Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 177
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
Notice: this email is part of a
BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”. Why a
blog? So that many can receive these thoughts
in an easy manner.
Perhaps we have never expressed it quite like
Michael does in this day’s title, but I suspect most Christians have had some moments
of introspection that were characterized by an expression that embraces the
thought. Michael points out a great
comparison of our “survival” to that of the nation of Israel on so many
occasions…see if you sense how this fits us…
DAY 158
If I Were God, I Would Kill Me!
For thus says the LORD, sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and shout among the chiefs of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, O
LORD, save Thy people, the remnant of Israel. --Jeremiah
31:7
“If I were God, I
would kill me!” Have you ever felt that way about yourself? Have you ever
wondered why God even puts up with you? The life of grace is so much higher than the life of
legalism! The
legalist could never even comprehend the difference; he is accustomed to moving
smoothly between good flesh and bad. However, the least attitude that is
anti-Christ in grace people will not go unchecked! Not only are there the daily struggles of either
recognizing that we are abiding or not, there is the issue of our growth.
As we grow in Him,
we look back at last year, the year before that, and even the beginnings of our
Christian life with a sigh and a moan. “How could I have been like that?” All
of this leads to an inner whisper, “If I were God, I would not have put up with
me.”
Why has He put up with us? It is because of the remnant!
What remnant? There were many people in Israel who disobeyed the Lord, but
there was always one man who obeyed and who became the remnant. It was because
of the remnant that all the people were not destroyed; the remnant permitted God
to put up with all the rest of the rebellious people. The remnant—the one man
for the many--delighted Him. Noah and Moses come to mind; they dwelled in and
among the people but were not like the people. The people did not change them;
they worked to change the people’s hearts. Because of the remnant God continued
to work with the people. Every
believer is multi-faceted in that his soul comprises mind, will, and emotions
and his body harbors desire, habits, protection, and reproduction. Over the years, even as
believers, our minds were filled with chaos, our wills pointed toward self, our
emotions bred hatred and jealousy, and the bodies expressed every kind of
desire. Our soul
and body participated in the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and boastful
pride of life. Why did God not just wipe us out? Because of the remnant!
There was something in
us so great that it allowed God to overlook all of the failures and continue
with us. The remnant in us is Jesus! He dwells in our spirit, He is pleasing to God in
everything, and because of Him God will not withdraw from us. Our flesh will never affect
Jesus, but Jesus will continue to have an influence on our flesh. We will grow and the outside
influences that had control over us will lessen as He increases and we have the
revelation of our new life in Him. The Remnant is in us!
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
The indwelling of Jesus Christ in every Believer is always going to be
one of the most unknown, misunderstood, and least appreciated truths of
Christianity. The totality of His Spirit
being our spirit, His Soul being a part of us, us being complete in Him… this
all is a lot to take in. But when we
grasp this, we will never take another breath the same as before that moment of
revelation.
I remember “that moment” for me way back in 1980…Romans 8:11, “But if
the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” I
just about exploded! It was no longer
the “old I,” apart from Christ. It was
no longer just me in my flesh. It is me
with His Spirit a part of me that “quickens my mortal body” as I allow Him
to. Wow!
This is Pauline living!!!
But, stop and think about the beauty of it that Michael points out as to
Jesus being the “remnant” in us that allows God to overlook so much, pleases
God so much, and prohibits God from withdrawing from us. All that we fret so much about is not even a
bother to God. He is the One who made us
a “new creation,” complete in Christ, with some of the “fretful stuff” still
hanging around. Did He make a
mistake? No! Absolutely not! And another beautiful thing is how Michael
puts it: “Our flesh will never affect Jesus, but Jesus will continue to have an
influence on our flesh.” Beautiful! Amen!
Growing in grace (His doing through us) as we abide, The Remnant in us. This is one of the major privileges of being
a Christian in this life. Now wrap your
pea-picking heart around this: at salvation, Christ did kill the “old man,” the
“old me.” The same happened to you if
you are a Born Again Believer! The “new
man,” the “new me,” is Him. That is why
God doesn’t call His kids “sinners,” but He calls us “saints.” Hallelujah!
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital
“C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com
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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