Day 93 - Fear

McDowell Christian Ministries                    LMCM

Nacogdoches,Texas                                          Gal. 2:20 KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 33

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859    almi@abidinglife.com

Two days ago two bomb blasts rocked the area at the Finish Line of the Boston Marathon.  Evil did a horrific work in so many people’s lives.  Three were murdered.  Over 150 others were injured, some beyond comprehension.  And an untold number were affected in numerous ways.  Immediately, fear gripped the hearts of thousands in the area, and who knows how many around the world.  Fear…a dramatic emotion which the Bible actually calls a “spirit” (2 Timothy 1:7).  The Apostle Paul tells us that as Christians we have not received the “spirit of bondage again to fear, but (we) have received the Spirit of adoption” (Romans 8:15). A big question surfaces:  how are we to respond when confronted with a dangerous situation, dangerous people, or when anything of a destructive nature “looks us in the face”?  Peter gives us encouragement to “not fear” those who would intimidate us.  Look closely as Michael gives us some beautiful thoughts on what we as Christians are “suited for” when fear, or those bringing fear, works against us…and how we can live free from fear.

DAY 93

Fear

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. –I Peter 3:13-15

We are not suited for fear, which began for mankind in the garden when Adam and Eve fell away from the presence of God. Before that, they had been filled with confidence and assurance of the future, since they possessed a God. Man was not created to be independent, and in that sense, fear is the result of not staying dependent on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Fear is the friend of sin, Satan, and the world, for it makes us buy insurance, new cars, and investments; constantly focus on money; refuse a risk; and stay at a job we hate. We were created for trust and calm, so fear in our mind, will, and emotions creates sickness in our bodies.

           

We must become free from fearing anything less than God, and that is simpler than it sounds. We allowed fear in when we were taught it, and now we must invite it out. Fear is not dealt with through endless examination; we can refuse it. Look at fear and ask why we would allow it in our lives. We need to recognize we have a God and then change our minds about letting fear dwell in us. Some East Indians have an interesting way of physiologically dealing with thoughts they seem stuck with but do not wish to entertain: They bat their eyes! They say they cannot continue with a thought while batting their eyes. A change of activities might also help the mind get unstuck from the bad-habit rut of reviewing fearful thought patterns. Invite the fear out verbally, and then go to a mirror, examine the face’s worry lines, and begin to laugh. Remember that fear is the result of being self-centered, not God centered, and it has been called the measure of the distance between man and God.

Fear is a topic many preachers and teachers dread to address.  Why?  Because so many Christians live with many, varied “fears.”  Yet, God has explicitly told us to not live with/in fear.  I am so happy Michael has faced this.

Let me encourage you to use the following lists of the truths Michael gives of “who we are/what we have in Christ,”  the truths Michael gives of “how we allow fear to come into our lives,” and the “actions Michael gives of ridding our lives of this dangerous emotion/spirit.”  Be serious.   Be concerned to help others you might know who suffer from this dreadful, damaging issue.

“who we are/what we have in Christ”:

·         We are not suited for fear.

·         We possess God.

·         We were created to stay dependent on every word that proceeds from the

     mouth of God.

·         We were created for trust and calm.

·         We can refuse fear.

·         (as Peter said)  We are blessed.

“how we allow fear to come into our lives”:

·         Not staying dependent on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

·         Fearing anything less than God.

·         We have been taught it.

·         Being self-centered instead of God-centered.

“actions Michael gives for ridding our lives of this dangerous emotion/spirit”:

·         Invite the fear out verbally.

·         Refuse it.

·         Ask why we would allow it in our lives.

·         Recognize we have God and change our minds about letting fear dwell in us.

·         Change activities to help the mind get unstuck from the bad habit rut of

     reviewing fearful thought patterns.

·         Believe God.  Ask God to take any fear away.

·         (as Peter said) Sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts.

What do we want…lives of peace, calm, assurance…or, lives of fear, worry, doubt?  What a choice.  And with Christ, we get to choose.  “I can do all things through Christ.”  Well, amen.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point       Green – IT, Incredible Truth

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches          Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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

Day 351 - Why All The Planning?

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 32

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

Confusion and frustration…confusion and frustration…confusion and frustration.  So much worry and fear…all about “the will of God for my life” or “God’s plan for my life.”  Aaahhhh, how relaxing to hear Michael tell of the time he was in Nepal with his son, and “the plan!”  I suppose I have laughed and laughed, told this story almost as many times as I have any other I ever heard Michael share…ENJOY!

Day 351

Why All The Planning?

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. --Psalm 37:5

My son was traveling with me when he asked, “What is the plan? This is your first time in Nepal to minister, and so how will you go about it?” I said that we would begin each day by holding hands and praying, “Jesus, like a shepherd, lead us!” At the end of the prayer we would take off and see where Jesus did, in fact, guide us. I promised him that every night he would lie on the bed and think, “This was the most amazing day!” It was just as I said. Every morning we would pray and afterward meet someone that knew someone who would take us to someone. It was amazing. Once in an airport in northeast India we were lost and did not know what to do next. My son struck up a conversation with a fellow who soon was traveling with us to our next destination, got us a room, took care of every detail, and has been e-mailing us since. At the end of the day, we again said, “This was a most amazing day!” I am not saying that we should not plan, but we all plan too much. We waste time planning when we could spend time in fellowship with Jesus. We have a history with Jesus, and certainly our lives have not been carried out to the place they are today because of our tiresome and overbearing designs; our lives have unfolded. Jesus really has been leading us all along. In fact, the majority of our plans have not come to pass at all. I really believe that we can stop planning so much. Once when Betty met me after I had been ministering out of the country for several weeks, I told her I did not have a plan for the holiday. We would just get up, get on the train, get off where it looked interesting, and let Him lead us. At the end of the day we would sit and talk about the perfect museum, hotel room, restaurant, and trip. See how He leads? He leads believers all along. We are commanded over and over again not to worry. The time we spend worrying is better spent listening to and talking to Him. There are two cities that I know of in the world that are described in a particular way, and both are in the southern hemisphere: Canberra, Australia, and Brasilia, Brazil. Each one is called by many of its own inhabitants “the city without a soul.” Neither was naturally founded and allowed to grow; both from the ground up were planned perfectly by officials to be the seats of government. A perfect plan lacks soul! It is dead and without character because it is controlled in conception and execution. When we plan things perfectly, we remove spontaneity and the unexpected; we take out our reliance on God and the anticipation we feel when we know He is moving. Remember, too, that when we know exactly what the future holds, congratulations! We are now unbelievers without the need to walk by faith.

There are six words smack dab in the middle of this discourse that I think most Christians seem to ignore, and ignore, and ignore, and ignore:  “We have a history with Jesus.”  WE DO.  And why would we “ignore” this history with our beloved Shepherd when it comes to “making plans”?  Amazing!  He is our Great Shepherd, and His leading is written all over the pages of our lives!  Well, amen!

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATHS.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

What more do we need than to know Who our Lord is, What He has done for us in all our years, and How He has guided, protected, and provided for us all along the way.  ALL THAT ought to command our “committing our ways unto our Lord, trusting Him, and knowing He WILL direct our paths.”

I can hear Michael’s voice…

     ”Yes, son, we have a plan.”

     “But, what is the plan, Dad?” 

     “Don’t worry, son.  God has a plan.”

     “I know there’s a plan, Dad, but I want to know the particulars.” 

     “Just wait until the morning, and I will give the particulars.” 

     “But, Dad, I need to think about what all we will be doing.” 

     “Go to sleep, son, you’ll know the plan in the morning.” 

Can’t you just see Michael and his son standing outside the hotel in the morning, on the street corner…”Dad, what’s the plan?!?!?”  “Bow your head, son…”  Well, amen!

Come, Jesus, like a shepherd, lead us.

  

YELLOW – VIP, Very Important Point              GREEN – IT, Incredible Truth         

RED – GP, Greatest Promises

TURQUOISE – UR, Unfathomable Riches           PINK – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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

Day 219 - People Are Dipsticks!

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 31

        

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

How many of us have ever thought of someone as a “dipstick”?  Come on…admit it, we may have used just the first half of that word:  “They are such a ‘dip’.”  We all have characterized someone as such in times past.   But have we used the term as Michael uses it in Day 219?  Good use of the word.

DAY 219

People are Dipsticks!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. --Galatians 5:22

A dipstick is used to check the level of oil in an engine. People are dipsticks! It is true, but not in the way we might think. The Holy Spirit is the lubricant of the believers’ lives; when fully lubricated we run smoothly, without friction, quietly, and calmly. When we are running in the flesh, God sends someone along as a dipstick to check the level of lubricant; it may be the driver that cuts in front of us, the rebellious child, the gabby lady at church, or the self-centered husband, but what they will find in us is frustration, anger, impatience, and hostility. We can think in the back of our minds, "They are such dipsticks!" They have been sent by God, and if we will but stop and see Him in the situation, we can turn to Him, acknowledging that we are short of the oil of the awareness of the Holy Spirit, and pray, "Father, fill me up!" He does, and we can thank God for those who came along and warned us we were running low on oil before we blew up.

Very simple.  Nothing so profound as to knock us off our feet.  But, oh so sweet.  I can start using the word “dipstick” to identify someone God has sent my way to warn me of impending danger…the danger of “blowing up.”  That’s an awesome thought and realization, isn’t it…”God has sent (them) my way.”  Wow!  Amen!

Another outstanding point by Michael: “the Holy Spirit is the lubricant of believer’s lives.”  Hallelujah!  God “sent.”  He sent us the sweet Holy Spirit for so many reasons, and this one is beautiful in moment-by-moment living.  I have Him to bring the peace, calm, assurance, guidance, and control…among other things (just check the list of the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22 for starters!)…that makes living and interacting with people and circumstances SO COMFORTABLE and UNCOMPLICATED.  I like “comfortable and uncomplicated.”

Here’s an idea: let’s take a 3x5 card, carry it with us for 1 week…every time I recognize (or, should) a “dipstick” I write down the day, time, “person,” incident, and my response.  Should be interesting…  Well, amen.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point              Green – IT, Incredible Truth         

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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

Day 220 - Persecution

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 30

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

It is the week of Easter, 2013.  So we have the excruciating crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ coupled with His exhilarating resurrection.  I see Jesus all throughout Michael’s words of Day 220 reminding me of the victory won on that old rugged Cross 2,000 years ago.

DAY 220

Persecution

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. --II Corinthians 12:10

Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. --Philippians 4:11

In general, people being persecuted are ushered off to a remote place, a factory, or a small cell of isolation where there is no need for them to have daily concerns about providing for a normal lifestyle. It does no good to concern themselves with food, clothing, family, friends, work, heat, or electricity. So in the case of Christians, what normally would take attention away from Christ flies to the background as in essence they are cut off from everything but Him. This accomplishes the exact opposite of the end desired by the persecutors, because far from being a punishment, persecution actually causes believers to experience Jesus in a far more unhindered nearness. This testimony is heard often from those who have experienced persecution. 

Why bring up such a subject? Many believe that the end is near since there are many interesting signs taking place, one sign being the promise of persecution for our faith. I have noticed that the end result of this speculation for many is fear of the future, fear of the enemy, feelings of hopelessness, loss of control, and a clamoring to be prepared. There is no need to worry that the end of life is to be centered in fear, for the believer who has been able to stand against the anti-Christ movement in television, media, schools, music, politics, and morals need not perceive the standing against persecution “as though some strange thing were happening to” him (I Peter 4:12). I have often wondered which would be worse, to be ushered off to a prison camp or to have one’s child tell him that he has listened to the teachers at school and decided that he is homosexual. Will it not be easier to suffer for the name of Christ than to watch a beloved child suffer in sin? Not only will God give grace needed at the time, but the believer will grow during the time of physical persecution, learning that when he is weak, then He is strong, and experiencing the freedom of self-denial while following Jesus down a road he had always thought too difficult. Do not be filled with fear, for God always gives the provision where needed. 

In our earthly minds we would never want persecution, nor “wish” it upon anyone else.  Yet Got tells us through the Apostle Paul that this is one of the greatest of life’s experiences leading us to dependence on Him.  Wow!

Have you read 1 Peter 4:12-14 closely and soaked on those words?  “Rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings…the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.”  Oh, my.  How beautiful is that!

Michael makes a very profound statement: “not only will God give grace needed at the time.”  If we Believers would only believe that, and know that God will “perform” at the time of our need.  Fear, of the nature mentioned, is not of Christ.  Why?  There is nothing the nearness of Christ cannot overcome.  Vintage MW.

But look at Michael’s next words…”the believer will grow.”  Amen!  As Michael used to point out, the church needs a “ministry of weakness.”  Many are not “growing” because of pride and self and avoidance of suffering and weakness.  A beloved teacher, Dr. T. W. Hunt, once pointed out that “identification with Christ is the highest life principle in the Bible.”  Identification is experiencing Christ.  When we are “partakers of Christ’s sufferings…reproached for the name of Christ,” we are identifying ourselves with Him.  It is the key to God’s glory…the key to God being glorified through His Saints.

Have no fear, dear Christian.  God WILL give every provision when needed.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point              Green – IT, Incredible Truth         

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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

Day 100 - Flesh Is the Opposite of Faith

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 29

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

I wonder how many Christians think of “flesh” being the opposite of “faith”?  I wonder still…how many Christians have a decent idea of what “flesh” is in the Bible?  To take it a little further…how many Christians have a biblical idea of what “faith” is when God speaks of it?  Let’s see if Michael has something to say about any of that…

DAY 100

Flesh Is The Opposite Of Faith

Now faith is the assurance of {things} hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

        Hebrews 11:1

Flesh and faith are opposites. In the flesh, we will have no hope; we will despair of our situation and believe that all things justify that. Faith has hope in all things. The man of faith has hope for the marriage; the woman of faith is filled with expectation for what God can do. Flesh will only believe what is seen; faith believes what has been given but cannot be seen in the individual’s life.

The fruit of the Spirit is also the opposite of flesh, which may attempt to imitate fruit of the Spirit in the power of self. It is hard to grasp, but a fleshly person is one who attempts to have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in the power of self. The fruit of the Spirit must come naturally and must be genuine. See how plastic the Hare Krishna folks, the Jehovah Witnesses, the Mormons, Humanists, and all other cults look when trying to manifest the fruit of the Spirit? Flesh is attempting to look good, but it is flesh nonetheless, and it has Christians working for what has already been given. This work, the opposite of faith, keeps us from experiencing what is only given by faith. To have failed, and then to punish ourselves in order to have God see us, and to plead with Him for restoration, is working in unbelief for what we have already freely been given. The work is keeping us so busy that we do not have time to stop and recognize that we were never cut off. It can sound so good to work for the things of God, to attempt to take hold of them in our power, but remember, the best of the flesh is the worst of it. Flesh is the opposite of faith.

      (underlining is my emphasis)

On a couple of other “days” Michael has defined “flesh” as:  “The flesh is the body, mind, will, and emotions of man under the control of something other than Jesus.”  Very simple.  Very exact. 

Let’s itemize some important truths Michael lists above:

1.  Flesh and faith are opposites.
2.  There is no hope in flesh.
3.  Faith has hope in all things.
4.  Faith is Hebrews 11:1.
5.  Faith believes what has been given.
     (whoa!  That’s a mouth full.  “what has been given.”  Think about that.  Faith is in something God has given us, even though we may not have “received” it yet…in other words, haven’t “seen” it yet.  FAITH IS NOT “just hoping” for something, or “claiming” it.)
6.  Faith is given.

        (wait a minute!  I don’t have to “work up” faith?!?  Nope.  It is a “given.”  BIG truth!  God gives faith to His kids WHEN we believe Him.  We believe, He gives faith to secure/lock-in our believing…it has become a conviction!  Check it out throughout Scripture…God gives faith.  Man does not, and cannot, “work up”/”create”/”do enough” to get faith.  It is always a gift from God.)

     Illus: when I believed in my spirit the record God has given of His Son, Jesus, and believed Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Him,” (my “believing” is rock solid because it is founded on The Solid Rock), THEN God gave me His Faith to secure my belief…no moving from believing that Truth…remember, it had become a conviction.  AND, God goes one step further, He gave me, the new Believer, the gift of The Holy Spirit to seal my new faith and my salvation (eternal life).  Wow!  (there are more “gifts” that come with the Holy Spirit, but they are “after” the moment of salvation).  DO BELIEVERS HAVE FAITH that we will go to Heaven one day?  Absolutely.  Why?  Because God has promised it.  We believed His promise.  He has secured it in our hearts with His Faith…no shaking that or moving us from it!

7.  We Believers should give up trying to “work for” (in unbelief) something that God has already given us!  AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING AFTER SALVATION…

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point              Green – IT, Incredible Truth         

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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

Day 324 - What Do You Really Want From Me? Obedience?

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 28

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

This is a very profound “day.”  There is so much to “highlight” because one statement after another gives us so much insight into the wrong perceptions way too many Christians have about “what” God wants from us.  As you read the following, ask God to really open your hearts to His truth for you…

Day 324

What Do You Really Want From Me? Obedience?

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?  --Micah 6:8

We always seem to make obedience the object of the Christian life, but obedience, as we think of it, is not the goal. Actually, God is certainly able to make us obedient if that is what He wants! He made Jonah obey, He made Paul obedient, and He made Pharaoh comply. He knows how to make us bow the knee, but that cannot be His preferred manner of receiving obedience. Paul says to imitate him because he imitated Jesus. Just what did he imitate? It was the fruit and root of Christ’s life that Paul was imitating. The fruit came naturally when the root was tended to, that root being dependence on Christ, just as Christ was dependent on the Father. So first we must define what we are to imitate, for attempting to keep the commandments of Christ without dependence on Him will lead to legalism, frustration, condemnation, and death. In the order of things God has told us what He wants from us: “To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God!” I would like to focus on one thing, how to love kindness. It is an absolute that we are to love kindness. That means we must love the kindness that He has shown us, for if we cannot see that, how will we love it and show it to others? Basking in the mercy He has shown us will enable us to become intimately acquainted with it. Do you love or hate mercy and kindness? Many self-righteous believers actually hate it; in their flesh they want to be stronger so as never to be in need of mercy and kindness, and since they have avoided it, they cannot give it to others.  (also, because they think that if they are kind to a bunch of folks in sin, they are appearing to “agree” with the sin – condoning it)   Only in failure does the Lord reveal it to us. I can rightly say to the Christian whose failure has led to depression, “You do not love mercy and kindness, and you have never met them.”


We are to glorify the Lord. The word glorify means “to show forth what is true about,” and we are to show what is true about the Lord. What is true about Him? He is love, mercy, grace, kindness, and more. We show that this is true by believing and receiving it. In our failures people will see that one thing true about God is that we only rely on His righteousness and His extension of mercy to us. I know a pastor who begged for mercy from his congregation, they showed him none, and subsequently every man in that group encountered an untimely demise or unwieldy suffering. We take too lightly not our failures but our showing forth what is true about God. An old preacher started a meeting by telling something of his moral failures and then saying, “We are taking a break. You now know what kind of man I am in the flesh. If you want to leave, no one would blame you.” I wanted to stay! I could see that he had received something that I wanted, the mercy to be forgiven and the grace to carry on! Well, amen, who is like our God?

(underlining my emphasis)

I was sort of astounded when I first read Michael’s words (the ones I have underlined) speaking of Christians who have never “met” mercy and kindness.  Then I started thinking…every legalistic Christian I have known who has been so absorbed with the flesh has showed very little mercy or kindness to others whose flesh has controlled or gotten the best of them.  Amazing…to see that wanting the flesh to be so strong can lead someone to not want or need mercy and kindness.  Wow.  How many Believers are on the “obedience” treadmill?

Simply put…most Christians worry about the “fruit” more than the “root.”  It is why so many never understand (and enjoy) the “Vine & branches” truths in John 15.  And so much of it hinges on a misunderstanding of that one word: “obedience.”  As Michael points out, “Obedience, as we think of it, is not the goal.”

What do most think of when they hear or think of obedience ?  “I’ve got to do…perform, etc.  It’s everything in God’s eyes.”  What does God really want from us?  BELIEVE.  That’s what Jesus told the ones seeking Him in Capernaum (John 6:24-29).  That’s what Paul told the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:26-33.  All throughout Scripture, it is “believe and receive.”  So, to obey is to believe and receive, then watch the “root” bring forth “fruit.”  In fact, “believing and receiving” leads to God imparting faith.   It is His preferred manner of receiving obedience.   Christ works upon our obedient believing.  The goal is always JESUS!  The focus must be on Him.  Don’t I remember Michael saying something about the “hands” and focusing???

Think about it: under the Mosaic Law, was the power in the sacrifice, the water, the ashes, the sprinkling, etc., etc.?  No.  The power was in God who granted the cleansing through the person’s obedient believing, which trusted God.  This is what Michael told folks for years and years.  We “do” FROM, not in order to GET TO.  We believe God, and He does the work through us.

Think about it: the power was always in God Who “worked” when people exhibited obedient believing, because they trusted God…trusted His Word…trusted His promises.  It is the same way today.  There is a much stronger connection between believing and obedience than most give credit to.

Listen, if it is not of Him, it is of flesh.

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point             Green – IT, Incredible Truth      

 Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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

Day 123 - Grace

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 27

     

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

Definitions of “grace.”  Since we rise and fall with our word definitions, it is a tragedy that so many Christians are living with an inadequate definition of “grace” that has been around for so long. 

For who knows how many years, Christians have been living with the following definition of “grace”: “God’s unmerited favor.”  That is a great thought.  But everything we have from God is “God’s unmerited favor.”  Not just “grace,” but everything.  In fact, it is what "grace" is that comprises the "everything" that makes "grace" come alive for us, and not just a definition!

Michael’s words here take us to a different perspective than millions have been aware of, and the Truth that changes Christian’s lives as much as anything!

Day 123

Grace

Though He scoffs at the scoffers, yet He gives grace to the afflicted. --Proverbs 3:34

There is much written about grace today. Not that my two cents amounts to much, but I wanted to give my definition of grace. It need not be preached, but it has been proven through the experience of many believers. 

Grace: At my point of need, God is everything to me that I thought He was not! 

Moses had spent forty years being trained to be everything that accompanied being a young man of the royal family; he was equipped to be a god, a Pharaoh. He spent another forty years in the wilderness discovering what he was not. Finally, he was prepared to lead, having realized that he was a "not." God told him what to go do, and Moses accurately responded, "I am not able." God’s response was, “What is that to Me? I AM!”

God is to me all that I am not. First I must acknowledge that I am a “not.” Next, He tells me what He is, which includes everything to me of which I might have need that I am not! I am not a good father, a good husband, a good Christian, or a good witness! This is my point of need. Grace comes and meets me at my point of need! I did not think He could be those things to me. However, as I recognize abiding, He is to me all that I thought that He was not. There is a life in me, His life, that is a good father, husband, and witness, and He is everything to me that I am not.

Look at what you are not. Do not determine to work harder, but call on the grace of God. At your point of need, He is everything to you that you thought He was not.

     (underlining is my emphasis)

There is nothing God is more willing to do than to give “grace” to those who seek Him.  Why?  Because “grace” is Him.  He gives Himself to whomever that wants Him.  Beautiful!

The walk of “grace” is the most comfortable, stress-free, beautiful life for any Christian.  Meditate on Michael’s words: “God is to me all that I am not.”  Wow!  What more could we want?!?  I don’t have to be…I get to receive.  “Grace comes and meets me at my point of need!”  Yes!  Me, a branch, abiding in The Vine, He flows through me to be all I need.  As Michael taught for so many years, just speak to the Lord and say, “Jesus, come and be my _______.”  (being a good Christian, father, husband, dad, brother, sister, friend, neighbor, employer, employee, …the list is endless!)  Those two words: “recognize abiding.”  That focus takes us to The Vine and allows His Life to flow through us.  Learn how to focus and “recognize abiding” like never before!!!

And the beauty of being a Christian is that we get to receive His being (not our having to be) any and all these things in and through us.  In East Texas right now we would shout out a big “hoooooo-boy!”  That’s our way of expressing great pleasure.  (the greater the pleasure, the more "o's" in "hoo...")

I remember hearing Michael saying these things, then being aware that “I thought ‘I’ had to be all those things…when ‘I’ couldn’t.”  I wanted Christ’s Life to become my life from then on.

What about you…can you admit you are a “not”?  Which “40 years” are you living in?  Trying to be equipped to be a person in The Royal Family, or discovering what you are not?

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point              Green – Incredible Truth             

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches            Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

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