“SETTLING THE REALITY OF JUDGMENT-BY ‘FLESH-ALLEGIANCE’ OR IN AMAZING GRACE?”
BY: J.FARRELL FISHER, AUGUST 24-25, 2018
An awesome, amazing, atonement-filled-Truth of the Word, is found in James 1:12-22!! It says: “Blessed is that man that endures temptation; for WHEN HE IS TRIED (tested), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised (and GIVES) to them that love Him.
Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He ‘tempt’ any man: BUT, every man is tempted when he/she is drawn away with his/her own lust, and ENTICED. Then when ‘lust’ has conceived, IT BRINGS FORTH SIN: AND SIN, WHEN IT IS FINISHED (EXERCISED), BRINGS FORTH DEATH.
Do not err, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with (and in whom) is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. Of His own will (Better mark it! Better highlight IT! Better RECEIVE IT!!!) HE BIRTHED US with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creation. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be SWIFT TO HEAR, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
For the wrath of man(that’s the ‘strong suit of self-determination’ void of grace and mercy!) does not work, understand, or even express, the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and RECEIVE with meekness (teachable-ness) the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls. Be DOERS of the Word, and not hearers only, receiving the salvation of your souls.” (NO OBEDIENCE TO THE ETERNAL WORD, NO SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, NO BLESSING, NO SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE EXCEPT AN ETERNAL HELL BECAUSE OF, YES, A HARDENED, UNBELIEVING, UNREPENTANT HEART!!)…BUT:
‘Doers of the Word?” That’s “faithful recipients of the promises, truths, and callings in the Word” that comes from the Master-Teacher only! It’s as if James said: “So declare, and so exercise faithfully what you just heard (or read)!, knowing YOU will be judged by the perfect law of liberty granted to you by the mercies of loving God!!”
“In Christ”, one is not a ‘barking dog’, but a submissive son and daughter to His every Word. We, (REPENTANT BELIEVERS, TRUSTERS AND OBEYERS!), even lean not to our own understanding, but moment by moment, and day by day, we YIELD to His sovereign control through the gracious gift and ministry of the Holy Spirit who glorifies Christ in us, again and again, as we choose to be vessels of His Abiding Presence, Him continually ready to be Himself in you, through you and for you; SO, you choose daily to die to ‘self’ that He might be your all in all in every moment of earthly existence under His Lordship. HE’S ‘LORD OF ALL’, OR HE’S ‘NOT LORD AT ALL’ for you, in you, or through you!!!
“DOERS OF THE WORD?” Not ‘doers’ of self-will, not ‘doers’ of self-determination, not ‘doers’ of all-out ‘best efforts’, but “THE ETERNAL REST’S RELEASE” by grace through faith, and “SO SPEAK: “I’m NOW the child of the King whose Name is Jesus!” We’re NOT ‘verbal recordings’ that we learn in ‘religious attendance and sessions under a man’s tutoring’, but individuals who choose ‘death’ daily to the old man that the “new creation” birthed by Almighty God in and through Christ’s cross and shed blood, His death, burial, and resurrection, continuing that the ‘lava release’ of His abiding Presence is ours as, yes, we choose daily the full release through us of His Resurrected, Reigning Presence! “Christ in you the hope of glory!”
“DOERS OF THE WORD?” Yes, CHOOSING DAILY ‘death to our old man’s existence’ AND the continual ‘Glory To God’ because of God’s faithful release daily in us of His Abiding Presence!!
BUT when you arise every morning, is it in your mental and heart motivation, that YOU take the sentence of death daily to that ‘old man’ so that, IN AND THROUGH His Resurrection Presence, there’s no more of ‘self’ but a walk in the richness and release of His abiding presence?
“DOERS OF THE WORD?” Highly interesting verses in Hosea 6:1-3 as the prophet shares an encouraging word: “Come, and let us RETURN TO THE LORD: (Have YOU heard His voice, received His knock at your heart’s door, and, yes, invited Him in as Sovereign Lord in, over, and through your available ‘vessel’?): for He has torn (continual knocking and calling TO YOU!), and he will heal us; (by simply making us better? or summing us up as worthy only of the Cross), and you then, wise enough to be through with your old sin-natured man, and willing to be the ‘building’ of Resurrected, Reigning, Abiding Presence of Christ, your body, your life, your mental and willful full surrender, as the earthly temple of the Holy, Victorious Lord and Savior???).
John 8:12 says, Jesus speaking, “I am the light (the true, eternal Light) of the world; he that follows Me shall NOT walk in darkness, but shall have the light of Life (Resurrection Life, Resurrection Hope, and Resurrection Power!).”
Christ Jesus IS “the Shepherd”; and, the “sheep hear His voice and follow Him obediently”!! STOP THE ‘GARBAGE TRASH OF WARPED TEACHERS AND COMPROMISING PREACHERS’!! John 8:12 says, “I AM the Light of the world: he that ‘FOLLOWS ME’ shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.” (“Follows”? That’s the GREEK “present tense, continuous action” display of a truly “born-again son or daughter”! But, you violate, walk away from, and ‘shun’ His promises, and though having fallen away, you willfully “choose” to no longer live under His authority, but begin ‘again’ loving, celebrating, and embracing what you once were apart from Christ?). GIVE ME A BREAK!
In Luke 11:17-28 Jesus, understanding a “divided life kingdom allegiance and kingdom disobedience by choice” said: “Every kingdom DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF is BROUGHT TO DESOLATION; and a house (and I’m talking about the house of your professed ‘life In Christ, the ‘temple of faith’ in the heart!, but you willfully allow that redeemed heart to be divided against itself, and thus “falls away”?),
If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges.
But if I, with the finger of God, cast out demons, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he takes from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.
He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathers not with me scatters. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks about through dry places, seeking ‘rest’; and finding none, he says, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished. Then he goes, and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and THEY enter in, and dwell; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
A “new state or station of life” – the temple of Christ! But! One chooses willfully to “fall away willfully again and again, day by day, and he/she opens the door of the redeemed life to Satan and his demon armies, and because of disobedience, because of a divided heart, because of ‘willful sin’ in a compromised believer’s life, because he or she takes the key to unlock the door of one’s life, and, again CHOOSES TO let the ‘demons’ roam, they fail to understand that ‘Security in Christ’, even momentarily, CAN BE IGNORED, SET ASIDE even temporarily, and ‘security’ is substituted for a moment’s fleshly pleasure, and the demons know it’s your “A-OK” for them to come in – and THEY DO!!” “Security” that is willfully set aside, becomes insecure, helpless, and hopeless, as one’s ‘old flesh’ arises, asserts itself, and the ‘chosen life of faith and obedience’ is substituted, maybe only temporarily, but enough time for Satan to ‘cash in’ because of your, even momentary stupidity and rebellion, heart and mind submission, for the ‘old-man- pleasures’ rising UP, and he, yes, the devil begins seeking to annihilate any ‘redeeming faith’ you try to hold onto!
BUT, His LIFE, the Eternal Life of the Indwelling Christ, has, and yes, will RISE UP, bearing, unveiling, and releasing the ‘fruit’ of “the Light of Life” – His Resurrection Presence in the re-born, renewed life, submitted, committed, and yielding daily to the reigning Lord of lords WHO must “REIGN”, UNLESS, willfully, temporarily, one asserts fleshly reign to enjoy fleshly pleasures, needing desperately Holy Spirit conviction and Holy Spirit eternal ability to “cast out” the demons you invited in! Isn’t that why King David said in Psalm 27:1-14, (DON’T DARE MISS THIS! REFLECT UPON IT! CELEBRATE IT!)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation (“GET OUT OF THE DARKNESS!!); whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.
FOR IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE (Oh, YOU may have it?), BUT HE WILL COME TO ME AND HIDE ME IN HIS PAVILION: IN THE SECRET OF HIS TABERNACLE SHALL HE HIDE ME; he shall set me up on a rock.
And NOW, shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice (Do YOU know about “crying with your voice in your heart and mind”?); have mercy also upon ME, and answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My face’, my heart said unto You, “Your face, Lord, will I seek.” Hide not Your face far from me; put not Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me, THEN THE LORD WILL TAKE ME UP (I know personally about that! Lived with grandparents and two sisters of my mother from 3 years old to 12 when my mother re-married and took me home with her new husband!!!) Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain (or clear) path (The Highway of Holiness!!), because of my enemies. Deliver me not over to the will of my enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
I had fainted, unless I had believed (and Trusted!) to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.”
Do YOU “wait on the Lord”? Do you, daily, “renew your strength in Him, resting in His promise”? Do you, “mount up like eagles’ wings and soar faithfully in His presence? Are YOU “running the race of faith”, never fainting or growing weary in the discipleship walk?
Haven’t you witnessed it, heart-broken, over, yes, ‘disciples of Christ’ you nurtured who, devoid of faith, bankrupt in humility, side-tracked in world allegiances, when there IS, yes, “the glory, honor, and praise” of ABIDING IN YOUR LORD, YOUR SAVIOR, THE MASTER AND WATCHMAN OF YOUR SURRENDER TO HIS SOVEREIGNTY?
I was recently reading in James Cook’s “Market Update” issue, related to past, present, and future ‘down-turns’ and ‘up-swings’. Adam Taggart had written, mentioning David Stockman, former Director of the OMB under Ronald Reagan, himself a former U.S. representative and author of “The Great Deformation”, speaking about the 2008 Great Financial Crisis “because of the radical and unsustainable monetary policy expansion of the central banks” – mentioning lastly that Stockman ‘warned’ of a market, “rigged for implosion”! When I read that, I thought, how many, many lives, “without God’s grace and mercy” are there who are “rigged for implosion”? “The wages of sin IS death”, yet, most casually, completely, willfully, ignore “God’s knock on their hearts’ doors”, intent on satisfying there sinful nature and the whims and wishes of Satan himself and his ‘demon’ hordes! BUT, please, please, HEAR ME!!
“THERE IS GRACE! GOD’S GRACE, THAT EXCEEDS OUR SIN AND OUR SHAME! Jonathan Edwards once said: “Grace is but glory begun, and glory IS but grace perfected!” Hear me! “Perfection IS NOT ‘a pursuit’, but ‘sought by Christ Jesus, found, as He knocks on your heart’s door, and you willfully ‘choose’ to let Him in, as Lord, Savior, and Master over your life both now and forever! Letting Him in means: “Submission to His Sovereign will, purpose, and plan for your life!” We don’t “try” to imitate His perfection, but WE “let Jesus be Jesus in me, no longer me but He – Resurrection Presence, Resurrection Promises, Resurrection Power, and Resurrection Privilege – CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY!!” Amen?