The Sharecropper Christian

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. --Romans 6:11

The story is old and well known of slaves who were set free, but because of the previous owners’ manipulation and the slaves’ fear, the slaves remained. These slaves came to be known as sharecroppers. In the end, they worked harder than a slave and were often cheated out of their share.

A sharecropper believer could be defined as one who was set free, no longer is a slave to sin, was purchased with precious blood, and yet he stays in bondage to sin. The problem is not the Master’s voice, it is not fear, not the power of sin, Satan’s oppression, not a stifling past, or anything on earth. The problem is unbelief. Step out and say no to sin, and see if it is not true, see if the state of being set free is not a reality. Make a choice. Today say no to negative living. Say no to self and hug the mate. Say no to bad habits and watch it stick. The person in Christ has been set free, not for someday but for freedom now.Stop being a sharecropper believer.

Over and over God speaks to Believers words like in Romans 6:11, “consider yourselves,” or “reckon” (as the KJV says it).  It is a term that says the same as  Michael says, “say no,” (when appropriate) or it can be “say yes” (when appropriate, as in Romans 6:11).  But Michael gives us the appropriate confidence and conviction and that is to CHOOSE to speak such and act upon it.  Amen.

It cannot get any better than to consider/reckon ourselves, as Believers in Christ, to have been set free for right NOW, and not just for someday in the future.  Amen!

No more sharecropping…just believing, considering/reckoning, and experiencing all we have been given in Christ.

- Mike Wells

The Revelation Of The Heart

But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. --Romans 2:5 

In these times we are not creating hearts as much as watching them be revealed. It is the time for the revelation of hearts all around us.When someone says, “I cannot believe in a God that allows suffering,” that person’s heart is being revealed. He knows that God did not cause the suffering, but he is taking the occasion to blame Him. If He did take away suffering, do we honestly think that such a person would immediately repent and turn to Jesus? No, the statement or the event is simply a revelation of the heart. We will be surprised in heaven to discover all that God has done for suffering people. Just as the heart of His own Son was revealed in hardship, so have many others’ hearts been. In a place where there has been persecution, that type of suffering accelerates the revelation of the heart and allows us to see men for what they really are. “I see men, for I see them like trees walking around,” said the man being healed from his blindness. Do you know the hearts of those around you?They are not revealed in comfort. One day you might see that those you thought were enemies are friends and those believed to be friends were enemies. It is the time for the revelation of hearts. 

The Sweetest Rose

We must go through hardships to enter the kingdom
of God. Acts 14:22

The best things in life are the result of being wounded.
Wheat must be crushed before becoming bread, and
the incense must be burned by fire before its fragrance
is set free. The earth must be broken with a sharp plow
before being ready to receive the see. And it is a bro-
ken heart that pleases God.

Yes, the sweetest joys of life are the fruits of sorrow.
Human nature seems to need suffering to make it fit
to be a blessing to the world.

"Beside my cottage door it grows,
The loveliest, daintiest flower that blows,
A sweetbrier rose.

At dewy morn or twilight's close,
The rarest perfume from it flows,
This strange wild rose.

But when the raindrops on it beat,
Ah, then, its odors grow more sweet,
About my feet.

Often with loving tenderness,
Its soft green leaves I gently press,
In sweet caress.

A still more wondrous fragrance flows
The more my fingers close
And crush the rose.

Dear Lord, Oh, lit my life be so
Its perfume when strong winds blow,
The sweeter flow.

And should it be Your blessed will,
With crushing grief my soul to fill,
Press harder still.

And while its dying fragrance flows
I'll whisper low, "He loves and knows
His crushed brier rose."

If you aspire to be a person of consolation, if you want
to share the priestly gift of sympathy, if you desire to
go beyond giving commonplace comfort to a heart that
is tempted, and if you long to go through the daily ex-
changes of life with the kind of tact that never inflicts
pain, then you must be prepared to pay the price for a
costly education--for like Christ, you must suffer.

- Frederick William Robertson.

The Revelation Of Self and then The Revelation Of Him

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. --Matthew 6:33

The way of the flesh for the believer is to do what he likes and then hate what he is doing; this cycle can cause depression, which often (not always) has its roots in the desires the flesh is either exercising or wanting to exercise. Depression, then, can have its root in desire when we seek God for what we want (our will), and if we do not get it, we get depressed. If we do get it and then discover that it was not really what we imagined it to be, there also is depression. Could we take time to understand that if we have ever prayed earnestly for, “Thy will,” then “Thy will” is exactly what we are getting? If we are confused, perhaps we thought that “Thy will” would be something spectacular, comfortable, and blessed as defined by the world, including harmony in marriage, obedient children, and more. Let me explain. He is bringing to each of us the revelation of Christ that we NEED, and to prepare us for that revelation--so we will not be exalted and destroyed--He is giving us what we are getting today.The revelation of Christ can completely destroy us if we are not prepared in advance by His will.Paul says so. He explains that a thorn was given him so that in the abundance of revelations, he would not be destroyed. What we are getting today in “average” life is everything we need to precede His revelation. Remember, the purpose of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to give us peace as we come in line with His will. This is the greater time, wherein He is going to use us as lesser (in the view of worldly churches) believers, and this is how we are prepared. We must stand fast and not be discouraged, for today’s hiccups, rejections, conflicts, abuses, and concerns are what are needed to prepare us.

- Mike Wells

The Problem Fixer

“For I know the plan that I have for you,” declares the Lord God, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” --Jeremiah 29:11

What is the plan that God has for us?Many believe that God’s plan is a specific area of service, a place to live, or the right job. The aforementioned are merely the vehicles that help complete the plan, but of themselves they are not the plan. His plan is the expression of Christ’s life through us as described in chapters five through seven of Matthew. Therefore, it really is not of ultimate importance where we move or what vocation we take up, for God is able to use every event of life to complete His plan. Our only responsibility before moving out in any direction is to say, “If the Lord wills I will go to such and such a place.”

How often do we find ourselves struggling, stumped by a problem, and then once the answer is discovered, we have a sense of elation. We are made in the image of God; He, too, enjoys fixing a problem. As our loving Father, He fixes every problem that man creates. The first problem that Adam and Eve created was the most severe: They cut themselves off from God. He fixed the problem in a way that we far lesser beings would never have imagined by becoming a man Himself. In our free will we move where we want, work where we want, have as many children as we want, and God does an amazing thing, in that every problem resulting from our decisions is guided by Him to move us deeper into His plan, the expression of His life within us. Is it not amazing that He causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him? 

- Mike Wells

You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you... John 15:16

Let no one be troubled by this matter of election. It
is a family secret. I would not preach election to the
world. Election goes before all. I come to the door
of a certain place, where peace and plenty reigns, and
joy and happiness fill the hearts of the dwellers therein.
On the door I find written, "Whosoever will may enter
in." That is the Gospel: I enter, and on the other side
of the door I find written, "Whosoever gets in here will
never get out!" That is my security, the fruit of election.

There is nothing to trouble a soul in election, but con-
trariwise much to comfort. God has chosen you, if a
believer in Christ, before the foundation of the world.
The things which are in heaven God is going to keep
for you, and He is going to keep you for them.

- WTP Wolston

I believe the doctrine of election because I am quite
sure that if God had not chosen me, I would never
have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before
I was born, or else he never would have chosen me
afterwards.

- Charles Spurgeon.

...He has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before Him...  Ephesians 1:4

Walking around in the fire. Daniel 3:25

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown
into the furnace, the fire did not stop them from moving,
for they were seen "walking around." Actually, the fire
was one of the streets they traveled to their destination.
The comfort we have from Christ's revealed truth is not
that it teaches us freedom from sorrow, but that it teaches
us freedom through sorrow.

O dear God, when darkness overshadows me, teach me
that I am merely traveling through a tunnel. It will then
be enough for me to know that someday it will be all right.

I have been told that someday I will stand on the top of the
Mount of Olives and experience the height of resurrection
glory. But heavenly Father, I want more--I want Calvary to
lead up to it. I want to know that the shadows of darkness
are the shade on a road--the road leading to Your heavenly
house. Teach me that the reason I must climb the hill is be-
cause Your house is there! Knowing this, I will not be hurt
by sorrows, if I will only walk in the fire.

- George Matheson  1842-1906

George Matheson was a blind Scottish pastor widely be-
loved for his beautiful sermons. He also wrote the hymn
"O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go" during a time he des-
cribed as "the most severe mental suffering." Written in
only five minutes, Matheson claimed the hymn was "dic-
tated to me by some inward voice."

Obsessions

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. - PHILIPPIANS 4:8

Imagine that the place you are presently sitting as you read this article represents your whole life. Everything in the room holds some aspect of your past, present, and future. Now pick up the most insignificant object that you see, such as a pencil, a coin, or a saltshaker, and slowly move it toward your eye. Keep moving it until this insignificant object blocks out half of your world. Something that is really of no great consequence to the rest of us has become of paramount importance to you. In fact, you will have great difficulty living the rest of the day with half of your vision blocked. This is exactly what the enemy does to believers. He picks something from our past, present, or future and has us obsessing on it until we believe that there is nothing we can do in life until this one thing is resolved. Some obsess so long that they eventually begin to listen to the voice of the enemy telling them that this one thing is so consuming that the only option is suicide! Obsession is wrong in two fundamental ways. First, Matthew 5:36: “You cannot make one hair white or black.” That is, you cannot control the past, present, or future. Second, regret over the past is for unbelievers. It vexes me greatly when I see believers wallow over some stupid mistake in the past. We have a God, He takes our sins, and the proof that He cleanses us from them is the very fact that we are distressed when we think about the past. Therefore, He is to be our daily focus. Imagine that your mind is divided in half. One half of your mental energy goes to your mate, job, church, family, and hobby; the other half of your thought-life goes to your obsession. If you give up your obsession, what will you do with the vacuum? Philippians gives the secret: focus on Him! One thing I found that makes life enjoyable is to give myself to something bigger than myself each day. So while an obsession is bigger than the person who gives himself to it, God is indescribably bigger than the obsession. Satan wanted Jesus to worship him; the word used for worship is indicative of “giving attention to.” Jesus refused to give His attention to anything other than God. We will not worship an obsession.

- Mike Wells

Only Trust What Jesus Has Done In a Person

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  - GALATIANS 2:20

Let me tell you a secret about others. The only measure of dependence you place on them should be on the things God has done in them. Depend on them for anything else and they will let you down. When we see strong people, we have the tendency to want to trust them. However, if it is a fleshly strength that we are trusting, then one day they will let us down. At times I have told people of my strengths, my boldness, or my knowledge, and I have heard others do it, as well. Such talk is foolishness, for we are covertly asserting that we can be trusted, followed, or listened to because of our strengths. This is proof positive that we are not to be trusted. It is better to hear of someone’s many weaknesses and work alongside that person, for in each place he is weak, he is reliant upon God’s strength. If a man tells me he was very critical until God worked in his heart, revealed his own wickedness, and then lifted him up, I know that such a man is safe with my problems; I will not receive judgment from such a one, I will receive grace.

- Mike Wells