by G. D. Watson
If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25
If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.
Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.
Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.
The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.
God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.
So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.
God will take you at your word. If you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.
Mike, good post! Last year as I was praying and seeking the Lord about how bad it has really gotten, I heard the Lord speak to my heart and say, “It’s worse than you could imagine”. We all were born into an already compromised situation, so against the backdrop of Scripture and church history, the modern evangelical church is no longer even evangelical! PTL-Rick
Thanks Rick,
Yes, it’s bad. I had no idea how bad until my own church started becoming pragmatic. Humanism is an incidious creeping infection and is the root of all compromise. I am without a church now. I am looking, but it really looks bleak here in the KC area. Please pray for me and my wife to find the Church God has for us.
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
Thanks for that Link, Mike!
Church is an issue with me as well. I spent 10 years of my early adulthood in a cult ( Herbert W. Armstrong ) and when I found out the truth of the betrayal there I was devastated. I spent the next ten years wandering around in the wilderness.
Then after that, God healed me of all depression and I decided to go back to church. The first church I tried was a denomination, which I won’t name, but the Pastor frequently used guilt tactics and he was very much into image, wore the best suits, had coiffed hair, he just carried himself in a less than humble manner, I didn’t feel comfortable there and so I left.
Then I tried a “come as you are” seeker friendly church. Very large church. The pastor was just as friendly, genuine, and down to earth as can be. The atmosphere was very laid back, and I liked that, as I hate pretenses. Unfortunately, the more I went the more the focus was on “the building fund” and “small groups” . After all that, there remained very little time for an actual sermon and they were pablum.
I felt starved for meat there and so I stopped going.
Just a week ago, I attempted to apply to a theological seminary and was rejected because I am “unchurched”.
I keep asking God, surely, there must be some church that loves the truth and that loves to worship you in purity?
I am looking, myself, and I will pray for you and your wife and ask the same of you for me.
In Him,
Terri Lynn
This keeps coming up. It is so sad. Compromise has created a church culture here that is completely flesh oriented. It is man-focused. It is humanistic Christianity. It is nearly impossible to find an uncompromised church. That is why we are the Remnant. I don't know what to do other than pray and remain in the Vine. Thanks for your comment and prayers Terri Lynn and I will pray for you as well.
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
Mike
Back on line trying to catch up.
I came across this article a while ago and was inspired by it. I had many of these concerns, but I really liked the way the author explained it. He made the issue tangible.
It is sad that this is an issue we christians must face, but then again God said this would be the case. There will be more and more persecution to come our way and not just from the world. Seems many of our “Christian” brothers will be taking up the lead in an attempt to silence the real truth. It is humbling to see God’s prophesies come to fruition.
Yes, it is sad Nathan. However, I think God uses these issues to build up the genuinie Church. In that I mean in Christ not necessarily in numbers. Thanks for the great comment and I glad to see you back.
In Christ
Mike Ratliff