Post by Les Brewer on Dec 9, 2020 0:51:25 GMT
CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL:
Many Christians go to church and listen to a language they don’t understand. Yet; sermons are meant for those who have spiritual ears. It grieves the Holy Spirit when we don’t listen with our spiritual ears; but to the contrary dwell in our carnal minds while we set comfortably in the sanctuary of God’s house of worship.
I get deeply offended at myself when I don’t measure up to the biblical standard for ministers; it makes me so mad I want to quit altogether. But then I realize God sees me as I am and also as I will be; as I progress spiritually in Him. The fact is; where I am now I should not be: where I am going; will surely glorify Christ because he’s still working on me.
We’re all dead; twice plucked up at the root without the living breath of God! No Spirit; no life! You may be breathing the air and know yourself through your soul; but if you’re not filled with the breath of God you’re spiritually dead while you’re living in this fallen world among fallen creatures who purposely are disobedient to God.
To Sense the Spirit is far more excellent than to sense the sensual feelings and emotions of a dead soul. We either fall down before Him or we fall away from Him! One cannot satisfy the lust of the sinful flesh and live a sacrificial life with absolute and resolute peace in their soul. It’s impossible! Why? Where the Spirit of God resides; there is liberty! Worship is where we find God; when we set our mind to hear with spiritual ears; we are enabled to find the mind of God and push out the mind of man! We enter into his presence with thanksgiving and pursue him in the Holy of Holies with praise! We are allowed to have spiritual freedom in that place where God sits upon the throne. It honestly is joy unspeakable and full of glory in the presence of the Most High God.
Wrong places restrict our graces! When we are outside our elements we can fall into many predicaments! But when we are in the right place it doesn’t restrict our grace; it broadens and expands the potential of a spiritual experience that transcends the mind of man! It ushers us into a spiritual perspective that illuminates and rejuvenates us like nothing natural can. It’s a place where liberty is expressed, impressed, and inspired in us and through us. It is a place where we find the mind of Christ and yield our will to his word and unction! The Holy Spirit truly has free reign and we are edified to the maximum because of it! I get so elated when I am in the liberty of the Spirit! There is an unquenchable fire that emanates from within me! I begin to move in an unnatural but supernatural way that gives glory and honor and praise to my God.
When we are most faithful then we become the most fearless! Why? We become crucified with Christ and totally dead to fear of sin and totally receptive to the love of Christ. Perfect love casts out fear! When we die to everything that is a hindrance in our lives; death no longer has a grip on our minds! We are totally naked before God and nothing is hidden from him so we are free to experience fearless living! We become unattached and unbound by the tether of anything fleshly; and nothing can hold us down or hold us back when we are walking in the perfect law of liberty in Christ Jesus! There is no fear of anyone seeing who we were; but the Great I Am living vicariously through us.
However; when we sin we have opened the gate of the senses and allowed the old nature to lure us loll us into soulful emotions that manufacture desires that are contrary to God’s nature. We then proceed down the path of pain that is associated with sin. When this happens we don’t want anyone to see us as we are; because it is shameful and fear floods our minds because of the chance of becoming exposed. Sin is ugly and doesn’t want anyone to see the fullness of what it activates and forms in us. We become suspicious and untrusting; because; we don’t want to be seen in that sinful situation. We begin to question our relationship with God and with people who we admire and look up to in the body of Christ. We fear that our exposure will change the perception of those people; and we fear that God will abandon us to our sins and the moral failures that it continues to develop in our lives.
There are many people who come to Christ with a sincere heart; but they fail to get grounded into the spirituality of living the new creation lifestyle and the first time they hit a hard trial they give up their walk with Christ and return to the old ways. Then there are those who’ve realized the joy of following Jesus but never truly allowed the root of righteousness to grow in their hearts; it was a surface relationship with not any depth of the Spirit. Then there are those who are persistent until the cares of life overtake them and fret and fear and quit following Christ to pursue those cares not trusting the Lord to take care of them. Then there are those who pretend to be Christians while continuing willfully in their sinful lifestyle with no intention of ever truly following Christ. They know all the catch phrases and even know scriptures very well; but they hardly ever are convicted by the Spirit or the word of God; their hearts are ardently hard and callous to God. They love the prestige of belonging to a church for worldly social reasons.
There is a reality coming in which no one will escape; it will be the Judgment of God whether we are truly Christians or rank Sinners! Everyone will stand before a Holy God and give an account of the things they’ve done here whether it is good or evil.
The absolute greatest life on earth is eternal life in Christ! There is no joy like Jesus joy! That doesn’t mean Christians don’t go through fiery trials! We are ministered by the Word and the Spirit which teaches us to war against the demonic forces and the spirit of the world! We are taught to be more than conquerors who trust in God who always makes us to triumph in Christ Jesus if we do not quit in the middle of the battle. It takes an adult mindset to follow Christ; we must put away the childish thing of the flesh and get serious about winning these battles. Discouragement cannot be allowed to take hold and grow into depression! Failing Jesus is a miserable condition and the oppressor of our souls knows exactly how to use it to his advantage. Brethren; pray to God, make a plan, then take a stand and never give up!
Bishop D. Ray Ritchie
Many Christians go to church and listen to a language they don’t understand. Yet; sermons are meant for those who have spiritual ears. It grieves the Holy Spirit when we don’t listen with our spiritual ears; but to the contrary dwell in our carnal minds while we set comfortably in the sanctuary of God’s house of worship.
I get deeply offended at myself when I don’t measure up to the biblical standard for ministers; it makes me so mad I want to quit altogether. But then I realize God sees me as I am and also as I will be; as I progress spiritually in Him. The fact is; where I am now I should not be: where I am going; will surely glorify Christ because he’s still working on me.
We’re all dead; twice plucked up at the root without the living breath of God! No Spirit; no life! You may be breathing the air and know yourself through your soul; but if you’re not filled with the breath of God you’re spiritually dead while you’re living in this fallen world among fallen creatures who purposely are disobedient to God.
To Sense the Spirit is far more excellent than to sense the sensual feelings and emotions of a dead soul. We either fall down before Him or we fall away from Him! One cannot satisfy the lust of the sinful flesh and live a sacrificial life with absolute and resolute peace in their soul. It’s impossible! Why? Where the Spirit of God resides; there is liberty! Worship is where we find God; when we set our mind to hear with spiritual ears; we are enabled to find the mind of God and push out the mind of man! We enter into his presence with thanksgiving and pursue him in the Holy of Holies with praise! We are allowed to have spiritual freedom in that place where God sits upon the throne. It honestly is joy unspeakable and full of glory in the presence of the Most High God.
Wrong places restrict our graces! When we are outside our elements we can fall into many predicaments! But when we are in the right place it doesn’t restrict our grace; it broadens and expands the potential of a spiritual experience that transcends the mind of man! It ushers us into a spiritual perspective that illuminates and rejuvenates us like nothing natural can. It’s a place where liberty is expressed, impressed, and inspired in us and through us. It is a place where we find the mind of Christ and yield our will to his word and unction! The Holy Spirit truly has free reign and we are edified to the maximum because of it! I get so elated when I am in the liberty of the Spirit! There is an unquenchable fire that emanates from within me! I begin to move in an unnatural but supernatural way that gives glory and honor and praise to my God.
When we are most faithful then we become the most fearless! Why? We become crucified with Christ and totally dead to fear of sin and totally receptive to the love of Christ. Perfect love casts out fear! When we die to everything that is a hindrance in our lives; death no longer has a grip on our minds! We are totally naked before God and nothing is hidden from him so we are free to experience fearless living! We become unattached and unbound by the tether of anything fleshly; and nothing can hold us down or hold us back when we are walking in the perfect law of liberty in Christ Jesus! There is no fear of anyone seeing who we were; but the Great I Am living vicariously through us.
However; when we sin we have opened the gate of the senses and allowed the old nature to lure us loll us into soulful emotions that manufacture desires that are contrary to God’s nature. We then proceed down the path of pain that is associated with sin. When this happens we don’t want anyone to see us as we are; because it is shameful and fear floods our minds because of the chance of becoming exposed. Sin is ugly and doesn’t want anyone to see the fullness of what it activates and forms in us. We become suspicious and untrusting; because; we don’t want to be seen in that sinful situation. We begin to question our relationship with God and with people who we admire and look up to in the body of Christ. We fear that our exposure will change the perception of those people; and we fear that God will abandon us to our sins and the moral failures that it continues to develop in our lives.
There are many people who come to Christ with a sincere heart; but they fail to get grounded into the spirituality of living the new creation lifestyle and the first time they hit a hard trial they give up their walk with Christ and return to the old ways. Then there are those who’ve realized the joy of following Jesus but never truly allowed the root of righteousness to grow in their hearts; it was a surface relationship with not any depth of the Spirit. Then there are those who are persistent until the cares of life overtake them and fret and fear and quit following Christ to pursue those cares not trusting the Lord to take care of them. Then there are those who pretend to be Christians while continuing willfully in their sinful lifestyle with no intention of ever truly following Christ. They know all the catch phrases and even know scriptures very well; but they hardly ever are convicted by the Spirit or the word of God; their hearts are ardently hard and callous to God. They love the prestige of belonging to a church for worldly social reasons.
There is a reality coming in which no one will escape; it will be the Judgment of God whether we are truly Christians or rank Sinners! Everyone will stand before a Holy God and give an account of the things they’ve done here whether it is good or evil.
The absolute greatest life on earth is eternal life in Christ! There is no joy like Jesus joy! That doesn’t mean Christians don’t go through fiery trials! We are ministered by the Word and the Spirit which teaches us to war against the demonic forces and the spirit of the world! We are taught to be more than conquerors who trust in God who always makes us to triumph in Christ Jesus if we do not quit in the middle of the battle. It takes an adult mindset to follow Christ; we must put away the childish thing of the flesh and get serious about winning these battles. Discouragement cannot be allowed to take hold and grow into depression! Failing Jesus is a miserable condition and the oppressor of our souls knows exactly how to use it to his advantage. Brethren; pray to God, make a plan, then take a stand and never give up!
Bishop D. Ray Ritchie
