choose life over 9 months of inconvenience in direct rebellion to God and His word. In 2015 homosexuality and the whole LGBTQ agenda (through gay marriage decision) was made legalized in the land of America in direct rebellion to God and His word. The flesh of the Court systems of America said, we know better than God so we will exalt our flesh and shake our fist in the face of God. Well, history is full of civilizations and countries who thought and acted like America, strewn over the eons of time in destruction and desolation. Make no mistake my friend God will not allow America or any nation to exalt their flesh over Him. There will come a time when God says, "enough is enough" and visits them like He did with Nimrod and the Tower of Babel, but much worse. God knows the longer man works together the more he will go astray. God is a God of boundaries man wants no boundaries. God is a God of borders man wants no borders. God is a God of restrictions and limitations while man wants no restrictions or limitations. God knows limitations and restrictions ends in fulfillment and purpose. This is why the nominal and denominational churches are wandering in unfulfillment and lack of purpose. Their purpose is to glory in their structure, by-laws, and loyal followers thus glorying in their flesh, but God does not operate that way. And this is why most of the nominal and denominational churches are empting out. Even unrighteous people know truth when they hear and see it. I hear a non believers say they despise the church for becoming like the world. The world is looking for a savior (found only in the person of Jesus Christ), but the church is glorying in their flesh and offers salvation in the name of its denomination or process of which there is no salvation found. Paul tells us the truth and hits us hard in the stomach, "And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:28-31) Now this is an example of reverse truth. "The base things of the world, and things which are despised" that God hath chosen are not the things of the world, but the things of God, the things the world would consider to be "base" and "despised." Remember, spiritual things are foolish and not received by man until they allow the Holy Spirit to open up their understanding and heart. Paul too helps us with this, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) How foolish it must sound to people who glory in their flesh. Ah a mystery of God. When we glory in our flesh or others flesh we admit to God, "we know not the things of God" because of the lack of our spiritual awareness. But the real danger in this verse is, "neither can he know them" this speaks of a potential lack in the individual that can only be met by allowing the Holy Spirit (and He will do His job) to deal and judge in their lives, until then they are dead to God and all that God stands for is foolishness to them just like the Olympics.

WTFMT 35 HGM 23 AUGUST 2016

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-35 TEXT: "And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying," (Numbers 9:1)

I. MORE ABOUT OBEDIENCE

       A. Part of His indwelling life is obedience. One of the reasons for which God brings us into the wilderness and the unknown is to learn obedience.
       B. The first few lessons of obedience are not difficult. God did not immediately tell the Israelites to go up and possess the Promised Land. But one of the first lessons was relatively simple. "And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel." (Numbers 14:5)
       C. He starts teaching us obedience in the small things. Things we think are not important to God, things that we believe are insignificant, things that God does not notice. As a new believer we cannot handle the heavier things of God. But, moving in obedience in the small things of God will qualify us for moving in the bigger heavier things of God.
       D. By learning to develop an understanding of the importance of obedience and the ability to recognize His voice we then can move in a greater understanding of what obedience to God is. In other words; We understand and move in greater obedience to the Lord by being obedient to the Lord. How can we can grow in the Lord if we do not do what He is teaching us?
       F. If we cannot hear the Lord's voice and move in obedience in small things we will not be able, in the future, to move in greater things of the Lord.
      G. The passover was instituted while they were in Egypt. Once they were in the Wilderness of Sinai, the Lord commanded them to keep the Passover. In this way they could begin to exercise obedience to the Lord in times of freedom or times when we can exercise our free will.
      H. If obedience was not learned in the wilderness, the children of Israel would not enter the Promise Land. The first relatively simple lessons in obedience soon fade into the background in light of more difficult lessons thrust upon us as we progress in our schooling. Obedience in the glory of His presence, when there is water aplenty, is not to difficult. What is much more difficult is obedience in darkness without water. In our difficult terrain we learn the most about obedience. Thus it is necessary that God takes us over rough roads to train us properly.
     I. Proper training in obedience prepares us (it is hoped) to obey without questioning. When God speaks and leads, He does not usually say why or explain the purposes. If we learn our lessons well, we will walk in His command without asking , "why?"
    J. After we learn not to ask why, the next trick we use to get our way is to make stipulations. This will not work. We must learn to follow Him without questions and without stipulation and without deals. Obedience should be based upon nothing but that which God commands. Our lives may depend on it.
   K. Immediate obedience may save our physical life or preserve us from other dangers. For more important reasons than our physical well-being God wants us to learn obedience. This is why in the school of obedience God gives us a very rough course. Usually one does not know what's going on in the realm of obedience until it is completed.
    L. Little did King Saul realize that failure in his test of obedience would cost him his kingdom. (I Samuel 15:11-28) In disobedience there is loss. In obedience there is gain, not just for the one, but for many others. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19) There is no substitute for obedience. Some folks will pray rather than obey.
    M. A lady was playing the organ, God directed her to pass out tracts beginning with her nearest neighbor, but she was so taken up with her tearful worship and the presence of God she ignored God directive. A second time the Lord urged her, but still she continued to play the organ. About two hours later she heard a great commotion outside. She looked and saw at the nearest neighbor home am ambulance, fire truck, and police. She later found out that the neighbor, alone at home had committed suicide.
    N. Obedience is better than the tearful joy of basking in the presence of God. Nothing will take the place of obedience.

II. PARTING THOUGHTS
    A. Obedience is of great importance. It goes beyond ourselves into an ever broadening area. If we were the only one involved in our obedience, the importance would be greatly diminished. Consider the case with the disciples of Jesus. Their obedience has reached out over two thousand years to touch our lives.
    B. We are one grain of wheat, one seed. We come into God's life and obedience. We fall into the ground and die to self. Now there is a production which touches the lives of many. Where does it end? It never does. And this is just your obedience, no one else's.

OUR GREATEST NEED

As we step back and look at our "needs" we often go to God and beech Him to meet our needs, but in fact nowhere in the Bibles does God say He will meet our "needs." Now please do not get me wrong God does care (to a degree, but not as much as we think He does) about our physical concerns, that is because He knows we have greater "needs" in our lives than what to wear, eat, drive, or a place to live. Matthew puts things in proper perspective when he said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) all of "these things" are the things we wear, things to eat, what to drive, and the place to live. I always find it funny when I go to Africa, India, Nepal, etc. and visit the home of Christians from these areas who do not have nice clothes to wear, food eat, something to drive, or a place to live some would say God has not met their needs. Well I would beg to differ with them. I would say God has met their needs, but not in the way most Christians today believe or have been taught. I find it strange how some Christians use the Gospel as a crutch to soften the troubles of life while others use the Gospel as a way to survive. Each of us has varying amounts of information about God and many are satisfied to use this information to get what they want from God by manipulating Him while others are content with just being grateful for the things that God gives them. One of the most misquoted Scriptures in the Bible is, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) we like "his riches in glory" part and connect our needs to them, well it does not say "needs" it says "need." "Needs" are things, "need" is the attitude about caring for things. Another misquoted Scripture is, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7) Most Christians say, "casting all your cares," but it does not say cares, it says care. Cares are things, care is the attitude of caring for things. So we are to cast our attitude for caring about things (what to wear, eat, drive, or a place to live) on the LORD, because "he careth for you." Our "needs" consume most of our day, but I wonder how this world and our walk with the LORD would look if we spend more of our time concerned about the "needs" of others? Now to be fair there are some Christians who are being stirred to seek a higher level of spirituality in which they experience not only His presence or power, but have an active personal relationship with Him. Now that is a need worth casting our care on. The LORD desires to make Himself personally known to us. It is essential that we respond to this inner stirring of the Spirit especially at this present time as we are approaching the Kingdom Age. I really believe what many Christians call the church age (I do not really know for sure) is winding down and the LORD will (maybe soon) return for those have allowed Him to move them past satisfying their "needs" into a personal relationship with Him. Jesus said that we cannot enter the Kingdom, except we first become as little children. Luke tells us, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (Luke 18:17) Jesus could be talking about the kingdom age I do not know, but probably is talking about what the kingdom of God is, "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17) You know little kids do not worry if their parents have paid the electric bill, have food to eat, drive a nice car, oh no all they really worry about is does their parents really love them. Now here is where it gets deep. It is important for us to understand that the LORD may move in ways that differ from our past expectations or experiences. This means that our approach to this present stirring within our spirit must be with a child-like trust and faith. Paul tells us, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) And later in 1 Corinthians, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12) The LORD's response to our seeking may be in a way that is not familiar to us or that may appear offensive to our intellect. The Children of Israel had this test at Sinai, but failed and only Moses could have communion and receive an impartation from God. The LORD may do this to see if we are really sincere and if we are willing to accept Him on His terms. Herein is the test of our child-like faith and trust, “I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me... that I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” (Proverbs 8:17, 21) The LORD will respond to the expression of our heart’s desire to know Him. As we vocally express to Him our love for Him He will become interested the more in us. The LORD is saying that He will respond in a special way to those who seek Him “early” (those that seek Me early shall find Me). This “early” means that we quickly set aside whatever we were doing and respond to His quickening presence in unquestioning, unqualified anticipation of all that will follow, without any attempt on our part to understand why, what or to have our needs satisfied. One of the biggest draw backs in our relationship with the LORD and our brothers and sisters is us putting our selfish needs first in our lives. When we put the LORD first and in all things acknowledge our utter dependence upon Him then He will make Himself known to us, and also, He will work on our behalf. As a result, we will receive spiritual substance which means that our lives will become a witness of His life. This is the testimony of Jesus which is the expression of His life flowing out through the expression of our relationship to Him. Our words and deeds reflect our relationship with the LORD. Our primary calling is not to ministry, miracles, the "things" in what the church today prays for, but come to know the LORD and spending quality time in fellowship with Him. As we are faithful in our part He will be faithful in His part. The important thing is that we have spent time with the LORD so we might receive the something that is to be given in the outworking expression to our brothers and sisters. Our time of preparation is very important as we can only give that which we have received. Thus as we spend time in His presence, the LORD will impart into our lives the potential for all that pertains to our calling. It is one thing to be called, but another to be sent. After all many are called, but few are chosen. Those chosen are not chosen because they have been called (many are called) oh no those chosen were chosen because they choose the LORD first. Our correct choices establishes our future especially in God. In Matthew Chapter 13, a sower went forth to sow. Some of this seed fell by the wayside and was eaten by the birds. It is very important that the seed (Word of God not money and things) falls into carefully prepared soil for our being in the center of His will and purpose for us. The distance from the hardened soil of the wayside to this prepared soil is but one step. This step that we take into the place of preparation is very important, but while this inner work of the Holy Spirit is taking place there may be no evidence of a harvest. This should not concern us as during this time of change the important thing is the changes that are taking place within us rather than what we are accomplishing. When I was a young Christian (and maybe even now at times) there have been times when I have struggled to meet the LORD trying all kinds of ways, but getting nowhere. Then I became quiet and found that all the LORD required of us was for us to take one step to the side out of the way. When I did this He was there. He had been there waiting for me to wear myself out, so I would yield and come His way. I was trying to force the LORD to move as I thought He should. All I had to do was yield and come His way, in child-like faith. The demands of our soulish desires are very real and ever present. To seek Him “early” not only as a child, but also requires of us a time of heart preparation. This involves a crucifixion of these self-centered desires with a determination to seek the LORD and spend time alone with Him. As we do this the LORD will draw us to Himself and impart into us an adequate supply of that which we need to meet our "need" (which is more of Him) that He might send us forth to preach the word, heal the sick, and cast out devils. What is our greatest need? To come to the LORD with a child-like faith.