PART #27
THE STAFF AND SWORD MINISTRY
MARCH 2009
MANIFESTING CHRIST THE OVERCOMING LIFE NOT CHANGED B UT EXCHANGED by Nancy-TONI Younglirandt Wow -- it has been 6 years since I first had the leading and insight to write about "Manifesting Christ." In some ways these articles are an extension or continuation of the Fiery Trials" articles written to help believers know what to expect in your walk and how to have a closer walk in and with Jesus Christ. In these "Manifesting Christ" articles I have been led to share and teach on subjects that also would help in your walk in Christ in the hopes and to ends of making ourselves ready and available to Manifest Christ, the very Spirit ofChrist Himself, in our daily lives and to others that God's Will be done in thisearth as it is done in Heaven. As for "Manifesting Christ" itself and what that means to me, I see it on multiple levels. On a basic level it means not just having salvation through Jesus Christ but having that gift becomes real in our hearts and in the very core of our being, to where we manifest and show forth 1-Iis Love. peace, patience. forgiveness and all ofthe other fruits to all those we meet and relate to in our lives. On another level, I see how as we yield to Jesus all that is within us and we give up our self-life, that we begin to operate in and manifest our new life in Christ and we really become who God made us to be. This is not an instant change but rather a gradual one where over time Jesus shines more and more through us to others. Then there is the ultimate level, when I believe God Himself will quicken Christ to manifest within His prepared people to where the Light of Christ shines forth for all to see. This would be the manifestation ofthe sons ofGod. However, this third level will only collie by the Sovereign Will of God, for His purposes and in His Time, and I believe this is a part oF.lesus' Second Coming — in His people. In the meantime, we, who love Jesus and seek Hite with all of our heart, have to be as those faithful virgins who remained read y and alert for when the bridegroom comes. After all. Jesus will come for a bride, a body, that is without spot or wrinkle; He will come to
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those saints who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and have been clothed in white linen. There is obviously work yet to be done in the Body of Christ for us to be prepared to receive our Savior as our groom. Perhaps the word work' isn't the right word because if anyone does the work' of preparing God's people it is certainly God Himself by His Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. For us, however, if there is a work, it is of letting go, of denying self and taking up our cross and allowing the Spirit of God to take from the sinful, former life and receiving His new life which He has for us. As the Christian Watchman Nee wrote, the meaning of this life which Christ Jesus has for us, this overcoming life, is that it is NOT A CHANGED LIFE BUT AN EXCHANGED LIFE.
NOT A CHANGED LIFE BUT AN EXCHANGED LIFE Jesus made it plain in Scripture that we have to give up our old life to gain our new life. We can't just fix up the old life with a little `glue and duck tape,' we have to trade it all in for our new life in Christ. In Matthew 916-17 Jesus used the example of that in order to receive of the new wine, we must have a new wineskin to put it in because the old wineskins will only leak and break. Likewise Jesus taught us that you can't put a new patch on an old linen garment for the garment will wear out further and eventually tear away from the patch. It is all too easy to think that while salvation is free, somehow we must work to change ourselves into the Christian Jesus calls us to be. And yet no where does Jesus actually say we are to do the changing ourselves, but rather the point is made that He, Jesus Christ, has done it all for us and that it is there waiting for us if we will give up our life to gain His life for us. We have heard from a few intercessors who are having a tough time lately with depression or just dealing with issues which make them feel a bit depressed or down on themselves. One individual even admitted there were times when he wished Chuck-JGHNEL could just take his staff and 'bop' him on the head, so to speak, to get his act in order. In praying about this, while the reasons and causes of depression can be as varied as the individual experiencing it, when it comes to feeling depressed about the seeming lack of change in ourselves and our apparent inability to snake a lasting change in certain areas of ourselves, we often feel frustrated and down because while we may be praying in Jesus' Name to conquer certain aspects of our nature such as anger or fear, the truth is that we are hanging onto the very thing we are trying to change. The very idea of change means that we must work and endure certain things until we eventually effect a change. However, we must come to the realization that we cannot trul y change ourselves in any deep, significant
PAGE 3 TIIE OVERCOMING LIFE - NOT CHANGED BUT EXCHANGED March 2009 NOT A CHANGED LIFE BUT AN EXCHANGED LIFE continued way spiritually; we cannot and are not to use our own soul power and might to make ourselves more like Jesus. Only Jesus Christ can make us more like Jesus Christ. Jesus
Christ has no sin within Him and took on our sin and died for us so we don't have to literally die to have victory over sin. Jesus did it all for us. So, instead of trying to change ourselves into Christ's image, all we really have to do is EXCHANGE our life for His Life. This also goes the same for a Christian who is perhaps not struggling with any obvious sin or difficulty such as an ill-temper, being covetous or any other number of sins of the flesh.
Regardless of whether you would be perceived or even perceive yourself as being a bad' Christian or a good' Christian, it is still Christ that is your righteousness and therefore Christ that is to overcome in you and not you overcoming yourself. You, even in Christ's authority and power, can only overcome yourself up to a point and you must let go and let Jesus overcome that which is within you because as much as you might see and be aware of, you can't see it all and you can't deal with it all. There can only be one master on the throne seat of our hearts, either it is our self that is sitting there or it is Christ - we cannot serve two masters. Only God is good. Even Jesus said that when someone tried to call Him good while He walked the earth. It is important and helpful for you to meditate on that in prayer to where that becomes a reality and a truth in your heart. Why? Because it takes the pressure off of you! You don't have to make yourself perfect - wow! Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit working in you will do that - the work will be done for you!! How liberating that should be Lo you spiritually-speaking.
THE OVERCOMING LIFE - A GIFT, NOT A REWARD For now, I am going to borrow some of the ideas/insights that Watchman Nee shared in
his book, THE OVERCOMING LIFE (The Basis For The Normal Christian Life), published by Living Stream Ministry. 1835 W. Ball Road. Anaheim. CA 92804/ Pa Box 2121. Anaheim. CA 92814. (1 highly recommend this book.)
In his book, Watchman wrote further in the chapter entitled "The Characteristics of the Overcoming Life" that the principle of an overcoming life, a victorious life, is that it is first, last and always a GIFT, NOT A REWARD. This is an important distinction because we cannot look at Christ's overcoming life within us as a reward for anything we have done. We cannot sa y that salvation is a free gift but the victory is the result of our own effort or from anything we did 'right.' To think that we have any credit in experiencing victory in Christ in our lives is to diminish all that Jesus did for
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THE OVERCOMING LIFE - A GIFT NOT A REWARD continued us on the cross. We can't just think that Jesus gets us through the door to Heaven but that we can take it from there. Instead, we have to realize that all we have of Christ in our lives is because of Christ and it is a gift from God not because we earned it, or are worth it but just because God loves us. Z
In James 1:17 it says: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and conneth
down from the Father of lights,... A further concordance study reveals that the Holy Ghost is a gift, that righteousness is a gift, salvation is a gift, and grace is a gift. With all these gifts, what more cou]d we need? For your edification and abiding meditation, here is what Scripture says on this subject: Acts 2:38 : "Then Peter said unto them. Repent, and be baptized every one ofyou in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift o the Hol y Ghost. " For if by one man's offence death reigned by one: much more they which receive abundance ofgrace and of the gift o ri g hteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as b y the offence of one judgment came upon all
Romans 5:.17, JS :
men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the , free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. " Ephesians 4:7: "But unto everyone
of us is given grace according to the measur e of
the gift of Christ. And Iast but not least, we have Ephesians 2:8 -10 that perhaps most applies to our discussion here. It says: "For 1?3y grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before obtained that we should walk in them. " Here we see the importance of knowing within ourselves our limitations and that all that is good within us, all which saves us and brings us closer to Jesus and into His overcomino life is also from God through Jesus Christ and is not from anything of our own making. Works alone do not save us, works alone do not make us more holy or righteous — it is through Jesus Christ that we are counted as Holy and are made righteous only because it is
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THE OVERCOMING LIFE - A GIFT, NOT A REWARD continued His Righteousness that we are walking in. Why is this distinction so important? The reason for this is: "lest any man should boast." You see, our self-nature is and can be very deceptive and self-serving. It is more than willing to take credit where it can and the appeal of salvation through works is very strong to that self-nature because it makes us feel ]ike we have done something to earn or deserve that which is freely given. We like to think and even boast within ourselves that we have done something `good' or `right'. However, in truth, only God is good and all that is good within us really comes from Him. That is what is meant by us being the result of His workmanship and that we are created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works — good Arks that originate and come from God. In other words, just as Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, so God the Father is the author and creator of good works, not us. So the more we come to terms with that, the easier it is for us in our walk in Christ.
THE WAY TO RECEIVE THIS LIFE -OBTAINED NOT ATTAINED
In Watchman Nee's book, he next qualifies that "the overcoming life is something that is obtained; it is not attained." He then explains that to obtain is to acquire something and to attain is to go through a long journey. And to attain "one has to advance gradually, and there is no assurance of when he will arrive." This brought to mind an analogy he used in the book where he likened people's view or approach to salvation as being either a life preserver or a lifeboat. He points out that salvation and all Jesus has done for us is meant to be a lifeboat, however, too many of God's people only see it as a life preserver. So, you may ask, what is wrong with that? Well, I see it this way... Before we saved, life in this world can feel a bit like being lost at sea. To my soul without Jesus, being in the world was kind of like being in the sea at the mercy of currents and waves with strong undertows and creatures every threatening to pull me down. Sin, the fallen nature, wounds and demonic influence in our lives seem to have such strength and weight in our lives that to liken them to the sea or ocean seems quite accurate. Then Jesus comes along and offers us salvation from our sea of troubles and Iife of sin. The question is then: do you see salvation as a life preserver or a lifeboat? The life preserver is a help, no question about it, but it doesn't actually get you out of the water does it? It only helps you stay afloat until some else pulls you out or you actually use your strength and might to swim to shore. This choice still leaves you at the mercy and vulnerable to the currents, waves and
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THE WAY TO RECEIVE THIS LIFE — OBTAINED, NOT ATTAINED continued undertow of the sea (world); this choice will make overcoming seem about impossible because the individual is still in the sea of this world while trying to rise above it. With this approach the individual is seeking to attain salvation through a long journey with no assurance of arriving at the desired destination. On the other hand, the lifeboat is there to be obtained; it is there to be received and entered into with minimal effort on our part. Jesus is that lifeboat. He is there to take our soul out of our sea of sin and trouble altogether, and take us to shore and safety. With Him, our
lifeboat, we no longer have to be swept about by sin and troubles of this life for He taken us out of that sea and with Him we can even walk on the water. This is not to sa y that troubles won't arise for even in a lifeboat at sea, waves and storms will arise, some them even trying to knock us overboard. But how we respond to them is the key. Do we let them sweep us overboard and into the sea or do we look to Jesus and get back out of the water and back on board the lifeboat as soon as we are able? His lifeboat is there for every one who is willing to come on board so reach out to Him and He will bring you out of the sea and into His boat of life and victory over the power of the sea.
THE RECEIVING OF THIS LIFE - A MIRACLE Perhaps at this point you are thinking that this sounds great but inwardly you just despair that Jesus would really do that for you. Or maybe you think God does one thing for one person, but He does not operate that way with you. Then there are others who probably do not feel their failures and don't see how hopeless they trul y are. Others yet have given up altogether that they will ever overcome unless God performs a miracle. Well folks, God is in the miracle business, as they say. As Watchman Nee writes, '`Man's way is to suppress sin. But God's way is to perform a miracle by removing the old man and cleansing the heart altogether. If you realize the meaning of God's victory, you will he overjoyed." Amen to that! In his book, Watchman Nee goes onto give examples where God performed a miracle in the form of the overcoming life. One lady had been Christian for several years but still had a hot temper. Her whole household lived in fear of her exploding temper. Then one day she received the Lord Jesus as her victory, woke up the next day and came downstairs a new person. Even her husband saw the difference in her right away and proclaimed, "This is indeed a miracle! What a miracle! Thank and praise the Lord! This is a miracle." The point here is that miracles aren't just reserved for the healing of the sick, multiplication of food and other such miracles but Jesus wants to do a miracle in your life today — He wants to give you the overcoming life!!
PAGE 7 THE OVERCOMING LIFE — NOT CHANGED BUT EXCHANGED March 2009 THE RECEIVING OF THIS LIFE — A MIRACLE continued
After the story of the woman with the temper, Watchman Nee shares a story witnessed by Mr. C. G. Trumbull, the founder of the Sunday School Times Company, and a person experienced in the spiritual life. He too had realized that the overcoming life was a miracle and "testified to an elder that after he received Lord Jesus as his life, not only was his temper gone, but even his desire to lose his temper disappeared." The elder then asked if that meant that all of our sins can be removed? To which Mr. Trumbull replied "yes". The elder then responded by saying that he believed that was real for Mr. Trumbull because he believed him but that such a thing could never happen to him. Later, Mr. Trumbull invited this elder for a time of prayer at which time the elder also "RECEIVED THIS FACT." Some time later, Mr. Trumbull met the elder again, and he told Mr. Trumbull, "I have never experienced in my life what I experienced on that evening. It was a miracle! There is no struggling and no striving. The cravings are gone, even the desire for sin is gone. This in indeed wonderful. It is a miracle." 4
What great news! To know that there is victory over the sin and fallen nature within us! Praise the Lord! This in turn may lead you to wonder how you might go about obtaining the miracle that waits for you? Well, I believe the key in the story of the elder and Mr. Trumbull when they spent a long time in prayer together and the elder finally "RECEIVED THIS FACT." You see, he had heard the story of Mr. Trumbull and believed that God would and had done such a thing for him, but the elder had not received the fact that God would do such a thing for him. He might even had read all the Scriptures and yet still had not received the fact into his heart. But once he finally did receive into his heart through a time of prayer that God had a gift for him and that God would overcome in the elder and give him the overcoming life. then he obtained it.
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER When it comes to obtaining or receiving anything from God, it begins first within ourselves. I believe the best wa y to teach on this is with the Parable of the Sower in the Bible. In this parable we see the best example of what we should be doing but also what we shouldn't be doing when it comes to the words, revelations and promises of God. As a refresher, the Scriptures go like this:
"A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sawed, some fell by the wary side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it
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THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER continued
fell among thorns; and the thorns sp r ang lip with it, and choked it. And other_ fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit "lacked moisture. And some
an hundred fold. And when he had said these things, lie cried, He that hath ears
to hear, let him hear.... Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then coin eth the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and he saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, they receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while they believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which , fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring forth no fruit to pemfection. But they on the good ground are they, which inn an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. " (Jesus in Luke 8:5-8,11 . 15 ) Here we see that the seed is the word of God. From what the Holy Spirit has shown me, that seed is ANY word from God whether it is a personal prophecy, a promise in Scripture, a vision, or a revelation by the Spirit of God. Each one is a seed that is given unto to us. So what the parable is revealing are the consequences of what we do with that seed. The first example is when the seed is sown but some falls by the way side and it is trodden down and the fowl of the air devour it up. This happen to those who may hear the word of God but they give it little attention and certainly don't care to take the seed within the good ground of their heart so the enemy of our souls easily comes in and takes that seed away lest it find a way to take root after all. Chuck-JUHNEL has certainly seen this, especially in his early year-s when he worked to be submitted to Jesus in his local church group. He saw how on one day they could prophesy by the Spirit of God one thing and then the next day or so later, deny they ever said such a thing. When reminded of what they had prophesied by the Spirit of God, they would remember for a brief moment and then go right back to denying that God was Ieading Chuck-JOHNEL. Here it can be seen that while the word came from God to those individuals, it did not take root and the enemy was able to quickly take it away. Also in this category might be those that hear a word of prophecy and say that when it comes to pass, then we'll know if it is of God or not. Then when it does come to pass, they still don't believe. These just have not and will not receive a word from God within themselves. The next group are those seeds that fall upon rock and as soon as it is sprung up, it is
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THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER continued withered away because it lacks moisture, and, I would add, good soil. Jesus explains that these are those that when they hear the word of God, they receive it with joy and they believe for a while but since it does not take root in themselves, in a time of temptation or persecution it withers up and they fall away. This is a sad thing to see and go through because we have seen it-all too often. We too have seen how some receive the materials from this ministry with joy but it is often more exaggerated than normal and they are supereager to receive everything they can. This certainly isn't necessarily a problem as we have many who receive our newsletters with joy and have been in the ministry for many years and will continue to be a part for many years to come. However, there are those which are overthe-top eager but soon burn out and move on to something else. Or when they are challenged, persecuted or tempted in some area of their life, they blame the ministry and quit. The word that they had received through this ministry which brought them such joy in their lives suddenly is blamed for the current problems in their lives which are no doubt instigated by the enemy of our souls for the very purpose of driving them away. Again, these have not taken the word of God into the good ground of their heart yielded to God in prayer. Next we see that some seeds fall among thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked out the out. Jesus explains that these which fell among thorns are those which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring forth no fruit to perfection. These thorns are often unresolved areas in our heart that we have failed to give over to God. These thorns are often wounds, hurts and resolves in which unforgiveness, fear. pride, resentment, anger and whole host ofthorny issues. To have "good ground" your heart, these things need to be taken to the Lord in prayer, put under the Blood of Jesus, and yielded to the Holy Spirit. An example of how this may work, is where someone received the word to move to a green pasture area and was provided the place and the move was made — "they have heard and go forth." But then everything seems go wrong. Suddenly the enormity of what needs to be done begins to sink in. Where is the money going to come from? How am I going to do that? I don't know haw to raise animals! I don't know how to grow a garden! ...and so on. The cares of this life j ust seem rise up arid choke out any faith in God, any seed that God had planted is overgrown with fears, desires, the need for money, doubts, and so on. These issues can rise up even before any such move has been made. Just praying about moving can stir up these thorns in one's heart and prevent the word from even being received at all. So what is one to do? How can they receive the word of God into the `good ground' so they may obtain the things God has for them and live an overcoming life walking in faith? RECEIVE. PROVE. ACCEPT AND LIVE Since there are so many sources out there professing to be giving a word from God, it is as important as ever to first be sure that the word your receiving into yourself is indeed a
PAGE 10 THE OVERCOMING LIFE — NOT CHANGED BUT EXCHANGED March 2009 RECEIVE, PROVE. ACCEPT AND LIVE continued word from God and not out of someone's own soul or even from the enemy. Therefore Chuck-JOHNEL and I suggest taking this approach to a word which has come your way. First of all, RECEIVE the word which you are hearing or reading. That means that you mentally receive it as a possible word from God and you begin to open your heart to God in that word. Then you PROVE the word to find out if it is indeed of God for you or not. To prove it means that you take it to God in prayer. You give the word up to God and pray that He will confirm it or give you a knowing if this word is from Him or not. You could even ask God to take the word from you if it is not of Him but if it is, let it take root and be fulfilled within you according to His Will. Next, once you know if the word is of God or not, then if it is not of God you can just dismiss it. But, if it is from God, then you must then ACCEPT the word of God into your heart. Let it become a part of you. Open your heart and yield it to God and His Word. Another way of expressing this is to internalize what God has given you. Take the word into your heart and mind, and seek the Lord as to whether there is any more He would have you do. You can think and pray about the word, exploring the possibilities of what it alight mean or how it may manifest. In the end however, you are waiting on the direction and move of the Spirit of God to fulfill the word within you. Then you can begin to LIVE the word, to walk in the word of God. You don't have to trouble yourself about how you are going to do what God's word has said or how God is going to bring it to pass. Instead, as you continue to set your heart on Jesus, take up your cross and follow Him, He will lead you to do all that He wants you to do. And like a seed that has taken root in the ground, you may not see any sprouts right away, but you can rest in faith knowing that God is working deep within you and it will bear fruit because it is God doing the work in you. As it says in Romans 4:21,
"And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised,
He was able also to per form."