o) Let us now turn to the Word of God, which gives us another angle on our SELF, on our earthly life and walk. God gives us also His promises, encouragement, strengthening, hope and final victory. This is just as necessary, important and vital for us who struggle as anything else discussed above.
I know from my many experiences, that the Lord purposely allows us to go through our disappointments, failures, despair, delusions, discouragements, afflictions, mourning, hopeless situations and at times really painful experiences. Through them the Lord teaches us His Ways, Statutes and Judgments thus drawing us to Himself. Before we are abased, afflicted, we go astray and do not walk with the Lord, nor do we keep His Word! (Ps. 119: 67,71,75) Why?
Well, man that does not mourn needs no comforting, he who is not discouraged needs no encouragement, he who never failed, needs no strengthening, he who was never “in the pits” needs no hand of grace to pull him out. Man that never experienced evil in a tangible way, was never nigh losing his last hope, he that never saw any depth of evil and sinfulness within himself, will never need any Saviour. True?
Without problems, no man would ever seek the Lord or draw himself closer to the Lord in the desire of his own natural heart! That includes the Shulamite Maiden, the Bride of Christ, in her young age! She asks her Beloved to draw her so she could run after Him. (S.Sol. 1:4) Similarly, we cannot draw nigh to God with our own power and our natural heart. (Jam. 4:8-10) Have you experienced that?
As we know from the Scripture, God also created evil and darkness. (Is. 45:7) The question may be asked, why? What was the real purpose for them? Has God not therewith also created for Himself a lot of problems, troubles and sufferings? Has God not foreseen the consequences of the creation of evil? God is not embarrassed when we ask Him such questions, we might be embarrassed at His answers. If you truly desire to penetrate more and deeper into these mysteries of Our Almighty God and Father, I refer you to the “Mystery of Reality[9]”, chapter IX, page 189 where the Lord granted us some basic Light on the above questions and also on His Basic (eight) Judgments touching His Creation.
My faith concerning evil is as follows.
GOD USES EVIL TO ACHIEVE HIS PURPOSES AND DESIRES IN HIS CREATION, WHICH INCLUDES US. GOD USES CRISES, CONFLICTS AND BATTLES TO GRANT US HIGHER, PURER, STRONGER FAITH, STRONGER SPIRIT, GREATER BOLDNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. EVERY TRUTH IS ALWAYS ESTABLISHED THROUGH CONFLICTS AND BATTLES. OTHERWISE, IT REMAINS A THEORY WHICH HAS NO PRACTICAL VALUE FOR ANYONE AND CANNOT MOVE OUR HEART ONE BIT.
There are too many believers including some potential leaders who are dissatisfied with their circumstances, who may murmur and wonder where is the Lord. When someone receives His Light and starts seeing, he may soon perceive that everything around him is dead. There is no life and no desire in the local believers to get out of their death, evil and stagnation. That soul then tries to endure and waits for a change – but it is not coming. The change must first occur in him in that the religion in his head (expectations) has to get down to his heart, which heart can understand the Light and reality from the Lord.
Then he has to realize that God is present in him and in the place where he lives. God always desires to work and build His House (no matter how small) in any place where He has an open heart. And if God will not build anything in the place where the blessed soul lives, then nobody can. In that case, God may, in His timing, move that soul to the place where God would build what He desires.
But every believer must be serious with God. If he is not serious and open with God, God will not be serious and open with him. He may not necessarily lose his Salvation, but he will lose his usefulness for God and thus his reward, or inheritance! (1Cor. 3:15// Rev. 21:7; 22:11,12)
If your own heart is not moved within yourself in any sufficiently deep or decisive way, God is quiet. God moves when He hears man’s heart moving, crying to Him. THEN He delivers him from all his troubles and not before! Otherwise, God waits until those troubles have achieved some “breaking or softening” of man’s heart, which was the true purpose or aim of those troubles in the first place! (Ps. 34:17-19) In fact, our heart will not be moved within ourselves one bit until WE SEE AND KNOW OURSELVES aswe truly are in His sight. This would definitely move us to our knees and to cry over our own self.
Let me quote at this point brother Watchman Nee, who, in “The Messenger of the Cross[1]” (pages 103,104), clearly says the following:
“What lesson God wants to teach His children now is the same lesson He tried to teach the Israelites before. And the lesson is thatWE MAY KNOW OURSELVES. God desires His people to know that THEY ARE CORRUPT BEYOND REPAIR, that they are full of sins, uncleannesses and weaknesses…
Yet FEW believers are aware of this. Few really know they are full of corruption and uncleanness as well as know they are totally useless. Few deem themselves as having nothing. Most believers think of themselves as being trustworthy in many respects. And they feel they are stronger than other believers…
Let us understand that God had no need for our defeats and failures – ONLY WE DO; …He realizes that except for sinning we can do nothing else. When we are doing good, He knows we are corrupt. And when we are doing evil, He again knows we are corrupt. He does not need to wait until we fall to realize our wretchedness. But it is we who need these defeats and falls, for WITHOUT THEM WE ARE UNABLE TO KNOW OURSELVES…
He allows us to sin, to fall, and to draw back. All these will cause us to know how utterly corrupted beyond natural help we are.”
Then he continues with these shocking but true statements (pages 107-109 and 113[1]):
“Christians view themselves as loving God, boasting of their perfect consecration towards the Lord and their diligent labour on His behalf! …Or believers may think of themselves as totally for the Lord and holding nothing for themselves. In response, God causes them to experience praises and accolades of men in order to show them how they subtly steal His glory and seek for men’s exaltation.
…GOD WOULD RATHER HAVE HIS CHILDREN SIN THAN DO GOOD… otherwise, they shall never know themselves.
SELF IS GOD’S GREATEST ENEMY, because self always declares independence from Him… Whatever man possesses and is able to do without seeking, waiting and depending on God is self. Many are those that take “self” as the guiding principle of living. Almost everything is for self and almost everything proceeds from self. Such believers are much more dangerous than other people.”
Finally, (on page 118) he concludes by saying:
“Knowing the self is a lifelong lesson for a believer. In order to arrive at this purpose of God, a stubborn believer may have to go through defeats, which others do not have or need to. He may even conclude that the Lord is especially hard on him, not realizing that this is due to his stronger tie to his “self”. For not long after he gains a victory, he has begun to become self-important once again… So back to failure God sends him once more.”
I have to add that we have experienced the above truth in our own Body of Christ thus testifying that the above is not a theory but the true ways of Our Lord.
On the other hand, is it not true as well that the devilish powers often attack our heart accusing us of our wretchedness, unworthiness, unholiness, unrighteousness, wickedness, sinfulness, weakness, inability and all the rest of it? And doesn’t it affect our emotional life? Doesn’t it make us even more feeble or furious, disgusted, discouraged or even unwilling to continue on this road?
Now, may I ask you a simple question: Do you believe that the Lord knows about such attacks? Of course, you do. May I ask you another simple question: Do you believe that the Lord had to permit the hellish powers to attack your heart and mind and accuse you? Ah, that probably never occurred to you at such times. The truth is that WITHOUT THE LORD’S PERMISSION, HELL CAN DO NOTHING! He rules hell and death because He has also the keys of hell and death. (Rev. 1:18) To have the keys means to have the rule. The question then is this: WHY DOES THE LORD PERMIT HELL TO ATTACK US? Well, read again the truth about evil (in frame above). Our heart needs “breaking and softening” before it starts turning to the Lord and opening and crying to Him and before the Lord can deliver us from our troubles. If this were not true, the Word of God in Rom. 8:28 could not be true either.
The point is that after each deliverance, our troubles are over BUT our heart is softer, meeker, more acceptable to Him. God thus achieved His desire (and progress) in our Salvation through evil!… the same evil, which destroyed Lucifer and his angels and which Satan has been using to try to destroy mankind since the Garden of Eden! Hence, God does not listen to the elaborate prayers of our heads or those read from prayer books or to our many explanations, excuses, deliberations or detailed instructions to Him as to when, how or what He should do to satisfy us. Our “cool” head prayers never ask Him in truth to do His Will in us, which would satisfy Him and not us. Furthermore, there is a world of difference between prayers from our head and prayers from our heart! Are you able to discern the two?
Do we now see better the true purpose and reason why God had created darkness and evil? Whether we see it or not, we should at least admit and understand that God had never created anything, which He would never need or use for any purpose. True? If man in his foolishness would not do it, why should we expect the All-Wise God to do it?
Let me now bring to you the Word of God, which gives hope, faith and satisfaction to those that labour in His vineyard, who are actively engaged in the war with Satan, who fight a good fight of faith and who might be discouraged, disappointed or too heavy laden.
Many readers who have come thus far might feel that true Salvation brings nothing but pain, suffering, troubles, wars, battles, fights, bitterness, crosses, blood and bruises and this is all there is to Christianity. Well, not so!
IT IS TRUE THAT THIS BOOK IS DEVOTED TO THE “BITTER TRUTH” RATHER THAN TO THE SWEET TRUTH. THE REASON IS THAT ALL HELL KEEPS THIS BITTER PART OF THE TRUTH FROM THE CHURCH! HELL DOES NOT MIND THE SWEET TRUTH BECAUSE SATAN KNOWS THAT WITHOUT THE BITTER PART, WE CAN NEVER ACHIEVE THE SWEET PART. PLEASE, CONTINUE READING THIS BOOK WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING.
THEREFORE, this bitter truth must be exposed to all believers to destroy the deepest deceptions that hell has so far mastered against us and against the Will of God.
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I am brought by the Spirit of the Lord to remind ALL of the ministers in the Church of Jesus Christ that we must (or must begin to) realize in our heart the following.
QUOTING ONLY THE SWEET PROMISES OF GOD FROM THE SCRIPTURE TO BELIEVERS WITHOUT THE BITTER TRUTHS – SOOTHES AND COMFORTS THEIR FLESH! IT COUNTERACTS THE SPIRIT WHO IS THERE TO FIRST DESTROY THE FLESH! THEN HE MAY COMFORT US. THE BITTER TRUTHS ARE AN INDIVISIBLE PART OF THE SWEET TRUTHS. THE SWEET SALVATION STARTED WITH A VERY BITTER CROSS. THIS BITTER CROSS (INCLUDING OURS) REMAINS IN ALL OF THE SWEET TRUTHS AND PROMISES OF GOD CONCERNING OUR SWEET FUTURE.
JUST AS THE FIRST IS NATURAL AND AFTERWARD IS THE SPIRITUAL (1Cor. 15:46,47), SO ALSO THE FIRST IS THE BITTER TRUTH AND AFTERWARD IS THE SWEET TRUTH.
SATAN CAN QUOTE THE SCRIPTURE SO THAT WE WOULD BE DECEIVED AND NOT BE AWARE OF THESE BITTER TRUTHS!
He also tried it with Our Lord! (Mt. 4:6 + Ps. 91:11,12) So, if you quote any Scripture, it does not mean that you are presenting the required balanced and full truth of the Word of God as desired by the Spirit!
No wonder there are auditoria with thousands of believers gathered therein who love to come because they need religious entertainment, they need to COMFORT THEIR FLESH. Their poor souls need a weekly injection so they could “endure another week of their salvation”! [Here the Lord points to Joel Osteen and other similar preachers on TBN and elsewhere who are guilty of “keeping their sword (Word) from blood (old life) of believers” – Jer. 48:10 – and of keeping the Cross, our crosses, self-denial, suffering and any afflictions successfully out of their “ministry”! (Acts 14:22// 1Pet. 4:1, etc.) The Lord says that the old nature of the believers in their congregations is not only preserved, but taught by them how to be more successful in this world! That the destruction of their old man, old character is never preached! Their ministry is rather a “smooth talk” about some interesting biblical truths, which talk does not do any spiritual work, does not destroy evil in man and does not produce any spiritual fruit. Their ministry is, therefore, totally barren and is cursed, as per Jer. 48:10!]
Such believers need something to “hang on to” for dear life, so, they gladly fill these auditoria to hear the “soothing gospel”. Who cares that they all, and their ministers, hang on to false hopes? Who cares about the WHOLE Word of God, when we can focus just on our success in this world? Do you truly see this or are you blind to this spiritual fact?
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SWEET TRUTH OF GOD BUT THERE IS EVERYTHING WRONG, IF WE SEVER IT FROM THE BITTER TRUTH OF GOD! EVERY PREACHER MUST ESTABLISH THE BITTER TRUTH AND NOT MAKE IT VOID BY PREACHING THE SWEET TRUTH ONLY! (Rom. 3:31// Ps. 19:7-14)
LET US SEE AND UNDERSTAND A SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION: THE BITTER IS AS A NEGATIVE POLE AND THE SWEET IS AS A POSITIVE POLE. IF YOU DO NOT KEEP THESE TWO POLES CONNECTED, THE (ELECTRIC) POWER WILL NEVER FLOW THROUGH AND YOU WILL NEVER ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING! TRUE?
One typical example of soothing our flesh touches our Salvation. A loss of Salvation is considered impossible, it is a “taboo” subject in the Church. In my knowledge, no believer was ever warned against this danger though it is clearly taught by the Lord in His Word! (I repeat: Rev. 3:5; 20:15; 22:19// Heb. 6:4-6// 2Pet. 2:20,22// Jn. 15:6// Mt. 3:10; 12:31, 32// Lk. 13:6-9// 1Jn. 5:16, etc.) Why are these parts of the Word of God totally neglected? Apostle John says very clearly that my believing brother may sin the sin unto death (separation from God) and I am not even expected to pray for it because God will not hear me!!! (1Jn. 5:16) Is this also “taboo” to be preached and explained in the churches?
On the other hand, one favourite verse used to soothe the flesh of believers is Jn. 10:27-29b, which says:
“(a) My sheep HEAR My voice, (b) and I KNOW them, (c) and they FOLLOW me. And I give unto them eternal life, and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand… and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.”
Is it true? Well, of course, it is true! The question is: Does this apply to every born-again believer in your congregations or fellowships or house groups? What do you believe and on what Scriptural basis do you believe it? Let me again point out three basic facts, which have already been brought to light and discussed in this book and are widely neglected in the Church:
(a) My sheep HEAR My voice – Every believer has two ears, but how many in your congregations have ears to hear His voice? (Deut. 29:4// Is. 6:10; 32:3// Jer. 5:21-25// Ez. 3:10; 12:2// Zech. 7:9-13// Mt. 11:15// Rev. 2:7, etc.) From the multitudes hearing Him, only His disciples had eyes to see and ears to hear Him. (Mt.13:10-16) Are all believers in your congregations disciples? Really?
(b) and I KNOW them – Many believers and ministers do not know the Lord and He does not know them! (Mt. 7:23; 25:12, etc.) Are there such in your congregations? How many?
(c) and they FOLLOW Me – All your congregation may sincerely believe that they follow the Lord (and also love Him) and many of them and their ministers may thereby be terribly deceived. They think they follow and love the Lord, but how many have taken up their cross and denied themselves? (Mt. 16:24) Then how do they follow Him? And how many may be cherishing their wicked hearts? Are there believers around you that may be just “dreaming in colour”? Who is warning them about these facts? And what about the Word of God in 1Cor. 3:16-20? Does this truth annul Rom. 5:6-10 or 8:31-39? NOT AT ALL! But it DOES ANNUL our own theological understanding and our colour dreams about His Ways and Judgments and the WHOLE TRUTH!
Beloved brethren and ministers of the Word and those who have been made the watchmen over the Lord’s sheep, read also the Word in Ez. 3:17-21 and consider it diligently in your own hearts. The Word is applicable to us all as much as it was in the Old Testament time and its consequences are the same today as they were then and are very serious.
Another fact, which the Lord desires that we see and understand is that the Jews, the chosen people of God from Jn. 10:24, WERE NOT OF HIS SHEEP BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF. (Jn. 10:26) Similarly, the believers, the chosen people of God, who do not hear Him, follow Him, know Him, do not purify themselves and do not believe His every Word are NOT OF HIS SHEEP!
THIS PRINCIPLE, THIS BITTER TRUTH MUST BE APPLIED TO EVERY “SWEET” WORD OF GOD! (including 1Jn. 3:2,3)
The Lord concludes that many ministers and believers in their congregations are NOT OF HIS SHEEP! They do not hear His voice, do not follow Him and He does not know them. So, do not give to believers this Word of God (Jn. 10: 27-29b) without giving them the Full Truth and explanations, lest believers should after the sermon go home comforted in their flesh, fully satisfied “in their religious old man” and be more deceived than before.
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To be continued next week in part 8
brother Hanola
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