A DEVIL BEHIND EVERY BUSH

A few thoughts on the identification of the Devil:

Many of us have suffered through our "devil behind every bush" period and even the church, a few decades past, held an over the top, unhealthy fascination and concentration on evil spirits.

I believe as we move into the realm and age of the "mature son" Satan has less preeminence and we realize that God's hand is behind everything that occurs in our lives and in the world about us. Our focus is changed as we no longer blame everything on Satan. Instead of seeing the Devil every where and involved in everything negative, we know the Father's hand is at work and we need but find our place in His workings to set our personal world and the world about us free through the mercy and love of Christ within us.

With regard to some of our circumstances we often find ourselves mistakenly fighting the curse of Satan when in reality we should be yielding to the rod of the Father. God always deals differently with His sons and He is teaching us much by the things we must suffer.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (Hbr 12:5-14)

It seems I have enjoyed much greater peace and growth since I realized every thing comes by way of His hand and He is in the business of perfecting me. I now quote from Paul Mueller as to possibly a more mature view of the devil.

There is another rod of God that concerns us: it is the Lord’s rod of discipline and correction. Job referred to this rod when he said, ‘Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them (Job 21:7-9). As we look about us in the world today, we can see that the wicked live just as Job said they did, without the rod of God in their lives. The wicked enjoy wealth and the power which that wealth brings. They live the so-called ‘good life,’ for their lives are free of the Lord’s rod of discipline and correction. But it is not so with the chosen saints of the Lord! Our lives are wondrously and strangely predestined of our Father to attain to the fullness of sonship in Christ through the discipline of our trials.

Throughout our journey in this life, with every step we take, we will see the rod of God in our lives. At times, our lives will be interrupted by a strange set of circumstances that are unique and unexplainable. But we must know that our loving Father predestined us to the adoption of sons, and His rod is that set of disciplinary circumstances in our lives designed to lead us to the fullness of the life of Christ (Rom. 8:29). Others may live in abundant prosperity and health, enjoying the things of this world, but we are being disciplined by the rod of the Lord, and are separated unto Him for His holy purposes. If we are truly called and chosen of our Father to become manifest sons of God at this time, we must experience His strange and unique rods, including the rod of selection and separation as well as His rod of discipline.

The chastisement of Father’s rod is unique to true sons. All the sons of God are now going through some form of chastisement, or will soon experience it. The prophet declared, ‘The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city (the heavenly Jerusalem): hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it’ (Mic. 6:9). When the Lord applies His rod of correction to our lives, it is an indication that He wants to teach us something wonderful and important. The Lord’s rod brings a message to us, therefore we should hear the message of the rod. In every trial, He is doing something wonderful in our lives! When a strange form of discipline unto correction comes our way, we will then reply to our Father, ‘Abba, Father, what lesson do you want me to learn through this experience?’ Father has a rich, new message for us in every application of the rod, a message we could not receive in any other circumstance, so we are admonished to ‘hear ye the rod.’

Furthermore, we should not only hear the message of the rod, but we also should understand ‘who hath appointed it.’ The rod of correction, that must come into the life of every true son, is that experience that will perfect us and bring us into the fullness of the life of Christ. By the wisdom of the mind of Christ we will recognize the chastisements in our lives as the rod of God, and not Satan’s works. The devil would rather keep us living in constant ecstasy, and our minds thus dulled to the voice of the Lord. Satan does not want us to be perfected and would not send these tests and trials into our lives! But God is applying His rod to our lives to keep us alert and aware of His voice and leadings, and to perfect us and conform us to His image and likeness. We have grown spiritually beyond the doctrines of the old order. Now, we no longer see the devil in our lives. The Lord has taken the devil out of our minds, out of our doctrines, and out of our lives. Now we know the truth! Now we know "It is GOD which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Paul Mueller)

This is often a tough one to comprehend and I would be remiss if I said I see it all clearly. However Satan and demons have diminished greatly in my eyes as far as my personal life. There are still many battles I suffer but it seems "Satan" and my "carnal nature" are pretty much synonymous as far as the enemy.

Sometimes I think much of what we battle when we see the Devil and his minions all about us are but what might be described as "vain imaginations" ............ doesn't sound quite so ominous when described as such and thus maybe easier to dismiss.

It just so happens that before falling asleep last night I was thinking that it might well be the serpent that met Eve in the garden was a "vain imagination." Then this morning I ran across this by Jane Leade when researching "serpent" and "vain imaginations"

Paul said, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places" --Ephesians 6:12 What are these rulers of the darkness of this world? Perhaps not what you may think. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" --II Corinthians 10:4&5 The battleground is the heaven of our skull, our Golgotha, and the enemy is the reasoning mind and all the vain imaginations brought forth from the reasoning mind. What other ruler of the darkness of this world has so ruled over men and nations through their minds than king reason? What has alienated men but darkened minds? Thus we need for our sun of reason to cease to shine, our moon of the senses to be clothed with sackcloth, we need every starry imagination to fall to earth like untimely fruit, and then shall we see the sign of the Son of Man coming in our new heavens with great power and glory. But it has to be fought and won first in our heavens, that is, in us. (Leade)

God bless,

Jack

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THE ILLUSION OF FREE WILL

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"I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees the Father do" John 5:19

I can only think of how many times I counsel others when faced with a difficult situation to go into it empty and relying only on His strength, wisdom and power. "When we are weak He is strong." How much better things work out when we take this approach rather than worrying and setting a pre-conceived game plan that never seems to meet the need no mater how many different scenarios we prepare for. This is the every day practicality of resting in His sovereignty and realizing how futile are our soulish/mindful plans and efforts.

I hope to close this series of messages on the "free will/sovereignty" issue with a couple of messages on "sovereignty from friends on the forum Joian and I participate on. These are in layman's terms and I hope they help you to see how the idea of us possessing "free will" is but an illusion. I have also added part of a forum message by me addressing this issue. This is a truth that is a difficult one to see and I pray Christ who carries all the keys would open you up to realize that we can rest from our efforts of choice and allow Him to give us all we need.

God bless,

Jack

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I was always taught that God, although retaining His absolute sovereignty over all things, nevertheless sovereignly gave us the freedom to choose within the limits set by His sovereignty. That made pretty good sense to me at the time, as was the idea that my salvation was also included in that freedom to choose. And that it was God's foreknowledge of what I would do that determined His plan for my life.

But when faced with the challenge of tying that freedom in with what the Bible says about God's sovereignty over the affairs of men, I couldn't make them fit together. I still have trouble with it, but I can't see how man can do anything that is not fully and completely controlled and governed and guided by God. To say that God's dealings with me are determined by MY choices rather than the other way around, just did not jive with God doing all things according to His own counsel. That would put me in charge rather than Him. And if He did ANYTHING according to MY counsel, no matter how small or insignificant it was, then He could not be said to do ALL things according to His own counsel.

Most of Christendom chocks it all up to being a "paradox". But, eventually, I came to hate that word because it was used to explain away the unexplainable. And I couldn't see the difference between a paradox and blind faith. So, when I looked at what the Bible said about God's absolute sovereignty, I saw that it was very clear on that point. When I looked at man's ability to choose, it was not so clear. Free will was strongly "implied" but not absolutely clearly stated.

So right there, I leaned toward the clearly stated answer rather than the not clearly stated, but strongly implied, answer. I still lean toward that. All that a man is, is due to where God placed him in his individual life and times. The man had no choice in any of it. Even the way he thinks is due to all that went before him. His "choices" are based on what he knows, so he is unable to choose what he doesn't know. There is no freedom of action in that. It's purely RE-action if anything.

The only answer I can come up with (so far) is that man APPEARS to have the ability to make choices. And it is this self-awareness of choice that he is accountable for in a sense. What do I mean by "self-awareness of choice"? I am aware that I deliberately chose to believe in Christ as my Savior. BUT I also know that that is not the case at all. It only APPEARED to be my choice, when in reality, it was God's choice in me.

But I, the me who is an individual created by God, I am the one who benefits from God's choices in me. And I will continue to benefit from every experience that God takes me through while I'm in this body, because He will choose the best way for me to grow and learn and experience Him. But He chooses it all, while I get to benefit from it all. And part of that benefit is His instilling in me the ability to learn from the choices that I APPEAR to be making by myself, but in reality are His doing.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, Yes, my mind thinks that I'm making decisions on my own, but it's God actually doing it in me. So in that sense, God has put it in me to make choices. Say what??? (LU)

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I think it is the flesh side of us that makes us think we are making decisions. It deceives us into believing we have free will.

Our will is one of the hardest things for man to surrender to God. I guess us humans just can't grasp the fact that we can do nothing, even though Jesus Himself being the Son of God said He could do nothing on His own. When it comes down to it, God has to open our minds to understand and surrender our will to Him. (Charlotte)

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I have been in prayer over this whole Sovereignty subject for what seems like ages. It is such an important one and so costly ......... lots of separating and bringing together ......... much killing and making alive. There is wailing and gnashing of teeth with this one and the rich man walks away to be dealt with on another day. He can't help himself and thus we can't blame him ....... some of us are just sorry that not all have been chosen now to suffer as servant sons. I have been made to recognize that I have children that may not receive the call in this age so these words are not empty. I would certainly give my place up for them ............ and maybe in the long run this what I am doing.

It pains me to see many wrestle with it but I know of no other way. I know there is a painful practical part of seeing His sovereignty that is not like anything else I have been through. There is a great freedom on the other side though so you share this message with Hope.(Jack)


Now I will try and encourage my blog partner to relinquish her bourgeoisie life style for an hour or so and make a contribution in the way of a message or two ;-) LOL


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THE MORE COSTLY PRAYER

for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope

Rom 8:20

When sin comes to my life I will tell you I am sorry after I have gone to God and shared my futility. I used to think "I surrender all my Lord" was the hardest prayer but there is one that cost more and I can't make it out of my own carnal essence as it must come from the Spirit. That prayer is "what ever it takes Lord"

After the latter prayer I believe we just lay prostrate and silent before Him as He painfully works self out of us and works His Glory into us. The Glory part is just that ... "glorious" and the travail of the first working is soon forgotten.

I often wonder how many have been brought to the place of being able to pray, "what ever it takes Lord." I think the seeing of His total sovereignty is part of being brought to this place in prayer. They go hand in hand and He must bring it about in both cases. This is the practical living knowledge of "ONE WILL" and not just the theological and scriptural.

It actually hurts to write of such things because I know the steps of the journey from one prayer toward the next and they are a "killer." There is some Glory felt but still more awaits and that beckons us on.

Only One Man stands at the end and the other dies and is resurrected in that One Man. There is but "ONE WILL"

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt ........... He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Matt 26:39,42


Jack

COME UP HITHER

For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
Pro 25:7


God had bypassed my carnal mind and Divinely placed a Knowing in my heart. I now knew deeply without any doubt that "man's free will" was a myth built upon faulty perception which might be better called "illusion."

Confirmation in a Vision and a Word

Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? Mat 27:17

In the midst of my participation in a forum discussion on the subject of Evil and God's Sovereignty I laid down to pray before going sleep for the night. As is occasionally a practice with me, this night I meditated on Christ and His Cross before praying. I was surprised, that this evening, as it seemed I could not see Christ nor His Cross. My sight was blocked and all I could see in front of me was a sea of arms raised in different positions of movement. There were fists clenched with some and with others there were signs of approval and disapproval being displayed in a variety of ways. I couldn't hear anything but I sensed that there was also much shouting accompanying the raised and animated arms of this crowd.

I asked the Lord what are these people shouting and He said, "they are shouting their approval that Barabbas be released and they are also shouting many disapproving things about Jesus whom they want crucified.

He also responded, "they are "making a choice"."

The next morning as I drove to the grocery store I was thinking about this vision I had the night before. I asked the Father if there was anything else as far as an interpretation accompanying this dream. He only said three words, "come up hither."

That was all the interpretation I needed. God had clearly showed me the difference in perspectives. From an earthly point of view I couldn't see Christ but only a sea of men making a "choice." However if I was to "come up hither" to the Throne of God I would see that these men were but playing their parts under the sovereign direction and purpose of God.

God holds all the strings and it is only by false impression and faulty perception that man thinks He moves free of God's sovereign direction and purpose. What wondrous peace and love is shed abroad in our hearts when we surrender all to the One and Only Free Will of the Father.

The Father beckons "come up hither" and I pray the wings of your soul will learn to beat the upper rarefied air of His Heavens.

Jack

OUR CHOICE ......... OUR FOLLY

I had dinner last night with my neighbors and the topic of conversation was "God's sovereignty." Sitting across the table was beautiful vessel used of God to teach me a lesson of God's sovereign grace last year.

This couple and myself laughed heartily as we both recounted the incident of my awakening to the awesomeness of God's message of complete sovereignty. I had stopped by on the way to the store to visit the four children and this mother that had adopted me as a friend. After the children and I shared our customary hugs and jestings Chrissie invited me to sit for coffee which I accepted.

It was during this time that Chris shared with me something that had me scratching my head and also worrying a bit. She was telling me of how she had come to rest in God's sovereignty and even her sin was the responsibility of God. She told me she had been set free and didn't worry about her sins any more. I said to myself, "Whoa! this poor child of Christ was getting off the path."

I warned her that, "we had a will of our own and we had to take responsibility for our shortcomings."

After a bit more discussion on "free will" and after emptying our coffee cups it was time for me to go to complete my errands. We both smiled as I bid my goodbyes knowing well we were at an impasse with regards to the subject of "free will vs God's sovereignty." The rudiments of the old "Armenian/Calvinist debate" would not be decided today.

Now getting back to our dinner conversation and the reason for us laughing it seems both Chrissie and myself shared the same thoughts after this discussion. She recounted how she thought, "how could someone as mature a Christian as Jack not see and understand God's complete sovereignty?"

I thought of Chrissie, "how could that poor woman, who had a walk I had grown to respect, not know we have a responsibility for our sins?"

Little did I know some months after Chris's and my initial discussion of the "Sovereignty/free will" dilemma it would all snap together for me and I would see that my friend was absolutely correct in her belief that God is "completely sovereign" and "our free will" is but a myth and at worse a lie.

As we enter the "seventh millennium" from Adam which I believe is the "millennium and age of our Sabbath Rest" others are being awakened to the knowledge that God is in total control and we can rest knowing all that comes to us in this world is but for our good and our perfection and that also goes for all mankind.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son ...... Rom 8:28,29

I copied a couple old statements from past discussions a year ago that it might show the error of my way and how far God has currently taken me to see the Truth of this matter. Please also note when I made these two statements I had read hundreds upon hundreds of papers and messages addressing the "free will/sovereignty" issue.

"I think "free will vs sovereignty" is a great mystery...........but there is a greater mystery............and that being.....................why men think they can possibly comprehend the mystery of "free will vs sovereignty""

"Okay guys there are thousands of ways to get to the sovereignty-responsibility issue and you have but discovered another one. There can never be any true resolution to this age old debate for it lies within the framework of "the secret things of God""

In closing, I have copied a number of short messages shared by me in the last couple weeks while debating this subject on an Internet forum. I pray you might glean some truth from these and if not I hope you have enough wisdom to lay these sharings on the shelf for another day when God might sovereignly takes you back to this subject and open it up anew for you.

Blessings,

Jack

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Yes we have choice and we can qualify that choice.

Humans were made "choice making beings" but their steps are ordered no matter their plannings.

"The mind of the man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Man perceives his own decisions great but God laughs at his folly.
God controls and directs all the information surrounding a choice thus man always makes the choice foreordained. Carnal man can spin his choice a hundred ways but it is always God that foreordains it.

I'll tell ya we have a Great God!

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God makes a way in His word for those that can drink milk and those that can digest strong meat. His Word is given in such a way that it accommodates the babe as well as the mature son that has entered into the realm and age of the Father.

We who are coming to know God's sovereignty without exception are learning to ask nought because we know all is for our good. Instead we become intercessors and priests moving in the will of God for others.

Do not these words ring out as the ultimate and highest pattern set before us as Christ knelt before the Father. We must like Jesus, go "a little further" until there but one "will be done"

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt ....... He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Mat 26:39,42


We will all come to the place of knowing "one will be done" ........ some sooner than others ........ but all will come.

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We will be a tried people ........... trials are but meant for one purpose ......... to bring us to the end of our self that we would lean upon Him ....... it is His Faith and only His Faith that will stand in the end. Faith that the "will of God" is always for our Good. Only His Faith lines up perfectly with His Will ........... count it all joy!

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Quote from forum participant:
GOD took the most EVIL "CHOICE" in HISTORY, in the sentencing and murder of His only begotten SON... and produced SALVATION from it, ...that in itself shows ME, that the CHOICES of MAN are completely in GOD's Hands, and shall produce GOOD in the final result...

My response:
yes my friend,

This is an example of the awesome Holiness the angels proclaim when they sing, "Holy, Holy, Holy"........ an "awesome" and "terrible" Holiness as defined previously when we ran down the Biblical definitions a few weeks ago.

We so limit the attributes of God through our finite understanding at times. Some would belittle the Holiness of God while thinking they must err by choosing His Holiness over Sovereignty.

God's Sovereignty encompasses His Holiness and vise versa ........ we can avoid erring by proclaiming a big God rather than a lesser god. How often do we see some get in trouble by breaking God down to the excluding and limiting of one attribute in favor of another. All God's attributes are all so interfaced that if one would fully view one attribute they must also see all the others and to see in this way is to know all His attributes make up a "Glorious Agape".

When beholding our God we must throw out our old arithmetic. Our God measures differently, as He counts "loss as gain" and "nothing as All". Are you nothing yet?

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We must remember salvation is an ongoing process unto a state of "salvation to the utmost". Salvation to the utmost is when we are caused to recognize we have "no will what so ever" and we walk perfectly in recognition of His will. It is all about perception and our perception is Divinely given just as is salvation. They actually go hand in hand.

The cross we carry is enduring our self and self wants to think it has some power to change _________ (fill in the blank with whatever)

The truth of the "All and Nothing" is the greatest of truths but ah, so bitterly swallowed. All of you must become as nothing and then nothing is resurrected to become All. Death and Resurrection ............ the wonder of it all!

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I believe that we come by "His Faith" to trust in our complete surrender to "His Will."
His Faith and His Will will carry our souls into the perfect eternal circle of His Love ........ like a vortex the circle of Love starts small and is carried to the greatest Love where "all" is found in "All"

Our abandonment grows proportionately with His Faith. I believe Faith and Christ are inseparable and synonymous. The Spirit of Christ is the smallest of seeds that grows into the greatest of trees. When all is said and done, all will be swallowed up that only the Tree of Life is left standing. Our stinking thinking selves are but fertilizer for the Tree of Life.

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Pure love reigns underneath, notwithstanding; for how can a soul go about to consider its own interest, when it cannot so much as look at itself? Or, how could it be pleased to look at what it cannot see? It either sees nothing, or nothing but God, who is All and in all, and the more it is blinded to self, the more it beholds of Him. (Fenelon)

Before we were ever quickened by the Holy Spirit we were in a state of complete blindness and death. Only after the Spirit can we recognize self and the state in which it resides. Self can never see self thus until and unless the Spirit gives illumination we know not our state.

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A few one liners:

if you were to exercise freely a choice between eggs scrambled or eggs benedict this universe would fold up into instant chaos

He loved you first .............. why?

We want to sanitize this world to make it more palatable and we will figure out a hundred theologies to accommodate this.

We can weave a hundred tapestries but I believe all the string are held in His hands.

The "All in All" is without exception

The catch 22 is that God's sovereignty is not seen until that seeing is sovereignly given.

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That's the elephant in the room and the question that stretches one's faith and goes back to the subject of, "does God create and use evil." The answer is "yes" and to be brought to the place of accepting a "yes" to such a question will break one's heart but this is necessary.

Often the breaking of the heart precedes the acceptance of the correct answer as it was in my case. This is part of the journey to seeing a Great God that uses both His left hand and His right ............. this part of our painful undoing that he might gloriously put us back together in His image.

One day we will stand around His throne and sing praises that He alone who is "Good" has miraculously used both "good and evil" to make "All Good". This is the "knowledge of Love" of the highest order and only spiritually discerned. This is the "mystery of iniquity"

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I will take my personal experience where, when evil came to me by way of man, God said, "I did it."

Am I to argue with Him when He took the blame I was placing on my enemy. No because I am now free to love my enemy.

As far as sin and evil I think these two scriptures confirm why God took the blame for the sin and evil I suffered four years ago when I was robbed of nearly all I owned.

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Col. 1:16

"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" Rom. 11:36

Whatever has comes out of God cannot be annihilated in the sense of it vanishing completely from existence. Paul related it once in a very short but powerful statement: "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36). Simply put, everything came out of God, it all passes through Christ and His cross. It returns back to Him from whence it came. It returns in resurrection glory changed to the same heavenly substance of Himself.

out of, through, and back into God. (Roach)

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Sin?

I don't blame Him and in reality I can't hold myself accountable because I was created in futility. This is why I often lay prostrate at His feet ............ hours and sometimes days.

I can't change my spots and I gave up trying. I know He can and this is my "rest."

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When we share " Universal Salvation" they say sin will encompass your life because of this belief

When we share God "All in All" they say sin will encompass your life because of this belief

So whats new?

I have had God take me back to see the sin in my life when I have been in the greatest of pain as I suffered the consequences of reaping my sins sowed many years ago. He has showed me by His grace I could not have done anything different back then and these shortcoming were all being made for ultimate Good. I don't kick myself any longer for past sins or even present ones as I know well the law of sowing and reaping and I also know I have surrendered all to Christ for His keeping.

He occasionally shows me the darkness that still resides in my soul and the horror of this causes me to cling more tightly to my Lord that I be free from adding to this horror. It is He that initiates all in my life and He that corrects me that I might find humility, know there is no good in me ...... there is not strength of my own will to overcome ..... and there is only a sweet surrender that will bring a sweet repose.

Sin ......... oh no I can't do anything about it for it is the curse that dwells in my flesh. It is His business to dissolve this sin and this sinful flesh and having walked with Him long enough I know Him more than capable.

In closing let me share this saying which I have adapted as it speaks to the purpose of my sin and my reaction to sin.

Suppose we have stumbled, or even fallen, let us rise and run again in His strength; all our falls are needful for they strip us of a disastrous confidence in ourselves, while they do not take away a humble and salutary trust in God.

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I already know what "good and evil" is. Adam ate of that tree for me a long time ago.

Now I am about the knowing of "He alone that is "Good""

This is why I must leave this world which is the realm of "good and evil" and beckon to His call to "come up hither" where only "Good" resides.

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This is why He brings us to the end of "our selfs" ......... that we rise up by His resurrection power, working in us, and rest in His mind ............. the mind of Christ.

He is the potter and when we really know that, we really know to rest.

Self hates rest and loves it's own works ..................... self so wants to have a part in our redemption. The problem is our redemption has already been paid for.

Why beat the air?

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This is the fearful elephant that fills room:

for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope. Rom 8:20

As we grow we will feel part of the elephant .......... then another part. To feel and know the elephant will break your heart.

His light is sovereignly given that we would see the elephant. To know the elephant is to groan for our full redemption made manifest.

"for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope"

Do you groan? ......... do you sleep well every night? ............... do you fall weeping at the foot of the Cross? ............... this will tell me if you are seeing the elephant.


"Even's God's worst evil is good, while man's best good is evil"

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.......I was soft, week and easily impressed upon, when that thief stole all I had four years ago. That event hardened my heart and I was possibly going to prison for the rest of my life if I was to act upon my plans for reciprocation.

Then God told me He stole my life savings.

I learned then God does evil and He moves violent men with their evils doing to bring us to our very end and thus to Him, as broken. God used not a preacher behind a pulpit to teach me grace, but He used a common thief with evil in his heart to do the job. It sure makes it easier to love your enemy when God says "I did it."

Is that not what we learned with Jesus relationship with Judas.

Yes, God hardens and He makes soft and no one shall stay His hands as He will use both to bring you and I and all mankind to perfection.

Pity the man that thinks he or the devil has even a hint of free reign.

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God makes a way in His word for those that can drink milk and those that can digest strong meat. His Word is given in such a way that it accommodates the babe as well as the mature son that has entered into the realm and age of the Father.

We who are coming to know God's sovereignty without exception are learning to ask nought because we know all is for our good. Instead we become intercessors and priests moving in the will of God for others.

Do not these words ring out as the ultimate and highest pattern set before us as Christ knelt before the Father. We must like Jesus, go "a little further" until there but one "will be done"

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt .............. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Mat 26:39,42


We will all come to the place of knowing "one will be done" ............. some sooner than others ........ but all will come.

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I know the reality but as I have often tried to explain such to others I find it is like talking to a wall until one experiences and knows His sovereign grace. Knowing God's complete sovereignty is one of the last great revelations to come to my life and I can hardly believe the rest it has brought me ........... especially with regards to my relationship with others.

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" the kingdom of the serpent, our fleshly wisdom"

Selah

OUR WILL ......THE SERPENT

"for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope" Rom 8:20


Isaiah 14

12How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations O blasphemous, satanic king of Babylon!

13And you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north.

14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

15Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (Hades), to the innermost recesses of the pit (the region of the dead).

Do these scriptures not speak of Adam. Adam decides to exercise his will only to find that he moves perfectly according to the pre-ordained plan and purpose of God. Is this not the height of "futility" that is built into the creature. Carnal man thinking he will go his own way ......... makes a decision ........... however he but fulfils God's will.

Yes the "will of man" is the serpent that manifests itself in lieing futility ........... "lies upon lies" until all is confusion (Babylon). The natural man can look upon himself and the world today and feel the perplexity of nations (confusion) but the Spiritual man takes comfort that all is according to plan and in that he can find rest.


"The mind of the man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9



I pray you rest today in the knowledge that God is in perfect control of your life and the world about you,

Jack