The Great Pretender
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In our previous messages we have shared our need to be born again, to be baptized in water, and to experience our personal Pentecost. But all of that is just the beginning of our walk with the Lord. What is the next step? John the Baptist came preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus came preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." The early apostles and Paul preached, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." So the next step is for us to repent. Now some may say, "Repent? of what? That is what I did before I was born again; or that is what I do if I am convicted of any sin in my life." Those responses simply highlight the lack of preaching the true gospel that Jesus and the early apostles preached.
There are three major entities over all of time and eternity who have declared, "I am." In Exodus 3:14, the Lord (Elohim) told Moses, "I am that I am." Jesus repeated that in John 8:58. In so many words, Lucifer, who after his rebellion became the devil, says the same thing in Isaiah 14. Who or what is the third entity to proclaim, "I am?"
On December 30, 1968, a man named Frank Sinatra was the first person to sing publicly a song called "I Did It My Way". That rendition still has an unmatched record, the recording with the most weeks inside the Top 40 (75 weeks, from April 1969 through September 1971). There is no question that Frank Sinatra had an outstanding singing voice. Unfortunately, it appears that Sinatra's singing gift may not have been used for the glory of God.
It is easy to find multiple renditions of that song by Frank Sinatra on the internet. The lyrics are about a man, approaching the end of his life on earth, who looks back with pride and says that "one thing is certain, I did it my way." What a tragedy! The song certainly has a lovely melody which appeals to the emotions. Jesus once said, "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Luke 16:8). I have experienced several times hearing a true prophecy come out of the mouth of someone who was not at all a Christian believer. The Bible records several instances of that same thing. For example, in Acts 16, a damsel possessed with a spirit of divination said about Paul and Timothy, "These men are servants of the most high God who show unto us the way of salvation." That was 100% true but the source was wrong.
That just emphasizes that the Lord can and does use anyone and anything to try to speak to us, including a donkey. Apparently, Sinatra's life genuinely exemplified the words of that song, "I Did It My Way." Some of the words to that song are:
And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain.
I planned each chartered course, each careful step along the byway.
To think I did all that, and may I say not in a shy way,
There are three major entities over all of time and eternity who have declared, "I am." In Exodus 3:14, the Lord (Elohim) told Moses, "I am that I am." Jesus repeated that in John 8:58. In so many words, Lucifer, who after his rebellion became the devil, says the same thing in Isaiah 14. Who or what is the third entity to proclaim, "I am?"
On December 30, 1968, a man named Frank Sinatra was the first person to sing publicly a song called "I Did It My Way". That rendition still has an unmatched record, the recording with the most weeks inside the Top 40 (75 weeks, from April 1969 through September 1971). There is no question that Frank Sinatra had an outstanding singing voice. Unfortunately, it appears that Sinatra's singing gift may not have been used for the glory of God.
It is easy to find multiple renditions of that song by Frank Sinatra on the internet. The lyrics are about a man, approaching the end of his life on earth, who looks back with pride and says that "one thing is certain, I did it my way." What a tragedy! The song certainly has a lovely melody which appeals to the emotions. Jesus once said, "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Luke 16:8). I have experienced several times hearing a true prophecy come out of the mouth of someone who was not at all a Christian believer. The Bible records several instances of that same thing. For example, in Acts 16, a damsel possessed with a spirit of divination said about Paul and Timothy, "These men are servants of the most high God who show unto us the way of salvation." That was 100% true but the source was wrong.
That just emphasizes that the Lord can and does use anyone and anything to try to speak to us, including a donkey. Apparently, Sinatra's life genuinely exemplified the words of that song, "I Did It My Way." Some of the words to that song are:
And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain.
I planned each chartered course, each careful step along the byway.
To think I did all that, and may I say not in a shy way,
Oh no, oh no, not me, I did it my way.
For what is a man, what has he got, if not himself then he is naught.
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way.
It is true that the end is near; it is true that we all face the final curtain; it is true that far too many professing Christians take pride in doing it their way. It is also true that if a man has nothing then he is naught; but it is very true that if we have Christ we have everything. In the song the words, "And not the words of one who kneels" speaks of the pride of man who refuses to yield to any other. Sinatra died in 1998. Now he knows the truth. Now he knows that every knee, including his, shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
To what degree does the title of that song, "I Did It My Way," reflect the lives of Christian believers today? How many believers are "doing it my way" instead of the Lord's way? Only the Lord knows. One thing is quite certain ... the number of believers who would say they are "doing it my way" are probably very few and far between. It is human nature for any believer to say, "I did it the Lord's way." We all believe we are walking in the Light. However, the visible evidence says something different. Consider the Pharisees and Sadducees when Jesus walked the face of the earth. Consider the Church at Corinth, as recorded in 1 Corinthians. That same Corinthian spirit is alive, well, and thriving in the church today. Consider the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of denominations, non-denominations, inter-denominations, charismatic fellowships, house groups, etc., where it is commonplace to find quite divergent views on "the gospel" and things pertaining thereto. Yet every believer would affirm outwardly that there is only one true gospel. Further, it is not at all unusual for a charismatic gathering to start and end with a rock concert. Is that pleasing to the Lord?
It should be abundantly clear by now that one of the three "I AMs" is our flesh, human nature, the first Adam, our ego, SELF, the counterfeit, etc. Self is the great pretender. And he has a great kingdom where he is king. This great I AM starts at birth. Many years ago as I was reading Isaiah 6, I "heard" a new and different interpretation of the first verse. At that point in time I had read that verse probably 20 times, as a minimum. But on that day, I found myself reading that verse as follows:
Now "Uzziah" does NOT mean "self." But sometimes the Holy Spirit has a way of putting into context some things that normally are not in context. In any event, the latter interpretation is a good one. The very essence and basis of sin is to put self in the preeminent place of God. Sin is when a man worships himself instead of God. (Worship, from Genesis 22, the first place that the word is mentioned in the Bible, is the voluntary, unquestioning, obedience to the rhema word of the Lord as revealed by the Holy Spirit.) We should also remember that the first and therefore most important of the "ten commandments" is "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). Now no believer would acknowledge that he worships himself. But our actions and words belie our stated beliefs. If we are allowed to see the Lord high and lifted up, then king self must die. That is why Paul said, "I die daily."
There is no life in simply pointing out the "negatives," but what is the positive side and the remedy for the lack of being "in one accord?" Scripture is quite clear. The first word of the kingdom of God is "repent." That word, repent, has great intent for us believers after we are born again and baptized with the Holy Spirit. Two of the best examples of that are in Isaiah 6:5 and Job 42:1-6.
We should note that the prophet Isaiah had already prophesied the word of the Lord for five chapters before he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. But after Isaiah saw the Lord, he said in
Are we "better" than the great prophet Isaiah or Job, about whom
How many professing Christians today are perfect and upright? How many fear God and eschew evil, where evil means to "do it my way?"
The first thing a new-born baby does when he comes into the world is to try to establish his kingdom, for he believes that he is the king ... he is Number One ... he is the great I AM. He believes that he is always right. And because his loving parents, particularly his mother, are quick to respond to all of his desires, he very quickly has his place as king confirmed and written indelibly on his heart. Very soon after birth the baby is hungry because his source of food has been cut off, he is exhausted from a humiliating eviction from his previous warm and cozy quarters, and he has just received a slap on his behind. This little majesty has not yet learned how to talk in his parents' language, so he does all he can do to demand service ... that is, to cry. He learns quickly that all he needs to do to get what he wants is to cry.
Every parent has experienced the unbelievable persistence of a young child's will. If the will of the child dominates, the result is a spoiled child. When our children were in their early pre-teen years, we had a large weeping willow tree on the corner of our lot. My wife found out quickly that a small, weeping willow branch, when stripped of its leaves, makes a wonderful switch.
That switch, when applied to the legs, causes a sharp, biting effect (but never to the point of bringing blood, which would have been an excess). Whenever one of our young children had overstepped their boundaries and tried to usurp the authority of us, their parents, my wife would go out to the willow tree, bring it in the house and switch his/her legs a few times; whereupon the child would cry. After a season of this discipline, when King Self of one of our children emerged again, she would tell the errant child to go out to the willow tree and bring me your own switch. On one occasion, one of our daughters began to cry before she even went to get a switch. My wife, moved perhaps too much by compassion, relented and did not switch the legs of that daughter. Some 25 years later, that daughter told us that she had faked it ... that she had simply faked her crying in order to avoid getting a switching. Young children are sometimes more savvy of the ways of the world than we give them credit for.
As a child grows older, his coping methods and rationalizations change to fit the new needs. But King SELF, the great I AM, the great pretender, the counterfeit, is still on the throne of his kingdom. The root cause has never disappeared. I am still right no matter how many people disagree with me. The stubbornness and rigidity that accompanies our belief of infallibility often takes a more subtle expression in the form of indecision. Our fear of failure leads to many moments of indecision. In addition, our inability to attain to the expectation of the world can lead to feelings of failure.
I am now very grateful to the Lord for my many "failures" in life. Up until the age of 21 I had a number of worldly successes, none of which will I mention. But from ages 1-36 I never had any direction in my life. Neither did I have a "mentor," one who could help me find my way. I flunked out of graduate school at Duke University; I almost resigned from Aviation Cadets; and the first nine years of our marriage were a failure. It is rather amazing that after the Lord sovereignly apprehended me in 1967, He has completely restored ALL of my previous failures and then some!
How many professing Christians today are going on unto perfection, as Jesus commanded us? How many professing Christians today know what that perfection means? How many Christians today know how to attain to that perfection? Note that of the six principles of the doctrine of Christ, the first (and therefore most important) is repentance from dead works. If we cannot get that one "straight," then we need not even try to go to step two. What constitutes "dead works?" Doing it (whatever "it" may be) my way. It may be a good "work" to feed the poor or heal the blind or any of a myriad of other "good" works. But unless that work is led by the Holy Ghost, it becomes wood, hay, and stubble. Let us emphasize Verse 3: "And this we will do if God permit." IF GOD PERMIT! So it is not so much about what I want to do; it is about the grace and mercy of God. Those verses, and the ones that follow, should be sufficient to propel us into the proper fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.
The distinction in many verses is NOT between the "saved" and the "unsaved." We will look at some of those verses in later messages. That false understanding has come about because of a lack of preaching the true gospel of the Kingdom of God. One reason for the lack of preaching the true gospel of the Kingdom of God is because many preachers and teachers do not themselves know what that is. There is a big difference between getting saved and walking in the kingdom of God. One distinction is between those believers who are "doing it my way" and those believers who are doing it the Lord's way, as led by the Holy Spirit (and not simply by our personal interpretation of the written word of God). What is iniquity? Doing it my way. King Self does not die easily! Anyone who is born from above, including you and me, who "does it my way" cannot enter the kingdom of God, for by definition the kingdom of God is where the will of God is always done.
The obvious, amazing fact from Verses 25-27 is that both the widow woman and the leper who received the grace of God were outside the boundary of Israel. Even though there were many widows and lepers in Israel, the Lord sent Elijah and Elisha to none of them! Is that simply a historical fact or could there be significance for us today? Let us consider the reaction of God's chosen people (Verses 28-29) to the word of the Lord in Verses 24-27. ALL they in the synagogue (not a few and not some) were filled with wrath. What does the use of the word "synagogue" mean for us today? just a historical fact for that specific time? the modern-day Jews? nothing? or ? could it mean our modern-day tradition of going around the same mountain every Sunday morning?
Who are "My people"? you and me ... all those who have been born from above. Who is "her"? the church united with the world ... the church which Christian man has been trying to build for almost 2000 years ... that part of the church which says by their actions, "I did it my way."
So what is the answer? The answer to every question or situation or problem for us as believers is to cry out to God! Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear that which you are saying to me and that which You are saying to Your Church in this hour.
David is called a man after God's own heart. May we all have that same heart that longs after God and His ways, because His ways are past finding out.
The imperative of repentance
So much preaching currently is on teaching the "flock" how to fulfil their "dream" or "destiny", how to attain "success" in this world, how to "love ourselves or gain self-esteem", "be happy" or some other unhealthy "chaff" ... a wrong focus on "feel good" topics and "lifestyle issues" that can only produce what the world clamors for. God's children deserve better than "junk food" that promotes "self-improvement" and "self-actualization". BUT,
To live a life that is distinctly different from the ungodly is not easy or convenient and will really depend upon how genuine is our walk in repentance. What does a walk like this mean? We hope to shed some light on that question in our next message. Until then may we suggest that each listener seek the Lord and search the scriptures to see if these things are true.
Repentance is neither a matter of emotion nor a matter of my will.
For what is a man, what has he got, if not himself then he is naught.
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way.
It is true that the end is near; it is true that we all face the final curtain; it is true that far too many professing Christians take pride in doing it their way. It is also true that if a man has nothing then he is naught; but it is very true that if we have Christ we have everything. In the song the words, "And not the words of one who kneels" speaks of the pride of man who refuses to yield to any other. Sinatra died in 1998. Now he knows the truth. Now he knows that every knee, including his, shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
To what degree does the title of that song, "I Did It My Way," reflect the lives of Christian believers today? How many believers are "doing it my way" instead of the Lord's way? Only the Lord knows. One thing is quite certain ... the number of believers who would say they are "doing it my way" are probably very few and far between. It is human nature for any believer to say, "I did it the Lord's way." We all believe we are walking in the Light. However, the visible evidence says something different. Consider the Pharisees and Sadducees when Jesus walked the face of the earth. Consider the Church at Corinth, as recorded in 1 Corinthians. That same Corinthian spirit is alive, well, and thriving in the church today. Consider the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of denominations, non-denominations, inter-denominations, charismatic fellowships, house groups, etc., where it is commonplace to find quite divergent views on "the gospel" and things pertaining thereto. Yet every believer would affirm outwardly that there is only one true gospel. Further, it is not at all unusual for a charismatic gathering to start and end with a rock concert. Is that pleasing to the Lord?
It should be abundantly clear by now that one of the three "I AMs" is our flesh, human nature, the first Adam, our ego, SELF, the counterfeit, etc. Self is the great pretender. And he has a great kingdom where he is king. This great I AM starts at birth. Many years ago as I was reading Isaiah 6, I "heard" a new and different interpretation of the first verse. At that point in time I had read that verse probably 20 times, as a minimum. But on that day, I found myself reading that verse as follows:
In the year that king [SELF] died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1
Now "Uzziah" does NOT mean "self." But sometimes the Holy Spirit has a way of putting into context some things that normally are not in context. In any event, the latter interpretation is a good one. The very essence and basis of sin is to put self in the preeminent place of God. Sin is when a man worships himself instead of God. (Worship, from Genesis 22, the first place that the word is mentioned in the Bible, is the voluntary, unquestioning, obedience to the rhema word of the Lord as revealed by the Holy Spirit.) We should also remember that the first and therefore most important of the "ten commandments" is "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). Now no believer would acknowledge that he worships himself. But our actions and words belie our stated beliefs. If we are allowed to see the Lord high and lifted up, then king self must die. That is why Paul said, "I die daily."
There is no life in simply pointing out the "negatives," but what is the positive side and the remedy for the lack of being "in one accord?" Scripture is quite clear. The first word of the kingdom of God is "repent." That word, repent, has great intent for us believers after we are born again and baptized with the Holy Spirit. Two of the best examples of that are in Isaiah 6:5 and Job 42:1-6.
We should note that the prophet Isaiah had already prophesied the word of the Lord for five chapters before he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. But after Isaiah saw the Lord, he said in
Isaiah 6:5-7, "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
In other words when Isaiah saw the contrast between himself and the Lord, he immediately repented, not because he had done anything "wrong" but because he was a human being ... because he was a descendant of Adam and had received Adam's spiritual DNA when he was born. We might also note that even the seraphim, which guarded the throne of God, had to use tongs from off the altar to retrieve the live coal. Only the Lord Himself can touch the live coals on the altar. The live coals represent the fire of the Holy Ghost.
After the Lord allowed great trials to come into Job's life, we read in Job 42:1-6,
After the Lord allowed great trials to come into Job's life, we read in Job 42:1-6,
1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,2 I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee.3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me.5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Are we "better" than the great prophet Isaiah or Job, about whom
"the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:8)
How many professing Christians today are perfect and upright? How many fear God and eschew evil, where evil means to "do it my way?"
The first thing a new-born baby does when he comes into the world is to try to establish his kingdom, for he believes that he is the king ... he is Number One ... he is the great I AM. He believes that he is always right. And because his loving parents, particularly his mother, are quick to respond to all of his desires, he very quickly has his place as king confirmed and written indelibly on his heart. Very soon after birth the baby is hungry because his source of food has been cut off, he is exhausted from a humiliating eviction from his previous warm and cozy quarters, and he has just received a slap on his behind. This little majesty has not yet learned how to talk in his parents' language, so he does all he can do to demand service ... that is, to cry. He learns quickly that all he needs to do to get what he wants is to cry.
Every parent has experienced the unbelievable persistence of a young child's will. If the will of the child dominates, the result is a spoiled child. When our children were in their early pre-teen years, we had a large weeping willow tree on the corner of our lot. My wife found out quickly that a small, weeping willow branch, when stripped of its leaves, makes a wonderful switch.
That switch, when applied to the legs, causes a sharp, biting effect (but never to the point of bringing blood, which would have been an excess). Whenever one of our young children had overstepped their boundaries and tried to usurp the authority of us, their parents, my wife would go out to the willow tree, bring it in the house and switch his/her legs a few times; whereupon the child would cry. After a season of this discipline, when King Self of one of our children emerged again, she would tell the errant child to go out to the willow tree and bring me your own switch. On one occasion, one of our daughters began to cry before she even went to get a switch. My wife, moved perhaps too much by compassion, relented and did not switch the legs of that daughter. Some 25 years later, that daughter told us that she had faked it ... that she had simply faked her crying in order to avoid getting a switching. Young children are sometimes more savvy of the ways of the world than we give them credit for.
As a child grows older, his coping methods and rationalizations change to fit the new needs. But King SELF, the great I AM, the great pretender, the counterfeit, is still on the throne of his kingdom. The root cause has never disappeared. I am still right no matter how many people disagree with me. The stubbornness and rigidity that accompanies our belief of infallibility often takes a more subtle expression in the form of indecision. Our fear of failure leads to many moments of indecision. In addition, our inability to attain to the expectation of the world can lead to feelings of failure.
I am now very grateful to the Lord for my many "failures" in life. Up until the age of 21 I had a number of worldly successes, none of which will I mention. But from ages 1-36 I never had any direction in my life. Neither did I have a "mentor," one who could help me find my way. I flunked out of graduate school at Duke University; I almost resigned from Aviation Cadets; and the first nine years of our marriage were a failure. It is rather amazing that after the Lord sovereignly apprehended me in 1967, He has completely restored ALL of my previous failures and then some!
1 Therefore leaving the principles [beginning] of the doctrine [logos] of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.3 And this will we do, if God permit. Hebrews 6:1-3
How many professing Christians today are going on unto perfection, as Jesus commanded us? How many professing Christians today know what that perfection means? How many Christians today know how to attain to that perfection? Note that of the six principles of the doctrine of Christ, the first (and therefore most important) is repentance from dead works. If we cannot get that one "straight," then we need not even try to go to step two. What constitutes "dead works?" Doing it (whatever "it" may be) my way. It may be a good "work" to feed the poor or heal the blind or any of a myriad of other "good" works. But unless that work is led by the Holy Ghost, it becomes wood, hay, and stubble. Let us emphasize Verse 3: "And this we will do if God permit." IF GOD PERMIT! So it is not so much about what I want to do; it is about the grace and mercy of God. Those verses, and the ones that follow, should be sufficient to propel us into the proper fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Thessalonians 2:3
The distinction in many verses is NOT between the "saved" and the "unsaved." We will look at some of those verses in later messages. That false understanding has come about because of a lack of preaching the true gospel of the Kingdom of God. One reason for the lack of preaching the true gospel of the Kingdom of God is because many preachers and teachers do not themselves know what that is. There is a big difference between getting saved and walking in the kingdom of God. One distinction is between those believers who are "doing it my way" and those believers who are doing it the Lord's way, as led by the Holy Spirit (and not simply by our personal interpretation of the written word of God). What is iniquity? Doing it my way. King Self does not die easily! Anyone who is born from above, including you and me, who "does it my way" cannot enter the kingdom of God, for by definition the kingdom of God is where the will of God is always done.
24 And He said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,29 And rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong.30 But He passing through the midst of them went His way, Luke 4:23-30
The obvious, amazing fact from Verses 25-27 is that both the widow woman and the leper who received the grace of God were outside the boundary of Israel. Even though there were many widows and lepers in Israel, the Lord sent Elijah and Elisha to none of them! Is that simply a historical fact or could there be significance for us today? Let us consider the reaction of God's chosen people (Verses 28-29) to the word of the Lord in Verses 24-27. ALL they in the synagogue (not a few and not some) were filled with wrath. What does the use of the word "synagogue" mean for us today? just a historical fact for that specific time? the modern-day Jews? nothing? or ? could it mean our modern-day tradition of going around the same mountain every Sunday morning?
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18:4
Who are "My people"? you and me ... all those who have been born from above. Who is "her"? the church united with the world ... the church which Christian man has been trying to build for almost 2000 years ... that part of the church which says by their actions, "I did it my way."
So what is the answer? The answer to every question or situation or problem for us as believers is to cry out to God! Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear that which you are saying to me and that which You are saying to Your Church in this hour.
9 And He [Jesus] spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:9-14
Psalm 103, Verse 7 says, "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel."
It is not hard to see His acts. That only requires natural eyesight. But why did the Lord make known His ways to Moses but only His acts to the children of Israel? because Moses asked for it.
In Exodus 33:13, Moses said, "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people:"
David is called a man after God's own heart. May we all have that same heart that longs after God and His ways, because His ways are past finding out.
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.Psalm 139:1-6, 23-24
The imperative of repentance
So much preaching currently is on teaching the "flock" how to fulfil their "dream" or "destiny", how to attain "success" in this world, how to "love ourselves or gain self-esteem", "be happy" or some other unhealthy "chaff" ... a wrong focus on "feel good" topics and "lifestyle issues" that can only produce what the world clamors for. God's children deserve better than "junk food" that promotes "self-improvement" and "self-actualization". BUT,
To live a life that is distinctly different from the ungodly is not easy or convenient and will really depend upon how genuine is our walk in repentance. What does a walk like this mean? We hope to shed some light on that question in our next message. Until then may we suggest that each listener seek the Lord and search the scriptures to see if these things are true.
Repentance is neither a matter of emotion nor a matter of my will.
Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."
All of our self-efforts are futile. Lord, I ask for Your grace and mercy for myself, my family, for all who are listening to this message and for all who are not listening to this message, and particularly for every member of the body of Christ ... that You might always have Your way. Lord, make Your will and Your word flesh within us. Lord, may we never again look back and say, I did it my way.
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