Subject: A horse and a mule Date: Sat, 08 Jun 2002 14:27:16 +0000 From: Jesus Christ is the Only Way to God To: jesus-is-lord@topica.com Dear CHRISTIAN Friends: Greetings in the name of the ONLY wise God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Sometimes sweet friends want to know how I am because they have not heard from this corner of cyberspace. Since the last time I wrote to this list, I'm sure I've started to write two other emails but stopped midstream. Today, I was reading an article and found myself halted on the following portion of scripture (please pay special note to verse 6 and verse 9)-- Psalms 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 32:5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly PRAY unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 32:9 BE YE NOT AS THE HORSE, OR AS THE MULE, WHICH HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING: WHOSE MOUTH MUST BE HELD IN WITH BIT AND BRIDLE... *************I'VE BEEN A HORSE AND A MULE************** In December of 2000, the Lord started drawing me into the school of REAL prayer and I've had some remarkable experiences since then. I'd be getting up in the middle of the night to go outside and gaze upon the heavens and talk to Jesus or I'd go down into my basement and worship God in prayer. In those times, the Lord would fill me with joy and power and illuminate my mind. But in recent days, when the Lord has called me to commune with Him, I've looked at the clock and said "Oh, it's only 1:30 am, I just went to bed, I'll get up later..." You see, I've stopped using my reason and started acting like a horse and mule that have no understanding. I've had some GOOD TIMES WITH THE LORD IN PRAYER AND NOW I AM ACTING LIKE I DON'T KNOW THAT I LOVE TALKING WITH JESUS. I'm a horse and a mule with no understanding. And when you act like a horse and a mule, you need a bit and a bridle to rein your wayward hind parts back in. What a ridiculous thing and it applies right to me. When I was reading that article today and saw that Psalm 32 scripture, it jumped right up off this monitor into my rock head. Jeremiah tells us that the word is a HAMMER that breaketh the ROCK in pieces. That word busted my head wide open and now I can see. ***********WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY BIT AND A BRIDLE? ************** To stop a horse you put a bit and a bridle in his mouth so you can stop him, turn him, direct him. You have to do that with a horse because he has no understanding. A regenerate man has understanding and you shouldn't have to do that. But when we stop doing right and start going in the wrong direction, King Jesus by His subduing power knows how to rein us back in. In my case, my bit and bridle are some computer problems--I can't answer my emails and my system is not functioning properly. Last night this problem bothered me to the level that I took my raggedy self out on the deck and prayed to the Lord. I had to be reigned back in. I've been reading my Bible, holding Bible studies, praying during the day but I have not been stealing away to that secret garden. Last night, my bridle drove me to that place. I'm not out of the water yet, I've got to keep tarrying with the Lord to get back to where I was. The Lord is no cruel taskmaster, He is good. I need this stimulus, this bit and bridle to keep me from going to a dry and thirsty land. We need to be reined in. **************DO YOU HAVE A BIT AND A BRIDLE?************** Does anybody else have a bit and a bridle out there? Something wrong at work? Financial difficulties? Computer problems? Relationship difficulties? Restlessness? What is your problem today? What is the King trying to tell you through it? Don't just look at the situation and think that is your problem. Look BEYOND what you can see and find out the operation that God is performing in your life (I'm talking to Christians). Whatever the problem, we can be assured that the Lord is pruning, purging, strengthening, and conforming us to the image of His own dear Son. I'm a horse and a mule when it comes to prayer. I've known the sweetness of communion with the Father and the Son. I've heard the gentle call of my King to come and fellowship with Him in prayer. I'm no big expert on prayer, but I know how to get a prayer through to my God. Flesh and blood is a terrible thing--it will pull you to neglect the most heavenly thing and satisfy the most rotten thing. This is a war and we can win if we will simply agree with and yield to the motions of the Spirit of God. Flesh and blood will NEVER inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. We must yield to the Spirit and He WILL win over flesh and blood--we must yield and stop making excuses. Today, a horse and a mule taught me something. I don't want to be like them with a bit and bridle tearing my mouth up. I am a human being with reason and understanding. I know in my head that I love the Lord and that it is EXTREMELY PROFITABLE for me to pray to the Lord. Therefore, I must do this even though it be the wee hours of the morning. Prayer is where I seek the honour that cometh from God alone, where I receive revelation and instruction. And though I pray continually throughout the day, I need that special time where I have no distractions and I can get down on my knees in that secret garden of prayer. It is a lovely place but you have to make some effort to get there. King Jesus did some walking to get there so He could be alone with the Father-- Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, HE WENT OUT, and departed into A SOLITARY PLACE, and there PRAYED. Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that HE WENT OUT INTO A MOUNTAIN TO PRAY, AND CONTINUED ALL NIGHT IN PRAYER TO GOD. King Jesus is the King of glory and HE went out into a solitary place and up into a mountain and prayed ALL NIGHT to God. King Jesus was a man of continual prayer. I've heard that Martin Luther said that the best 3 hours of his day were spent in prayer. For those of us who know about 1 minute or 5 minute prayers, the thought of praying that long is a weariness of flesh to even think about. But I can tell you that as we keep going to the garden of prayer and reading/obeying God's word, our ability to talk to the Lord increases and I can tell you from personal experience that you can look up and see you've been in prayer and hour or two hours. Our prayers mature and take on new dimensions. The Lord told me to pray in my closet and I've been heading down the road of a dropout. That's why I have to be handled like a horse and a mule that have no understanding. I need the garden prayer in order to operate on the spiritual level that the Lord wants me to and I am glad that He has taken the time to reel me back in. There is a heavy anointing on you when you pray. It is a powerful experience. Very powerful...but you don't get the power and then stop, you have to continue in it, tarry in it for the rest of your life. If you don't know about prayer, please see our prayer section at http://www.oldlandmarks.com and read the links with eyeballs next to them first. *******************DON'T BE A HORSE AND MULE***************** If you belong to Jesus and are dishonouring Him in any area, He will rein you in with a bit and a bridle. If you are into hellivision, movies, rebellion to husband, lack of Bible reading, lying, unforgiveness, evil companions, gossiping or other tongue sins, lust (whether whoredom, gluttony, etc.), goofing off at work, not training your children in the ways of the Lord, not spending time with your family, being a softie using King Jesus as a byword instead of allowing Him to use you for His glory, not knowing your spiritual gifts and not looking for them, not reaching out to others in need, lack of real prayer, WHATEVER YOUR PROBLEM IS, YOU NEED TO REPENT AND GET IT RIGHT! BRING FORTH FRUIT MEET FOR REPENTANCE. Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Make sure that you are not a hypocrite. A lot of people saying "Lord, Lord" are not saved. The Lord makes that clear in Matthew chapter 7. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to the level that you DO what He says. Luke 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, AND WILL CUT HIM IN SUNDER, AND WILL APPOINT HIM HIS PORTION WITH THE UNBELIEVERS. Aside: The people need to be warned. Many church people are not saved. For the past two years or so, I've felt like a missionary to church people. Forget religious rituals and traditions, ye must be born again. The Pharisees are alive today, that spirit jumped right up off of the Jewish elders, scribes, Pharisees, Saducees, and Herodians right on to the people in these succeeding centuries. It was church people that didn't want Jesus in the synagogue and that wanted Him killed. That has not changed. Many church people, especially leadership, will HATE YOU if you tell the truth about the doctrine of the Lord. They will cast your hind parts out of there, quick. O they may rejoice in the truth for a little while, but by and by they are offended when it sheds light on their deeds. This I know as a partaker of these sufferings. People that tell the truth are by themselves a lot, yet never alone and always growing in King Jesus. Blessed be the name of the Lord. **************************CONCLUSION************************* 2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, GIVE DILIGENCE to make your calling and election sure: for IF YE DO THESE THINGS, YE SHALL NEVER FALL. A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand but it shall not come nigh me. I know IN MY MIND (the battle is for the minds of men) that Jesus Christ is the Lord and that He is worthy of all my feeble abilities. I am happy to be straightened by His word and you don't have to beg me to serve Him. King Jesus is a righteous Lord, a stimulating Companion, and a POWERFUL Redeemer. The Father and the Son are a POWERFUL and the Holy Ghost conveys that power on my life. Thank God for His ability to subdue all things to Himself. Be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory SHALL come in. Know King Jesus as the King of glory and you will never be the same. for Jesus' sake, sis. tracy ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: tracy@jesus-is-lord.com EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84whs.a9jehS Or send an email to: jesus-is-lord-unsubscribe@topica.com T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================