ISDAMan
03-11-00, 01:49 AM
The Lord Bless you and keep you Brothers and Sisters. Well I don’t know about you but I have just gone through a really really tough week. I’m just so glad to have this opportunity to act as a minister to God’s children, my fellow ministers. I know that the Lord has shown me a great deal this past week and some if it will likely be directly put into this weeks FNS. A great deal of this past week’s blitz of problems, I am just now beginning to comprehend. God truly is a GREAT GOD!!!! As down as I have had cause to be this past week, God has seen fit to use these things for my good. Never the less, it hurts to go through these things at times. Despite the turmoil, He was always faithful to provide what I needed and gracious to give me more than what I needed. Perhaps, in time, I will tell you all exactly what has transpired. It would be beneficial to for you to know. For now, I’m just a bit too embarrassed. As always I would ask for your prayer that God would find me faithful and ready to do His good will.
Moving right along into chapter eight,…
<< Read Verses 1-15 >>
This chapter starts out with a bang! This is an exciting revelation to every Christian to know that there is no, and I mean “NO”, eternity of Death and Desolation waiting for the redeemed children of God. If you are of Christ, you have eternal life in you at this very moment. You do not have to wait until death to experience this eternal life. Yes, your flesh will eventually be cast away in physical death. Yes, your flesh does impinge upon your spirit at times. No, the sins of your flesh do not define you! You are defined by your relationship to God! If you will realize that and nurture that relationship, you will find your sins falling away from you at a phenomenal rate. Notice that in verse 1, the distinction is given that you must be In Christ (You turned away from your sins and turned to God by way of His Savior Jesus Christ) and walking after the ways of the Spirit (God’s Holy Spirit). Does this mean that it’s a works thing? Doesn’t this look like you have to be doing something to continually measure up? Well, yes and no. Read verse 2 again. There is work involved. However, this verse shows us that it’s the Spirit of God that’s doing all the work. We are just in the passenger seat going along for the ride. Now, you have a choice. If you know that you’re going to be riding 3000 miles across the country, you can either make that a fun trip or you can moan and complain the whole way. You will still make it from one end of the country to the other. The difference is in what kind of experience you will have. Will you arrive refreshed and ready for a well-deserved rest or will you arrive worn out, cranky, and just glad that you even made it at all. The same is true of our walk with God. God has powered us up with His Holy Spirit so that we do not have to be in bondage to our sinful flesh any longer. Verses 5-7 make it plain that before Christ, we had no hope at all. We were of a depraved and carnal mind. We were twisted and bent away from the light (GOD). Again, if God has given you His Holy Spirit, you need to realize that at every waking moment. This is the very same Spirit that had a part in the creation of all that exists in Heaven and Earth. God is Spirit! God is in you if you have truly come to Him by His Son. You have more power that you can speak from your lips than any host of nations could bare in weapons and mighty armies. You have the very living Word of God. We all have read Ephesians 6. There is a WAR on!!!!!! Souls are being lost to Hell at every moment. God is striving, at all times, to reach out to them so that they will not be lost. If you are of Christ, who is God and has sent to us the Spirit of God, as one to come along side, then, your desire should be to desire the same things that God desires. Perhaps, I am presumptuous in that I am aware that God is leading me into a ministry. Still, I find it hard to believe as some Christians do that God would have them simply be laymen or, in my estimation, bench warmers on God’s team. He has made a plan for each and every last one of us,… and not only for our good,… but, for the good of others too wherein we also prosper. God did not save you just so that you could feel good alone. He did not save you with the expectation of just placing you neatly packaged away on a shelf somewhere free from all possible danger. You were an old rusted wreck of a broken down car, so to speak, and God fixed you up with every intention of using you out on the road. He already knew that you would pick up a few scratches and dings and even a dent or two. He has already planned to replace your tires and other worn out parts. He has, from the start, had expectations of using you in His good will. The question remains. Are you walking in the way of His Spirit? Do you have a heart to see others come to Christ? Are you just glad that you know that you’re going to Heaven and you’re just trying to get by day to day in your own way? If the latter is the case in your life, you are a wicked servant!!! If your day to day life is so oppressive that you can’t seem to bare it or it consumes the greater part of your thinking and you fell the need, at the end of the day to constantly seek relief, then, let me point out to you that you are not trusting God with your life. Try minding the things that God says is important first and you’ll be amazed at how well everything else will fall into place. Our God is not just some weekend mechanic that we go to whenever we need fixing. He is a caretaker that looks after our daily needs and desires to adorn us in goodness. He wants us to look sharp as He’s driving us down the road. Don’t you worry about the design work. That’s a matter of the gifts He gives. You just stick to the basics! There are souls in need of redemption everywhere. You meet them all over the place. Don’t tell me that you can’t talk to them about Christ. I use to think that way too. Now, I know better! If you are walking after the way of God’s Spirit, you will find yourself in situations to reveal the Glory of God to the extent that it will be a light to the path of the unsaved. Are you having trouble getting that kind of desire? It starts with truly being repentant of your fleshly ways and in prayer to God. Fast and deny yourself those things that you would rather do to pleasure you and spend it in prayer. There will always be more time for pleasure. Focus in on God and His Word. If you are of Christ then, you spirit is alive with the Spirit in you. Live like it!!! Verse 14 makes it plain that we are sons and daughters of God!!! Why can’t we be more like our older Brother (Jesus)?
<< Read Verses 16-18 >>
As it is that we too are God’s children, He will deny us nothing that He has also given to Christ. Do you not realize the level that God has raised us up to. We are not going to be melded with God in that we will become God or other big “G” Gods. However, all that God has created for His own pleasure, He will also give us in portion. Christ, the first born and only begotten of God will have the greater portion. Yes, Christ is 100% God. Yes, Christ is 100% man. Yes, it all is hard to understand. As God has dealt with Christ, He will also deal with us. Do not regard the burdens of your flesh above the burden of serving God. Take time to get away from it all and get close to God regularly. Wake up early if you have to just to have time to do so. Do whatever you have to. Just, don’t you ever place any matter in this life above the matters of your Heavenly Father. This place is only for a short time with us. Be comforted by your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Reach out to others. Do not be ashamed to say that you have problems and are in need of help. See there! I even speak to myself. That’s a gigantic one for me. I have a heart for tending to the needs and problems of others. However, my own, I do not like to share. It is wrong for the Christian to be greedy with his own problems. God teaches me a great deal by way of helping others. I am inclined to believe that He does the same with others too. Perhaps, if I share my problems more, He might also find occasion to help others understand some things as they help me too. Do not be one sided Christian Brothers and Sisters! You will be missing out on a blessing from God. God has set aside all things for us as He has for Christ. Just as Christ had power to share the comfort of God’s Holy Spirit, we too, being filled and lead by the Spirit of God and being joint heirs in Christ, have the power to share the comfort of the Holy Spirit to others who are of the Body. Get to know the power that you are of and the God behind it!
<< Read Verses 19-23 >>
This whole world is subject to man. Man, however, is depraved and lost in the total corruption of sin which is destruction and death. Therein lies the hopeless state of this world. God has sent Jesus that He might redeem man. When man is redeemed, all that is subject to man is also benefited. If you want to see a world changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a nation changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a state changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a city changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a county changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a town changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a neighborhood changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a your house changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. You, by way of a broken and contrite spirit to God, get right with God and let His light shine through you and you will find a whole world of change around you. As you let God’s light shine in you, you encourage other Brother’s and Sister’s to do the same and you bring on new Believers and disciple them in the ways of God and their shinning God’s light of Love and before you know it,… BANG!!!,… you’ve got a whole world of change happening all around you. Let me remind you that if this world does not have light, it’s not the fault of the world. It’s the fault of the Christian for not shinning. If you are pre-occupied in your own life and you don’t have time to minister to others or even think about doing the things of God, you are a wicked servant!!!
<< Read Verses 24-39 >>
Paul is breaking it down again. Get to know the power that you are dealing with and the God behind it. You have an everlasting, unwavering, flawless, and unstoppable power within you. It is so fixed within you that there can be no separation. Never the less, sin in our lives can act as a blockage in the pipes. One way or another something will have to give. Either you break loose the sin or the pipes will burst. The power you wield will be of no effect. Read the book of James. It gets nicely into this with regards to misused power and nor truly meeting the needs of others. I had a dream last night. I realized earlier today that God was teaching me something in this. I was up on a tall ridge. I had a MK-19 grenade launcher. I was feeling mischievous and having glanced at the gully below, I fired off one round. It hit the ground and did not go off. Just then, I saw another Marine. He was a cook simply going about his business in the field. I yelled to him to get away. He did not hear at first. Finally, he noticed the problem and began to panic. Now, others were in the area and I feared that I had killed them all. They were running in all directions and constantly in the path of danger. Finally, someone came along and threw the grenade into the lake. The moral is that we should not be careless with the power that we have. We need to know just what it is that we are dealing with. We will cause others great distress and harm if we are not careful. Once we cause these problems, we will have no power of ourselves to fix them. Someone else will have to do it. Never the less, the damage to others and even you is done. God has a plan that you wield His Power in you righteously. You have been justified (Just As If I’d -- never sinned --) to the righteousness of God. There is none above God. As it is that you serve God with all that is in you, there is nothing in His will that you cannot accomplish. We are conquerors of sin, by Christ, and sacrifices to the Glory of God that others might become right with God. Christian, hear this. There Is A WAR On!!!! Thousands of souls are being lost to hell every day. If there were an invader in your country, you would run to the fray. There is, now, an invader in your land. His name is Satan and he comes with forces that intend to rape your women, slaughter your men, and enslave your children. What will you do about it?!?!?! As the Love of God was shared with you, will you share it with others to free them from the oppresser?
With Love,
Your Brother In Christ,
ISDAMan
[This message has been edited by ISDAMan (edited March 10, 2000).]
Moving right along into chapter eight,…
<< Read Verses 1-15 >>
This chapter starts out with a bang! This is an exciting revelation to every Christian to know that there is no, and I mean “NO”, eternity of Death and Desolation waiting for the redeemed children of God. If you are of Christ, you have eternal life in you at this very moment. You do not have to wait until death to experience this eternal life. Yes, your flesh will eventually be cast away in physical death. Yes, your flesh does impinge upon your spirit at times. No, the sins of your flesh do not define you! You are defined by your relationship to God! If you will realize that and nurture that relationship, you will find your sins falling away from you at a phenomenal rate. Notice that in verse 1, the distinction is given that you must be In Christ (You turned away from your sins and turned to God by way of His Savior Jesus Christ) and walking after the ways of the Spirit (God’s Holy Spirit). Does this mean that it’s a works thing? Doesn’t this look like you have to be doing something to continually measure up? Well, yes and no. Read verse 2 again. There is work involved. However, this verse shows us that it’s the Spirit of God that’s doing all the work. We are just in the passenger seat going along for the ride. Now, you have a choice. If you know that you’re going to be riding 3000 miles across the country, you can either make that a fun trip or you can moan and complain the whole way. You will still make it from one end of the country to the other. The difference is in what kind of experience you will have. Will you arrive refreshed and ready for a well-deserved rest or will you arrive worn out, cranky, and just glad that you even made it at all. The same is true of our walk with God. God has powered us up with His Holy Spirit so that we do not have to be in bondage to our sinful flesh any longer. Verses 5-7 make it plain that before Christ, we had no hope at all. We were of a depraved and carnal mind. We were twisted and bent away from the light (GOD). Again, if God has given you His Holy Spirit, you need to realize that at every waking moment. This is the very same Spirit that had a part in the creation of all that exists in Heaven and Earth. God is Spirit! God is in you if you have truly come to Him by His Son. You have more power that you can speak from your lips than any host of nations could bare in weapons and mighty armies. You have the very living Word of God. We all have read Ephesians 6. There is a WAR on!!!!!! Souls are being lost to Hell at every moment. God is striving, at all times, to reach out to them so that they will not be lost. If you are of Christ, who is God and has sent to us the Spirit of God, as one to come along side, then, your desire should be to desire the same things that God desires. Perhaps, I am presumptuous in that I am aware that God is leading me into a ministry. Still, I find it hard to believe as some Christians do that God would have them simply be laymen or, in my estimation, bench warmers on God’s team. He has made a plan for each and every last one of us,… and not only for our good,… but, for the good of others too wherein we also prosper. God did not save you just so that you could feel good alone. He did not save you with the expectation of just placing you neatly packaged away on a shelf somewhere free from all possible danger. You were an old rusted wreck of a broken down car, so to speak, and God fixed you up with every intention of using you out on the road. He already knew that you would pick up a few scratches and dings and even a dent or two. He has already planned to replace your tires and other worn out parts. He has, from the start, had expectations of using you in His good will. The question remains. Are you walking in the way of His Spirit? Do you have a heart to see others come to Christ? Are you just glad that you know that you’re going to Heaven and you’re just trying to get by day to day in your own way? If the latter is the case in your life, you are a wicked servant!!! If your day to day life is so oppressive that you can’t seem to bare it or it consumes the greater part of your thinking and you fell the need, at the end of the day to constantly seek relief, then, let me point out to you that you are not trusting God with your life. Try minding the things that God says is important first and you’ll be amazed at how well everything else will fall into place. Our God is not just some weekend mechanic that we go to whenever we need fixing. He is a caretaker that looks after our daily needs and desires to adorn us in goodness. He wants us to look sharp as He’s driving us down the road. Don’t you worry about the design work. That’s a matter of the gifts He gives. You just stick to the basics! There are souls in need of redemption everywhere. You meet them all over the place. Don’t tell me that you can’t talk to them about Christ. I use to think that way too. Now, I know better! If you are walking after the way of God’s Spirit, you will find yourself in situations to reveal the Glory of God to the extent that it will be a light to the path of the unsaved. Are you having trouble getting that kind of desire? It starts with truly being repentant of your fleshly ways and in prayer to God. Fast and deny yourself those things that you would rather do to pleasure you and spend it in prayer. There will always be more time for pleasure. Focus in on God and His Word. If you are of Christ then, you spirit is alive with the Spirit in you. Live like it!!! Verse 14 makes it plain that we are sons and daughters of God!!! Why can’t we be more like our older Brother (Jesus)?
<< Read Verses 16-18 >>
As it is that we too are God’s children, He will deny us nothing that He has also given to Christ. Do you not realize the level that God has raised us up to. We are not going to be melded with God in that we will become God or other big “G” Gods. However, all that God has created for His own pleasure, He will also give us in portion. Christ, the first born and only begotten of God will have the greater portion. Yes, Christ is 100% God. Yes, Christ is 100% man. Yes, it all is hard to understand. As God has dealt with Christ, He will also deal with us. Do not regard the burdens of your flesh above the burden of serving God. Take time to get away from it all and get close to God regularly. Wake up early if you have to just to have time to do so. Do whatever you have to. Just, don’t you ever place any matter in this life above the matters of your Heavenly Father. This place is only for a short time with us. Be comforted by your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Reach out to others. Do not be ashamed to say that you have problems and are in need of help. See there! I even speak to myself. That’s a gigantic one for me. I have a heart for tending to the needs and problems of others. However, my own, I do not like to share. It is wrong for the Christian to be greedy with his own problems. God teaches me a great deal by way of helping others. I am inclined to believe that He does the same with others too. Perhaps, if I share my problems more, He might also find occasion to help others understand some things as they help me too. Do not be one sided Christian Brothers and Sisters! You will be missing out on a blessing from God. God has set aside all things for us as He has for Christ. Just as Christ had power to share the comfort of God’s Holy Spirit, we too, being filled and lead by the Spirit of God and being joint heirs in Christ, have the power to share the comfort of the Holy Spirit to others who are of the Body. Get to know the power that you are of and the God behind it!
<< Read Verses 19-23 >>
This whole world is subject to man. Man, however, is depraved and lost in the total corruption of sin which is destruction and death. Therein lies the hopeless state of this world. God has sent Jesus that He might redeem man. When man is redeemed, all that is subject to man is also benefited. If you want to see a world changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a nation changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a state changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a city changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a county changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a town changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a neighborhood changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. If you want to see a your house changed for God, it starts when you have a spirit that walks with the Spirit of God. You, by way of a broken and contrite spirit to God, get right with God and let His light shine through you and you will find a whole world of change around you. As you let God’s light shine in you, you encourage other Brother’s and Sister’s to do the same and you bring on new Believers and disciple them in the ways of God and their shinning God’s light of Love and before you know it,… BANG!!!,… you’ve got a whole world of change happening all around you. Let me remind you that if this world does not have light, it’s not the fault of the world. It’s the fault of the Christian for not shinning. If you are pre-occupied in your own life and you don’t have time to minister to others or even think about doing the things of God, you are a wicked servant!!!
<< Read Verses 24-39 >>
Paul is breaking it down again. Get to know the power that you are dealing with and the God behind it. You have an everlasting, unwavering, flawless, and unstoppable power within you. It is so fixed within you that there can be no separation. Never the less, sin in our lives can act as a blockage in the pipes. One way or another something will have to give. Either you break loose the sin or the pipes will burst. The power you wield will be of no effect. Read the book of James. It gets nicely into this with regards to misused power and nor truly meeting the needs of others. I had a dream last night. I realized earlier today that God was teaching me something in this. I was up on a tall ridge. I had a MK-19 grenade launcher. I was feeling mischievous and having glanced at the gully below, I fired off one round. It hit the ground and did not go off. Just then, I saw another Marine. He was a cook simply going about his business in the field. I yelled to him to get away. He did not hear at first. Finally, he noticed the problem and began to panic. Now, others were in the area and I feared that I had killed them all. They were running in all directions and constantly in the path of danger. Finally, someone came along and threw the grenade into the lake. The moral is that we should not be careless with the power that we have. We need to know just what it is that we are dealing with. We will cause others great distress and harm if we are not careful. Once we cause these problems, we will have no power of ourselves to fix them. Someone else will have to do it. Never the less, the damage to others and even you is done. God has a plan that you wield His Power in you righteously. You have been justified (Just As If I’d -- never sinned --) to the righteousness of God. There is none above God. As it is that you serve God with all that is in you, there is nothing in His will that you cannot accomplish. We are conquerors of sin, by Christ, and sacrifices to the Glory of God that others might become right with God. Christian, hear this. There Is A WAR On!!!! Thousands of souls are being lost to hell every day. If there were an invader in your country, you would run to the fray. There is, now, an invader in your land. His name is Satan and he comes with forces that intend to rape your women, slaughter your men, and enslave your children. What will you do about it?!?!?! As the Love of God was shared with you, will you share it with others to free them from the oppresser?
With Love,
Your Brother In Christ,
ISDAMan
[This message has been edited by ISDAMan (edited March 10, 2000).]