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.
Possessing the Treasure 
If you notice Dan Kimball himself left a lucid, and seemingly orthodox comment that disputes some of Gilley’s representations about the Emergent movement. Slippery again! But I am concerned about us being content with “holding the fort”. We seem more and more on the counter punch rather than the all out Spiritual assault to further God’s kingdom by His power. This kind comes forth but by prayer and fasting. In the coming years it will become easier and easier to point out the blatent heresy from all kinds of movements, and in so doing if we continue on the same path we will never return to the days of seeking Him in prayer, fasting, surrender, and revival that will change us and reach the poor unsuspecting souls that the Emergents will waste.
LikeLike
Just holding the fort portrays the idea that evil is more powerful than Who we serve. Truth via the Word of God is our weapon empowered by prayer. We must speak the truth and never give guarter to lies and false views of God and Man. Is it costly to do this? Yes, in the world’s eyes it is and it is to our flesh and natural man. However, losing this life for Christ’s sake gains us treasure in Heaven. I say let’s not give in to this flood of lies. Yes, we must fast and pray and speak the truth.
Great Comment Rick
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
LikeLike
Amen!
LikeLike
I do find it amusing (probably because I’m self-righteous…) that Steve’s blog posted a good post yet his blog has some of the things of this world. “Come out and be separate” Doesn’t say a little or a lot but all the way. It’s hard for us to do…dying to self…taking up one’s cross etc. I wonder how we’ll do when persecution comes knocking on our (my) door? God’s grace is sufficient for us…thank our heavenly Father!
LikeLike
Sarah,
I think that persecution is not far off. God’s grace is sufficent for us, but I still worry about it, don’t you?
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
LikeLike
I do very much so! It’s hard for me to do the little dying to self that I do now much less great suffering that will come. God promises not to give us more than we can handle and in that promise and can have some peace…it’s still going to be suffering though.
LikeLike