A Living Sacrifice.
Rom. 12:1, ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
All through the four chapters I have written, I talk about the advancements of my soul and spirit (spiritual realm) which is in the perfect will of God, achieving for God glory after glory. On the other hand my body (flesh) and its medical and health conditions are deteriorating all the time.
2Cor.4:16-17, ‘Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles, are achieving for us an eternal glory that far out weights them all.’
It is natural that our flesh and our spirit (spirit and soul) always move in the opposite direction. When we want to advance in the spiritual realm we have to die to the natural (flesh). Dieing to our flesh is painful, especially, when we are living creatures with feelings, emotions and senses; this is the Spiritual law of God. We have to crucify the flesh because the flesh is sinful and is a stench to the nostrils of God. Imagine when flesh rots.
Gal.5:17, ‘For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.’ Spiritual promotion will come with the decimation of the flesh. As in my case, I am on course in the eyes of God. He must increase and I must decrease. (John 3:30)
That is why we have to be a living sacrifice. Why is it a living sacrifice? In the olden days of Israel when they offer a sacrifice unto the Lord, they would kill the animal, let the blood flow for the forgiveness of sins and then put the dead animal to burn in the fire; a pleasing aroma unto God.
God expects us to be a living sacrifice, after our salvation by the blood of the Lamb, who are still living and knowing, have senses and emotions and feelings, to be offered as a sacrifice; refined by the consuming fires of God; the refiner’s fire and the baptism of fire; a holy living barbecue; pleasing to the Almighty.
God wants you to resist the temptations of the world, renew your minds, in-spite of its gold, glory and girls, and choose to walk a holy and blameless life, while you are alive, as a sacrifice for Him. This is the perfect will of God
Eph. 1:4, ‘…He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love...’
Hat’s off to the Spiritual Living Martyrs of the Almighty God. Hallelujah!!!
The Living Martyrs.
Rev.6:9-11, ‘When He opened the fifth seal. I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.’
These are the dead martyrs who were killed on earth and now their souls are in heaven crying out for revenge from God asking, ‘How long, Lord must they wait before they can be avenged.’
As from the chapter above, there are also a group of people who are crying out to God on earth, ‘How long, Lord, how long do you want us to suffer before you will come back to save the earth and stop all our sufferings in the flesh for being faithful toYou. We cannot stand it anymore; Lord not our will but Yours being done; how long?’
They are the saints who are the living sacrifices who have committed spiritual suicide (willingly die to their flesh) on the earth and are in pain because they want to walk in holiness and purity before the Lord. They are the living martyrs. The whole creation groans for the return of the Messiah (Rom.8:22); A new world order. Maranatha!!!
As I soared like an Eagle in my ministries and the work of the Lord, God allowed little foxes to come into my garden to try to destroy my vineyards, to test my faith further. I am still not perfect yet. Songs of Songs, 2:15, ‘Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.’
In the physical, every time I go for my ministries, there will be some little hindrances in my health that I will have to overcome. I will be suffering from soar throats, fever, sometimes coughs, knowing very well that I have to sing during ministry time. It will always be by faith that I go forth dragging my body along.
And praise be to God that when I minister, the symptoms will be all gone. Once I vomited all the way home, through lack of sleep living in lonely hotel rooms. I nearly fell out of my seat before my sermon during worship time when I had lack of sleep once. What a shame!!!
Age has caught up with me after God had restored my ministry these four years. I am supposed to be an old man now; 62 years, for a dialysis patient. And after fifteen years of dialysis, it has taken a toll on my body, bones and reflexes. My body suffers from inertia – no more production of enzymes to help my body run normally. And I spent a lot of money on injections, supplements and medicines to keep my body strong enough to continue to serve the Lord. Since I don’t have kidneys, I no longer have the enzymes to help me produce red blood cells and I have to do it through injections that cost me one or two thousands monthly.
My body is aching; through the years of dialysis, my bones and joints have become weaker. I have to be on a supplement that cost me RM40 per pill. That will be another thousand for the month. This has cause a financial turbulence in my pocket. I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me on the cross. He has not failed me.
These fifteen years as a dialysis patient I have spent about RM500,000-00 (base on RM3,000 per month); but praise be to God who had supplied all my needs in the richest of His glory in Christ Jesus, through the generous giving of His people all over the world, whose hearts were touched by my songs and testimonies. God bless you!!! Just like God provided for Prophet Elijah by using the ravens, He had provided all my needs through His people.
Due to these little foxes, I have to cancel some meetings sometimes. And because of that less and less people have contacted me for local ministries. Perhaps, God is tapering me off in my local traveling ministries again, although my internet ministries are still going strong. Perhaps, God has seen my struggle with my body and wants me to take it easy and rest in Him. Relax!!! God is in control.
There is always a calm before a storm. God is on the move again!!!
An Excerpt from the book, ‘Streams In the Desert.’
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. (Psalm 138:8)
There is a divine mystery in suffering, one that has a strange and supernatural power and has never been completely understood by human reason. No one has ever developed a deep level of spirituality or holiness without experiencing a great deal of suffering. When a person who suffers reaches a point where he can be calm and carefree, inwardly smiling at his own suffering, and no longer asking God to be delivered from it, then the suffering has accomplished its blessed ministry, perseverance has “finished its work”(James. 1:4), and the pain of the Crucifixion has began to weave itself into a crown.
It is in this experience of complex suffering that the Holy Spirit works many miraculous things deep within our soul. In this condition, our entire being lies perfectly still under the hand of God; every power and ability of the mind, will and heart are at last submissive; a quietness of eternity settles into the entire soul; and finally, the mouth becomes quiet, having only a few words to say, and stop crying out the words Christ quoted on the cross:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Ps.22:1)
At this point the person stops imagining castles in the sky, and pursuing foolish ideas, and his reasoning becomes calm and relaxed, with all choices removed, because the only choice has now become the purpose of God. Also, his emotions are weaned away from other people and things, becoming deadened so that nothing can hurt, offend, hinder, or get in his way. He can now let the circumstances be what they may, and continue to seek only God and His will, with the calm assurance that He is causing everything in the universe, whether good or bad, past or present, to work “for the good of those who love him” (Rom.8:28).
Oh, the blessings of absolute submission to Christ! What a blessing to lose our own strength, wisdom, plans, and desires and to be where every ounce of our being becomes like a peaceful Sea of Galilee under the omnipotent feet of Jesus.
The main thing is to suffer without becoming discouraged.
The heart that serves, and loves, and clings,
Hears every where the rush of angel wings.
Oh!!! Such sweet surrender.
Click Song 'Can't Live Without Your Love'
http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=3597243&q=hi&newref=1
Next……… Beyond Salvation
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment