In Order To Advance, He Is Able Page 155 at http://www.he-is-able.com/page155.html


	In Order To Advance...


I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13


In the contract department of a large company, one could hear the office employees commiserating daily about various duties of their job they considered beneath what [they perceived] they ought to be doing. Each list of complaints was invariably followed with, "I want to be promoted. I don't like what I'm doing." It was a complaint that regularly surfaced in the staff meetings. One day, the department manager's supervisor was invited to attend one of those staff meetings and surely enough, the comment was made. Without hesitation, he addressed the issue directly: "In order to advance, you must first prove that you "own the job" you have. You will not be considered for advancement to the next level of responsibility before you have proven your ability to manage that which you already have."

Could this be one of the reasons why we can't seem to get further along in our Christian experience? Why we keep on having to endure the "same old things"? Why we keep making that "same old trip" around that "same old mountain" on the "same old road"? Why we keep having to fight the "same old battles"? Could it be that we're refusing to learn what God would have us to know, and thus we keep having to repeat the "same old lesson" time after time?

When I was a student in school, I had to take tests in my classes. My scores on those tests let the teachers know how well I had learned the lessons. They would know how much, if any, of the material needed to be repeated, or if we could move on to the next phase of learning. If my test scores showed I "owned" the knowledge they were trying to teach me, we moved on. If not, the lesson was repeated or I received special tutoring until I did. Now I didn't like taking tests any more than anyone else did, but they were necessary to show my progress or lack of it. And I didn't always have advance notice, either. Sometimes those little "pop quizzes" were a real wake-up call (especially if I didn't do well and Mama had to sign my test paper that night!)

Life is a learning experience, whether we like it or not. And how well we do with it depends on the lessons we learn (or our refusal to do so) and how we use what we learn. Those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior have received an enhancement to their lives: the power to be overcomers, through Christ, of the trials (tests) which we encounter in our lives: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. I John 4:4. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39. "I can do ALL things through Christ..." Doesn't say "I can do SOME things..." It says, "ALL things." Where WE get in trouble is, we try to do things through, in, of and by ourselves! We forget God until we hit the impossible. Here's a news flash for you: He likes to be included on the possible, too. He wants ALL the glory, ALL the time. We seem to have a problem with that: WE want the credit. WE want the recognition: "Just look at what I did!" Instead, we need to give God ALL the glory and stand back in awe and amazement as He performs marvelous things in our lives. Why do we settle for the crumbs of life instead of feasting at the Master's table?

"Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." So, WHO is in us? Excuse me, Who is SUPPOSED to be in us, if we are the Children of God? Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? James 3:11. Same question could be asked about "doubt" and "faith". We would do well to do the same as the father of the child with the "dumb spirit" in Mark 9:15-29: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Verses 23-24). The man wanted desperately to believe, and he realized there might be some doubt in his mind: "...help thou mine unbelief"!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:35. "Nay, in ALL these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH him that loved us." Read it again. Doesn't say "some of these things"--it very plainly has that little word that means so much: A-L-L. And we are MORE than conquerors? When you conquer something, you master it. I reckon you could say you "own" it, eh? When I learned what the teachers were trying to teach me in school, I then owned that knowledge. I had "mastered" the lesson. Well, THROUGH Christ, we are MORE than conquerors! Now here it is again, laid out very simply for you: For I am persuaded, that neither death life angels principalities powers things present things to come height depth any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39. What a list! Pretty much encompasses everything we will encounter, eh? So WHY are we defeated?

The eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews contains one of the most powerful messages one could ever read. Many many times I have called on the God of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, David, Peter, John, Stephen, Paul (the list goes on and on), reminding Him that I know He is MY God, too! Not to build a list of mere repetitions, but as I recalled each name, my faith was increased. And it's not a matter of working up a GREAT BIG faith: Jesus, Himself stated: "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed...nothing shall be impossible unto you." It's a matter of authentic faith, not half faith, half doubt.

Of course, there is something more to be said about what we pray for: (1) Sometimes we are not ready to receive that which we have asked for; (2) Sometimes we do NOT need that which we have asked for; (3) Sometimes God has something else in store for us, some other plan for our lives. All things must be according to the Will of God, and in order to have any peace in our lives, we must accept His Will. I assure you, when we are ready to be promoted, to be "advanced", God will do so without fail.

However, be aware of this: there are those positions which entail having to endure an on-going trial. I remind you of the Apostle Paul; who among us would dispute that he was a great man of God? But look at this: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. II Corinthians 12:7-10. Instead of us focusing on trying to "figure out" what his thorn in the flesh was, the lesson we need to get from this passage of scripture is that THREE* times Paul asked God to take this "thorn", but God would not do so. Instead, God said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Did you catch on as to why this "messenger of Satan was sent to buffet" him? Read it again: "Lest I should be exalted above measure..." The NIV says, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations..." That "messenger" was sent to remind Paul to keep his focus on GOD, not see himself as any great being or source of power. Could it be that some of the things we have to endure are sent to us for the same reasons, and we just "don't get it"?

Sometimes, God delivers from and sometimes God delivers through. There are going to be lessons to be learned in life, my friends, and those lessons come through that which we encounter. And if we don't "get the lesson", there may be a repeat of it, until we do. Each lesson is so that we can grow: in strength, in knowledge, in wisdom, in grace, in faith, etc. Are we learning from our lessons? Or do we keep "flunking out"? In order to advance, we must not only learn the lesson, but then apply the knowledge, the wisdom, the faith, whatever it is that we have learned. Use it! Watch a child as it learns to walk--a great example of how we should do in our Christian walk: as it learns to pull itself up, and take those first few steps, there may be moments it reassumes the position of crawling, but the desire to learn is stronger than the consolation of crawling, and it will try again and again and again, until it "owns" the ability to walk.

God has given each of us a "measure of faith". When we encounter trials--that which tests us--in order to advance, we need to use that which we already "own". Don't let your circumstances override that which you know ("own"). Study the Word of God. Stand on the promises you find within it. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust...Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night... Psalm 91:2,5. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13.

If we will do all we can with what we have, I assure you, we will reap the rewards of faithful service in our Christian walk. When we prove "ownership" of that which the Lord has already given us, and as we prove "ownership" of each new thing He would have us learn and understand, we WILL advance. Of course, that will mean a new lesson and believe me, there will be a test................... May the Lord richly bless you in all your endeavors for Him. * The answer is right there, by the way--"a messenger of Satan to buffet me"--why do we need more details?
(all emphasis on scriptures, such as bold, underline or uppercase, is mine) "In Order To Advance..." Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes. All Rights Reserved.

Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel

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