3/08/2015

Byron's Final Message ---- The Sign of the CROSS --- Being Crucified with CHRIST

Are we truly and daily....  CRUCIFIED with CHRIST ?
Drawing by The ORDER of The GOOD SHEPHERD+


 I am crucified with CHRIST: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the SON+ of GOD, Who+ loved me, and gave HIMSELF+  for me. 
Galatians 2:20

CHRIST through us...

 not "I" showing how to live...

 but Christ showing through me,

 with CHRIST being the see-able aspect of my life.

+  +  +

Final Part of Byron Miller's Message to Wellspring Mennonite Church, Athens, TN.



Thinking back to Colossians 3... seeking, setting, mortifying... these things are not automatic.  

They require deliberate, willful choices, choosing GOD'S perspective on priorities and mind-set, carried out in action. It is a choice. The rest of the chapter goes on then to express that in daily action.

Therefore, how do we reckon ourselves dead, inactive, alive through Christ, rather than alive "in ourselves ?"

Look at Philippians 2,  where CHRIST intentionally put Himself+ into humble subjection, choosing to put Himself+ into the plan of GOD, knowing what it was asking of HIM+.  It was going against what the humanness in HIM+ desired.

We all have that human nature within us, that Self.  

HE+ went against that,

 and HE+ was the perfect example.

+  +  +

Old Testament animals were sacrificed. They were put on the altar. They did not go willingly. They struggled, even though they did not know to the full extent what was being asked of them. Simply being restrained, they struggled. It is natural to struggle against outside control.

But after they died, after they were killed, the struggle stopped. When life stopped, the struggle stopped. There was no more resisting, no will, no fighting control. There was no choice of struggle or surrender; the choice was taken away.

Now, let’s look at our own sacrifice in Romans 12: 1 and 2....

12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

What is the difference between a sacrifice 

and a LIVING sacrifice ? 

He specifically says, "a LIVING sacrifice."

GOD wants us to put OUR WILL on the altar

... by OUR choice. 

No binding, no forcing, no coercion.

+  +  +

 HE+ wants us to simply put our desire and our will into His+ hands to be placed upon the altar.

 But then, unlike the sacrificial animals, we also continue living and surrendering.

 Not only  are we to continue living and surrendering, but we are to do it with joy ... because of Who+ we are surrendering unto .

+  +  +  


This is only possible with a changed mind-set, a deliberate choice to surrender.

The choice to surrender will need to be re-enacted many times, though, in our lives.

 It is not a one-time surrender  that takes care of it all for life.

 It is a daily surrender which brings honor and glory to GOD. 

It is our daily choice of giving , of surrendering. 

HE+ does not take away our power of choice... for even one minute. 

And when we CHOOSE to daily surrender, that honors HIM+. 


We are an on-going, willing, living sacrifice,  consciously and intentionally choosing His+ LORDSHIP instead of being our own master.

+  +  +  


That is the transformation HE+ is talking about. That is what HE+ wants us to experience, according to verse 2.

Will we ever come or grow to the point of doing that automatically ? That is, will we ever have an automatic impulse to give up our will ? Is our first thought in any situation, "What would Christ want?" 

Satan will often cease tempting our Self in an area where we are learning to depend upon Christ. Satan may leave us; he may stop. After all, he hates loosing. He does not like seeing a person intentionally turning in the direction of GOD.

Satan will go to other areas, however. He will find other ways for Self to assert its "Self." He will cleverly bring something different or maybe often a different thought process or a different way of looking at that same situation ... a new logical thought process.

We are trained to be logical, aren't we?  Does Self ever stop trying to assert itself ?

   No, it does not.

As long as there is life, Self will still want to assert its "Self," will want to retain that Throne in our life, will want to be in control. 

An older Indian believer once said, "It is like having two dogs inside of you. The one you feed the most grows the biggest and strongest."

How is that feeding done? 

It is by our daily choices, by our moment by moment choices. 

Which spirit do we feed? 

Which one do we allow to be in control?  

That is how we feed the two "dogs" in us.

Our own natural man is never permanently dead, unable to assert itself. 

We  --- by intentionally seeking what GOD wants and choosing that instead of our own way --- can strengthen the inclination,  the desire, the knowledge of what is GOD'S will,  in our heart.

In the same way that habits are built, 

good or bad, 

that daily choosing

will strengthen 

--- or weaken ---

 GOD'S claim in our heart.

We have all seen the trick birthday cake candles that you try blowing out, but they keep coming back; they simply will not go out. You either have to determinedly pluck them from the cake to snuff them out or else you must put them into water.  Dealing with our human Self that wants to be on the Throne is like that. It takes intentional, decisive action  on our part to deal with Self ruling in our hearts.

Satan will not give up. He always tries with new ideas, new desires. He will try something that Self did not seem to value when we were young. We reach another stage in life, and he will find something else to entice us, and the battle with Self will start again .

Self just does not want to die.

Impulsiveness and quick wit in response to situations are dangerous if we are wanting GOD on the Throne and in control of our lives. The quick answer SELDOM is the right answer. James 3 says no man can control the tongue. NO MAN! That tongue is in a pretty slippery place, after all.

Now, how did JESUS tell us to handle Self ?

Looking at His+ Words in Matthew 16: 24-26:

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.   For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.   For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

CHRIST'S call is 

to say NO to our own Will ,  

to follow His+ Example 

as HE+ followed His+ FATHER'S Will.

+  +  +

The world with all its glitter has a lot to offer: wealth, power, prestige, excitement.  But, if any one of us could attain ALL the world, it would be an extremely poor trade for our soul.

Easy-believism theology does not require our physical death ... and rightly so. JESUS died for us, in our place, and we thank HIM+ for that. You and I are not required to die a physical death.

But erroneously, neither does Easy-Believism require the living sacrifice of our will.  We naturally want to experience the power, the change of life, the strength, that comes from the resurrection. There has to be a death, the death of our Will.



+  +  +

As Christians 

our focus on this world 

and how to live most comfortably 

is not a GOD-given focus.

+  +  + 


It is so easy for our Self within to think only of the here and now.  

We need to focus rather on GOD'S ETERNAL kingdom, on what brings HIM honor and glory, on what His+ desire is for GOD'S eternal Kingdom here and now... and through eternity.   


Now The GOD of Peace 

that brought again

from the dead 

our LORD JESUS

That GREAT SHEPHERD+ of the sheep,

through the BLOOD 

of the Everlasting Covenant

make you perfect in every good work

to do HIS Will, 

working in you that which 

is well-pleasing in HIS sight, 

through JESUS CHRIST; 

to WHOM+ be glory

forever and ever. 

Amen. 



3/06/2015

Part 3 .... The Sign of the CROSS.... in TRUTH+

  What Would JESUS , The TRUTH+,  Do ?
Message by Byron Miller, Wellspring Mennonite Church, Athens, TN.

Drawing by The ORDER of The GOOD SHEPHERD+
Think about the answer to the motto, or the words, "What Would Jesus Do ?" 

That motto is good, 
but I think 
often the answer 
would be 
more self-evident, 
be easier to discern, 

if GOD'S Kingdom was my consuming focus.

In other words, our selfish desires often bring us 
into compromising situations, 
into positions, 
that cause us to question 
what GOD really wants in a given situation.


SELF CLOUDS OUR MIND FROM TRUTH.



There is nothing that can cloud our mind more than

 allowing Self to be in control.


Do we really desire our will to be in subjection to any?  

Too often we do not want that; that is not our desire.  

The human-ness in us balks at that ; it does not want it.

 We can yield here, we can yield there, in different areas... as long as we can still be our own master.

But GOD'S strength comes only through submission. We can try many other things, many good things. 

But do we want GOD'S strength in our lives ?


 
Look at  Romans 6  ....

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  GOD forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?   Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into JESUS CHRIST were baptized into His+ death?

Therefore we are buried with Him+ by baptism into death: that like as CHRIST was raised up from the dead by the glory of the FATHER, even so we also should walk in newness of life.   For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His+ death, we shall be also in the likeness of His+ Resurrection:   Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him+ ...


I do not know that there were any survivors of crucifixion ,save one, CHRIST. 

HE+ died, but HE+ "survived" , later. 

Crucifixion is death.


...   that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.   For he that is dead is freed from sin.  

Now if we be dead with CHRIST, we believe that we shall also live with him:   Knowing that CHRIST being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him+. For in that HE+ died, HE+ died unto sin once: but in that HE+ liveth, HE+ liveth unto GOD.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto GOD through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto GOD, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto GOD.


The call here is for Self to be

dead, 

buried,

crucified,

destroyed.

That is our Self, our will within.


Likewise reckon ye also yourselves 
to be dead indeed unto sin, 
but alive unto GOD    
through     
JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

What does it mean? How do I reckon ?

What exactly does that mean? 

Reckon means: account, credited as, account as dead, and to count in expectation, looking forward.



In exchange for our "death," these verses tell us 

we are planted, 

we are freed, 

alive, 

and 

... we are to be yielded. 


That is what HE+ wants for us, what HE+ will give us,  in exchange for our death. 

( Part 4 to be continued.) 


Dear Heavenly FATHER, 

From Whom all blessings flow, help me to be dead unto my Self ... in all aspects of my desires, my own will ... and alive only unto Thy Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST. 

O Holy FATHER, I call HIM+ "LORD,"   yet I do my own will so often. I neglect to submit my thoughts unto HIM+.  

I am careful to ask HIM+ to bless my plans... but I am forgetful to WAIT BEFORE HIM+ until I receive His+ approval  of those plans

Please help me to be regenerate in my mind, for the glory of Thy Holy SON+JESUS CHRIST, in Whose+ Name and by Whose+ strength I pray...  
Amen. 

3/05/2015

Part 2.... The SIGN of the CROSS ... in the Inner Man


Drawing by The ORDER of the GOOD SHEPHERD+
Part  2 of Byron Miller's Message, Wellspring Mennonite Church,Athens, Tn


Who is in control ? 

Self will rationalize, it will deceive, it will twist facts. 

It will convince us that something is a "GOD-given right." 

How many times have we expressed that, or felt that, or heard that ? 

It is " a GOD-given right," we affirm .... 

in order for Self to retain that place in our heart.

As long as we look at things from our own perspective --- and not FROM GOD'S perspective --- that will be our mind-set.

Self on the Throne asks, "Will GOD punish me if I do that?" or "What is wrong with this ?" That is a pretty popular one: I am sure we have all heard that one and we have probably all said that, from time to time.

Well, What  is wrong with those sentiments, 
with those statements ?

The reality is, we should rather be saying, "Will this honor CHRIST, my Master ?  

" Am I the focus in my life ...or is CHRIST?

Instead, we say, "How will CHRIST enhance or make my life better ?"  --- or perhaps --- "How will CHRIST help me?"  

Now, not that HE+ will not, not that CHRIST does not, make our life better; yes, and we praise the LORD for that.

But... is "making my life easier or more comfortable" to be my focus, rather than building Christ's Kingdom?  

What can I do to honor my LORD and my GOD ? That should be my focus, our focus.

Too many times, though, we view the Christian life as, "What is it doing for me ? " rather than, "What can I do for The LORD ? "  How can I honor Him+ and build His+ Kingdom ?

In Philippians 2.... starting in verse 5

 Let this mind be in you, which was also in CHRIST JESUS:

Who+, being in the form of GOD, thought it not robbery to be equal with GOD: But made HIMSELF+ of no reputation, and took upon HIM+ the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, HE+ humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the CROSS.

While here on this earth, JESUS' ministry and His+ life-focus and everything that encompassed His+ Ministry here, was engulfed ...  was consumed ... with putting forward GOD'S kingdom.

 His+ focus was not on His+ own comforts. 

It was not all about "him," humanly-speaking. 

HE+ was not Self-centered, not even focused on His+ soon return to Heaven with all its glories and all its appeal. 

HE+ said to one would-be follower, "I do not even have a rock to lay My+ head on." And HE+ was the Creator of it all !


Now, can we get that mind-set, 

can we grasp how EMPTY of Self HE+ was ?

Oh Heavenly FATHER... 

How far I have strayed from the straight and narrow path, that for me to live is to empty my Self into Thy hands, unto Thy Will, for Thy good pleasure ! 

O LORD, help me not to be like those foolish maidens , so nonchalant about their coming LORD and Bridegroom.

Grant me the unction to sit quietly before THEE, to listen for Thy Word, to abide in stillness with THEE as my Beloved. 

Show me, O LORD, how to empty my Self and live unto CHRIST

How I long to see His+ Face ! 

Through the merits of Thy Beloved SON+, Our LORD and SAVIOR , JESUS the CHRIST, I pray. 

Amen


( To be continued to Part 3 )









xxx

3/04/2015

The Sign of the CROSS... in our Daily Lives... Part 1

Drawing by the Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+
Who is in Control ?

Message by BYRON  MILLER, 
of Wellspring Mennonite Church,
Athens, TN.  
PART 1

Our mind-set, 
our focus, 
the things that we cherish most, 
determine who we are.

Who is calling the shots on my decisions, on how I live, and really, on who I am?

In other words, within my own heart, who is in control of my life?

COLOSSIANS 3 
 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Our mind-set ... our focus ... the things that we cherish most ... determine who we are.

So... who are we?  

It talks in Colossians about setting our affections,    setting our focus, setting our ambitions elsewhere.

What do we value most ?   We need to set our affections, our focus, our ambitions on Heavenly, Eternal, Christ-centered things.

Notice in verse 1 it says,
 ... "Be ye risen... " not just have risen, not just were risen. We are not going to be risen. 

Note that the verb is  a present active form, BE RISEN.

Verse 3 says, "For ye are dead." 

Aha ! Does Self within me seem dead to those around 

me?  Is Christ living instead ?

Scripture says, "For ye are dead and your life is hid with 

Christ in GOD." 

Let's look at this another way.
 Who is hid in my life? Is it me that is hid... or is it CHRIST ? Who is most prominent ?

When somebody gets to know you very well, can they see what is driving your life ?

Verse 5 says mortify. "Mortify" is to subjugate by abstinence, discipline, or self-inflicted suffering.

"Mortify therefore..."  That  does not sound like something we are naturally going to gravitate towards, does it ? 

There is one Throne within each of our spirits.


Who resides there ? Christ asks for nothing less than to reside there, to reside on that Throne.

Now, Self  grudgingly gives up anything. 

Though, if forced to do so, Self will usually give up 

ANYTHING except the right  for Him+ to reside there as 

King+, as LORD in control.  

That, however, is what HE+ calls His+ own right, His+ 

own place in the human heart. That is HOME to HIM+.

Thoughts  like, "If I become a Christian, do I have to give up this? " or  "Since I am a Christian, can I still do that ?" are really LORD-SHIP questions. 

They are actually avoiding the real issue of LORD-SHIP in my life. 

Who is in control ?

 
Dear Heavenly FATHER, 

I repent of trying to control my life, my spouse's life, my friends' lives.  

Help me to STOP being so controlling of every thing and every body and to re-focus my energies on performing my own submission to Thy SON+, our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. ... for the glory of Thy HOLY Name. 

This I ask in the NAME of JESUS, my Savior...  the only ONE+ Who+ can save me from my Self.  Amen