Identifying Our Present Character in the Mirror of God's Word
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19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Introduction.
Introduction.
So encouraged by the meetings, keep the revival fire burning.
(Missionary with mirror and witch doctor “You’ll never make me ugly again”)
The mirror is God’s Word.
(Mama, that’s me)
Now let us look in God’s mirror, Word, and identify our present character. 63-0123 — Identification
The problem is folks want to hold the mirror at an angle so it doesn’t truly reflect who they really are.
The only way to get an accurate reflection is to stand squarely before a full length mirror, in the proper light.
“Basically, anything with a smooth surface that reflects almost all of the light that hits it — with only very little light absorbed or scattered — can be a mirror. The key factor is a smooth surface, because rough surfaces scatter light instead of reflecting it.” (wonderopolis)
Any person between you and the mirror will keep you from seeing correctly what you are and what you should be.
And see in God’s mirror, not in your church mirror now, in God’s mirror; and see if you could qualify, in your life, the spiritual Bride of Jesus Christ. 65-0429E — The Choosing Of A Bride
25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And yet is not washed from their filthiness.
Men have a consistent inability to examine themselves.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
(Mote = speck, splinter. Beam = rafter, log)
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Example: The formal church attacks the splinter of fanaticism in the eye of another church, but fails to see their own flock suffer and die. The fanatical church does the same.
A good road is built, the highest part is in the center, because it lets all the trash wash off to both sides. That’s it. When a man really comes to Christ, he’s got his eyes centered on Christ. If he’s a little bit emotional, he’ll be a fanatic. If he’s a little bit cold, he’ll get on this other side and be just a cucumber, over on that side; see, his intellectual.
But the main thing is right in the middle of the road, with enough Spirit in you, keep you warm and moving. Amen! And knowing enough to keep yourself under obedience to the Spirit, to move just as the Spirit moves; not till or not after, just as the Spirit moves. 60-1204E — The Patmos Vision
That’s where I different with the group of brethren that pulled off here not long ago from the way of Light. They, they just couldn’t see the phenomena being done unless they made themselves a group, so they gathered up in Canada and made a group of people that they was going to give out and make apostles and prophets out of one another, and things.
And it fell right through. See? And it always will. They become…They feel that because that they are…that they don’t…They so condemn the other things, and the things, till they go plumb on the other side.
There is one side that’s highly intellectual, cold and indifferent, they deny everything there. And the others get on the other side, on the other side with a radical bunch of an emotion, and deny the Word.
But the real true Church stays right in the middle of the road. Now, if you notice, it’s got the Bible knowledge of what God said, and it’s spiritual enough to be warm in its heart, and it’s just the road. 63-0317M — God Hiding Himself In Simplicity, Then Revealing Himself In The Same
The foolish man doesn’t need anyone to straighten his mirror. He’s taking the Message of the hour and holding the mirror at an angle advantageous to himself.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
The job of the ministry is to preach the Word in such a way that you can see yourself honestly in the mirror.
We could look at different ages and see ourselves, if we looked honestly, would we be with Cain or Abel? Noah or the scientists? Abraham or Lot? Esau or Jacob? Moses or Dathan?
All these are types, but Jesus is the perfect example.
Now, Jesus gave us the Example of what we ought to be looking at, when He reflected His Life to us through the Word, what we should see. When we look into God’s mirror, we should see ourself identified with Him. That is a perfect Example. 63-0123 — Identification
But when He seen that His creation had fallen, now His own loving character molded Himself into the Person of Christ. God’s Own character of love projected Himself in the Man, Christ.
(This is why He had to be born of the virgin)
As Paul speaking here, “Thinking it not robbery, but making Himself equal, equal to God, rather.” See? His Own character molded that kind of a Person. Oh, no one could ever do that but God. 63-0123 — Identification
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God, Jehovah, overshadowed a virgin and created the Blood cell. And when That was born, It was the Son of God. In other words, it was a tabernacle. It was a dwelling place where Jehovah could live among His people and express Himself, what He was.
What an example, how that the holy God made manifest, and then took the place of a servant, to wash feet! And spoke, that, “The birds have nests, and the foxes have den, but I don’t have a place to lay My head.”
Then, what an example! How would our life reflect, to His? And He made the example of what we should do, how we should be. We should see Him when you look in the mirror. See Christ, the mirror of His Word, how that He did that for love. 63-0123 — Identification
Now, you study that character a little bit and then look at yourself, and I look at myself. But, that’s what He was, that’s Who He was, and that’s why He was, to save you. He took…He become you, that you might become Him. He took your load of sin.
Therefore, when we come to meet Him, we will not have to stand…We could not stand in the Presence of God. There’s no way for us to do it. But when we stand in Him, see, He’s already recognized the Sacrifice. “This is My beloved Son in Whom I’m well pleased.”
He recognized it. There was no blemish on Him. And, yet, He suffered temptation like any other man. Yet, He was scorned. He was made fun of. He was persecuted, from the hour He was born until the hour He died, and yet He returned good for evil.
You cannot, no way, ever produce a Character like that; only, accepting that Character in you. A church cannot do that. A creed cannot do that. A denomination cannot do that. An education cannot do that. It must be a Birth.
It’s got to be a dying out, and let God in, by the grace of Christ, mold this type of character in you, that you become Him, and your life and His is the same, then you are sons and daughters of God. 63-0123 — Identification
Lets look in the mirror to see what He was.
1. Humility
1. Humility
Everyone thinks they are humble, but does your humility match what you see in the mirror?
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
He didn’t push Himself on the people.
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
What would we do if we had that kind of miracle?
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Satan had to be removed from his position, Jesus gave His up voluntarily, for our good.
See, Satan was the original archangel of God. He once dwelt in the Heaven. He once was the greatest person in the heavens outside of God. He was God’s right-hand man to fellowship, and he got puffed up in his heart.
And isn’t that just the way that people get today? Let God just bless a fellow and put a little confidence in him, and he gets to be a know-it-all. He gets to be…He’s got to start an organization, or he’s got to do something that’s different. “Why art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer!”
God has a hard time trying to get somebody that He can deal with, that’ll stay humble, and meek, and stay in the place until God calls him to do something (you believe that? See?), a man that God can bless and he’ll still keep hisself a man, not be an angel or a god.
As soon as man gets blessed and has a little something given to him, he wants to become a god; he wants to become a angel. He wants to become some great person. “What I do, what…Me and me and mine…” all that.
(Dangerous man to have as an officer in the church. Even more dangerous as a Pastor or a Prophet)
That’s the wrong attitude. God’s hunting for somebody who He could bless and pour out the blessings, and more He blessed, the littler the man will become.
And you’ll never get more of God until you become nothing. You’ve got to belittle yourself. He that will exalt himself, God will bring abase. He that will humble himself, God will exalt. You’ve got to get little before you can get big. And you’ll never be big in your own self; you’ll only be as big as God will be big in you. 59-0628E — Questions And Answers
Jesus knew they were in danger. (Bro. Darrell Ward)
A few days later they would all desert Him, and Judas would betray Him.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
He was King of heaven, yet he didn’t have a place to lay His head. His name in heaven was all powerful, but on earth it was cursed and despised.
2. Suffering
2. Suffering
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
Froward = Skolios, crooked.
σκολιός, crooked: hence met. perverse, of turning off from the truth, crooked in nature.
God will allow you to have crooked, perverse, harsh employers, but God forbid that we would be one of those.
I wonder tonight, if many people here and listening tonight, hasn’t cheated their neighbor just a little bit, done a little crooked deal. I pray that if that be the case, that you’ll hear the tinkling of that money, till it’ll send you to your knees of repentance. 59-0706 — Thinking On Our Way
Be honest, even if you suffer for it.
A man who will take advantage of another man for personal gain is a man who needs to be born again.
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
This is much harder than it sounds. All you are doing is trying to bring people together but you get criticized on every side. Why keep doing it? Because it’s right.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Example: Model of handwriting copied by a schoolboy.
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
δόλος, deceit, guile, treachery.
Let me be without guile as a pastor. Let the deacons be without guile, the trustees, the congregation.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Unfeigned
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
And the Holy Ghost is a positive Token that your Lamb died and you received the Token upon yourself, for His very Life is in you. See?
There is no make-belief. There is no put-on. There is no impersonation. It’s there! You know it. You know it. The world knows it. The Token is there. 63-0901M — Token
Look at the example in the mirror.
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Do you have to move the mirror a bit to justify your actions towards those who did you wrong?
Does the man in the mirror look like Jesus, or Judas? Judas sought revenge, Jesus died for His enemies.
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Can you place yourself there with Him? Not without the Holy Ghost. We are not able to change ourselves.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
We must be like Him. How? Receive the Holy Ghost, yield to it, and make footprints in the promises.
As Moses was changed in the presence of the Pillar of Fire, let us be changed from glory to glory.
If it’s for salvation, if it’s for a Divine healing, if it’s for more blessing, if it’s for anything that God promised, make footprints! Amen. “Every place the sole of your foot sets, that have I given you for a possession.” God promised it. God keeps His Word. God’s Word is everlasting true.
I believe It. You believe It. Brothers, it’s time for us to make footprints. We can’t stay right here in this same camp. The Fire is moving on. Let’s move on, from glory to glory, from Bible experience to Bible experience. Let’s unfold and open up our hearts, raise up our hands to God. Keep sane; stay in the Bible. Don’t get outside of That. Stay right There.
Follow! We’ve got the Prophet of God; we’ve got the Word of God; and we got the Angel of God. He is a leading this Church just exactly like He led in them days. That’s exactly right. The Word of God is before us; the Prophet of God is the Holy Spirit; the Angel of God is leading the Church.
We are moving in the Pillar of Fire, in the Glory of God, “Sitting together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” “Now we are sons and daughters of God.” And the great revelation of the Word, the Holy Spirit sinking It into the hearts, and bringing forth the trees of salvation, righteous living, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, patience. 57-0407M — God Keeps His Word
As the light of the sun changes the seed from glory to glory, we also become more like Him as we live in His Presence; like Him, being conformed to His blessed image as we walk with Him. 64-0614M — The Unveiling Of God
As the mirror moves, move with it.
Conclusion.
There many other things I could say, but you can not bear it now.
We will see Him as He is.
We know Him now as much as our limiting senses can let us. But one day it will be face to face. That is for this age. He is coming at the end of this age. Partial realization will be made PERFECT REALIZATION, COMPLETED REALIZATION. Hallelujah! We have been looking through a glass darkly, but soon it will be face to face. We have been going from glory to glory, but soon it will be right in the glory; and in HIS GLORY WE’LL SHINE.
WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, WONDROUSLY LIKE HIM, JESUS OUR SAVIOUR DIVINE! Isn’t that wonderful? We are complete in Him. That is true. He would not lie to us about that. But one day we will be changed in the atoms. We will put on immortality. We will be all swallowed up in life. Then we will REALIZE REALIZATION. CAB-09 — 9 - The Laodicean Church Age