There Is News In The Truth

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:14-16)

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I want to preach just for a little while this morning about being led by the Spirit of God. We’ve been going through Romans 8 for some time now. So there’s no doubt as to what this means to be led by the Spirit of God. And this is common to all that have been born of the Spirit. To be led is to journey and to walk after the Spirit. It means that God is taking us from point A to point B. As we journey with God, as we drive down this narrow road, there’s sights that we all must see along the way. As the Spirit of God takes us along this Roman Road, so to speak, there are some definite places to which we will cross or see.

In our context, being led by the Spirit of God means to be free from the bondage of sin and death, led from the condemnation of the law. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2) We should see Egypt in the rear-view mirror. We are led into liberty.

Being led by the Spirit of God means to be minding the things of the Spirit, the things of God. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5) There should be a conscienceness and desire in us to know the conscience and desire of God. There should be something inside of you that is not satisfied with only knowing the things of man or the things of this world; something inside you that desires and looks to heaven and yearns for something greater and more glorious that what the flesh offers.

Being led by the Spirit of God is to be quickened by the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead. (Romans 8:11) That means to be given life. If any man be in Christ, old things have passed away, BEHOLD all things are become new. There is a definite change in the life of someone who is led by the Spirit of God; a new life; a new purpose; a new outlook; a new hope.

Being led by the Spirit of God is mortify the deeds of the body. “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13) There is something inside of us that leads us to want to do right and live right. Now you might not always get it right or do it right, but the desire and yearning to please God should be somewhere there in your soul if we are led by the Spirit of God.

Jesus said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13) Let me read our text again: “For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God…” So if you put these two together, we can say that the sons of God are guided into all truth; not some truth, but all truth. In other words, can I say this? God is honest with his children. He has kept nothing from us. Jesus said, “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:22,23)

So I want to say these things before I get into the message. We have to stay in context. If we are led by the Spirit of God, these things we hold common. We should agree with some or all of the things I just mentioned. I’m not trying to drag anybody down a road that they don’t want to go. I’m just saying that we need a ruler to measure things. And that ruler is the Word of God. Our Christian life better line up with the word of God, or we don’t have a Christian life. We’re talking life or death. We’re talking heaven or hell. If nothing of what I’ve listed so far stirs a chord within your soul, there’s something wrong. You might think, “You’re always trying to make me feel uneasy!” Well, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do. The things of God will do that. They will either give you joy and peace, or they’ll give you dread, doubt, and trouble.

That’s just a little intro to get us thinking again about Romans Chapter 8. We’re talking about being led by the Spirit, walking after the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, etc..

Horses…

Lately, what I’ve had on my mind these few weeks is horses and ranch work. It’s hard to do two things at one time. And I’ll be honest. My mind has been occupied with horses. I’m going through another horse phase. I’m looking to get back into these horses again, and that requires ranch work. So that is what I’ve been thinking about lately. I’ve also been thinking about this verse for several weeks, Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” But everytime I think about it, I think of how horses are led around. When I think about being led by the Spirit of God, I think about the halter that goes around the horses head and face and I think about the lead line and the hook that attaches it to the halter.

There’s so many similarities of the Christian life to horses, it’s just unreal. You think about this for a second: When you are leading a horse around, there is a certain level of expectation to have at this. Nobody wants to be tugging around a 1500 lb animal. You ever notice sometimes when someone is leading a horse, they got them by the hook.  They got them right under the chin. You know why they do that? Because that horse can’t keep it’s head still. The truth is that the owner doesn’t trust the horse enough to just leave it alone, and the horse doesn’t trust the owner enough to just be still. They got their hand there because that’s where they have to have it to maintain leverage and control. They can grab that head and turn it anywhere they want. You’ll notice that the horse is constantly tugging on the person that’s leading her. How would you feel if someone had you by the chin?

This is what I’m talking about regarding a certain level of expectation. You’re about to get a horse lesson. You want to lead the horse, not drag the horse, and tug on the horse, and fight with the horse. You should have about two feet of slack on the lead line, and that horse should know that when you move, she moves. When you go left, she goes left. When you go right, she goes right. When you go backwards, she goes backwards. You shouldn’t have to grab them by the clip or the hook and force them to go where you go.

So I’ve been watching this Colt Starting series during lunch. I’ve already seen it twice. This is the actually the third time watching it. The trainer goes through all this stuff to train a wild horse. And can I say this: This is what I mean by similarities to the Christian life. Do you realize that when you get saved, you get born again, you are literally a wild horse? You have just been taken off the range, and God has put you in the round pen with the Holy Ghost. I think alot of times, people think that they’re further along than they really are.

“Oh yeah, I’m already broke. I can move my head, my neck, my shoulders, my rib-cage, my hind-quarters at the touch of the Holy Ghost. He says move, I move. I can walk, trot, canter, gallop at a the touch of the master. Nothing spooks me. I’m safe. I’m halter broke. I can stay tied without freaking out. Yeah, I’m broke. I’m ready for the Holy Ghost to ride me where ever he wants to go.”

Yeah right. The truth is, you’re still a foal. All you can do is barely walk and drink milk. That’s about it. The bible speaks about not thinking ourselves more highly than we ought. I’ve been guilty of this and probably still am sometimes. But sometimes, we think that we’re further along in our training that we truly are.

I heard years ago, that the word meekness was actually a word used to describe a horse, a trained horse. It meant strength under control. When you first get saved, it doesn’t mean that you’re under control. It just means you got caught. It means you’ve been taken off the range of sin. And now the Holy Ghost has got you in the round pen, and you are now face to face with the master trainer.

Two eyes…

So I’ve been watching this Colt Starting series, and I got to say I noticed that from the very get go, from the beginning, the trainer is working on leading that horse. He does these round penning exercises that gets the horse to always give him two eyes. He’s got this saying, “Two eyes is always better than two feet.” You always want to have that horse looking at you. He never let’s it get away with no looking at him. It’s very possible that this may be one of the first lessons in leading that the Holy Ghost teaches us. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t look to the left or to the right. Don’t wander off. Everytime the horse looked away of wandered off, the trainer would get him moving again. If the horse didn’t want to stay still and give him two eyes, then he set his feet moving again and then he’d give him another change to give him two eyes.

The trainer made the horse understand that the being still in front of him with two eyes looking at him was the easiest thing to do. It was the place of rest. It was the place of peace. It was the place with no pressure. Christian life: This is our place of rest before our Lord. We give him two eyes. The bible says, “I will keep thee in perfect peace, he who’s mind is stayed on thee…” See? When that wild horse, instead of running around and being reactive and tense and uneasy, he finally realized that just being still and waiting to see what the trainer is gonna do was easier and better. The horse actually was thinking now. His mind was stayed on the trainer. He finally learned not to move until the trainer said to move, and he’d sit there and wait and keep his eyes on the trainer. “I will keep thee in perfect peace, he who’s mind is stayed on thee…”

Now that was just the beginning. He did a series of things, it took about 3 hours. But the goal of the trainer was to get the close enough to the animal to touch him, and eventually put that halter on the horse. And once he got that halter on the horse, it was over for the horse. And I don’t want to sound like it’s bad. It’s good. That halter gave the trainer the necessary leverage on that horse to train it. It’s with that halter that the horse is taught to finally yield himself to the trainer.

One of the first things that the trainer teaches that horse once he gets the halter on is the end of the lead line. He teaches the horse that there is an end to that lead line. You can only go so far before you hit the end of that line. See, if you do the math, in a 50 foot round pen, if you do things right with a 23 foot lead line, the most that a horse can drag you is really only about what? If you’re in the middle then the wall of the pen will always be no more than 25 feet from you. The horses head usually stays 1 foot away from the wall. So if you’re arm is like 3 feet long, can the horse ever really pull the line out of your hands?  Nope. Now it is possible with a 14 foot line, but with a wild horse, the trainer uses a 23 foot lead line. So horse is never able to escape the pressure of the lead line.

But that doesn’t mean that the horse isn’t going to try to get away. So the very first thing that the trainer teaches the horse is the end of that lead line. So the horse will try to get away, and the trainer will jerk that head back to the center and ask for two eyes. He’ll scare the horse off again and as soon as it’s far enough, he’ll jerk that line again. He’ll keep doing this until the horse finally realizes that it’s not worth it to run off again. It’s not worth it going out to end of the line. He did this until he couldn’t scare the horse off anymore. Do you see the significance of this?

Three hours ago, the wild horse was scared and running and bucking and acting crazy and running away from the trainer. But all of a sudden, after he finally got that halter on him, now he couldn’t scare that horse away if he tried. He’d wave his arms around and say Pshhhhh and wave stick with a plastic bag, and the wild horse would just turn away, keep his head cocked toward the trainer. He was no longer afraid of the trainer.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, where by we cry, Abba, Father.” We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. So then the trainer proceeded to back to desensitizing it to his touch. Within the next hour the trainer was able to walk up to the horse rub his face, put the halter on and off, throw his lead line all over the horses body and the wild horse would stand still and give him two eyes.

Why? Because he was no longer afraid. The fear was gone. I want to ask this? What does the Holy Ghost have to do to train us to be still and keep our eyes on God and let him touch us? Fear does not necessarily mean fright. What it does mean is a lack of familiarity? That horse no longer feared because he got familiar with the trainer, his tools, and his touch. That’s what we need to do with God. We need to be more familiar with him. We don’t ever walk off on our own. We always give God two eyes, our attention. Some people spend year after year running around that round pen. They don’t want to turn in unto God and give him your attention.

Yielding…

Now, the horse let’s the trainer come up to it, but that’s just a starting point. Remember, we’re talking about leading. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Leading. Does the Spirit of God lead you? So you may be now familiar with God. In other words, God can approach you and touch you, but that doesn’t mean he’s leading you.

So when that trainer pulls on that halter, that wild horse does not know yet how to yield to that pressure. His natural reaction is to pull back. And I’m going to say now that is what the flesh does. It pulls back from God. When the Spirit of God begins to pull on you and tries to lead you down that narrow road, the flesh says, “NO!” The flesh pulls back! Why? Because that is was is natural. The bible talks about the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit. Look, I’m not giving people a pass on being carnal and in the flesh. But we must understand that we’ve been carnal and in the flesh all our lives. Walking after the Spirit is not natural or normal. The flesh is going to resist. The flesh is going to fight.

That horse knows not to go out to the end of that lead line and get his head jerked back. But he doesn’t know yet how to yield to a constant stead pressure of the lead line. Eventually, he won’t even need pressure. He’ll just go where the trainer goes. So, how does the trainer get the horse to finally yield. Now, here’s some more horsology. The power in the horse is in his hind legs. Those hinds legs is what is pulling that horse back. When he pulls on the lead line and the horse pulls back, that power is coming from the hind quarters. So instead of trying to get the horse to yield his head, the trainer will get him to yeild his hind quarters.

Okay, so when that horse legs are square they can do whatever the horse wants to do. He can lunge forward, backward, left, right, whatever because the power is engaged. The moment that horse crosses his hind legs, he loses his power. He can’t go anywhere with his legs crossed. Try walking with your legs crossed. You can’t. Also, when a horses legs are crossed, they’re easily thrown off of balance.

So the first step in trying to get that horse to yield to the pressure of the lead line is to disengage his hind-quarters. To shut the power off. When you pull he pulls back and even steps back. Well you’re trying to get him to step forward and he’s stepping back. So it makes sense that if we can just get him to quit stepping back, we’re half-way there. So the trainer, as he pull on that line and the horse pulls back and steps back, he applies pressure by looking at and swinging that stick and string toward the horses hind quarters. And of course the horse doesn’t want his hind to get hit so he begins to move it. He begins to step across his legs and cross them. He disengages those hind quarters.

What happens now is that the trainer and the horse now kinda start going in circles. Can I ask you this? Do you ever feel like you’re just going in circles with God? Do you ever feel like maybe you’re not really getting anywhere with God or in your spiritual journey and just going in circles. See what that trainer does is he’ll get the horse yield his hind-quarters and then try pulling on the horse to see if he’ll yeild. And he’ll do this over and over and in circles and in circles, yielding the hind-quarters, then pulling on the lead line, waiting for the horse to go the other way, toward him instead of backwards.

He’ll pull, the horse will draw back, he’ll go after the hind-quarters, the horse will disengage, the pressure will let up, and he’ll try it again. And they’ll go in circles over and over and over until, the horse finally takes one step forward. Maybe, that’s what God is doing with you. Maybe you’re just doing what’s natural and God is trying to train you to take that step forward to yield to the Him. Paul said, “But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

As horse has got 5 parts of the body that move. 5 members: The head, the neck, the shoulders, the rib-cage, and the hind-quarters. And every member, if the horse is properly broke, he will yield at the touch of the trainer. No wild horse can do this right off the bat. They must be trained. I believe that God’s people are no different. We must learn how to yield ourselves unto God. We must learn to yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto God. God maybe going around in circles with you right now. All he’s waiting for right now is for you to take that first step. That trainer doesn’t just keep pulling on the horse while he’s got his hind legs planted. He goes after the hind-quarters and gets that to yield first. Maybe God’s going after something else. Maybe god is trying to get something else disengaged, that way he can teach you to let him lead. He’s waiting for you to take that step.

Release…

Now, here’s one of the most interesting things that the trainer does once that horse takes a step. He’ll go in circles over and over and over.  He’ll pull, disengage, pull, disengage, pull, disengage, over and over to get that first step. And when the horse finally gives it, you know what he does?  He releases. He lets the pressure on the line go. The horse natural response is to pull back. I don’t like to go. I don’t like the pressure. Quit pulling on me. Quit pulling on me. Quit pulling on me. Pull pull pull. I want to get out of this. Pull pull pull. Quit pulling on me… Let me try going forward… RELEASE. It’s gone. The pressure is gone.  Something snaps in that horse’s head. He says, “Hmmm… if I go forward instead of what’s natural and go backward, the pressure goes away.”

So the trainer tries again. And the horse pulls back again, but this time he thinks, let me try that going forward thing again and see if it works. So he yields to the pressure and takes a step and RELEASE, the pressure is gone. So the trainer does that again and again until the horse realizes that it’s easier to just take a step than to pull back pull back and fight and pull back and fight and go around and around and around it circles. He’s rewarded by yielding. There peace in yielding. There’s rest in yielding. “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:9-11)

Jesus said “My yoke is easy and my burden light!” You don’t have to pull against God. If you feel any pulling from God, it’s probably because you’re pulling the other way. David said, “He leadeth me beside the still waters…” When that horse goes forward, it’s RELEASE! Your reward for yeiding to me is that I’m not going to pull and tug on you. So the trainer will then try for two steps, then three steps, and before you know it, that horse has figured out that it’s better, it’s easier, it’s less stressfull, to just go where that trainer guy goes instead of having that thing tugging on my face. But he doesn’t learn that because he’s tugging. He learns it because of the RELEASE.

Ease and peace is what that horse is looking for. Isn’t that what we’re looking for? Isn’t that really what you want? He said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27) See, a wild horse naturally finds peace in running away. Whenever it’s afraid or troubled, it runs and if it can’t run, it’ll fight. See, but the trainer also offers the horse peace, but he’s got to learn it. Sometimes, we just got to learn that. Peace only comes when we walk after God. Peace only comes when we’re led of the Spirit. Paul said, if ye live in the Spirit, then walk in the Spirit. Peace only comes when we yield ourselves to God.

Herd mentality…

 

“Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:14-16)

I want to give you a little more horsology. The herd mentality… Explain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So essentially what the trainer is doing is taking the place of the alpha mare. He’s number one and the horse is number two or three or four. And this is what that animal understands. This is what the horse respects. With chickens, we call it the pecking order. What the trainer is establishing really is a herd, a horse family. And he’s essentially adopting that horse into his family. And this is where the respect comes from and the fear is overcome. That horse is no longer afraid of the human but instead familiar with him. That word familiar comes from the word family. And because the trainer can move it’s feet and “dominate” her, she respects him as the leader. That’s how a horse family works.

Well, when we get born again, we’re put into the family of God. We’re no children of God. And in this family, the Spirit of God leads. And God wants us to be familiar with him. There shouldn’t be anything strange to us about God. There shouldn’t be anything about God that spooks us or makes us nervous or makes us want to run away. The Spirit of God leads in this relationship. When the Spirit of God says let’s go, and we kick, scream, and fight, that’s not leading. He shouldn’t have to drag us around from place to place. There ought to be some slack in the line. Can I say this. Horse that are trained really well, they don’t even need a line. You can do everything off the line that you typically need a line.

That’s no broke…

Explain:

 

 

 

 

 

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:13,14)

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Introduction

I got this outline last Sunday, in like 30 seconds. While Brother Jeremy was preaching last Sunday, I glanced over and saw this text and thought that sounds like a message to me. And I realized later that it was exactly what I was looking for to help us with Romans 8:13,14 and this matter of mortifying the deeds of the body. Turn with me over to Matthew 14

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. (Matthew 14:1-12)

As wicked as Herodias may sound in instructing her daughter, there may be some instruction here for us. Her instructions were this, “Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.” In Mark, it’s stated, “Give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.” I thought maybe there’s something in these instructions that could help us. So I’m preaching this morning on Give me John the Baptist’s Head in a Charger!

As I’ve stated previously, we’re coming close to the end of this great passage regarding the Spirit of God. And this last statement through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body is quite a charge. And I tried to help understand it by title the last message Kill or Be Killed; to perhaps bring out the seriousness of the matter. And there’s so much to say I can never put it all in one message. But one thing I got coming out of that message was a lack of application. I want to give us something concrete and practical to take home with us, to try, something to do.

Sometimes, you get into spiritual matters and we never really touch on the practical physical things here on earth things. In other words, as we learn about through the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the body, my question is what can we do to get this done.? How can we accomplish this? How do we kill the deeds of the flesh. How do we stamp them out? How do we conquer them? How do we have victory over the flesh? I don’t know about you, but I have hard time transferring Biblical knowledge into the now and today. How do we apply physically, and temporally, in the here and now, what we learn about spiritual things and Biblical things?

So I thought maybe we should rephrase the question. Maybe instead of trying to learn how we are to do these things, we should learn how they did these things. I want to think right so I thought maybe I should look at someone in the Bible that did think right. Amen? This week, we had some concrete poured at the shop. It was the second section of this project I’m working on. Well, we did the first one by ourselves. Me and Joel from the shop and Franky and Finny and Phillip tackled it. Well, it got done. But the second time, I thought maybe we should get the professionals to do it, that way we can watch them and learn how to do it. We about killed ourselves and after you see what the professional job looked like, you realize what a sorry job you actually did. So this time, I hired someone that’s been doing it for 40 years. And I learned alot. Why? Because I got to study someone that already knows how to do it. They made it look real easy.

Well, I’m applying the same thing to the Bible. I’m gonna look at someone that has already blazed the trail so to speak; someone that already know what he’s doing. So I thought maybe we ought to look at John the Baptist. After all, he was the one person in the entire Bible that was filled the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.

And is not what this is all about? These things are synonymous. You can’t through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body unless you’re filled with the Spirit. You cannot be led by the Spirit of God unless you are filled with the Spirit of God. So I would think that in order to understand the filling of the Holy Spirit in order that we can accomplish things that the Bible sets forth, it would behoove us to study the one man in the Bible that was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb.

So I want to know what is going on in John the Baptist’s head. That’s why I’m saying Give me John the Baptist Head in a Charger! A charger is something that food is served on. Let’s see what’s going on in that head of his, Amen? Maybe there’s something there that we can feast on? Is that too weird for you? Jesus said, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:54) This is an hard saying, who can hear it? Don’t get too grossed out because you’ll leave here and eat cow face, and cow tongue, and cow brains, amen?

I saw this in the Bible the other day. It’s was toward the end of Deuteronomy before they were to enter into that promised land. My Scofield Bible entitles it The law of warfare. This is how the children of Israel were to conduct war against the people of the land. Hey! We’re at war with this flesh. Let’s not play games with it anymore. God told the children of Israel, “When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.” (Deuteronomy 20:10) We’re way past this point. The flesh will never make peace with the Spirit of God.

The Bible says regarding Ishmeal the child of the flesh and Isaac the child of promise, ” He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” (Galatian 4:29) The Bible says “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other…” (Galatians 5:17) In Genesis, from the begining, the Lord said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh…” (Genesis 6:3) The flesh is not going to just lay over. There is no peace in the flesh.

So then, Deuteronomy goes on to say, “If it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it!” (Deuteronomy 20:12) Thou shalt besiege it. That means to cut off all the roads. Nobody in. Nobody out. Blow up the bridges. Cut off the water supply. Bring down the power grid. Burn the crops. Slaughter the cattle. Cut off the food supply. Surround it with everything you got. Besiege it! Paul said, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:14) Make not provision. That means don’t feed it. That means thou shalt besiege it.

John the Baptist was the Storm’n Norman of the Spirit. We want to see what is going on in John the Baptist head. We want to know what things he used to besiege the flesh. We want to know what did he use to do this spiritual warfare. Bring me John the Baptist Head on a Charger.

#1 The Law

For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. (Matthew 14:3,4)

One thing on John’s mind was the law, the law of God. He said it is not lawful for thee to have her. John knew the law. The Bible says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:1,2)

You want to besiege the flesh. You want victory over your flesh. Besiege it with the law. Know the law. Read the law. Learn the law. Meditate on the law, day and night. Joshua told the people before the went to battle, before they went to war, he said, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

We’ll never be prosperous over the flesh and have good success over the flesh if we don’t get into this book! Read the Word of God. Breathe the Word of God. Feed on the Word of God. Have a greed for the Word of God. Get to where you need the Word of God. We ought to get so much of the Bible in us that we bleed the Word of God. If we do that then we’ll heed the Word of God. If we let the Word of God lead, then our every deed will be in the Word of God.

Day and night. Day and night. Not once a week. You know what will happen if you only look at the Bible, the Word of God once a week? Nothing. Absolutely nothing will happen. If all you get from the Bible is what some preacher reads to you from the pulpit on Sunday morning, you will be a spiritual runt all the days of your life. You’ll never grow.

What will happen to your physical body if you do 10 sit-ups once a week? Nothing. What will happen to your physical body if you eat a salad once a week and eat pizza, hamburgers, french fries, and junk the rest of the week? Nothing good. What will happen if you snack on the Bible once a week? Absolutely nothing. If you think that little picture on Facebook with half a scripture pasted on it from some a perverted bible is going to cut it, you’re sadly mistaken. It’s going to take more than that.

In his law doth he meditate day and night. Day and night. John the Baptist had the law in his head. “It’s not lawful for thee to have her…” You know what the law does? It strips the fig leaves off the flesh. It strips the filthy rags off the flesh and exposes it. It burns up our righteousness. We have to give the Spirit of God something to work with. I hear he’s real good with a sword. Paul said, “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) The law was in John the Baptist’s head.

#2 Leather and Locusts

And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. (Matthew 3:4)

Another thing on John’s mind was leather and locusts. Jesus said, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.” (Luke 12:22) It’s not that John the Baptist constantly had leather and locusts on his minds, rather that leather and locusts in his mind were sufficient. Amen.

The bible says that “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Just like the Spirit coupled with his sword, the word of God, can subdue the enemy, godliness with contentment can do the same thing. The Spirit, that’s godliness, with contentment is great gain against the flesh.

The flesh is always worried about what it’s going to wear. The flesh is always worried about what it’s going to eat. It wants to look the best, and it wants to eat the best. It wants to be dressed and stuffed. It’s constantly complaining about it’s wardrobe. It’s always says it’s hungry. It never looks good enough. It’s belly is never full. The flesh is never satisfied. It’s always worried about these things.

Yet Jesus said, “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Luke 12:29-31)

Oh Yes, contentment in the life of the Christian and priorities being right go hand in hand. If we don’t practice some contentment, we’ll never get our priorities straight. And when priorities are set right, our practices will be made right. That’s why John the Baptist said, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance is the death blow to the flesh; and the pot of gold to the Spirit. Amen. But it starts with learning some contentment. Contentment is the grease that allows our priorities to move and change. With contentment, we can seek the kingdom of God instead of food and raiment. And when we get our minds stayed on the kingdom, then repentance and subjugation of the flesh, mortification of the deeds of the body can take place.

How do I know this? Because that’s the will of God. Subjugation of the flesh, mortification of the deeds of the body is the work of the Holy Ghost, (He said through the Spirit) the result of being filled with the Holy Ghost, and being filled with the Holy Spirit is the will of God; Ephesians 5:17,18, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

Jesus prayed, “Thy kingdom come, they will be done.” Those two things go hand in hand. But God’s will is never going to be done, if we don’t seek ye first the kingdom of God. And we are never going to seek first the kingdom of God until we get in our head that what John the Baptist had in his head; that leather and locusts is perfectly sufficient.

#3 The Lord

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Matthew 3:1-3)

Another thing on John’s mind was the Lord, particularly the Lord’s Day. There is coming a day that the earth will shake, the waters will turn to blood, the trees will burn with fervant heat. Nations will rise up against nation. There will be wars and rumors of wars. There is a day coming and it is the great and terrible Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is darkness and not light.

John says, “Prepare ye the way!” John was a prepper. He believed; it was in his head; what was important to him was preparing for the LORD. The Bible says:

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. (Matthew 24:42-36)

Jesus said, “Therefore be ye also ready!” Be prepared for the coming of the Lord. I believe we can do this if we always have the Lord on our mind. Not just God, but the LORD God. The Lord is a little different from just God. Lord means God is the Master, the Head. Nowadays people want a Savior, but they don’t want a Lord.

Many years ago, there was a term that people threw around alot, Lordship Salvation. I’m not really sure what the whole debate was about. But when you get saved, God is not just your Savior, but he’s your Lord. I’ll just say this plainly. People just don’t like being told what to do. I see it in the workers at work. I see it in my children. I see it in myself. My wife and I have joke going. Sometmes, there’s something that needs to be done and we’re getting ready to do it. But then the other one comes and says, “Hey you need to that something that needs to be done.” Then we say, “Ahh forget it. I’m not going to do it now. You should’t have told me to do it!”

All that is the flesh. The flesh wants to be sovereign. That means that the flesh wants to call the shots. But if we would put the Lord on our mind and remember that the Lord is truly sovereign. The Lord omnipotent reigneth in the affairs of men. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When the presence of the Lord is near, we move a little faster. We work a little harder. We take less breaks. We are more diligent. We’re more thorough. We’re more aware of our time and our task.

Why? Because the Lord is on our mind. The master. The husbandman. John had set it is his heart and mind to do the Lord’s bidding. John wanted to know what does the Lord expect of me. What does the Lord want to accomplish in me today? Would the Lord approve of what I’m about to do? How would the Lord want me to go about this?

The Lord is coming, and I must be prepared. I must be ready. I must get done what he expects me to get done. The master is on the way. Don’t give precious resources to the flesh to waste, but yield them to the Spirit of God that the work of God may be done. Always have in mind, as John the Baptist did, the Lord is on the way.

#4 The Light

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:6-9)

Another thing in John’s head was the Light, the Light of the World. The reason why John the Baptist had the Light of the World in his head was because he was bearing witness of the Light. He was out there testifying and telling about the one that was mightier than him; the one that he was unworthy even to untie his shoes. He was witnessing about the Lord Jesus Christ. He was being an instrument that God used to shine that Light through the darkness and unto the souls of men.

He had made himself, his mouth and his mind, available that God might use them to shine the glorious Light that all men through him might believe. That Light was what was on his mind.

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy,
From His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor *struggling, fainting seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

Remember, we’re talking about having victory over the flesh. We’re talking about besieging the flesh, mortifying the deeds of the body. John the Baptist was bearing witness of the Light. Think about this: The bible says “The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:5) Now the flesh is in darkness and flesh does not comprehend the Light.  “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) You want to confuse the flesh? You want to set the flesh in disarray? “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Confusion is a part of the siege. This is a war tactic. Confuse the enemy. If you want to confuse the flesh, get a burden for the lost. If you want to confuse the flesh, try caring for the spiritual welfare of others. Don’t get that mixed up with criticizing the spiritual welfare of others, that will help the flesh. No, care for the spiritual welfare of others. Have they ever been saved? Don’t start by asking them. Start by asking the Lord. Start praying for the lost people in your life. If you don’t have a burden for them, ask God to give you one for them. Praying for people to be saved – you talk about starving the flesh.

But don’t stop with prayer. Look for opportunities to bear witness of the Light. The Bible says that John the Baptist was sent to bear witness. Consider that every person you meet or interact with on this green earth is a missionary prospect that God has sent you to to witness. Every morning you wake up in the mission field. All day long, you labor to be a witness for God; to tell people the amazing grace of Jesus Christ. Everywhere we go, every thing we do, and every word we say has purpose; that others may believe in the only begotten Son of God; that sinners might get saved; that the Holy Ghost would somehow turn the light on for some lost soul.

John the Baptist had Light on his mind. Once again, this besiege the flesh; weaken the flesh; mortify the deeds of the body. Why? Who’s will is fulfilled and obeyed when we witness for the Lord? The Bible says that “The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) What word was John the Baptist most remember for? Repent. To witness of the Light is not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It’s God’s will that sinners repent. And when God’s will is done, the flesh is confused and disappointed and discouraged because the flesh’s will is not done.

Keep the light burning in your soul. Don’t let it go out.

#5 The Lake

And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. (Luke 3:5-17)

Another thing on John the Baptist’s mind was the Lake, the Lake of Fire. He said, “But the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43-48)

John the Baptist said, “But the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.” He had the lake of fire on his mind. The Bible says that “Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire… And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14,15) The Bible says of the rich man in hell, “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:24)

John the Baptist said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36) Maybe we would be a little more concerned about spreading the Light and witnessing of that Light if we were thinking more about that outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and the lake of fire where there will be torments and pain and anguish of soul.

Instead, we’ve got our mind on Lake Corpus Christi. We’re more concerned about the fun that the flesh could have. They say the rich man is more concerned for the lost and worried about the lake of fire that the average Christian today. He said, “I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” (Luke 16:27,28)

The flesh doesn’t care about saving souls. The flesh will drag you to hell if you let it. One way to besiege the flesh, to render him impotent, to cut his power, is to get yourself a vision of hell and lost loved ones going down into it. Get a vision of the lake of fire. John did. He saw Jesus in all his glory all the way to Revelation 20 and lake of fire. He said, “The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire!”

#6 The Lamb

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

This kinds of brings us to the next thing on John the Baptist’s mind; that’s the Lamb, the Lamb of God. John’s head was on the Lamb. I don’t understand all this, but John the Baptist may have been the only one on earth besides Jesus at that time to comprehend God’s plan of redemption for man. John could not have said that lest he had known 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

John the Baptist must have already known what John the Apostle wrote decades later: “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) The people didn’t understand it. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”. (John 2:19) But the people thought he was talking about Herod’s temple when he was really talking about his body. Not even the disciples understood this while Jesus was among them. Jesus tried to tell them, but Peter wouldn’t hear anything about dying in Jerusalem. The Bible says that “Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” (Matthew 16:22)

But John the Baptist, who was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb saw Jesus walking down to the Jordan river and something clicked in that head of his and he pointed and said “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Can we use our imagination just a bit?

John knew in his head that the thousands and thousands of lambs of men that were offered on the brazan altar would never be fully sufficient. In John’s head he knew the words of Abraham, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering.” (Genesis 21:8) And all his life, he prayed and asked the Lord, like Isaac did, “Behold the fire and wood: but where is the lamb?” And that day at the Jordan River, God revealed it unto John, “Behold the Lamb of God.”

John the Baptist said “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” But in his head, he knew he saw his lamb. The bible says that every man a lamb. The bible says your lamb shall be without blemish. (Exodus 12) I know that God so loved the world; that God loved the church; but I like the way Paul put it: “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) In John the Baptist head, he knew he needed a lamb. He knew he needed the grace of God. He knew it was just the mercy of God that kept him from utter destruction.

Paul said, that’s how I live. I live by the faith of the Son of God; with the Lamb of God ever before me to remind me that his blood was shed for me. Like the song Rock of Ages says, “In my hands no price I bring, but simply to thy cross I cling.” The song writer writes about the labor of his hands, his respiteless zeal, and his flowing tears. But he said “All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.” He is my personal lamb of God. He loved me and gave himself for me.

With the Lamb of God on our minds, the cross of Calvary on our minds, the mercy of God on our minds (taking our sin upon his shoulders and nailing it to the cross), with the all-sufficient, finished work of Jesus Christ on our minds… we have great protection and great advantage over the flesh. Paul said on your head to put on the helmet of salvation. I am saved! I am no longer condemned to hell. The Spirit of God dwells in me, and he’s in charge now. Therefore, the flesh no longer has dominion over me. Paul said, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:11,12)

Don’t obey it. Obey God. See, it’s all in your head. It’s about understanding your standing. When you were lost, you could obey God til you were blue in the face. It didn’t get you any closer to God. It didn’t get you any closer to heaven. It didn’t change the fact that the Devil was your father, the flesh was your master. If anything obeying God’s commands while you were lost only made you an unfaithful servant of the devil. You were working on the wrong ranch. But when you get saved, when you get born again, you are now a child of God and now obeying God makes sense. He’s your Father, your King, your master, and your friend. And now obeying the flesh and obeying the devil doesn’t make sense anymore.

It’s not so much about ability; but rather accountability. Who are you now accountable to? Well it’s the one that owns you. Peter said, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:18,19) Behold the Lamb of God. Shall we never cease in our minds to behold the Lamb of God.

Obey the Lamb, and ignore the flesh. You know what happens when you ignore a dog? It may try to get your attention for a little while, but stick with it. Don’t feed it. Don’t pet it. Leave it alone. Ignore it, and he’ll go away.

#7 The Lame and the Leper

 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. (Luke 7:22)

Another thing we find in John’s head are the lame and lepers. This is the passage in the New Testament that brings us to a reality in serving God; and that is discouragement. If John the Baptist, who was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, could get discouraged and even doubt that Jesus was truly the son of God, then any of us can be discouraged. Any of us can have doubts and be dismayed by our circumstances. If John the Baptist can, anybody can.

He was put up in prison, and sent out two disciples to ask Jesus, “Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?” John saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and remembered that God said to him that “upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the seame is he which baptizeth wit the Holy Ghost.” God told him who Jesus was. And then John knew in his heart when he saw Jesus. He said “Behold the Lamb of God!” But for some reason, being penned up in prison, he began to doubt. He began to change his mind about the things he was certain of weeks ago. He was discouraged.

That’s exactly what the flesh will do when it starts to get the best of you. It will play mind tricks on you. Things that are not so will suddenly be so. And things that are so will suddenly be not so. God never changes. Jesus the same yesterday, today, and forever. It’s not God that changes, it’s our minds that change. It’s the flesh that tricks the mind. And that’s what was happening to John the Baptist. He was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb, but try being filled with the Holy Ghost from Herod’s prison.

So those two disciples of John came to Jesus and asked, “Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?” And Jesus had just finished curing diseases and plagues, casting out evil spirits, and giving sight to the blind. He said to the two disciples, “Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” (Luke 7:19-23)

It may be that this was the very things that John the Baptist was thinking about when they took his life (or his head). Theses were electrical impulses that were travelling around in his head the moment the power was cut off. Think about this. He was discouraged and hurting and reached out to Jesus for help. And Jesus gave him something to think about while he was there in the prison. I’m sure the disciples got back to John and told him, “John, it’s him. The blind see. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised. The gospel is preached. John, remember what Isaiah prophesied. It’s him. It is the acceptable year of the Lord!” And shortly after that, John heard the footsteps of the soldiers coming down the hallway take that which belonged to him, his head.

The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. Jesus knew that was going to happen to John. I wouldn’t doubt for one second that Jesus gave that specifically to John to help him through this time. If it will help John the Baptist through his trial and his time of discouragement, it will help us if we’d get it in our heads. The lame walk! The lepers are cleansed! Look, your situation may not be good, and may not get any better. But I want to say this. The lame walk! The lepers are cleansed! Let me say plainly my application.

We’ve got alot to praise God for! Maybe things aren’t so hot for you right now, but praise God you’re saved. And someone somewhere is getting saved. Somewhere the Holy Ghost is birthing someone into the family of God like you once were. Somewhere a baby Christian is being brought forth. Someone is being touched by God the way you were touched. Someone’s life out there is being changed the way yours was. Someone out there is being rescued from hell the way you were. Someone out there is being delivered with a mighty hand from the bondage of sin like you were. Bless the Lord. It’s wonderful to see and hear God moving in the lives of sinners. There’s joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. Why don’t you get in on some of that joy. Bless the Lord. It is the acceptable year of the Lord!

We’ve got alot to look forward too! The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. That’s a big deal but compared to what God has in store for us, can I say this? That’s nothing. Just wait until you get your glorified body. Just wait until all this is said and done, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51,53)

We’ve got alot to look forward too! “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) Get your eyes off your circumstances; and take a glimpse of your eternal future, your everlasting inheritance. And I’d like to stress here your future; not everyone else’s future. Your future.

This truth or admonition reminds me alot of Moses. You all remember what happened to Moses when he struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock. God was wroth. He didn’t like that and he banned Moses from crossing into the promised the land. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12) That was in Numbers when it happened. If you get a change to read that you’ll notice that Moses doesn’t respond. He doesn’t argue with God about it. Nothing more is said about the matter there.

Well, later on in the scriptures, more is revealed about that incident. When we get to Deuteronomy, Moses is telling the people of Israel about going over the into the promised land, about how God is going to fight for them, and about how God has given them this land, and about how they are to possess the land. Well, Moses said, “And I besought the LORD at that time, saying… I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebaonon.” (Deuteronomy 3:23,25) “Lord, let me go over. I want to walk on the soil of the promised land. I want to see you fight our battles and give us victory and give us this land. Lord, let me go over.”

But God said no. And then in the end, Moses went up to the top of Mount Pisgah. The Lord showed him all the land of Canaan, where all the tribes would live, all the land of Judah, Dan, Napthalit, Ephraim, Manasseh, unto the utmost sea. He saw the south, the valley of Jericho, and unto Zoar. The Bible says, “And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.” (Deuteronomy 34:4)

He could have seen all that land again and gotten discouraged. Everybody is going to go over but me. I had to struggle in Egypt, the back side of the desert, the wilderness. Why can’t I go over the river Jordan and possess the land like everybody else? No. He didn’t. He was content with his future. Before Moses’ final days, he and Joshua were in the tabernacle and the Lord God was there. (Deuternomy 31:!6)”And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.”

God told Moses “You’re not going to have to go through all that over there in the promised land. You’re coming up here. Remember Moses, when you said, Lord, show me thy glory? You’re gonna behold it in just a few days. You’re not going over into the land I swear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, you’re coming up here and you’re going to have fellowship with me, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Like that thief on the cross, Jesus said, “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.”

We’ve got a lot to look forward to. We’ve got a whole lot to praise God for. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. What does that mean? It means the day of the Lord is at hand. It means to look up, for your redemption draweth nigh. It means this thing is almost over. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Conclusion

“When thou comest high unto a city to fight against it… If it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it!” Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Thou shalt besiege it. How do we cut off the roads? how do we blow up the bridges? How do we cut off the water? Cut off the power? Be filled with the Spirit. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb.

Give me John the Baptist Head in a Charger! What was going on in John the Baptist head? The Law? Leather and Locusts? The Lord? The Light? The Lake? The Lamb? The Lame and the Leper? I believe that if we’d set our minds on these things, we through the Spirit can mortify the deeds of the flesh.

I want to say this: These things that we’ve covered require action on our part. God is not going to sprinkle some magic dust on you that will make you read your bible, or make you content, or any of these things. There’s a part that we must play in all of this. There’s a choice we must make in all of this. You’re just going to have to decide, who’s on the Lord’s side?