When the Rains fall and the Winds blow, Push Back!
You know the saying “when it rains it pours” I guess people always relate that to a bad thing. I?m not sure why, if that was true, why do we sing songs like Grace like RAIN? Anyways, the bible says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45). Well, depending on if it is raining on you and if it?s good or bad, may I submit to you, even if it is bad and you are getting soaked in the rain, that you should be able to turn it into a good thing.
When hard times come at you in all directions and in all areas of life, you are still supposed to consider it pure joy (James 1:2). You may say, “I already know that! But how?!” Well, you must be in the Word of God to know how.
When the world pushes on you, push back! And hard! When the devil comes against you, fight back! (Do you know what a boxer is called when he doesn?t block the punches, when he doesn?t move and duck, when he doesn?t punch back? An IDIOT!)
I remember a few years ago a friend of mine and I were in the mall and were checking out some “bling bling”. I never have been much of a necklace wearer, but I ended up getting this one necklace. When I put on this “bling” my friend said, “it looks good on you, it gives you push, you could get into places with that.” (I don?t know what kind of places I would want to get into, oh well.) Anyways, I thought about what he said, about having push.
You and I both have the push to push back whatever is putting the pressure on. You know why? Because “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4) Because of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27) Because the same Spirit the raised Christ from the dead is in you!” (Romans 8:11) If that is not enough reason, I don?t know what is. You have been given everything you need to push back. Because in all reality, if you are walking in the Spirit, it?s not you, it?s Him in you.
Now you may say, “I?m just too tired to push or fight”. Then I would have to ask, are you really taking joy in what?s coming against you? Because the “Joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh. 8:10) I think we sometimes forget, when the pressure is on, there is a reason because of it. And we should take joy in that. Especially knowing that no matter how hard the rain is pouring and how hard the wind is blowing, Jesus is right there with you. So whatever is pushing against you, push back! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10) And allow the Lord to do His perfect will in and through you. Remember, Greater is He who is in you, than anything that comes against you.
Comments
I thought a boxer who didn’t move, block, and punch back was called a cauliflower head.
LOL…That works too.
You said, “Because in all reality, if you are walking in the Spirit, it?s not you, it?s Him in you.” How do you effectively walk in the Spirit? I mean is that knowing the Word and listening/obeying the Holy Spirit? And in so doing then its the Holy Spirit in you that is accomplishing the battle?
If God made us flesh, why does He want us to live in the Spirit?
Good questions!
For lack of better words, I would say the goal is to be so dead to ourselves and so crucified with Christ, that it is truly Him living through us. Just like it?s mentioned in the book of Acts ?In Him I live, I move, I have my being?.
How do you effectively walk in the Spirit? A lot easier said than done huh?
I think you are right, it?s a combination of things that cause us to continually walk in agreement with God. As we are all working out our salvation and surrendering areas in our lives, the Lord can have His way. I do believe it?s more than just reading the Bible, I think we have got to really dig in, study and not only memorize it, but own it, so it becomes a part of who we are.
It defiantly is a combination of what should be the norm in a Christian lifestyle (and it is a process):
- Getting in the Word.
- Obedience.
- Prayer.
- Worship.
- Being still and listening.
- Etc.
As we do those things the Lord takes ground in our hearts, it?s an awesome thing!
It seems like one of the biggest problems I see with a lot of people is, they love God but they are not in love with Him, their hearts haven?t been captured by Him. Therefore there is no effort to move forward in Him.
But, I do know that?s not the case with you!
You know, even though we are made of flesh and blood, we were never meant to be carnal. Thanks to the fall now we have to deal with that. Which leads to a pretty cool study I?ll have to post on here some time soon.
But I?ll give you a little peek?
Notice when we read in the Bible about who we are because of the accomplished work of Calvary, like redeemed, reconciled, etc.
There is a RE in front of the word. Now think of it like a VCR or something like that, when the movie is over you Rewind it to get it back to the beginning.
Jesus came not to just get us to Heaven, but to restore the order that was originally planned out. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross and the empty tomb, we now can be all the REs in the Bible and walk with His Holy Spirit dwelling in us!
Praise God!
Wow, that’s neat to think about it like that. Jesus rewound the fall to restore man’s place with him. So the things that Adam gave up Christ gave back. Like dominion and authority?
You own scripture by living it huh? Then I guess when you hear the Word it gets in your head, but you have to expereince it to let it effect you. Like James says faith without works is dead, and then hearing the Word produces faith. So then owning it/experiencing it is transforming hearing into faith, which to me says action.
If a scripture pops out to me, and I disect it to get the deeper meaning then memorize it. Then how do I take it to the next step? Seems like there is a furthering there that leads to owning it, that place of living it out loud. I am lacking that. I think it maybe prayer…to pray the scripture in faith beyond mere belief and into knowing and trust that what the scripture says is a fact like the sun rising tomorrow, or that gravity is real.
I have a question about something else:
John 17 - Jesus says to the Father, I in them and you in me, that they maybe made perfect in one. That the world might know that you sent me and that you have loved them like you have loved me.
I love this, but I am not sure that I get it really. Is this perfection like where God is searching through the earth for a heart that is perfect for Him to show Himself strong. Or is this about salvation and Jesus coming into your heart. In thinking now perhapse its a combination of both like Jesus comes and if truly you are desiring His will He will lead you to perfection. What is your understanding of this verse? I think its 17:22 or somewhere around there.
Wow, more good questions!
You know, I heard a cool thing at Bible study last Wednesday night. I think it was said by a girl named Hope. He mentioned 2 Tim. 2:9 ?Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the Word of God is not bound.?
She went on to say that no matter what comes against her or what she seems to be bound in, the Word of God would not be bound! It would not stop working! What an awesome thing!
So yeah when something pops out at you, pay attention for sure, that?s our Teacher at work.
Me personally, when the Holy Spirit would start to get my attention on something and the revelation didn?t come right away, I would go and worship, then be still and wait. Other times, I would just get it at random times. Like the bathroom! lol It?s a holy place!
One of the biggest things is, don?t stop getting in the Word. So many give up and make excuses, they don?t get it, nothing pops out, etc. But the important thing is to keep digging in no matter what. The cool thing is even if you don?t feel like you are getting it, you are still feeding yourself spiritually and because the Word of God will NOT be bound, amazing things can happen even if you don?t ?feel? anything.
It?s all a growing process and it?s so worth it! So keep up the good work!
Now as far as John 17 goes. That Scripture is much too important, so I will write a post about it today. So that should be up later today. Good stuff!
“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John 17:23
Hi Katina.
Paul asked me to check this out, so I did. It seems to me that Jesus is talking about unity. Us(collectively) being unified with Him as He is with His Father. I noticed that in the greek the word “in” as in “I in them” is different from the word “in” as in “perfect in one”. The first one “en” implies a static, unchanging relationship. The second one “eis” implies a motion as in moving into something. The Amplified Version says “I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united…”
More to the topic… I was thinking about the principle of ownership. You don’t own something unless you’ve paid for it. So the question is, what will it cost you to own the scriptures you read?
Hello Dave,
Good discussion. I found out a portion of the cost tonight in fact, and so here I go….
Very good article enjoyed it very much paul.
Leave a Comment