"Finney preached, and sometimes the whole congregation would get up and leave! That's good preaching." - Leonard Ravenhill
Cardinal sent this by Ravenhill to me last week and we had a good laugh. Obviously Finney wasn't preaching no "Prosperity Gospel(lol). One must go a far bit with God to understand how true this quote is. It is when one recognizes the working of God within a remnant that one begins to recognize the cost few have been given heart to pay. Truly it will cost us all to possess All that He gave. I love Joian's statement posted in the sidebar of our blog as it echos my last thought:
Cardinal sent this by Ravenhill to me last week and we had a good laugh. Obviously Finney wasn't preaching no "Prosperity Gospel(lol). One must go a far bit with God to understand how true this quote is. It is when one recognizes the working of God within a remnant that one begins to recognize the cost few have been given heart to pay. Truly it will cost us all to possess All that He gave. I love Joian's statement posted in the sidebar of our blog as it echos my last thought:
.
"It's his life for ours. We die, He lives, and then the mystery is that we live again." The wonder of it all!
.
.
.
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" Col 1:13
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" Hbr 11:5
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" Hbr 11:5
.
.
.
.
NEXT .... Our Translation?
I got up this morning at 2AM to read for a bit and stumbled across a wonderful writing which I have copied below. As I read it, I kept thinking over and over, " our translation .... our translation." By now, many of us have realized that there is a progression in most states of our walk, whether it be our surrender, crucifixion, resurrection, or sonship etc. So I believe it would be also, with the experiences of our "translation", as exampled in the accounts of Philip departing from the eunuch(below) and Enoch's glorious departure(above).
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities ..... Act 8:39,40
As I ran a Greek concordant search on the two scriptures I found where "translation" is used in the New Testament I found the duo terms, "metatithmi" and "methistmi", give thought to:
*to transpose (two things, one of which is put in place of the other)
*to transfer
*to change
*to transfer one's self or suffer one's self to be transferred
*a change of situation or place
It is when I got to the root words(and their definitions) of "metatithmi", taken from the Enoch scripture (Heb 11:5), that I began to see the connection of "our translation" with the copied article below. I believe these positional descriptions are worth meditating on for moment:
*to lay
*to put down, lay down
*to bend down
*to lay off or aside, to wear or carry no longer
Using this above as some background to understand the meaning of "translation" let me share with you that I believe "our translation or, better said, translations" are possibly the next place(no pun intended) in our sonship journey. I might believe that even today some are being translated, even unawares. I think this probably happens most often in deep prayer where no awareness, what so ever, is given to our self or our surroundings. Truly God is bringing some of us to "nought" that He be All and do all things through us. With that said, please take these last thoughts I shared with you, as you read this message by George Davis. I would hope you might catch a glimpse of why I kept thinking "our translation" as I read this.
Centered On Self or Lost In God?
By George Davis
I got up this morning at 2AM to read for a bit and stumbled across a wonderful writing which I have copied below. As I read it, I kept thinking over and over, " our translation .... our translation." By now, many of us have realized that there is a progression in most states of our walk, whether it be our surrender, crucifixion, resurrection, or sonship etc. So I believe it would be also, with the experiences of our "translation", as exampled in the accounts of Philip departing from the eunuch(below) and Enoch's glorious departure(above).
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities ..... Act 8:39,40
As I ran a Greek concordant search on the two scriptures I found where "translation" is used in the New Testament I found the duo terms, "metatithmi" and "methistmi", give thought to:
*to transpose (two things, one of which is put in place of the other)
*to transfer
*to change
*to transfer one's self or suffer one's self to be transferred
*a change of situation or place
It is when I got to the root words(and their definitions) of "metatithmi", taken from the Enoch scripture (Heb 11:5), that I began to see the connection of "our translation" with the copied article below. I believe these positional descriptions are worth meditating on for moment:
*to lay
*to put down, lay down
*to bend down
*to lay off or aside, to wear or carry no longer
Using this above as some background to understand the meaning of "translation" let me share with you that I believe "our translation or, better said, translations" are possibly the next place(no pun intended) in our sonship journey. I might believe that even today some are being translated, even unawares. I think this probably happens most often in deep prayer where no awareness, what so ever, is given to our self or our surroundings. Truly God is bringing some of us to "nought" that He be All and do all things through us. With that said, please take these last thoughts I shared with you, as you read this message by George Davis. I would hope you might catch a glimpse of why I kept thinking "our translation" as I read this.
Centered On Self or Lost In God?
By George Davis
Someone defined salvation as "salvation from self." If we carefully consider this statement in the light of scripture, we can do no less than prove it true.
.
At initial conversion, we are enabled by the Spirit of Love to see beyond ourselves. Love is not self-focused. It seeks not its own. And we begin, however haltingly to walk in the reality of this great love. Even with this radical shift away from egocentrism we still bring our old self-relating reflex, which we inherited from Adam, with us. What do I mean by "self-relating"? It is that fallen condition which we inherited for Adam, who after he sinned no linger lived unto his Creator, as the glory of the Creator, but instead became acutely self-conscience and self-serving. After eating the forbidden fruit, his eyes were opened, his focus shifted onto himself and, spurred on by the shame of what he saw, he hid among the trees. Adam's first reaction was shame. He covered himself (indicating a shame-based state of self-awareness). Adam turned into himself and began to judge all things from this new position and motivation. Even his Creator became a threat to him. While hiding from the presence of the LORD God among the trees, God asks Adam the question, "Where are you?" Adam, now hopelessly blinded by self-focus, answered, "I", "I", "I", "I" ... "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (see Genesis 3:10-11). And man has hidden from himself, God and others, ever since. We were all born into this conflicted state, hiding from the presence of the LORD God among the trees, tightly clutching our fig leaves.
In his book Ashes into Gold: The Journey of Spirituality, Martin M. Davis described this fallen nature in man as,
". . .an infantile, selfish despot that tolerates no frustration, brooks no delay of gratification, and reverences no master—including God. Sigmund Freud descriptively labeled this inner highchair tyrant "his majesty the baby," the metaphorical embodiment of our innate egocentricity, grandiosity, and false sense of omnipotence. His majesty's latent cries resound within each of us as he pounds his spoon upon his highchair and screams, 'I want! I want! I want!'
In his boundless egocentricity, his majesty the baby views himself as the center of a personally constructed universe. He regards himself as the principal actor in the unfolding drama of life and all others as mere extras who exist solely to support him in his starring role. . ."
From the moment we first drew air we were lost, self-relating and utterly lacking consideration for others. This ingrown state IS the condition commonly called "sin." From this perspective we can easily see why anything short of salvation from self falls far short of full salvation, because we still carry with us the self-fixation that we are supposed to be saved from. Consequently our spiritual lives consist of a pilgrimage away from carnality unto the full dawning of the Daystar in our hearts.
The following example from DeVern Fromke's book, "No Other Foundation" may help us make our point. (because the diagram copied so poorly I will list the four stages of progression; first to the last)
At initial conversion, we are enabled by the Spirit of Love to see beyond ourselves. Love is not self-focused. It seeks not its own. And we begin, however haltingly to walk in the reality of this great love. Even with this radical shift away from egocentrism we still bring our old self-relating reflex, which we inherited from Adam, with us. What do I mean by "self-relating"? It is that fallen condition which we inherited for Adam, who after he sinned no linger lived unto his Creator, as the glory of the Creator, but instead became acutely self-conscience and self-serving. After eating the forbidden fruit, his eyes were opened, his focus shifted onto himself and, spurred on by the shame of what he saw, he hid among the trees. Adam's first reaction was shame. He covered himself (indicating a shame-based state of self-awareness). Adam turned into himself and began to judge all things from this new position and motivation. Even his Creator became a threat to him. While hiding from the presence of the LORD God among the trees, God asks Adam the question, "Where are you?" Adam, now hopelessly blinded by self-focus, answered, "I", "I", "I", "I" ... "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (see Genesis 3:10-11). And man has hidden from himself, God and others, ever since. We were all born into this conflicted state, hiding from the presence of the LORD God among the trees, tightly clutching our fig leaves.
In his book Ashes into Gold: The Journey of Spirituality, Martin M. Davis described this fallen nature in man as,
". . .an infantile, selfish despot that tolerates no frustration, brooks no delay of gratification, and reverences no master—including God. Sigmund Freud descriptively labeled this inner highchair tyrant "his majesty the baby," the metaphorical embodiment of our innate egocentricity, grandiosity, and false sense of omnipotence. His majesty's latent cries resound within each of us as he pounds his spoon upon his highchair and screams, 'I want! I want! I want!'
In his boundless egocentricity, his majesty the baby views himself as the center of a personally constructed universe. He regards himself as the principal actor in the unfolding drama of life and all others as mere extras who exist solely to support him in his starring role. . ."
From the moment we first drew air we were lost, self-relating and utterly lacking consideration for others. This ingrown state IS the condition commonly called "sin." From this perspective we can easily see why anything short of salvation from self falls far short of full salvation, because we still carry with us the self-fixation that we are supposed to be saved from. Consequently our spiritual lives consist of a pilgrimage away from carnality unto the full dawning of the Daystar in our hearts.
The following example from DeVern Fromke's book, "No Other Foundation" may help us make our point. (because the diagram copied so poorly I will list the four stages of progression; first to the last)
1) Jesus died ......... for me
2) His death provides victorious life ......... for me
3) In Him I died ..... to become alive ......... unto God
4) LIFE has one passion and purpose: bringing honor, glory and satisfaction ........ unto Him
You see the progression. When I was first saved I was limited in vision due to a lifetime of viewing everything through a self-relating lens. My first response to Christ's death and provision of grace was to view it nearsightedly, as something purely "for me," to make life better "for me", to save me. "Christ died for me." "His death provides victorious life for me." You see where this is going. The further along we go on this journey the more we realize that it is all "UNTO HIM". The more we are tried and come forth as pure gold, the more our lives have one passion and purpose--bringing honor, glory and satisfaction UNTO HIM. This is the big difference between slaves, children and mature sons.
Paul measured maturity by the absence or presence of carnality. "Are you not carnal? Are you not babes?" Conversely, by that same standard, maturity is self-forgetfulness. I am not casting stones at anyone here but simply point out that we are in the process of growth and that that growth is measured by the degree of selflessness we walk in. And that, should we return to our fig leaves God, from time to time, will ask us "Where are you?" Or rather, call our attention to where we are at because the heart is desperately wicked and is capable of making saintly the most evil desires and activities by dressing them in robes of piety. We like to think of ourselves as noble, truthful and selfless, embodying all the best human characteristics. But we vacillate between narcissism and self-oblivion.
We feel the call of destiny; to rise above all that is merely carnal and an inner strength that promises the realization of it, and yet we remain divided within ourselves and among ourselves.
We are capable of great love and self-sacrifice and at the same time, when the right trigger is pulled, capable of engaging in the worst forms of self-protection and self-aggrandizement. If we are honest with ourselves, this describes the experience of most of us. He who says he has no sin in this matter has indeed deceived himself. Even seemingly noble activities fall short when they come from the wrong tree. "If I give my body to be burned and have not love, I am nothing."
If that inner highchair tyrant is not dethroned in our lives we will inevitably lay down our crosses and hang our shingles. Even something as seemingly selfless as serving others soon becomes "my ministry." This despot doesn't give up his throne without a fight and he will use every trick in his bag to keep it. He will even be "holy" if that is a requirement of keeping his throne. However, his excitement in things holy is all about what is happening to Him and how people are relating to Him in what God is doing in HIS life. Every conversation is about what "God is doing in Me" and how "God is using ME." Though it sounds great it reaches no further in goal and objective than the outer skin. It is Adam relating to God with himself at the center.
What is the answer?
A shift as radical as Galileo's discovery that the universe is not geocentric is required. We must move from our self-relating perspective, where the Son revolves around us, our desires, our "needs" to a Christocentric life where our earth revolves around Him and all that we are is the outgrowth of basking in His light, life and love.
Christ the last Adam came to call us out of hiding and remove our fig leaves and cover our guilt and shame with a new covering. By His death on the cross He deposed our I-ness (shame-based self-focus) from the throne of our lives and put our focus back where it belongs. Through our crucifixion with Him we are delivered from a self-centered existence to a God-centered life. "He died for all, that they who live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15).
It is Adam's "I" that continues to hinder true fellowship between God and men and between man and men.
O Father make your salvation complete! Perform a miracle tantamount to the crossing of the Red Sea! Deliver us from ourselves! Produce in us a holy self-oblivion. Wake us up, grow us up and swallow our identities up in your great Love, that we might live in your sight! Not doing our alms before men to be seen of them but before you, in your sight and for your glory! Amen!
After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. (Hosea 6:2)Davis
In closing please allow me to share one of my favorite scriptures in all the Bible (below). On a personal level, this one is dear to my heart and if you care to know why, I share a little bit of this in my first ever blog on "SONSHINE". This first blog also served as a kind of bio. and it is titled " Pain & Glory" Here is the link should you have the inkling and the time:
http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2007/03/jack-hennessey-bio.html
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" Gen 5:24
This is my desire, and my hope for you ....... that we will walk with God as did Enoch, and then one day ........
Jack and Joian
You see the progression. When I was first saved I was limited in vision due to a lifetime of viewing everything through a self-relating lens. My first response to Christ's death and provision of grace was to view it nearsightedly, as something purely "for me," to make life better "for me", to save me. "Christ died for me." "His death provides victorious life for me." You see where this is going. The further along we go on this journey the more we realize that it is all "UNTO HIM". The more we are tried and come forth as pure gold, the more our lives have one passion and purpose--bringing honor, glory and satisfaction UNTO HIM. This is the big difference between slaves, children and mature sons.
Paul measured maturity by the absence or presence of carnality. "Are you not carnal? Are you not babes?" Conversely, by that same standard, maturity is self-forgetfulness. I am not casting stones at anyone here but simply point out that we are in the process of growth and that that growth is measured by the degree of selflessness we walk in. And that, should we return to our fig leaves God, from time to time, will ask us "Where are you?" Or rather, call our attention to where we are at because the heart is desperately wicked and is capable of making saintly the most evil desires and activities by dressing them in robes of piety. We like to think of ourselves as noble, truthful and selfless, embodying all the best human characteristics. But we vacillate between narcissism and self-oblivion.
We feel the call of destiny; to rise above all that is merely carnal and an inner strength that promises the realization of it, and yet we remain divided within ourselves and among ourselves.
We are capable of great love and self-sacrifice and at the same time, when the right trigger is pulled, capable of engaging in the worst forms of self-protection and self-aggrandizement. If we are honest with ourselves, this describes the experience of most of us. He who says he has no sin in this matter has indeed deceived himself. Even seemingly noble activities fall short when they come from the wrong tree. "If I give my body to be burned and have not love, I am nothing."
If that inner highchair tyrant is not dethroned in our lives we will inevitably lay down our crosses and hang our shingles. Even something as seemingly selfless as serving others soon becomes "my ministry." This despot doesn't give up his throne without a fight and he will use every trick in his bag to keep it. He will even be "holy" if that is a requirement of keeping his throne. However, his excitement in things holy is all about what is happening to Him and how people are relating to Him in what God is doing in HIS life. Every conversation is about what "God is doing in Me" and how "God is using ME." Though it sounds great it reaches no further in goal and objective than the outer skin. It is Adam relating to God with himself at the center.
What is the answer?
A shift as radical as Galileo's discovery that the universe is not geocentric is required. We must move from our self-relating perspective, where the Son revolves around us, our desires, our "needs" to a Christocentric life where our earth revolves around Him and all that we are is the outgrowth of basking in His light, life and love.
Christ the last Adam came to call us out of hiding and remove our fig leaves and cover our guilt and shame with a new covering. By His death on the cross He deposed our I-ness (shame-based self-focus) from the throne of our lives and put our focus back where it belongs. Through our crucifixion with Him we are delivered from a self-centered existence to a God-centered life. "He died for all, that they who live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15).
It is Adam's "I" that continues to hinder true fellowship between God and men and between man and men.
O Father make your salvation complete! Perform a miracle tantamount to the crossing of the Red Sea! Deliver us from ourselves! Produce in us a holy self-oblivion. Wake us up, grow us up and swallow our identities up in your great Love, that we might live in your sight! Not doing our alms before men to be seen of them but before you, in your sight and for your glory! Amen!
After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. (Hosea 6:2)Davis
In closing please allow me to share one of my favorite scriptures in all the Bible (below). On a personal level, this one is dear to my heart and if you care to know why, I share a little bit of this in my first ever blog on "SONSHINE". This first blog also served as a kind of bio. and it is titled " Pain & Glory" Here is the link should you have the inkling and the time:
http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2007/03/jack-hennessey-bio.html
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" Gen 5:24
This is my desire, and my hope for you ....... that we will walk with God as did Enoch, and then one day ........
Jack and Joian
.
.
