Participants: C.A.Murray (Host), W.Clarence, Schilt
Series Code: IAA
Program Code: IAA000191
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00:30 Welcome to Issues & Answers.
00:32 I'm C.A. Murray and on today's program 00:35 we're going to be discussing an issue 00:37 that I suspect is at the heart of the 00:39 Christian experience. It is indeed dying to self, 00:44 easily said not quite as easily done. 00:48 And to help walk us through that experience 00:50 and see how we can be successful in our 00:52 Christian growth, my guest is Dr. Clarence Schilt. 00:56 Doctor, good to have you here today. 00:57 Thank you, glad to be here. You are the pastor of 01:00 the Rockwood Seventh-day Adventist 01:02 Church in Portland, Oregon, so you're 01:03 a long way from home, yes, yeah. 01:05 It's good to have you here and looking at 01:09 your bio, you've spend sometime at Loma Linda 01:11 University on the pastoral staff there and then 01:14 you were out east back my way Potomac 01:17 Conference I understand, Pennsylvania Conference, 01:18 right, right. And now in Oregon, but you've got 01:21 a burden I see for helping Christians grow in grace 01:26 and die to self. Well, I've just notice in 01:30 my own life and in the life of so many Christians 01:33 it seems like we know a lot about religion and 01:36 scripture and all about, but there doesn't seem 01:37 to be a lot of power, and I've reflected a lot 01:41 on the fact that the leaders in Jewish 01:44 Jesus day, the Jewish leaders there. 01:47 They were nobody knew the Bible like they did 01:50 and they had spiritual disciplines, prayer and 01:53 fasting and all that, and yet they miss Jesus 01:55 when he showed up and I thought why and 01:59 as a religious leader as a pastor I thought boy 02:02 if they can miss Jesus, we could also easily 02:06 miss him. And what makes a difference 02:09 in terms of seeing him when he shows up 02:11 and not seeing him in the sense. 02:12 And I think it's an important discussion 02:15 because we're talking about death before life 02:18 and then in a sense life after death, that's true. 02:22 And growth after death, yeah that's true, 02:25 yeah and that's your burden. Exactly, when 02:28 Jesus or when in laying his ministry Jesus in 02:32 the period of six days told the disciples on 02:36 three different occasions in Mark 8 and 9, 02:39 he said very explicitly, I'm going to die and 02:43 be buried and be raised again and the disciples 02:48 heard that, Mark says it in Mark that he says 02:52 it very, he said it very clearly and yet they 02:55 didn't hear because when he died they were 02:57 absolutely crushed and unprepared and when 03:00 he rose from the grave, it took them a while 03:03 to believe it, yeah they really, they really didn't 03:05 believe it for a while yeah. And why, when 03:08 the spiritual truth is right there. 03:09 So, obviously then the doctor it's not just a 03:14 matter of a head knowledge because the Jewish 03:18 community, the disciples in particularly had that, 03:20 yes they had studied yeah, Christ had 03:22 explained it to them exactly, so they were, 03:24 they were armed with the book knowledge 03:25 if I can use that term, that's right. 03:27 So, it's more then just the knowledge of, 03:28 of in the head. Right, and hearing it and even 03:31 being able to talk about and in one place 03:33 when Jesus came down from the Mount of 03:35 Transfiguration in Mark 9, why Jesus gave them 03:40 orders in verse 9 not to tell anyone what they 03:43 had seen until the Son of Man had risen from 03:45 the dead. And they kept the matter to themselves, 03:48 discussing what rising from the dead meant. 03:50 So they even talked about religious things 03:53 I mean we've our religious meetings 03:55 and talk about them and yet they were 03:57 still ill-prepared, it's very disconcerting, 04:00 very unsettling. It is because you seem to 04:03 be saying I can spend my life involved in the 04:08 trappings of Christianity, the accoutrement of 04:10 Christianity, I can work for the church even, 04:12 right. Perhaps even be a denominational employee 04:14 or a pastor, right and be surrounded with the 04:17 stuff of the church, right, and yet not have the 04:20 relationship or the power within. 04:22 How do I get beyond that, how I work my way 04:24 through that? Exactly yeah and maybe we had 04:28 just ask the question what keeps me from hearing 04:33 it, I mean later in just that same day when 04:37 they came down the mountain why the 04:39 disciples were asked to cast the demon out of 04:42 a boy and they weren't able to do it, yes. 04:45 And they ask Jesus why couldn't we cast it out, 04:48 Jesus said well this comes up by prayer 04:51 and fasting. I think often we, and so here the 04:55 disciples they had lost spiritual power to heal 04:59 somebody else. And I think the reason being 05:04 and the crux at the end of all of this in verse 33 05:08 of Mark 9 when they came to Capernaum, 05:11 and he was in the house, and he asked them, 05:13 what were you arguing about on the road? 05:15 And they kept quiet because on the way 05:17 they had argued about who was the greatest, 05:19 yes, yes. Now my sense is that what we're 05:22 learning from scripture here is that when the 05:26 person is wrapped up in self and primarily taking 05:30 care of me and they would, they argued a lot about 05:34 who was gonna sit next Christ and who was 05:36 gonna have what positions in the new government 05:38 and so on. That something happens that 05:41 blocks spiritual truth from sinking in, 05:44 because Jesus was there you know they heard 05:47 with their ear drums and saw with their eye balls, 05:51 yeah all these truths and yet it just went by them 05:55 and I think it's because they were so wrapped 05:57 up in themselves that nothing could get through. 06:01 Yeah, yeah, the word keeps coming up again, 06:05 again in your dialogue self, self, yes I know 06:08 yes, so it would appear that the blockage, 06:13 the fulcrum, the crux of the issue is dealing 06:16 with self, I think so, I mean Jesus said 06:19 in Luke 9, he said, "If anyone would come 06:23 after me, let him deny himself and take up his 06:28 cross daily and follow me. Now, crosses usually 06:34 what happen on crosses is people die, yeah. 06:36 So in some sense Jesus is its kind of a strange term 06:41 and probably grammatical but he wants to un-self us. 06:43 Yeah, I understand, he like to free us, 06:47 I mean Paul said in Galatians 2:20: 06:49 I have been crucified with Christ and 06:52 I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 06:55 And the life that I live in the body, 06:58 I live by faith, so there is this strange almost 07:01 oxymoron of dying to self so that another 07:06 life can come alive in us. Now, you've orchestrated 07:11 for us the problem, the problem is itself is 07:15 crucifying self is, is keeping self dead 07:19 because self has this Lazarus like quality, 07:21 yes it's right, it pops up you know you've 07:23 got to work at it every day Paul says, 07:25 yes true yeah, how do we, how do we do that, 07:26 how do we even attempted to do that? 07:28 To die to self, yeah, yeah do you know 07:31 that's the thing because we use the cliche? 07:34 My wife has always said to me don't tell me 07:36 what to do, tell me how to do it. 07:37 And we've use the cliche, yeah and it seems to 07:40 me like center to this is understanding the 07:45 process of, of saying dead yourself and 07:49 that's the same process as when we come to Christ. 07:51 When we come to Christ and become a Christian, 07:55 what we're recognizing is how much we're loved. 07:58 We're recognizing how sinful we are and 08:01 we need to be forgiven and we're accepting 08:04 his forgiveness and his power. So, whenever 08:08 self rises a challenge I've had with self is 08:13 my attitude to other drivers on the road, 08:16 I mean they irritate me. Well having spend 08:21 30 years in your car, I understand and 08:22 I emphasis, that's true. And it's, it's a long term 08:26 habit and so whenever I find my self urged 08:29 because the lights turned green and 08:31 they're sitting there still not moving where I, 08:35 why then when I find irritation to me that's 08:40 self, yes, that's not love is patient, 08:43 love is kind, it's not easily angered. 08:45 So, at that point I let the Holy Spirit 08:48 convicted me, Clarence, self is rising 08:52 here, yes, yes. And so I think the first step 08:55 in how to overcome and die to self is letting the 08:58 spirit actually show me and convict me that 09:02 in fact self is about to arise or has risen 09:06 and when I see sin my understanding is 09:10 that the first thing I want to admit is, 09:12 is to confess it, yes. And to basically give 09:16 it to God, so it's letting the Spirit show it to 09:18 me which we call the first step seeing it, 09:21 and then I wanna confess it, I want to 09:24 say back to him, this I realize Lord is sin, 09:30 it's selfishness, it's my sinful nature, 09:31 I don't wanna be this way, I want to stay dead, 09:34 so that your life can live through me. 09:36 And then I, we use four yeses, let the Holy Spirit 09:41 convict us by seeing it, seeing it, we confess it 09:45 by saying it and then we give it to him, 09:48 surrender, give it away to him and finally 09:52 and most importantly we change our thought 09:55 life by substituting his words for our words. 09:58 Now, I wanna walk through each of those 09:59 because those are four important yeses. 10:02 What is if a person does not see it? 10:05 You obviously have turned the light inward 10:09 and asking God to show you when self arises, 10:13 yes, right. But what if a person is a bit self 10:15 deceived, is it there any sort of objective 10:18 criteria they can use to say if this is wrong 10:20 then I must have a problem with self. 10:22 Well, I think the word is crucial here, 10:25 but if a person doesn't see it what, 10:30 I mean if they don't see it they may not see it. 10:33 The disciples just didn't see self, they kept 10:38 arguing, they didn't see self until Jesus died 10:42 and he rose from the grave and then they 10:44 were just oh my yeah, then they got it 10:46 I mean Peter went from betraying Christ 10:49 fearfully there around that fire yeah, 10:52 to all of a sudden he didn't care about his 10:54 life at all and proclaiming Christ later. 10:56 So, it seems that the life of Jesus, 10:59 the love of Jesus, it seems that staying around 11:03 the cross a lot where the cross shows his hay, 11:06 you're a sinner but you're also love, 11:08 you're right what I was thinking yes because 11:09 we began by saying that though the disciples 11:13 were in Christ constant company yes, they didn't 11:16 see it right, exactly. So, I think and I think 11:18 you'll agree with me one of the things 11:19 we have to do is ask the Lord show me myself, 11:21 yeah and spend time in the mirror here to 11:24 make sure that you can, you can see the word, 11:26 where the word really shows it. 11:27 My wife is into this in a really deep way 11:30 and wonderful way and everyday she has a 11:33 prayer and part of that prayer is Lord, 11:35 show me self today, yes, yes, yes. 11:37 So, you have to be eager and open and willing 11:40 but the word is it primary you know search me 11:45 and try my heart, yes you know thy word is a 11:47 lamp under my feet, so I think the key way 11:49 to see self and if we're not seeing it and 11:53 the key way to that will change is life in the word. 11:56 Okay, praise the Lord yeah one down, 11:58 now the second S is. Is confessing, saying it, 12:02 saying it, saying it and I'm fascinated with 12:05 First John 1:9: that he says: If we confess our 12:08 sins, he is faithful and just to do things 12:11 we don't separate those much but I think there 12:13 are two messages, to forgive us, yes 12:16 and to cleanse us, so I think in confessing sin 12:20 and apologizing and asking for forgiveness. 12:23 There is not just forgiveness at that time, 12:26 I think there is healing that goes on inwardly, 12:29 I mean if I'm hurting my wife and I confess 12:32 and apologize, I think that process is gonna 12:35 keep me from hurting her as often, yes. 12:37 So, there is not just he will forgive us 12:39 but he will also cleanse us, and so I need to 12:42 just openly admit, yeah and say Lord 12:45 I'm sinning here, I'm not trusting you, 12:47 I'm disobeying your command, I'm and I think 12:49 we need to be much more sin sensitive. 12:51 We have juicy category of sins, 12:54 you know sex, and drugs and sure, 12:56 the word sin in the Bible just means to 12:58 miss the mark of being like Jesus, yes, yes. 13:00 So, if I'm violating any of the aspects of 13:03 First Corinthians 13 love, is patient and kind 13:06 and doesn't envy, doesn't boast, 13:08 is not rude, not self seeking, not easily 13:12 angered, keeps no record of wrong, 13:13 yeah any violation of that is really sin 13:17 and so in small ways I need to admit little sin 13:21 it's not just big ones. Now, I wanna put a pin 13:23 in one of your remarks because you said 13:25 something that, that sort of turned the light 13:27 on for me you said that when I confess it sort 13:33 of sensitizes me not to do it again, 13:35 because when we confess our sin, 13:37 we certainly are not informing God of anything, 13:39 he is aware, right. But for your benefit 13:42 you are saying to your wife I've made this 13:44 mistake against you, and that sort of helps not 13:46 to do that again, is it the same way with 13:48 the Lord when we confess. I think so, 13:50 now of course first I want to reconcile 13:53 the hurt I may have caused, yes, 13:55 but also see I'm intrigued the verse 13:59 before First John 1:9 says: If anyone 14:02 claims to be without sin, he is a liar, 14:04 yes he is a liar. For years I thought hey 14:07 who claims to be without sin, I mean what a 14:09 odd thing and then I read an author that suggested 14:13 when I don't confess sin, I'm in a sense by 14:18 default claiming to be without sin. 14:19 Yes, that occurred to me, you sort of 14:21 de-facto of saying I'm sinless; 14:22 I've got nothing to confess. 14:23 Otherwise I'd be confessing it, 14:25 yeah surely. You know, so but I do to think 14:28 yeah, hey it is so humbling to say hey CA, 14:31 I said this to you I'm sorry, will you forgive 14:34 me, I mean that is so, it keeps me I think 14:38 when I confess and apologize and ask 14:41 forgiveness and parenthetically 14:42 I think we're very sloppy with our apologies. 14:45 Oh yes, and very nonspecific, very 14:48 nonspecific, oh I'm sorry I think, 14:50 I think I need to do three things specifically 14:52 name my sin, yes agree, I'm sorry number 2, 14:55 thirdly, will you forgive me I don't say 14:58 I wanna ask you forgiveness because 15:00 that's a statement and you can but here will 15:02 you forgive me, yes and then your response 15:03 I forgive you, yeah. I think that experience in 15:07 itself is an experience of dying to self, indeed, 15:11 indeed, yeah. I mean I'm dying to my pride, 15:14 to my sin, to what I've done to you, yeah. 15:16 And that keeps me humble and there by more 15:20 open to hearing spiritual truth, yeah, when it 15:23 comes to scripture. That is an exciting 15:24 point particularly in light of Hebrews statement 15:27 that we crucified Christ afresh and put him 15:29 to open shame, so our sin, open shame rather, 15:32 our sin actually do wound him, right. 15:35 And he deserves an apology from us, 15:37 yeah exactly and if we, we confess him is 15:40 faithful and just to forgive that. 15:42 In fact he is wounded first yes. 15:44 I've always been a little perplex at Psalms 51 15:49 which is the Psalm where David confessed 15:51 after his sin with Bathsheba. He said 15:53 against you and you only yes and how about 15:56 Bathsheba and you're right then he got killed 15:59 and all that, right, right. And yet our sin against 16:02 God and Christ is, is so overwhelming yes. 16:06 That put Jesus on the cross compared to 16:09 I've hurt you and I need to come to you 16:12 if I heard you also but first of all primarily 16:16 I've hurt Christ, you hurt Christ, yeah, 16:17 and crucified him afresh in a sense, so. 16:19 It's a very challenging I mean Peter, Peter 16:23 was heart broken when he betrayed Jesus, 16:25 and I think maybe another reason that we sin 16:28 and self rises so much and so frequently and 16:30 we sin so easily is we feel bad because 16:36 we made a mistake, I feel miserable about, 16:40 about failing but I don't miserable 16:42 about hurting you, yes. I feel bad about looking, 16:45 I look bad but I'm not as repentance 16:49 I ought to be for what I've done to you yeah 16:50 and to Jesus, understood. And I think that, that act 16:55 of confession is in itself a humbling thing, 16:58 it tends to stabilize you know you don't 17:01 rise your head up too much or too hardy, 17:03 because you realize you've made some mistakes 17:04 and your mistakes have wounded and hurt 17:06 someone else. I be interested if we 17:08 want to return to Philippians 2 because 17:12 I'm fascinated with the model of Jesus 17:15 and when Jesus in Mark 1 said to the disciple 17:18 I'm gonna die and be resurrected why Peter 17:20 rebuked him and said no this is not gonna happen 17:22 to you and it's fascinating that Jesus 17:24 said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan, 17:27 which is a really strong term, yes. 17:29 He said, then he said you don't have in mind 17:32 the things of God, but the things of men. 17:34 Now, Philippians 2 and verse 5 says: 17:37 You should have the same mind that Jesus 17:40 had, yes. Have this mind in you there was in 17:42 Christ Jesus and then notice this flow, 17:45 who being Jesus in very nature God, 17:48 did not consider equality with God something 17:51 to be grasped, yes or to clung to, cling to, 17:53 but made himself nothing, or emptied 17:55 himself taking the very nature of a servant, 17:58 being made in human likeness. 17:59 Now, here notice this flow, Jesus is first 18:03 saying look to the scripture I want you to have 18:05 the same mind as I have, what I did is I, 18:09 my DNA was divine, my nature, DNA spiritual 18:13 nature was divine, and it was perfect. 18:15 I didn't cling to that I let go over it and 18:18 I took on human nature, another nature, yes, 18:21 yes, alright. If we're supposed to have the 18:23 mind of Jesus, Jesus gave up who he really 18:26 was and became someone else in the sense, 18:28 yes, alright. If we're to talk about who we are, 18:32 what's our DNA, it's sinful, sinful, 18:35 it's sinful right it's call carnal, fleshly, 18:38 whatever, surely. So, Jesus gave up his 18:42 divine DNA to take on human DNA, 18:45 we give up sinful, selfish DNA, yeah so that 18:50 Jesus can come in us yeah and so I think, 18:53 I think every time I confess sin, 18:56 I let the Holy Spirit show to see it and I confess 19:00 it at that point I'm dying to self, 19:03 I'm relinquishing my selfish nature, 19:06 so that Christ nature can take over, yes, yes. 19:08 I see the parallel and I like it, because Christ 19:11 gave up who he was and became who he 19:14 needed to be, true, we can say, that's right. 19:16 So, then we need to give up who we are, 19:18 right and become what we need to be in Christ. 19:21 Yeah I think I mean Galatians 2:20 again, 19:24 yes, I've been crucified with Christ, yes, and 19:26 I no longer live, but Christ lives in, it's 19:29 kind of an exchange, it's kind of trading places, 19:31 indeed, indeed. And what's amazing is, 19:34 we settled for the weakness and the 19:37 limitations of our own nature when God is 19:40 just so eager to give us. Peter we read to 19:44 participate in the divine nature and the confessing 19:47 process that we've talked about I think is 19:50 absolutely huge in keeping us dead to self, 19:52 yes, yes. And is in it then interesting that the 19:55 secret to mastering if I can use that term, 19:59 the Christian experience yes, is surrendering 20:02 to it, right, yeah. I mean, there was another S. 20:04 Yeah that takes us to another chapter; 20:06 yeah that's right, yes, yes. That is not, is not 20:08 fighting per say it's surrendering, is 20:12 surrendering to Jesus, exactly. 20:13 Which may be I think you'll agree the toughest 20:17 of all things to do. The toughest thing exactly 20:19 and it's more subjective, I mean it's one thing 20:21 for me to see my sin where the Holy Spirit 20:24 shows me and to admit it but then to walk, 20:28 to give it away, and it's tricky I've read an 20:34 author that suggest that some people actually 20:36 will write out and burn the piece of paper or 20:41 flush it down to toilet or something, almost 20:42 as a physical, it sounds a little kind of crazy 20:45 in a way, but somehow where I really walk 20:49 from in it and say Lord this is yours and 20:53 I'm just wanting to give this to you, yes. 20:55 And relinquish it to you, yes, just relinquish it 20:58 to you, surrender it to you, surrender. 21:00 In your experience having pastored in a 21:02 number of places East Coast-West Coast, 21:04 middle of the country, give us some tips 21:08 if I can use that term about surrender, 21:12 it's a tough thing to do. And the old man rises 21:15 up so quickly and so frequently, yes. 21:17 How do we stay yielded because that seems 21:20 to bedrock to our growth in Christ, absolutely 21:23 yeah, yeah. The one suggestion I make is 21:27 that you start with the little things, 21:30 I mean for me, we kind of laugh but cars that 21:35 irritate me on the highway are easier 21:38 to die to then when a family member just 21:42 does something or says something that hurts 21:44 me deeply, it's harder to let go off so I would, 21:49 I would say start by staying very sensitive 21:52 to the little ways in which self rises that 21:55 are in a sense easier to turn over and then 21:59 when those little things come up you're just 22:01 irritated about something. My wife says before God 22:05 showed her all these, she use to get irritated 22:07 with oh she forget something in a home, 22:09 I've to go back and get it or drop something 22:11 and break it. But, the little things that are 22:16 easier to let go off and when those happened, 22:18 yes see it let the Holy Spirit stop me and 22:21 convict me say Lord even though this is small, 22:24 this is sin, this is falling short of being 22:26 like Christ. I wanna give this to you Lord 22:29 and most crucial and we might talk about this 22:32 in another session but substituting 22:34 with the word is where I will replace his words. 22:39 If I've gotten impatient I find a word that 22:42 comes in, love is patient is not easily angered, 22:45 keeps no record of wrong so starting out with 22:48 small things I think is absolutely crucial to 22:54 learning to do this and when you began to 22:56 experience the reward and all of a sudden 22:59 I mean you go through these steps and its 23:02 just amazing how rather quickly self will 23:05 be surrendered again and you'll just feel peace. 23:07 Praise God, and I mean yeah, peace compared 23:10 to irritation, it's not a contest you know 23:13 how very true you know and when you begin 23:17 to experience the rewards of his life 23:20 and him taking over and controlling your inner 23:22 spirit in little things you begin to say alright, 23:25 hey I'm taking this to the bigger stuff. 23:26 Praise God, yeah now to recap we see it right, 23:31 we say it, we surrender it, and then we 23:34 substitute, then we substitute, yeah, 23:37 praise God. And we're finding and I would 23:41 just say to those of you that are watching 23:43 this is really crucial because we're finding 23:46 that over and over people skip these four steps, 23:50 substituting, yes, because I can anywhere 23:53 anytime see it, confess it, say it and 23:57 surrender it. But then I need scripture to 23:59 replace my thoughts, I mean you notice Jesus, 24:02 Jesus didn't need the first three steps 24:03 he was perfect, whenever he was 24:04 tempted he just jumped to step forward, 24:06 it is written, yes, it is written, it is written. 24:09 And we're finding as we experiment in our 24:12 church family and with friends and so on, 24:14 when people say look this isn't working very well, 24:16 we're saying did you do the fourth step yes. 24:19 Did you turn your mind to his thoughts and 24:21 his ways? You see in Isaiah, my thoughts 24:24 and my ways are as vastly different as 24:27 the heavens are above the earth, yeah and 24:29 he says my word won't go return to be empty, 24:32 it will accomplished what I desire. 24:33 There is huge power in scripture and 24:36 this is the most important step is going to word 24:39 and that mean some discipline yes. 24:42 It means actually having cards on scripture 24:47 or your scripture on cards, what I'm saying, 24:50 yeah, or memorized or something where my 24:55 wife carries the promises book. 24:57 The Bible promises book yes, yes, yes 24:59 where it has all these different topics and 25:01 you can just look up a topic, and, and, and, 25:05 and, and, and, and find some scripture and 25:07 then dwell on those scripture instead of 25:10 these thoughts of worry or anxiety or 25:13 irritation or hurts or resentment, yeah you 25:16 just say Lord I'm gonna set my mind 25:18 on things above. That is a sublime thought 25:21 and I'll tell you why, because if you don't 25:24 replace, you are reduced to avoidance theory okay. 25:29 Say I've got a problem with alcohol yeah, 25:32 I can stay away from that but that's avoidance, 25:37 that's not victory true. Victory is to replace 25:39 that love for alcohol with the love for Christ, 25:41 so that it doesn't even tempt me so that 25:43 if someone puts a drink in front of me 25:44 it doesn't move me anymore yes because 25:46 you're not gonna be able to spend your life 25:48 avoiding negative situation. 25:50 Exactly sooner or later I'm gonna catch up 25:51 with you, yeah and then you're lost but 25:53 if you replace that desire with the new desire 25:56 for Christ then even on those odd occasions 25:58 when temptation comes to your face, right 26:00 you can say get thee behind me, because it 26:02 doesn't move. Christ said Satan sin has nothing in 26:06 me there is nothing to reach in and grab on 26:08 to it right, so your, your recipe if I can 26:13 use that term yes. Is the recipe for healthy 26:15 Christian living and growth. That's very true. 26:17 By not just avoiding sin, no, no, replacing it 26:19 with the love for Jesus Christ, yeah. 26:21 We tend to either gunny sac or vent or try 26:25 with whatever, yes, yes, yes. 26:26 This is surrendering and this is emptying self 26:29 and filling and filling yes, yes. Jesus said 26:32 in Matthew 12: Out of the overflow of the 26:34 heart the mouth speaks, yes, yes the good 26:36 person brings good things out of the good 26:37 stored up in them. So, what's in me is coming 26:40 out, yeah you don't make me mad I chose 26:42 to get mad, you don't make me loving, 26:44 I've chose to love you, yes, yes, yes, yes. 26:47 And so, you're absolutely right, 26:48 yeah, yeah Jesus said: Since, then, we've 26:50 been raised by Christ, set your hearts on 26:53 things above, set your minds on things above, 26:56 not on earthly things. And I don't know a more 26:58 effective way of, of setting the mind on a 27:01 different place then setting on scripture. 27:03 This is fabulous it speaks of Romans 12:1 27:05 where we are a living sacrifice, that's right, 27:07 a walking, talking epistle for Jesus Christ, 27:09 that's true. Wrap it up for us in just a few 27:11 seconds we've got, go through the four steps 27:13 again, okay and gives a quick summary. 27:14 Alright, we stay sensitive to the 27:16 Holy Spirit so he could, we're ready to be 27:19 convicted. As soon as we're convicted 27:21 if we give anytime at all and self rises 27:23 we're gonna be in trouble, as soon as 27:25 we're convicted we confess it as sin, 27:27 we give it to him and we turn our thoughts 27:29 to his words, so his word becomes the 27:32 controlling factor in our mind, not our own words. 27:34 Praise God, good stuff and an excellent recipe 27:39 for successful Christian growth. 27:41 Try it, more then that apply it, 27:44 dedicate yourself to it, see it, surrender, 27:47 say it and then walk into newness of life 27:49 and you will be growing strong in Christ Jesus. 27:51 Until next time may God bless you we'll 27:54 see you again on Issues & Answers bye, bye. |
Revised 2014-12-17