Day 222 - Practical Abiding

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength, # 1

                 

“There is nothing the nearness of Christ can’t overcome.”

           Michael Wells

It would seem crazy to me to start any venture into the world of Michael Wells’ teachings without looking at this most “famous” statement of his.  And on “Day 222” Michael highlighted this truth…read on:

Day 222 

Practical Abiding

Abide in me and I in you. --John 15:4

Abiding in Christ sounds good. However, sometime tomorrow a driver will pull in front of me, and I will find myself cursing him. It will all happen so fast that I will not have time to think about Jesus. What am I to do? Good question, but it reveals that we are consequence-conscious and not cause-conscious. The real reason for the problem is not the driver, but neglect and strength. Getting up in the morning, we do not expect anything negative, we are feeling strong, and therefore we do not invite Jesus to come go with us. If we had invited Jesus, we would be driving with a Jesus consciousness. When the driver pulled in front of us, our response would be natural and immediate. We would find ourselves blessing those that curse us. Jesus in the morning prepares us for trouble in the afternoon.

Often I see those who because of frustrations with their circumstances fall back to the idols of the past. Yes, committed believers going back again to slander, bitterness, anger, withdrawal, punishment, lust, immorality, drugs, alcohol, and the list goes on. They are angry and tired of trying to be something better, to live above circumstances, and to imitate Christ. They are tired, mad, and no longer care. Their thoughts go something like this, "I have tried and cannot change." "I am sick of Christians and their talk of happiness." "God does help a few, but I am not one of the lucky few, and I had better admit it." "For now sleep will deliver me from this miserable state, and in the future death will. I cannot wait." "I am a victim of people intent on making me miserable." Notice in all these statements happiness and joy are tied to circumstance. To the degree circumstance is good we feel good, and the converse is also true. But Jesus was victorious over circumstance; in Him we are more than conquerors. The solution is not to fix circumstance, but to draw near to Him in this moment and to share in His life as more than a conqueror. I am not writing this to be disagreeable; it is a fact. To the degree we look to circumstance to make us happy, to that same degree of misery we deservedly descend! Believers are created for God, and much is invested in us; therefore, happiness only comes when we are in the midst of God. This is an absolute that can be proven! Take the challenge! Next time you compare your miserable life with the success an unbeliever enjoys, next time you are angry over circumstances, next time you despise the power that the flesh, sin, and Satan have over you, just draw near to Christ! Spend a few minutes in fellowship and prayer; only crack open the Scriptures and see if there is not a change. Within fifteen minutes you will desire to press on, to lay aside old sin, and to share Him and the happiness He gives. Your life will truly make sense. There is nothing His presence will not cure! You will then clearly see that if God gave us the easy life, we would soon neglect Him, living our lives fulfilled in the flesh but unfulfilled in the Spirit. 

Upon returning, finding your place before Him, and living out of His presence, the enemy will use guilt, the only weapon that is then available to him. Often a return to the Lord is accompanied by a flood of guilt, for in His presence all is clearly seen: the deeds of the flesh, the self-centeredness, the stupidity of doubting God, the wasted time, and the mistreatment of others. The blinders are removed and the enemy, knowing your enlightenment, wishes to make the most use of it. Using your renewed sensitivity from being with the Lord, the enemy will point out all the insensitivity of the past, hoping that the guilt of it will cause you to run from God and the perceived coming judgment. Do not listen! Stand fast! God has drawn you near not for discipline but for love. The discipline was self-inflicted from avoiding His presence, but discipline is over. It is now time for restoration, fellowship, forgiveness, and love.

WOW!  Is the church nothing but a bunch of “imitators”?  And not succeeding at being good “imitations”?  Doing, trying, struggling, worrying…and less than victorious.  Where is JESUS in the lives of church members?  Where is JESUS in the actions of church members?  He is mostly nowhere to be found.  Why?  Because we have been taught to focus on US, OUR faith, OUR efforts, OUR works…and not on HIM and HIS faith, HIS efforts, HIS works.  Only when Jesus is our Life, and we are experiencing His presence, are we going to enjoy Life as a Christian.  His Life is not the “Christian life”…that necessitates guidelines, lists, & rules.  His Life is Our Life as a Christian.  We are simply branches getting Life from the True Vine.  Try it!

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

P. O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                  936-559-5696