Open Windows for July 1 - Sparks

July 1

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Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9).

We shall not be able to raise ourselves any more than we can crucify ourselves, but we must recognise that the Lord's dealings with us are with that in view. In order to display the power of His resurrection, He will very often have to take the attitude toward us of letting things get well beyond all human power to remedy or save, of allowing things to go so far that there is no other power in all the universe that can do anything whatever to save the situation. He will allow death, disintegration to work, so that nothing, nothing in the universe is of any avail, except the power of His resurrection.

We shall come to the place where Abraham came, who became the great type of faith which moved right into resurrection: "He considered his own body now as good as dead" (Rom. 4:19). That is the phrase used by the apostle about Abraham: "as good as dead". And Paul came into that: "We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead" (2 Cor. 1:9). Whatever else men may be able to do in the realm of creation, they stop short when death has actually taken place; they can do no more. Resurrection is God's act, and God's alone. Men can do very many things when they have got life, but when there is no life it is only God who can do anything. And God will allow His Church and its members oft-times to get into such situations as are altogether beyond human help, in order that He may give the display, which is His own display, in which no man has any place to glory.

From: Bethany - The Lord's Thought for His Assembly

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This post has been a blessing to me!

Yes our loving heavenly Father wants us to come to a place where we become Nobodies in our own eyes, and yet with a sense of victory and triumph, as we are more than Conquerors in Christ; and As we helplessly continue to depend upon Him and Abide in Him always.

"We shall not be able to raise ourselves any more than we can crucify ourselves, but we must recognise that the Lord's dealings with us are with that in view.
In order to display the power of His resurrection,
He will very often have to take the attitude toward us of letting things get well beyond all human power to remedy or save, of allowing things to go so far that there is no other power in all the universe that can do anything whatever to save the situation.
He will allow death, disintegration to work, so that nothing, nothing in the universe is of any avail, except the power of His resurrection."
This is Powerful.

But may the LORD give us Grace to DIE TO OUR SOUL LIFE, as we HUMBLE OURSELVES IN HIS SIGHT."

And life will always be an exciting one as said in Proverbs 14:14 the paraphrase of this verse is lovely in the living bible "The backslider gets bored with himself, but THE GODLY MANS'S LIFE IS EXCITING." Amen.

Either AbideinHim or Sparks has miss quoted Romans 4:19.

THE ARTICLE SAID: We shall come to the place where Abraham came, who became the great type of faith which moved right into resurrection: "He considered his own body now as good as dead" (Rom. 4:19). That is the phrase used by the apostle about Abraham: "as good as dead".

THE WORD OF GOD SAYS: And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

Note the word NOT and the word NEITHER.

Perhaps it was a typo error? Typing now for not? The point Sparks makes is NOT LOST with the accurate quoting of scripture.

Joan,

Here are some other translations of Romans 4:19 that verify what Brother Sparks was saying: "He considered his own body now as good as dead"

Romans 4:19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; (NASB: Lockman)

Amplified: And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)

NLT: And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children (NLT - Tyndale House)

Phillips: With undaunted faith he looked at the facts - his own impotence (he was practically a hundred years old at the time) and his wife Sarah's apparent barrenness. (Phillips: Touchstone)

Wuest: And not being weak with respect to his faith, he attentively considered his own body permanently dead, he being about one hundred years old, also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. (Eerdmans)

Young's Literal: And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb;

"Yes our loving heavenly Father wants us to come to a place where we become Nobodies in our own eyes, and yet with a sense of victory and triumph, as we are more than Conquerors in Christ; and As we helplessly continue to depend upon Him and Abide in Him always."

Amen!

The Lord is constantly bringing us to the place where we will have to trust in Christ alone as our very life. We know that it is not in ourselves to overcome, but Christ alone is our victory.

Mike