[b]DO YOU WALK IN WHITE? 1/21/2007[/b]
[color=Orange]"Buried with Him . . . that . . . even so we also should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4[/color]
[color=Blue][b]No one enters into the experience of entire sanctification without going through a "white funeral" - the burial of the old life. If there has never been this crisis of death, sanctification is nothing more than a vision. There must be a "white funeral," - a death that has only one resurrection - a resurrection into the life of Jesus Christ. Nothing can upset such a life, it is one with God for one purpose, to be a witness to Him.
Have you come to your last days really? You have come to them often in sentiment, but have you come to them really? You cannot go to your funeral in excitement, or die in excitement. Death means you stop being. Do you agree with God that you stop being the striving, earnest kind of Christian you have been? We skirt the cemetery and all the time refuse to go to death. It is not striving to go to death, it is dying - "baptized into His death."
Have you had your "white funeral," or are you sacredly playing the fool with your soul? Is there a place in your life marked as the last day, a place to which the memory goes back with a chastened and extraordinarily grateful remembrance - "Yes, it was then, at that 'white funeral,' that I made an agreement with God."
"This is the will of God, even your sanctification." When you realize what the will of God is, you will enter into sanctification as naturally as can be. Are you willing to go through that "white funeral" now? Do you agree with Him that this is your last day on earth? The moment of agreement depends upon you.
Oswald Chambers, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST January 15
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Brothers and Sisters,
Did you know that of all the different devotionals available, Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest is the best selling and most popular? The following is quoted from an AMAZON.com ad for this devotional.
[b]Editorial Reviews[/b]Book Description
Men and women the world over return again and again to the words of Oswald Chambers in the most popular devotional book ever published. This edition includes the complete text of the classic devotional and an indispensable subject index. For several years the top-selling Christian book in America, My Utmost for His Highest continues to be thought-provoking and inspiring, and will be cherished for years to come.
Did you read Brother Chambers words above? Do they have any real meaning in your own life?
Despite being one of the most popular devotional ever published, few people have a clue what Oswald really preaches. Go back and read his words. He is promoting TOTAL Consecration to be followed by TOTAL SANTIFICATION! NOTHING LESS! Not only that, but he is promoting a Total Sanctification that actually comes to pass in our lives prior to Jesus returning, not at the end of our lives, but TODAY if we REALLY want it!
As he says above, Total Sanctification is the WILL OF GOD for ALL of us! We are the ones who can either stop it or cause it to come to pass. NOT because we have the power to sanctify ourselves, but because God will NOT violate our will and WE MUST CHOOSE whether or not we WILL bring our self-life to Him to be put to death. It is not something that takes a long time, unless we make it long. It is simple, but not necessarily easy!
So, we are back to what Oswald was saying. Have we had our white funeral? Have we really allowed the Lord to put us to death? This is NOT salvation we are discussing, but unless we come to this place of death, it could mean the lake of fire. Do not discount that possibility. Remember what Rom 11 says.
[color=Orange][b]Rom 11:19 You will say then, Branches were broken (pruned) off so that I might be grafted in!
Rom 11:20 That is true. But they were broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and you are established through faith [because you do believe]. So do not become proud and conceited, but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid.
Rom 11:21 For if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], neither will He spare you [if you are guilty of the same offense].
Rom 11:22 Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's gracious kindness to you--provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away).
Rom 11:23 And even those others [the fallen branches, Jews], if they do not persist in [clinging to] their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
Rom 11:24 For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these natural [branches] back on [the original parent stock of] their own olive tree. [/b][/color]
Can you see it? Do we all see what Paul is saying? If we, as Christians, persist in unbelief of any kind, INCLUDING unbelief that we can walk without sin, unbelief that Jesus can remove the sinful nature from our lives, [u][b]we may TOO be cut off JUST LIKE ISRAEL was cut off! Do NOT THINK THAT BECAUSE WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD THAT WE WILL NOT BE BROKEN OFF! [/b][/u]
REMEMBER THE 5 foolish virgins! In every place in the Bible, virgins ALWAYS refer to Gods people symbolically! ALWAYS! And 5 of them, the foolish ones, were UNABLE to enter.
[color=Orange][b]Mat 25:1 THEN THE kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent).
Mat 25:3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them;
Mat 25:4 But the wise took flasks of oil along with them [also] with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep.
Mat 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us!
Mat 25:12 But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you]. [/b][/color]
[color=Blue][b]Mat 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?
Mat 7:23 And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. [Ps. 6:8.] [/b][/color]
[color=Orange][b]1Jo 3:6 [u]No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him--deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him]. [/u]
1Jo 3:7 Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous.
1Jo 3:8 [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].
1Jo 3:9[u] No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. [/u]1Jo 3:10 [u]By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ). [/u][/b][/color]
Considering the things that are spoken of in these passages, they all speak of the same type of people; THOSE WHO DO NOT REALLY KNOW THE LORD AND HABITUALLY WALK IN SIN!
This COMMAND of God, His very will as stated in the scriptures, is for us to BE SANCTIFIED! Jesus Himself stated that was why He came; so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Jesus said that WHOEVER committed sin was a slave to sin but He came to set us free from that.
[color=Orange][b]Joh 8:31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.
Joh 8:32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered Him, We are Abraham's offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin.
Joh 8:35 Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever.
Joh 8:36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free. [/b][/color]
There are many Christians today who have said they are consecrated to the Lord, but they have not died. There is no such thing. We are either dead or we are not, there is no grey area. If we are dead, then Gal 2:20 is real in our lives. So too is II Cor 5:17. We are alive in Christ Jesus, we abide in Him and we walk as He walked on this earth. (see I John 2:6)
This IS what we are to preach. This is the TRUE GOSPEL. Anything that does NOT include all of this is a false gospel. The true gospel includes the resurrection life of Jesus Christ living in us to cause us to conform to the way of life HE lived. But until we have our white funeral; until we have truly died on the cross; we can NEVER abide in Christ Jesus for only Jesus can live like Jesus.
Many say they want to witness to the world. What is a better witness than the life of Jesus Christ being lived today? What will draw people faster a man centered gospel that does not save but give lip service to a life of separateness? OR a life that is lived in absolute surrender to Jesus Christ where the old man is dead, and the new man lives JUST LIKE JESUS? Which life shows the power of God? Which life is the kind of life we see in the New Testament?
If someone wants to be the best evangelist they can be, then they need the VERY LIFE of Jesus Christ living in them to show the world, and even the lukewarm Christians what a REAL Christian is like. If someone lives like this, they will not have to devise methods of evangelizing their lives will BE an evangelizing tool! In fact, they may have to seek out time to be alone with God for all the ministry they will be involved in.
Pastor and preacher, do you honestly think you can do a better job of preaching than Jesus? If not, then STOP; rest in Him and allow HIM to do the work. Prophet and Apostle, do you honestly think you can be what the Lord has called you to be without Jesus living it for you? Do not count on it! You will burn out faster than a candle with both ends lit. (why do you think we have burn out anyway?)
I KNOW that one of the biggest reasons the REAL CHURCH is not more effective today is because so few live in this place of TOTAL SANCTIFICATION! If we are truly out of the way, then Jesus is REALLY Free to do HIS work. And we wont have to blame others for a lack of anointing for He will ALWAYS be with us, rivers of living water flowing through us CONSTANTLY out to all of those around us.
Some may disagree with me. Go ahead. But let me say this>>>As far as I can tell, this is the ONE ministry tool (if you will allow me to use that term) that we have NOT tried. Do you know why? Because then we REALLY have to get OUT of the way and let Jesus REALLY do the ministry and build His church!
This seems to be the very thing that no one wants to do. Funny, Gods way always seem to be least thought about way of doing something. I pray we all would REALLY have our white funeral and then let Jesus be resurrected in us!
A bondslave in Christ Jesus, Dirk
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