Check Out Our Website For Great Audio Preaching Apostolic Beliefs
How deep in God are you prepared to go?The 5 Levels of Spiritual Depth: How deep in God are you prepared to go?
Holidays are wonderful!
While snorkling in the mediterranean sea I realised how the sea makes for a wonderful analogy of the christian’s preparedness to search the uttermost reaches of the Spirit of God.
Ezekiel pictured waters that were first to his ankle, then to his knee, waist, shoulder and finally totally submerged.
1.The Ankle Deep Christian
Those living at the shoreline only ever wet their ankle, they are more into the things of this world than the things of the Spirit of God. When you are ankle deep much flesh is on display, the same flesh the LORD showed us should be obliterated at the Brazen Altar of the Mosaic Tabernacle.
Ankle deep living is a life lived where we are master of our own actions and reactions, at ankle depth the waters of God’s Spirit are too shallow to control us.
The other grave danger of the shallow end is that this is where the muck is pushed by the tide, so an ankle deep believer lives in the mess of sin and carnality e.g. gossip, argument, nightclubbing, drinking, smoking, swearing, sexual partners, porn, drugs, unforgiveness, and so on.
2. The Knee Deep Christian
At knee depth it is again very easy to step out of the flow of the Holy Spirit’s tide. However, the knee deep saint takes pride in being able to look back at the ankle deep Christian and say: “I’m deeper than you!”. Full of spiritual pride but devoid of spirituality.
3. The Waist Deep Christian
The Christian who is waist deep is more faithful, but they are still living in a comfort zone. The danger of being waist deep is that fellowship is shared with those who do not live under the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, “evil communications corrupt good manners”.
It doesn’t matter how deep we go if we spend our time looking back to those on the shoreline shilly shallying with uncommitted Christians. After a while the tide will have pushed us back to the muck at the shoreline.
4. The Shoulder Deep Christian
Shoulder Deep Believers have almost mastered submitting to the will of God. Their flesh is mostly under the blood of Jesus, they live their lives as a Christian ought. They are people in the word, they know the Word, they worship, they do good. But, one thing is lacking! Faith (Forsaking All I Trust Him).
The shoulder deep still does not have their head under the total influence of the Spirit’s control. The first lesson God teaches when He fills us with the Holy Ghost is that we need to surrender our minds to Him. We must “let this mind be in us” (the mind of Christ).
The issue of the shoulder deep is one of faith. I see myself in this. How willing am I to become totally, utterly, completely sold out for Jesus? What sacrifices am I holding back on making, what am I afraid to give up?
To become totally submerged takes a bowing of the knee in humility and a surrendering of our lives into God’s hands. It looks like certain death to be totally plunged under the ocean, but this is what God requires – only those who have died to self can see His face.
5. The Submerged Christian
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
We can do this!
Build My Church, a poem
Build My Church, a poem
Build My Church
Build my church
Not your career
Not your family
Not your reputation
Not your wealth
Not your network
Not your ministry
Build my church
Christ is…
1. …the true Light, to illuminate.
John 1:9 – “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”
2. …the true Bread, to satisfy.
John 6:32 – “Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”
3. …the true Vine, to make fruitful.
John 15:1 – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”
4. …the true God, to assure.
1 John 5:20 – “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
5. …the true Witness, to speak.
Revelation 3:14 – “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and witness, the beginning of God’s creation”
6. …the true Judge, to determine.
Revelation 19:11 – “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then mind that you do not neglect it. Read it! Begin to read it this very day. What greater insult to God can a man be guilty of than to refuse to read the letter God sends him from heaven? Oh, be sure, if you will not read your Bible, you are in fearful danger of losing your soul!
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then be sure you always read it with deep reverence. Say to your soul, whenever you open the Bible, “O my soul, you are going to read a message from God!”
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then be sure you never read it without fervent prayer for the help and teaching of the Holy Spirit. Humble prayer will throw more light on your Bible than any commentary that ever was written. You will not understand it unless your heart is right. You will find it a sealed book without the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Its contents are often hidden from the wise and learned, and revealed to babes.
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then let us all resolve from this day forward to prize the Bible more. God has given us the Bible to be a light to guide us to everlasting life. Let us not neglect this precious gift. Let us read it diligently, and walk in its light.
—J.C. Ryle (from Inspiration, 1877)
{6 Comments}
BURDEN OR BLESSING
You would think after working 150, ooo days or more straight they would have been ready for a little R&R !!! The Israelites were slaves for 400yrs in Egypt serving in rigor (hard labor) with no pay and God gave them the greatest of all blessings a day off the Sabbath and it became a burden to them wow! How does such a blessing become such a burden?
Jer 17:19 Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;
Jer 17:20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:
Jer 17:21 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
Jer 17:22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
Jer 17:23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
Jer 17:24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: The Sabbath day was a gift to men from God so that our bodies & lands could rest and stay healthy & productive. Somehow Israel began to let these blessing become a burden until the Lord had to punish them for not resting they again went into bondage 490yrs for simply not taking a day off now that is crazy!
I wonder what happens that causes the blessings of God to become burdens to us. Prayer, Church, Tithing, Worshiping, Witnessing etc. are all great blessings but if we are not careful they will become burdens instead of delights. Let us keep our joy and first love so that the blessings of God always feel like blessings! Jer 23:36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
FALSE COMFORTER!
When life gets hard we sometimes have a tendency to search out for quick answers and if we don’t find one we will search for comfort even if it is a false comforter!
Let us look at the life of Abraham on a decision he made early in his life to go down into Egypt to be comforted in a hard time in his life. God had called him out of his country into a strange land and there he is faced with a grievous famine and he makes a quick decision to go down into Egypt to sojourn there which means stay just a little while, nothing permanent (Gen. 12). We find that his decision had consequence far greater and permanent than he could have ever imagined . His wife took out of Egypt a servant girl Hagar (Gen 16) which later was given to Abraham as a wife and soon the mother of his first son Ishmael who later married an Egyptian . His sons, his grandsons and great grandsons were all plaque with this false comfort of Egypt even to the point that all his descendents went down into this place and dwell ed . His great grandson was sold to the Egyptians and his descendants were slaves there for four hundred years sounds comforting doesn’t it.
Isa. 31 :1-3 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help!
Jer. 17:5 Cursed is the man who trust in man! WOE AND CURSED are not words I want said about me Amen!but we can see Abraham was cursed with this false comfort . People who turn to alcohol and drugs or pornography, excessive eating and sleeping or hours and hours of television or gambling etc. for comfort in hard times open the door to spirits that can harm there families for years and generations.
The answer is Wait on God and renew your strength ISA 40:31 ! Trust in God and be blessed Jer. 17:7-8 Jesus Christ is our comforter he dwells in us ! Jesus is the Holy Ghost 2 Cor 3:17! We have a comforter that abides for ever and he is a true comforter and bringth no shame!!!
How deep in God are you prepared to go?The 5 Levels of Spiritual Depth: How deep in God are you prepared to go?
Holidays are wonderful!
While snorkling in the mediterranean sea I realised how the sea makes for a wonderful analogy of the christian’s preparedness to search the uttermost reaches of the Spirit of God.
Ezekiel pictured waters that were first to his ankle, then to his knee, waist, shoulder and finally totally submerged.
1.The Ankle Deep Christian
Those living at the shoreline only ever wet their ankle, they are more into the things of this world than the things of the Spirit of God. When you are ankle deep much flesh is on display, the same flesh the LORD showed us should be obliterated at the Brazen Altar of the Mosaic Tabernacle.
Ankle deep living is a life lived where we are master of our own actions and reactions, at ankle depth the waters of God’s Spirit are too shallow to control us.
The other grave danger of the shallow end is that this is where the muck is pushed by the tide, so an ankle deep believer lives in the mess of sin and carnality e.g. gossip, argument, nightclubbing, drinking, smoking, swearing, sexual partners, porn, drugs, unforgiveness, and so on.
2. The Knee Deep Christian
At knee depth it is again very easy to step out of the flow of the Holy Spirit’s tide. However, the knee deep saint takes pride in being able to look back at the ankle deep Christian and say: “I’m deeper than you!”. Full of spiritual pride but devoid of spirituality.
3. The Waist Deep Christian
The Christian who is waist deep is more faithful, but they are still living in a comfort zone. The danger of being waist deep is that fellowship is shared with those who do not live under the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, “evil communications corrupt good manners”.
It doesn’t matter how deep we go if we spend our time looking back to those on the shoreline shilly shallying with uncommitted Christians. After a while the tide will have pushed us back to the muck at the shoreline.
4. The Shoulder Deep Christian
Shoulder Deep Believers have almost mastered submitting to the will of God. Their flesh is mostly under the blood of Jesus, they live their lives as a Christian ought. They are people in the word, they know the Word, they worship, they do good. But, one thing is lacking! Faith (Forsaking All I Trust Him).
The shoulder deep still does not have their head under the total influence of the Spirit’s control. The first lesson God teaches when He fills us with the Holy Ghost is that we need to surrender our minds to Him. We must “let this mind be in us” (the mind of Christ).
The issue of the shoulder deep is one of faith. I see myself in this. How willing am I to become totally, utterly, completely sold out for Jesus? What sacrifices am I holding back on making, what am I afraid to give up?
To become totally submerged takes a bowing of the knee in humility and a surrendering of our lives into God’s hands. It looks like certain death to be totally plunged under the ocean, but this is what God requires – only those who have died to self can see His face.
5. The Submerged Christian
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
We can do this!
Build My Church, a poem
Build My Church, a poem
Build My Church
Build my church
Not your career
Not your family
Not your reputation
Not your wealth
Not your network
Not your ministry
Build my church
Christ is…
1. …the true Light, to illuminate.
John 1:9 – “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”
2. …the true Bread, to satisfy.
John 6:32 – “Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”
3. …the true Vine, to make fruitful.
John 15:1 – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”
4. …the true God, to assure.
1 John 5:20 – “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
5. …the true Witness, to speak.
Revelation 3:14 – “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and witness, the beginning of God’s creation”
6. …the true Judge, to determine.
Revelation 19:11 – “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then mind that you do not neglect it. Read it! Begin to read it this very day. What greater insult to God can a man be guilty of than to refuse to read the letter God sends him from heaven? Oh, be sure, if you will not read your Bible, you are in fearful danger of losing your soul!
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then be sure you always read it with deep reverence. Say to your soul, whenever you open the Bible, “O my soul, you are going to read a message from God!”
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then be sure you never read it without fervent prayer for the help and teaching of the Holy Spirit. Humble prayer will throw more light on your Bible than any commentary that ever was written. You will not understand it unless your heart is right. You will find it a sealed book without the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Its contents are often hidden from the wise and learned, and revealed to babes.
Is the Bible the Word of God? Then let us all resolve from this day forward to prize the Bible more. God has given us the Bible to be a light to guide us to everlasting life. Let us not neglect this precious gift. Let us read it diligently, and walk in its light.
—J.C. Ryle (from Inspiration, 1877)
{6 Comments}
BURDEN OR BLESSING
You would think after working 150, ooo days or more straight they would have been ready for a little R&R !!! The Israelites were slaves for 400yrs in Egypt serving in rigor (hard labor) with no pay and God gave them the greatest of all blessings a day off the Sabbath and it became a burden to them wow! How does such a blessing become such a burden?
Jer 17:19 Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;
Jer 17:20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:
Jer 17:21 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
Jer 17:22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
Jer 17:23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
Jer 17:24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: The Sabbath day was a gift to men from God so that our bodies & lands could rest and stay healthy & productive. Somehow Israel began to let these blessing become a burden until the Lord had to punish them for not resting they again went into bondage 490yrs for simply not taking a day off now that is crazy!
I wonder what happens that causes the blessings of God to become burdens to us. Prayer, Church, Tithing, Worshiping, Witnessing etc. are all great blessings but if we are not careful they will become burdens instead of delights. Let us keep our joy and first love so that the blessings of God always feel like blessings! Jer 23:36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
FALSE COMFORTER!
When life gets hard we sometimes have a tendency to search out for quick answers and if we don’t find one we will search for comfort even if it is a false comforter!
Let us look at the life of Abraham on a decision he made early in his life to go down into Egypt to be comforted in a hard time in his life. God had called him out of his country into a strange land and there he is faced with a grievous famine and he makes a quick decision to go down into Egypt to sojourn there which means stay just a little while, nothing permanent (Gen. 12). We find that his decision had consequence far greater and permanent than he could have ever imagined . His wife took out of Egypt a servant girl Hagar (Gen 16) which later was given to Abraham as a wife and soon the mother of his first son Ishmael who later married an Egyptian . His sons, his grandsons and great grandsons were all plaque with this false comfort of Egypt even to the point that all his descendents went down into this place and dwell ed . His great grandson was sold to the Egyptians and his descendants were slaves there for four hundred years sounds comforting doesn’t it.
Isa. 31 :1-3 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help!
Jer. 17:5 Cursed is the man who trust in man! WOE AND CURSED are not words I want said about me Amen!but we can see Abraham was cursed with this false comfort . People who turn to alcohol and drugs or pornography, excessive eating and sleeping or hours and hours of television or gambling etc. for comfort in hard times open the door to spirits that can harm there families for years and generations.
The answer is Wait on God and renew your strength ISA 40:31 ! Trust in God and be blessed Jer. 17:7-8 Jesus Christ is our comforter he dwells in us ! Jesus is the Holy Ghost 2 Cor 3:17! We have a comforter that abides for ever and he is a true comforter and bringth no shame!!!
