August 12, 2006

• Here is the continuation of yesterday’s study:

  
  

  THE SOLUTION (Continued)

  
  

  THE LAW OF SUBSTITUTION.

  
  

  We need to implement the Law of Substitution if we ever want to get well. We need to realize that we are in control about what we feel about the situations we are in. We can choose to believe God’s truth or a lie about the situation.

  
  

  We tend to make ourselves into an IDOL, we think we are the only ones who can do something. We believe that we need to ___, we have to ____, we want to ___ - so we end up trying to do things in our own power that are not God’s best will for us. This can lead to sickness, stress, and heart attacks. We overfill and over pressurize our lives. We have to realize that there is always something that we can drop. It is often a battle for us to really drop something that God tells us to drop. We FEEL we HAVE to do something, but that is a deceitful lie if the feeling does not come from God. People will defend to the death their stress.

  
  

  THE SOLUTION

  
  

  2 Corinthians 3:4-6 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.

  
  

  If the Body of Christ would only realize that we can do nothing of our own, but can only really accomplish great things THROUGH Christ, we could move mountains!

  
  

  When we rely on feelings, we become subject to what we are supposed to be masters of. TO BE SUBJECT TO YOUR FEELINGS IS TO BE MASTER OF NOTHING. Our sufficiency is from God. It is not the letter of the Law, but the Spirit of the Law that we need to follow. The letter kills, the Spirit brings life.

  
  

  When we read the Letter of the Word of God, often we take that Word and write laws for ourselves from the emotional realm, but that may not be what the Letter of the Word has in mind for us.

  
  

  (Heather’s note: What came to mind when Pastor Don was describing this is the laws of the Sabbath, laws that are still today sorely contested – when is Sabbath, is is Sunday, Saturday, etc. When Jesus walked on the earth he constantly defied the restricting laws of the Sabbath that the Scribes and Pharisees made. He made his point that the Sabbath was for the people, not the people for the Sabbath. It was a time that God ordained for His people to take a rest – something that no other culture ever conceived of – a day off. It was to be a time of communion with God, rest and enjoying God’s creation – but the Scribes and the Pharisees killed that with all their restrictive rules that were not the heart of God about the Sabbath. What was considered work was so micro-managed, and then they devised ways around the rules, sigh).

  
  

  Off topic for a second, Pastor Don talked about a conference that he attended and one speaker, Daryl Copes said, “Institute a 10 foot rule. Anyone within 10 feet of you speak to them and smile.”

  
  

  2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

  
  

  We are to see people as new creations, as Christ sees them. And Pastor Don said that the above doesn’t only apply to other people, but we are not even to see OURSELVES according to the flesh. We have no business, as a believer, to be flesh dominated.

  
  

  Pastor Don asked if anyone had an Amplified Bible, and had them read the above verses, it was so profound that I am going to share the Amplified version with you. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh]. Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

  
  

  We are born again. Pastor Don says that many, when they die and go to Heaven, want to take their baggage with them. When we are saved we are to drop all the old. But we want to REFURBISH rather than RECREATE. All the old stuff has to go. When our old feelings dominate us we are refusing to be a new creation. We have to die to self.

  
  

  When we want to know if it is a feeling or a fact we have to ask our selves, WHERE IS THE TRUTH AND WHAT AM I FEELING?

  
  

  We have to stop taking orders from our Body, and we cannot do it in our own strength, we have to apply the Law of Substitution.

  
  

  Take back the old and substitute the new. New knowledge of Christ replaces old knowledge of the flesh.

  
  

  How does it happen? God uses substitution to change anything He doesn’t like.

  
  

  Pastor Don used the example of diet – where you say to yourself, “I am not going to eat dessert. I am not going to eat that cheesecake, I am not going to reach out and touch that tempting dessert, etc.” We spend so much time focusing on what we are not going to do – but the fallacy is that while we are saying I am not going to…. we are thinking about the very thing that we are trying to avoid. It is a trick of satan.

  
  

  We will never win a battle in the emotional realm by deciding NOT TO THINK about something. Old things pass away period. Bring the new over the old to crowd out the old.

  
  

  (Heather’s note – don’t think about blue monkeys – can’t do that.)

  
  

  Trust in God’s sufficiency, and substitute what you know is of God. You can’t think two thoughts simultaneously. Take your mind off the battle. The devil defeats you in the realm of feelings when you directly fight him, that is implying that he is big. But no weapon formed against me will prosper. We are to think on those things which are pure, holy, and of God, substitute the good things and thoughts for what you are not wanting to think about. The devil can’t grab hold of you when you are in the joy of the Lord. satan can only leave you alone.

  
  

  James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded.

  
  

  The above verse does not mean, repeating over and over “satan I resist you, satan I resist you, satan I resist YOU.” That just gives satan power, the way to resist satan is by submitting to God, drawing near to Him. He is close to us, and the very act of drawing near to God cleanses our hands and minds and hearts, and keeps us from being double minded. THAT is how you resist satan.

  
  

  (Heather’s note, when I had insomnia once, Pastor Don wrote me a prescription: Read Psalms 1 through Psalms 4, when finished start over and do it again. Repeat as needed).

  
  

  Psalm 4:1-2 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah.

  
  

  When we speak lies and stick to our old ways of thinking that is exactly what we are doing, loving worthlessness and seeking falsehood.

  
  

  Psalm 4:3-4 But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.

  
  

  Here is how we fight, we know that God will hear when we call Him – even though circumstances do not seem to indicate that this is happening. We can be righteously angry (Like Jesus with the temple moneychangers, but not let the sun set on our anger), When we are in bed (and for that matter all the time during the day) we need to meditate on God’s truth, God’s Word, and God’s love. That way we fill our minds and hearts with truth, not lies. Then there is no room in our minds for the lies.

  
  

  Psalm 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

  
  

  What is a sacrifice of righteousness? It is when we choose to believe God and put our trust in him. (Heather’s note – just like we have been seeing in Genesis, Abraham believed God and God accounted it for righteousness.)

  
  

  Psalm 4:6-7 There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased.”

  
  

  Instead of thinking of the troubles that he, David, was having, David chose to recount the blessings of the Lord, the harvest, the bounty that God provided, not the difficulties that he was currently in. It is when we worship and praise God that we are free from the chains of the past. There is one Psalm where the Israelites say, how can I sing the praises of God when I am here in captivity. Pastor Don pointed out that it is when we are in captivity that we have to sing the praises. (Heather’s note: We need to talk to our Spirit and our emotions and tell them God’s goodness. No good comes from burdening us with the circumstances and the hurt and the pain. But praise frees.)

  
  

  Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

  
  

  That is the result of praising God in the midst of our circumstances.

  
  

  (Heather’s note: Think of Paul and Silas in prison singing, and I think of the 23rd Psalm. When we trust God we can rest. A sheep will not rest if it feels unsafe, and our only way to feel truly safe is in God’s Hands.)

  
  

  Hope this blesses you. I know it challenges me a lot, but I also know that it is true and I have to remind myself to apply these teachings in my life.

  
  

  Heather

  • 12:17 am
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