When the Word of God enters our hearts, it should pierce like a sword. Yes, it can be painful. Just as an eight day old baby had to be circumcised in the OT to represent the covenant between the child and God. When the Sword of the Word pierces our hearts, it is for the circumcision of your hearts. Is circumcision not painful? The death of oneself/flesh is not only a part of our walk but it can be at first very painful. But as we die more to ourselves, we will actually become more spiritual and we will experience more of the resurrected life of Christ as He is evermore manifested in us. We must decrease and He must increase. But what do people see in us? Do they see who we profess to believe or do they continue to see the old self?
John 12:24-26 (AMP) I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest. 25 Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.] 26 If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [[a]to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
We sing songs such as "Have your way with us, Lord!" But when the fire gets hot, we are looking for the exist door. We feel alone. Why? Because as it says in verse 24, unless we die to ourselves, we will feel and be alone. If you feel alone, then know your flesh is still much alive and your circumstances is presented to you as an opportunity to die to yourselves.
For some of you, many uncomfortable things may be happening around your lives. You may be struggling with your husbands, wives, children, friends, work, finances, career, and/or other believers. We ask why? Why are we in such situations? We want to run! We want to run to a place of comfort with no pain. We do not want to deal with the issues of other people and we only want to love difficult people from a far. Why are we screaming in pain? It is because we are still in the "me" and "I" stages. It is your flesh flapping like a fish out of water crying out for help. It is your flesh that is screaming to live when God is requiring your flesh to DIE!! In many cases, when we feel trapped we may ask the Lord in our frustration to literally just kill us now. Have many of us not experienced this? But HE is actually granting your request because you must die in the flesh to eventually go home to heaven.
God has allowed such circumstances in your lives to root out the flesh and the hidden sins in one's heart. But the question remains, will we run or will we die to ourselves. Did Jesus run? Someone can give me all the excuses he/she desires but if you say YOU BELIEVE then follow the example of OUR LORD! He did not complain. He did not say a word. He bleed sweat fighting His flesh to go do the Father's will and die so you and your families may find life!
We scream out, "WHY!" But do you NOT understand? When Jesus was broken, bruised, and put to death, it was the WILL OF THE FATHER so that you may all call upon His Name and LIVE!!
Isaiah 53:10 (AMP)Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
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To believe is to live the life of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We may be in a difficult circumstance because it may be the will of the Lord to help us die to ourselves. If we do not stay in the fire sacrificing ourselves, then how can we say we are loving those God has put around us? How will they find salvation when they see God's children who profess they love the Lord and that they are a people willing to die for HIM but yet runs away from difficult circumstances? Their blood will be on our hands.
Luke 14:27(AMP) Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 21:19 By your steadfastness and patient endurance you [a]shall win the [b]true life of your souls
Are we then but a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal? We may be able to speak in tongues, we may be able to cast demons out, and we can have signs and wonders following but if we do not finish the process of having our own flesh being crucified then have we completed our own death process of ourselves to find life? Scripture says "LOVE ENDURES LONG!!" Where is our endurance?
1 Corinthians 13:1-4 (AMP) IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such [a]as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers ([b]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). 3Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or [c] in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing. 4Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
Being crucified with Christ is not a theory or a state of mind. It is action and the fruit we bear is evident of what we say we BELIEVE! The Narrow road is not an easy path. Paul said to learn from our forefathers. Learn from those who have made mistakes. Do not continue to repeat the mistakes of some of our forefathers! Entering the Kingdom of God is not an easy process as religion has made out to be. Force yourselves to stay in the fire if need be.
Luke 13:23-24 (AMP) And someone asked Him, Lord, will only a few be saved (rescued, delivered from the penalties of the last judgment, and made partakers of the salvation by Christ)? And He said to them, 24Strive to enter by the narrow door [force yourselves through it], for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.
Hebrews 3:8-12 (AMP) Do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and [a]embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness,9Where your fathers tried [My patience] and tested [My forbearance] and found I stood their test, and they saw My works for forty years.10And so I was provoked (displeased and sorely grieved) with that generation, and said, They always err and are led astray in their hearts, and they have not perceived or recognized My ways and become progressively better and more experimentally and intimately acquainted with them.11Accordingly, I swore in My wrath and indignation, They shall not enter into My rest.12[Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God.
Grace is there for us to get things right with God. Grace is not there so we can continue to make choices of rebellion or disobedience. Your choices have eternal consequences. Please choose LIFE by sacrificing and dying to yourselves so others around you may live. Let the the grain of wheat/kernel fall and die so a plentiful harvest may be reaped.
Truly BELIEVE so your whole household may be SAVED!!
Acts 16:31(AMP) And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [[a]give yourself up to Him, [b] take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.
Fire of God
Steve Yong Kim
February 04, 2012
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