GROWING UP, SPIRITUALLY (By Rev Kenneth E. Hagin). PART III Chapter 7 RECEIVING THE KNOWLEDGE The Fault of Inadequate Teaching (...continued) The way some people talk, I just wonder what theyre yoked up with. Its always a hard luck story. Always going through a trial. Always having a hard time. Always scraping the bottom of the barrel, or else under the barrel with the barrel on top. Oh, this heavy burden we have to bear. Were going to lay down our heavy burdens one day. Oh, no. You lay them down when you find Jesus. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light, He said. Its not hard. Its not burdensome. Its not heavy. What are they yoked up with? Unconsciously theyve gotten yoked with unbelief. Though they actually belong to Jesus and have been born-again, they have gotten yoked up with unbelief and their burden became heavy instead of light. They couldnt sleep. Couldnt eat. They felt like they had butterflies in their stomach. When there is rest in your soul, it will affect your body. It will affect your entire being. Were going to have victory after while. No, thank God, we have victory right now! I JOHN 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Were going to be overcomers when we get to heaven No, were overcomers now! If God be for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Hes on our side. Were victors now. Were overcomers now. Were going to have peace with God when we get to heaven. That isnt what the Bible says. Romans 5:1 says, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Its wonderful to have that peace. The Bible does say, There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked (Isaiah 48:22). If I didnt have this peace Id go to checking up on myself. But He didnt say that to Christians. He said it to sinners. When you preach to Christians like they were sinners you build that kind of consciousness in them. You hold them under condemnation. They cant grow. Its impossible. Its the wrong diet. It isnt even the sincere milk of the Word. Dr. John Alexander Dowie said, Our songs are embalmed with unbelief. Thats kept us from growing. Weve sung those songs so much we think theyre so. I dont want to bind you, but it would be better not to sing than to sing a bunch of junk, a bunch of unbelief. There will be no more failing when we get to heaven. We have nothing on this side and cant expect anything on this side except failure, misery, disappointment, and weakness. That isnt what the Word of God teaches. Paul said, Were more than conquerors. Not just conquerors. More than conquerors! Yes, but Paul was an apostle, someone said. Paul didnt say he was a conqueror because he was an apostle. He said, ...we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Romans 8:37). Christ didnt belong to Paul anymore than He does to us. That doesnt mean you wont have any tests. That doesnt mean you wont have any trials. That doesnt mean its just going to fall on you like ripe cherries off a tree. Or that youre going to float down the river of time on flowery beds of ease. It didnt with Paul. He got in jail. He got his back beat. He got his feet in stocks. He was in the innermost prison with every reason in the world to gripe and complain. But at midnight he and Silas prayed and sang praises to God! When he got on board that ship a prisoner he said, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives (Acts 27:10). They didnt pay any attention to him. Everything seemed to be all right. But before it was all over he was running the thing. He started on the bottom, but wound up captain of the boat. Dont stay on the bottom! You dont have to. Do you know what brought Paul out? You can see it in his words. When all hope that they should be saved was gone, old Paul stepped forth right in the midst of it with the answer. Hed heard from heaven. (We have Gods Word and weve heard from heaven. It couldnt be anymore sure if an angel came down from heaven and wrote it with his finger in a granite rock. That couldnt be any more sure than Gods written Word.) Old Paul said, Sirs . . . there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:21-25). I like that fellow Paul. He made three positive confessions: I belong to God. I serve God. I believe God. And thats what caused him to rise. If hed been like most folks, he would have been whipped right in the midst of this crisis and he and the whole bunch would have gone down. For most folks would have said, Ive been trying to serve Him all these many years. The Lord knows Ive been trying to serve Him. If He doesnt intervene somehow, were all going. And they would have gone. Im not making fun. Im just stating facts. Thats what defeats us. Paul didnt say, Im trying to serve Him. He said, I am serving Him . . . The God whose I am ... I belong to Him. Someone said, I hope I do. Thank God, I know I do. I belong to Him. I serve Him. I believe Him. To be continued...(at 12:00GMT, on 23rd Jan, 2015).
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 05:56:30 +0000
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