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Wednesday, December 2

The Counterfeit Boldness of Presumption and Pride

Feature message from Keith's book "OVERCOMING INTIMIDATION"

  There is a crucial factor we must be sure to realize about David and his pursuit of Goliath. David did not suddenly go against the giant. Though David was certainly accused by his older brother of being presumptuous or prideful by declaring that he would defeat the Philistine, he was not. God had fully prepared David for this encounter, and David knew it! That is why he could be so confident in going forth against Goliath. It is also why he was able to overcome the grave doubts of Saul, the king.


"And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." (1 Samuel 17:32-33)
In this passage, David indicates his willingness to fight the Philistine, and Saul responds with a very rational sounding answer. For truly, in the natural, David's offer was preposterous! He was but a youth, a shepherd boy, while Goliath had been trained to be "a man of war from his youth." Yet, David knew that God had prepared him for such a time and explained how this had occurred.
"And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee." (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
David knew how to fight! He had faced the lion and the bear, but not alone: the LORD had delivered David from both. Consequently, he could confidently and reasonably expect that God would deliver him from the Philistine, and that is what he told the king. After hearing David's words, the king accepted David's offer, and then did a curious thing.
"And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed (tried it) to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him." (1 Samuel 17:38-39)
Saul tried to get David to wear Saul's own armor into the battle, but David refused, saying that he had no experience with them. Furthermore, David knew that God had given him skill with the sling, and he had had many hours of solitude as a shepherd to hone that skill. Finally, David had already seen Goliath arrayed in his armor and knew that he could be brought down with the sling, David's weapon of choice. It would have been presumptuous of David to go forth wearing Saul's armor. In fact, it would have been a fatal mistake! For then the battle would have been fought on Goliath's terms in the flesh, and the giant would have won that fight.
To demonstrate the error of presumption through a counterexample to David's triumph, consider the occurrence from the time of Moses after God had miraculously delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and from starvation in the wilderness. At this point in their journey the children of Israel were preparing to invade the Promised Land, and so Moses sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan to bring back information that would help in the invasion. Ten of the spies brought back an evil report of giants in the land.
"And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." (Numbers 13:32-33)
After hearing this report, the children of Israel refused to believe that God would be with them in the battle against the giants of Canaan, and consequently the people rejected the following words of the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb: "Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade [threatened] stone them with stones." (Numbers 14:9-10)
Having fear of the giants and lacking faith in God, the Israelites wished that they had died in the wilderness, and they even began preparing to return to the bondage of Egypt (see Numbers 14:2-4). As a result, God promised them that they would die in the wilderness even as they had wished! "Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness;" (Numbers 14:28-29)
After the Israelites heard that, however, they had second thoughts! The scripture records that "the people mourned greatly." (Numbers 14:39) Moreover, they began preparing to invade the land, but they were warned to not go forth into battle presumptuously. "Ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you." (Numbers 14:43) Despite the warning and the fact that "those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD"" (Numbers 14:37), the Israelites went presumptuously into battle with the Canaanites. The Lord was not with them, and they were badly beaten.
Subsequently, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the nation was again at the brink of invading the Promised Land. It was at this juncture that Moses made a point to relate the account of this incident from the failed first invasion to the children of the people whose carcasses had fallen in the wilderness according to the Word of the Lord. In his conclusion of the account, Moses said these words, "Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill. And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill. And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah." (Deuteronomy 1:41-44)
Thus, we see that instead of overcoming their fear, they were really guilty of rebellion and presumption. Their "boldness" was counterfeit, because God was not in it. So, even as David could not have overcome Goliath on his own and the Israelites could not overcome the Canaanites on their own, neither can we overcome intimidation by our own efforts, pride, or false hopes. We need the genuine boldness of righteousness that can only come from the Lord. How do we get this? By dying to the old nature and being the new nature.
We pray that this testimony and brief exhortation fans into flames your passion for loving, trusting, believing, and following God whole-heartedly.  If you allow those flames to burn and increase in your life with Christ, your life will be ever better... guaranteed!

Keep PRESSIN' IN!


"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." (Proverbs 11:14)



________________________________
THANK YOU for downloading this message today! We pray God will use it to bear tremendous blessing in your life! 

Find more messages like this one in another most-requested book of Keith's, "
XII Smooth Stones" available on our website TowardTheMark.com.



To ask questions about our work and organization, to make a special tax-deductible donation to help in this work, to place a special order for "XII Smooth Stones" or another Keith Shealy and Toward The Mark book or CD, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please click here to e-mail us. Please feel free to also write a letter and mail it to the address below, also on our website.

God bless you as you carry this truth in your heart. We are eternally grateful to our loving Toward The Mark Family of sponsors who make this blog, and all of our resources, possible by faithfully praying and making regular financial contributions!
Your friends & servants in Christ,



To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc.  Keith and Brenda's prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that Keith recounts in our written and recorded products. The complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. has been made possible by the faithful prayer and financial support of the TTM Sponsorship Family. We'd like to invite you to come on-board, to become a part of the TTM Family as well! Join TODAY!


We INVITE You ... to follow and share these resources that are available as well, for helping build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways: 


        



This blog message, along with the rest of our inventory of Bible-based resources, is made possible by the support of our faithful monthly partners. Would you consider helping us expand our outreach capabilities by becoming a monthly financial partner? Your support will go toward fulfilling our God-given calling to help provide effective, contemporary outreach tools, available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, for getting to know the love, truth, and salvation of Jesus Christ. We invite you to partner with us as we "press Toward The Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)

CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible contribution securely by PayPal.
Every gift is tax-deductible and helps, and we thank you for it!

Mail tax-deductible contributions by check to the order of:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152. 

Thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the fertile soil of this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

Tuesday, November 24

The Heart of Thanksgiving... it's CRUCIAL!

  With Thanksgiving upon us, we must admit, our first thought was to share how thankful we are for God's handiwork -- the changing seasons, crisp fall air, and beautiful autumn leaves -- and for His providing a roof over our heads, food on the table, and loving family and friends. But, then, we realized that our gratitude for what God does for us is second to our all-consuming thanks for Who God IS. He is The Almighty, One-and-Only Living God! He is far beyond worthy of our continuous and eternal thanks!


A pastor friend once asked me this question, "If you were to prescribe just one thing that, if taken to heart, would immediately produce a profound change in the lives of those who practice it, what would it be?" Without hesitating I said "Gratitude!" He responded, "Why gratitude?" I went on to share with him how the Holy Spirit once revealed to me that a heart full of gratitude for Who God IS unlocks the "gates" that lead into oneness with Him as noted in Psalms 100:4, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful (filled with thanks always) unto Him, and bless His Name."
When our heart is filled with thanks for God, for Who He is more than for what He can do for us, God can most certainly smell it. For God, a gratitude-filled heart is sweet in His nostrils. When God is our passion, so much so that we are continually grateful to Him, for Him, the contents of our hearts rise up before His Throne like a sort of invisible smoke, or a sweet-smelling savor, that is Holy, acceptable, and pleasing to Him. This sweet-smelling savor, or fragrance, is the praise mentioned in the Psalms 100:4 verse. God is the Consummate Family Man, and nothing makes Him happier than when His children love, and want, Him more than they want their own lives, or His "stuff" for that matter. "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God (the Kingdom that IS God), and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
People we meet often ask us, "What is your mission statement, or what exactly do you do?" When we get asked this question, our answer is always the same, "We aim to show God BIG in the eyes of those who see Him small, and to bridge the gap between God and His beloved children." Every morning, we wake up to the vision of what it would be like if everyone we knew and met was truly and wholeheartedly grateful. They would exude gratitude to God for Who He IS, and also to others for who they are. They would have and display a level of uncommon respect for others. They would be quick to speak life. They would be selfless and always looking to help others in whatever way they can. They would be looking to see others through God's eyes, and would always be looking to see, and call out, the gifts that God has placed in them. They would fan the flame in the heart of others for completing the work God has wired them to full-fill. And every one of them would love God wholeheartedly, pursue "oneness" with Him, and tell everyone what He means to them. They would be more keenly aware of the times we are living in, and would do everything possible to lift up the Lord's Name and glorify God in the eyes of others, not because they are told they have to, but because of their unquenchable passion for Him. During this Thanksgiving, and always, for everyone we meet, we aim to ignite a diligent pursuit for Who God IS more than for what He does, or can do! This is our goal and it's our every-day VISION that drives us!
Will you join us? We will be praying, and eternally grateful, for your decision to help us ignite an unquenchable passion in the hearts of others to thank God, continually, for Who He is more than for what he can do!
We pray that this testimony and brief exhortation fans into flames your passion for loving, trusting, believing, and following God whole-heartedly.  If you allow those flames to burn and increase in your life with Christ, your life will be ever better... guaranteed!

Keep PRESSIN' IN!


"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." (Proverbs 11:14)





________________________________
THANK YOU for downloading this message today! We pray God will use it to bear tremendous blessing in your life! 

Find this message, along with 11 others, in Keith's book, "
XII Smooth Stones" available on our website TowardTheMark.com.



            To ask questions about our work and organization, to make a special tax-deductible donation to help in this work, to place a special order for "XII Smooth Stones" or another Keith Shealy and Toward The Mark book or CD, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please click here to e-mail us. Please feel free to also write a letter and mail it to the address below, also on our website.

God bless you as you carry this truth in your heart. We are eternally grateful to our loving Toward The Mark Family of sponsors who make this blog, and all of our resources, possible by faithfully praying and making regular financial contributions!
Your friends & servants in Christ,





To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc.  Keith and Brenda's prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that Keith recounts in our written and recorded products. The complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. has been made possible by the faithful prayer and financial support of the TTM Sponsorship Family. We'd like to invite you to come on-board, to become a part of the TTM Family as well! Join TODAY!


We INVITE You ... to follow and share these resources that are available as well, for helping build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways: 


        



This blog message, along with the rest of our inventory of Bible-based resources, is made possible by the support of our faithful monthly partners. Would you consider helping us expand our outreach capabilities by becoming a monthly financial partner? Your support will go toward fulfilling our God-given calling to help provide effective, contemporary outreach tools, available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, for getting to know the love, truth, and salvation of Jesus Christ. We invite you to partner with us as we "press Toward The Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)

CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible contribution securely by PayPal.
Every gift is tax-deductible and helps, and we thank you for it!

Mail tax-deductible contributions by check to the order of:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152. 

Thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the fertile soil of this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

Friday, October 30

The Invisible Man

Is who God Created You to BE still trapped in the person you've become?


Have you ever wondered, "Why am I here?" The answer is that you have a special treasure, a gift God has given you, that no one else has. You may not be able to see it yet, but it's there inside your "invisible man".


When I was about nine years old, my friends and I enjoyed getting together to watch Shock Theater, a locally-produced weekly program that featured classic monster flicks, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, and the Mummy. One Friday each month, some of us would get together at one of our houses for a sleep-over, and at the stroke of midnight -- with the curtains in the room drawn tightly together and everyone securely zipped in their sleeping bags -- it was time! The show that we had waited for all month was finally on. As a pipe organ played the creepy introduction, the camera would slowly pan over to an old coffin perched on a cloth-draped pedestal in the center of the studio. The camera man would zoom in on the coffin's lid, as the sound of its slowly opening hinges -- that were in dire need of a good oiling -- blended with the ghastly sound of the old organ music. This made for a pretty scary moment, especially when you were as young as we were.
All of a sudden, out of the coffin's slightly opened lid came the hand of the show's host, in an obvious rip-off of the classic entrance made famous in 1931 by the Dracula of all dracula's, Bela Lugosi. When the lid was completely open the camera then zoomed in on the host, as he lay there with his eyes closed. Suddenly, his eyes opened, he sat straight up in the coffin, and -- even though it was just after midnight -- with a scary voice he said, "Gooooood eeeeeevening!" Then, dressed in his black and red cape, he climbed out of the coffin, introduced the night's feature movie, and cut to a commercial. Pretty scary, huh?
It was during one of those outings that I first learned how "The Invisible Man" was a scientist who had developed a strange combination of chemicals that made him invisible shortly after drinking it. This state of being allowed him to go totally undetected, even when he was in a room filled with people. While the movie was fictional, imagine what it would be like to spend time around a real invisible man. How would you react? Needless to say, the prospect of being in the same room with someone you cannot see could be very unnerving. Especially considering there is very little difference between the concept most people have of an invisible man and a ghost!
On the other hand, imagine yourself as the Invisible Man. What do you think you would experience being invisible to others? The color of your eyes, hair, and skin would be irrelevant. It also wouldn't matter the size of your nose, neck, ears, or any other feature that we often see people obsess over or become depressed by in the physical. None of those things would matter, because no one would be able to see you for what you really are.
Now this is much more than a mental exercise. The Invisible Man is real, and in fact there are many Invisible Men. That may sound fantastic, but it is indeed true. The Apostle Paul wrote about "the inward man" (Romans 7:22, 2 Corinthians 4:16) and, similarly, the Apostle Peter wrote of "the hidden man of the heart." (1 Peter 3:4)

The Invisible Man of the Heart
What is the nature of this Invisible Man, "the hidden man of the heart"? The Scriptures define the inward man as being a spirit and a soul. These are not to be understood as interchangeable, because the Word of God divides between them, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:13)
The Word of God differentiates between the soul and the spirit. Furthermore, we must have understanding in this crucial area of the Word, because if we do not know the difference, how can we properly apply passages of Scripture that deal with the inward man? Furthermore, as we shall see, ignorance of this one fact is associated with much that is hurtful within the church. Remember, Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
We will be made free (not set free, as many wrongfully suppose), when we know the Truth and continue in the Truth. For the verse quoted above is preceded by these words, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed." (John 8:31) Knowing the difference between the soul and the spirit is an essential part of being made free. As an example, consider the following verse, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The application of this verse to the Spirit of the born-again believer is different than the application to their Soul. The Spirit of that person is made a new creature at the very moment the person is born again. Therefore, the spirit of the born-again believer is instantaneously free, having been made free through the Holy Spirit of Truth. Conversely, the soul of the believer is not yet free. The liberty of Christ comes to the Soul as it is renewed in conformance to the image of Jesus Christ. This comes through continuing in His Word and abiding in Him. This is the crux of the matter facing the believer, for their spirit is a new creature, and their soul is not.
The soul is divided between the old man -- that is, the areas of the Soul that have not been made free -- and the new man -- that is, the areas of the Soul that have been made free. The new man of the Soul has the renewed Spirit of the believer and the Holy Spirit as its allies. The old man has a carnal nature, and is often referred to as the flesh. Indeed, the unregenerate Soul and the body of flesh are partners. This is not a good thing; and the Apostle Paul calls them "the body of this death".

The Body of this Death
So very much like the tales of the Wolf Man and Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, both the old man and the new man inhabit the same body; and like those famous stories, the situation is quite far from harmonious, because these two sides, the flesh and the Spirit, are at war. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would." (Galations 5:17) "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (Romans 7:22-23)
However, unlike those tales, in which the protagonists are aware of the torments of their inner struggles, many Christians are comfortable being the Wolf Man or Mr. Hyde, not recognizing the horror of their old man. But Paul saw his old nature for what it truly was, a hideous monster that had him in bondage, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24)
The Apostle Paul cried out for deliverance from his old nature, because he knew that it was opposed to all that is godly. On this he wrote, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing." (Romans 7:18) However, many Christians value their old nature, and justify it under the guise of self-esteem. Thus, instead of looking for deliverance from the body of this death, they seek to preserve it. In so doing they prevent themselves from seeing their old nature for what it truly is. Like Dracula, the old nature hates the light, and cannot see itself for what it is in the mirror of the Word of God. "For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:20-21) "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was." (James 1:23-24)
That is the sickness of the Laodecians. They were blind; they could not see themselves in the mirror of God's Word. "I know your works, that you art neither cold nor hot: I would you wert cold or hot. So then because you art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because you sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked... ." (Revelation 3:15-17)
These people are like the Pharisees, and like the Mummy -- death wrapped up and hidden from sight. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whited sepulchres, (tombs or graves), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matthew 23:27-28) "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them." (Luke 11:44)
Even so, there are others, who hate the old nature and are ashamed of him. Yet, like the Galations, they have not learned to fight the old man with the weapons of the Spirit and instead employ the ways of the flesh. Rather than killing the old man by dying daily, they attempt to reform the old man, rearranging him and striving in the flesh to pump some life into him. These people create a Frankenstein's monster in themselves, that will destroy them if it is not killed. "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." (Luke 17:33)
In this verse, the word "life" translates from the Greek word "psuche", which in English is "psyche", meaning soul. Jesus said that those who seek to save their psuche, shall lose it. Hence, psychology, self-help books, transcendental meditation, and other such "means of improving our life" cannot save the soul. These are all elaborate means of wrapping the body of this death in the grave clothes of the Mummy, trying to hide the monster of Frankenstein inside.

Death to the Monster!
Jesus said that the old nature cannot be reformed. The old man must be killed through the death of the cross. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death has no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." (Romans 6:6-13)
Notice that Paul wrote, "... reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." We must reckon ourselves dead unto sin through Christ, that is, we must reckon that we are no longer the old nature. For truly the old man is no longer what we are. As Paul wrote, "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." (Romans 7:17-20)
There is a flip side to this. We must also reckon ourselves alive unto God through Christ; that is, we must reckon ourselves to be our new nature, the new man. This must all be reckoned in faith because our true nature is still invisible to us, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (II Corinthians 5:7) To do this, we each must, as Paul tells the Colossians, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:2-5)
Though we have been made a new creature through Christ, our old nature lies to us, claiming to represent what we truly are, attempting, through lies, to steal our lives like a malicious virus. A Christian who accepts the deceit of the old nature as valid is, as Peter wrote, "... blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (II Peter 1:9)
Such a person has forgotten that God has saved them from the old nature, and that they have been made a new creature. They cannot see themselves for what they truly are; they are invisible to themselves. Furthermore, because they do not reckon themselves to be the new nature, they cannot reckon others in the body of Christ to be their new nature, either. They can only see themselves and others as the old, dead nature. The new man is invisible to them; they are blind to him. They are living in the deadness of their souls.

The Living Dead
What happens when churches are full of people who are blind to their true nature in Christ? Remember, the gifts and callings of God reside in the new man, not the old; since the new man is invisible to the spiritually-blinded church, then so also will God's gifts and callings be invisible. Such congregations will choose and follow blind leaders. Neither they nor their leaders will recognize the true leaders God has ordained.
Consequently, such churches will seek to exploit natural talents instead, while vainly calling them spiritual gifts. Similarly, such people also will fall into the snare of materialism. When I looked at the picture of the Invisible Man, I could not help but notice that his clothes point to the things people do in their own strength to be seen. Being empty inside, they seek to fill their lives with things and activities -- such as buying expensive clothes and cars, going into debt for new buildings and large homes, earning prestigious degrees from universities, professing to be things that they are not -- in order to get attention, and so forth. In the same manner, the Invisible Man wrapped himself in clothes so that his form would be visible, but not his true self, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." (2 Timothy 3:5)
More than that, however, those who walk in the flesh will despise and persecute those who are walking in their new man. They will seek to suppress or exploit those who have true spiritual gifts, "But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." (Galations 4:29)
However, not all persecution is overt; sometimes it takes the form of flattery. This may sound strange, but consider the following Scriptures. "And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen (helped) with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries." (Daniel 11:33-34) "A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet." (Proverbs 29:5)
Flattery is an example of something that can take the form of a false show of love in an attempt to earn favor or gain approval in the eyes of men. This is a form of manipulation that is rooted in selfishness and is ultimately an attempt to achieve by the flesh what can only be attained through Jesus Christ. Flattery is the act of using praise to appeal to a person's old, fleshly nature in an attempt to persuade them to use their talents and time, in the strength of the flesh, to achieve the flatterer's selfish ambitions. The flatterer seeks to turn people from the power of God in order to devour their strength. Therefore, coveting a person's talents for one's own selfish purposes, however noble they may seem, is paramount to stealing from God. A good example of this is the famous account of Martha and Mary, in which Martha was attempting to steal Mary from Jesus, so that Mary might help serve the other guests.
When someone in the body of Christ, at any level of influence, is so shortsighted that they would steal a person's gifts in order to build their church or ministry, they have led that person out of God's will for their lives into a life of slavery to the flesh. "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be." (Galatians 5:7-10)
Like Dracula, such people are thieves, stealing life from others. The Bible has many warnings against such behavior, such as, "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." (Galatians 5:15) Ultimately, because such churches are working in the Flesh and not in the Spirit, both the leaders and the members will burn out, leaving trails of destruction behind them. This includes the flatterers and those exploited by them, and in large part, that is the state of the church in America today. There are a growing number of people in our churches who, because they are anointed by God, are being shunned or simply overlooked by those around them, or are being drawn away from sitting at the feet of Jesus in order to serve tables. Faithful men and women of God sit in church pews each week, with true spiritual gifts and callings that are being ignored in favor of the strength of the flesh. On top of all of this, the lack of the true power of godliness is being cloaked through the increasing use of wealth and modern technology. Nevertheless, the pomp and pageantry is no substitute for the power of the Almighty God!
The entire church ought to be working together with God to identify and develop the purpose for which God created every member of the Body of Christ. However, the church is blinded. It can see neither itself nor others as God does. "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." (Revelation 3:1)

Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead!
"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Ephesians 5:14)
Believers must awake to how God sees them. That is, they must awake to the truth that they are new creatures, created in the image of God. For even as the old nature is a hideous monster, far worse than those found in the famous tales of horror, so also is the new nature a great wonder, far surpassing the power of our language to describe it.
Jesus "is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15), and we are "to be conformed to the image of his Son." (Romans 8:29) Therefore, our new natures are being made into the image of the invisible God. That is the high calling of God indeed! The full implications of it are unspeakable, yet consider the passage, "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?" (Isaiah 40:12-18)
There the prophet describes a little of the greatness of God, and then asks, "To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?" He continues with a description of those who attempt to imitate God through the flesh, "The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved." (Isaiah 40:19-20)
The Scriptures continue with a condemnation of the counterfeit, "Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." (Isaiah 40:21-26)
Over and over again, God asks, "To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me." (Isaiah 46:5-9)
God is Everything The Scriptures say He is... and there is none like Him. No one has the power to duplicate him; but He has the power to make us into His image, and He will do it. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)
Consider the immensity of that truth. For example, when God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind, He described many things about Himself, such as is in Job 40:6-14, "Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee."
The Truth is that none of us can save ourselves. Our possessions cannot save us, and neither can we remake ourselves into the image of God. Nevertheless, there is hope. Jesus said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (Luke 18:27) This does not mean that God intends to preserve our old nature. Many believers weary themselves with vain prayers seeking for the reforming of their Souls, not knowing that God wants their old nature to die, so that He can remake them like Himself.

For God IS Love
So what are believers going to be like when God completes His work of righteousness? Every description of God in His Word reveals something about what God is fashioning every believer to be. Yet all of this may sound contradictory considering if "there is none like Him", how can we be made like God? Consider the contrast between the two passages, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8) and "the glory which thou gavest me I have given them... ." (John 16:22)
In the first passage, God declares that He will not give His glory to another, while in the second, Jesus declares that He has given the Father's glory to us. How can that be? The answer is to be found in His next words, "...that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 16:22-23)
God in His love has given us His glory through Jesus, that we might be one with Him. He will not give His glory to another; but we are not another, for we are made to be one with him, even as the Trinity is One. Therein is the unspeakable gift of God, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (II Corinthians 9:15)
Prior to His arrest on the night before He was crucified, Jesus prayed for us, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) Knowing God and Jesus Christ is Life Eternal, for we shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make us Free. True freedom is only found through being remade into the image of the invisible God.
Now we know that "God is love" (1 John 4:8) and Jesus "is the image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15) Therefore, Jesus is the image of the love of God. Since God predestinated us "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29), the conclusion is that we are to be conformed to the image of the love of God. This is where so many believers miss the point. Being comes before doing. So many people miss the mark entirely by getting it backwards. They think that being a Christian comes from doing Christian deeds. The truth is exactly the opposite. We can only perform Christ-like deeds by first becoming like Christ. We cannot love, until we are in Love, which is to be in God, because He is Love. Thus, before we can truly love others with the love of God, we must be transformed into His Image, including being conformed by His Love into His Love.
On this very subject of being conformed to the image of God's love, the Apostle Paul wrote the following in which the word "charity" means love, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I gave my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) Can it get much clearer than that? Without the love of God, we are nothing!
God's motives are always based in His all-consuming love for His people. Even when He chastises them, rest assured, His reason for doing so is firmly based in love. After all, He is Love.
In order to love people the way God does, we must know Him personally. When we know Him, we learn to become like Him. We then become able to see ourselves and others through His eyes. Being able to help others develop in their walk with God and fulfilling God's will and calling for their lives is one of the highest callings! It is also the Royal Commandment, "the Law of Love." Jesus said, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:12-13)
I cannot stress the point enough that we are all called to assist one another in reaching our full potential in God, actively loving people in the same way He loves us. This includes going out of our way to help others find God's way for their lives. Sadly there are more people in the church today who have no idea why God created them than there are people who do. When I hear people ask, "Why am I here?" my answer is that each one of us has a special treasure, a gift of God, that no one else has, and your gift, working in harmony with that of each and every one of us around you, is irreplaceable and necessary for God's will to be fulfilled in this life on earth. Even if you are not able to see what your gift is, you can be sure it's there - in your "invisible man".
Keep PRESSIN' IN!
    

Keith's "Comments from the Author":

"When I was a young believer, I remember hearing someone at our church make the statement, 'Sitting in a pew makes you a Christian as much as standing in a garage makes you a car.' When it comes to identifying ourselves as Christians, I often say that we are identifying ourselves by a verb, not a noun. What I mean by that is Being conformed into the image of Christ is a process that takes place over time. The one who is seeking to be conformed into the image of Christ must daily apply himself to being transformed. Though going to the alter at church to ask Christ to come into your heart gets your name in The Book of Life, becoming Christ-like in nature is a journey that, at that point, is just beginning. I have found that my being successfully transformed takes one key ingredient. That is 'having the WANT to' to change, having the WANT to be just like Christ."

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Ephesians 5:14)



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