June 2004

“HAVING BEGUN IN THE SPIRIT”

“Not by Might, nor by power, but by
My Spirit, says the Lord!”(Zec 4:6)

Part 9

            It is a scientific impossibility for a Premier Power to produce a force greater than itself; so OUR OMNIPOTENT GOD CANNOT CREATE A POWER GREATER THAN HIMSELF! That is why God cannot create a “human will power” greater than His “Sovereign Will Power”! That which is “uppermost” in supremacy cannot form a “more uppermost” thing. What is more, an ALL-MIGHTY GOD cannot even imagine a higher power than Himself...because there is none! The one, true God who revealed Himself to Moses as I AM, and to Abraham as Jehovah-Jireh, is the Source, Originator, and Author of all things, To say that He could create beings that are able to eternally reject their own Creator, is a *sacrilege! [*The Dict. defines this: “to steal sacred things”, the theft or violation of something consecrated to God; to show gross irreverence toward God.”] Immature believers today are being deluged by such doctrines of devils that are a kind of insanity! Only the delusional, perverted reasoning of the carnal mind dares to dispute God’s Truth; and that is how the first Adam lost his spiritual sight and sense and had to be cast out of the Mind of God! It was because he hearkened to the lying temptations of his mind of flesh (tree of good and evil)-- instead of obeying God’s Word of Truth in his mind of spirit (Tree of Life), that all his posterity (even us) were born into slavery to the sin-and-death-producing carnal mind! The Amplified Bible defines carnal-mindedness as “sense and reason without the Holy Spirit”! (Ro 8:6) This would be clearer if it said “sense and reason without the Spirit of Holiness”; for indeed, “Without Holiness, no man can see the Lord,” (Heb 12:14) and that is exactly the penalty suffered by Adam and Eve! As God lifts our veil of unbelief and “enlightens our eyes of understanding”, (Eph 1:18) our spirit can see His Word with renewed spiritual vision, and no carnal-minded lies can ever again seduce our souls to reject Christ; for we wholeheartedly embrace His Truth-- such as the following:

“O Lord, our God, You are worthy to receive glory, and honor and power: for

YOU HAVE CREATED ALL THINGS FOR YOUR PLEASURE!” (Re 4:11)

“THE LORD HAS MADE ALL THINGS FOR HIMSELF,

EVEN THE WICKED FOR THE DAY OF EVIL!” (Pr 16:4)

“E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G GOD HAS CREATED IS G-O-O-D; and

N-O-T-H-I-N-G is to be THROWN AWAY OR REFUSED, if it
is RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING, for it is SANCTIFIED
by the Word of God and prayer!” (1 Ti 4:4 AV)

“He has abundantly bestowed His Wisdom and Prudence on us all by
revealing to us the Mystery of His Will by His good pleasure that He
purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times,
he could unite all things in heaven and earth in Christ!! We have our
inheritance in Him for HE *PREDESTINATED US according to His
Purpose. [*Predestinate (Gk 4309) “Limit in advance, predetermine
or foreordain; from 3724 “horizo” (root for “horizon”) and defined
“to formerly mark out or bound, previously appoint, decree, specify,
or declare; from 3725 “boundary, border, or coast line.”] Moreover
GOD WORKS ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE COUNSEL
OF HIS OWN WILL!” (Eph 1:8-11)

            If our house is not built on this foundation of Christ’s Faith; it is built on the shifting sand of carnal-minded reasoning! Every true believer must settle this in his heart once and for all:

THE AUTONOMOUS WILL OF THE ONLY INFINITE GOD
CANNOT CEDE TO THE HUMAN WILL OF FINITE MAN!

            Didn’t Jesus yield His Will to the will of flesh-minded men when He came to earth as man, especially at his crucifixion? Let Him answer us. First, when Mary and Joseph got separated from 12 year old Jesus in Jerusalem; they found Him in the temple teaching the Jewish elders. When they asked Him why He had worried them, He responded, “Why did you have to look for Me? Didn’t you not know that I MUST BE ABOUT MY (HEAVENLY) FATHER’S BUSINESS? They didn’t understand His Words!” (Lk 2:41-49) Many today still don’t understand His Words.
             Second, Mary and her sons and daughters (by Joseph), came to Jesus, the Man, as He was teaching a crowd. When He was told that his natural family wanted to speak to Him, He answered, “Who is My mother? Who are my brethren? Then outstretching His hand toward His disciples, He said, Behold My mother and brethren! ALL WHO DO MY HEAVENLY FATHER’S WILL, ARE MY BROTHER, AND SISTER, AND MOTHER!” (Mt 12:46-59)
            Third, as Jesus was led before terrified Pontius Pilate [for the priests told him that our Lord must die because He called Himself the Son of God. When Jesus didn’t answer Pilate’s questions the ruler said, “Don’t You know I have the power to crucify You or release You?” Jesus answered, “YOU COULD HAVE NO POWER AT ALL OVER ME, IF IT WAS NOT GIVEN TO YOU BY (MY FATHER) ABOVE!” (Jn 19:7-11) Now Pilate had a spirit, but he lived as a man of flesh; while Jesus had a body of flesh, but He lived as a Man of Spirit! That is because “God is a Spirit” (Jn 4:24) and the “Father of spirits.” (Heb 12:9) Every facet of Christ’s being was spiritual; like every facet of man’s fleshly being is carnal! Jesus said, “All that is born of the flesh is flesh; and all that is born of the Spirit is spirit!” (Jn 3:6) What this means is:

GOD’S LOVE IS SPIRITUAL AND POWERFUL;
man’s love is fleshly and weak!
GOD’S FAITH IS SPIRITUAL AND POWERFUL;
man’s faith is fleshly and weak!
GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE SPIRITUAL AND POWERFUL;
man’s thoughts are fleshly and weak!
GOD’S WAYS OF GOD ARE SPIRITUAL AND POWERFUL;
man’s ways are fleshly and weak!
GOD’S WILL IS SPIRITUAL AND POWERFUL;
man’s will is fleshly and weak!

The man of flesh claims his “will of flesh” can withstand, manipulate, and even reject God’s “Will of Spirit”; but see how the Sovereign Will of God overruled and debased the human will of a certain powerful, earthly king!

“King Nebuchadnezzar said, Isn’t this Babylon (lit. “confusion”) the Great
(“Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth” Rev 17:5) that I built
as a royal residence, and a seat of government, by the might of MY power,
for the honor and glory of MY majesty? But even as the words were still in
the king’s mouth, a Voice from heaven spoke out, O King Nebuchadnezzar,
I say to you that your kingdom has departed from you! You shall be driven
from among men to live among the beasts of the field. There you shall be
forced to eat grass like oxen! Seven years shall pass before you know that
THE MOST HIGH GOD GOVERNS IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN!
..At the end of the seven years, I, Nebuchadnezzar lifted my eyes to heaven
and my understanding returned to me, so I blessed, praised, and honored
the Most High God saying...HE DOES ONLY HIS WILL AMONG THE
HOST OF HEAVEN, AND AMONG THE EARTH’S INHABITANTS!
None can stay His mighty hand saying, What are You doing?” (Da 4:32-35)

Now ask yourselves this question, my dear brethren,
what “power to choose” did Nebuchadnezzar have?

[TO BE CONTINUED]