Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Day 66 - Do The Strong Have Something That You Do Not?

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 218 
         
Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

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Another calendar year is coming to an end, and the pundits in the news are recapping all the accomplishments that “great” people have done or made happen in 2016.  Haven’t heard any spiritual accomplishments or effects mentioned at all.  In this day’s writing, Michael addresses a great “spiritual accomplishment” that GOD has worked in every Believer’s life…the “effects” are beautiful!



DAY 66

Do The Strong Have Something That You Do Not?


. . . to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit. --I Corinthians 12:9

I said something to a pastor that gave me great joy. “Do you realize, Brother, that none of the great preachers have anything that we do not?” It delighted me to know that this man had everything that other “great” men had; he was just as good a preacher, just as gifted from the Spirit, and he had a great faith. What he did not have is something, sadly, possessed by many of the greats; he did not have appealing flesh. He was preaching from the cockpit of an old airplane that had been assembled onstage for effect, and he was performing miracles desirable to the flesh. He was not an overly attractive man; it was obvious that in the flesh he did not have everything the “great” men do, but he was not striving to be great in any sense.

I love the Spirit, and, in a sense, I love the flesh, for both are the great equalizers. In the Spirit we all have the same gifts and there are no “great” men. In the flesh, the “great” men are not any better than the “poor no-hopers” to whom they are ministering. It is great!

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory



I never will forget the first time I heard from Romans 8:11 that the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living inside me!  Wow!  That about blew my mind!  That has been one of the astounding truths that have given me great confidence and great power, and great freedom, in day-to-day life.

Another is the tremendous truth that of the “gifts” that God has given me to live out certain things He has for me to do.  Wow!  And some gifts that all Believers, including ME, have been given.  Woweee!

Now I like to pay particular attention to “words,” and two statements that I want to give attention to for you: (in the scripture text), “to another faith by the same Spirit,” and (in Michael’s writing), “he had a great faith.”  Do you see it?  Faith, biblical faith, is a gift of God to Believers.  And as Michael points out, this preacher had the gift…not something the man had worked up, paid for, done anything for.

Unbelievers do not, and cannot, have this gift of faith.  Now here is the irony for us as Christians…we can live “in the Spirit,” and all Believers are the same.  But when we live “in the flesh,” we are not the same as Believers who are living “in the Spirit”… but are the same as Unbelievers who live ONLY “in the flesh.”  In this sense, the “Strong” DO have something I DON’T WANT!  May God deliver me from choosing to live “in the flesh,” and may I choose to live “in the Spirit” all the rest of my days here on earth!!!

So, in 2017, it will be exciting to watch how God, “who has begun a good work” in me, “will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)



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NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com


Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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

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