ALONE, BUT NOT LONELY

Photo taken from B Smith's kitchen window

299 - 2 ALONE, BUT NOT LONELY

June 27, 1976

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

II Timothy 4: 9 -  22 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of shot be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophies have I left at Miletum sick. Do they diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

Paul is now an old man. He has been preaching the gospel for over 30 – 35 years. He has been confined to a prison for some months, in a prison called the Mamertine Prison in Rome. There were no windows in that prison where he could get a whiff of fresh air, and the air was stale, and he could not see a beautiful scene. All that greeted his eyes was a dirty cell that he was in.

1/  There was a hole in the roof through which they dropped whatever food they cared to give him, and through which water was lowered to him. A terrible place to be. 

2/  He is a forsaken man, as we shall see, He says, only Luke is with me in Verses 11 - 16. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of shot be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

3/  Under these circumstances I am sure you could forgive a man if he were discouraged and disheartened. He could look back over the years of service and suffering and he could feel that God did not fully appreciate all he had done. Letting him come to this horrible end.

4/  Paul entertained no such thoughts as these. He was alone alright, but not lonely. He was the most joyful man that ever lived. But right now we must see that he craved companionship Verse 9  He wanted Timothy to come to him and right away. Our Lord also craved company Matthew 26: 38 - 40 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his fave, and prayed, saying, O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour?

In the Garden of Gethsemane, He desired His disciples to watch and pray with Him. We all crave companionship. Let me show you a very beautiful verse—one that always stands out in my mind. II Timothy 4: 17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 

The Lord stood with me and strengthened me. He was ever conscious of the Lord’s presence, never was he alone, for the Lord was with him.

5/  Verse 4: 11 Only Luke is with me. 

I wonder if you remember when Luke first joined the Gospel team? It was in Troas. That Doctor Luke had a general practice, and I wonder if you will let me use my sanctified imagination. One day, he was called to see a patient—amazing but true, he made house calls. For he was to see a visitor in town who had been taken ill. That man was Paul. When the doctor got to the house, he found the man was feverish and very ill. He found Paul had malaria. Very difficult for the restless Paul to be bed ridden, but

Romans 8: 28 fits in here beautifully. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

6/  Difficult for Paul, but good for Doctor Luke, for God used Paul’s sickness to bring Doctor Luke to the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, Paul witnessed to everyone he came in contact with. Doctor Luke became the first missionary doctor. He joined the Gospel team and God used him to keep Paul on the move. Possibly, he prolonged Paul's life. He scarcely left the side of Paul after that.

7/  Acts 16: 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Notice the word  we  the writer had become a fellow-traveler and he was called by Paul. Colossians 4: 14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN Luke was no fair-weathered friend, he stuck with Paul right to the end.

8/  II Timothy 4: 10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is separated into Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Here we have another man who is mentioned—a real contrast to Doctor Luke. This man was guilty of desertion. He could not be counted upon. He was a fair-weathered friend. He deserted the field of battle.

9/  Let us notice three things about this man:

1/  His high position.  There is no question of his salvation, and no question that

  he was used of God. Philemon 24 He had been a companion of Paul, he saw

scores come to Christ, he led many to Christ, he could never question at this time

his salvation or his sincerity.

2/  His desertion. Why did he desert Paul? Because he fell in love with this

  present world. You see, he was love-sick, and his love made him a coward. His

  love for the world, caused him to shirk his duty, he didn’t want to suffer

  persecution. BUT WHEN A MAN GROWS IN GRACE, HE GROWS IN

  COURAGE, AS HE GETS CLOSER TO THE LORD HE BECOMES MORE

WILLING TO SUFFER FOR THE LORD.

a. Think what this did to Paul, a true pastor- teacher missionary. There is

  no greater sorrow for a man like Paul than to see a saint of God, used of

  God, lose his zeal and turn to the world. On the other hand, he has no

  greater joy than to see those saints serving the Lord, grow spiritually. Let

me show you this principle, II John 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of

  they children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment

  from the Father. Paul had entertained high hopes for Demas, now those 

  hopes are dashed to the ground.

3/  How He helps us. We should learn from the weakness of others. Paul was not

above his Lord and this happened to the Lord. Mark 14: 50 And they all

  forsook him, and fled. When our Lord was arrested and mistreated, He found

  himself forsaken by His disciples, they all fled. I believe from time to time, every

man of God faces this situation.

a.  God help us not to be a Demas. He did not want to be persecuted. Full

  surrender cost entirely too much.

b.  This did not come all at once. It is a process of stepping down. 

Colossians 4: 14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. Here

  Demas is no longer a fellow-worker. All we have is just his name.

c.  What does it mean to love this present world? It probably included money of

  which Paul had none, and it probably included pleasure, and popularity.

  Popularity can be a big snare. One becomes afraid of losing his popularity so he

  compromises this truth

d.  I Corinthians 4: 18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come

        to you. He looked at this present world at things seen rather than unseen.

10/  JOHN MARK is an interesting person. His mother had a cottage prayer meeting in his home the night Peter was released from prison in a miraculous way.

a.  He went out with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey, but he

  left the team at Perga in Pamphylia and returned to his home in Jerusalem. He

  evidently was a mama’s boy. He was tied to her apron strings. He was a failure, a

deserter, the same as Demas. Later on, Barnabas wanted to take him on another

journey with Paul, but Paul rightly refused. To Paul a missionary journey was no

  pleasure excursion. He wanted a man that could suffer hardship and danger and

  not go running home, so he told Barnabas, No, Mark will not go with us.

  Barnabas insisted, he was closely related to Mark. He pleaded for another

  chance for Mark. So Paul and Barnabas separated, and it was not a happy

  separation, feelings ran high, Mark and Barnabas went to Cyprus, and Paul took

  Silas with him.

11/  You say, my, what a terrible situation, two godly men arguing, disagreeing. But 

Romans 8: 28 works here as well. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God used this difference. For John Mark proved himself, where he had been a failure he became a success, so it teaches us not to give up on folks. Though they fail once, that does not mean that they will remain a failure. My mind goes back to Jonah. He, too, at first was a failure, and ran away from God.

12/  When one runs from God, God runs after him. Notice how warmly and lovingly Paul speaks of John Mark – bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me and to the ministry. WE CAN NEVER TELL WHAT GOD HAS FOR THE BACKSLIDER.

AMEN

Ref: 06/27/76 / 299-2 ALONE, BUT NOT LONELY / 2020

THE MATTER OF THE OLD NATURE

Photo taken from B Smith's kitchen window

29 - THE MATTER OF THE OLD NATURE

JUNE 4, 1980

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

EPHESIANS 5: 14 – 18 

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

We have been talking to you about the matter of the old nature, how polluted it is, how corrupt it is, and man is nothing but a filthy sinner in himself, and this is why he needs the grace of God. But tonight we want to study the answer to the problem. God doesn’t expect us to live defeated lives, to be terrible sinners, who will always be in disobedience and rebellion against Him. He has made provision that we can live for Him.

1/  Verse 14  Arise from the dead. This is Aorist imperative, and since no believer can literally bring himself from the dead, what does this really mean? There are seven different kinds of death taught in the Bible. In this case, we have the believer out of fellowship through carnality. So our command is get back into fellowship. If we do this, then what happens?

2/  Christ will give thee light. If you pass a house at night and the house is dark, it is really just a blur on the landscape, but if the house has light on the inside, then it takes on beauty. Christianity provides an inner beauty, and inner power, through the light turned on by God controlling the life. 

3/  Then he says, we are to walk circumspectly, we are to walk looking around. Not as fools. How can we avoid being a fool? By being wise, doing what? Redeeming the time—the word, redeem, means to purchase. Remember, this is addressed to believers, and only believers can buy time. The unbeliever does not have the capital to buy even one minute of time. Remember, the days are evil and no one will dispute that, saved or unsaved.

4/  Verse 17 Therefore be ye not unwise. Again, this is imperative mood. So it is a command, and it literally says, stop being stupid. Who is stupid? The Christian in this context—it is the believer who is ignorant of the will of God. How does one know the will of God? This is very important. It is very clear from this context what God says about the will of God—what it is—it is given in the next phrase. 

5/  Verse 18 Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.

The first part of this verse is a probation against drunkenness, because in a drunken state alcohol becomes the controlling force of the inner life. It controls the real you. In the last part of the verse, the part we are interested in here, we have an imperative again—keep on being filled with the Spirit.

6/  It is the passive voice—you receive the filling of the Spirit—you cannot work for it, you cannot earn it, you do not deserve it—it is by grace that you are filled by the Spirit. It is not because you agonize in a closet, it is not because you fasted that you are filled with the Spirit. So the thought is, you do not fill yourself, but you hold the key as to whether you are filled or not. You have to permit God to fill you. So again, you hold the key.

7/  Then we find the passive verb is followed by the dative action, and it indicates to us the filler. If followed by the genitive, the Holy Spirit would fill you with Himself. But here, rather, the Holy Spirit is the agent that fills you with His Word.

8/  The Holy Spirit does not have a body. Jesus Christ has a human body and He is now seated in Heaven, beside the Father on His throne. 

Romans 8: 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

The Holy Spirit does not have a body, a physical body as Jesus Christ has, but He uses our physical body. A while back some folks became upset because I said, you won’t see God, and this is true. They said, you will see the Holy Spirit—no you won’t. Because the Holy Spirit does not have a physical body. He uses your body and my body. 

I Corinthians 6:19 What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

The same truth is taught in Romans 8: 9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

9/  Now it is important to see that this one who lives in you is God. 

Acts 5: 3, 4 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Here Acts says, Why has Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, thou hast not lied unto men but unto God. You must see that the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, uses your body as a dwelling place.

10/  Ephesians 3: 16, 17 And here Paul says, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;

That introduces the result clause. Verse 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, So, we have another fact that we need to see—God, the Holy Spirit lives in your body and He wants to fill you with the Word of God. But now, as He lives in your body, I want you to see the Word, dwell, and this is the Greek word, BEING AT HOME – means to dwell in relaxation and ease. It is possible to be in a house and to live there, and really not be at home there. Some of you may have had some experience along that line. This phrase says in effect that the Holy Spirit controls you, as he lives in your body, He glorifies Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is at home in your life.

11/  Philippians 1: 20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Here we read, So now, also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death. There is one thing you can be sure of, whenever the Holy Spirit controls your life, Jesus Christ will be magnified in your body. Not self, but Jesus Christ.

12/  If I ask you the question, Who glorifies Jesus Christ on earth? You might say, believers. You are wrong. The answer is the Holy Spirit in the believer. This is true in every age. 

John 16: 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. He (the Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me. It is part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ.

13/  No member of the human race has within himself, any ability as a result of his first birth—that is physical, to glorify Christ. His human talent, his physical assets, his mental capacity, none of these things can glorify Christ. This is true because the flesh can never glorify Christ. It is polluted, it is sick unto death. Today there is only one person who can glorify Christ, and that is the Holy Spirit indwelling and controlling the believer.

14/  Now to be victorious in the Christian life, this indwelling Holy Spirit has to control your inner life. This is called spirituality, and spirituality is your relationship to the Holy Spirit.

15/  Ephesians 5: 1 Here is one of the great commands of the Bible. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. 

This is one command that no believer can obey. Does that shock you? It shouldn’t. There is no way on earth that you can keep this command. To the unsaved person and to the carnal believer, on the surface it might seem to be very easy. They try to rationalize their way through this command, but when you see this verse in the Greek the first things you would be able to say to yourself is, I cannot do it. That is where spirituality starts. There is where victory over the old nature starts—it beings with the principle that it is something you and I cannot do. Human energy, human ability, human ingenuity, are totally incapable of following God. This must be the work of the Holy Spirit.

16/  Be ye is literally KEEP ON BECOMING. And the next word is the real issue—followers. It is the Greek word, MIN—AY—TACE. It means to mimic, it means to follow, it means to imitate. It is the same word we have in I Corinthians 4: 16 where Paul says, be followers of me—imitate me. Here we are to imitate God, to mimic God, and certainly we cannot do this.

17/  But as members of the family of God, we should bear a family resemblance. Whatever characteristic and traits we have from our physical birth, we now have a new set of characteristics from our spiritual birth, and if we have a normal growth, we will bear a family resemblance. This can only be done, through, as we have in Ephesians 5: 18. THE FILLING, or the controlling of the Holy Spirit in our bodies.

18/  Let’s go back to Ephesians 5: 14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 

Christ shall give thee light. How do you get light?—through the controlling of the Holy Spirit. Suppose you have a perfectly beautiful television set, studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies, and it is made of the very finest grained wood. When friends come into your home they are admiring it and say, “What a beautiful TV set.” Then they sit down to see a program, and you turn on this beautiful set. Flip goes the switch, but there is no picture. You try every station, still no picture. Your friends just seem to fade before your eyes. It is a beautiful set but it doesn’t work. Now, all of a sudden, you think—I know what is wrong. You go behind the set, plug the plug into the electrical outlet, and there is some power, and suddenly the picture comes on. Just so it is with the believer. This light is not his personality. This light is not his appearance. This light is the Holy Spirit working in your body controlling the inner person. The Holy Spirit is the power Who turns on the light.

19/  I can hear the friends who came into your house to admire your beautiful television set, and when there is no picture on it saying, “I’m going down the street where there is an old beaten up set—it is not in color, it is only black and white, but at least it has a picture on it.” So, you without the Holy Spirit lighting you up, you are absolutely valueless in the program of God. Your old nature is controlling you and all that will come forth is that which is displeasing to God, that which is fleshly.

20/  Verse 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, How can you walk circumspectly? The answer is found in Galatians 5: 16 This I say then, walk by the means of the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh,—the old sin nature. Then it says, not as fools. How can I avoid being a fool? By having the Holy Spirit control the inner person.

21/  Verse 14 Awake thou that sleepest. Why are we asleep? Because the Holy spirit is not controlling the inner person.

22/  Let’s look at the negative aspect of spirituality. There are two negatives.

I Thessalonians 5: 19 Quench not the Spirit. 

Ephesians 4: 30 Grieve not the Spirit.

Immediately these two negative conditions tell us we can do something not to be spiritual, not to have the Holy Spirit control our lives. We do it.

23/  But we can do nothing actually to be spiritual. What an amazing thing! We can do something not to be spiritual. We can grieve and quench the Holy Spirit, but we can do nothing to be spiritual. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. 

24/  We must distinguish between quenching and grieving the Spirit. Both sins put the believer out of fellowship, it means the Holy Spirit is not doing His work in our body, and so therefore, we are carnal. 

25/  The easiest way to illustrate this is in the area of marriage. An act of adultery would be called grieving the Holy Spirit, because it involves a violation of moral concept. We are doing something morally wrong.

26/  I am sure you understand it is perfectly proper to get married. That is what the Bible condones, but it is wrong for a Christin to marry an unbeliever.

II Corinthians 6: 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? 

This is in disobedience to the Word of God in an area that does not include ethics or morals. And this is called quenching the Holy Spirit. It amounts to the same thing as disobedience to the revealed or declared will of God in Scripture, but remember both quenching and grieving are sins committed by believers only and it means the same in Ephesians 5: 18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; The Spirit is not operating in our lives. 

27/  Now, the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God and our minds. Proverbs 23: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 

Isaiah 26: 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. So, we see the Holy Spirit uses our minds. This is the way He works. When He controls our minds, we are spiritual. When the old nature controls our minds, we are out of fellowship with God, and we are not spiritual.

28/  It is necessary to see that being spiritual is 100% either way—not 60/40, not 30/70. But it is 100% either way. 

29/  Galatians 6: 15 Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Notice, it is either one or the other. We are either spiritual or carnal. 

I Corinthians 3: 1 – 3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

The flesh can do no good in itself. 

Romans 7: 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

So, we can see that God has made provision even though we are absolutely corrupt in the flesh, in the old nature. He has given us the Spirit and when the Holy Spirit controls us, we do not do the things of the flesh.

AMEN

Ref: 06/04/1980 / 29 - THE MATTER OF THE OLD NATURE / 2020

5

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND YOU

Photo from H Smith's flower bed

   26 - THE HOLY SPIRIT AND YOU

   July 11, 1973

   Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Galatians 5: 16 Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

We read “walk in the Spirit”, and it should be “walk by the Spirit,” and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. But now the question comes up, how can we know when we are walking by the Spirit. What is the true test? This is the command of God. And God would certainly let us know when we are walking by the Spirit.

John 16: 12 - 14 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

John 7: 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The Holy Spirit’s ministry is glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. So when you are walking by the Spirit you will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. You will do it for Him. You will do it that He will be lifted up, that He will be exalted, that He will get the honor.

1/  You do have two natures, and it is important to understand this—the old nature and the new nature. And according to Galatians 5 they are constantly fighting, they are constantly in conflict. 

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. 11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased. 12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you. 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

You have a civil war going on in your life. And this civill war is that when you walk by the Spirit, you will glorify Jesus Christ. But when you walk by the flesh, the old nature, you will glorify yourself. So the whole problem is, where are your eyes? Where is your mind? We told you that the mind is the most important part of you. Is your mind upon Jesus Christ, or is your mind upon self? For self is your biggest enemy.

2/  There is an Old Testament character who reveals much to us about keeping our eyes upon self. So let us look at Elijah for just a few minutes. 

I Kings 19: 1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 

Remember that Elijah had had a great victory in the Lord over the prophets of Baal. Over Ahab and Jezebel, and Ahab returned and he came into the house and the first thing he did was tell his wife, Jezebal everything. Jezebel was the leader of the ecumenical religious system of Palestine of that day. And, of course, they worshipped Baal. She immediately took steps to get rid of Elijah, and she was a pretty smart woman. She had no idea of making a martyr out of the prophet, because that would spread the revival among Israel, however, she knew she must get rid of Elijah in some way, and that is exactly what she had in mind when she sent him a threatening note.

3/  I Kings 19: 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.

Jezebel was referring to the prophets of Baal. The preachers whom she had been supporting with public funds for the past few years. Elijah had all these prophets slain. 

I Kings 18: 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 

And now she wanted to scare him because he would run away, he would leave this area. Up to this time, Elijah had his eyes on the Lord, and as a result he had been used of the Lord. But now Jezebel gets him to put his eyes upon himself, and he fell right in with Jezebel’s plan.

4/  This is exactly what we are studying here. This is exactly what we have in mind. Getting our eyes off the Lord, and putting them on ourselves. This is a very dangerous thing to do.

5/  Vs. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 

Elijah’s life suddenly became very important to him, he did a lot of running. The Scriptures tells us that he came to Beersheba which belonged to Judah. That is a distance of over 100 miles from the palace at Jezrael.

6/  Vs. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

One of the things that happens when we get our eyes on what is going on around us, we get our eyes on ourselves. Remember Elijah had been a spiritual giant at Mount Carmel, but now suddenly he feels very sorry for himself. It is the same old problem—I wish I were dead. Of course, people don’t mean it. How many times have you said, how many times have I said, I wish I were dead. We don’t mean it. It is just a means of being sorry for ourselves. It is an expression of our self-pity.

7/  Elijah had just ignored the grace of God. No one had ever said he was better than his fathers. Elijah had been used of the Lord, not because of who he was, or what he was, but because of the grace of God. He was not any one special. You could always count on it. When you get out of fellowship with the Lord and you get your eyes off the Lord, you are going to feel sorry for yourself, and you are going to have the wrong attitude toward yourself.

8/  You know, sooner or later, all who are saved, those who are believers in Jesus Christ reach the point where they are sitting under the juniper tree, so you and I can understand and even sympathize with Elijah, because we have all been in this same place, where everything looks terrible, everything has gone wrong, and no one loves us and the Lord can’t possibly use us.

9/  Vs. 5 As he lay and slept under the juniper tree, we are told that an angel touched him and said unto him, arise and eat. 

Elijah didn’t earn, or deserve the right to have food, or anything else. He was out of fellowship with the Lord, but God in His grace always provides.

10/  Now we discover that the angel of Vs. 5 is the Lord Jesus Christ, The Angel of Jehovah. So the Lord came in his hour of difficulty, in his hour of trial.

11/  Vs. 6 - 8 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baking on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

This is very interesting passage. I haven’t the slightest idea what the food was, but I would like to have one meal like that every day. Apparently, it contained all the vitamins, all the minerals that were necessary, because after just this one meal, Elijah traveled 40 days.

12/  He was needy, he came to a cave and lodged there. The word, lodged, is a very interesting word. The Hebrew word for lodging. First of all, there is a word, GUR—it means TO LODGE SOMEWHERE AS A GUEST. The idea means to come and spend a short time and spend just that specified short time. This is what we would call a good guest. Then there is a second word, DUM—it means to lodge in the state of depression, you are upset. Then #3, DUR—it means to dwell in restlessness. This word was used in connection with any kind of caged animal. Then #4, JASHAB—it means to dwell in peace and happiness, blessing and prosperity. As I look at this word, I guess it is the word that should refer to every married couple. They should have this in their dwelling. 

Then the next word is LUN it means to go to move into someplace with the idea of spending the night there and staying a long time. This is the word that is used here in our verse. Elijah moved into this cave just to get some rest for one night, but he stayed a long time. The cave was dark, and I imagine it was cold and clammy. So what happens? He again begins to feel sorry for himself. So he sat in there and sulked. Here is a great spiritual giant, who once had his eyes on the Lord, and now he is just a depressive, sulking child of God.

13/  The Lord Jesus Christ came to him again to teach him the lesson of spirituality. A lesson that we all should learn. It is easier for us, because we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. We have the Word of God, and so He says, Elijah, what are you doing here? That was a very good question. What was he doing there? Here was the spiritual leader of the great revival in Northern Israel, and Elijah was never meant to be a track star, a cross-country runner, but that is exactly what he had become a here we find him pouting in a cave.

14/  Vs. 10 The key to this verse is the first personal pronoun, I. The Lord Jesus Christ being God, knew that Elijah was jealous, or literally that means, zealous for the Lord. He also knew that the children of Israel were out of line, they weren’t the individuals they should be, but notice the emphasis—I, I, I, MY. The only things we can see—ELIJAH HAD HIS EYES ON HIMSELF. Every time we do this, we are in trouble.

15/  Now we have to see that the Lord is very gracious. How we should love the grace of God. He was not willing to give up one of HIs trained servants for Elijah had been trained by the Brook Cherish, and he had been trained in the house of the widow of Zarephath. 

I Kings 17 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of  Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. 17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 20 And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. 22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

We must remember, he was falling apart. He was at the place of carnality. His eyes were only on himself, so why did the Lord do?

16/  Vs 11 The Lord said, Go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord, and the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord. 

So Elijah stood there in front of the cave and watched this tremendous wind tear up the mountainside and destroy the rocks. Then there was an earthquake, but the important words are, The Lord was not in the wind, the Lord was not in the earthquake. What was the lesson? The Lord does not operate through the energy of the flesh, through human power. God operates through Divine power.

17/  Vs 12 But after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. It is well at this point that we stop and look at a principle that is in the Bible. 

Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 

The backslider in heart shall be satisfied with his own ways, and God is teaching Elijah that very thing. He has been satisfied with his own ways.

18/  Then we read of a still, small voice. The Hebrew word for still is the one employed in Psalms 107: 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 

The Lord addressed His servant not in an angry and austere manner, but in gentleness and in tenderness to show him grace. There was a lesson Elijah needed to know, and it is found in Zacheriah. 4: 6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. 

It is not my might, nor by my power, but My Spirit saith the Lord of hosts. Elijah needed this knowledge, and so do we.

19/  Elijah still didn’t learn his lesson, and he had to be set aside for several years until he woke up to the importance of the power of the Spirit. The control of the still, small voice. God can use any broken stick, but when He doesn’t, the greatest talents, ability, personality, eloquence, are absolutely useless in His work.

20/  We see this principle again in Ephesians 3: 16, 17 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, —

You will notice the principle here, the Holy Spirit controlling the inner man is the source of power. And he tells us it is you so that Christ may be at home in your heart. Heart, of course, means your mind. BEING AT HOME MEANS TO DWELL IN RELAXATION AND EASE. 

It is possible to be in a house, to live there, and not to be at home there. I am sure all of you have experienced this at some time or another. This says in effect that the Holy Spirit, controlling the inner man results in Christ being at home in your life. This again is the principle of Proverbs 23: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

21/  Philippians 1: 20  According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 

With all boldness is literally WITH ALL CONFIDENCE. In the last passage, Christ was to be at home in our hearts and our minds, now we have a little different phrase, CHRIST MAGNIFIED IN OUR BODY.

22/  Galatians 4: 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, —

Paul is using the title, My little children to rebuke the Galatians. Occasionally, when adults start scraping, we tell them to stop acting like children, stop being childish. But with this phrase Paul immediately gains the attention of those folks in Asia Minor. They had been conducting themselves with a rather childish way by devouring and biting one another with words. They had been fighting among themselves, because they had been suckers for false doctrine. So Paul is using the term, my little children, as a rebuke, not as a term of affection. 

Of whom I travel in birth again, can best be translated, I AM SWEATING YOU OUT. 

Here is the phrase we need. Until Christ be formed in you. This again is the principle. Put your eyes on the Lord, not on yourself.

AMEN

Ref: 07/11/1973/ 26 - THE HOLY SPIRIT AND YOU / 2020