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.
Thank you Mike. I see several messages I want to listen to on this link. I love Paul Washer. Thank you again.
Love in Christ,
Rachel
Where are the leather-lunged prophets that feared nothing but God and spoke only His Words? This world meant nothing to them and even as Paul said, they don’t even count their lives dear. Their calling was their life and Jesus was their message.
They desired none of this world’s goods, and they guarded their prayer lives over all. They could shout out God’s warning one day and weep before His presence the next. Even when they were harsh in their chastening confrntations, followers were still drawn to them and unbelievers could not help but listen.
Where are those men who came to preach a service and were compelled by the Spirit to remain for months. Where are the preachers that arrived on American soil with no church to preach in and no invitations. All they had and all they needed was the unction of the Spirit that had led them by faith, and in trusting God they were satisfied.
With God’s Word, God’s anointing, God’s Spirit, God’s direction, and God’s presence they boldly went to precah His Word to friend and foe alike. Bread? God would provide. Shelter? God would provide. Their families back home? God would provide. Boldness? God would provide.
Today “preachers” look carefully over the salary package before they decide to accept a position at a church. More like a CEO than a John the Baptist, they come bearing sweet sounding words that let the sinners continue in their sleep. And while the wrath of Almighty God continues to bear down upon all the inhabitants of this world, these minstrels give ear tickling speeches that soothe the flesh and doom many.
Yes, Mike, where are the men of God? Perhaps He is raising up unworthy servants like you and me. If he can use us it will prove it is all of Him and none of us!
Well said Rick. You are exactly right about the unworthy part. The fact that people read what we write and are blessed by it should make it clear to all who really know us that it must be God.
That verse, “Where your treasure is there your heart lies” is so true. You only have to take a quick look at what it is you are desiring to know where your heart lies.
Yes Mike it is of the Lord and we are blessed by your site here. Paul Washer is an amazing man of God. We have listened to quite a few of his messages that the Lord has given him. We need a million more like him in the good ol U.S.of A. huh?
Amen Sarah
Paul,
I see the storm didn’t blow you and Luann away. Thank the Lord! Yes, Paul Washer says it like it is.
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
No the storm came and went but it was a hum-dinger of one!! So we are still with ya here…..:)
Great! However, It’s comin’ this way now.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am yet to watch the video, as I do not have access to broadband for now. However, I have been encouraged by Henry’s exhortation and the comments from others.
God’s grace is indeed awesome. Myself and the congregation I pastor have come out of deception over the last 1-2 years (we were word of faith). Since my enlightenment, the burden of the Lord has been on me to stand and refute false teaching and their teachers.
Yes; I counted the cost – and pledged my allegiance to the Lamb. I knew the storms would come, but I trusted my life into the Master’s care. Well, the storms are here and I am thick in the middle of it. The opposition grows, and I stand as a foolish, despised man before many professing Christians. But God has been faithful. He has kept me.
My heart is set to shout God’s words from the rooftops till He calls me home. But as a man, the criticism and attacks that come my way do drive me back to my closet at times asking, ‘Was I too hard? Should I have taken things a little easier? Maybe I am overdoing it’. Henry’s words in particular are a source of strength.
I so want to keep obeying my Lord and help spare the sheep from the hands of wolves masquerading as sheep. Yet, I don’t want to get into a complex. I do know enough of God’s word, however, to know that it is right to take a stand against the wolves in the fold.
I know firsthand what deception is, and had some faithful others not taken a stand in exposing false teachings and teachers, myself and my congregation may very well still be in darkness today.
My heart cries to the Lord! I am so weak; and He is so strong! I covet your prayers. I am also open to rebuke and correction if you have any for me. Just be sure to give me Scriptures for it.
Bless you all,
Yomi
Amen Yomi,
I believe you are doing exactly what God has for you to do. Just keep telling the truth.
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
Amen Yomi! Be strong in the Lord.
For those interested I have a podcast with high quality MP3′s of Paul’s messages, as well as other faithful preachers, called the Uncommonly Powerful Preaching podcast. The website can be found here:
http://upp.mypodcast.com
If you use iTunes you can subscribe to this podcast here:
http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=253804331
WOW…I’ve a mind to post Henry’s comment on my blog, just so others can read it.
Oh to be “filled with all the fullness of God”.
Thanks for the links Matt!