Faith or Fairy Tales

Currently, the primary thing that stirs me spiritually is the need to maintain belief and faith in the transforming power of God. That we may, in fact overcome sin, self and the devil. Holding fast to and continuing in the faith to believe that He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world. That in Him, we too shall overcome. When He comes will He find faith in the earth? Will He find faith in us?

Four years ago I experienced a deliverance from sin that was truly the love of God and His miraculously transforming power within me, and within my life. My bondage to cigarette smoking was as solid as anyone else’s bondage to any other sin that has them so locked in there seems no hope, no means of escape, no matter how hard they try (and often because of how hard they try!).

Several weeks ago Ray Boltz came ‘out of the closet’ and confessed to the world that he was gay. Beyond that though, after several decades of marriage, 4 children and obviously a career of singing praise and worship to and about our God and the saving power and grace of Jesus Christ, he said he could no longer deny the way God made him. God made him gay and he was now giving himself over to embracing it, the papers and blogs reported.

But what he really gave himself over to was a lie. He attributed his sin to the work of God. He called what is unholy, as holy. He denied God and mocked Him. Struggling with the temptation was one thing, in fact, the very thing God desired to bring him to overcome. But having struggled with homosexuality most of his life, he became convinced it was who he really was and he was doing a disservice to God to deny it.

Having experienced the transforming power of God to deliver me of cigarettes and yet struggle with the faith that He will bring me to know overcoming in my other struggles, is baffling. I know I am not the only one.

There are temptations and sins we struggle with almost all of our lives and it becomes a part of our lives. So much a part of our lives we can think its normal, and even the way God wants it to be.

Leaning on the Lord, we have to look into the black abyss of the unknown, of doubt and fear, and trust that God has our back, our life and our death. We have to somehow believe in the unbelievable, trust the unknown, and go where few sons have gone before. This is how we grow as a son of God. If we don’t, how can we stand? We are double minded and building on sand. We have little faith and therefore will have very little, if any power, to love and help and save others, which is our calling and purpose, and our mission.

I often ask myself, “Did I come this far, to bail out now? Did I get through yesterday, just to give up today?”

The moment I was delivered of my smoking habit and addiction it was about 23 years coming and I didn’t even know I was delivered at that moment. All I knew was that God gave me what I needed to not buy a pack of cigarettes at that moment. I didn’t know how long it would last. It was a moment by moment discovery of what He had done. Today it is over 4 years and I have absolutely no struggle with it, not thoughts, temptations, memory, fear, nothing. It was an absolute deliverance as extreme to me as the bondage itself was. But it took many months, probably more than a year, before I could trust it was true and lasting and absolute.

I see now that this is also how we may discover His power and life in us to continue to overcome and rise up IN HIM, which means rising up IN FAITH and IN POWER and AS A SON. We may need to learn it by degrees. We may know the victory right away, but we will learn how absolute and true it is in time and through more testing.

I would love nothing more than to be excited about the time we’re in and the victory and glory that’s coming. But I’m still in a struggle of faith. I can’t fight and rejoice at the same time yet. I will. I am determined to lean on the Lord, for all that it will cost me (and I don’t say that lightly), that I may know that victory. Like the deliverance from the smoking. I could enjoy the momentary strength to walk away from giving in to the temptation again, but I couldn’t really rejoice in the deliverance until I had enough distance between me and what I was needing to overcome.

Spiritually I am at about 3 am in the morning. It’s still dark and deep in the night. But I do know the dawn is coming. A joy rises up with the dawn, with the light of day. I know mine is coming. It’s coming for many, but we are first needing to lean on the Lord in the dark of night, against the sense of hopelessness and desperation, against the sense of being forsaken and lost.

I pray for all of us to know the power of God is Love, a love that does not end, a love that is not superficial or conditional. His love is absolute and it absolutely saves. It is His love that holds us in the fire at times, rather than takes us out. We have to forsake and take captive the thoughts that tempt us to doubt and stand in unbelief. This is not a small thing. This faith is our inheritance. This faith is foundational to who we are and what we are called to be.

Our lives are not our own. They belong to Christ. He is faithful. He will not forsake himself, his Life or His body and bride. Against all odds, we MUST believe this.

We must believe in God and His love and His power to change us, our lives and others too. Otherwise we just believe bible stories as though they were fairy tales.

 

Boasting in Our Weakness

”He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness.’ Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may tabernacle over me.” II Corinthians 12:9

It is one thing to say that we cannot make it, and it is another thing to give up trying to make it altogether. Can we see that these are two things? The first condition to victory is to realize that we cannot make it, and the second is to give up trying to make it. If we will admit that we cannot make it and give up trying to make it, we will overcome.

What does it mean to try to make it? Let me take temper as an example. Suppose you are a quick-tempered person, and you cannot control your temper. The more you try, the more you fail. You admit that you can do nothing about your temper. What should you do? You know with certainty that there is no way to control your temper, yet you still try to control it. Then what do you do? You try to be more careful when you speak with others. You try to avoid those with whom you cannot get along well, and you try to talk to those with whom you can get along well. You avoid fellowship with those who agitate you and run away from their face. Every time you are about to lose your temper, you try your best to suppress it. You try to suppress it with more prayers. What is this? This is being unable, yet at the same time trying to be able.

Brothers and sisters, please remember that the condition of victory is acknowledging that we are unable, and the greatest barrier to victory is trying to be able. Victory is from Christ; it is Christ who is living on our behalf. The overcoming life requires that we take a stand and declare, ”I cannot make it and I do not intend to make it. Please make it for me. I will not fabricate my own victory.” I have heard a few sisters remark to me, ”Brother Nee, it would be wonderful if my temper could improve a little.” I always tell them, ”You have to thank the Lord for your quick temper.”

Weakness is not something that one should lament over or weep about. Weakness is something that one should boast in. You may have said, ”Thank and praise the Lord He has made me overcome,” but have you ever said, ”Thank and praise the Lord, He has made me fail miserably”? You thank and praise the Lord for giving you patience, but have you thanked and praised the Lord for your impossible temper? Have you thanked and praised Him for your pride? Have you thanked and praised Him for your jealousy? Have you thanked and praised Him for your unclean thoughts within and for your sin? Brothers and sisters, do you have a sin which you cannot even confess? What are you going to do? Are you going to be sorrowful? It is a glorious thing for a man to realize that he is helpless. Once the Lord shows you that you cannot make it, He will immediately show you that God can make it. Your Lord does not show you your inability to discourage you, but for you to believe that He has an excellent opportunity to work in you. In the past you may have grieved over your weakness or wept over your sins. But today you can boast and praise! ”Lord I thank You because I cannot make it. I thank you because I have no way to overcome. I am not able. I rejoice because I am not able. I rejoice because I cannot do anything. Only You can do everything.” If you do this, you will overcome.

by Watchman Nee

1903-1972

From lighthouselibrary.com

I thought this small article by Watchman Nee, probably an excerpt from one of his books, was perfect. Could it be said any plainer, our place and proper humility in submission to the loving, transforming work of Christ within us? Of course it is always easier said than done, but that’s only until we really believe it, I think.